{"id":4458,"date":"2025-04-16T11:09:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T15:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/?p=4458"},"modified":"2025-10-15T10:42:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T14:42:06","slug":"the-birth-and-boom-of-retail-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-birth-and-boom-of-retail-in-chicago-4458","title":{"rendered":"The Birth and Boom of Retail in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Retail trade began to flourish in Chicago starting in 1837, following the city&#8217;s official incorporation. Historical records do not specify who the first merchant was, but it is known that stores were located along Lake Street. We will discuss trade in Chicago in more detail on <a href=\"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\">chicago1.one<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3159fd20e18\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3159fd20e18\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-birth-and-boom-of-retail-in-chicago-4458\/#Major_Trading_Locations_in_Chicago\" >Major Trading Locations in Chicago<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-birth-and-boom-of-retail-in-chicago-4458\/#Innovators_Who_Shaped_the_Citys_Commerce\" >Innovators Who Shaped the City\u2019s Commerce<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-birth-and-boom-of-retail-in-chicago-4458\/#Employees_Working_Conditions_and_Department_Stores\" >Employees, Working Conditions, and Department Stores<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-birth-and-boom-of-retail-in-chicago-4458\/#Retail_in_the_Post-War_Era\" >Retail in the Post-War Era<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Major_Trading_Locations_in_Chicago\"><\/span>Major Trading Locations in Chicago<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.chicago1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/04\/ad_4nxdyxs9fdmzfalxb6pttglko3ta-8q9lv1sqktatvj_a27ir2ayny9uyon3ncxwfy96vw2gh6duifblrqgax-jnriifv26inravjuwg2lqv-h8pfgd27bfy-slbqahmod7wj6qskeyntybvjtd5omg72to0aeweoxw.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important to note that Lake Street is one of Chicago\u2019s earliest thoroughfares. Travel along it was always difficult due to the <strong>heavy traffic of horses and vehicles<\/strong>. By the 1850s, the intersection of Lake Street and Clark Street became the core of the retail trade. Here, citizens and travelers could find a wide array of goods\u2014from nails to furniture. Reflecting broader trends, some shops began specializing in certain goods, such as haberdashery, selling only women&#8217;s hats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The South Water Street Market, located on the Chicago River, became the <strong>epicenter for food sales<\/strong>. Supplies arrived from ships coming from all corners of Lake Michigan. Numerous wagons and horses delivered materials and goods from the ships to the sellers. As Chicago&#8217;s population increased, retail trade became increasingly complex, although it remained recognizable even into the 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the early 1870s, the South Water Street Market had become practically inaccessible for transporting goods through the city. Local community members, especially those involved in real estate, appealed to the city authorities to solve this problem. However, the issue was postponed until the 1920s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Innovators_Who_Shaped_the_Citys_Commerce\"><\/span>Innovators Who Shaped the City\u2019s Commerce<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A significant event that changed the geography of retail in Chicago was the relocation of the <strong>Field, Leiter &amp; Co. store<\/strong> from Lake Street to the more fashionable and business-friendly district stretching along State Street. <strong>Potter Palmer<\/strong>, a Chicago entrepreneur, contributed to the development of retail here by building an extravagant hotel on the corner of State and Monroe Streets and persuading the City Council to widen the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The importance of <strong>Marshall Field<\/strong> to retail merchandising cannot be overstated. Alongside dry goods warehousing at the Field, Leiter &amp; Co. store, located at the corner of State and Washington Streets, Field consistently maintained a stock of high-quality and cosmopolitan goods, such as handbags imported from Paris. His store employed about 1,000 people. Field skillfully maintained a loyal clientele through various innovative measures, such as a <strong>money-back guarantee<\/strong> and reliable delivery service. This customer-friendly policy was complemented by an impressive array of additional services, such as children&#8217;s rooms, writing desks, and restrooms provided in the stores. Marshall Field also kept a close eye on wholesale trade, commissioning architect Henry Richardson in 1885 to design a modern wholesale distribution center on Adams and Wells Streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Employees_Working_Conditions_and_Department_Stores\"><\/span>Employees, Working Conditions, and Department Stores<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.chicago1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/04\/ad_4nxf3bqoluztaqh0n6yno_fhzhltqbsllpnlvnoqvtt-mgufwylgwn9v_cd-zjjd39cr6nfkecfwicjoz1vspzvyj2uq8xhcy2brbgyjijsudnotil-b7nr9gyanqmjl2mhucnof2qqkeyntybvjtd5omg72to0aeweoxw.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout Chicago&#8217;s history, the diversity of retail establishments required a large workforce. The first salespeople were men, as it was thought they were uniquely better at serving customers. However, women soon began to appear in retail as well. Salespeople at the time faced poor working conditions and <strong>meager wages<\/strong> until 1938, when the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed. They had to work from early morning until late at night without days off. Their main duties included not only sales but also maintaining order on the shelves, paying attention to every client, providing consultations, and much more. Despite the low wages and poor working conditions, working-class women strongly aspired to enter retail. The job of a salesperson was very popular at the time and provided them with social recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the beginning of the 19th century, most retailers were centralized on State Street and the Loop district. Large department stores featured spacious sales floors that utilized wide windows with metal frames, allowing them to showcase a range of merchandise. Famous department stores included <strong>Mandel Brothers, Carson Pirie Scott, and Siegel, Cooper &amp; Co.