The Cottage Basket

Your store is a real delight !!! My 10-yr old grandson and I went there to buy a "Mothers Day" gift for his mother, my daughter and, more recently, a "Fathers Day" gift for my son-in-law. Your selections are great and your clerks are so helpful and friendly. Your prices are fair. My grandson and I had so much fun walking around and looking at everything before making his selection, a plate with a very warm inscription . It was so nice of the young lady to wrap the present for us. Thank you Cottage Basket !!!

Published 2 years ago

About two years ago my fiancé (now husband) and I came to the Homewood area to do some shopping. I will never forget this experience and how rude the ladies were to us. We came into the store and immediately a brunette lady whispered to another lady and they looked at us uncomfortably. I noticed it but we just kept looking around. The store is absolutely beautiful and I adored all the treasures inside. I saw a gorgeous pair of seed bead "WDE Tiger earrings" and I HAD to have them. I grabbed them and kept walking toward the left side of the store. A blonde lady who looked like the biggest southern belle witch snob approached us and said "I can take that for you!" grabbed the earrings out of my hands and walked away. My husband and I looked at each other. I thought it was a nice gesture and she was just really "over the top" so I let it roll off my back. We kept looking at the merchandise and that is when I noticed the blonde witch was following us and watching us. I started to get really uncomfortable as I was smelling a small bottle of perfume, she once again aggressively approached me and said "I can take that from you!" and jerked it out of my hand. My husband caught on to this and he said "Let's just go." So we went to the counter because I was not leaving without the tiger earrings. The blonde witch placed the 4 items on the counter that she jerked from me. It was two pairs of seed bead earrings, a whisky glass ice mold, and my little bottle of perfume. She asked us if we had ever been in the store before and of course, we said we had not.( Which is true. At the time I lived in Kentucky and my husband lived in Auburn, AL. We came to shop in the area because my husband had a massive interview for a head pharmacist position at a major pharmacy in town.) When we said we had not been in the store before she looked at us, laughed, and said "Oh yes you have." We just stared at her in astonishment. She then said, "We have seen you before." FALSE. We just let her say what she wanted. Grabbed our bag after purchase...which by the way she asked for all of our information besides our blood type. We had nothing to hide. We got in the car and the guy she pays to clean her parking lot watched us get in the car and was clearly told to get our plate number. I was pretty much in tears because I was so angry. I am not sure what her deal was. Maybe she thought we were other individuals? Maybe she was a snobby wealthy woman who judged our outfits? My husband was in shorts and a shirt after his interview and I was in a t-shirt and leggings with a ball cap on. Not meaning to toot my own horn but my husband and I are doing VERY well for ourselves considering he is a pharmacist in a high leadership role and I myself work in a very prestigious law firm in Mountain Brook. I tend to buy unique gifts from local stores because I am big on KINDNESS and supporting small businesses...BIG MISTAKE for this business. I give the "what for" to rude and entitled women like the ones staffed here so my words like "witch" might come across as harsh but honestly, she was the rudest human I have ever encountered. Do not shop here, give your money to kind people. Horrible service for sure such a beautiful store.

Published 2 years ago

I work near The Cottage Basket and went in to see if they had any cute “big girl “ backpacks for my daughter since she’s starting Kindergarten. They helped me find exactly what I was looking for , also in my price range . They helped me navigate through the Monograming and what they thought would look the cutest . The turn around time was awesome. Now Sophia is ready to take on Kindergarten ! Thank you Tila and staff for all your help .

Published 2 years ago

I ❤️this place! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. This is a wonderful gift shop with many unique items. Almost always there are sale items that temp me to buy personal treats 😊. Their complimentary gift wrapping is another incentive to shop The Cottage Basket. I would definitely recommend this establishment for quality products and for stocking such a wide array of selections. Truly one of Homewood's little treasures.

Published 4 years ago

The parking attendant working on 6/7 is the exact reason why I will never come and shop here. I parked and began walking out of my car on the sidewalk to then be harassed about how I can’t park here. I wasn’t even walking in a direction other than parallel of the street and I was immediately targeted and told that I have to buy something from one of the shops in the buildings in order to park here. Unbelievable. I told her that it’s no problem I plan to move and that this store won’t be receiving business from me now or moving forward. She then proceeds to tell me that there is a sign I read when parking to which she just wanted to argue with me because my complete intention of parking in the parking lot was to shop here. Not anymore now.

