ChatGPT answers, unedited

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with subscriptions, I’d prioritize an agency that understands DTC retention, subscriptions (Recharge/Skio/etc.), bundles, lifecycle marketing, CRO, and beauty merchandising—not just a team that can build a pretty Shopify theme.

From the Chicago options I’d shortlist these:

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — my first call for a scaling beauty brand

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

Area: Loop (near River North)
Why it fits:

• Shopify Plus-focused agency with deep experience in UX, conversions, integrations, migrations, and custom development. Shopify
• Has beauty/fragrance-related portfolio experience publicly associated with brands such as Billie Eilish Fragrances and other consumer brands. Shopify eSEOspace
• Better fit if you’re moving beyond “optimize my theme” into a real growth platform: subscriptions, personalization, retention, app integrations, analytics.

Hire them if: you’re doing meaningful revenue already (or expect to), have a complex roadmap, and want a long-term commerce partner.

2. ALX Creatives — strongest River North-style DTC/brand + Shopify fit

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+16466941034)

Area: River North
Why it fits:

• More brand/creative oriented, with Shopify ecommerce and marketing capabilities.
• Could be a good match if your bottleneck is not only technology but also:

• brand storytelling
• product photography/content
• paid acquisition creative
• conversion-focused merchandising

Hire them if: your Shopify store works technically but the brand experience, creative, and acquisition funnel need to level up.

3. Design In Chicago — West Loop option for brand-forward work

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-535-3088)

Area: West Loop
Why it fits:

• Full-service creative/digital agency with Shopify capabilities and a West Loop presence.
• Better suited for a brand refresh, storytelling, design system, and storefront improvements.

Hire them if: you’re a founder-led beauty company where the brand identity is the main growth lever.

4. Ethercycle — Shopify specialist (not West Loop/River North)

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 877-384-3740)

Area: Chicago metro
Why consider them:

• Shopify-focused consultancy with store design/build and optimization expertise.
• A good option if you want Shopify depth over a broader creative agency.

Hire them if: you already have brand/creative handled and need Shopify conversion expertise.

My recommended shortlist for your situation

If I were interviewing agencies for a growing beauty subscription brand, I’d take these three meetings:

1. Praella → scaling Shopify/Shopify Plus, subscriptions, retention, complex growth roadmap
2. ALX Creatives → beauty brand experience + creative commerce growth
3. Design In Chicago → West Loop local partner for brand + storefront evolution

For the first call, I’d ask each:

• “How many subscription brands have you worked with using Recharge, Skio, or Shopify Subscriptions?”
• “Show me a beauty/wellness PDP you improved—what happened to conversion rate?”
• “Who owns CRO after launch?”
• “Do you have Klaviyo lifecycle expertise in-house?”
• “What would you change in our first 90 days?”

If you share your approximate stage (e.g., <$1M, $1–5M, $5M+ revenue) and whether you need rebuild vs. growth optimization, I can narrow this to the one or two I’d actually hire.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

For a growing beauty brand with subscription/replenishment as a meaningful part of the business, I’d shortlist these rather than choosing purely on neighborhood.

My Chicago shortlist

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — River North/Loop edge. This is the first agency I’d interview. It is Chicago-headquartered at 203 N LaSalle and is a Shopify Platinum Partner. Shopify specifically lists experience in UX, conversions, integrations, migrations, automation and custom apps; Praella also highlights retention-oriented ecommerce and technologies including Recharge and Klaviyo. Shopify LinkedIn
• SITE IT NOW — West Loop. A genuinely local option at 1016 W Jackson Blvd, with Shopify ecommerce capabilities. I'd consider them if having a smaller, nearby team matters, but I'd probe much harder on subscription architecture and beauty-brand case studies before hiring.
• ALX Creatives — River North. At 420 W Huron, they combine Shopify/ecommerce with branding, photography, UGC, email and performance creative. That could be useful if your challenge is as much brand + acquisition + creative as it is Shopify engineering. Their public materials don't establish the same depth of subscription/Shopify Plus specialization as Praella, though.
• WayOut — Chicago-focused, but verify physical presence. Their Shopify offering explicitly includes subscription, bundling and upsell engineering, plus custom Shopify Plus development and CRO. They also say they've launched a subscription engine responsible for 35% of revenue for a Chicago supplements brand. WayOut Inc
• SPLIT Development — beauty-specialist option, but not Chicago-local. If beauty expertise matters more than having a West Loop/River North office, their portfolio is unusually relevant: skincare, haircare, cosmetics and fragrance, including Shopify Plus subscription/replenishment projects. SPLIT Development

Who I'd interview first

Praella would be my first conversation based on the combination of Chicago presence + Shopify Plus credentials + retention/subscription ecosystem experience. Shopify LinkedIn

Then I'd put WayOut and SPLIT into the comparison specifically to test whether Praella's team is actually the strongest fit for your subscription model.

One important caveat: I wouldn't select an agency solely because it says "Shopify Plus" or "subscriptions." In the first calls, ask each one to show you two live or recently completed beauty/CPG subscription stores, explain the subscription platform they used (e.g. Recharge), and walk through how they handle skip/pause, swaps, bundles, failed payments, customer portal UX, retention flows, and inventory forecasting.

If you tell me roughly your annual revenue, current Shopify setup, subscription % of revenue, and whether you're on Recharge/Skio/another platform, I can narrow this to a 2–3 agency shortlist and give you the questions I'd use in the pitch meetings.

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with subscriptions, I’d shortlist these:

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — my top pick for a scaling beauty brand. They’re Chicago-based (Loop, close to River North) and focus on Shopify Plus, retention, and subscription-oriented commerce. They’ve also highlighted work with beauty brands and tools like Recharge/Klaviyo. Praella

Best for: $1M+ brands, Shopify Plus migrations, retention, subscriptions, lifecycle growth.

2. Praella - eCommerce Agency — strong if you need a technically excellent Shopify build: custom themes, subscription logic, upsells, performance optimization. WayOut Inc

Best for: a founder-led brand that needs a better storefront and conversion lift.

3. Praella - eCommerce Agency — good fit if you want Shopify Plus design/dev plus ongoing CRO and optimization. Bigfolio LLC

Best for: premium DTC brands that care about luxury UX.

4. SPLIT Development — not a West Loop/River North shop, but worth considering because they specifically position around beauty/cosmetics Shopify builds, subscriptions, replenishment, and skincare/haircare experiences. SplitDev

Best for: beauty-specific expertise over local proximity.

If I were hiring for a growing beauty subscription brand, I’d interview Praella first, then WayOut, and ask each for:

• 3 beauty/subscription case studies
• subscription retention metrics (not just site launches)
• Recharge/Skio experience
• Klaviyo + customer lifecycle strategy
• who will actually be on your account

I would not choose purely by West Loop vs. River North; Shopify subscription expertise matters more. digitalheroesco.com netalico.com

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• EcomBay Automation - 205 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC - 200 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand with a meaningful subscription/replenishment business, I’d prioritize proven beauty + Shopify + subscription experience over simply having a West Loop address.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — my first call

• Chicago office: 203 N LaSalle, so technically Loop rather than West Loop/River North.
• Strong Shopify Plus focus and specifically positions itself around revenue and retention, which is what you want for a subscription-heavy beauty business. LinkedIn
• It has experience with the broader retention stack, including Recharge, Klaviyo and ShipStation. LinkedIn
• Best for: a brand that's already sizeable and needs a sophisticated Shopify Plus partner rather than just a site redesign.
• WayOut — strongest technical alternative

• Their Chicago offering explicitly includes subscription, bundling and upsell engineering, Shopify Plus, custom apps, CRO and analytics. WayOut Inc
• They specifically claim a subscription engine generating 35% of revenue for a Chicago-based supplements brand, which is unusually relevant to your use case. WayOut Inc
• Best for: a brand where subscriptions, bundles, personalization and conversion optimization are central to the growth plan.
• SPLIT Development — best beauty-specific specialist

• This is the one I'd put on the pitch list if beauty expertise is your #1 criterion.
• They explicitly specialize in beauty/cosmetics Shopify builds and cite work for skincare, haircare, self-tan and cosmetics brands. Their portfolio includes Klova, a Shopify Plus skincare brand with subscription/replenishment, plus other subscription beauty projects. Splitdev
• Their stated stack includes Shopify Plus + Recharge + Klaviyo + Yotpo/Okendo + Gorgias + Loop, which is very close to the ecosystem a growing beauty brand typically needs. Splitdev
• Caveat: I wouldn't choose them because they're Chicago-local; I'd choose them because the beauty/subscription specialization is unusually strong.
• ALX Creatives — River North option

• 420 W Huron St, right in River North.
• More of an integrated brand + creative + performance marketing + Shopify partner than a deeply technical Shopify Plus specialist.
• Their work includes Shopify ecommerce and consumer-facing brand/marketing execution.
• Best for: a beauty brand that needs creative, content and customer acquisition alongside ecommerce.

What I'd do

I'd interview Praella, WayOut and SPLIT. Then I'd make the decision based on the team they actually put in front of you—not the agency's sales deck.

For your specific situation, my ranking would be:

Praella → SPLIT → WayOut

• Praella if you're scaling into a more complex Shopify Plus operation and want a long-term ecommerce partner.
• SPLIT if the brand/beauty experience and subscription UX are the biggest priorities.
• WayOut if you want a highly execution-oriented team focused on conversion, subscriptions and custom Shopify development.

I would not make West Loop vs. River North the deciding factor. The strongest relevant firms aren't necessarily headquartered in those neighborhoods. For example, the West Loop has NEWMEDIA.COM, but its positioning is broader digital/SEO/ecommerce rather than the unusually specific beauty + subscription Shopify combination you're looking for.

If you tell me rough annual revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, current subscription % of revenue, and whether you need a redesign vs. ongoing growth, I can narrow this to the one agency I'd hire and the 5 questions I'd ask them in the pitch.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• Virtina - eCommerce Web Design and Development Company - 1 E Erie St Ste 525-2149, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription/replenishment component, I’d prioritize beauty + subscription experience over simply having a Chicago office.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — my first call

• Chicago-based, at 203 N LaSalle.
• Shopify Plus-focused and specifically positioned around revenue + retention, which is what you want for subscription beauty.
• Their public materials highlight Shopify Plus, Recharge, Klaviyo, ShipStation and retention/conversion work. LinkedIn
• Best for: a brand that's already growing and needs a sophisticated Shopify/retention partner rather than just a site redesign.
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm — strongest beauty/design option

• Chicago-based and experienced with premium beauty, cosmetics, haircare and fashion brands.
• Shopify Plus is among its commerce platforms.
• Best for: a visually ambitious beauty brand where brand expression, PDP experience and conversion are equally important.
• ALX Creatives — River North option

• Located at 420 W Huron in River North.
• More of a creative/performance agency, with Shopify ecommerce experience.
• Best for: a smaller/growing brand that needs creative, content and marketing wrapped around the ecommerce operation rather than a huge technical replatform.

One I'd interview even though it isn't in your two neighborhoods

SPLIT Development caught my attention because its specialization is unusually close to your brief: it explicitly builds beauty/cosmetics Shopify stores with subscriptions, and cites Shopify Plus subscription work for skincare brand Klova, plus Recharge/Klaviyo/Yotpo/Gorgias integrations. SPLIT Development

Likewise, Solo Media Group explicitly lists beauty/personal care + subscriptions and works with Recharge, Klaviyo, Rebuy, Loop and other retention tools. SOLO MEDIA GROUP

West Loop vs. River North

If being physically nearby matters, I'd lean West Loop, but I wouldn't make neighborhood the deciding factor.

The particularly interesting local options I found are:

• West Loop: Design In Chicago — 159 N Sangamon; Shopify plus branding/design/content capabilities.
• River North: ALX Creatives — 420 W Huron; Shopify plus creative/performance marketing.
• Near River North: Praella - eCommerce Agency — 203 N LaSalle; substantially stronger fit for the Shopify Plus/retention side of your brief.

My hiring order would be: Praella → SPLIT → Elevate Studios. The fact that Praella is actually in Chicago is a bonus, but the bigger reason I'd start there is the combination of Shopify Plus + retention/subscription ecosystem + ecommerce specialization. LinkedIn

If you tell me roughly annual revenue, monthly subscription revenue, Shopify plan/Plus status, and whether you need paid media/email too, I can narrow this to the one agency I'd hire and 2 backups, including what I would ask each agency in the pitch.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a subscription model, I would prioritize agencies that understand retention economics (subscriptions, replenishment, bundles, loyalty, Klaviyo/SMS, CRO), not just storefront design.

My shortlist in/around West Loop and River North:

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — My top pick for a scaling beauty subscription brand

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

Area: Downtown Chicago (near Loop; convenient from River North/West Loop)
Best fit: Beauty, wellness, DTC brands moving from “good Shopify store” to a serious growth engine.

