Aside from touting the most adorable shop dog thine eyes have ever seen, Rockford Art Deli is and will always be a print shop.
However, as with any business, human, and growing/breathing/living thing, RAD is always evolving. What began as a side business in the basement of an old building in a neglected downtown, has graduated into a flourishing custom print shop and boutique on the first floor of the same old building in a downtown being resurrected by its residents.
We love that our t-shirts have driven a community movement to bring pride and positivity back to a city that had all but given up on all the RAD things it had to offer. Anyone who wears a RAD t-shirt and supports the 815 knows it isn’t just about supporting our businesses or nonprofits or fostering community at the markets. We are always stoked to be involved in those adventures, but what we really love is seeing a city come together, a community shifting their focus away from all there is to fix and finally embracing the beauty already here (and - you know - actually working to fix the rest instead of complaining about it).
We believe in you and we like seeing you believe in you too. And because we like you, and we like our city, and we really like this planet, and would love to see it all hang around for a bit, we focus on curating only ethically made/eco-friendly products. Every time you buy one of our tshirts, you keep six water bottles from an ocean death. How RAD is that?
We get that you trust us, so we strive to also only sell products made sustainably (meaning, we like buying from people who pay their employees working wages and just as we like to see Rockford being changed by positive business practices, we only buy products from companies who do the same for their own communities).
We can’t really get away from community. It’s what we’re built around and who we’re here for. That means we want to see our local small businesses grow, so we do our best to partner with and promote them.
So what is RAD? RAD is community. It is a print shop with a purpose to see that community thrive. We cultivate this by supporting local businesses, nonprofits, and artists, selling ethically made/eco friendly products, and giving you a place where you can come and make a purchase that says you are proud to live in the 815.
