When I moved to Nashville, one of the first shops that caught my eye was Pangaea. Located in the historic Hillsboro Village area, Pangaea was near my apartment and is part of a vibrant neighborhood that celebrates its local businesses. Just down the street from Vanderbilt, Hillsboro Village draws many different kinds of people, with its coffee shops, bookstores, restaurants, clothing boutiques and even a restored theater. You might see college students, medical professionals, or even celebrities like Taylor Swift stopping by for a coffee or to buy a gift.
What I first loved about Pangaea in particular, and what has kept me coming back, is its inviting, laid-back atmosphere. You are likely to encounter one of the owner’s dogs as you browse through women’s clothing, jewelry, home decor and gifts. The lighting in the store makes it feel cozy, and the walls and shelves are brimming with an eclectic mix of colorful, unique items; not unlike a vintage store, which, it turns out, is how Pangaea got its start. You’ll want to stay a while and take your time looking at everything.
One of Nashville Wraps’ longtime customers, Pangaea does a beautiful job with its packaging, offering free gift wrap using custom printed bags, tissue and plain kraft boxes tied with pretty raffia. Katie Strano, the store manager, says that customers often get nearly as excited about the gift wrap as they do about the gift itself. She also mentioned that Pangaea likes to change their packaging seasonally. Shown here is their colorful fall packaging, which features the store logo hot stamped with purple foil.
Katie has this advice for other gift shops: “Make sure that you actually like what you sell. Try to make a store that you would want to shop in.” She said that Pangaea advertises in a few local publications and uses social media such as Facebook and Instagram (look for pangaea_nashville if you are an Instagram user) to promote new items, employee favorites and special events. But above all, their strategy is to rely on establishing happy and loyal repeat customers. Stop in yourself if you’re in the neighborhood – you will agree that it is working!
