Swag Central: New gift shop opens in downtown Bellingham with ‘unique curated items’

A new gift shop has opened in downtown Bellingham, bringing a collection of curated gifts, clothing, home goods and more to Whatcom County.

Swag Gift, which stands for “sealed with a gift,” opened on June 28 and was launched by two Western Washington University graduates, Danielle Starr and Renee Marr.

Starr recently owned 4 Starrs, a boutique in Fairhaven, from 2004-2016. That’s where the idea of Swag Gift was first conceptualized, according to an email from Marr. After 4 Starrs closed, a new downtown storefront opened up and Marr partnered with Starr to create Swag Gift.

The shop aims to provide a collection of “unique curated items that you can’t get elsewhere,” Marr said.

The gift boutique includes women’s clothing, candles, lotions, a man cave, baby items, home goods, pet items, jewelry and more.

“There is a lack of selection in Bellingham for reasonably priced gifts, jewelry, clothes and more, and we are bringing Bellingham what Danielle’s longtime customers expect and requested,” Marr said.

The duo chose to open a business specifically in Bellingham because of their love for Bellingham’s culture and way of life, and they both have raised families here.

The new shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 511 E Magnolia St., Suite 101 in Bellingham.

Alyse Smith

The Bellingham Herald

Alyse Smith is a reporter at The Bellingham Herald covering retail, restaurants, jobs and business. If you like stories like this, please consider supporting our work with a subscription to our newspaper.