Shopping in Ojai: 4 shops you don’t want to miss!

If you’ve never been, let me be the first to say that shopping in Ojai is a treat, my friend. I love Ojai. It’s one of my favorite places to spend the day with or without kids in tow, and while I could write quite a lengthy blog post about all the great things to do there, I’m going to start by narrowing our discussion to shopping. If you love shopping beautifully curated, locally owned stores with great treasures, this is the blog post for you.

Why is Ojai a great place to shop?

Shopping in Ojai is great because there are so many locally owned stores that are run by people with creative minds and a good eye. The main drag in downtown Ojai is filled with places to shop and eat. An easy stroll down Ojai Avenue means lots of great window shopping, coffee shops, breweries and Libbey Park where the kids can run off that energy.

Ojai is known for drawing creative-minded people. To me, that makes it a prime location for finding a variety of original works of art, including clothing by local designers, fine art, artisanal goods like soaps and candles, home decor, and so much more.

4 locally owned places I love shopping in Ojai

Fig/Bungalow

The shop I visit every time I go to Ojai, without fail, is Fig Curated Living. Even if you’re not planning to make any purchases, browsing the shop is an experience worth having. Our kids love to do the hopscotch at the entry and have learned the importance of keeping their hands to themselves and not handling any of the beautiful (and sometimes breakable) items they sell.

This place has glassware, ceramics, planters, tea towels, tote bags, crystals, temporary tattoos, candles, jewelry, books, pillows, baby gifts, and so much more.

While you’re at it, check out Fig’s sister store, Bungalow. I bought one of the best candles I’ve ever smelled there. They also have some women’s clothing, great stuff for your home, and a good selection of clothing and gifts for children and babies.

Fig Curated Living is located at 327 E Ojai Ave. in Ojai.

Bungalow by Fig is located at 109 N Montgomery St. in Ojai.

Pixie’s General Store

Pixie’s General Store describes itself as a “magical mercantile,” and I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s fun for both kids and adults. I got one of my favorite crewneck sweaters at Pixie’s and had to exercise a lot of self control to not purchase other items.

They also have an awesome children’s section full of fun and quirky toys for kids. Our daughter bought a giant pencil, and our son bought a kaleidoscope. There’s something for everyone, including all the Ojai-loving babies in your life who want to rep one of the greatest cities in California.

Pixie’s General Store is located at 203 N Signal St. in Ojai.

Bart’s Books

Bart’s Books is an outdoor bookstore that has been a staple in Ojai for more than 40 years. It started with a man lining the sidewalk with bookshelves to share the books he no longer had room for and grew into a big and beautiful outdoor store.

The books that line the sidewalk are still there and are still for sale on the honor system. When you go into the outdoor space, you will quickly see it’s easy to spend so much time wandering and checking out the wide range of new, pre-owned and antique/vintage books offered here.

You can’t go to Ojai and not go to Bart’s.

Bart’s Books is located at 302 W Matilija St. in Ojai.

Fern’s General Store

What’s better than window shopping in Ojai? I’ll tell you. Add a little lunch from The Nest to the equation, and you’ve got yourself a nice little time.

Fern’s General Store is located within The Nest, which means not only can you peruse this store that has fun cowboy-chic items, spices, candles and more, but you can also get yourself a delicious meal before or after your shopping.

Fern’s General Store is located in The Nest at 401 E Ojai Ave. in Ojai.

Bonus: Farmer’s Market every Sunday

The Ojai Certified Farmer’s Market is every Sunday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Personally, I love a good Farmer’s Market.

The last time we went, we left with a personalized one-of-a-kind poem written for our kids, flowers, and organic lavender and lemon that we used to make lavender lemonade. In addition to produce, I also noticed people selling meat, seafood, soap, honey, candles, and other goods.

Shopping in Ojai on a Sunday at this farmer’s market is a great way to ensure you can also knock out some of those groceries you might need (or that you didn’t even realize you wanted).

The Ojai Certified Farmer’s Market is located at 300 E Matilija St. in Ojai.

Ready to do some shopping in Ojai?

The shops I’ve listed here for you scrape just the surface of all the cool places to peruse in Ojai. These are places I have personally been and can vouch for, but there are plenty more on my list of places I want to check out.

Happy shopping!

Shopping in Ojai: 4 shops you don’t want to miss!

Erica Hurlburt is an award winning Ventura County Photographer who specializes in newborn, family and school photography. Her style tends toward cleaner, classic images, both in how they’re composed and edited. Her goal in every session is to keep things relaxed and fun and to create images that are both meaningful and unique.

Erica serves clients in Camarillo, Ventura County, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake,
Malibu, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ojai and beyond.