Events, Happenings & Cool Stuff

I had the pleasure of visiting Home Essentials on North Kentucky Ave. in Lakeland, FL.   I’ve been living in Lakeland for 10 or so years now, but I have never been to this store.   This shop was amazing, the customer service, not so much.

I was treating my niece to lunch one afternoon when we were interrupted by the ring on her cellular phone.  I thought it was a tad rude for her phone to ring during our meal, but she excused herself and walked outside for a few moments.  When she returned, she explained it was a friend of hers on the phone.  Her friend was headed to Home Essentials and asked if we would like to meet her there.  I was about to decline, but then I thought of returning home to an empty house, so I accepted the invitation.

When I approached the store, I had no idea what to expect.  The only “Home Essentials” I’ve heard of is the Sears store on the south side of town.  When I first walked in, the store seemed a bit cluttered.  The displays were set up everywhere and the displays were set up to separate the sections of the store.  I was thankful my niece didn’t have her 2 year old son with her.  He would have had a field day and most likely knock over everything.

The more I poked around, the more I began to enjoy this store.  They carry everything from stoneware to infant clothing.  They have candleholders, flatware, wall hangings and even decorative holders for displaying art and plates on the walls.  My niece and her friend were most interested in the selection of “crocs”.  Not knowing what a “croc” was, I thought they really liked ceramics, I was embarrassed when I found out they were shoes!  Once they stopped laughing, they showed me the shoes…they look like a combination of rubber and foam.  Whatever floats your boat.

After a half hour of shopping, they were ready to cash out.  The cashier, who spent the majority of her time on the phone, was nice enough to hang up when they placed their items on the counter.  She rang up their purchases, bagged the items and we left.

If you are looking for a gift for a difficult person to buy for, Home Essentials should have something to satisfy.

This store rates a 9 of 10 for unique product, a 9 for cleanliness but a 4 for customer service.  I had to rate customer service as a 4, “Jane” did eventually hang up the phone.

-TLP