Best gift stores in New Zealand

"Mixt is an intentionally kitschy gift shop that stocks awesome art/home decor/general knick knacks, created by Kiwi artists and crafters. There’s loads of rad art prints, wall-mountings (ducks in suits? Yes please), jewellery, handcrafted vases and ceramics, greeting cards, lamps, it goes on. I like to get my thank you or birthday cards from Mixt… a screen-printed, New Zealand-designed card feels a lot more personal than a mass-produced Hallmark. The pricing is reasonable considering that most items there are handcrafted and unique. The retro and art focus really appeals to me, and I often find myself popping in to browse when I was really just planning on walking to the dairy. There’s also a retro furniture shop next door, under the Mixt name, but I try to avoid going in as everything inside is fantastic and I can’t fit any more furniture in my house."

"The bread and butter letter is hip and local-focused. Jewellery, prints, stationery, tea – it’s an eclectic store and you’re likely to find the perfect gift within its walls… maybe for the person you’re shopping for, definitely for yourself. I recently bought an absolutely adorable clear, bell-shaped umbrella, and I get all excited when it rains."

"Iko Iko is one of my favourite stores to browse, as they have a great mix of weird things that you’d sort of expect to only find on the internet. For example – I got a ceramic statue of an origami stegosaurus. That’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as the sort of awesome thing they carry. Most stock is reasonably priced, and it’s a great place to look for a last-minute gift for any of the weird/hip people in your life."

"Mighty Ape has a pretty impressive stock of weird & wonderful things, which makes it easy to find something perfect for just about anyone, regardless of age or level of nerdiness. The customer service, shipping, and quality are consistently fabulous. Mighty Ape is by far my favourite NZ place to shop online."