After 16 years as an embryologist, Kristin Smith of Woburn was ready to trade her scrubs for a career combining her creativity and business savvy. With the encouragement of her mother, Dottie Smith, owner of A Pocketful of Posies in Middletown, Conn., Smith opened her shop of the same name at 1656 Massachusetts Ave. in Lexington in September 2013. While the gift stores differ in terms of style and merchandise, they share a goal of offering a wide variety of items in a range of prices.

Q. How did you select the location for your shop?

A.People like to meet friends for lunch and spend the day walking around, so I looked for an attractive town center with other small retail shopping and restaurants. This exact spot is challenging, because people see a cluster of municipal businesses ahead and don’t go any farther. Once they find me, though, they tend to like me and tell their friends.

Q. How do you describe your store?

A. My shop is an eclectic bohemian mix of products that are different and interesting. Overall, I tend to shy away from girly types of things, so I’d say my merchandise has more of an urban vibe. Most of our stock is made in the USA, or sourced from fair trade artisans.

Q. What are some bestsellers?

A. Some of what I sell is based purely on what I love. I’m a huge artisan candle nut, so I stock a lot of those, as well as one particular bath product line that people come in specifically for. I have baby and toddler items, hostess gifts, artisan jewelry, science-themed gifts, some clothing, and nice things for the home like reclaimed wood platters. I’ve always had gender-neutral things that I used to mix in, but now I have a guys only section that gets a lot of attention, even though it’s all the same stuff. It’s funny what you learn along the way.

Q. How do you differentiate your shop from other local gift stores?

A. I offer complimentary gift wrapping, rapid pick-up, shipping, free local delivery with a minimum $75 purchase, and wish fulfillment. When I explain that to customers, their eyes get huge. They can’t believe it, and that makes me feel good. In this business, you’re always looking for the little things that thrill people.

For more information, call 781-460-8587 or visit apocketfulofposies.com.

Cindy Cantrell can be reached at cindycantrell20@gmail.com.