Noteworthy Wants and Wonders joined Ann Arbor’s retail landscape Oct. 25 on Main Street, catering to those looking for unique, bespoke gifts.
The store is the second location for the owners of Noteworthy Invitations, a custom invitation, stationery and gift shop located in Richland, Michigan. While Noteworthy Invitations focuses on working with customers to design custom stationery, Noteworthy Wants and Wonders channels its creativity through a wider variety of gifts.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Engineering senior Isabella Ros said when she visited the store she found the store’s variety exciting.
“I was looking for a specific gift to give a friend that got into (medical) school,,” said Ros, “It’s very cozy and welcoming, and it just has all those small (gifts) you give your friends and family on special occasions.”
Stepping into the store, customers are greeted with seasonal merchandise covering two center tables and trendier items such as kitsch hair perfumes and Silky Gem crystal candies in the aisles.
Store manager Madeline Small told The Daily many of their items, including mini salt graters and bags shaped like storefronts, reflect the store’s unique style.
“If we have something classic, we want it to have a fun twist — very thoughtful and emotional,” Small said. “There are constant inventory changes, and we listen to a lot of feedback..”
Rowan Yordy, employee at Noteworthy Wants and Wonders, said in an interview with The Daily they have worked at the store since opening weekend and admire the selection of gifts.
“I think the way it’s curated is very purposeful and intentional,” Yordy said. “The creative director is very good at that and I think it’s been a good environment.”
Despite their focus on offering unique items, Small also describes the stationery store as a high-end gifting experience at a range of prices.
“We had a customer walk in, she walked right up to the counter and she was like, ‘I have to do white elephant and I have $20. Spend my money,’” Small said. “So we went around with her, we found a bunch of different options, laid them out on the counter and she was able to choose.”
Small said she appreciates how Ann Arbor locals, whom she says make up their primary customer base, support unique local businesses.
“Ann Arbor has such a unique downtown where we have unique shops,” Small said. “We have a community that likes to shop small, and it is a destination town, so opening here just seemed like a great fit to contribute to the small business — economy.”
LSA sophomore Chandler Ray has worked at Noteworthy Wants and Wonders for six weeks. Ray told The Daily the store brings something new to downtown.
“A lot of downtown shops have been here, it’s hard to get a shot,” Ray said, “(Downtown Ann Arbor is) more than just bars and food. … A lot of my friends come down for a mix of luxury and trendy stuff. Downtown was missing a younger piece.”
Daily News Contributor Rebecca Borlace can be reached at rborlace@umich.edu.
