Olive Juice Squeezes Happiness into Customers

There is no doubt that when someone sets foot in Oxford, Miss., they instantly feel right at home. The many unique shops along the Square give a warm welcome to visitors and residents alike.

The diverse gifts at Olive Juice allow customers to take a piece of that hospitality wherever they go. Olive Juice is a friendly, one-of-a-kind, gift shop located on the outskirts of the Oxford Square on South Lamar.
There, you can find anything from beautiful jewelry, sorority merchandise and Rebel paraphernalia to baby products and artwork. Almost all of the products sold at Olive Juice are Mississippi-made and are hand-picked to supply customers with the best and most memorable gift selection.
“Art by Susan” is a collection of hand-painted crafts that is widely popular with Olive Juice customers. Susan Hood’s work can’t be found anywhere else in Oxford. The paintings are so popular that Olive Juice has shipped them as far as California.
Everything about Olive Juice connects with customers on a personal level, right down to its name. Ever since storeowner Erin Briscoe was a little girl, she and her mom have carried on a tradition of mouthing “olive juice” to one another. When you mouth “olive juice” to someone across the room, it actually looks like you are saying “I love you.” Briscoe says she was texting her mom one night, trying to name her soon-to-be dream shop. She finally gave up and was going to call it a night. “Goodnight and olive juice,” she said to her mom. Briscoe says her mom instantly knew that was the perfect name for her unique shop.
“I’ve always wanted to open a gift shop,” says Briscoe. She has been going to markets since she was 15 years old.
It’s a family thing, she says. Her sister has her own gift shop and her mother, who Briscoe believes is the source of her creativity, helps her out with Olive Juice. “I just love giving gifts,” says Briscoe.

Her love for giving and for other people is what makes Olive Juice thrive. From the time customers walk in the door, Olive Juice employees make them feel right at home. Everyone at the store is friendly and personable. The wide variety of beautiful crafts and products available at Olive Juice makes deciding what to give and what to keep a difficult choice. To make your gifting experience even more enjoyable, Olive Juice also gift wraps and delivers to the Ole Miss campus. They even ship to their out-of-town customers.

Since its opening in April 2011, Olive Juice’s business has flourished. “It gets better every year,” says Briscoe.
Olive Juice is social media savvy. Customers can view the latest and most popular items with a visit to the Olive Juice Facebook page or Instagram account.
Shopping at Olive Juice is a unique experience and a must-see when enjoying your time on the Square.
To visit Olive Juice online, go to www.facebook.com/OliveJuiceGifts or www.instagram.com/olivejuicegifts.
Olive Juice is located at 305 South Lamar Blvd.
Rachel Vanderford, Staff Writer, HottyToddy.com rmvander@go.olemiss.edu