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Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Bountiful Gifts & Apparel, located in the Chelsea Corners shopping center, sells a variety of items by local artisans, including jewelry, candles and gifts, in addition to clothing and other accessories.
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Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Paige Lankford, owner of Bountiful Gifts & Apparel.
Bountiful Gifts & Apparel has arrived in Chelsea, although the path to opening wasn’t always smooth. After a vehicle crashed into the store and delayed its initial grand opening, the boutique in Chelsea Corners is now developing a set of regular customers.
Paige Lankford owns and operates Bountiful Gifts & Apparel along with her daughter, Jana, and daughter-in-law, Caroline.
“Bountiful already has an amazing community of women stopping by just to chat or grab that must-have,” Lankford said.
She hopes that relationships that form through shopping at Bountiful “will continue to grow and evolve.”
The gift, décor and card shop is a longtime dream of Lankford’s, which began sitting at a kitchen table with her sister years ago. After working more than 40 years in the corporate world, with the support of family and friends, her dream is now a reality.
From the outset, Lankford wanted her boutique to be distinctive and offer something unique to its customers.
“Our desire is that when you walk into our store, you immediately feel a sense of peace and friendship,” she said. “Our ultimate goal is that we are a bountiful blessing to our community and our new friends.”
Shoppers looking for the perfect gift can expect the unexpected when they visit Bountiful for the first time.
“Bountiful is about something different,” Lankford said, “When you come in, we want it to be a blessing.”
Lankford is committed to selling products that are made in the United States, particularly locally made items. Along with apparel and gifts, Bountiful also offers gourmet foods, including coffee and teas from Charleston and organic olive oil from Georgia. In addition, they offer a spa lotion line made in Alabama, honey from Huntsville and cards made by local artists.
“Where every aisle tells a story” is Bountiful’s tagline. In its short lifespan so far, the store has already developed quite a story.
Bountiful officially opened on Oct. 6, 2023, but disaster struck on Nov. 2, just two days before the grand opening. A driver suffered a medical emergency and drove through both Bountiful and the Merle Norman store next door.
Lankford lost approximately 85% of her inventory, which forced closure for almost a month. The contractors worked with Lankford so that Bountiful could reopen on Black Friday, one of the most important shopping days of the year.
“Our friends and family came alongside us,” she said.
The boutique’s vendors and artists supported Lankford and her family as well, replacing the lost inventory by creating more products for the winter season on short notice.
In the aftermath of the accident, Lankford’s son told her “Mom, you’re not a quitter.” She said that life throws curveballs all the time, and it’s how you respond to them that makes you successful.
“We had an exciting December,” she said, “We want the community to know that we’re here to stay.”
Lankford said she is also committed to giving back. Bountiful has contributed to three Shelby County schools and also partnered with Hargis Christian Camp by contributing to the camp’s fall festival fundraiser, which used the storefront to sell T-shirts.
“It’s important to us to let the community know that we’re not just a business,” she said. “We want to be part of their community.”
