The Shop IC has a fun, quirky little shop. They have a bit of everything from clothing to home…read moredecor and a unique selection of Hawkeye fan gear!

The service here was unpleasant. The store was empty of customers, and the employee told me to…read morelower my voice, even though I was speaking at a normal level and told me he didn't want to hear people talking. It had a nice selection, but the unpleasant service made me leave the store because I felt uncomfortable with that store employee.

My cousin brought me here to Coralville's HomeGoods location while visiting my nephew at the…read moreUniversity of Iowa. I have never set foot in a HomeGoods and the store name just says it all. They are part of the TJ Maxx family however their main business is in the sale of Home Goods. I am just going to remain candid and be real with y'all. You can seriously do a lot of damage to your pocket here. I don't normally shop for home décor but one can easily get addicted to places like this especially if home décor is your jam. I had some self-restraint and spent about $60.00 at the sto! With that money I got a candle, two vases, a wooden laser cut birthday card and a pack of Christmas cards to last me through this season and the next. That being said, one can easily spend well over $50 due to the lure of "cute-ish" items. I get people need "retail therapy" however, choose wisely and ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" If you do, by all means shop away however in this economy, exercise some caution.

Forget after Christmas bargain shopping at Target-- get on over to HomeGoods! This is my go-to for…read morediscounted wrapping paper, Christmas decor, holiday children books and other random things that will make next holiday season special. There's aisles and aisles of decor, kitchen items and more! Price is right, parking is a non-issue, service is quick and friendly. This HomeGoods location is a winner in my book!

This place is AWESOME!!! The style is a great mix of everything from modern to mid century to farm…read morehouse. The store is easy to shop and beautifully kept. Owned by a local mother/daughter duo this is a MUST SHOP BOUTIQUE!!!!!! Whether you're looking for a unique birthday present, or for something great to add to your own home you must come here.

From the owner: A Few Local Vendors. read more

Surroundings changed our lives--for the better! Took a builders-grade ho-hum house and ramped it up…read moreto a custom-designed lovely home. Decorator Lori Waters is truly wonderful, a talented blend of good taste coupled with the experienced pragmatism to make your design dreams come true. Over about ten years in several phases, we have completely made over the place upstairs and down, inside and out. Stayed within the budget, gently nudged us into trying new ideas when we were stuck firmly in the mud of 1985, and just generally gave us a new way of using the spaces that perfectly suited our wallet, our taste, and our lifestyle. Could NOT be more proud of the finished product, although as Lori reminds me, "We still need to address that old yellow bathroom..." We will, Lori, as we start the next phase of this immensely gratifying partnership! Surroundings is the place to go when you decide you're ready to turn your house into the delightful home you've always wanted.

From the owner: We’re a full-service interior design firm located in the heart of Iowa City, at 331 Kirkwood…read moreAvenue. Our qualified and experienced designers assist clients from concept to completion — turning your ideas and dreams into surroundings you love to live in. Our Design Center is filled with inspiring samples, displays, and merchandise to help bring your vision to life. Whether you’re updating a single room, selecting finishes for a remodel, or starting fresh with a new build, our team is here to guide you every step of the way. We are open 5 days a week, 8-5 Monday- Friday. Design assistance is by appointment only. Our showroom is open on Tuesdays from 10-4. We hope to see you soon!

Love that the employees were wearing they're mask. Oh my, the parking lot was an accident waiting…read moreto happen. No parking lines or ones you could barely see. They had them in every direction so people parked in the middle of the lot. The employees just stood behind the counter and never moved 2 other went on the floor to hang stuff up. No one said: can I help you, do you want me to see if we have this in a different size, what were you looking for today etc. I did ask a question but it was answered as she walked by and she kept walking. I ask the one behind the counter if she could help me with something on a rack close by and she acted like she didn't hear me. When I paid I was never asked: did you find everything you needed. She talked to the other employee as she rang me up then turned and said thank you. I'll never go again.

Adorable boutique with so much variety! Found some great last minute birthday gifts. I'll be back…read moreto shop for myself very soon! Must see shop!

I love Ollie's! Two…read moreof my favorite stores are Aldi and Big Lots and I get both of those vibes when I'm in Ollie's. This location opened in the fall and I think we've been five times or so. The first few times just to browse, but the last couple of times for specific items (air mattress for example). You'll find something different each time you visit. It's like treasure hunting to dig through some of the shelves. I scored some limited edition Method brand hand soap on my first visit. Snagged as many as I could and paid less than half of what I would have at Target. Yes, I get excited about hand soap. A great place to go if you need guest items - I stock up on toothbrushes, body washes, things like that. They have non-perishable food/pantry items. No fresh food. Great place for baking supplies, spices, cereal, shelf-stable items if you aren't really picky about brand names. I would love to see the pet merchandise expanded upon, but they do have an aisles worth right now. Lots of things for the home like rugs, sheets, pillows, towels. Several aisles of toys and a huge area dedicated bargain books. Kitchen, automotive, electronics, office supplies, and seasonal also. While I love a bargain, some of the items at Ollie's are not. We did find an air mattress at Ollie's, but it was much less expensive to get one from Walmart. While their books are 'bargain' prices, I'm not sure they're less expensive than the big box stores. The price tags all have an 'ours' and 'theirs' price. Sometimes there isn't much of difference. I noticed this when buying Halloween candy. I signed up for their rewards program - Ollie's Army. It's easy join and use and you get a coupon for joining. Sign up for their weekly emails, too. The company did a really nice job upgrading the outside of the storefront and appear to be maintaining the parking lot. Customer service has always been above average when we've visited. If you need assistance with something, there are plenty of employees available. Grab a shopping cart - you'll need it!

