Tim Galea, president of Norton’s Flowers & Gifts, is scrambling to get his Ann Arbor store moved into its new west-side space by Thanksgiving, when the holiday flower season starts: “it’s all about centerpieces, taking them to your host,” he says. And, by the way, if you’re looking for a local product, you could do worse than a poinsettia. His all come from greenhouses in the Toledo area.
Norton’s is a 120-year-old business that used to have its own local greenhouses. The main store is in Ypsi, but there’s also been a small store in Westgate. Ever since Kroger moved to an adjacent site on Maple in the late 1990s, Galea says, “we’ve been looking for a space in the neighborhood with more visibility.”
The new store is a few doors down from Biggby Coffee and across the street from Zingerman’s Roadhouse. Like many flower shops, Norton’s tries to be a one-stop shop for gifts. Galea reels them off: “greeting cards; gifts for men, women, newborns; crystal; candy; religious and inspirational gifts; personal accessories like scarves. And that’s not even getting into the holiday gifts. December is a beautiful time in our stores.”
Norton’s Flowers & Gifts, 2558 W. Stadium, 769-9100. Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Sun. nortonsflowers.com
