̨ɫ Opens New Stores, Including Its Largest Evolve By ̨ɫ, at Chicago Midway
̨ɫ by Avolta Introduces Six Travel Convenience and Specialty Retail Shops to The Windy City
East Rutherford, New Jersey (Nov. 29, 2023) – , part of AG (SIX: AVOL) and a travel experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks, and tourist destinations across North America, today announced it has opened six new retail stores at Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW).
As travelers are looking for more unique shopping experiences while traveling, ̨ɫ is delivering a lineup at MDW that is a mix of acclaimed specialty retail brands, beloved proprietary concepts, and local favorites. This includes a sports selection sure to please all Chicago sports fans, an expanded assortment of merchandise from local vendors and entrepreneurs like Beelove, Bitoy’s Sweet Treats, Brown Sugar Bakery, and Chicago Mahogany, and the largest Evolve by ̨ɫ store in North America. At an expansive 4,400+ square feet, this one-of-a-kind Evolve store helps elevate strategic brand partnerships while giving travelers even more of what they love about shopping at ̨ɫ stores.
This curated assortment of new stores, which joins some of ̨ɫ’s other newer concepts at MDW like ̨ɫ Nonstop powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, is part of Avolta’s strategy to make the journey as exciting as the destination for travelers by bringing together leading brands, digital technology, and an innovative in-store experience.
“We are excited to celebrate our new openings at Chicago Midway International Airport, including our largest Evolve by ̨ɫ store yet,” said Brian Quinn, Avolta’s North America Head of Retail Operations. “Our new stores present a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase the power of our global brand portfolio and how we’re committed to continuously providing the best shopping experiences for our travelers and partners.”
“̨ɫ and its local, minority partners have been true partners in delivering our ambitious vision to transform the traveler experience at Chicago Midway. Evolve by ̨ɫ is the largest concept nationwide, and a cornerstone of Midway Partnership’s $75 million transformation of the airport’s eating and shopping experience,” said Sammy Patel, CEO, Midway Partnership. “The several new retail offerings by ̨ɫ are part of our restless efforts to maximize local Chicago, minority-owned businesses, and we are doing just that with one of the highest participation levels of minority businesses in the United States. ”The new stores are operated in partnership with four Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) partners: Airport Retail Group, LLC; BT II, Inc; Flying Concessions, LLC; and North American Concessions Inc.
“I am proud of Midway’s long track record of investing in diverse local businesses, with one of the highest reported Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) participation rates in the nation,” said Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), which owns and operates both O'Hare and Midway International Airports. “This ribbon-cutting completes our ambitious Midway Modernization Program and underscores Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ongoing commitment to supporting our diverse team of airport concessionaires at both airports, which represent a key pillar of Chicago’s economy.”
Travel Convenience:
̨ɫ – The quintessential one-stop shop for all travel needs, ̨ɫ is North America’s largest travel essentials and convenience brand with a seamless customer experience at its core. Designed and color-coded for ease of navigation, ̨ɫ delivers the lifestyle shopping experience preferred by today’s travelers, offering books, magazines, snacks and beverages, travel and convenience necessities, local souvenirs, electronics, and more.
Southside News – Whether just visiting Chicago or here to stay, this locally-inspired travel convenience store carries items such as books, local souvenirs, travel and convenience necessities, electronics, and more.
Specialty Retail:
Evolve by ̨ɫ – Blending the accessibility of travel convenience with a specialty retail experience, Evolve by ̨ɫ is a one-stop-shop specifically tailored to the local market. At MDW, travelers will be delighted to find shop-in-shops from Briggs & Riley, Brookstone (with Apple, Beats, Bose, and other best audio solutions), Build-A-Bear Workshop, Happy Socks, LAMY, Sunglass Hut, and Rituals Cosmetics (with luxurious home and body cosmetics), as well as local brands like Fannie May and Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Self-checkout and mobile POS are also available for quick checkout.
Jo Malone / M∙A∙C Cosmetics – This combination beauty store brings together Jo Malone, a British fragrance and lifestyle brand, with M∙A∙C Cosmetics, the pioneering makeup authority for all.
The Atrium – The Atrium provides a perfect one-stop-shop destination for the best global and local brands, gift-giving ideas, and even a little personal indulgence. Specialty retail brands featured in MDW include Brookstone (with Apple, Beats, Bose, and other best audio solutions), Caran d’Ache, Happy Socks, Herschel Supply Co., LAMY, Rituals Cosmetics (with luxurious home and body cosmetics), Sugarfina, This Works, Sunglass Hut, and Thule, as well as a unique mix of local souvenirs, apparel, gifts, and chocolates like Fannie May and Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Self-checkout and mobile POS are available for quick checkout.
TUMI – TUMI has been creating world-class business, travel, and performance luxury essentials designed to upgrade, uncomplicate, and beautify all aspects of life on the move. Blending flawless functionality with a spirit of ingenuity, TUMI is committed to empowering journeys as a lifelong partner to movers and makers in pursuit of their passions.
About Midway Partnership
Midway Partnership is a joint venture comprised of some of the top companies in the aviation industry – Vantage Airport Group, SSP America, and ̨ɫ – tasked with transforming the dining and shopping options at Chicago Midway International Airport. Midway Partnership will invest over $75 million to bring nearly 70 dining and retail brands to create 250 construction jobs and over 1,000 permanent new jobs and increase the total concessions area from approximately 40,000 square feet to almost 70,000 square feet. Our work will position Midway to be a leading international airport in the coming years, generate tens of millions of dollars for Chicago residents and the city, and improve the travel experience for 22 million passengers annually. For more information about Midway Partnership, please visit www.midwaypartnership.com.