Here is the answer to the question, "Who are we?"
We know from our 68 years of selling furniture, appliances, and electronics that delivering quality
products at the lowest possible price is the bottom line. If you lived in the Detroit area we
likely sold your family - grandparents or parents their first furniture.
We have been one of the first stop's for new immigrants coming to America. Our staff
speaks many languages including English, Spanish, Arabic, Polish, and a bit of French
and German. New immigrants to this country rarely have the credit credentials required
by large financial institutions. We provide our own "in-house" credit and take a
personal look at a customers request for credit. We have easy credit repayment terms up to
30 months and "no interest" options as well.
We have stayed in southwest Detroit on the edge of south Dearborn to keep our prices low and to
provide local service to our over 90,000 satisfied customers. We are surrounded by I-75,
I-96, I-94, and M-39 (Southfield) in the heart of what is now called, "Mexican Town".
Unlike many other retail stores in Detroit we actually have a real warehouse loaded with brand
name furniture, appliances, and electronics - all for immediate delivery. Our excellent
and long term relationship with suppliers gets us top priority for special orders.
We have a full time service and repair staff. Our delivery staff is not just,
"experienced". They can simply drop off your purchase. They can setup and
install anything your purchase from us. They can disassemble manufactured furniture as well
as the walls and windows in your house to see that what you select goes where you want it placed.
We don't have all the answers. We try to avoid the hype like the guys who advertise on TV or
through phony Sunday circulars. Bottom line - it's simple. We will save you a bunch of
money.
Featured West Vernor BID Business: Danto's Furniture & Appliance
(written and produced by the Southwest Detroit Business Association)
Furniture, appliances, computers and jewelry – "a department store without the
clothing," that’s how Irwin Danto, manager of Danto’s Furniture &
Appliances, describes his family’s business located at the intersection of West
Vernor and Central. For three generations the Danto family has been providing the residents
of Southwest Detroit with a wide array of home essentials for all budgets.
Walk into Danto's Furniture & Appliances and you'll first be struck by the amount of
assorted products offered on the showroom floor - from ornate candelabras to reclining sofa
chairs, mattresses to cell phones - it’s a one-stop-shop. With little budgeted for
advertising, Danto’s attracts most of their business by word-of-mouth boasting over
72,000 customers. However, its not simply the products sold at Danto’s that has
contributed to their long term success.
The store operates with the warmth and personal attention much like a mom and pop shop
of old. Danto’s has adapted well to the needs of a growing immigrant
community. Southwest Detroit is home to a growing number of Middle Easterners and a
significant Latino community. Often people relocating from other parts of the world
find it difficult to establish credit and face language barriers.
Danto's provides key services to help people overcome these barriers such as in-house
credit and bi-lingual customer service. The store offers credit to people that do not
meet traditional bank requirements; although they may work, they may not have an
established credit history. Danto's enables people to purchase home essentials and
offers rates lower than a rent-to-own alternative. In addition, Danto's employs approximately
25 employees, several of whom are local residents that speak Spanish or Arabic and communicate
casually with customers. Rita Cazares, Payment Center Manager, says these services foster loyal
customers. She knows people who have furnished their whole house from Danto's and others who
return even if they have moved out of the area because they feel comfortable shopping at Danto's.
In 1920 Julius Danto, along with his three brothers, immigrated to the U.S. from a small town
along the Russia-Poland border. The business-minded brothers moved to the country's hot bed
of growth at the time, Detroit, Michigan. Collectively the Danto brothers tried their hand at
various businesses: a hat shop, a clothing store and a drug store. But it was Julious Danto who
found his niche and by 1940 had created a reputable furniture store in Southwest Detroit.
Julius’s oldest son, Charles Danto, took over as store manager in the mid 1960’s.
Under Charles the business endured Detroit’s challenging economic conditions and stood
strong until 1992. That year, a fire burned the store to the ground. However, in
the Danto father-son tradition, Irwin Danto joined his father, Charles, and together they
relocated down the street, in the old Central Outfitting building, the store's current location.
Irwin Danto now heads the store's daily operations and is involved in the local community.
He currently heads the West Vernor Voluntary Business Improvement District (BID) and serves
on the Southwest Detroit Business Association's Board of Directors. And he says he's not
planning on going anywhere anytime soon.
There's definitely something special about Southwest Detroit. Businesses don't give up nor
do the residents. Irwin Danto says, "Southwest Detroit works." He believes
the neighborhood is repairing itself through the hard work of its residents. And it's not
difficult to believe that the "something special" are the residents themselves.
Danto's Furniture & Appliance is located at 7701 West Vernor Highway; phone: 313-841-1200.