Funky 7 in Royal Oak
Novel Tees from page 8
before Funky 7 was born.
"I grew up in Detroit, then we
moved to Southfield and I went to
Southfield-Lathrup High School"
Davis says. "I went to Grand Valley
State and then I decided I wanted to
get into the clothing business, and I
worked at Hughes and Hatcher's men's
and women's department store:'
Davis also worked with his father
and says he never imagined he would
someday be selling T-shirts.
"Twenty to 30 years ago, T-shirts
were more heavy weight; they were
uncomfortable he recalls. "Today
they're a lighter weight, more of a
stretch-type material. The cuts are
great. For me to sell a T-shirt, I don't
look at it as a T-shirt. I look at it as
lifestyle:'
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Gifts under $80!
Detroit Mania
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Right now, he's cashing in on Detroit
mania. Davis says a large percentage
of his customers are people who've
moved away to other states or coun-
tries but want to take a piece of the
Motor City or their favorite sports
team with them.
"They grab the Detroit stuff" he
says. "A lot of the people I get in are
Jewish. We get into Jewish geography.
There are a ton of customers who
come in from Arizona, Los Angeles
and other cities. They just keep com-
ing. It's getting bigger and it's mostly
word-of-mouth."
Funky 7 is open seven days a week;
Davis works six days. He calls his
wife, Shelley, the company "strategist."
Of the couple's two sons, Kyle, 26,
and Clay, 23, the youngest joined the
family business. This year, Clay put
together a website so customers can
make online purchases.
"I'm too old-school;' Davis says.
"I'm not a big computer person, so
this is perfect. It's a great foundation
for Clay to build on:'
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Funky 7 carries Detroit-themed tees.
The small business owner likes to
point out you won't find the merchan-
dise he carries at most malls or sport-
ing goods stores, and that's another
draw. The National Federation of
Independent Businesses (NFIB) says
consumers recently spent $5.5 billion
shopping on Small Business Saturday,
Nov. 24, supporting local retailers.
"In an uncertain economy, America's
small businesses have remained a bea-
con — creating good jobs and support-
ing the families they employ and the
communities around them," NFIB CEO
Dan Danner is quoted as saying. "We
hope that support of small firms, retail-
ers, restaurants and other independent
businesses continues throughout the
holiday season and all year round"
At Funky 7, where pop culture, art
and fashion collide, Davis says listen-
ing to his customers has been the key
to success.
"I'm very passionate about what I
do" he says. "It's been wild, and it's
just a lot of fun. It's great to see people
buying"
❑
Funky 7 is located at 411 S. Main
St. in Royal Oak. Store hours are
Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call
(248) 398-6700 or go to
www.funky7inc.com .