Boutiques goal male customers with unfastened beer, present wrapping

Lisa Komorowski, co-owner of Loulou Belle in downtown Homewood, likes to shop for pricey present wrap for her programs. Her husband, she mentioned, has a tendency to burn thru it.

“My husband is a horrible gift-wrapper,” Komorowski mentioned. “He makes use of the entire roll, and it simply infuriates me. So I used to be like, if I’ve a husband like that, there must be 1,000,000 different girls in the market.”

Out of that vacation aggravation was once born Loulou Belle’s annual Dudes’ Buying groceries Day, which returned final week, for a 6th time. The date was once strategically picked this 12 months to coincide with the Chicago Bears bye week.

“We realized our lesson the primary time,” Komorowski mentioned.

All through Dudes’ Buying groceries Day, was once envisioned as a “pain-free” buying groceries enjoy wherein shoppers even have been presented a brew on the retailer, 2049 Ridge Highway. Komorowski for my part treated the present wrapping incorporated with their purchases, whilst co-owner Dodi Wians helped guys to find the easiest items.

On customary days, Loulou Belle draws a “handful” of guys in comparison to the ladies who common the shop, Komorowski mentioned. The development certainly brings extra males into the shop every 12 months, she mentioned.

The shop’s choices come with new and antique house décor, furnishings and pieces created by way of house artisans. Jewellery is a not unusual acquire this 12 months for guys purchasing items at Loulou Belle, Komorowski mentioned, together with mugs, desk bound and clothes.

Simply down Ridge Highway, The Villager Present Store proprietor Valerie Warnsby is making ready for any other buying groceries custom enthusiastic about males that is going again more or less seven years, when the shop was once positioned in Flossmoor. Beer, Whiskey and Nuts for last-minute customers is scheduled for normal industry hours Dec. 22-24, with Warnsby providing small samples of the aforementioned refreshments to customers.

The theory got here up in dialog with some longtime male shoppers.

“We might have the husbands are available and say, ‘You at all times have Girls Evening Out with the wine. What concerning the Guys Evening Out? We adore having an evening out, too,’” Warnsby mentioned.

She requested what they concept it would entail. They pitched the ones 3 key parts, and Warnsby mentioned she would give it a check out proper ahead of Christmas for wired, last-minute customers. It has since transform an annual match, with an ordinary team of shoppers who frequently ask about it prematurely.

“It’s an actual leisurely kind of factor whilst they’re buying groceries,” Warnsby mentioned. “It takes the threshold off.”

Normally, Warnsby mentioned the vacation season has been going smartly for The Villager, 2007 Ridge Highway in downtown Homewood.

“I believe persons are actually excited about buying groceries native,” Warnsby mentioned. “Some folks actually like the speculation of having again in the market and to the buying groceries in storefronts. Some folks want to steer clear of large traces on the shops. And I believe on this group specifically and surrounding neighborhoods, they need to save their downtowns or primary streets.”

The Villager will get a great deal of male shoppers often, who’re frequently purchasing for the ladies of their lives, Warnsby mentioned. She additionally carries some soaps for males for individuals who are available to shop for for themselves.

This 12 months, guys purchasing for his or her moms or in-laws are gravitating towards wraps, gowns and the like, in addition to go back and forth pieces. When present recipients are downsizing, Warnsby mentioned, gourmand merchandise, candles and diffusers are not unusual purchases. Spouses are receiving numerous jewellery in addition to tub and frame merchandise, she mentioned.

Warnsby mentioned some males come into her retailer ready with footage of items or considerate concepts, however she additionally likes to lend a hand guys discover a just right present once they do not know what they would like however know their partner loves The Villager. There may be one not unusual house the place males would possibly need to tread flippantly.

“Some guys say, ‘She at all times wears this, however I wish to see her on this,’ and I’m going, ‘Neatly, , she may no longer need to be that adventurous,’” Warnsby mentioned, however famous it is going each tactics. “Ladies do it to males at all times. We are saying, ‘Good day, I need to see you on this tie or this jacket or this blouse.’”

Nicole Cummens, proprietor of Pomp & Elegant Boutique in Orland Park Crossing, sees some males coming on this 12 months with specific concepts in thoughts with regards to apparel the shop sells.

“Like, ‘I need my spouse to have one thing no longer yoga pants,’” Cummens mentioned. “A large number of the options that they’re that specialize in in need of to blow their own horns are issues that most likely most ladies could be insecure about. However they’re like, ‘My spouse has nice legs; I need one thing shorter.’”

Nonetheless, Cummens provides kudos to the truth that she sees numerous males operating laborious to shop for just right, considerate items for the ladies of their lives.

“I think like males are striking much more effort into discovering the correct present,” Cummens mentioned.

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This 12 months, the ones vary from baggage and great handbags to footwear. Every so often, males are striking in combination a whole package deal of apparel, cosmetics and a pleasing evening out throughout more than one companies. That hasn’t at all times been the case, in Cummens’ enjoy.

“Maximum males store very last-minute,” she mentioned. “We felt like in the event that they don’t have a plan in thoughts, the entirety is going haywire. They’re purchasing their other halves small kitchen home equipment which can be certainly going to disappoint them on Christmas morning.”

So, Pomp & Elegant, which opened the bodily house final November, is introducing a Vacation Heroes: Ultimate Minute Males Buying groceries Match that includes “beer, dude meals and present wrapping” that can run from 10 a.m. to eight p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, in retailer, 9500 W. 143rd St., Suite 208, in Orland Park.

Till then, ladies can upload pieces to their want checklist during the retailer’s web page, pompandchic.com. When males come to the shop, they may be able to store with none guesswork. Types, sizes and extra will likely be within the gadget, and the shop can to find what suits the funds for the 12 months. The boys can experience a drink and meals akin to Buffalo rooster wraps whilst they store, after which go away with a package deal this is wrapped and in a position to move below the tree.

Cummens mentioned the shop has earned a “super-loyal following” because it opened and has been busy this vacation season. Pomp & Elegant’s apparel and different merchandise focal point on ladies, so the occasions normally do, too. However males frequently to find themselves within the distinctive retailer if they’re purchasing items or despatched in to get one thing, Cummens mentioned.

“We’ll at all times have random males who stroll in, and so they at all times glance so terrified,” she added with amusing. “We’re no longer the standard, run-of-the-mill Midwest dull boutique. … We’re at all times seeking to push limits.”

Invoice Jones is a contract reporter for the Day-to-day Southtown.