Why I’d interview them:

• Strong Shopify Plus specialization and experience with complex DTC builds. eSEOspace
• Their portfolio positioning includes beauty/wellness-style brands and retention-focused commerce work. eSEOspace
• Better fit if you need: - subscription architecture
• customer lifecycle optimization
• Shopify Plus migration
• custom features
• ongoing growth support

Questions I’d ask:

• “How many subscription brands have you scaled past $1M–$5M+ annual revenue?”
• “Which subscription stack do you recommend today: Recharge, Skio, Loop, Shopify native, or something else?”
• “Show me a beauty PDP you improved and the conversion lift.”

2. ALX Creatives — Stronger if brand + creative is the bottleneck

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+16466941034)

Area: River North
Best fit: Beauty brands that need the Shopify experience to feel premium and editorial.

Why consider them:

• River North location.
• More brand/creative/performance oriented, with Shopify ecommerce experience.

I’d choose them if your challenge is:

• “Our brand looks dated.”
• “Our product photography, storytelling, and conversion flow are weak.”
• “We need a stronger luxury beauty feel.”

I’d pair them with a Shopify technical specialist if subscriptions are the core growth engine.

3. SITE IT NOW — West Loop option for practical Shopify execution

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-442-0352)

Area: West Loop / Near West Side
Best fit: A founder-led brand needing reliable Shopify improvements without a huge enterprise engagement.

They are positioned around Shopify development and ecommerce services from their West Loop location.

Good for:

• theme improvements
• merchandising changes
• landing pages
• ongoing Shopify support

I would verify subscription depth before hiring.

4. Ethercycle — Shopify specialist worth a conversation

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 877-384-3740)

Area: Chicago area
Best fit: Brands that want Shopify expertise rather than a broad marketing agency.

They focus specifically on Shopify store design/build and optimization.

Who I would hire depending on your stage

• $500k–$3M revenue, trying to build a repeat-purchase engine:

→ Praella

• Premium/luxury beauty brand where brand identity and conversion are equally important:

→ ALX Creatives + a Shopify subscription specialist

• Need a hands-on Shopify partner for steady improvements:

→ Ethercycle or SITE IT NOW

• $5M+ revenue, Shopify Plus, complex integrations:

→ also interview Shopify Plus-focused firms like Makro Agency or Netalico Commerce. Makro Agency Netalico

My first three calls would be:

1. Praella
2. ALX Creatives
3. Ethercycle

For a beauty subscription brand, I would not hire based on “beautiful Shopify sites” alone — I’d ask for proof they have improved subscription conversion rate, churn, repeat purchase rate, AOV, and LTV.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601
• The Loop Marketing Inc - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• Delta e commerce Shopify - 441 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607
• Who Is She W.I.S.E - 1440 W Taylor St Ste 1021, Chicago, IL 60607
• Imagebb - 212 W Washington St, Chicago, IL 60606
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607
• HumbleCreationz LLC - 110 N Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606
• SalonInteractive - 218 N Jefferson St Ste 200 LL, Chicago, IL 60661
• Rebelution e-Commerce - 1455 W Hubbard St #2R, Chicago, IL 60642
• SalonInteractive - 1013 N Hooker St, Chicago, IL 60642
• Operation Technology - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606

If your priority is Shopify + subscriptions + beauty/CPG + growth, I’d shortlist Praella first, then WayOut. I would not choose purely based on being physically in West Loop/River North—the subscription/ecommerce track record matters more.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — River North

• My first call. Their Chicago office is at 203 N LaSalle, and they’re positioned as an ecommerce agency rather than a general creative shop.
• Best fit if you need Shopify Plus, UX/conversion work, subscriptions, retention, and ongoing optimization rather than simply a storefront redesign.
• I'd ask them specifically for 2–3 beauty/CPG subscription references and the team member who would actually run your account.
• WayOut — Chicago / serves West Loop & River North

• Particularly interesting for a growing brand that needs subscription, bundling and upsell engineering. Their Chicago offering explicitly lists subscription engineering and reports a Chicago supplements brand where subscriptions reached 35% of revenue. WayOut Inc
• Strong candidate if your problem is more technical/product + conversion than pure brand marketing.
• The Loop Marketing Inc — West Loop

• Physically in West Loop/Fulton Market and worth including if you want a more locally embedded partner.
• I'd put them behind Praella/WayOut unless they can demonstrate substantial Shopify subscription + beauty case studies.
• Sixth City Marketing — River North

• Convenient River North option with a strong local review profile.
• I'd consider them more for growth/marketing support than as my first choice for complex Shopify subscription architecture.

Who I'd hire

Praella, assuming their pitch checks out in a reference call.

The reason: for a growing beauty brand, I'd want the agency thinking beyond "make the Shopify site prettier." The important pieces are subscription UX, bundles, replenishment cadence, retention/LTV, PDP conversion, merchandising, analytics, and the underlying Shopify architecture.

One caveat: I found agencies explicitly advertising beauty/subscription expertise, but the strongest beauty-specific subscription evidence I found was from Swanky, which is not Chicago-based. Their portfolio specifically cites custom subscription work for beauty brands including Bouclème and Friction Free Shaving. Swanky So if beauty-subscription expertise outweighs Chicago proximity, I'd actually put Swanky into the competitive bid.

My move: interview Praella + WayOut + one beauty-specialist agency, and give all three the same brief. Make them show you exactly how they'd improve subscription conversion and 12-month LTV, not just redesign your homepage.

If you tell me roughly whether you're doing $1M, $5M, or $10M+ in annual revenue, I can narrow this to the one agency I'd hire and what I think you should expect to pay.

• PRA Chicago - 1 N LaSalle St #1800, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Awesome Dynamic Tech Solutions, Inc. - 401 N Michigan Ave #1200, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC - 200 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with subscriptions, I would prioritize an agency that understands DTC retention, not just storefront design. Your key needs are likely:

• Shopify + subscription app architecture (Recharge, Skio, Appstle, etc.)
• Beauty-specific merchandising (bundles, routines, replenishment)
• CRO (conversion rate optimization)
• Klaviyo/email + lifecycle flows
• LTV improvement, not just a prettier site

I’d shortlist these Chicago-area teams:

1. PRA Chicago — my first call

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-332-6670)

Best fit: A scaling beauty/wellness brand that needs a serious Shopify Plus partner.

Why I’d consider them:

• Shopify Plus-focused agency with a Chicago presence.
• They position around revenue, retention, UX, and ecommerce growth rather than only development. LinkedIn
• Good match if you’re moving from “founder-built Shopify store” into a more mature growth phase.

Ask them specifically:

“Show me 2–3 subscription beauty or consumable brands where you improved repeat purchase rate, subscription adoption, or AOV.”

2. Ethercycle — best Shopify specialist for a leaner team

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 877-384-3740)

Best fit: A founder-led beauty brand that already has traction and wants Shopify expertise without a huge enterprise process.

Strengths:

• Shopify-first focus.
• Strong fit for optimization, migrations, UX improvements, and conversion work.

I’d choose them if you have:

• $1M–$10M-ish revenue
• A working store that needs optimization
• A small internal team

3. Design In Chicago — best if brand + ecommerce are equally important

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-535-3088)

Best fit: Beauty brands where packaging, storytelling, visual identity, and digital experience matter heavily.

Their West Loop location is a plus if you want in-person collaboration.

I’d consider them if you’re saying:

• “Our brand looks dated.”
• “We need a luxury beauty experience.”
• “We need Shopify plus creative direction.”

4. WPrime Agency — possible River North option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 708-887-3040)

Best fit: A brand needing broader digital support (UX, marketing, ecommerce).

I would vet their subscription experience carefully before hiring. Their Shopify/subscription case studies matter more than general ecommerce capability.

My ranking for your exact situation

1. Praella → if you’re scaling toward Shopify Plus and need a long-term partner
2. Ethercycle → if you want a Shopify expert who can improve an existing store
3. Design In Chicago → if brand elevation is a major priority
4. WPrime → if you need broader marketing + web support

For a beauty subscription brand, I would not hire a generic web agency. The agency should be able to talk comfortably about:

• subscription churn
• replenishment windows
• quiz funnels
• bundles/kits
• post-purchase flows
• retention cohorts
• CAC payback period

Before signing, I’d ask each agency for:

1. A beauty/CPG subscription example
2. Their recommended Shopify subscription stack
3. A 90-day growth roadmap after launch
4. Who specifically will work on your account (senior people vs. junior team)

If you tell me your approximate stage (pre-$1M, $1–5M, $5–20M+ revenue) and whether you’re redesigning an existing Shopify store or building from scratch, I’d narrow this to the best 1–2 choices.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

If you’re a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription/replenishment component, I’d shortlist Praella first—and I’d prioritize River North/Loop proximity over West Loop for this particular need.

My pick: Praella - eCommerce Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

Praella is the strongest fit I found for your combination of beauty + Shopify Plus + subscriptions + growth. It’s Chicago-headquartered at 203 N LaSalle, and its Shopify work specifically includes complex subscription experiences, Recharge, retention/CRO, integrations, and custom development. Its published portfolio also includes beauty brands such as Fenty Beauty, Danessa Myricks Beauty and Hynt Beauty. Praella eSEOspace

Why I'd hire them:

• Genuine Shopify Plus depth rather than a general web-design shop.
• Experience with subscription logic and Recharge, which is crucial for beauty replenishment. Praella
• Strong fit if you're moving from “pretty Shopify store” to LTV, retention, personalization and operational scale.
• They're actually based in Chicago, rather than calling themselves a Chicago agency from elsewhere.

praella.com

Two others I'd interview

1. WayOut — strong technical alternative

WayOut explicitly lists subscription, bundling and upsell engineering and says it has launched a subscription engine responsible for 35% of revenue for a Chicago supplements brand. It works with brands in both West Loop and River North. I'd interview them if your biggest problem is Shopify architecture, performance, subscriptions or custom functionality. WayOut Inc

wayoutinc.com

2. Design In Chicago — West Loop option

They're actually in the West Loop at 159 N Sangamon and combine branding, creative, Shopify development and marketing. I'd consider them if your priority is brand expression + site redesign + ecommerce, rather than deeply technical subscription infrastructure. Their Shopify capability is real, but I found less evidence of specialized subscription/beauty work than with Praella.

One interesting non-Chicago option

SPLIT Development is worth knowing about even though it isn't a West Loop/River North agency. Their specialty is unusually close to your brief: beauty/cosmetics Shopify, including skincare, haircare, fragrance, subscriptions and Shopify Plus. They cite Klova's Shopify Plus subscription build and other beauty brands as case studies. SPLIT Development

splitdev.com

Who I'd call first

My ranking for a growing beauty brand would be:

1. Praella — best overall fit; Chicago + Shopify Plus + beauty + subscription/retention.
2. SPLIT Development — strongest beauty/subscription specialization, if you're willing to go outside the neighborhood.
3. WayOut — strongest technical/Shopify engineering alternative.
4. Design In Chicago — best West Loop choice if brand/creative is the bigger priority.

One caveat: I wouldn't choose an agency merely because it has a West Loop or River North address. For a subscription beauty business, I'd put far more weight on whether the team can show you a live example of subscription UX → Recharge/Skio architecture → customer portal → cancellation/save flows → Klaviyo lifecycle → cohort/LTV improvement.

If you tell me roughly your annual revenue (e.g. <$2M, $2–10M, $10M+) and whether you're already on Shopify Plus + Recharge/Skio, I can narrow this to the one I'd actually hire and the questions I'd ask them in the first pitch meeting.

One interesting non-Chicago option

SPLIT Development is worth knowing about even though it isn't a West Loop/River North agency. Their specialty is unusually close to your brief: beauty/cosmetics Shopify, including skincare, haircare, fragrance, subscriptions and Shopify Plus. They cite Klova's Shopify Plus subscription build and other beauty brands as case studies. SPLIT Development

splitdev.com

Who I'd call first

My ranking for a growing beauty brand would be:

1. Praella — best overall fit; Chicago + Shopify Plus + beauty + subscription/retention.
2. SPLIT Development — strongest beauty/subscription specialization, if you're willing to go outside the neighborhood.
3. WayOut — strongest technical/Shopify engineering alternative.
4. Design In Chicago — best West Loop choice if brand/creative is the bigger priority.

One caveat: I wouldn't choose an agency merely because it has a West Loop or River North address. For a subscription beauty business, I'd put far more weight on whether the team can show you a live example of subscription UX → Recharge/Skio architecture → customer portal → cancellation/save flows → Klaviyo lifecycle → cohort/LTV improvement.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription business, I’d shortlist these three—but Praella would be my first call.

