The closer the holiday season, the faster the clock ticks for picking out the perfect gift for friends and loved ones. It’s hard to make sure everyone gets a gift they love. Thankfully, Tigertree, an eclectic card and gift store located on North High Street within the heart of Clintonville, specializes in making the gift-giving process quick, easy and most of all an enjoyable experience.
For most teens, when the gift-giving season comes around, it can be a struggle to find fun and endearing gifts that also match their budgets. Senior Sophie Miller is a fan of Tigertree and feels it just might be the solution.
“They have a lot of cute stuff. I feel like they have lots of random, stationary stuff. So I feel like that could be good [to gift to someone],” Miller said.
The store is owned and operated by Josh and Niki Quinn, married entrepreneurs from North Carolina and Wooster, Ohio. After its initial rise to popularity in the Short North, Tigertree, and their partner business, Cubshrub, combined and moved into their current location in early 2024. They continue to grow in popularity as they build their distinct aesthetic and style through their diverse range of products.
“We [Josh and Niki] both really love kitsch and vintage, I think we do a good job of putting out products that feel authentically old while being new,” J. Quinn said.
A majority of Tigertree’s products lean toward a more colorful and quirky palette rather than traditional and dull. From its apparel and accessories to the large selection of home decor, apothecary and bath items, Tigertree attempts to cater toward accessible gift-giving, making it as easy as possible to give a gift that matters to loved ones. Tigertree urges customers to put a little more thought into gift-giving and work toward preserving friendships and relationships. J. Quinn explained that there is one thing he always considers before picking out the perfect gift.
“[Choose] something that shows that you listen to the person and value the person, see who they are… you’re giving your attention to somebody when they are offering some part of themselves to you,” J. Quinn said.
Although gift giving needs to be personal, that doesn’t mean one has to purchase the most unique item on the market. In fact, one of Tigertree’s most popular brands currently is Jellycat, a family of unique stuffed characters that has become one of the most coveted plushies worldwide.
“I heard a lot of my friends talking about [Jellycats], and [I] also saw them on social media,” junior Alex Rothe said.
Many Jellycats recently went viral on social media due to the brand’s pop-ups in various countries. For example, in New York, Jellycat set up a mock restaurant serving plush bagels, waffles and pancakes for purchase. In Paris, it was a patisserie filled with brioche, macarons, strawberry and lemon tarts topped with imaginary whipped cream and packaged in bakery boxes. Thanks to these imaginative viral experiences, many teenagers have taken a liking to these critters, inspiring them to gift the perfect plushie to their friend or significant other.
“You know, lots of people think that plushies are for little kids, but I have a plushie collection myself, so I understand that it’s fun to just collect little cute guys to have,” Miller said.
While Jellycats may be the first introduction to Tigertree for many teenagers, walking through the store can bring many new brands and gift options to attention. Even further than that, it can make a space for self-expression and individualism within the community. After years of creating relationships with the people who shop in their store, J. Quinn knows they have created a special place.
“I really think we are just trying to foster a community. I love having people in our space… I love that feeling at Christmas time when I see people who have moved away running into each other in our shop… We just sell things we love, and I just feel like [Tigertree customers] come to us for that type of authenticity. They believe in what we’re selling,” J. Quinn said.
