A souvenir Shop just opened at Campus Martius, inside a shipping container

The Downtown Detroit Partnership opened a souvenir shop at Campus Martius on June 18, housed inside a converted shipping container at the edge of the park. The Shop at Campus Martius carries Detroit-made goods, locally designed apparel, gifts, and snacks. Carhartt, headquartered in Dearborn, is backing the concept.

The merchandise leans on local collaborations. Pewabic Pottery contributed a tile featuring Campus Martius, part of its "Postcards from Detroit" series, sold at this location and not through Pewabic's usual channels. SMPLFD, a Detroit apparel label, released a limited drop for the shop inspired by the park's tulip bloom. Shirts, hats, postcards, candles, tote bags, and other small gifts round out the inventory.

Proceeds from sales go back into the Downtown Detroit Partnership's parks and public spaces, the organization said, funding the programming and operations that keep the downtown parks active year-round.

The shop is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 8 p.m., at Campus Martius Park, 800 Woodward Ave. It is expected to run through October.

Campus Martius is downtown Detroit's central public square, drawing foot traffic from surrounding office towers, hotels, and transit connections year-round. The container format fits that setting. There is no storefront lease to negotiate and no permanent build-out, and the structure can leave the park when the season turns.

For an organization that funds much of its work through corporate sponsorships and public contracts, a retail concept in the park is a different model. It ties a piece of the revenue directly to the people walking through. After October, the container leaves and the rink goes in for winter.