Wilmington has a variety of small boutique specialty shops, but none quite like this. Fuzz Love was built from the ground up by UNC Wilmington graduate Jeff Clemens.

Fuzz Love, named after Clemens’ late dog, named Fuzz, only sells items that are from other countries that Clemens collects during his world travels.  

“I graduated from UNCW and then I was in a cubicle in a pharmaceutical company downtown and I hated it. I had to find a way to get out of it,” said Clemens.  

He made travel his escape from the constricting life of cubicle work.

On a trip to Indonesia, Clemens saw how affordable handmade instruments were there, bought a lot of them and had them shipped home. After selling the items on EBay for a slightly higher price than what he paid, he was able to pay for his next trip.

“Then I got the idea that maybe I could have a shop, and also help people that were really poor to give it a more noble cause,” Clemens said. 

“I mean you go there and the people making these friendship bracelet are lucky to make a dollar a day. And I said I’ll take five hundred of those and I had these people say, ‘oh my god, you just fed my family for a whole month.’”

In the summer of 2009, Clemens opened Fuzz Love the boardwalk of Carolina Beach, and has since expanded to two more locations; midtown and downtown Wilmington. 

“It’s a really cool store,” said  UNCW student, Bridget Woodward. “I really just want to buy all of it.”

The store sells items from all over the world.

Elephant pants are one of their bestsellers and a popular trend. The store also sells incense, carved wooden giraffes, elephants and Buddhas, clothing, and tapestries, among other things.

“It kind of became this cool thing of just going to different countries where people are poor and making sure it comes from the person that makes it and that it’s unique stuff and kind of bringing the world back to America sharing it with everybody,” Clemens said.

The store has a laid-back bohemian vibe, but caters to all customers. Samantha Lux, Clemens’ niece and Fuzz Love employee, says she sees all types of people visit the store.

“We see everything from high school, to college students and even have a lot of older customers,” said Lux.

Clemens left  for another one of his trips abroad on Sept 17. This time, he journeys  to Bangkok, Thailand then to Nepal and will be travelling for six weeks. Clemens hopes to get more winter clothes and goods from Nepal to keep the store open throughout the colder months as well. 

“The idea is also that the store changes,” Clemens said, “It changes with the seasons and wherever I’m traveling.”