DETROIT — In Midtown, one can find scarves, shirts, underwear, perfume, kitchen supplies, makeup, rugs, jewelry, bags, tea and cultural crafts in a single store that also offers translation and printing services. 

It is no surprise that the motto of “iGift and More” is: All you need in one shop. 

Store owners Tarek Abdel Wahed and Fatima Ibrahim said they want residents of the area to find all essential products and services in their “mini mall.” 

The store, which is located in the heart of the Wayne State University campus is nestled in a plaza on Warren Avenue, between Woodward and Cass. It used to be a printing shop. The new owners kept the printer, fax and other services of the old store and added new goods to them.

The green and blue walls add character to store, which is already vivid with its unlikely collection of products.

“Interesting things you got here,” one customer told Ibrahim when this reporter was visiting iGift and More. “It’s a beautiful shop.”

Abdel Wahed and Ibrahim, who are former reporters for The Arab American News, said the store is a long-term investment. 

“We want to appeal to everybody,” Abdel Wahed said. “We want people to find what they need at a fair price.”

He added that the store offers the same products sold at nearby drugstores for sometimes half the price. He said some stores take advantage of the fact that students and some people in the surrounding neighborhoods do not own cars, so they hike up the prices.

“We are not here to just make money,” Abdel Wahed continued. “We want to be a part of the community and the society in Detroit.”

Ibrahim is confident of Detroit’s revival and the promising potential for small businesses in the city.

“This is a very safe area,” she said. “Many people have fears and misconceptions about Detroit. The media reflect a negative image that affects business here.”

There are hundreds of Arab students at Wayne State; iGift & More owners said they want these students to find cultural and religious products, such as prayer rugs, right on campus without having to find a ride to Dearborn. 

The store opened in April and the owners say it has received positive feedback from customers so far.