My ranking

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — best overall fit

• Chicago-based, at 203 N LaSalle, right by River North/The Loop.
• Shopify/Shopify Plus is a core specialty, and they position themselves around revenue + retention, which is exactly what you want for subscriptions.
• Shopify lists them as a Platinum Partner, and their public positioning emphasizes complex Shopify builds, optimization, and long-term partnerships.
• My pick if: your subscription experience, retention, CX, and Shopify architecture are the main priorities.
• 1o8 — best if growth marketing is equally important

• Chicago agency with a strong CPG/DTC orientation, including Shopify, retail, Amazon, performance marketing, creative and content.
• They explicitly work with consumer brands and beauty-adjacent categories; their site highlights brands across CPG, health and entertainment. 1o8 Agency 1o8 Agency
• My pick if: you need someone to connect Shopify + subscriptions with paid acquisition, creative, retention and broader DTC growth.
• ALX Creatives — interesting River North boutique option

• Located at 420 W Huron St in River North.
• Their work combines Shopify ecommerce, branding, photography/content and performance marketing, with experience in consumer-facing ecommerce.
• My pick if: you're still building the brand and want a more creative, hands-on partner rather than a large technical Shopify consultancy.

One I'd seriously consider even though it's not in your two neighborhoods

Codal is worth putting into the RFP. It's a Chicago-based Shopify Platinum Partner at 433 W Van Buren, with substantial experience in complex Shopify/Shopify Plus implementations and consumer products. Shopify specifically highlights its custom apps/integrations and ongoing ecommerce work. Shopify Codal

For a beauty subscription brand, I'd favor Praella vs. 1o8:

If it were my money, I'd interview Praella and 1o8 first, then make them pitch against the same brief. The key question isn't simply "Do you know Shopify?" It's: show me three subscription/DTC brands where you materially improved retention, LTV, AOV or subscription conversion—and tell me exactly what you changed.

If you tell me roughly your current annual revenue, Shopify plan, subscription platform (Recharge, Skio, etc.), and whether you need a redesign vs. ongoing growth, I can narrow this to one agency and the specific team/person I'd ask for.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription/replenishment component, I’d prioritize proven subscription + retention engineering over simply finding a nearby Shopify shop.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — my first call

• Chicago-based, at 203 N LaSalle.
• Shopify/Shopify Plus specialist with a strong emphasis on revenue and retention, rather than just building a pretty storefront.
• This is the strongest local option I found if you want a serious long-term Shopify partner.
• Caveat: it's in the Loop rather than West Loop/River North.
• ALX Creatives — best River North option for brand + growth

• Located at 420 W Huron in River North.
• Their work combines Shopify ecommerce, creative, photography, and performance marketing, which can be attractive for a beauty brand where content and acquisition matter as much as the storefront.
• I'd interview them if you want an agency that feels more like a creative/growth partner than a pure Shopify engineering shop.
• Design In Chicago — best West Loop creative option

• At 159 N Sangamon in West Loop/Fulton Market.
• Stronger fit for brand, design, content and digital experience than I would choose for complicated subscription infrastructure alone.
• I'd consider them if the project is primarily a brand/store redesign rather than a sophisticated subscription rebuild.

One non-local agency I'd seriously interview

SPLIT Development looks particularly interesting for your specific brief. They explicitly specialize in beauty/cosmetics Shopify and Shopify Plus, including subscription/replenishment, and cite a Shopify Plus skincare client with subscription functionality. SPLIT Development

That's more directly aligned with your requirements than several of the Chicago agencies whose expertise is primarily B2B, enterprise, or generic Shopify development.

Who I'd hire

My ranking would be:

• #1 Praella — if you want a Chicago-based, technically serious Shopify/retention partner.
• #2 SPLIT Development — if beauty + subscription expertise matters more than having a Chicago office.
• #3 ALX Creatives — if you need brand/creative + Shopify + acquisition under one roof.
• #4 Design In Chicago — if the immediate priority is brand/storefront experience.

I'd not choose an agency solely because it's in West Loop or River North. For subscriptions, I would make them show you a live example of how they've handled cancellation flows, skip/pause, customer portals, failed payments/dunning, subscription discounts, replenishment UX, analytics, and the underlying subscription app/integration.

One other interesting benchmark: WayOut says it has built a subscription engine responsible for 35% of revenue for a Chicago supplements brand, although its listed base is Los Angeles rather than Chicago. WayOut Inc

If you tell me your approximate annual revenue, current Shopify subscription app (Recharge, Skio, Stay AI, etc.), and whether you're looking for a redesign vs. ongoing growth partner, I can narrow this to the 2 agencies I'd actually take into an RFP.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654

If subscription + Shopify + beauty are the three non-negotiables, I’d put Praella at the top of your list.

My shortlist

• #1 — Praella - eCommerce Agency — River North/Loop

This is the strongest overall fit I found. Praella is Chicago-headquartered, a Shopify Platinum Partner, and specifically works on Shopify Plus, retention, CRO, integrations and custom ecommerce. Its published portfolio includes beauty brands such as Hynt Beauty, Fenty Beauty, Danessa Myricks Beauty, as well as subscription-oriented businesses. LinkedIn eSEOspace

Why I'd hire them: They're more likely than a generic Shopify shop to understand that your real problem is LTV, retention, subscription UX and merchandising, not simply redesigning the storefront.

• #2 — WPrime Agency — River North

Located at Merchandise Mart, so it's convenient if being physically close matters. I'd consider them more of a generalist digital/growth option, though, rather than my first choice for a sophisticated subscription beauty build.

• #3 — Design In Chicago — West Loop

Good if the project is heavily weighted toward brand, creative, content and storefront design. They do Shopify development and are actually in West Loop, but I found less compelling public evidence of deep subscription-commerce specialization than with Praella.

One non-local agency I'd seriously interview

SPLIT Development is worth putting on the shortlist even though it isn't the West Loop/River North answer. Its specialization is unusually close to your brief: beauty/cosmetics + Shopify/Shopify Plus + subscriptions. It specifically cites Shopify Plus work for Klova, with subscription/replenishment, and other beauty brands including Suntouched and PetaJane. SPLIT Development

That's actually the kind of case-study evidence I'd prioritize over simply having a Chicago office.

Who I'd interview

I'd run a 3-agency bake-off: Praella + SPLIT + one West Loop creative/growth shop.

For your first call, I'd ask each agency:

1. “Show me three beauty brands where subscriptions were a meaningful part of the business.”
2. “What would you change about our subscription PDP and cancellation/skip flows?”
3. “Which subscription platform would you recommend—Recharge, Shopify-native, or something else—and why?”
4. “How do you measure success beyond conversion rate?” Look for answers around subscription activation, churn, retention, AOV, LTV and cohort economics.
5. “Who will actually be on our account?” You want senior ecommerce strategy, not just a developer assigned after the sale.

My pick: Praella if you want a Chicago-based long-term ecommerce partner. SPLIT if deep beauty/subscription specialization matters more than having the agency physically in Chicago.

praella.com
splitdev.com

If you tell me your approximate annual revenue, current subscription platform (if any), and whether you're already on Shopify Plus, I can narrow this to the single agency I'd hire and what I think you should budget.

My pick: Praella if you want a Chicago-based long-term ecommerce partner. SPLIT if deep beauty/subscription specialization matters more than having the agency physically in Chicago.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand with a meaningful subscription/replenishment component, I’d put Praella at the top of the Chicago shortlist.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — my pick

• Location: 203 N LaSalle St, Chicago — downtown, just east of the River North/Loop boundary.
• This is the strongest fit I found because they explicitly specialize in Shopify Plus + subscriptions + retention, rather than just building pretty Shopify sites.
• Their portfolio includes Fenty Beauty, plus subscription brands such as Houndsy, CrunchLabs, BattlBox, Beachly and others. They also have deep Recharge expertise. Praella Praella Praella
• There's particularly relevant evidence around subscription architecture: a client hired them to redesign/rebuild a Shopify Plus subscription program involving Recharge, Klaviyo, custom subscription logic and data migration. Clutch
• They are now a Shopify Platinum Partner and have 100+ ecommerce experts according to their site. Praella

Why I'd choose them: If subscriptions are strategically important to your brand—not merely a "Subscribe & Save" checkbox—Praella looks like the most technically capable local option.

2. WayOut — worth interviewing

• They specifically advertise subscription, bundling and upsell engineering, Shopify Plus, custom apps and CRO.
• They claim a subscription engine they built drives 35% of revenue for a Chicago-based supplements brand. WayOut Inc
• They work with brands in River North and West Loop, although they're not necessarily a traditional neighborhood office you can walk into.

Why interview them: They sound more nimble than Praella and could be attractive if you're a smaller/growth-stage brand that doesn't need a huge agency machine.

3. Design In Chicago — West Loop

• Design In Chicago is actually in the West Loop at 159 N Sangamon St.
• They do Shopify, branding, UX and digital marketing, so they'd be interesting if the project is as much about brand expression/creative + ecommerce as it is subscription infrastructure.
• I would not put them ahead of Praella for a subscription-heavy Shopify Plus build, though.

The one I'd hire

Praella.

The combination of Chicago presence + Shopify Plus specialization + beauty experience + subscription/Recharge expertise is unusually well aligned with what you're asking for. Their Fenty Beauty work is particularly relevant because they have demonstrated that they can handle the high-design/high-conversion expectations of a serious beauty brand, while their subscription portfolio demonstrates the underlying technical capability. Praella Praella

praella.com

One caveat: Praella's office is technically in the Loop rather than West Loop or River North. If being physically in one of those two neighborhoods is a hard requirement, I'd interview WayOut and then look specifically for a West Loop shop with comparable Recharge/Shopify Plus subscription case studies, rather than choosing a local agency simply because its address is convenient.

What I'd ask Praella in the first meeting:
“Show me two beauty/CPG brands where you personally improved subscription conversion, subscriber retention or LTV—not just the storefront design. Who would actually be on my account, and can I speak to those clients?”

That question should separate the genuinely subscription-savvy teams from generic Shopify agencies very quickly.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Salon Hex - 1821 W Hubbard St Suite # 201 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Operation Technology - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC - 200 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

If you’re choosing specifically for a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription business, I’d shortlist these three—and I’d put Praella first.

My pick: Praella - eCommerce Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

Praella is the strongest overall fit I found. It’s Chicago-headquartered, at 203 N LaSalle, and focuses specifically on Shopify/Shopify Plus ecommerce, with an emphasis on revenue and retention, rather than just designing a pretty storefront. 1o8 Agency

For a beauty brand, I’d favor that combination because you need someone who understands:

• Subscription/customer retention economics
• Shopify Plus and complex customer flows
• Conversion optimization, not just web design
• Lifecycle/retention alongside acquisition
• Scaling the store as SKU count, orders and customer cohorts grow

River North option: Sixth City Marketing

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-872-7726)

Sixth City is actually in River North, at 620 N La Salle. It offers ecommerce, Shopify, paid acquisition and broader digital marketing. 1o8 Agency

I'd consider them if your bigger problem is growth marketing + ecommerce, rather than a technically complicated Shopify rebuild. I would, however, make them prove their subscription experience with specific beauty/CPG references before hiring.

West Loop option

NEWMEDIA.COM is in the West Loop, at 444 W Lake St. They do Shopify ecommerce, web development and performance/SEO work. They're worth a conversation if being physically close to your team matters.

But I'd rank them behind Praella for your particular brief because I found stronger evidence of Shopify/subscription-oriented expertise elsewhere.

One wildcard I'd interview

WayOut isn't physically based in either neighborhood, but their Chicago practice specifically calls out Shopify subscription, bundling and upsell engineering, and they report having launched a subscription engine responsible for 35% of revenue for a Chicago supplements brand. WayOut Inc

That's unusually relevant to what you're asking for.

My ranking:

1. Praella — best overall Shopify + growth/retention fit
2. WayOut — strongest evidence of subscription-specific Shopify work
3. Sixth City — best River North/local growth-marketing option
4. NEWMEDIA.COM — best West Loop/local option

One caution: I would not hire based on neighborhood. For a subscription beauty brand, I'd make each agency show you 2–3 actual subscription/beauty or CPG Shopify clients, including retention rate, subscription revenue mix, AOV/LTV improvement, and what they personally owned.

If you tell me roughly your current monthly Shopify revenue and subscription % of revenue, I can narrow this to the one I'd hire and what I'd expect them to charge.

My ranking:

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC - 200 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Suit 1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

If subscription ecommerce + beauty + Shopify are the three non-negotiables, I’d put Praella at the top of your Chicago shortlist.

My pick: Praella - eCommerce Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

Praella is Chicago-headquartered and specifically works in Shopify/Shopify Plus, with experience in subscriptions, Recharge, retention, integrations and beauty. Its published portfolio includes beauty brands such as Fenty Beauty, Hynt Beauty and Danessa Myricks Beauty, and it says it has 100+ ecommerce experts and 1,000+ projects launched. Praella LinkedIn

Why I'd hire them for a growing beauty brand: they're more than a Shopify theme shop. If you're trying to increase subscription penetration, LTV, conversion and repeat purchase while the business gets more complex, their combination of Shopify Plus + Recharge + retention/integration expertise is unusually relevant. Praella

One caveat: their Chicago office is 203 N LaSalle, so that's Loop rather than West Loop/River North proper. Praella - eCommerce Agency

If you specifically want West Loop / River North

I'd look at these two:

• West Loop — SITE IT NOW: actually located at 1016 W Jackson Blvd and offers Shopify ecommerce development. I'd consider them if being physically close and having a smaller, more hands-on local shop matters more than deep subscription/beauty specialization.
• River North — Sixth City Marketing: at 620 N La Salle Dr, with Shopify ecommerce plus broader digital marketing. Better if you want the agency to own acquisition/marketing alongside the storefront, although I'd want stronger evidence of beauty-subscription depth before making them the primary technical partner.

