Remember when shopping on Southport meant discovering independent boutiques you couldn’t find on every other shopping street? Before the latest wave of big-name retailers, smaller businesses created a distinctly personal experience.
Perchance
Perchance is one of the names that longtime shoppers still remember from the neighborhood’s earlier retail era. Its former storefront is documented in the blog’s 2013 archive.
M2 Boutique
M2 sold gifts, accessories and distinctive finds with a personality all its own. After announcing it had lost its lease, the independent boutique closed in October 2021.
Cerato
Cerato, formerly at 3451 N. Southport, was known for an independently curated selection that included Chicago designers. It represented the shopping experience many longtime residents associate with an earlier Southport.
She One
She One was another familiar name in the corridor’s independent boutique mix. We’re still identifying a suitable original photo for this shop; if you have one from its Southport days, we’d love to see it.
Mint Julep
Mint Julep at 3432 N. Southport was another small independent store that brought personality to the street. Its closing in 2017 was part of a broader reshuffling of local retail.
Uncle Dan’s and other neighborhood originals
Uncle Dan’s Great Outdoors, later Gearhead, brought a specialty outdoor-shopping experience to Southport before the location closed in 2021. Readers may also remember names such as Two Penny Blue, The Red Balloon Company, Princess Club and Click Shoes and More from old photo walks and shopping trips.
When the economics changed
As national retailers increasingly viewed Southport as a prime location, larger storefronts and higher commercial costs changed the equation for small shopkeepers. New investment brought exciting choices, but it also altered the mix of independent businesses and familiar faces.
Independent shops still matter here. The challenge for the future is making space for both established national brands and the local entrepreneurs who help a neighborhood feel unlike anywhere else.
Which former Southport shop do you miss most? What small business deserves its own tribute? Tell us in the comments.
Explore the full anniversary series: Part 1: 15 Years of Southport Corridor Chicago: How Our Neighborhood Changed Since 2011 | Part 2: The Southport Bars We Wish We Could Bring Back | Part 3: Before the Big Brands: Independent Southport Shops We Still Miss | Part 4: Southport Then and Now: What We Gained, What We Lost, and What Comes Next