Retail Rundown of Chicago’s Newest Stores

A slew of new stores have opened during October and November – just in time for holiday shopping! Several retailers are establishing their first locations in the city, and as a Chicago-based firm, we’re excited to see this expansion. Contact us to learn more about our Study Tour services.

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Google Store – Oakbrook

Google opened its First Midwest location and fifth retail store in Oakbrook Center. The store, staffed by a well-trained team, showcases both individual devices and accessories, as well as the Google ecosystem. A section highlighting integration demonstrates connections between the phone, watch, and the various peripherals to manage your home and media, such as the security cameras, thermostat, and doorbell. The store is a platform for introducing consumers to other Google services like the FI Wireless, Google’s telecommunication services that uses the T-Mobile network to provide phone calls, SMS, and mobile broadband.

Barnes & Noble – Wicker Park

Barnes & Noble is on track to open 60 new stores in 2024, with the latest addition located in Wicker Park. This new bookstore is in the historic 1919 Noel State Bank building, formerly home to Walgreens. Initial reviews of the store are mixed. The building’s architecture provides a beautiful setting for the bookstore; however, many are disappointed by the absence of the iconic basement vault, the lack of a café, and limited seating. Barnes & Noble has also recently opened a new location in Lincoln Park.

Baggu – Wicker Park

There was a lot of anticipation around Baggu’s opening in Chicago. This marked the brand’s fifth brick-and-mortar location. For opening day, Baggu partnered with local establishments, such as Stan’s Donuts and Metric coffee, and designed exclusive Chicago merchandise, resulting in a line wrapped around multiple blocks. Baggu went viral in 2023, especially with Gen Z, for its sustainable, simple, lightweight, limited-edition totes and bags.

Alice & Wonder – River North

Alice & Wonder, a local boutique known for its Chicago-branded collections, opened its fourth location on State Street. The store is filled with unique Chicago merchandise, such as sweaters, mugs, hats, and socks, and on-trend products for Gen Z and Millennials, typically priced under $100. Like their, River North location, this store has a popular “hat patch bar”, where shoppers can personalize hats with uniquely designed patches.

H&M – Magnificent Mile

H&M relocated from its former 60,000 sq. ft. location to a three-story, 26,000  sq. ft. space, previously the old Apple store, further south on Michigan Ave.

The Fresh Market – Lincoln Park

The Fresh Market opened in Lincoln Park at the end of October, taking over the space formerly occupied by Dom’s Kitchen + Market. The 17,000 sq. ft. store has repurposed many fixtures from Dom’s, creating a familiar design for local shoppers. The Fresh Market features its iconic candy jar bar, private label selection, bulk nuts and coffee, food service options, a full-service coffee bar, and more.

Loewe – Gold Coast

For its first Chicago location, the luxury brand opened a “Casa Loewe” concept – a unique flagship store that blends art, design and fashion and resembles an art collector’s home.

Boll & Branch – Oakbrook

DTC luxury bedding company Boll & Branch opened a 778 sq. ft. store in Oakbrook mall. Unlike the other 7 locations across the US, this store is a smaller “glass cube” format that has floor to ceiling windows, designed for the product to be highly visible.

Toys R Us – Harlem Irving Plaza

Toys R Us returns to standalone stores, starting with a location in the Chicago suburbs. McMillanDoolittle Director Amanda Lai was recently featured in a CoStar article. “Toys R Us has been dipping its toes back into brick-and-mortar retail through shop-in-shop partnerships with Macy’s since 2022, including a large branded shop in the iconic Macy’s flagship in Chicago’s Marshall Field’s building. Following this test-and-learn phase, it appears they are gearing up for a more concerted effort to revive their own standalone retail stores, which would allow the company greater oversight over operations, merchandising, and staff training than in the Macy’s branded shops.” You can read the full CoStar article linked here.

Amazon Grocery – River North

Our recent blog provides a deep dive into the first-of-its-kind store.

On – Gold Coast

A rundown of the first On location in Chicago can be found here.

Chicago Stores – Opening Soon

Check back for additional coverage on stores that are slated to open within the next few months.

• Sweaty Betty, British retailer specializing in women’s activewear, is opening on Southport on Friday, November 15
• Kith, a streetwear brand, recently announced its first Chicago store that will be located in the Gold Coast neighborhood
• Milk Bar, an innovative dessert shop, is opening in Fulton Market by the end of the year