One wildcard I'd interview

SPLIT Development isn't in the West Loop/River North, but its specialization is exactly your problem: beauty/cosmetics Shopify, Shopify Plus, subscription/replenishment, Recharge and Klaviyo. It cites work for skincare brand Klova, where it built Shopify Plus with subscription/replenishment, as well as other beauty brands. SPLIT Development

So my shortlist would be:

1. Praella — best overall Chicago choice; strongest combination of scale + Shopify Plus + beauty + subscriptions.
2. SPLIT Development — strongest category-specific fit for beauty/subscription ecommerce.
3. SITE IT NOW — best if being physically in the West Loop and having a smaller local team is important.
4. Sixth City — worth interviewing if growth marketing is as important as the Shopify build.

If it were my money, I'd interview Praella and SPLIT first. I wouldn't choose purely based on whether the office is West Loop vs. River North—the agency's experience migrating/optimizing subscription logic, Recharge, retention, PDPs and Shopify Plus is much more consequential.

If you tell me roughly annual revenue, current Shopify plan, and whether you're already using Recharge/Klaviyo, I can narrow this to the one agency I'd hire and the questions I'd ask them in the pitch.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Avex E-commerce Agency - 379 W Broadway, New York, NY 10012, United States
• Human Elements Consulting - 680 N Lake Shore Dr Sutie 110-1944, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• DEPT® - 1 S Wacker Dr 22nd Floor, Suite #2250, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

If subscription + Shopify + beauty are the three non-negotiables, I’d shortlist these—but I’d make Praella my first call.

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — best overall fit

• Chicago-based, at 203 N LaSalle, so it’s downtown rather than specifically West Loop/River North.
• Strong Shopify/Shopify Plus focus and experience with subscription-related ecommerce tooling.
• Particularly compelling for a growing beauty brand: its published portfolio includes Hynt Beauty and Billie Eilish Fragrances, among other consumer brands.
• I’d hire them if you want a partner that can handle Shopify architecture + UX + integrations + ongoing growth, rather than just redesigning the storefront.
• 1o8 — best if growth marketing matters as much as the site

• Chicago-based and explicitly focused on CPG, Shopify, retail/Amazon and DTC growth.
• Their Shopify work includes Undone Beauty, where they report a 44% CAC reduction, 88% ROAS increase and 22% revenue increase. 1o8 Agency
• Their office is at 231 S LaSalle, so again, not actually West Loop/River North.
• I'd favor them if you're saying, “We need Shopify, but we also need someone to help us acquire and retain customers.”
• ALX Creatives — worth considering for a more creative/brand-led approach

• Located at 420 W Huron St, right in the River North/Near North Side area.
• Shopify, ecommerce, creative production and performance marketing are all part of its offering.
• I'd consider them if the brand is relatively young and creative direction/content/paid social are major parts of the brief.

Who I'd actually interview

Praella vs. 1o8 would be my head-to-head.

I'd give Praella the edge if your biggest problem is the commerce engine: subscriptions, Shopify Plus, integrations, conversion, retention and scaling the store.

I'd give 1o8 the edge if the bigger problem is growth: paid acquisition, creative, retail/Amazon plus Shopify, and improving CAC/ROAS.

One important caveat: I wouldn't limit the search to agencies physically headquartered in West Loop or River North. The strongest Shopify specialists I found aren't necessarily located in those neighborhoods. For example, Avex is a Shopify Platinum Partner with explicit health/beauty experience and subscription strategy, but it's NYC-based. Shopify Avex Designs

My pick: interview Praella first, 1o8 second, and ALX as the local River North creative alternative.

If you tell me roughly annual ecommerce revenue (e.g. $2M vs $20M), current Shopify/Shopify Plus setup, and whether you're already using Recharge/Skio, I can narrow this to the one I'd hire and give you the questions I'd ask in the first agency call.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• JK Marketing Group JKMG - Website Design and Marketing - 448 N La Salle Dr Ste 10-125, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

If you’re a growing beauty brand where subscriptions/replenishment are a meaningful part of the business, I’d shortlist these three—but I’d make Praella my first call.

My ranking

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — best overall

• 203 N LaSalle St, Chicago, so it’s downtown rather than West Loop/River North.
• Shopify Plus specialist with a substantial Chicago operation.
• Particularly compelling for beauty: its published portfolio includes Hynt Beauty, Billie Eilish Fragrances, Fenty Beauty, Danessa Myricks Beauty, etc. Its ecosystem experience includes subscription, retention, reviews, email/SMS and other Shopify integrations. LinkedIn eSEOspace
• Why I'd hire them: You’re past the “make me a pretty Shopify site” stage and need someone who understands conversion + subscriptions + retention + Shopify Plus architecture.
• Design In Chicago — best if being physically in West Loop matters

• 159 N Sangamon St, right in the West Loop.
• Stronger local/creative positioning, with Shopify development plus branding, UX, marketing and content production.
• Caveat: I found less convincing public evidence of deep subscription-specific Shopify work than I did for Praella. I'd only choose them over Praella if the brand/creative relationship and in-person collaboration are especially important.
• Sixth City Marketing — best River North option for growth marketing

• 620 N LaSalle Dr, River North.
• More performance-marketing oriented: SEO, paid acquisition, CRO and web development.
• I'd consider them if your Shopify foundation is already solid and the bigger problem is customer acquisition and conversion, rather than a complex Shopify rebuild.

One non-local agency I'd seriously interview

WayOut is worth putting into the pitch process despite not being a traditional West Loop/River North shop. They specifically advertise subscription, bundling and upsell engineering, Shopify Plus, and a case study involving a Chicago subscription business where subscriptions generated 35% of revenue. WayOut Inc

For your particular brief, that's more relevant to me than simply having a Chicago address.

Who I'd hire

Praella if you want the safest all-around choice.
WayOut if subscription mechanics/LTV are the #1 priority.
Design In Chicago if you want a highly local West Loop creative partner.

I would not make location the deciding factor. For a beauty subscription brand, I'd weight the agency roughly:

• 30% beauty/DTC track record
• 25% subscription + retention expertise
• 20% Shopify Plus engineering
• 15% CRO/performance
• 10% Chicago/in-person availability

The key question I'd ask every agency is: “Show me 2–3 beauty or CPG Shopify stores where you materially improved subscription penetration, repeat purchase rate, or LTV—not just conversion rate.” That will separate the real fit from generic Shopify shops.

If you want, I can also compare Praella vs. WayOut vs. 2–3 other Chicago agencies by client examples, Shopify tier, subscription/ReCharge expertise, estimated budget, and whether I'd trust them with a $1M–$10M beauty brand.

• 30% beauty/DTC track record
• 25% subscription + retention expertise
• 20% Shopify Plus engineering
• 15% CRO/performance
• 10% Chicago/in-person availability

The key question I'd ask every agency is: “Show me 2–3 beauty or CPG Shopify stores where you materially improved subscription penetration, repeat purchase rate, or LTV—not just conversion rate.” That will separate the real fit from generic Shopify shops.

If you want, I can also compare Praella vs. WayOut vs. 2–3 other Chicago agencies by client examples, Shopify tier, subscription/ReCharge expertise, estimated budget, and whether I'd trust them with a $1M–$10M beauty brand.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Penguin E-Commerce - 20 Danada Square W #222, Wheaton, IL 60189, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• B&B Online inc - 1022 Denham Pl, Schaumburg, IL 60194, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC - 200 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription business, I’d put Praella at the top of the Chicago shortlist.

My pick: Praella - eCommerce Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

Praella is Chicago-based, Shopify/Shopify Plus-focused, and—most importantly for you—has explicit subscription expertise through Recharge. Recharge lists Praella as a Premier Partner with certifications in core subscription management and subscription bundles. Recharge Shopify

Their portfolio is unusually relevant to beauty/DTC: Shopify highlights Billie Eilish Fragrances, while Praella's own portfolio includes Fenty Beauty and other beauty brands. Praella also says its engagements commonly extend beyond the initial build into ongoing growth/optimization. Shopify Praella

Why I'd choose them: they're not just a Shopify developer; they can connect brand experience + conversion + Shopify Plus + subscriptions + retention. That's the combination I'd want for a beauty brand trying to scale rather than simply redesigning its site.

Their Chicago office is at 203 N LaSalle St, so they're downtown rather than specifically West Loop/River North. Praella - eCommerce Agency

Two others I'd interview

• ALX Creatives — River North. This is the one I'd consider if your biggest need is beauty-brand creative + growth marketing + Shopify, rather than deep subscription engineering. Their published work includes Shopify ecommerce, consumer branding, photography and performance marketing, and they're actually located at 420 W Huron St.
• SITE IT NOW — West Loop. Conveniently located on W Jackson Blvd and capable of Shopify/ecommerce work, but based on what I found, I would not rank them ahead of Praella for a subscription-heavy beauty business. Their positioning is broader web/ecommerce rather than subscription-specialist.

One important wildcard

If you're willing to sacrifice the "Chicago office" requirement for specialist expertise, I'd also interview Tribe. They're specifically a Recharge Premier Partner and Skio Partner and position themselves around subscription-first Shopify for beauty and wellness brands. Their published case studies include very large increases in subscriber growth and recurring revenue. Tribe

So my shortlist would be:

1. Praella — best overall / my first call
2. Tribe — strongest subscription specialist
3. ALX Creatives — strongest River North option if creative/brand growth matters heavily
4. SITE IT NOW — West Loop convenience, but less compelling specialization

What I'd ask each agency before signing: "Show me two beauty brands where you personally owned the Shopify + subscription architecture, and tell me the subscriber retention/LTV results 6–12 months after launch." That question will separate genuine subscription expertise from agencies that simply know how to install Recharge.

If you tell me roughly your annual revenue, monthly subscription revenue, Shopify vs Shopify Plus, and whether you're using Recharge/Skio, I can narrow this to the one agency I'd hire and the person/team I'd want on the account.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654
• Delta e commerce Shopify - 441 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607
• Operation Technology - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654
• SimplyBe. Agency - 1000 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency - Three First National Plaza, W Madison St suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60602
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601
• Ecommerce Pro - Shopify Plus Agency - 28 Geary St Ste 650 #1882, San Francisco, CA 94108
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription component, I’d prioritize agencies that understand retention/LTV, subscription architecture, CRO, and Shopify Plus—not just agencies that build attractive storefronts.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — my first call

• 203 N LaSalle St, Chicago — downtown rather than West Loop/River North proper.
• Strongest overall fit from what I found: Praella positions itself around Shopify Plus, UX, data-driven growth, conversion, retention and order value, and specifically lists integrations such as Recharge and Klaviyo. LinkedIn
• It also has a Chicago presence and a substantial Shopify/ecommerce specialization.
• Best for: a beauty brand that is already scaling and needs a sophisticated Shopify + subscriptions + retention setup.
• WPrime Agency — worth interviewing for River North

• 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago — essentially River North.
• The location is attractive if you want a genuinely local team rather than a remote Shopify shop.
• I'd put them in the pitch process, but I'd make them prove their subscription/beauty-specific case studies before selecting them.
• WayOut — strong technical contender

• Not a West Loop/River North office from what I could verify, but their Chicago practice explicitly covers Shopify Plus, subscriptions, bundling, upsells, CRO and custom Shopify apps. They cite a subscription engine that drove 35% of revenue for a Chicago supplements brand. WayOut Inc
• Best for: a brand where the subscription mechanics and technical stack are the hard part.
• The Chicago Web Co. — interesting beauty-specific option

• Shopify's own partner directory lists them as a Chicago partner with Health & Beauty as an industry specialization and highlights Mielle Organics Website Design — Shopify Plus among its featured work. Shopify
• Best for: a smaller/more hands-on engagement where beauty experience matters more than enterprise scale.

Who I'd hire

I'd start with Praella, then put WayOut and The Chicago Web Co. into a competitive pitch.

For your particular situation, I'd score them on:

The big thing I'd not do is hire a generic Chicago branding agency and bolt Shopify onto the project. For a subscription beauty business, the agency needs to understand the economics after the first order: churn, skip/cancel flows, replenishment timing, subscription AOV, bundles, post-purchase upsell, email/SMS lifecycle and CAC:LTV.

One caveat: I wouldn't make West Loop vs. River North the deciding factor. Praella's actual Chicago address is downtown, while some of the strongest Shopify specialists serving Chicago aren't physically in those two neighborhoods. I'd take the better ecommerce team over a five-minute commute.