There is a reason items are cheap..... they are just that…read more The only thing I found worth taking home was a few books. The store is extremely cluttered and would be difficult to maneuver if you had any mobility issues. I will pass on this the next time.

Non profit 100% free trade…read moreThey bring in products from over 30 countries Street parking and walk into peddlers area Great unique gifts Ornaments, jewelry, home decor, scarves stuffed animals Moderate price

Maker to market. Shop gifts intentionally--…read morehandmade, ethical. During these unprecedented times, I find myself thinking more and more about how I spend my family's hard earned dollar. Ten Thousand Villages is a fabulous retail spot to support. While the store has over a hundred locations in North America-- they do fair trade right. Every handmade purchase directly impacts the life and community of its maker in a developing country. I hopped on their site one day during quarantine to shop with my mom in mind. The site is so, SO easy to navigate. There's a Gift Finder tab that I found extremely helpful. I opted for the Recycled Sari Flowers. No two flowers are entirely alike due to them recycling fabric. They were made in Bangladesh. (My mom does NOT have a green thumb. I feel like fabric flowers will be welcomed.) On the site, you get to see a blurb about the maker of each item. It makes you feel good to see who you're supporting with your purchase. Shop Ten Thousand Villages for any gift giving you may have. Whether it is during social distancing on their site, or at their store in the ped-mall. It is a literal treasure trove.

After hearing about a 20% off Alessi sale at Design Ranch, I decided to check it out. The shop…read morereally is off the main drag so it requires a special trip. The shop is small but filled with all sorts of fun furniture and household items. The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming and offered to help out with anything I needed. One of the staff informed me that any Alessi item could be ordered through the shop and purchased at the sale discount. Not a bad deal! If only I had more money to spend!

Unique gift store. Lots of high-end items. Excellent service.read more

Luxe Interiors has been on my radar since it moved to the Northside. I am one of those…read more'I-watch-HGTV-so-I'm-basically-a-professional' types. Logically, I wanted to confer with like minds. I stopped in one downtown district shop crawl and was instantly greeted by the shop owner, Jan. What a wonderful lady! I loved the shop. A couple Iowa-centric items, lots of beautiful decor, paintings, furniture-- all carefully curated. I begrudgingly left that night empty handed. (A lot of the items on my radar were not surprisingly pricey. I unfortunately tend to have expensive taste. And this shop definitely has some higher end items.) Then, last week, I realized they sell items ONLINE with free contactless local delivery. *Happy Dance* I'm not sure if you've perused the Northside? But currently an entire street is closed to outside dining which is amazing, but does the parking situation no favors. ANYWAYS. The online shop was filled with candles, tea towels, furniture, pillows, vases, rugs, artwork... the whole gambit. I found an amazing photo of the pedestrian mall in the rain. I couldn't resist. My treasure was well priced. Jan emailed me personally that night to set up next day delivery. I found my package neatly put between my doors, packed with care. The cherry on top was a handwritten note from the shop owner. The picture is perfection. I haven't used Luxe for interior design purposes. (And due to my frequent HGTV watching and inherent designing expertise, let's face it. I probably won't anytime soon. ;)) But Jan is fabulous, the shop has tons of flair. A great addition to downtown! Stop by virtually or IRL.

Fraud is a word I would use to describe how this business is run. We engaged with the owner in…read moreApril, placed an order on July 6th for $17,000. We left a $10,000 deposit. In August, we received another email with an invoice for $2,100 as she had received items in her warehouse which we paid. The owner failed to keep us posted on timelines and deliveries which we were supposed to have in September (after paying for items in August). Our delivery was scheduled for October 22 when I got a call that the truck had been in an accident and all of our pieces were damaged and she would have to reorder. She did not offer a refund. Months later, she delivers $6,000 worth of the items. That was the end of it. I finally called and demanded a refund which they processed (has not reached my card yet). I come to find out that 1) No one at Luxe Interiors ever heard anything about an accident and 2) the order for one sofa was never placed and the other order was placed then cancelled back in December. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THESE LYING CRIMINALS!

I typically go to Hobby Lobby, and this recent experience just proved my point. I placed a mobile…read moreorder at 8 this morning, called Michael's at 9 to see when my order would be available for pick up. The associate on the phone was so unnecessarily rude. I got the confirmation email that my order was ready for pick up and headed to get it, it was not there and all three associates in the store were just as rude. One even used vulgar language in front of myself, a customer, which I find to be extremely unprofessional. One of my items in my order was out of stock, even though the store just opened, and the associate acted as if it was an inconvenience for me to return its counterpart. I will not be headed back to Michael's and I am disappointed in the service I received.

Oh, Michaels. A…read morecouple reasons this particular chain craft store is worth a stop. 1. LOCATION. I love this particular location in Coralville, just off 965. 2. Coupons! Check online or sign up for their email distribution. You can almost ALWAYS get a deal on what you're looking for. 3. Shop online, pickup in the store for free! (They also do a great job showing you what aisle things live in the store online. So be sure you don't go in and leave empty handed.) The staff can be hit or miss. I've had super DUPER knowledgable, cheerful help and then... not so much. Just depends on the day! My basis for a three vs four star is mostly because of an online order I had this part holiday season. I ordered decor, paint and a wood craft. It said it was fulfilled and to come in to pick it up. When I got there, the wood craft wasn't there! When I inquired it was just a shrug, 'we ran out.' All fine... just COMMUNICATE please before I come in expecting my order in its entirety. Overall, a solid craft store. And really the only one of its kind in that part of Coralville. Stop in for a kid's craft, frame or anything else artsy.