Published 2 years ago

I'll be honest, this was a very rude welcoming, and I didn't even set foot in the store. We are new to the area and I have a toddler who doesn't do well with shopping. It makes Christmas shopping very stressful and discouraging enough. So, a friend recommended checking out this strip in Homewood because I could park and walk shop to shop in one place and support local shops, versus driving all over to try and shop with a cranky toddler. I drove around for nearly 20mins just trying to find parking, even passing up a spot labeled for this businesses customers on one of several laps of the area, because I wasn't even sure what shops I was checking out yet or what each had. I finally find a spot at the back of the lot with NO SIGN. As I go to pull in, I'm stopped by a gentleman in a high vis vest. He asks me if I plan to shop at the The Cottage Basket. I told him honestly I planned to shop the strip. He told me the parking spot belonged to his store (even though there is no sign like there was on other spots). I apologized and told him I had never been there before and didn't know. And at that, I had planned to just drive off. But he then said "well if you don't go in my store, I WILL have you towed. And I will be watching you." To that, I told him he didn't have to be rude and that I definitely wasn't shopping there now. I pulled away feeling completely defeated. He watched me the entire time until I circled and exited the lot (made sure to wave at him to acknowledge I saw him watching me like a criminal), and I tried finding parking another 5mins before my toddler started bawling. Instead I just decided to drive the 30mins back home empty-handed, having done zero shopping. I meant what I said and will not be stepping foot in a business that stalks potential customers in the parking lot, who had nothing but good intentions. I get that owning a small business is tough (I've done it), and that you try to look out for your customers where you can, but in a shopping strip it's hard to believe you own that many spots, especially unlabeled. Shopping strips are designed for people to park, walk, and shop. And even if you do some how own the spots at the back of the lot, you NEED signage and certainly don't need to threaten to stalk a young mom and her toddler just trying to Christmas shop. Ironically, The Cottage Basket would have likely been my first stop since it was right there. This is the only negative review I've ever left, and I hate to make it against a small business. But I also have over a decade of customer service experience, management, and small business ownership under my belt, and this is simply not how you treat people.

Published 2 years ago

went in this week and purchased Xmas bowls and other items as gifts; staff very helpful ...had gifts wrapped. ... the end product was very attractive --- an added value as the individual is very talented in producing an excellent holiday display for the gift recipient.

Published 4 years ago

Found a pair of goodr Flamites to replace my original ones I purchased all the way in Maine at York beach.Very pleased to receive these beauties in a matter of days and with all the paperwork and goodr box that comes with them.cheers to your wonderful shop.I also love the shops backstory, one of my daughters is named Ellie so inspired me more to purchase from y'all. ROLL-TIDE 💜🦋❤️We also have family in Madison and Huntsville

Published 4 years ago

Published 2 years ago

About two years ago my fiancé (now husband) and I came to the Homewood area to do some shopping. I will never forget this experience and how rude the ladies were to us. We came into the store and immediately a brunette lady whispered to another lady and they looked at us uncomfortably. I noticed it but we just kept looking around. The store is absolutely beautiful and I adored all the treasures inside. I saw a gorgeous pair of seed bead WDE Tiger earrings and I HAD to have them. I grabbed them and kept walking toward the left side of the store. A blonde lady who looked like the biggest southern belle witch snob approached us and said I can take that for you! grabbed the earrings out of my hands and walked away. My husband and I looked at each other. I thought it was a nice gesture and she was just really over the top so I let it roll off my back. We kept looking at the merchandise and that is when I noticed the blonde witch was following us and watching us. I started to get really uncomfortable as I was smelling a small bottle of perfume, she once again aggressively approached me and said I can take that from you! and jerked it out of my hand. My husband caught on to this and he said Lets just go. So we went to the counter because I was not leaving without the tiger earrings. The blonde witch placed the 4 items on the counter that she jerked from me. It was two pairs of seed bead earrings, a whisky glass ice mold, and my little bottle of perfume. She asked us if we had ever been in the store before and of course, we said we had not.( Which is true. At the time I lived in Kentucky and my husband lived in Auburn, AL. We came to shop in the area because my husband had a massive interview for a head pharmacist position at a major pharmacy in town.) When we said we had not been in the store before she looked at us, laughed, and said Oh yes you have. We just stared at her in astonishment. She then said, We have seen you before. FALSE. We just let her say what she wanted. Grabbed our bag after purchase...which by the way she asked for all of our information besides our blood type. We had nothing to hide. We got in the car and the guy she pays to clean her parking lot watched us get in the car and was clearly told to get our plate number. I was pretty much in tears because I was so angry. I am not sure what her deal was. Maybe she thought we were other individuals? Maybe she was a snobby wealthy woman who judged our outfits? My husband was in shorts and a shirt after his interview and I was in a t-shirt and leggings with a ball cap on. Not meaning to toot my own horn but my husband and I are doing VERY well for ourselves considering he is a pharmacist in a high leadership role and I myself work in a very prestigious law firm in Mountain Brook. I tend to buy unique gifts from local stores because I am big on KINDNESS and supporting small businesses...BIG MISTAKE for this business. I give the what for to rude and entitled women like the ones staffed here so my words like witch might come across as harsh but honestly, she was the rudest human I have ever encountered. Do not shop here, give your money to kind people. Horrible service for sure such a beautiful store.

Published 2 years ago

I work near The Cottage Basket and went in to see if they had any cute big girl backpacks for my daughter since she s starting Kindergarten. They helped me find exactly what I was looking for , also in my price range . They helped me navigate through the Monograming and what they thought would look the cutest . The turn around time was awesome. Now Sophia is ready to take on Kindergarten ! Thank you Tila and staff for all your help .