If you tell me roughly your annual online revenue, current Shopify plan (Basic/Advanced/Plus), subscription platform (Recharge, Skio, etc.), and whether you need a redesign or ongoing growth, I can narrow this to the 2 agencies I'd actually invite to pitch.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Penguin E-Commerce - 20 Danada Square W #222, Wheaton, IL 60189, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC - 200 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• B&B Online inc - 1022 Denham Pl, Schaumburg, IL 60194, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Good Subscription Agency - 53 Southpark Dr #203, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2L9, Canada
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription/replenishment component, I’d put Praella at the top of your Chicago shortlist.

My pick: Praella - eCommerce Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

• Why: Praella is Chicago-based and heavily Shopify/Shopify Plus focused. Its portfolio includes beauty and DTC brands, and its tech stack specifically includes Recharge and other retention/ecommerce integrations. LinkedIn Praella
• Best fit: A brand that's past the basic Shopify-store stage and needs a partner who can handle subscription UX, retention, CRO, custom Shopify work, and scaling rather than just redesigning the site.
• Location: 203 N LaSalle St. That's downtown rather than West Loop/River North proper, but it's close enough that I'd prioritize capability over the exact neighborhood.

Two others I'd interview

• Design In Chicago — West Loop. At 159 N Sangamon, it's actually in the neighborhood you're targeting. It's more design/brand-led, with Shopify development and ecommerce capabilities. I'd consider them if your biggest need is beauty brand expression + storefront + marketing, rather than deep subscription architecture.
• ALX Creatives — River North. Located at 420 W Huron, they combine Shopify ecommerce with creative, photography, branding and performance marketing. This could be attractive if you're looking for a creative/growth partner alongside Shopify work, though I'd probe harder on their subscription-specific technical depth.

One important wildcard

WayOut has unusually relevant published evidence: it says it has built a subscription engine responsible for 35% of revenue for a Chicago supplements brand, alongside Shopify Plus, bundling and upsell engineering. However, its Chicago page doesn't establish a West Loop/River North office, so I'd treat it as a technical contender rather than a neighborhood-local agency. WayOut Inc

If it were my money: I'd interview Praella + WayOut + Design In Chicago. I'd give Praella the edge if subscription/Shopify Plus complexity is the priority; Design In Chicago if brand/creative is the priority.

For the pitch, don't just ask for Shopify case studies. Ask each agency to show one beauty subscription client, explain the subscription stack (e.g. Recharge), and walk you through how they'd improve subscribe conversion, churn, LTV, bundles, post-purchase flows, and mobile PDP conversion. That's where you'll separate a true fit from a generic Shopify shop.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Suit 1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC - 200 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand where subscriptions/retention are a meaningful part of the business, I’d put Praella at the top of the Chicago shortlist.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — best overall fit

• Chicago-headquartered, with an office at 203 N LaSalle.
• Shopify/Shopify Plus is a core specialty, and its portfolio includes Hynt Beauty and other consumer brands.
• Their positioning specifically emphasizes conversion, retention, AOV, subscriptions and integrations such as Recharge and Klaviyo. LinkedIn
• Why I'd hire them: They seem better suited than a generic web agency if your problem is scaling the whole commerce engine, not simply redesigning the storefront.
• Caveat: Their office is in the Loop rather than West Loop/River North.
• Fresh Design Studio — River North / Merchandise Mart

• Stronger candidate if brand expression + ecommerce UX are especially important.
• Their work spans Shopify ecommerce and performance marketing, and they're positioned around growth-stage companies.
• I'd interview them alongside Praella if the brand is premium/luxury and the site needs a substantial visual evolution.
• Design In Chicago — West Loop

• This is the most geographically aligned option: 159 N Sangamon St in West Loop.
• They combine branding, creative, web development and Shopify work under one roof.
• I'd consider them if you want a brand/creative partner that can also execute Shopify, rather than a deeply technical Shopify specialist.
• For a subscription-heavy business, I'd make them prove their Recharge/subscription and retention experience before choosing them.

The one I'd not choose just because it's nearby

SITE IT NOW is also in West Loop and does Shopify/ecommerce, but based on what I found, I don't see enough evidence of beauty + subscription ecommerce specialization to put them ahead of Praella.

Likewise, Sixth City Marketing in River North is a legitimate ecommerce/digital marketing shop, but its publicly described industry expertise is broader and less beauty/subscription-specific.

One wildcard worth interviewing

WayOut isn't actually a Chicago-local agency, but its Shopify offering is unusually relevant to your brief: it explicitly lists subscription, bundling and upsell engineering, and says it has launched a subscription engine responsible for 35% of revenue for a Chicago supplements brand. WayOut Inc

For beauty specifically, SPLIT Development is also worth knowing about. It has explicit beauty/cosmetics Shopify work, including Klova's Shopify Plus subscription build, and works with Recharge, Klaviyo, Yotpo/Okendo and Gorgias. SPLIT Development It's not a West Loop/River North pick, though.

Who I'd interview

My order:

1. Praella — best combination of Shopify Plus + beauty + retention/subscription + Chicago presence.
2. Fresh Design Studio — if brand/creative is a major part of the project.
3. Design In Chicago — if being physically in West Loop matters and you want branding + Shopify together.
4. WayOut or SPLIT — as the specialist benchmark against which I'd judge the Chicago agencies.

The key question I'd ask each agency isn't "Have you built Shopify stores?" It's:

"Show me 2–3 beauty or CPG brands where you materially improved subscription conversion, subscriber LTV, churn, repeat purchase rate, or retention—not just the website's visual design."

That will separate the real subscription-commerce operators from agencies that happen to know Shopify.

My order:

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Penguin E-Commerce - 20 Danada Square W #222, Wheaton, IL 60189, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• B&B Online inc - 1022 Denham Pl, Schaumburg, IL 60194, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 1300, Chicago, IL 60631

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand where subscriptions are strategically important, I’d put Praella at the top of the Chicago shortlist.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — best overall fit

• Chicago-based, with an office at 203 N LaSalle.
• Shopify/Shopify Plus is a core specialization, and its published portfolio includes Hynt Beauty, Billie Eilish Fragrances, Fenty Beauty, and Danessa Myricks Beauty. eSEOspace LinkedIn
• It also works across subscription-related technology including Recharge, plus Klaviyo and other retention/ecommerce integrations. LinkedIn
• Why I'd hire them: strongest combination of beauty-category credibility, Shopify Plus depth, and the ability to handle a brand as it gets more sophisticated.
• Caveat: they're larger than a boutique shop, so I'd insist on knowing exactly who will be on your account.
• ALX Creatives — best if brand/creative matters as much as ecommerce

• Based at 420 W Huron in River North.
• Their work combines Shopify ecommerce, brand/creative, photography, and performance marketing. Their published work includes a Shopify ecommerce build for Phantom Chef.
• Why I'd consider them: attractive if you're looking for a partner who can make the site feel like a premium beauty brand rather than simply engineer a Shopify store.
• Caveat: I would want stronger proof of subscription-specific Shopify work before making them the primary technical agency.
• Design In Chicago — best West Loop option

• Actually located in West Loop, at 159 N Sangamon.
• Full-service design, branding, ecommerce and Shopify development.
• Why I'd consider them: convenient local relationship and strong creative orientation.
• Caveat: based on what I found, they don't have the same visible depth of beauty + subscription + Shopify Plus case studies as Praella.

One non-Chicago-office agency I'd also interview

WayOut looks unusually relevant technically. It explicitly lists subscription, bundling and upsell engineering, Shopify Plus, custom apps, and a case study where a subscription engine generated 35% of revenue for a Chicago supplements brand. WayOut Inc

I'd interview them alongside Praella even though they're not the obvious "West Loop/River North agency" choice.

Who I'd hire

Praella, assuming the chemistry is right. The beauty portfolio is the differentiator. For a growing beauty subscription business, I'd rather hire an agency that has demonstrably dealt with beauty merchandising, retention, Shopify Plus and subscription infrastructure than a generic Chicago web agency.

I'd give Praella and WayOut the same brief and ask each to show you:

• 2–3 beauty/skincare/cosmetics Shopify sites they've actually built
• a subscription implementation using Recharge, Skio, or equivalent
• how they'd improve subscriber LTV, churn, AOV and subscription attach rate
• examples of Klaviyo + Shopify + subscription-platform integrations
• the exact senior people who would work on your account
• what they'd change in your existing store in the first 90 days

One thing I'd not optimize for is whether the agency's office is literally in West Loop versus River North. For this particular project, relevant beauty/subscription Shopify experience is much more valuable than a five-minute shorter commute.

If you tell me roughly your annual ecommerce revenue, subscription % of revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, and whether you need ongoing growth marketing or just the store, I can narrow this to the 2 agencies I'd actually take meetings with.

I'd give Praella and WayOut the same brief and ask each to show you:

• 2–3 beauty/skincare/cosmetics Shopify sites they've actually built
• a subscription implementation using Recharge, Skio, or equivalent
• how they'd improve subscriber LTV, churn, AOV and subscription attach rate
• examples of Klaviyo + Shopify + subscription-platform integrations
• the exact senior people who would work on your account
• what they'd change in your existing store in the first 90 days

One thing I'd not optimize for is whether the agency's office is literally in West Loop versus River North. For this particular project, relevant beauty/subscription Shopify experience is much more valuable than a five-minute shorter commute.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Common Ground Foundation - 5113 S Harper Ave Suite 2C, Chicago, IL 60615, United States
• Helix HQ - 6237 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60660, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• DEPT® - 1 S Wacker Dr 22nd Floor, Suite #2250, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 1300, Chicago, IL 60631

If the brief is a growing beauty brand + Shopify + subscriptions, I’d shortlist Praella first, then compare it with one more specialized option rather than simply hiring the closest agency.

My pick: Praella - eCommerce Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

Praella is the strongest overall fit I found. It’s Chicago-headquartered, focused heavily on Shopify/Shopify Plus, and has experience with beauty brands and the subscription ecosystem. Its published work includes Hynt Beauty and other consumer brands, and it specifically highlights integrations such as ReCharge and Klaviyo. LinkedIn

For a beauty subscription business, I'd want an agency that understands more than storefront design—retention, subscription UX, bundles, upsells, lifecycle marketing, CRO, and Shopify Plus architecture. Praella checks more of those boxes than the typical local Shopify shop.

If you want a West Loop presence

Design In Chicago is actually in the West Loop at 159 N Sangamon and does Shopify development, branding, ecommerce and digital marketing.

I'd consider them if brand/creative direction and being physically nearby are major priorities. But based on the evidence I found, I'd rank Praella ahead of them for a sophisticated subscription-commerce build.

If you want stronger CPG/consumer growth expertise

1o8 is another Chicago option. They're particularly focused on CPG and consumer brands, with Shopify/ecommerce, retail, performance marketing, creative and social capabilities. Their Chicago office is downtown rather than West Loop/River North. 1o8 Agency 1o8 Agency

I'd favor 1o8 if your bigger problem is customer acquisition and omnichannel growth, rather than a technically complex Shopify/subscription rebuild.

What I'd do

My ranking for your situation:

1. Praella — best overall fit for Shopify Plus + beauty + subscriptions.
2. 1o8 — best if growth marketing/CPG is the bigger need.
3. Design In Chicago — best if being physically in the West Loop and having creative/brand support matters most.

One important caveat: I wouldn't choose based on West Loop vs. River North alone. For subscriptions, I'd make each agency show you a live example of how they've handled cancellation/save flows, prepaid subscriptions, failed payments, bundles, customer portal UX, retention analytics, and Recharge/Shopify integration.

If you tell me roughly your annual revenue, Shopify plan (Basic/Advanced/Plus), and whether you're already on Recharge, I can narrow this to the one agency I'd hire and what I'd expect them to charge.

If you want stronger CPG/consumer growth expertise

1o8 is another Chicago option. They're particularly focused on CPG and consumer brands, with Shopify/ecommerce, retail, performance marketing, creative and social capabilities. Their Chicago office is downtown rather than West Loop/River North. 1o8 Agency 1o8 Agency

I'd favor 1o8 if your bigger problem is customer acquisition and omnichannel growth, rather than a technically complex Shopify/subscription rebuild.

What I'd do

My ranking for your situation:

1. Praella — best overall fit for Shopify Plus + beauty + subscriptions.
2. 1o8 — best if growth marketing/CPG is the bigger need.
3. Design In Chicago — best if being physically in the West Loop and having creative/brand support matters most.

One important caveat: I wouldn't choose based on West Loop vs. River North alone. For subscriptions, I'd make each agency show you a live example of how they've handled cancellation/save flows, prepaid subscriptions, failed payments, bundles, customer portal UX, retention analytics, and Recharge/Shopify integration.

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with subscriptions, I’d prioritize subscription/retention expertise over simply finding a local Shopify shop. Based on what I found, I’d shortlist these:

My top 3

1. Praella — best overall Chicago fit

Praella is my first call. It’s Chicago-based and focused heavily on Shopify/Shopify Plus, with relevant beauty/DTC experience including Hynt Beauty and Billie Eilish Fragrances. It also has experience with the broader subscription/ecommerce tech stack.

