By Jess Mickley
In Robbinsville, housed in the Foxmoor Shopping Center with Marrazzo’s Market, there is a shop full of treasures, aptly named Gifted.
Gifted is like a high-end boutique in style and appearance, but without high-end boutique prices. Co-owners Rose Lucia and Helen Lewis are proud that the store is not “super high-end boutique-y” while still being “classic.”
The store opened in 2004 in Allentown, and moved to Robbinsville three years ago after Lucia and Lewis realized that they needed a bigger space. Robbinsville seemed like the perfect choice.
“We were getting a lot of Robbinsville customers coming to Allentown,” Lucia said.
The pair envisioned that the store would sell personalized items, especially custom jewelry, a favorite of Lucia. Currently, Gifted’s biggest seller is Pandora jewelry. Lucia estimates that 50 percent of customers come in for Pandora.
The other 50 percent come in for Gifted’s array of trendy, yet classic, items. Gifted will personalize crystals, bracelets, wood tiles, engraved jewelry, wedding gifts and more right in the store’s back section.
“When you come in here, you can find something that fits your style,” Lucia said.
Lucia and Lewis said they have many regular customers, some who come in every week, and use Gifted as their one-stop shop for gifts for all occasions.
“Everyone who comes in here is so nice, so positive, so enthusiastic,” Lucia said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Lucia and Lewis were neighbors and friends, and had always discussed starting their own business. Before opening Gifted, Lucia worked in human resources. Lewis currently works at Prudential.
“I could never go back to the office environment,” Lucia said.
Lucia and Lewis keep on top of the latest fashions and trends by attending gift shows twice a year. The pair also regularly scans magazines like InStyle, Women’s Wear Daily and People to get an idea of contemporary colors and trends.
“We’re always trying to keep our eyes on what the next big thing is going to be,” Lucia said.
By sticking with a simple business philosophy, Lucia and Lewis have found success.
“We buy things that we love, things that we would want in our home,” Lucia said.
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