For 35 years, Magpies Gifts has served its customers in the Greater Houston area with a variety of gifts that range from candles and fragrances to brand-name jewelry.
The first Magpies location dates back to 1983 when sisters Maggie Farrar and Alexis Ofczarzak opened a gift shop in Houston’s Museum District offering a broad selection of gifts for men, women and children. The name of the store comes from a nickname Farrar was given by her father.
The Cy-Fair location, which opened in 2010, is the newest branch of the family business and is owned and managed by Chrissy Hignett, the niece of the original founders.
Gifts at Magpies include shirts and hats for men, outfits for babies and an assortment of jewelry for women, including Kendra Scott and Waxing Poetic. When new collections are released, the shop’s staff celebrates with refreshments for customers.
Hignett said Magpies aims to give shoppers the best selection possible.
“You can come in here and buy something for everybody,” she said. “It’s not just a clothing store, it’s not just a knickknack store with gifts. We sell a lot of home decor. We sell men’s stuff like wallets, keychains, baby clothing and wedding gifts, home gifts, just a little bit of everything.”
Hignett said she believes part of the reason customers keep coming back is because of the friendly customer service. Employees help customers search for gifts, make decisions and package the gift for presentation, she said.
“I want people to feel comfortable shopping here, whether they buy [something] or not,” she said. “That’s what makes us unique. Starting conversations, finding something in common with people, treating them the way you want to be treated.”
Hignett said the shop has other locations in Sugar Land and Bellaire, which are run by her and her sisters in a team effort. Hignett said the stores were previously run by her aunts as separate operations, but as she and her sisters started to take over around the time the Cypress location opened, they began running the stores more cohesively, exchanging items and helping each other out.
With her sisters, daughter and longtime employees on staff, Hignett said she hopes to keep the business strong and connected.
“We’re so grateful that we have a shop to offer to the communities,” she said. “We keep it in the family, and the women we hire become family.”
12344 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress 281-256-9777 www.magpiesgifts.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sundays
