200 Best Places to Shop in Chicago, Illinois

This indie bookstore offers one of the city's most diverse selections of reading material. You’ll find everything from fancy coffee-table art books and flashy comics to hand-drawn zines created by obscure local artists.

Looking for some new or used tunes? Rattleback Records has a wide selection of vinyl, CDs, and even cassettes, plus a variety of band and album posters, prints, movies, books, and works by local artists.

A good selection of books, toys, and games plus darling toddler duds and Chicago-centric onesies are on offer at this long-running favorite for children's gifts.

Robin Richman showcases interesting sculptural housewares and oversize vintage necklaces alongside pieces from lesser-known European labels and local clothes designers. Even if the rather lofty price point limits you to window shopping, the eclectic displays never disappoint.

A toy store for grown-up kids, Rotofugi specializes in artist-created, limited-edition playthings. You'll find dozens of lines from the United States, China, and Japan, like Pop Mart blind boxes and fanciful figures by artists like Kohei Ogawa and B. Wing. The store also hosts revolving gallery exhibitions.

A wood-paneled 1930s pharmacy is the setting for this charming gift shop, which stocks eclectic wares for everyone on your list, plus a tempting selection of bath and beauty products.

This Wicker Park spa/boutique sells a mix of bath, body, and beauty products. The spa services are an interesting mix, too, with everything from intuitive astrology to brow waxing and facials. Too relaxed to leave? You don't have to—the Ruby Room doubles as a boutique hotel.

An enormous warehouse chock-full of leaded glass, garden ornaments, fireplace mantels, bathtubs, bars, and other architectural artifacts draws creative home remodelers and restaurant designers from around the country.

Vintage wedding gowns and tuxedos are a specialty here, but you can also find less-formal vintage clothing and even Vivienne Westwood accessories.

Tops, jewelry, art prints, and books that celebrate Chicago-based Black makers and culture (sample t-shirt: "Harold's Chicken, Winter, & Sunsets") are at the heart of this shop, which also aims to facilitate community for local residents through events like a popular annual block party.  

The quirky name here references a local plant that emerges early each year, melting the snow around it and helping ready the ground for spring. It's a metaphor for the shop's project of creating a community ecosystem by hosting events like poetry and gardening workshops, and stocking ceramics and candles from local makers. Oh yeah, there are books too; the indie fiction offerings shine, and the nonfiction section's ready to sate curiosity on subjects from climate change to cooking. 

This is a truly curated local shopping and dining experience, created by guys-in-the-know Jim Wetzel and Lance Lawson. The clothing selection (focused on new and emerging brands) is the big draw but there are also wonderful home items, apothecary goods, inspired coffee table books, and all kinds of gift items. While you're here, you can grab a bite at The Lunchroom, the 40-seat breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch restaurant. The Lunchbox features take-away sandwiches, baked goods, and quiches, along with a coffee bar, cold drinks, and curated wine bottles.

Sprout’s original location deals in all things green: think terrariums, planters, and bud vases for your indoor life, plus unusual plants and gardening products for your outdoor one. A newer annex directly across the street is geared more toward beautifying your tabletop with boho handmade ceramics, linen textiles, and handsome culinary journals.

Friendly owner Lesley Timpe stocks her Humboldt Park boutique with fun accessories and vibrantly printed dresses and cropped tees in easy-wearing fabrics that manage to tick the boxes for both style and comfort. Some of the goods come from her own line, which shares the shop’s name.

This space showcases stunning 20th-century European and American photography, particularly avant-garde photojournalism.

Board of Trade types who like special attention and the perfect fit come to this legendary clothier for brands like Giorgio Armani and Ermenegildo Zegna. Home and office consultations are available.

Order a customized T-shirt with iron-on letters or throwback '70s decals. Your creation will be served to you on the spot, wrapped in paper like a sandwich, and packed with a bag of chips for good measure.

The colorful, contemporary, mix-and-match dishes and tabletop accessories at Tabula Tua are worlds away from standard formal china. Other offerings include gorgeous mosaic tables handmade to order, rustic furniture crafted from old barn wood, and sleek, polished pewter pieces.

If you're in need of a new necktie, the Tie Bar’s flagship store is the place for you. It stocks everything from funky bow ties to more traditional styles, with pocket squares to match—all bargain-priced, considering the quality. Helpful staff are at the ready with styling suggestions for novice dandies.

This old-timey toy shop has served multiple generations of kids and parents since opening in 1993. Lose yourself in a magical mix of classic wooden toys alongside fanciful dress-up costumes, plush puppets, cuddly stuffed animals, board games, puzzles, and books.

This minimalist shop carries a small selection of vintage clothing along with other one-of-a-kind wearables, objects, and accessories selected by forward-thinking owner Mary Eleanor Wallace. Wallace also invites local artists to show their work there.

This Wicker Park favorite is bursting at the seams with affordable styles for guys and girls. The accessories here, often even more fun than the clothing, may include vintage bow ties, Pendleton blankets, backpacks, and incredibly colorful jewelry. A room packed with vintage clothes hides down a creaky flight of stairs.

This is the place for camping, skiing, and general outdoorsy gear by brands like Marmot and North Face. There's a good kids' selection here as well.

For over 40 years this small but well-stocked boutique has furnished locals with pretty but functional bras, panties, and pajamas as well as sexy lingerie. Nowadays, owner Maria Ashby reports outfitting the offspring of her original customers---a testament to her personable service.

This store's superb collection of furniture, lighting, and decorative accessories from the 1940s to the '70s emphasizes industrial and mid-century modern designs at fair prices.

The perfect place to find a gift for the person that has everything, Virtu's focus is fine jewelry but the stationery and kitchenware selection is also on point. There's usually a mix of cute Chicago-centric items like totes and mugs in store, too.

Local chocolatier Katrina Markoff's exotic truffles, flavored with spices like curry and ancho chili, have fans across the globe. Her ever-expanding line of indulgences now includes caramels, ice cream, and chocolate tortilla chips, with new collections arriving seasonally. You can also satisfy your sweet tooth at Vosges Haut-Chocolat in the Shops at North Bridge (520 N. Michigan Avenue) or make a quick airport pit stop at one of the outposts in O'Hare.

Long considered the pinnacle of Chicago shopping, this multistory mall is so much more than a gathering of great retailers; it's also home to Broadway Playhouse (where you can see Broadway-quality touring shows), The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Chicago (known for amazing tea service), and a few restaurant and snack options. Regardless of these extras, you're going to want to shop. If you have kids, the LEGO Store is a must, as is the flagship American Girl Place store (it has a café and theater all its own). Fashion seekers can go to the usual faves: Aeropostale, Express, Forever 21, and Hollister California. 

Outfit your aspiring sleuth with the necessary spy paraphernalia and secret agent supplies—such as mirror glasses, fake mustaches, and voice amplifiers—as well as stationery, books, and puzzles at this shop run by writer Dave Eggers's nonprofit group 826CHI. Proceeds help fund the group's after-school tutoring and writing programs for kids.