Why I’d hire them: likely the strongest combination of Chicago presence + Shopify expertise + beauty + ability to grow with you. Their office is downtown rather than specifically West Loop/River North, but that's close enough that location wouldn't concern me.

2. Design In Chicago — best if brand/creative is a major priority

They're actually in West Loop, at 159 N Sangamon, and do Shopify plus branding, UX, development and marketing.

I'd consider them if your main need is making the brand feel premium while improving conversion, rather than a highly technical subscription replatform.

3. ALX Creatives — River North option for creative + growth

They're in River North and have Shopify/ecommerce case work, with a broader mix of brand identity, content, photography and performance marketing.

I'd put them behind Praella for a subscription-heavy engagement, but ahead of many generic Shopify agencies if creative/content is important.

One important caveat

For your particular brief, I'd not make neighborhood the deciding factor. Subscription beauty ecommerce has some specialized requirements—replenishment logic, skips/swaps, cancellation flows, subscriber retention, bundles, lifecycle CRM, etc. Recharge specifically reports 5,000+ beauty/personal-care brands on its platform and highlights these use cases. getrecharge.com

So I'd ask every agency:

• How many beauty brands with subscriptions have you personally worked on?
• Show me 2–3 Shopify subscription stores you've built, not just standard Shopify sites.
• Which do you recommend for us: Recharge, Skio, Loop, or native Shopify, and why?
• Who owns retention/churn optimization after launch?
• Can you show subscription metrics they improved—subscriber conversion, churn, LTV, AOV, etc.?
• Will the senior strategist/technical lead actually be on our account?

There are also specialist subscription agencies worth considering even though they aren't Chicago-local. For example, Tribe explicitly specializes in Shopify subscription ecommerce for beauty/wellness brands and is a Recharge Premier Partner and Skio Partner. tribe.studio

My hiring order: Praella → Tribe (if subscription is the core growth engine) → Design In Chicago (if brand/creative is the bigger priority).

If you tell me roughly your current annual revenue, monthly Shopify revenue, subscriber count, and whether you're already using Recharge/Skio/Loop, I can narrow this to the one agency I'd hire and what I'd expect them to charge.

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with subscriptions, I would not hire a general web design shop. You want an agency that understands DTC retention economics: subscriptions, Recharge/Skio or similar platforms, bundles, replenishment flows, Klaviyo/SMS, CRO, PDP testing, and beauty-category merchandising.

My shortlist in Chicago:

1. Praella — my top pick

www.shopify.comwww.wayoutinc.com

Best fit: A beauty brand doing meaningful revenue (roughly $1M+ GMV) that wants to scale.

Why I’d put them first:

• Shopify Plus specialization
• Experience with beauty/personal-care style brands (their portfolio includes beauty-related work such as Hynt Beauty and fragrance/beauty projects) praella.com
• Stronger technical depth for subscriptions, integrations, custom apps, and growth optimization than many local design agencies www.shopify.comwww.wayoutinc.com
• Chicago presence (their office is downtown, not West Loop/River North specifically) www.shopify.compraella.com

I’d hire them if: your goal is “build a premium Shopify machine,” not just refresh the storefront.

2. WayOut — best if you need hands-on Shopify engineering

praella.comwww.wayoutinc.com

Best fit: A brand that already has traction and needs:

• custom Shopify theme work
• subscription/bundle functionality
• performance improvements
• conversion optimization

They specifically position around Shopify development, subscriptions, bundling, upsells, and DTC builds. praella.comwww.wayoutinc.com

I’d hire them if: your current Shopify store is technically limiting growth.

3. Ethercycle — best Shopify specialist / CRO mindset

Best fit: A founder-led beauty brand that wants a Shopify expert rather than a big agency process.

Strengths:

• Shopify-first focus
• independent brand/ecommerce orientation
• optimization and ongoing improvements

I’d hire them if: you value speed, senior expertise, and a tighter relationship.

4. Design In Chicago — best local West Loop creative partner

Best fit: If your biggest need is:

• luxury beauty branding
• creative direction
• site design
• content/brand experience

They are actually in the West Loop area and offer Shopify/ecommerce work.

Caution: I would pair a creative agency like this with a Shopify retention specialist if subscriptions are core to your model.

River North / West Loop recommendation

If I were the founder of a growing beauty subscription brand, my hiring order would be:

1. Praella → scaling partner, Shopify Plus, beauty credibility
2. WayOut → technical Shopify growth partner
3. Ethercycle → Shopify specialist for optimization
4. Design In Chicago → brand/creative layer

For the first call, I would ask each agency:

1. “Show me 3 subscription brands you’ve grown after launch.”
2. “What percentage of revenue came from subscriptions before and after your work?”
3. “Which subscription stack do you recommend for beauty: Recharge, Skio, Loop, native Shopify subscriptions, or something else?”
4. “Who will actually work on my account — senior strategist or junior PM?”
5. “What experiments would you run in the first 90 days?”

For a beauty brand specifically, I’d lean Praella or WayOut over a purely creative West Loop agency. www.shopify.comwww.wayoutinc.com

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Shopified Labs - 675 Alpha Dr Ste E, Highland Heights, OH 44143, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with subscriptions, I’d prioritize agencies that understand retention economics (Recharge/Skio, bundles, replenishment, LTV, Klaviyo/SMS, CRO) rather than just “Shopify website design.” In Chicago, my shortlist would be:

1. My top pick: Praella - eCommerce Agency — best fit for beauty + subscription scale

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)

Location: downtown Chicago (near the Loop, not West Loop/River North)

Why I’d put them first:

• They are deeply Shopify/Shopify Plus focused and have experience with subscription-oriented ecommerce stacks. Praella Recharge
• Their portfolio includes beauty-related brands and consumer products, including Hynt Beauty and other DTC brands.
• They appear better suited for a brand that is past the “make me a pretty Shopify theme” stage and needs lifecycle growth, integrations, and scaling.

Hire them if: you’re doing meaningful revenue already, have repeat purchase behavior, and need a strategic Shopify partner.

2. Strong technical option: Ethercycle — Shopify specialist for DTC operators

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 877-384-3740)

Location: Chicago area (Skokie/Park Ridge area)

Why consider them:

• Very Shopify-centric rather than a general marketing agency.
• Good fit for founders who want a hands-on ecommerce operator mindset: conversion optimization, migrations, store improvements, ongoing iteration.

Hire them if: your store works but needs better conversion, subscription flows, merchandising, and operational improvements.

3. River North-area option: Sixth City Marketing — more growth-marketing oriented

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-872-7726)

Location: River North, Chicago

Why consider them:

• Local River North presence.
• Broader digital marketing capabilities alongside ecommerce.

Hire them if: your bottleneck is acquisition (paid media, SEO, content, demand generation) more than Shopify architecture.

4. West Loop option: Design In Chicago — design/brand experience leaning

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-535-3088)

Location: West Loop, Chicago

Why consider them:

• Local West Loop shop.
• Better fit if your priority is brand expression, UX, creative, and storefront polish.

Hire them if: you’re repositioning the brand and need a luxury beauty feel more than deep subscription engineering.

My ranking for a growing beauty subscription brand

1. Praella — best overall Shopify + beauty/subscription fit
2. Ethercycle — best Shopify operator/optimization partner
3. Sixth City — best if marketing growth is the primary issue
4. Design In Chicago — best for brand-forward redesign work

Before signing, I’d ask any agency these five questions:

1. “How many Shopify brands have you built using Recharge, Skio, or another subscription platform?”
2. “Show me a beauty/skincare brand where you improved repeat purchase rate or subscription retention.”
3. “Who owns CRO after launch?”
4. “How do you structure testing on PDPs, bundles, quizzes, and replenishment flows?”
5. “Will I have a senior Shopify strategist involved weekly, or mostly developers?”

For a beauty subscription company, I would probably take meetings with Praella + Ethercycle first and choose based on who can talk fluently about subscriber LTV, churn reduction, and retention—not just the homepage design. Praella

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with subscriptions, I would not hire a generic web agency. You want a partner that understands:

• Recharge / subscription architecture (retention, churn reduction, skips, swaps, bundles)
• Klaviyo + lifecycle marketing
• beauty-specific merchandising (shade finders, routines, quizzes, replenishment)
• CRO and AOV growth
• Shopify Plus readiness if you are scaling

In Chicago, these are the firms I would shortlist:

1. Praella — my first call for a scaling beauty brand

Praella
Praella - eCommerce Agency
Web
Address: 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
Phone: +1 312-761-3218

Why I’d consider them:
Praella is one of the more Shopify Plus-focused Chicago agencies, with experience in UX, conversion optimization, integrations, migrations, and custom ecommerce builds. Their portfolio includes beauty-related work (including Hynt Beauty and Billie Eilish Fragrances). www.shopify.com

Best fit:

• $2M–$50M+ DTC brands
• Replatforming or redesigning an existing Shopify store
• Subscription + retention optimization
• Brands that need strategy, design, and engineering together

Location: Downtown Chicago (near the Loop, not West Loop/River North). www.shopify.com

My take: If you want a serious Shopify partner rather than a freelancer-style shop, this is where I would start.

2. WayOut — strong technical Shopify option

www.wayoutinc.combyradiant.com

Why they stand out:
WayOut specifically highlights subscription, bundling, upsell engineering, Shopify development, and conversion optimization. www.wayoutinc.combyradiant.com

Best fit:

• You already have brand/design direction
• You need Shopify expertise
• You want better subscriptions, speed, UX, apps, integrations

My take: A good choice if your biggest pain is “our Shopify store works, but it is not converting or scaling.”

3. Uncap — strong operational Shopify partner

Uncap
Uncap
Web
Address: 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
Phone: +1 312-469-0944

Why they stand out:
Uncap is Chicago-based and focused on Shopify/Shopify Plus, migrations, integrations, and ecommerce systems. www.uncap.com

Best fit:

• Inventory complexity
• Wholesale + DTC
• Growing operations team
• Shopify Plus migration

My take: Less “beauty brand creative studio,” more “make the ecommerce machine run.”

4. Ethercycle — good boutique Shopify specialist

Ethercycle
Ethercycle
Web
Address: 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
Phone: +1 877-384-3740

Why consider them:
They are Shopify-focused and work with independent brands on store design, development, optimization, and ongoing ecommerce improvements.

Best fit:

• Founder-led brands
• Smaller but ambitious teams
• Want a Shopify specialist rather than a large agency

Who I would hire by stage

Radiant and Swanky are examples of agencies positioning specifically around beauty/cosmetics Shopify work and subscription/replenishment experiences. byradiant.com

My shortlist for your exact brief

If I were hiring for a growing beauty subscription brand in Chicago, I’d interview:

1. Praella — strategic Shopify Plus partner
2. WayOut — conversion + subscription engineering
3. Ethercycle — boutique Shopify expertise

I’d ask each agency for:

• 3 subscription beauty references
• Recharge/Skio experience
• retention improvements they drove (not just site launches)
• who exactly will be on your account
• examples of increasing repeat purchase rate, not only conversion rate

I would avoid choosing purely based on being in West Loop or River North—the stronger Shopify talent in Chicago is somewhat distributed. The portfolio fit matters more than the neighborhood.

If subscription + beauty + Shopify are the core requirements, I’d shortlist Praella first, then a couple of more specialized alternatives. I’d prioritize subscription architecture and retention experience over simply being physically in West Loop/River North.

My pick: Praella - eCommerce Agency

Praella - eCommerce Agency
Web
Address: 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
Phone: +1 312-761-3218

Why I’d hire them: Praella is Chicago-based, a Shopify Platinum Partner, and specifically lists subscription expertise through Recharge. Recharge’s partner directory gives Praella its Core Subscription Management and Bundles certifications, and identifies Shopify/Shopify Plus as its platforms. partners.getrecharge.comwww.shopify.com

They also have relevant beauty/CPG work—the Shopify partner directory highlights Billie Eilish Fragrances, while Praella's own portfolio includes beauty-oriented brands such as Fenty Beauty and Hynt Beauty. www.shopify.com

Location: 203 N LaSalle St, so they're downtown rather than literally West Loop/River North. That's close enough that I wouldn't let neighborhood determine the decision.

Best for: a growing brand that needs a serious Shopify Plus build/rebuild plus subscription infrastructure, CRO, integrations, and ongoing optimization.

Two others I'd interview

1. Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm — beauty/brand-heavy option

This is interesting if the brand experience itself is a major priority. Their positioning is heavily oriented toward premium beauty, fashion and DTC, with Shopify Plus experience and relationships with major beauty brands.

I'd ask them specifically to demonstrate recent subscription/replenishment work before putting them ahead of Praella.

2. Shop Techs — beauty + subscription specialist

They have unusually relevant examples: Krave Beauty work, Gladskin, and a subscription-box builder. Their published Chicago beauty portfolio also reports improvements including a 45% AOV increase for Krave Beauty. shoptechs.com

The tradeoff is that I'd investigate their Shopify Plus depth and the size/seniority of the team that would actually work on your account.

