Coral Gift Shop

Coral Gift Shop was briefly located at 1427 Main Street, where it was owned and operated by David “Dave” (1910-1997) and Blondell Arrants Arazie (1915-2005). Blondell was raised in Kershaw County, South Carolina, while native New Yorker, Dave, moved to Richland County to start his business empire with his siblings in 1937. The couple married in Lexington County in 1944 and raised three children together: Norman, Shirley, and Connie. Blondell and Dave opened Coral Gift Shop soon after they took over two other Arazie family businesses: Tiny Tots Togs—a children’s store—and Empire Linen Shop. Around the time Dave and Blondell opened their gift shop, city officials announced that Coral Gift Shop and five other stores on the 1400 block of Main Street would be torn down to make room for a J. C. Penney in the coming years. In 1961, Dave and Blondell closed their store and opened a new Coral Gift Shop in Charlotte, North Carolina. Advertisements for their store in Charlotte featured listings for perfume, costume jewelry, watches, fine china, and small appliances.