Linda's Creative Gifts at 1259 Springfield Ave. in New Providence has added online shopping to its handmade-goods storefront.
Owner Linda Tribuna launched the shop's website in June, according to a Patch community post published Monday, Nov. 2. The site features photographs and descriptions of in-store merchandise, with shipping available across the United States. Tribuna also offers gift wrapping, the post said.
The site lists three ways to get orders: shipping by first-class or priority mail, free in-store pickup during business hours, and local delivery within five miles of the store for $5.
Tribuna, a Berkeley Heights resident and self-taught artist, opened the original storefront under the name TMC's Boutique in 2009. She had spent years selling her own creations at street fairs and vendor shows before deciding to give other artists a retail space, too, according to the Patch post.
The shop moved to its Springfield Avenue location in September 2016 after outgrowing a smaller space in Stirling, according to the store's about page. Tribuna rebranded the business as Linda's Creative Gifts in November 2018, and a December 2018 New Providence News article noted a grand reopening celebration that month.
About 80% of the store's merchandise is handmade, with items created by local artists, American makers and artists with developmental disabilities, according to the Patch post. Many items are one-of-a-kind, and some can be personalized.
Tribuna said she also creates artwork sold in the shop. "When I show customers my work, they are shocked I drew the pictures and created the watercolors too!" she said in the Patch post.
Beyond the merchandise, Tribuna has built the shop around community involvement. A student with developmental disabilities from Governor Livingston High School volunteers at the store for two hours each Thursday, gaining experience in a working business environment, the post said. Tribuna also employs a young man with Down syndrome who works at the store every other Wednesday.
The store's about page says Tribuna has expanded her focus to include gift baskets assembled with products made by U.S. families who employ or are run by adults with disabilities. Online ordering for those baskets is available on the website.
Tribuna told the Patch contributor that competition from online retailers is her biggest concern heading into the holidays. She said shopping at her store supports local and American artists, including artists with developmental disabilities, who create the gifts sold there.
Linda's Creative Gifts is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The store is closed Sunday and Monday.
