Shopping in Shakopee

On a sold-out flight, a businesswoman unpacks a laptop from her slender briefcase while a harried father of triplets rummages through a duffel bag to find his daughter's binkie. Though both are traveling, each has entirely different demands from their luggage. Noticing this reality, staffers at Luggage World MN stock their store with durable, high-quality luggage ranging from school-ready backpacks to hard-sided suitcases ready for the trials of daily commutes, business trips, and bring-your-rhino-to-work days. Brands such as Antler USA, Rick Steves, and Hartmann craft rolling suitcases, backpacks, briefcases, and purses outfitted with handy pockets, comfortable straps, and stylish colors.

The whimsical rhymes and quirky cartoons coloring most greeting cards are occasionally amusing, but their stock sentiments and broad jokes engender little intimacy. Pear Tree Greetings curates a deeper connection by stocking an online store with hundreds of customizable greeting-card designs, nearly all of which are constructed from 100% post-consumer materials. Uploaded photos personalize traditional cards or unconventional booklets shaped like strings of holiday lights, which landed Pear Tree in the pages of the Wall Street Journal. Cards come printed on a 100-pound matte card stock that can be coupled with magnets, napkins, and address labels celebrating birthdays, graduations, and weddings. Since there’s no charge for double-side printing, graduation announcements can easily detail party logistics and wedding invitations can list the funniest things to shout when the officiant asks if anyone has objections.

For more than 75 years, The Foursome Fine Apparel and Shoes has outfitted feet with dressy and casual footwear in everyday and hard-to-find sizes. Staffers pride themselves on impeccably attentive service and their ability to perfectly fit shoes to each foot, ensuring that customers won’t have to put up with painful pinching or constant harassment from recruiters at the local clown college. Their selection spans the style spectrum from the structured silhouette of high-end oxfords to the beachy look of flip-flops, and it includes kicks from popular brands such as New Balance and Cole Haan.