If residents at The Oaks of Louisiana run out of milk, need to satisfy a sweet tooth between meals or pick up a birthday gift for a friend or a grandchild, they don’t have to go far.
The MarketPlace, in Clubhouse at The Oaks, is a phone call or a short walk away.
MarketPlace is a gem of a store - a charming little boutique that specializes in friendly service along with unique gifts, convenience items and women’s accessories. It is in the middle of campus, ideal for residents whether they live in the Tower, Garden Apartments, Savannah or Health Center at Live Oak.
Ashley Sabins is manager and lead buyer for MarketPlace. An energetic dynamo with a smile to greet everyone who walks through the doors, Sabins has seen MarketPlace grow not only in inventory but also in the consciousness of residents, family members and the outside community.
“We want the MarketPlace to be the go-to place for residents when they have a need, and more and more it is.” Sabins says. “We want residents to be able to get anything.”
To that end, Sabins and Rhonda MacIsaac, executive manager of MarketPlace, travel to the Dallas Market Center twice a year. They peruse the offerings of hundreds of vendors, searching for unique items, always with residents in mind.
“As a buyer, it is so overwhelming at market because there are so many things to look at and take in,” Sabins says. “You wonder, am I going to see everything? Sometimes we make decisions on the spot. Other times we take information and decide later.”
MarketPlace offers milk and other staples such as paper towels and facial tissue, but Sabins prides herself on the success that accessories and gift items have brought to the store. “We’ve expanded our line for men,” she says_“We have gifts for children. We have religious gifts. We also carry gourmet food items from Wind & Willow and Janis & Melanie.”
There are bath and body products, seasonal and holiday items and stationery and cards. Ladies’ purses, scarves and jewelry, however, are the boutique’s biggest draw with shelves and displays arranged in such a way that shoppers might think they were in a high-end department store.
Few department stores if any, though, specialize in personalized gift baskets that can be delivered, a free concierge service for items purchased at MarketPlace.
And with Sabins, it’s no doubt a delivery service with a smile.
MarketPlace at The Oaksis open Monday throughFriday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For information, call (318) 212-2455 or visit our website.