This & That

Not unlike its predecessor, Nested, the store has lots of great gifts crammed (nicely!) into a small space. Candles, fragrance, house– and kitchenwares, books, gag gifts, art… Worth a browse when in Carrboro!

I’m not sure how I’ve missed this place since I’m in the area most days but the owner said this was the third holiday season they’ve been open but I made up for it last week when we stopped by looking for an ornament for an exchange and Secret Santa presents. This place is incredibly fun to shop at. I could have spent longer than the hour I was there which says a lot considering it’s a small boutique but the merchandise was very well selected. They offered some fair trade items and many either by local artisans or handmade from other areas. I was impressed the most by the quality of jewelry. Most things I saw were under $ 150 and looked a bit like what you might find in the Sundance catalog but not massed produced and more unique. They also have some fair trade jewelry which started about $ 15 with lots of beadwork on drop earrings and bracelets.
The ornaments are quite lovely and most are handmade. We found the most cute animal ornaments fashioned out of pinecones and wood. They also had felt and glass as well.
They had plenty of gift ideas for all ages. I found a wind up desk robot and a novelty beer glass and the girls found reasonably priced trinkets and small figurines that were made in Carrboro to purchase as secret santa gifts for friends.
They have art for sale and participate in the Art Walk as well and the entire store is very well placed to enjoy browsing. The window displays are very pretty-​they really helped set the mood of the place before we walked in. It’s a nod toward the holidays without being garish or overdone. Just my opinion, I might suggest adding more color or interest to the sign because I think that is why I didn’t really «notice» notice it.
The owner here is really nice and she and her assistant were very helpful to the three of us as we browsed and made our selections and played around some. She has a really good eye for product selection and I’ll definitely be coming back. I had my two kids with me and they didn’t even bat an eye like at some places so that’s always nice to know.
I have a pair of earrings there I totally covet so I’ll be back before too long.

Locale:
Having driven by ‘This & That’ many times and was curious about its offerings and looked forward to the day where I could have the time to stop in and purchase something to help a local business. Stores like this in historic downtown locations are one of my favorite places to patronize as I am all for unique shops and how they help shape the community they are located within. It’s the type of place that looks great from afar, but up close there is nothing that I had not seen before. I really wanted to like this place because from the window displays it looked like a fun and funky place to find interesting goods.
Service:
The two shop girls who were manning the store that day need to learn a little something about subtlety. The moment I walked in the store I received a frosty reception from the sales staff; not a «hello» to be heard for me. Almost immediately one of them came over to a nearby display and started dusting and intermittently glancing in my direction while the other gave a continual icy stare from behind the counter.
This made me uncomfortable as I was browsing, and became far too obvious after five minutes she was still dusting the same small area that would take anybody under a minute to thoroughly dust. As I moved through the store, she would move her dusting towards me — again, far too obviously not caring about the dust. I know for a fact that I do not leave dust in my wake.
All of this was starkly contrasted when an aging hippie couple and then a hipster walked in to the store. They received bubbly greetings, and were left to their own devices to discover the store. I know that at first glance that I do not fit their target demographic. Maybe they just don’t like people clad in Brooks Brothers and J. Crew? Regardless, they should not treat their potential new customers as they did with me as there were a few items that caught my eye and that I was originally interested in purchasing, but instead decided to find these items at a nearby store that values their customers.
In the Bag:
At first look the store’s eclectic stock catches the eye, but upon further inspection many of the items are found in other places. There was some nice local art displayed high on the walls, which is a nice touch, albeit similar stores do this too. Furthermore the coiled paper items can be easily found in Ten Thousand Villages (with a greater selection), and many other houseware and décor items are very similar to what Anthropologie sells. As becomes quickly apparent, ‘This & That’ suffers from a distinct lack of identity, and in this kind of market, stores, especially independent ones, need to have a fresh and clear point of view that people can quickly identify as well as a hook to keep them coming back for more.
Considerations:
To put this in perspective, if you have never been to cities like Seattle, San Francisco, or New York you will not get what I am saying and you will dismiss me as being too harsh because you «love it!» If you are coming from a teeny town in North Carolina this will look very polished and cutting-​edge; however know this — this type of store has been done for decades, and has been mass produced by retailers large and small since the ‘90s.
I give ‘This & That’ 3 stars which is okay, because it serves its purpose, although this niche has been filled many times over in the Chapel Hill/​Carrboro area for years.