Croyview

My favourite 10 shops in St Ives

St Ives Harbour

St Ives is a wonderful town next to the sea. There are very picturesque views over the harbour and the sea. There are two different shopping areas in the town, the modern one going up the hill and the more historical one nearer the harbour. So there is a nice mix of shopping between high-street, local brands and independents. And, of course, there are some famous museums and galleries. 

One of my favourite things to do on holiday is to give myself permission to spend money on those items I would like but don’t have an essential need to buy. Shopping in St Ives provides many opportunities to indulge and get something lovely. To help with those purchases, I’ve set out below my ten favourite shops in St Ives. 

1. Whistlefish: The company was established in 1997 and has shops across Devon and Cornwall. It has a beautiful card and print shop. The shop sells large design prints of some fabulous places in Cornwall if you like a picture to hang on your wall. It also does a range of cards, including Christmas cards. Some of my favourite cards are ones showing the beautiful seascape of Cornwall. They also offer a wide range of generic cards to ensure you can get a card that fits the occasion. 
2. Maris Clothing: We accidentally discovered this shop last year in Cornwall. We had an excellent chat with the owner, who had recently decided to open his first physical shop for his brand in his hometown. Maris offers a range of unisex clothing, including t-shirts, sweaters and hoodies. Hubby bought a sweater in-store and liked it so much that he purchased more online six months later. 
3. Quba: Step into the classy world of sailing and inspired clothing. The brand was born in 1997 by two friends based in Devon who wanted to create jackets from reclaimed canvas sailcloth. I personally love their jumpers. 
4. Paper sailor: There are lots of different and interesting things on sale. A traditional japanense teapot, greeting cards, chocolate, and kitchen accessories. If you want something, but not sure what, have a nosy in this shop.
5. Gulls R Loud: A local artist expressed her upset about having her ice cream stolen by gulls by drawing the experience in cartoon form. And it went from there. She opened her shop in St Ives in 2020. There are lots of ways to take her art home. The shop has kitchen accessories, cushions, coasters, and t-shirts. I personally bought some kitchen surface savers. I love the cheeky seagulls so much that I’m a proud owner of two kitchen surface savers. 
6. Yellow Canary: Okay, so it’s not technically a shop. But shopping is tiring and thirsty work. So here’s my personal pick (of the many great places for a pick-me-up ). The Yellow Canary is an independent cafe that has been around since 1972. I love popping in here for a scone and tea. As an additional advantage, they make gluten-free scones and pasties. What more do you need after a day wandering around? 
7. The Wharf Post Office and Toy Shop: Need a board game or a toy? This is the place. The current owners have been running the shop since 2013. There is a good selection of board and card games, especially useful when rain is forecast and indoor fun is required. 
8. St Ives Bookseller is an Independent bookshop that offers a nice mix of books, from the latest releases to more local authors. The shop also hosts a range of events. 
9. Blue Harbour Gallery: There are many galleries in St Ives, some hosting a changing selection of artists. Blue Gallery hosts the artwork of local artist Malcolm Bowmer. I enjoy going into this gallery every time we visit St Ives. 
10. Tate St Ives Gift Shop: If you’re off to the Tate, I recommend wandering around the gift shop. I liked the selection of non-fiction books. 

Most of these shops are on Forres Street, which is just behind the harbour. Only Blue Harbour Gallery and Tate Gift Shop are in different locations.