<\/strong> Simultaneously with these grand buildings on State Street, suburban retail centers began to emerge. These businesses typically located near transportation hubs, especially at the intersection of elevated train lines and major street railway transfer stations, where sales were quite successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two major examples of this trend toward retail clustering were 63rd and Halsted Streets in Englewood, and Lawrence and Broadway Streets in Uptown. As accessible transit fueled residential expansion in these popular areas, retail developed concurrently. Significantly, many of these community and regional retail centers reached their peak development between the 1920s and the early 1950s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the years leading up to World War II, a new type of retail geography began to form in Chicago\u2019s suburban areas. Older inner suburbs, previously closely linked to the city and the interurban bus network, also formed clusters of commercial establishments at transit intersection points. Oak Park clearly followed this pattern: large retail chains, including Marshall Field&#8217;s, concentrated at the intersection of Lake Street and Harlem Avenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The country&#8217;s earliest shopping complex was the <strong>Lake Forest Market Square<\/strong> in Lake Forest. It was designed by Howard Shaw and built in 1916. It combined retail, office space, apartments, and a large parking lot. The second shopping complex was Spanish Court in Wilmette. All these establishments offered their customers the best goods manufactured in Chicago and imported from other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Retail_in_the_Post-War_Era\"><\/span>Retail in the Post-War Era<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.chicago1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/04\/ad_4nxebxmm_t4u6jcve7z_mn2mk2bbapuajymtzzddmtcacjtzohngpwkbuhzawewydhcxplzbp7msgkuxqrtlpsriifu3v0hlqjibgy7djqj9gpp5nac856aldendbznq8mgepeayppgkeyntybvjtd5omg72to0aeweoxw.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After <strong>World War II<\/strong>, shopping centers became more popular, although there were few of them in the city for several decades. The most famous was Evergreen Plaza, located outside the city limits and owned by real estate mogul Arthur Rubloff. When construction was completed in 1952, Evergreen Plaza featured about 500,000 square feet of retail space and 1,200 parking spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth noting that all shopping complexes were built to meet the needs of the <strong>growing suburban population<\/strong> moving to the metropolitan region\u2019s outskirts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1960s and 1970s, many neighborhood retailers faced massive demographic changes and endured difficult times. Former high-traffic retail areas suffered from arson and robbery. Chicago city authorities tried to regulate falling profitability in these regions by directing car traffic away from the main shopping zone. Furthermore, despite retail workers being covered by federal minimum wage and maximum hours legislation, employers increasingly relied on <strong>seasonal, part-time workers<\/strong> to lower labor costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1980s and 1990s, the city&#8217;s commercial districts continued to evolve. During this period, large shopping centers continued to be built in the suburbs, including Old Orchard Mall in Skokie and Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, attracting residents from both the city and the suburbs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Retail trade began to flourish in Chicago starting in 1837, following the city&#8217;s official incorporation. Historical records do not specify who the first merchant was, but it is known that stores were located along Lake Street. We will discuss trade in Chicago in more detail on chicago1.one. Major Trading Locations in Chicago It is important [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":456,"featured_media":3125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1168],"tags":[3628,3624,1661,3626,3618,3627,3625,3622,3615,3623,3617,3616,3620,3621,3619],"moimportance":[81],"motype":[1158],"moformat":[93],"class_list":{"0":"post-4458","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jobs","8":"tag-arthur-rubloff","9":"tag-chicago-commodity-trade","10":"tag-chicago-retail-history","11":"tag-chicago-suburban-retail","12":"tag-evergreen-plaza","13":"tag-fair-labor-standards-act","14":"tag-field-leiter-co","15":"tag-lake-forest-market-square","16":"tag-loop-department-stores","17":"tag-marshall-fields-legacy","18":"tag-post-wwii-shopping-centers","19":"tag-potter-palmer-chicago","20":"tag-retail-worker-conditions","21":"tag-south-water-street-market","22":"tag-state-street-shopping","23":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","24":"motype-eternal","25":"moformat-longrid-korotka"},"modified_by":"Yevheniia Shevchenko","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/456"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4458"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4459,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4458\/revisions\/4459"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4458"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=4458"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=4458"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chicago1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=4458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}