Great gifts can be found in unexpected places —this series profiles Ann Arbor small businesses in an effort to support our community by encouraging readers to shop local this holiday season!
‘Winter is tough on you,’ reads Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair’s postered front window. ‘It’s even tougher on your bot.’
Dimly lit and filled to the brim, Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair makes use of all the store space they’ve got. The shelves are stacked, and tables sit piled high with products of mechanical imagination.
“We have things we make in-house that are sort of joke gifts for robots,” said Tom Bianchi, retail manager. “We also have a lot of fun kits and robot-related wind-ups, toys, cool t-shirts and apparel, things like that.”
With everything from robotic hands to a “Surveyors of Space Coloring Book,’ Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair certainly has a wide-ranging stock. But there’s more to this robot shop than meets the eye.
“All the proceeds support 826Michigan, which is a non-profit that offers free creative-writing and tutoring programs for kids aged 6-18,” Bianchi said. “That’s students in Ann Arbor high schools, Ypsilanti high schools, and Detroit high schools… all the sales support local education.”
The store is also staffed almost entirely by volunteers. When you shop at Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair, you’re given the opportunity to help support 826Michigan’s programs and locations all over southeastern Michigan. Shopping at this local business means giving back to local kids. Bianchi is also a big supporter of shopping local himself.
“I try to do all my shopping from the store without going like two blocks, because I know those people,” said Bianchi. “The people who have jobs there, who work there, are people who live in the community.”
Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair has a website and online store that provides shoppable inventory, information about 826Michigan, and a “Ro-blog.” Check it out by clicking on the button below!
There’s no need to short-circuit this holiday season: Liberty Street Robot Repair is the place to go for the robot-lovers on your list. Be sure to visit them online or in person to get your holidays shopping done and give back to your community!