Shopping in Coatesville

Jennifer Mann has always had a keen eye for fashion. Pulling from her industry experience—which includes a role as senior advertising executive at Lehigh Valley Style magazine—Jennifer opened Shuze, packing its shelves with stylish accessories from both uncommon and renowned designers. Inside, colorful displays of shoes from San Miguel, Nicole, and Frye line up along tables amid racks of Tolani scarves and Silver jeans. Meanwhile, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings from local artists glimmer beneath the boutique's soft lamps. Patrons can plop down on colorful, cushy couches, trying on Hunter wellies, resting their legs, or checking beneath the cushions to see if the couches have babies.

Robert Gardner grew up in the world of gardening. At the age of 13, he started helping work the fields and sell plants at his family's nursery, becoming the fourth generation of his family to go into the business. Decades later—now at the helm of the family business—Mr. Gardner purchased a property in Chester Springs and created Gardner's Landscape Nursery. Here, he oversees the growing of 100,000 annuals and perennials each year and the stock of home decor and patio furniture that is made in America.

Mr. Gardner and his staff also help patrons design custom outdoor environments, selecting plants, trees, and shrubs that beam with fall colors or thrive in specific conditions. Alternatively, patrons can explore on their own, browsing a glass house with plants and flowers or a 19th-century barn, which houses outdoor furnishings and the ghosts of garden gnomes.

Those visiting Drop Me A Line Costume Shop for the first time might scratch their heads at the name. When the current owners purchased the shop back in 1987, it was a primarily a stationery store with a humble selection of costumes thrown in. Halloween enthusiasts at heart, the husband-and-wife team gradually changed the business's focus, expanding the shop's square footage to match the growing costume stock. Eventually, the selection grew so large they had to acquire the building next door and build a permanent passageway and after-hours zipline to connect the two halves of the 4,000-square-foot space.

Today, the staff can be heard dropping the store’s phrase “yeah, we got it” as they pull superhero costumes, period pieces, Disney disguises, and monster outfits from the 10,000+ stock of rentals, lease, and for-sale costumes. Along with a range of Halloween ideas for kids, teens, adults, and plus sizes, Drop Me A Line also provides getups for other holidays, such as Santa costumes for Christmas and Uncle Sam outfits for Christmas in July. To complement each costume, the year-round store packs its shelves with more than 5,000 accessories and hundreds of high-quality synthetic wigs to suit all price ranges. The staff can even provide tips on how to flawlessly attach fake beards and foam prosthetic noses as guests peruse the shop's collection of theatrical and special effects makeup from Cinema Secrets, Mehron, Ben Nye, and Kryolan.

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The Finish Line recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and its 14th under the ownership of Chris Schmidt, who took over the lead after working at the shop for nearly eight years. A former student in Ball State's pedorthic foot management program, Chris and his staff help customers select the shoe best suited to their running, walking, and slow-motion kung-fu kicking needs, with footwear from name brands such as Adidas, Asics, Brooks, and Saucony. They also stock apparel from makers including Mizuno and Saucony to help keep athletes in sharp, comfortable clothing. Customers wanting to test out their new gear can participate in one of Finish Line's weekly or seasonal running events.

North Wales Running Company’s staff channels its dedication to running and training, helping out shoppers with pertinent advice and earning the shop a Philly Hot List pick as the #1 running store in the city six years straight. Runners can peruse more than 80 types of shoes for men and women from venerated brands such as Asics, Mizuno, and Nike. The shop's staff assists patrons in reaching their fitness goals, whether finding a proper fit for jogging shoes or fastening rockets to jogging shoes. A selection of winter apparel and accessories—including GPS watches, heart rate monitors, pedometers, and energy bars—helps runners stride down the road toward optimal health.