Ellen Eisenberg will celebrate her third anniversary as the owner of The Red Barn of Woodbridge on Oct. 20. A long time Woodbridge resident, Eisenberg worked as the marketing director for the JCC from 1999-2007, and every time she drove by the shop on her way to work she thought about how much she would love to own it herself. She calls it a, "Crazy mid-life crisis whim," but as soon as she saw the "for sale" sign she, "Whipped in, got it, and then told my husband."

Eisenberg says her favorite part of owning and running a gift store is, "the aesthetics of it. I love carving out an environment and making it look how I want it to look."  She does all of her own buying and goes to shows in New York, Boston and Canada looking for just the right merchandise to fill a specific space in the store. 

Her focus on the look of her store also influences how she staffs; some of her employees are Paier School of Art students, and they help her define and redefine the look of her shop. She also relies on them to help her bring in goods that appeal to a younger generation of shoppers. Two of the lines she carries specifically for her younger employees and their contemporaries are Big Buddha Bags and Hanky Panky Thongs.

Another inspiration for her stock is her customer base. Eisenberg listens closely to what her customers want and will try most suggestions. The clothes she carries are mostly due to customer requests as are the Baggallini bags. 

Debbie Schlegel, a local realtor, says, "She (Eisenberg) really has her clients pegged. She knows what her customers want, especially clothes-wise." Schlegel often shops at The Red Barn of Woodbridge for house warming gifts for her clients. "I always find something unique and pretty, and I always get it gift wrapped. I like to leave and be done."

Eisenberg says that many of her customers like the gift wrapping service for that reason. "People like that they feel like they are done when they leave. We are soup to nuts." Another convenience feature Eisenberg instituted after the economy went downhill is a lay-away plan. 

Although her biggest seller is clothing, a walk through the store provides a plethora of gift ideas.  Despite the drop in sales since the economic dip, she still carries an assortment of body and skin care items including Crabtree and Evelyn, and AHAVA. The Red Barn of Woodbridge even has its own brand of natural and organic soaps.  She also carries an extensive selection of candles including Vance Kitira.  There is a corner devoted to books which features local authors like Binnie Klien, as well as books targeted for men.  There are gadget-y gifts, jewelry from all over, children's gifts, wedding gifts and chocolate to list a few of the other items that fill the shelves.

Eisenberg is getting ready for the holidays, stocking the Christmas room upstairs, and preparing as much as she can for the holiday rush and extended hours. The Red Barn of Woodbridge is open on Christmas Eve, and she says she expects to see all the last minute shoppers, mostly men, scrambling for their gifts and taking advantage of the gift wrapping, just like last year and the year before.