Amy Lechelt-Basta, holding her dog Vino is closing Ciao Bella, Photo Courtesy of the Tribune
The Chicago Tribune today printed an article by Sandra M. Jones on the closure of many of Chicago's boutiques. This is just one of the many tragedies of the recession, but one that is felt deeply here. Chicago is a town known and loved for its small boutiques and entrepreneurial spirit. Today it's Southport's Ciao Bella's turn to close her doors. Before that, as the article notes, it was many the fate of many boutiques along Armitage in Lincoln Park and even more along the Southport corridor. Whether the reason is no faith in consumers in the upcoming holiday season or if it's simply too much overhead, boutiques are struggling against the large retailers who can discount even further without feeling it. You can read the entire article here.
