Chicago Weekend Fun!

We have all watched Oprah Winfrey turn a daytime talk show into a mega billion dollar business over the past 20 years and also launch movies, theater and a flagship magazine. Why wouldn’t Oprah be able to open her own line of retail stores? Oprah’s web site has sold everything from jogging suits to her favorite things online for years now and this is the next big location for the talk show maven to reach you in: your local mall.

I do think Oprah has lost just a little bit of her golden touch in the past year or so by hawking so much stuff to “buy’ yourself a better life. I think these retail stores will do well initially but if they don’t offer really unique things you can’t get anywhere else or things that genuinely do improve people’s lives they will eventually fail as an experiment. The photos I have seen have been a mix of teddy bears, books, music, doggie items, household items and handbags all very female focused. I think if she focused on self improvement more rather than shopping therapy she can win back people like me who are a little annoyed about how the show aims to make people feel insecure and then go buy something.

That said, the store aims to offer some of Oprah’s favorite things from her exquisite style and range of products she loves. There are fan items with the Oprah name on them as well as just items from other makers that she likes and has featured on the show. Oprah Winfrey is more than just a person and a TV personality at this point, she is a brand and people want to buy it. Especially in Chicago.

Anyway the 5,500 sq ft retail store opened February 8th, 2008 and is located at 37 N Carpenter Street in Chicago, IL. You can call the store directly at 312-633-2100 if you have more questions about the merchandise or hours. Does anyone else think her Oprah name logo looks like it says Opal? I always think that when I see it. Anyway, happy shopping!