Published 2 years ago

Your store is a real delight !!! My 10-yr old grandson and I went there to buy a Mothers Day gift for his mother, my daughter and, more recently, a Fathers Day gift for my son-in-law. Your selections are great and your clerks are so helpful and friendly. Your prices are fair. My grandson and I had so much fun walking around and looking at everything before making his selection, a plate with a very warm inscription . It was so nice of the young lady to wrap the present for us. Thank you Cottage Basket !!!

Published 2 years ago

The parking attendant working on 6/7 is the exact reason why I will never come and shop here. I parked and began walking out of my car on the sidewalk to then be harassed about how I can t park here. I wasn t even walking in a direction other than parallel of the street and I was immediately targeted and told that I have to buy something from one of the shops in the buildings in order to park here. Unbelievable. I told her that it s no problem I plan to move and that this store won t be receiving business from me now or moving forward. She then proceeds to tell me that there is a sign I read when parking to which she just wanted to argue with me because my complete intention of parking in the parking lot was to shop here. Not anymore now.

Published 2 years ago

Ill be honest, this was a very rude welcoming, and I didnt even set foot in the store. We are new to the area and I have a toddler who doesnt do well with shopping. It makes Christmas shopping very stressful and discouraging enough. So, a friend recommended checking out this strip in Homewood because I could park and walk shop to shop in one place and support local shops, versus driving all over to try and shop with a cranky toddler. I drove around for nearly 20mins just trying to find parking, even passing up a spot labeled for this businesses customers on one of several laps of the area, because I wasnt even sure what shops I was checking out yet or what each had. I finally find a spot at the back of the lot with NO SIGN. As I go to pull in, Im stopped by a gentleman in a high vis vest. He asks me if I plan to shop at the The Cottage Basket. I told him honestly I planned to shop the strip. He told me the parking spot belonged to his store (even though there is no sign like there was on other spots). I apologized and told him I had never been there before and didnt know. And at that, I had planned to just drive off. But he then said well if you dont go in my store, I WILL have you towed. And I will be watching you. To that, I told him he didnt have to be rude and that I definitely wasnt shopping there now. I pulled away feeling completely defeated. He watched me the entire time until I circled and exited the lot (made sure to wave at him to acknowledge I saw him watching me like a criminal), and I tried finding parking another 5mins before my toddler started bawling. Instead I just decided to drive the 30mins back home empty-handed, having done zero shopping. I meant what I said and will not be stepping foot in a business that stalks potential customers in the parking lot, who had nothing but good intentions. I get that owning a small business is tough (Ive done it), and that you try to look out for your customers where you can, but in a shopping strip its hard to believe you own that many spots, especially unlabeled. Shopping strips are designed for people to park, walk, and shop. And even if you do some how own the spots at the back of the lot, you NEED signage and certainly dont need to threaten to stalk a young mom and her toddler just trying to Christmas shop. Ironically, The Cottage Basket would have likely been my first stop since it was right there. This is the only negative review Ive ever left, and I hate to make it against a small business. But I also have over a decade of customer service experience, management, and small business ownership under my belt, and this is simply not how you treat people.

Published 2 years ago

Different items than other boutique store. Service was great

Published 2 years ago

Very cute store but was not treated well. I was the only person not helped in the store and not greeted. Did not feel very welcome even when I purchased something.

Published 2 years ago

Nice store for gifts. Creative products. Definitely a womens store.

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

went in this week and purchased Xmas bowls and other items as gifts; staff very helpful ...had gifts wrapped. ... the end product was very attractive --- an added value as the individual is very talented in producing an excellent holiday display for the gift recipient.

Published 3 years ago

Great little trendy gift shop. My go-to for teacher gifts and teenage girl gifts. Cute Alabama/Auburn accessories and a small baby gift section as well.

Published 3 years ago

Found a pair of goodr Flamites to replace my original ones I purchased all the way in Maine at York beach.Very pleased to receive these beauties in a matter of days and with all the paperwork and goodr box that comes with them.cheers to your wonderful shop.I also love the shops backstory, one of my daughters is named Ellie so inspired me more to purchase from yall. ROLL-TIDE We also have family in Madison and Huntsville

Published 3 years ago

Bought a very nice lamp and they will ship it to my home. Very nice staff

Published 3 years ago

I this place! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. This is a wonderful gift shop with many unique items. Almost always there are sale items that temp me to buy personal treats . Their complimentary gift wrapping is another incentive to shop The Cottage Basket. I would definitely recommend this establishment for quality products and for stocking such a wide array of selections. Truly one of Homewoods little treasures.

Published 3 years ago

Published 4 years ago

I love the new location of The Cottage Basket! What a great gift shop and I cant wait to shop there again.

Published 4 years ago

Friendly, helpful staff and a precious seasonal assortment of home goods and fun little happies. My go-to place to get a girl friend a gift!

Published 5 years ago

One of my favorite places I love to visit and purchase from. They always have the most precious jewelry and home goodies! Awesome gifts!

Published 5 years ago

Great place , helpful friendly people.

Published 6 years ago