ChatGPT answers, unedited

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• 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
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, 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
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

If you’re specifically looking for one partner to handle the rebrand/brand strategy and the Shopify relaunch, rather than hiring a branding studio and a Shopify developer separately, there are several Chicago options worth putting on the shortlist.

Strongest fits

• Design In Chicago — West Loop / Fulton Market

• This is probably the most geographically aligned option: 159 N Sangamon St.
• Their capabilities span brand strategy/positioning, identity, messaging, web development and Shopify development under one agency. All For Agency
• Particularly worth considering if the project is as much about repositioning the business and creating a new brand system as it is rebuilding the store.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — Chicago

• More ecommerce/Shopify-centric than a traditional branding agency.
• They focus on Shopify/Shopify Plus builds, migrations, redesigns and ecommerce optimization, with UX/UI and strategy incorporated into the engagement.
• Their Chicago office is at 203 N LaSalle St. The business listing identifies them as a Shopify/Shopify Plus service partner.
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm — Chicago

• A particularly relevant profile if you're a premium DTC/ecommerce brand where brand storytelling and customer experience matter.
• Their capabilities include customer/audience research, ecommerce strategy, brand messaging, UX and Shopify Plus.
• Neat Digital — Shopify + branding

• Their Chicago offering explicitly combines brand identity—including logo, color, typography, voice and brand book—with custom Shopify development and launch management. Neat Digital
• This makes them interesting for a relatively contained “rebrand → redesign → rebuild → relaunch” engagement.
• Solo Media Group — Shopify-heavy integrated option

• They describe themselves as a senior design/development studio handling brand-led design, custom Shopify development, integrations, email/retention and ongoing support under one team. SOLO MEDIA GROUP
• Their stated client base includes DTC, beauty, wellness, food/beverage, CPG and specialty retail brands.
• WayOut — ecommerce/Shopify-first

• Their Chicago practice combines strategists, designers and engineers and offers custom Shopify themes/headless builds, migrations, CRO and growth services. WayOut Inc
• I'd put them toward the commerce/development end of the spectrum rather than choosing them primarily for deep corporate brand strategy.

If you're in Fulton Market specifically

There's an especially interesting local option:

ALL FOR™ Agency is actually based at 160 N. Elizabeth St. in Fulton Market/West Loop. Their published services include brand strategy & positioning, messaging, visual identity, rebranding, ecommerce web design, UX/UI and website redesign. All For Agency All For Agency

The caveat is that their site doesn't explicitly identify Shopify development as a core service, so I'd ask whether they build Shopify themselves or partner with a Shopify developer. For a brand-led rebrand, however, their location and capabilities make them worth a conversation.

How I'd narrow the field

One important distinction: "brand strategy" can mean anything from a logo refresh to genuine positioning, customer research, naming, messaging and architecture. For a business relaunch, I'd specifically ask each agency whether they'll own positioning + audience definition + messaging + visual identity + ecommerce UX + Shopify implementation, or whether some of those pieces are subcontracted.

If you tell me what the ecommerce business sells, approximate annual revenue, current platform, and rough rebrand/relaunch budget, I can narrow this to 3–5 Chicago agencies that look best matched, including relevant case studies and likely project size.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• PRA Chicago - 1 N LaSalle St #1800, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• C Change - 1052 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + relaunch, I’d look for a partner that can do brand positioning/identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify build → launch optimization rather than a pure Shopify developer or a pure branding studio. A few Chicago-area options that appear relevant:

How I’d shortlist for a Fulton Market relaunch

For a full rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d start conversations with:

1. Design In Chicago — strongest local fit if you want brand strategy and digital execution together.
2. Praella — strongest Shopify specialization if the ecommerce platform is the biggest risk area.
3. ALL FOR™ — good fit if the brand identity, packaging, photography, and visual world need a major reset before rebuilding the store. ALL FOR™
4. Neat Digital or WayOut — consider if you already have brand direction and need a high-quality Shopify implementation partner. Neat Digital WayOut Inc

Questions to ask before hiring

• Do you own brand strategy and positioning, or only visual identity?
• Can you show Shopify stores you designed and built, not just websites?
• Who handles UX research, conversion optimization, and analytics after launch?
• Will the same team that creates the brand system also build the Shopify experience?
• Do you have experience with my category (CPG, apparel, food/beverage, beauty, luxury, etc.)?
• What is the post-launch plan for CRO, retention, email/SMS, and merchandising?

If you share the category (food/beverage, apparel, beauty, home, etc.), current platform, approximate revenue stage, and whether you need a full identity overhaul or just a refresh, I can narrow this to the 3–5 best-fit agencies.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• C Change - 1052 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
• Marks - 1330 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• BRAND33 - 220 N Green St Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

If you want one partner to own the rebrand, ecommerce experience, and Shopify relaunch, there are several Chicago options worth putting on an RFP list. I’d separate them into true integrated brand + Shopify shops versus brand-first firms that may need a Shopify specialist.

