Last month, McMillanDoolittle partnered with Shoptalk to lead a premium/luxury–focused Shopwalk as part of the Shoptalk Fall conference in Chicago. Shopwalks are curated tours designed to bring retail executives closer to the cutting edge of store innovation. Our group, which included leaders from a diverse…
The second annual ShopTalk Fall conference took place last week here in Chicago, and for the second year running McMillanDoolittle was proud to partner with ShopTalk to host Shopwalk retail study tours. Back by popular demand, Shopwalks expanded from two tours last year to six…
Americans and visitors to the U.S.A. love a road trip. This summer, 84% of Americans plan to take a road trip with “micro-trips”, shorter 4-5 day trips, growing in popularity. Buc-ee’s, featured in our 2025 Retail Innovations, targets these road-trippers. Part of the fun of…
Department stores have long been iconic players in global retail—but their relevance and resilience vary greatly by region. In the United States, these stores continue to face declining foot traffic and fierce digital disruption. In Mexico, as we witnessed on our recent visit, department stores…
Within just three weeks, Vancouver-founded women’s apparel brand Aritzia has opened three new flagships: SoHo (NYC) on November 26, Michigan Avenue (Chicago) on November 30, and Fifth Avenue (NYC) on December 16. These flagship locations serve as ultimate brand destinations. Aritzia’s US Geographic Expansion Strategy…
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…
Technical outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx opened a new location in Chicago’s Southport Corridor this month, marking the retailer’s 4th Chicagoland area store. Our McMillanDoolittle team attended Arc’teryx’s engaging and community-centric Grand Opening event. If you’re a retailer looking to design a memorable and customer-centric experience, contact…
McMillanDoolittle recently visited Aldi’s first-of-its-kind automated checkout store in the Chicago suburb of Aurora, IL. Located about 8 miles away from company’s U.S. headquarters in Batavia, IL, the store is adorned with signage inside and outside promoting the trial of its new automated checkout technology,…
McMillanDoolitle just released the 19th edition of Retail Innovations, an annual examination of the year’s most compelling themes driving retail forward in new concepts around the world. For our first #ThemeThursday, we are featuring Babylist’s Los Angeles retail showroom – representing a complete modernization of…
Wegmans opened its first Manhattan store to much fanfare from the island’s residents late this fall. The 87,500 square foot store, located at Astor Place in the former Kmart space, offers robust grab-and-go options alongside a traditional grocery assortment. The store will soon feature a…
