SeeMore Shopping - NEWS & PRESS

 

Chicago magazine's weekly roundup of retail sales, openings, events and the latest must-haves.
By Rebecca Little

See More, Spend More?  

SeeMore Shopping Chicago Boutique (175 W. Jackson Blvd.; 312-360-1344)—the event organizer, shopping tour operator, and shopping site dedicated to promoting Chicago shopping—has opened a “pop-up” boutique exclusively featuring Chicago-based designers in the atrium lobby of the office building. The mix ranges from clothes and jewelry to specialty food items, with prices ranging from $7 to $550. Find items from designer Cyndi Chan, whose clothing line Ori’en was featured in the Macy’s Fashion show in October; beautiful silver pieces from Juliet Jewelry ($42 to $210 for necklaces); handknit scarves from Elyse C. Bec; and T-shirts and hoodies from Evil Kitty. The temporary store will be open through April; its hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For a full list of designers, visit www.seemoreshopping.com/jacksonstore. 

 

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Susanna Homan, March 13, 2008  

 

SeeMore Shopping Chicago Boutique

175 W. Jackson  
Chicago, IL

 

First, Liz Engquist launched a Web site (seemoreshopping.com), and that grew into shopping tours of local boutiques. Now she's opened a temporary pop-up shop offering clothes, jewelry and housewares made solely byChicagodesigners. Items range from a $7 candle by Luxe Candles to a $550 coat by Vika Brown, with featured brands including clothing by Cyndi Chan and Evil Kitty, and accessories by Juliet Jewelry and Chic Gems.  

"Not everybody can shop in the neighborhoods, and that's where you find a lot of local designers," Engquist says. "I wanted to create something with a lot more visibility where people work." With its location one block north of Union Station, Engquist hopes to capitalize on the audience of people who work in the city and live in the suburbs.  

Customers aren't limited to the selection in the store; they can request items in different colors, sizes or styles at the same price.  

"In a lot of cases someone may need something a little different, and I just pick up the phone and we call the designer and say 'can you make this?' You can get exactly what you want but it doesn't cost any extra and the turnaround is very fast."  

The store will be open through April 30, and may turn into a permanent location. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; (312) 360-1344.  

 

 

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Use SeeMoreShopping.com to find stores by category of merchandise, shopping mall, retailer, brand name, or city/neighborhood. Street-by-street analysis is available under What You'll Find Here.  

 

The Tribune's "Answer Angel" Ellen Warren's blog covers all things shopping, from puzzling questions about buying fresh flowers to finding a personal shopper. (featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/shopping_ellen_warren)  

 

Melissa Maynard launched Factio-Magazine.com in 2002 as a way to showcase Chicago boutique openings, local and national designers, and videos of designers. Subscribers to the free e-mail list receive VIP invites to parties.  

 

DailyCandy.com/chicago gives addicts a daily shopping fix in a sassy chick-lit style, with updates every day on what's hot, new, and undiscovered, from fashion and style to gadgets, travel, beauty, dining, and more. Subscribe for free daily e-mails.  

 

Recent launch CheapUncle.com (based in Hoffman Estates) compares prices on the same item at different online stores, as many meta-search tools do, but it also searches for and includes discounts from e-coupons.  

 

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