Hood corner stores in Detroit are usually a one-stop shop for liquor, fruit snacks, and cigarillos. If you’re lucky — or unlucky depending on your preference — you might get a Krispy Krunchy Chicken here and there. None of that is to be found at Nature’s Compliments, a new holistic shop in Southwest Detroit.
Located on the corner of N. Green and Calahan, Nature’s Compliments sells all sorts of natural products from tea leaves and soaps to cannabis steeped milk bath soaks. They had a soft opening for their new brick and mortar shop on Friday after operating as a pop-up since March.
Everything in the shop is handmade by local artisans, mainly from the Southwest neighborhood. There’s also no plastic packaging as part of their eco-friendly mission to reduce plastic waste; buy some tea leaves and they’ll get packed up in a mason jar. You can also bring your own jar or bottle to fill with herbs, body cream, and liquid soap.
Smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood seems like an odd place for a tea and body care shop, but that’s exactly the point. Owners Veronica Vela and Connie Arreola wanted something that was easily accessible to their community. Why should they have to drive out to the suburbs to buy all-natural products?
“I’ve never seen a place where I can uplift my mind, body, and soul, at a corner store,” Arreola says. “We wanted to make something to help our community get grounded back into their natural roots, a place where they could know exactly where their products come from and what they’re putting on their body.”
Amen to that.
Vela is an herbalist and medical marijuana caregiver so don’t be surprised if they light up a fat one behind the counter while packaging tea leaves — they did during our visit.
The pair plan to expand their in-store offerings to include CBD products, raw juices, and food pop-ups from local chefs eventually. For now, the shop is slightly limited as they get everything set up. They will also have products available at Elevated Yogi’s cannabis-friendly holiday market on Sunday, Dec. 12.
Nature’s Compliments is located at 1741 N. Green St., Detroit. They are open on weekdays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
