Shopping in Lincolnwood

Back to Bed is a trusted source for sound sleep, growing from a single store in 2000 to a mattress empire with more than 45 locations across the Chicagoland area. Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, and Simmons Beautyrest mattresses await rigorous testing at each of their show rooms, where sleep-savvy employees can help shoppers determine if they're more suited to a firm or soft mattress or to creamy or chunky peanut butter. Back to Bed also induces relaxation in a nonhorizontal form with a selection of plush massage recliners and Human Touch's Perfect Chair, which cradles bodies in a muscularly neutral position.

Lisa Busch—a jeweler, beader, and crafter—often left her local bead shops unsatisfied by their paltry inventory. When most people would have accepted the status quo and started making jewelry out of upcycled banana peels, Lisa took action, opening 1 Stop Bead Shop as a haven where she and other beaders could find all of the materials they needed under one roof. She started stocking the necessities and more, including tools, books, semiprecious gems, Swarovski crystal, glass, wire, and findings. In less than seven years, her inventory grew fivefold, requiring the shop to lay down roots in a shiny new 3,200-square-foot facility.

In addition to supplying self-sufficient beaders, Lisa shares the art of crafting with newcomers through her roster of classes. A staff of 26 instructors teaches approximately 100 lessons each quarter, ranging from beading and crocheting to wire wrapping and girls’ night out parties.

Play It Again Sports doesn’t just arm players with gear for sports such as lacrosse, snowboarding, football, and golf. It also rewards the owners of the same gear sold in the shop, from hockey sticks and baseball bats to helmets for cyclists and chess champions. Trained personnel curate the shop’s stock of quality equipment, then present the seller with the option to take cash or apply apply a credit toward a purchase at the store. The Wrigleyville location, owned and managed by Charles Kaminsky, boasts a staff of five dedicated employees, all of whom help connect customers with quality sporting goods.

Since 1935, Roberts Cycle has been peddling cycles and enhancing rides with professional repairs and accessories. The friendly staff stocks the shop with accessories and bicycles from renowned brands such as Raleigh, Diamond Back, and KHS for novice and advanced cyclists alike. The expert technicians specialize in every type of cycle, servicing BMX bikes alongside racing and mountain bikes, with fixes including tune-ups and tightening brakes. To help customers learn to maintain their cycles themselves, the knowledgeable staff doles out tips for problems such as flat tires, squealing brakes, and pessimistic, unmotivated chains.

Within the highly stylized interior of Krispyfringe Vintage, an array of vintage handpicked articles of clothing, accessories, and home goods transports guests into covet-reveries beckoned by each item's tactile and aesthetic sumptuousness. The ceiling's centerpiece, a swooping chandelier of naked light bulbs designed by a local artist, illuminates the shop's curated clothing sections. Delicate fabrics and bright colors abound in rescued sundresses and billowy blouses saved by Krispyfringe's owner, who has been stockpiling fashionable threads for some 20 years. Custom-built furniture—also for sale—supports displays of sparkling jewelry as well as a massive collection of saltshakers and peppershakers ready to grace table tops or perform in contemporary renditions of Beauty and the Beast.

Bright bottles of shampoo and conditioner line aisles in neat rows. A kaleidoscope of cards adorned with whimsical words and art waits to be taped atop a present or slipped into a mailbox. Each of CVS's more than 7,200 neighborhood stores brims with such everyday necessities, filling patrons' shopping baskets with products from brands such as Revlon, Meow Mix, and Banana Boat. At many locations, a pharmacy dispenses prescriptions to ease patients’ health complaints, and a photo department personalizes magnets and canvas prints with images of your choosing.