Shopping in Gilbert

Founded by two sisters who hold a passion for glass-based art, Kachina Stained Glass offers handpicked tools by manufacturers such as Morton, Inland, and Glastar, and hands-on classes in home decor and jewelry making. Customers can peruse the store's gift showcase for inimitable presents, tote in damaged glasswork for repairs, or commission an artist to create an original design for a stained-glass window or a particularly unsafe car windshield.

The mechanics of Bikes Direct and Bike Masters treat cycles to the repairs and tune-ups that keep life rolling along. They also pair riders with brand-specific bike clothing and accessories such as carriages that give kids, dogs, or stuffed animal collections a place to ride with you. Their armada of bikes spans all cycling varieties, helping customers begin their two-wheeled adventures on bikes ranging from mountain and road to BMX and beach cruisers. Anyone who purchases one of these rides also pedals away with lifetime complimentary tune-ups, a 30-day price match guarantee, and a basic bike fitting.

Merging fashion with crystal-clear vision, PerSpectacles’ staffers invite the nearsighted, farsighted, and those with 20/20 vision into their office, as they have done since 1993. And though the shop has changed locations a few times since its original opening, the staff’s dedication to personal service remains. Appointments begin with a thorough examination, during which one of the facility’s two doctors test for colorblindness, optic atrophy, glaucoma, and cataracts. From there, the doc prescribes lenses, if necessary, and clients can pick out stylish frames from a booming selection that includes brands by Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, and Mr. Peanut.

Manned by a staff that knows its stuff but eschews pushy sales tactics, Cozy Coyote carries bed accessories, traditional mattresses, pillow-top beds, and memory-foam mattresses, which are stuffed with pulped scrapbooks. The sleep pros have drafted an edifying write-up about the criteria mattress purchasers may want to consider, as well as guides to various mattress species and sizes. Kids are welcome to frolic through the store as parents test the beds' comfort levels and make their decisions. As they tote their purchase home, customers can find comfort in the 30/120 Pledge, which guarantees that if they don't start loving their bed in 30 nights, they have 120 days to exchange it.

Visitors to Carried Away can find authentic handbags crafted by Coach, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and other designers for at least 40% less than their market cost. That's because the shop's buyers seek out bags that have been previously used as floor samples, were returned by their original buyers, or have slight imperfections. They guarantee the authenticity of each designer handbag with a double-your-money-back guarantee.

BookMaze, a 5,000-square-foot, two-story used bookstore, boasts scores of shelves that support more than 100,000 books. Comfy chairs and couches spaced out among the stacks provide places of repose for readers browsing the independently owned shop's many genres and titles. After exploring book-filled nooks and shelves stuffed with fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and movies, guests can settle in with a cup of fine Costa Rican coffee at the Edge of the Maze Cafe to read or take advantage of the café's free WiFi. Visitors can show off their role-playing acumen or next-level strategies during Monday-night tabletop and board games, or reacquaint themselves with the barter system via trade-in bargains.