Gift shops flavor funky, cool items for millennial tastes

Have you ever wondered where Kanye West got his huge ego?  You might find the answer at a small gift shop in Long Beach.

The Codfish Cowboy on West Beech Street sells a “confidence spray” with West’s picture on the label that says “an instant boost of self-esteem” can be had by spraying the aromatherapy mist on a person’s body or in a room.

And over at the Our Own Projects shop in Northport where traditional gift shop items such as jewelry and serving dishes are for sale, stacks of vinyl records are offered as a nod to the popularity of back-in-the-day vinyl recordings among millennials.

Also at Our Own Projects, woven products are sold to benefit women’s cooperatives in such places as Rwanda, Tanzania and Senegal – reflecting a social consciousness that today is also popular among younger shoppers.

Some gift shops on Long Island are adding youthful, cool and funky items to their selections to bring younger customers into their mix.

“The owner makes a point of buying from independent makers and having an eclectic variety,” says Karen Michel, 44, of Island Park, who has a couple of her paintings for sale at The Codfish Cowboy, where she is a manager. “There’s kidswear, incense, natural oils and body products and things for teens and tweens like bath bombs, fun soaps and sugar scrubs.”

Walking into Wildflower in Glen Head is like walking into a shop in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. While the vibe is bohemian, owner Mackenzie Keyes, 31, of Glen Cove, says the goal is to carry things that appeal to both the older and younger customers.

Keyes owns the shop with her mother, Leisa Weiss, 54, who also lives in Glen Cove. At Wildflower, items such as Beatles memorabilia share space with trendy earrings and a modern Free People maxi slip-style dress.

“We have people who come here from middle [school] to high school up to people in their mid-70s,” Keyes says. “Everybody finds something here and everybody leaves excited. I want you to leave here feeling good.”