Shopping in Naples

At Ooh La La Jewels Du Jour, sister owners Amy Turner and Tammy Turner Kipp exude fashion sense. Together, they keep their store's artful displays stocked with items ranging from classic to contemporary, with new and seasonal collections consistently joining the mix. In order to keep pace in the ever-changing world of fashion, Amy and Tammy also go on frequent buying trips, where they meet with longstanding partners to gather pieces that have yet to hit the shelves at big department stores. And, as daughters of educators, the Turner sisters have worked with local teachers and principals for more than a decade through their "Jewels for Schools" program.

Inside the 8,000-square-foot location, the staff of Twinkle Twinkle Little Store organizes a collection of gently used, clean children’s gear, from clothing and strollers to books and bassinets. As a consignment shop, they only sell and purchase items that have not been recalled, stained, ripped, or damaged in any way. Though brimming with toys and accessories, the shop is meticulously organized. A fleet of strollers, car seats, and cribs stands in neat rows, and a book nook displays their library beside comfortable reading chairs. As parents browse, kids can play on trampolines, slides, and other equipment in age-specific play zones.

The shop’s values encourage this parent- and kid-friendly style. Before opening the shop, owner Cheryl Courson had struggled to balance her corporate career with motherhood. Frustrated, she decided to create a store that makes life easier for moms. She staffs parents, who may bring their children to work, as well as pregnant moms, joking “their nesting organizational skills are excellent!” She also offers an hourly store-credit wage in return for simple volunteer tasks such as hanging clothing and teaching children about the themes of fatherhood in Ulysses. Regular donations to kid- and mom-centric local charities further root the store in the community.

Before they opened Character Eyez, licensed opticians Bob and Linda Jack worked for a leading eyewear provider. Today, they extract only the best practices from this experience to run their independent shop, such as working directly with top designers and affixing frames with precision lenses by Varilux and Carl Zeiss. Their cozy stone building is located within Naples Bay Resort, where a striped awning beckons passersby and serves as a landing pad for nearsighted seagulls. Inside, staffers stock shelves with designer frames by Swissflex, Versace, and Ray-Ban, as well as vintage frames from the 40s¬ and beyond.

The handy employees at Gavin's Ace Hardware help customers to navigate shelves stocked with home-improvement implements, household appliances, and domestic essentials. The shop’s technicians are certified to perform warrantee repair tasks for more than 100 manufacturers, including Echo, Snapper, and Toro, returning your snowblower or Statue of Liberty replica to working order. In addition to its wide selection of hardware, paint, plumbing, and electrical supplies, Ace Hardware dedicates ample space to gifts, home decor, marine supplies, and housewares.

In an interview with the Naples Daily News, entrepreneur Jason Swinford explained that he brought Flip Flop Shops to the Coastland Center mall with one goal in mind: “to make finding the perfect pair of flip-flops a cinch." His goal manifests in the form of a beach-themed shop with displays of footwear by Vans, Havaianas, iPanema, and more.

Shoppers can find youth-friendly styles, elegant strappy designs suitable for black-tie beach parties, or executive sidewalk surfers, which resemble business shoes but feel like flip-flops. A selection of sporty closed-toe shoes keeps toes comfortable on cooler days, and skincare products by Sun Bum protect skin. With an eye toward reducing the store's ecological footprint, general manager Brian Disarro told Naples Daily News that he stocks footwear made from reclaimed and recycled materials and illuminates displays with LED lights.

From a distance, the restaurant patio looks as though it’s been taken over by blue octopi. But a closer look reveals that what might have appeared to be creatures from the deep are actually artistic balloon sculptures several feet tall, their long lines and curly inflated base evoking the waves of the calm ocean just beyond the patio’s view. Eye-grabbing yet never out of place, Bayside Balloons’ inflatable installments accentuate—even help to define—their surroundings, putting party guests in festive moods and drumming up conversation about their unique shapes and designs. The company’s creative balloon displays have even popped up on sidewalks, museum openings, and restaurants across Naples. Though the floating sculptures, arches, and centerpieces look fanciful, Bayside Balloon’s curators also tend to their practical aspects, designing them to withstand elements such as sun, wind, or a porcupine’s birthday party.