Downtown Shop Offers Unique Gifts for a Great Cause

Looking at the exterior of the , one might get the impression that it sells old furniture, gently used clothes and an assortment of beat-up knickknacks. 

Once you step inside, though, it doesn’t take long to realize that it’s not your typical thrift — or gift — shop. 

On the inside, Shoppe Around the Corner has a decorative beauty belying its kitschy paint job, and a blend of sights and smells that dazzle the eyes and please the senses. 

The fact that it is run by the nonprofit Neighborly Care Network, and all the proceeds go toward the Meals on Wheels and Neighborly Pharmacy charities, just makes it all the more beautiful. 

Debra Shade, CEO of Neighborly Care Network, "wanted to open a shop — not a thrift store, but a boutique,” manager Debbie Landis said. “She wanted to sell beautiful, new merchandise, not just the usual thrift store items.” 

One look around the shop, which is located at Omaha Circle and Georgia Avenue in the downtown district, and it’s obvious that her mission was accomplished. 

Packed full of original, intricate gifts and staffed by enthuastic volunteers, Shoppe Around the Corner, which opened in 2005, is one of those places where you can find something different every time you come in. 

“I like to move things around a lot, so every time someone comes in they have to try and find their favorite items,” Landis said. “But we don’t have a huge amount of each item because so many are originals. So if you see something you like, you better get it when you’re in here.” 

The shop sells everything from clocks and jewelry to soaps and candles, and the prices vary enough to satisfy those looking for gifts that are either high-end or more economical. 

“I think that’s one of the reasons why people like us — we have a $20 gift and we have a $900 gift. We have a little bit of everything,” Landis said. In fact, she said their affordable line of Tyler candles and air fresheners are the most popular items in the store.

According to one person who supports the shop, it is an invaluable resource to the Palm Harbor area. 

“I do a lot of fundraisers and things to support the community,” Lynn Whittle of PuroClean Property Rescue said. “I always get gift cards from Shoppe Around the Corner, and Debbie always arranges them in a beautiful basket.” 

“I’ve been to shops all over the country, and this is the greatest shop I’ve ever been to,” she added. “It’s somewhere you can go to feel good. You get to spend money, get beautiful gifts, and it’s for a good cause.” 

Landis, who plans to paint the exterior soon to better reflect the shop's style, echoed her customer’s sentiments. 

“Once you experience the Shoppe, you will be back," she said. "We have great things, we support a great cause, and giving is always in style.”

Shoppe Around the Corner

Address: 1015 Omaha Circle

Phone: 727-289-7467

Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; closed Sunday-Monday