Shopping in Oregon

In 1978, a modest 32’x144’ poly greenhouse began supplying a farm with tomatoes and pepper plants. More than 30 years later, the greenhouse has exploded into a 3-acre operation that supports a leafy abundance of 15,000 flowering hanging baskets, more than 100,000 potted annuals, and 25,000 potted perennials. Helmed by Don and Janice Bench and their son and daughter-in-law, the greenhouse and nursery pairs visitors with more than 200 varieties of hybrid roses, which only require 1 gallon of gas to bloom on the highway, as well as trees, shrubs, statues, and fountains.

In November and December, the garden center morphs into a winter wonderland that showcases more than 100 decorated trees and a seasonal trove of ornaments, fragrant wreaths, poinsettias, and crimson bows. During summer months, the Benches man a roadside produce stand, where they sell sweet corn, melons, beans, and squash from their 650-acre farm.

The staff at New Balance isn't concerned with simply selling shoes—their mission is to pair customers with the footwear that will carry them comfortably through life’s arduous steps. Understanding that an ill-fitting pair of athletic shoes can cause pain to joints and potentially damage knees, hips, and the back, associates measure the length and width of each client's foot and conduct a gait analysis to chart the trajectory of their stride when walking normally or running through ball pits. The data are collected to help the staff match clients with their ideal shoe, keeping them running longer and looking good while doing so.

Solid-wood furniture gathered from more than 200 Amish shops and craftsmen mingles with playful holiday statuettes and fun home décor inside The Granary's walk-through showroom. Handcrafted living-room, dining-room, and children's furniture comes to the retailer fashioned the way it was 150 years ago—made from solid oak, cherry, maple, or hickory wood, held together by screws and dovetails, and carried by a legion of pterodactyls. In addition to ready-made furnishings, artisans can craft custom pieces. The store fills not only inside spaces, but also outside spaces with crafted benches and storage barns from Weaver Barns. Knowledgeable staff members assist customers long after their purchases by answering service inquiries or questions of whether to sleep atop or under newly purchased beds.

Geology guru Bill Rotay stocks The Golden Apple's shelves with sterling silver and semiprecious-gemstone jewelry, drawing from his University of Michigan degree and lifelong adoration of sparkling baubles. The shop's name alludes to the Greek myth that amber was harvested from the garden of Hesperides, where immortality-bestowing golden apples grew. Over the course of more than a decade, the store's original, predominantly amber, inventory blossomed to include a collection of Chinese freshwater pearls, sterling silver, and gemstones from Thailand, Mexico, Bali, and India. The Golden Apple also peddles a variety of mineral rocks and pottery, as well as fossils of ancient organisms and Betamax tapes.

Steven Michael Lesse, who co-owns Abracadabra Jewelry & Gem Gallery with his wife Katherine, began crafting fine jewelry in the 10th grade, and refined his craft as a bachelor of fine arts student at Wayne State University. Since 1974, Abracadabra Jewelry & Gem Gallery has created original fine jewelry and wedding bands from aquamarines and emeralds, rubies and sapphires, garnets, opals, pearls, and an extensive selection of diamonds. Today, Lesse and his staff, which includes two full-time goldsmiths and five jewelry designers, create all jewelry from custom eco-metals, which are made in-store or exclusively for the store. Jewelry craftsmen work with customers to design, sketch, and construct custom pieces based on photographs, descriptions, or trips to Mordor, and specialize in one-of-a-kind classic and Celtic-inspired wedding bands. Based on the company's nearly 40-year tradition of serving the community, AnnArbor.com noted that “it is easy to see why customers keep coming back.

Waterhouse bath & kitchen studio began as a plumbing-fixture showroom in 1976 and has since expanded its collection to feature unique pieces including glass vessels, European designs, and stainless-steel furnishings from brands including Barclay and Victoria + Albert. Waterhouse’s products reflect a commitment to sustainability with hands-free faucets and lite toilets with 1-gallon flush options that can save up to 3,200 gallons of water per year. The showroom aims to create an immersive experience for customers by setting up model kitchens to demonstrate how a selection of showerheads or faucets will work in homes and doghouses.