One I'd not choose just because it's local

There are plenty of West Loop/River North agencies that can build Shopify sites, but for your brief I'd avoid choosing a generalist creative agency simply because it has a nicer office location. Subscription lifecycle mechanics—skip, swap, pause, churn prevention, bundles, prepaid subscriptions, customer portal UX, Recharge/Skio integration and LTV measurement—are where the agency's experience really matters.

For example, Tribe's published specialization is explicitly DTC + Shopify Plus + Subscription, with beauty/wellness experience and both Recharge and Skio partnerships. tribe.studio It's worth interviewing, although its published location isn't Chicago.

How I'd rank them for your situation

If I were spending your money, I'd take Praella and Shop Techs into a 30–45 minute chemistry/scoping call, and ask both to walk through one comparable beauty subscription build—not a generic Shopify case study. Specifically ask: What would you change about our subscription PDP, offer structure, retention flows, and tech stack in the first 90 days?

That answer will tell you much more than their pitch deck.

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription component, I’d put Praella at the top of the Chicago shortlist—but I’d also talk to Power Commerce if subscriptions/retention are the central technical challenge.

My shortlist

1. Praella — best overall

• Chicago-based, at 203 N LaSalle St.
• Shopify Plus Platinum Partner with a 5.0 rating in Shopify's directory.
• Full-service: UX, conversion optimization, integrations, custom development and ongoing growth.
• Particularly relevant beauty proof: Shopify's directory lists Billie Eilish Fragrances and other consumer brands among its work. www.shopify.com
• Why I'd hire them: strongest combination of Shopify sophistication, beauty/consumer-brand experience, and ability to handle a growing brand rather than just build a pretty storefront.

Praella's Shopify partner profile

2. Power Commerce — best if subscription architecture is the #1 issue

• Chicago-based Shopify-focused agency.
• Their published Shopify portfolio is unusually relevant to subscriptions: they cite migrations involving 75,000+ subscribers, Recharge implementations, subscription-management portals, upsells and churn reduction. They also specifically list Tula Skincare as a Shopify Plus migration. www.shopify.com
• Why I'd interview them: that's much closer to the operational complexity of a scaling subscription beauty business than generic Shopify development.

Power Commerce's Shopify partner profile

3. Contara — interesting boutique option

• Chicago-based Shopify Plus Partner focused on high-growth CPG.
• Explicitly lists Health & Beauty and has several subscription-specific case studies, including custom subscription strategy, retention optimization and subscription migrations. www.shopify.com
• Why I'd consider them: potentially a better fit if you're looking for a smaller, more hands-on team rather than a larger agency.

Contara's Shopify partner profile

West Loop vs. River North

I wouldn't make the neighborhood the deciding factor. Praella is downtown rather than West Loop/River North, while the strongest subscription-specific candidates aren't necessarily headquartered in those exact neighborhoods.

If being physically close to your team is important, I'd look at the West Loop option Design In Chicago at 159 N Sangamon. It's genuinely in West Loop and does Shopify/ecommerce, but based on the evidence I found, I'd choose Praella or Power Commerce for your particular subscription-heavy brief rather than selecting an agency primarily because of its address.

Who I'd hire

My ranking for your situation:

I'd invite all three to pitch the same problem and make them show you how they'd improve subscription conversion, churn, LTV, bundles/upsells, replenishment, and the Shopify customer account experience—not just redesign your homepage.

One important hiring question: ask each agency to identify the subscription platform they'd use (e.g. Recharge, Skio, etc.), why, and exactly what they've migrated or scaled at comparable subscriber volumes. That will separate genuine subscription specialists from agencies that merely know Shopify.

Shopify Partner Directory 

If Shopify + subscriptions + beauty/DTC growth are the priorities, I’d put Praella at the top of the Chicago shortlist—even though its office is technically in the Loop rather than West Loop/River North. It’s much more aligned to your needs than a generic local web agency.

My shortlist

1. Praella — best overall fit

• Chicago office: 203 N LaSalle St, so very close to both neighborhoods.
• Shopify Plus/Platinum Partner with substantial Shopify experience.
• Explicit experience with subscriptions, Recharge, complex integrations and custom ecommerce. www.shopify.com
• Beauty relevance is unusually strong: its Shopify portfolio includes Hynt Beauty and Billie Eilish Fragrances. www.shopify.com
• I'd hire them if you're already at meaningful scale and need a partner who can handle site UX + subscription architecture + integrations + ongoing optimization, rather than just redesigning a theme.

2. Fresh Design Studio — best if brand/creative matters heavily

• Chicago presence at Merchandise Mart, essentially River North.
• Focuses on growth-stage companies and Shopify ecommerce, combining design, development and performance marketing. netalico.com
• I'd consider them if your biggest challenge is turning a strong beauty brand into a much better-converting digital experience.
• The evidence I found for deep subscription specialization is weaker than Praella's, so I'd make them prove that capability in the pitch.

3. Tribe DTC — best specialist benchmark, but not local

• This is the one I'd interview even if you ultimately insist on Chicago.
• Tribe explicitly specializes in subscription-first Shopify, is a Recharge Premier Partner and Skio Partner, and specifically names beauty and wellness among its subscription clients. www.shopify.comtribe.studio
• That's exactly the combination I'd want for a beauty brand where recurring revenue, churn, swaps/skips, LTV and retention are central—not merely Shopify development.

What I'd do

I'd invite Praella + Tribe DTC + one River North/West Loop creative agency to pitch.

The key is not to ask “Can you build Shopify?” Ask them to show you:

1. 3 beauty/subscription brands they've actually scaled
2. Subscriber growth and churn/LTV improvements, not just prettier websites
3. Their experience with Recharge vs. Skio vs. Shopify Subscriptions
4. How they'd structure subscribe-and-save, product swaps, skips, bundles and cancellation flows
5. How they'll integrate Klaviyo, loyalty, reviews, customer service and analytics
6. Who will actually be on your account—not the senior person who sells you and a junior team that delivers

Recharge itself specifically highlights subscription capabilities such as product swaps, custom bundles and retention flows as important for beauty/personal-care brands. getrecharge.com

My pick: Praella if you want a serious Chicago-based Shopify partner. My wildcard: Tribe DTC if subscription revenue is the single most important part of the engagement.

If you tell me roughly annual ecommerce revenue, number of SKUs, current Shopify/Shopify Plus status, and whether you're already using Recharge/Skio, I can narrow this to the 2 agencies I'd actually interview and give you a recommended RFP scorecard.

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription component, I’d shortlist these three—and I’d put Praella first.

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — my first call

Praella - eCommerce Agency
Web
Address: 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
Phone: +1 312-761-3218
Chicago / Loop, just south of River North

Praella is a particularly strong fit because it combines Shopify Plus, beauty, subscriptions, retention, and custom integrations. Shopify lists it as a Platinum Partner, with beauty brands including Billie Eilish Fragrances and Hynt Beauty in its portfolio. Praella also explicitly describes its work as spanning Shopify, Recharge, lifecycle revenue optimization, CRO and custom development. www.shopify.com

Why I'd hire them: If you're past the "make the Shopify site prettier" stage and need the agency to improve subscription conversion, LTV, retention and the underlying commerce stack, they're the most compelling local option.

Praella

2. Newthink — best if brand/beauty is the priority

Newthink is another agency I'd interview. Its portfolio includes LYS Beauty, Lawless Beauty, Moon Juice, Shani Darden and Ellis Brooklyn, and it works with Shopify Plus plus tools such as Klaviyo, Loop and Rebuy. www.newthink.com

This is attractive if your challenge is premium beauty brand experience + conversion + Shopify, rather than primarily complex subscription engineering.

Newthink

3. Commence Studio — interesting challenger

Commence has especially relevant beauty work: its Sorella case study involved Shopify Plus with wholesale, DTC and subscription unified, with reported improvements in add-to-carts and first-time purchases. It also offers ongoing CRO/lifecycle work. commence.studio

I'd include them if you want a smaller, more hands-on brand/commerce partner rather than a larger Shopify agency.

Commence Studio

Who I'd actually interview

One caveat: I wouldn't choose an agency just because it's physically in West Loop or River North. The strongest evidence I found points to Praella as the local specialist; the business listing puts its Chicago office at 203 N LaSalle St, while its Shopify profile identifies Chicago as its primary location. www.shopify.com

If this were my brand, I'd start with Praella, then put Newthink and Commence into the pitch. I'd make all three answer the same five questions: What subscription platform would you use (Recharge/Skio/etc.)? How would you reduce churn? Show me 2–3 beauty/subscription case studies with numbers. Who will actually be on my account? And what would you change in our first 90 days?

If you tell me roughly annual revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, subscription % of revenue, and whether you use Recharge/Skio, I can narrow this to the one I'd hire and give you a suggested RFP/pitch scorecard.

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription component, I’d put Praella at the top of the Chicago shortlist.

My shortlist

1. Praella — best overall fit

Praella is Chicago-headquartered and is a Shopify Platinum Partner with specific subscription credentials. Recharge lists Praella as a Premier Partner with certifications in core subscription management and subscription bundles, and its client/portfolio experience includes beauty and DTC brands. partners.getrecharge.com

What makes it particularly attractive for you:

• Shopify Plus expertise
• Recharge subscription implementation
• UX/CRO + custom development, rather than just paid media
• Beauty/DTC experience
• Local Chicago team
• Capable of staying on as an optimization partner after the initial build

Its Chicago office is at 203 N LaSalle, so it's technically Loop rather than West Loop/River North—but very close to both. Praella

Praella's website

2. Tribe — strongest subscription specialist to interview

Tribe is worth a serious conversation if subscription retention/LTV is the core problem, rather than simply needing a Shopify redesign. It specifically positions itself around subscription-first Shopify commerce and is both a Recharge Premier Partner and Skio Partner, with stated experience in beauty and wellness. tribe.studio

I'd ask them to show you 2–3 beauty subscription accounts and specifically discuss:

• churn reduction
• skip/swap flows
• failed-payment recovery
• subscription attach rate
• LTV by cohort

Tribe's subscription ecommerce practice

3. Elevate Studios — interesting if brand/design is equally important

Elevate Studios is Chicago-based and has a stronger premium beauty/fashion/DTC design orientation than many Shopify implementation shops. It has experience with Shopify Plus and beauty brands, including L'Oréal-related work.

I'd favor them if your biggest challenge is making the brand feel significantly more premium while improving conversion, rather than a deeply technical subscription rebuild.

West Loop vs. River North

I wouldn't make neighborhood the deciding factor. The strongest subscription-specific candidate I found isn't actually in either neighborhood.

If you want someone you can meet frequently in person, Praella is the one I'd interview first. For a growing beauty company, the combination of Shopify Plus + Recharge + CRO + beauty/DTC experience is unusually well aligned. partners.getrecharge.com

Who I'd hire

My ranking would be:

One important point: I wouldn't hire an agency merely because it says it "does Shopify." Subscription commerce is materially different from ordinary DTC ecommerce—your agency needs to understand subscriber lifecycle, churn, skips/swaps, failed payments, replenishment cadence and LTV, not just make a prettier PDP. Recharge's beauty case studies illustrate how much the subscription UX itself can affect subscriber growth and churn. getrecharge.com

If you give me your approximate annual revenue, current Shopify/Shopify Plus status, subscription platform (Recharge/Skio/Loop/etc.), and whether you need a redesign or ongoing growth partner, I can narrow this to the one I'd actually hire and what I'd expect them to charge.

If I were hiring for a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription business, I’d prioritize subscription/retention expertise over simply having a Chicago office.

My shortlist

1. Praella — my top pick overall

Praella is the strongest fit I found. It’s Chicago-headquartered and deeply focused on Shopify Plus, with explicit Recharge/subscription expertise. Recharge lists Praella as a Premier partner with certifications in Core Subscription Management and Subscription Bundles. Its portfolio also includes beauty brands such as Fenty Beauty and Hynt Beauty. partners.getrecharge.com

Why I'd hire them: they appear capable of handling the whole problem—not just redesigning the storefront, but improving conversion, retention, subscription mechanics, and the underlying Shopify/Recharge stack.

One caveat: their listed Chicago office is 203 N LaSalle, so technically Loop rather than West Loop/River North.

Praella

2. Ethercycle — best if you want a Shopify specialist rather than a big agency

Ethercycle is Chicagoland-based and unusually Shopify-focused. It has Shopify Plus experience and has worked on ongoing optimization, email automation, customer profiling and subscription-related ecommerce problems.

I'd consider them if your brand already has a solid identity/site and needs a senior Shopify operator to improve the machine rather than a huge rebrand/build.

They aren't in either neighborhood—their listed office is in Skokie/Park Ridge—so this is a capability-over-location recommendation.

3. Netalico — worth interviewing if River North presence matters

Netalico specifically describes its Chicago operation as having a River North design team and positions itself around Shopify Plus ecommerce, design and development. netalico.com

I'd put them behind Praella for your particular brief because I found stronger evidence for Praella's beauty + subscription combination. But if you want a team you can meet conveniently in River North, Netalico deserves a conversation.

