The buyers at Oklahoma City-based shop Blue Seven follow one simple rule to bring one-of-a-kind goods to local shoppers: nothing boring or mundane. While most of the merchandise at the May Avenue shop is clothing for men and women, shoppers walk through a maze of funky products to get to the apparel including unicorn cookie cutters, samurai swords that double as umbrellas and plenty of household goods in the characteristic outline of Oklahoma.
Caleb and Julie Arter purchased Blue Seven from previous owners nine years ago. Since then, the shop has grown tremendously along with the Arter family. Caleb said his kids, 3-year-old Judah and 2-year-old Elsie, are a big part of the Blue Seven shopping experience.
“They come to the shop about once a week and hang out with me. Some customers are thrown off by it when I am holding a 2 year old and then I ask them if they need help,” he said. “However, a lot of our customers are regulars and have been for years so they are really interactive with the kids just like we are with their kids when they come to the shop. We love keeping our whole family involved in the shop.”
Shoppers seem to love that the family is involved, too. Since the Arters have owned Blue Seven, it’s grown in popularity and even expanded to the retail space nextdoor.
“I never thought I’d own my own retail store,” Caleb said. “Over the past several years though, we’ve seen the store grow and enjoyed the learning in the process. It has been a blast.”
Blue Seven sells an eclectic collection of men’s and women’s apparel, children’s playthings and home essentials.
“The good thing about owning your own business is you can have fun and sell anything you want,” Caleb said.
And walking through the unique collection of goods at the store, the couple’s style is evident. From stand-out clothing for toddlers to the home accessories you never knew you needed, the shop is alive with products you won’t see anywhere else.
“I don’t think there is a store that offers such an eclectic mixture,” he said. “There are some items that are indescribable and shoppers just have to see them to understand. We have wooden spoons with drumsticks on the other side. You can play drums and cook at the same time. I could go on forever describing the stuff we sell or came across the past few years.”
No one is left out when it comes to the items up for grabs at Blue Seven. For those with a taste for adventure, Blue Seven has bacon-flavored cotton candy, or if you prefer the smell of bacon to the flavor, pick up some bacon-scented air freshener. For the lawn, grab a zombie garden gnome. For the baby, pick up a vintage toy or clothing made in Oklahoma.
A couple of the most popular items for children are the wooden trains and a wooden Areaware robot kit. Whether you’re purchasing for kids or adults, Blue Seven is one of the most popular spots for picking up local goods. Much of the inventory is made in Oklahoma. A favorite locally-made item is the Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County alphabet book “O is for Oklahoma” written by and for children.
While much of the merchandise is quirky, Caleb said the store has a serious side as well. Blue Seven sells high-quality apparel and home supplies and supports local artists and creators.
With all the unique locally-produced finds, Blue Seven has opened a sister store in the shop space next-door called Just OK. Everything in the store, from coffee to clothing and everything in between, was made in Oklahoma.
But the business-savvy couple isn’t finished growing yet. Caleb said they have plans to continue a healthy growth and he wants to specifically expand the children’s inventory, which currently includes toys, shoes, clothing and some household items for kids. He also said plans include bringing in even more Oklahoma-made products, possibly even creating some of their own.
However, fans of the store might have to wait a while before continued growth of the store. The couple has plans to hopefully adopt in the future and spend more time with their children, Caleb said, and just running the stores they have takes a lot of time. Plus the couple has other community and social interests that take a fair amount of time.
Whether expansion is in the future for Blue Seven or not, shoppers can rely on Blue Seven as the perfect place to pick up a one-of-a-kind gift and support local makers and causes while they’re at it.
For more information about Blue Seven, shoppers can visit the store at 7518 N. May Ave. or shop online.