Loulou Luv

There seems to be some confusion between Lou Lou Luv and Lou Lou. I myself was confused and talked to a very friendly staff working at Lou Lou.

So, Lou Lou Luv was the special handmade jewellery store. It was next to Lou Lou which is more focused on stationery and neat knick knacks and is still there today. Lou Lou Luv on the other hand closed down about 7 months ago. In fact, it wasn't even called Lou Lou Luv anymore because about 3 years ago, they changed their name to Forever Young.

Lou Lou is a cute little shop, great place to look for gifts. They do have a small section of handmade jewellery but nothing like Lou Lou Luv.

Think of Loulou Luv on Broadway as the kid sister of the adjacent retail store Loulou. Both carry unique gifts, glittery jewellery, beauty products, and tons of other "girly stuff." The stock is mostly Canadian and so well-priced you may just become a regular (and frequent) shopper. From blinged-out key chains to luxe lotions, LLL makes it easy as pie to find a gift for your BFF, girlfriend, or even yourself -- especially since, if you're stuck on what to choose, you can simply run next door to see what big sis Loulou's got in stock.

Oh, and even for you window shoppers, Loulou Luv provides cheap thrills. If you're strolling along Broadway with no intention of raiding your wallet, do stop to check out the store's wondrous window displays, which look more like museum artwork.

I had an $85 credit/gift card here and--guess what? It's gone. Bankrupt, kaput, finished. No fw. email, no address, name, nothing. I just forgot to spend it. Some notice would have been nice. I was just here 6 months ago and everything seemed just fine--other than the fact that I was one of the only patrons shopping here! Too bad for me!

Unless of course, the gift card shop with the SAME name but who claims no connection to the jewelry store is actually the same proprietor! Interesting, since many of the reviews here seem to be made for the adjoining shop. They seemed to have "no idea" where the other place went, yet their name is "coincidentally" the same. Does this make sense to anyone? Wouldn't a lawsuit be involved if this were the case?

At any rate, I'd be quite careful when shopping here if you ever intend to return anything for a credit or purchase a gift card. This shop certainly didn't honour mine!

While the products carried by this shop are fine and seem to be of good quality, I take some issue with the customer service. I went in recently to buy a necklace for a friend for her birthday. While making the purchase I was asked if I wanted a gift receipt, which I did and thought was rather nice of them to offer. I left the store happy with my purchase.

Unfortunately it turned out my friend already has the necklace (which partially killed the feeling of uniqueness of the items in the store since I know she did not get it from LouLou Luv). So I went back to the store with plans to exchange it for something or at least a store credit (being a small shop I have grown accustomed to not getting refunds). But this is when I discovered their 7 day exchange policy. Now they have a sign in front of the register, which I admit I missed as the lady helping me took the purchase from me at their jewelry counter and we went straight to the register; no dawdling which would have allowed me to see the sign. It was obvious from my face when I went back to exchange the necklace that I was completely shocked to find out what the exchange policy is.

Had I been warned about the exchange policy when I said the necklace was a gift I would not be complaining. Had the lady today asked if I was over by a day I would not be complaining. But the lack of inflexibility for what seems to be a non-standard exchange (not return!) policy window, especially for something known to be a gift, begins to eat away at the few perks you would think you would get from a small, local shop: flexibility, understanding, and a personal touch to know what to tell people.

Since this might be common in small jewelry stores I am stopping myself form giving a full-on 1 star rating, but I will not be going back.

Local and lovely Lou Lou always comes through with just the right words and girlie gifts to fit any occasion. Their cards have made new moms weep, to be brides blush and birthday gals giggle.

With an always changing array of goodies it's hard to nail down exactly what you'll find: wrapping paper, calendars, journals, coffee mugs, handbags + accessories - just to name a few.

More for the girl shopper, I've impressed friends and clients with out-of-the-ordinary gifts for home, office or personal use. Whether I'm searching for the right gift or browsing, I always seem to leave with something perfect!

More fun gifts, clothing and accessories can also be found at their other locations - right next door and on 4th.

5. Loulou and Loulou Luv

Whether you're a thoughtful gift-giver or last-minute shopper, you can always find a quality gift at Loulou. The store boasts an array of high-end luxury gifts, which are great for the gal (sorry not a great selection of male products) who has everything or whom you don't know too much about.
From decorative business card holders, to frilly underwear and glittery jewellery, you are guaranteed to walk away with something that will appease your BF, new friend, or yourself. The adjacent store Loulou Luv has a further selection of calamity bath products, thoughtful cards, and colourful purses. Prices have gone up in recent months, but check out the sales shelves for great steals.

Location: 3067 West Broadway
Price: $$$$

Lou Lou Really Came Through. A rhyming story by Me.

I admit I was a last minute shopper, but its cause i was thinking of a gift that was a topper. i generally don't like to follow registry lists because I often the "soul" of the gift gets missed.

I asked for help from the Universe because, alone, I most likely will do worse. I waited for the signs through the weeks, staring through windows to see what peaks. Days and days went by, but I continued to keep my hopes high.

Finally, on the day of the wedding, with a few hours to go I started sweating. I went to kits for brunch but we had to wait for a table till practically lunch! In the meantime we strolled the streets, still keeping faith that we would find a treat. We looked in the window of Lou Lou Luv and knew that we would find something that would fit like a glove.

Eagerly walked into the store, my pulse started racing and my heart started to soar. I easily found an almost one-of-a- kind card and realized the rest wasn't going to be hard. I know that this may sound cheesy cause it made my boyfriend kind of queasy. I picked out matching gratitude journals that were made from elephant poo cause it would be a gift that would outdo!

In the end, they totally loved it, and it happened to be a total hit. Just to let all the readers know, the store even put the gift all together with a bow. Also, the journal didn't smell like poo, its just made this more fun to review.

The End.

Their main focus is on greeting cards and a few knick knacks that are both obsecure and safe. This is a good place for that last minute gift as it has something. The store is small and has a semi good variety. Prices are fair.

I'm not a fan of cheap little plastic toys and gags... little things you pick up once then they rest somewhere on your shelf collecting dust, but I do enjoy their greeting card selection and its the perfect little place when in need of a last minute b-day card. And if you are in the market for a cute little plastic thing to collect dust - even better !!!

I'm not sure what category of shopping Loulou fits under; it carries such a playful and creative range of gift, home and stationery products. Perhaps it is primarily a stationer with a penchant for such things as wind-up pieces of sushi, adorable fridge magnets and other fun items such as cut-out doll kits and human anatomy puzzles. And the stationery here really is lovely. There are lots of pretty and sweet cards, plenty of boxed stationery and cards and other decorative paper items such as stamps and stickers. This little shop is good for those with a taste for all things whimsical and a little bit funny and/or cheeky. It's a great stop to look for gifts, and you'll undoubtedly find something to fall for here.