Local Gem: Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store in Brooklyn, New York

Local Gem is RetailMeNot’s new editorial series celebrating standout indie shops across the United States. Discover hidden treasures near you, travel to one, or shop their one-of-a-kind finds online.

Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store, the brainchild of Ann Cantrell, is just what you’d expect from a proprietor who spent over a decade in high-fashion retail: effortlessly chic and gorgeously styled. Shelves are brimming with artfully arranged housewares and gifts, from quintessential nods to New York City (think a rainbow bagel-making kit and a Prospect Park-scented candle) to must-have favorites such as Baggu picnic blankets and Corkcicle wine glasses. The staff is incredibly warm, inviting, and knowledgeable. Shoppers are encouraged to linger and enjoy the space while they shop.

Annie’s is located at 232 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11215 

The Story Behind Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store

After 12 years of meticulous planning, Cantrell escaped the corporate grind and opened Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store in a 500-square-foot space on the corner of Bond and State Streets, in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, in October 2007. Anne’s, as the locals call it, relocated to its current, much larger space on 5th Avenue in Park Slope 12 years ago.

The first week the shop was open, Florence Fabricant, a food editor for The New York Times, happened to stop by. Apparently impressed by what she saw, she wrote about the shop for the paper a week later. Since then, Annie’s has been a media darling, earning accolades from Real Simple, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, The Food Network, House Beautiful, and more.

In 2008, the industrious Cantrell had the foresight to launch the store’s website while on her honeymoon in the Hamptons, for a feature in Daily Candy, arguably the city’s most popular events and shopping email newsletter in the early aughts. In a fortuitous twist, the website kept Cantrell’s business going years later during the COVID-19 pandemic. Long after she (temporarily) shuttered the store to protect herself and her workers from the virus, orders continued to roll in online.

The alchemy of  Cantrell’s business savvy, strategic thinking, and dedication to her business has paid off: in October, Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store will celebrate its 18th anniversary, and the business continues to be profitable year after year.

Despite her success, Cantrell points out that being a small business owner serves up plenty of challenges. “Right now, the biggest things are figuring out the tariff situation and making sure our supply chain is intact as much as possible,” she says. “We want our customers to feel good and to be a fun and positive place for them to visit.”

Prior to launching her business, Cantrell spent more than a decade working in product development for luxury fashion brands such as Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, and Coach, to learn about the retail business. During that time, she kept her eye on the prize–owning her own retail store–and thought through every detail of her future store, from the products she’d sell to its light fixtures. She compiled binders full of things she saw in magazines and loved, and she drew on inspiration from her travels. In Sydney, Australia, for example, she discovered REMO, a store that she admired, along with Alley’s General Store in Martha’s Vineyard.

The name Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store is a nod to Cantrell’s childhood in the rural town of Augusta, New Jersey. Growing up, Cantrell would compete in baking competitions, clowning competitions (she was known as Patches the Clown), and more for “best of show” blue ribbons at the New Jersey State Fair. “The blue ribbon in Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store is symbolic of the fact that we’ve done all the hard work so you don’t have to by finding the best of what life has to offer, whether it’s greeting cards or the curation of our puzzle collection, all under one roof,” she explains. 

What You’ll Find Inside 

Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store, on bustling 5th Avenue in the heart of Park Slope, beckons passersby into the store with a cheerful royal blue exterior and enchanting window display (currently, it’s an anthropomorphized foodscape featuring NYC classics such as hot dogs and giant pretzels designed by NYT bestselling illustrator Steph Stilwell). Inside you’ll discover a full-sensory shopping experience: it smells delicious–sweet or spicy, depending on the candle you’re shopping closest to; items are artfully arranged by color in themes (think Coastal or New York City), and peppy music (think Come On Eileen) filters through the air.

“Every item feels handpicked with care, from cute cards to unique gifts you didn’t know you needed,” adds Tamir Sartor Kruchkow, who has lived in Park Slope for 16 years. “The staff is warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely excited to help, and the whole space feels like a breath of fresh air: inviting, inspiring, and full of good vibes.”

Annie’s is so well put together that even when it’s crowded, it’s still a delightful experience, thanks to the surprises and delights that await you around every corner. After all, Cantrell sources hyperlocal and nationally made gems that range from sustainable to handmade from hundreds of different vendors. Beyond shopping on faire.com, she and her team travel to trade shows all over the country to explore new products, both in the zeitgeist (think The Book of Chalamet and a colorful Pride display for the month of June ) and those items that Cantrell predicts will be the next big thing. For example, Cantrell stocked her shelves with items from Corkcicle right when it launched in 2011 and earned a full-page callout in New York Magazine’s Strategist section; today, Corkcicle, which Canrtell still sells, is wildly popular. Additionally, Cantrell says if she receives a gift that she adores, she’ll hunt it down and add it to her inventory.

Candles, cards, and candy are her business’ bread and butter, says Cantrell, but Jellycat stuffed animals and books are currently “on fire”and Baggu items (ranging from a lobster dopp kit to a puffy picnic blanket made with recycled materials) have been selling well for the last few years. When Cantrell and her buyer are sourcing items for the store they think about two main customers, based on Cantrell’s real-life fashion friends: a time-pressed young mom who stops by after dropping her kids at daycare or school, in search of birthday gifts, and an older, well-traveled customer who has seen it all and wants to be dazzled with unexpected things.  

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A Peek Into Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store’s Community

Annie’s hosts events throughout the year to connect with the community and “have a place where people can gather to think about things happening in the world, or just do a craft together,” says Cantrell. Upcoming events include a workshop on how to sleep better and classes to learn how to play Mah Jongg, one of Cantrell’s favorite games. Shoppers can also earn 50 points in rewards by making and donating sandwiches to the local food bank Chips in June, and by sending a postcard to Annie’s from anywhere in the country or world through the end of August. 

Cantrell frequently partners with other small businesses. “One of my favorite quotes is ‘We rise by lifting others,’ she says. Recently, for example, she hosted a happy hour to promote Steph Stillwell, the artist who designed the storefront window and whose books are sold at Annie’s. Another time, Cantrell partnered with Social Goods to sell sweatshirts for Every Mother Counts, Christy Turlington Burns’ organization to promote equitable maternal health care throughout the world. 

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How to Shop Annie’s General Store If You Don’t Live in Park Slope

You don’t have to live in Park Slope or even New York City to shop at Annie’s–the website sells every product that’s in store and ships nationwide and in Canada. You can also sign up for two different subscriptions:  a three-, six, or 12-month candle subscription, or three, six- or 12-month puzzle subscription. If you’re visiting the area, stop by during the week or in evenings on the weekends to avoid the crowds. Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store is a special small business that is absolutely worth checking out, so be sure to visit, shop online, or follow the store on Instagram. 

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