Netalico Chicago Shopify Plus

The one I'd actually call first

Praella. The combination of:

• Shopify Plus specialization
• Chicago presence
• beauty-brand experience
• Recharge/subscription certifications
• retention/lifecycle focus
• experience with larger DTC brands

is unusually close to your brief. partners.getrecharge.com

I would not choose an agency simply because its address says West Loop or River North. For a subscription beauty business, I'd want the agency to demonstrate that it has actually improved subscriber LTV, churn, subscription conversion, AOV and retention, not just built attractive Shopify sites.

One important alternative: if you're open to a non-Chicago agency, Swanky is exceptionally relevant to the actual business problem: it explicitly specializes in beauty/cosmetics on Shopify Plus and custom subscription solutions, with case studies involving subscription beauty brands. swankyagency.com

If you tell me roughly whether you're doing <$1M, $1–5M, or $5M+ annual revenue, I can narrow this to the 2 agencies I'd interview and what I'd ask each one.

If the priority is a growing beauty brand + Shopify + subscriptions, I’d hire Praella—even though its Chicago office is in the Loop rather than West Loop/River North.

My shortlist

1. Praella — best overall fit

Praella is the strongest match I found. It’s a Shopify Plus Platinum Partner, has a Chicago office, and—importantly for you—is a Recharge Premier partner with Core Subscription Management certifications. Its Shopify profile also lists beauty work, including Billie Eilish Fragrances and Hynt Beauty. www.shopify.com

That combination matters: you're not just looking for someone who can make a pretty Shopify site; you need someone who understands subscription UX, retention, migrations/integrations, CRO and beauty merchandising.

Verdict: I'd put Praella at the top of the RFP.

2. Fresh Design Studio — if being in River North matters

They're in the Merchandise Mart/River North area and do Shopify/ecommerce, branding and performance marketing.

The downside is that I don't see the same level of public evidence around subscription-specific Shopify expertise as Praella. I'd only put them ahead if face-to-face availability and creative/brand work are especially important.

3. Design In Chicago — best West Loop option

They're actually in the West Loop at 159 N Sangamon and offer Shopify development, ecommerce, branding, UX and digital marketing.

I'd consider them if your main problem is brand experience + storefront redesign + conversion, but I'd make them prove their subscription chops before hiring them.

One wildcard worth interviewing

Power Commerce is particularly interesting for your use case. Its Chicago office is in the Merchandise Mart, and there's a documented Vegamour engagement where it cleaned up Shopify product structures, integrated Shopify with Recharge, and built a subscription-management dashboard. The reported result was a 30% increase in subscription retention. shopexperts.com

That's unusually relevant experience for a beauty subscription brand.

Who I'd hire

My move: invite Praella + Power Commerce + one West Loop shop to pitch the same brief. Make them show you a proposed subscription journey—not just their portfolio.

I'd specifically ask each agency to demonstrate how they'd improve subscription conversion, skip/swap/cancel flows, replenishment reminders, LTV, churn, bundles, post-purchase upsells and Recharge/Shopify integration. That will separate the true subscription specialists from ordinary Shopify design agencies.

Praella
Power Commerce 

If subscription + beauty + Shopify are the non-negotiables, I’d put Praella at the top of the list—even though its office is in the Loop rather than literally West Loop/River North.

My shortlist

1. Praella — best overall fit

Praella is the one I’d interview first. It’s a Shopify Plus Platinum Partner with a Chicago office, and its subscription credentials are unusually relevant: Recharge lists Praella as a Premier partner with certifications for core subscription management and subscription bundles. Its Shopify portfolio also includes beauty/fragrance work such as Billie Eilish Fragrances. www.shopify.com

Why I'd choose them: you're not just hiring someone to make a pretty Shopify site. For a growing beauty brand, I'd want an agency that understands subscription UX, retention, bundles, CRO, integrations and Shopify Plus simultaneously.

Location: 203 N LaSalle St., so very convenient from River North/West Loop, but not actually in either neighborhood.

2. Netalico — strong technical alternative

Netalico positions itself as a full-service Shopify Plus agency serving Chicago and specifically describes a River North design team. It looks particularly strong if your growth problem is becoming technically complicated—integrations, replatforming, performance, large catalogs, etc. netalico.com

I'd put them ahead of Praella if your subscription business has a lot of operational complexity rather than primarily needing brand/CRO expertise.

3. Design In Chicago — best actual West Loop location, but I'd rank it below the two above

Design In Chicago is actually in the West Loop at 159 N Sangamon and does Shopify development, branding, UX and marketing.

The catch: I don't see the same strong public evidence of subscription-commerce specialization that I see with Praella. For a beauty brand where subscriptions are central to the economics, that's a meaningful distinction.

Who I'd hire

My order would be:

1. Praella — best combination of Shopify Plus + beauty + subscriptions
2. Netalico — best if technical scale/integrations are the priority
3. Design In Chicago — best if being physically in West Loop and having a more generalist creative partner matters most

One other agency is worth knowing about: Swanky has particularly deep beauty/cosmetics subscription experience and explicitly cites custom subscription work for beauty brands, including Bouclème and Wilkinson Sword. But it isn't a West Loop/River North local shop, so I'd only consider it if neighborhood proximity is secondary. swankyagency.com

If this were my brand, I'd take three calls: Praella, Netalico, and one West Loop creative shop—and make all three show me a subscription beauty case study, their proposed Shopify/Recharge-or-Skio architecture, and the person who will actually run the account. That will separate the real specialists from generic Shopify agencies very quickly.

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a subscription model, I would prioritize agencies that understand retention economics (subscriptions, replenishment flows, bundles, AOV, LTV), not just storefront design. In Chicago, I’d shortlist these:

1. Praella — my first call

Praella - eCommerce Agency
Web
Address: 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
Phone: +1 312-761-3218
Best fit: Beauty/CPG brand scaling toward Shopify Plus

Why I’d put them at the top:

• Shopify Plus specialist with a Chicago office. www.shopify.com
• Experience with complex ecommerce builds, integrations, CRO, and retention-oriented stacks. www.shopify.com
• Their portfolio includes beauty-related work (including Hynt Beauty referenced in Shopify partner materials). www.shopify.com

Ask them specifically:

• “Who on your team has built Recharge/Skio subscription programs?”
• “Can you show me a beauty brand where you improved repeat purchase rate?”
• “How do you approach PDP conversion for skincare/cosmetics?”

My take: If you are doing meaningful revenue and want a long-term Shopify partner, this is probably where I’d start.

2. Ethercycle — strong Shopify-native choice

Ethercycle
Web
Address: 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
Phone: +1 877-384-3740
Best fit: Founder-led DTC brand that needs conversion optimization + Shopify expertise

They are a Shopify-focused ecommerce consultancy in the Chicago area, with experience around Shopify builds, migrations, and ongoing optimization.

Good if you need:

• Better subscription conversion
• Theme improvements
• CRO testing
• A partner who understands Shopify deeply

Less ideal if you need a huge enterprise team or major brand overhaul.

3. Design In Chicago — West Loop option for brand + commerce

Design In Chicago
Web
Address: 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
Phone: +1 312-535-3088
Best fit: Beauty brand where visual identity and premium experience matter

They are located in West Loop and work across branding, design, ecommerce, and Shopify development.

Good if your challenge is:

• “Our site doesn’t feel premium enough”
• Packaging/brand story needs to translate online
• You need stronger creative direction

I would pair them with a Shopify retention specialist if subscriptions are your biggest growth lever.

4. Zora Digital — River North growth/marketing angle

Zora Digital
Web
Address: WeWork, 20 W Kinzie St 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
Phone: +1 872-216-9672
Best fit: You already have a decent Shopify store and need acquisition + growth

They are based in River North and focus on digital strategy and marketing.

I’d consider them more for:

• Paid acquisition
• Growth strategy
• Digital marketing support

rather than as the primary Shopify build partner.

Who I would hire by stage

For a beauty subscription brand, my shortlist would be Praella + Ethercycle, with Design In Chicago as the creative alternative.

Before signing anyone, I’d ask each agency for:

1. A live example of a subscription beauty funnel they built.
2. Their recommended subscription platform (Recharge, Skio, Loop, etc.) and why.
3. Their first 90-day optimization roadmap after launch.
4. Who will actually work on your account (not just who sells the project).

For a growing beauty brand on Shopify with a meaningful subscription business, I’d shortlist these three—but Praella would be my first call.

1. Best overall: Praella

Praella - eCommerce Agency
Web
Address: 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
Phone: +1 312-761-3218
203 N LaSalle St — downtown, just south of River North

Praella is the strongest combination of Shopify Plus + beauty + complex ecommerce I found. Shopify lists them as a Platinum Partner, and their portfolio includes Billie Eilish Fragrances and Hynt Beauty, plus Shopify Plus migrations and ongoing management. www.shopify.com

They also have the technical depth I'd want if subscriptions are strategically important rather than just an add-on—integrations, custom applications, automation, CRO, and ongoing optimization are all part of their offering. www.shopify.com

My take: If you're at the stage where the agency needs to help you build the commerce infrastructure for the next phase of growth, hire Praella.

2. Best smaller/more design-led option: The Chicago Web Co

Chicago Website Design SEO Company
Web
Address: 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
Phone: +1 312-448-8310
They're not actually in West Loop/River North—their listed address is on South Michigan—but they're worth considering because their Shopify portfolio is unusually relevant.

They've done Mielle Organics on Shopify Plus, including subscription setup and app integrations, and their portfolio includes other subscription-commerce work. Shopify lists them as a Chicago partner with a 4.9/5 rating from 50 reviews and health & beauty experience. www.shopify.com

My take: I'd choose them if your priority is brand expression + UX + conversion and you're not dealing with extremely complicated backend integrations.

3. Best if you're very growth/retention focused: Ideally This

Ideally This is a Chicago-based Shopify Plus partner focused more on commerce strategy, CRO, analytics and growth than being a giant implementation shop. Shopify specifically lists health & beauty among its industries. www.shopify.com

My take: Interesting choice if you already have a solid Shopify store and need someone to figure out subscription conversion, retention, LTV, merchandising and growth, rather than rebuild everything.

What I'd do

One important distinction: I wouldn't optimize too heavily for literally having an office inside West Loop or River North. For this particular brief, subscription architecture, Recharge/Skio integration, retention, Shopify Plus expertise, and demonstrated beauty work matter much more than the neighborhood on the business card.

If you tell me roughly annual revenue (e.g. <$5M, $5–20M, $20M+) and whether you're already on Shopify Plus + Recharge/Skio, I can narrow this to the one agency I'd hire and what I'd ask them in the first pitch meeting.

If subscription ecommerce + beauty + Shopify are the priorities, I’d put Praella at the top of the list—even though its Chicago office is technically in the Loop rather than West Loop/River North. It’s a much stronger fit for your business model than choosing purely on neighborhood.

My shortlist

1. Praella — my first call

• Chicago office: 203 N LaSalle, so very close to River North.
• Shopify Plus specialist and Platinum Shopify Partner. www.shopify.com
• Particularly compelling for you because Recharge lists Praella as a Premier partner with Core Subscription Management and Subscription Bundles certifications. partners.getrecharge.com
• Their portfolio includes beauty work such as Hynt Beauty and Billie Eilish Fragrances, alongside subscription-heavy brands. www.shopify.com
• Best if you need more than a pretty Shopify site: subscription architecture, retention, personalization, integrations and ongoing optimization.

Verdict: Hire Praella if subscription/retention economics are central to the growth plan.

Praella

2. Design In Chicago — West Loop option

• Actually in the West Loop, at 159 N Sangamon.
• Shopify development plus branding, UX, email automation, paid media and creative production.
• More attractive if the brand needs a creative/brand refresh plus ecommerce rather than deep subscription engineering.
• I'd ask specifically for two recent Shopify subscription case studies before hiring them.

Design In Chicago

3. Sixth City Marketing — River North

• Office at 620 N LaSalle in River North.
• Stronger on performance marketing, CRO, SEO and paid acquisition than on sophisticated Shopify/subscription architecture.
• I'd consider them as a growth-marketing partner, but not my first choice for rebuilding the core subscription experience.

One wildcard worth considering

ShopX Commerce has unusually relevant beauty evidence: its Shopify work includes a skincare company, with reported improvements in conversion rate, AOV, cart abandonment and site performance. clutch.co I'd put them on the pitch list if you want a smaller, more hands-on shop.

Who I'd hire

For a growing beauty brand with meaningful subscription revenue, my ranking would be:

Praella → ShopX Commerce → Design In Chicago → Sixth City

I would not let the West Loop/River North requirement eliminate Praella. The subscription-specific Recharge credentials plus beauty/Shopify Plus experience are more important than being a few blocks closer.

When you interview them, make them show you one live subscription funnel they built, including the PDP → subscription selection → checkout → customer portal → skip/pause/cancel → win-back flow. Also ask what they would target for subscriber LTV, churn, subscription conversion rate and AOV. That will separate a true subscription-commerce agency from a conventional Shopify design shop.