WH Smith North America has collaborated with locally owned clothing brand, ChiBoys, and ACDBE partner, Pastorelle Marketing Group, to create a joint-venture retail concept available at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Created by Chicago native, DeShawn Murry, ChiBoys is now open to travelers in ORD Terminal 3.
ChiBoys plays off the history, architecture and culture of the Windy City. The brand takes pride in representing the vibrant spirit of Chicago through stylish and innovative fashion, and desires to showcase the city’s essence beyond the typical sports apparel. ChiBoys at ORD offers a range of fashion pieces that reflect the soul of Chicago and pays homage to the roots that resonate with many proud Chicagoans. ChiBoys at ORD will also offer travelers a range of the latest high-end tech accessories and headphones from brands like Beats, Bose, Apple, Sony, and more.
The brand operates a brick-and-mortar store in Wicker Park, a retail store and café on the Chicago Riverwalk, as well as the city’s first mobile clothing truck. The ChiBoys clothing truck became a staple for the summer festivals around the city and allowed Murry to bring the brand from neighborhood to neighborhood, building direct connections with locals and customers.
“To say ‘opening a store at O’Hare is an honor’ would be an understatement,” said Murry. “From the fruition of ChiBoys, I dreamt of it being on a platform for the world to see, and with this opportunity travelers from all over the world finally get to see why Chicagoans are so prideful. Our history, architecture, culture and culinary scene are second to none. Our diverse neighborhoods are what makes us a world class city. We’re looking forward to being a new and exciting addition to ORD.”
Toby Keir, CEO of WH Smith North America, said Murry’s vision is “cohesive with our mission” at WH Smith North America. “We pride ourselves on creating unique retail concepts that reflect the essence of each city and airport we step into,” Keir said. “The ChiBoys brand emanates everything wonderful about Chicago and its locals. We are so honored to have worked with DeShawn, our partners at Pastorelle Marketing Group and the Chicago Department of Aviation to bring the ChiBoys brand to travelers from all over the world.”
ChiBoys is the first of many WH Smith North America stores planned to open at ORD. Additional convenience, retail and tech concepts are to be announced this year.
