Whether you’re looking for gifts for friends, or just something unique for yourself, Columbus has a lot of great specialty shops that focus on a wide assortment of items outside the norm of what you can find in a chain-centric shopping mall. Our readers and contributors deliberated over which stores represent the best of the best of 2016, and in the end selected the Short North’s Robert Mason Co as the top spot. After nearly a two year brick-and-mortar hiatus following a building fire on Gay Street, Robert Mason re-opened in the Short North earlier this year to much customer excitement. Known best as an upscale office supply shop, the expanded Robert Mason provides more of a lifestyle selection of products that range from personal accessories to custom fragrances and beyond. Of course, spending a lot of time playing at the pen bar is still highly encouraged. For more information, visit www.robertmason.com. The Top 10 Speciality Stores in Columbus:
- Robert Mason
- The Book Loft
- Wholly Craft
- Spoonful Records
- Oats & Barley
- Cubshrub
- Igloo Letterpress
- The Smithery
- Rocket Fizz
- The Hills Market
Flashback: Best Specialty Store of 2015 — Simply Vague Flashback: Best Specialty Store of 2014 — Wholly Craft Flashback: Best Specialty Store of 2013 — Celebrate Local Flashback: Best Specialty Store of 2012 — Wholly Craft Flashback: Best Specialty Store of 2011 — Wholly Craft Note: Our “Best of 2016″ lists are published as the combined results of our annual Reader Nomination Survey and Editor’s Choice picks. Bonus! Learn more about the story behind Robert Mason in this indepth podcast interview: http://theconfluencecast.com/episodes/2_robert-mason.mp3