Strongest integrated fits

• Design In Chicago — 159 N Sangamon St, West Loop/Fulton Market. This is one of the closest matches to your brief: brand strategy, branding, web development, ecommerce, and Shopify are all offered under one roof. Their positioning specifically combines brand strategy, design, development, marketing, and content. ALL FOR™

Best fit: A Fulton Market business wanting a relatively hands-on local agency to take the brand through website/store launch.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — Chicago-based ecommerce agency with substantial Shopify/Shopify Plus capability, including store redesigns and builds. Its focus is more ecommerce/technology-led than traditional brand-agency-led, so I'd ask specifically about brand positioning, naming, identity, and messaging if those are part of your rebrand.
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — Offers brand research/strategy, positioning and identity alongside ecommerce and Shopify development. This makes it another candidate for a single-vendor rebrand/relaunch, particularly if you also want SEO and digital marketing tied into the relaunch.
• ALL FOR™ Agency — Located directly in Fulton Market at 160 N. Elizabeth St. Its published capabilities include brand strategy + positioning, messaging, rebranding, ecommerce web design, UI/UX and website redesign. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™

Caveat: its public services emphasize ecommerce/web design rather than deep Shopify engineering, so I'd verify whether Shopify development is performed in-house or through a partner.

Worth considering for the Shopify side

• WayOut — Particularly relevant if the relaunch needs substantial Shopify engineering. It advertises custom Shopify themes/headless builds, migrations, subscriptions, bundles, integrations, analytics and A/B testing, with strategists, designers and engineers under one roof. WayOut Inc
• Xenon Commerce — More Shopify-development-oriented, with custom theme design, migrations, Shopify Plus, integrations and conversion-focused product-page work. Xenon Commerce
• Forix — Shopify-focused agency offering redesign, UX, CRO and performance optimization; its Chicago offering specifically references ecommerce businesses in Fulton Market. Forix

One particularly interesting Fulton Market option

ColorJar is at 1000 W Fulton Market and is much more brand-strategy-centric: positioning, brand architecture, naming, messaging, identity, customer-journey/brand audits and activation.

For a major rebrand, I'd consider ColorJar if the strategic repositioning is the difficult part, but I'd verify whether they'd take responsibility for the Shopify build or bring in a development partner.

How I'd structure the shortlist

For your particular brief — existing ecommerce business → rebrand → new Shopify experience → relaunch — I'd initially talk to:

1. Design In Chicago — integrated local brand + Shopify/web capability.
2. Praella — stronger ecommerce/Shopify depth; probe their brand-strategy scope.
3. ALL FOR™ — particularly attractive if you want a boutique Fulton Market creative partner.
4. WayOut — if Shopify architecture, integrations, subscriptions or a sophisticated rebuild are central.
5. ColorJar + a Shopify developer — if the brand strategy/repositioning is more important than having everything under one vendor.

One thing I'd be careful about: “brand strategy + web design + Shopify” doesn't necessarily mean the agency is capable of a serious rebrand. In your RFP, I'd explicitly ask for examples where they handled positioning → naming/messaging → visual identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development → migration/SEO redirects → launch, rather than simply showing Shopify redesigns.

If you tell me what the business sells, approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, and whether you're staying on Shopify or migrating to Shopify, I can narrow this to a 3–5 agency shortlist and compare their relevant case studies, Shopify credentials, likely project scope, and Fulton Market proximity.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, 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
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• 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
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d narrow the Chicago field to agencies that can own both the strategic/creative side and the ecommerce implementation, rather than hiring a branding shop and a Shopify developer separately.

Best fits

• Design In Chicago — strongest Fulton Market-local option.

They’re at 159 N Sangamon St in the West Loop/Fulton Market area and combine brand strategy, branding, web development, marketing, and content under one team. Their positioning makes them particularly interesting if you want the rebrand and digital experience developed together. ALL FOR™

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest Shopify/ecommerce-first option.

Chicago-headquartered, Shopify/Shopify Plus focused, with store redesigns, UX/UI and development. I’d put them high on the list if the relaunch involves migration, complex integrations, subscriptions, international selling, or Shopify Plus rather than just a visual refresh.

• ALX Creatives — good brand + ecommerce combination.

Their capabilities span branding/rebranding, web development, Shopify/ecommerce builds, design systems, photography/video, copywriting and performance marketing. This could work well for a consumer brand where the relaunch needs a strong creative identity as well as the store.

• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — good strategy/design + Shopify candidate.

They combine brand strategy, research, UI/UX and web development and list Shopify among their supported ecommerce platforms. This is more of a sophisticated brand/digital-design engagement than a Shopify-only shop.

• Danie Lyn The Brand — potentially good for a smaller/mid-sized consumer brand.

They specifically combine branding/creative support with Shopify store builds, redesigns and migrations. I'd investigate them if you're looking for a more hands-on boutique relationship.

One important distinction

If “brand strategy” means a genuine repositioning—audience, competitive positioning, value proposition, messaging, visual identity, packaging, tone of voice, etc.—I'd prioritize Design In Chicago, ArtVersion, or ALX and make Shopify capability a hard requirement.

If the brand strategy is already mostly established and the bigger challenge is replatforming/rebuilding the ecommerce engine, I'd prioritize Praella and Shopify-specialist agencies such as Forix, Makro, or SOLO Media Group. Forix emphasizes Shopify redesign/CRO, while Makro and SOLO are particularly strong around Shopify Plus, integrations and more complex commerce architecture. Forix Makro Agency SOLO MEDIA GROUP

My shortlist for a Fulton Market relaunch

One particularly interesting Fulton Market-specific candidate is ALL FOR™ Agency. It's actually located at 160 N. Elizabeth St. in Fulton Market/West Loop, and explicitly offers brand strategy + positioning, rebranding, ecommerce web design, UX/UI and website redesign. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™ The caveat is that its public site doesn't establish the same depth of Shopify-specific development as Praella/Makro, so I'd ask directly whether they would build the Shopify storefront themselves or bring in a development partner.

If you tell me roughly what the ecommerce business sells, current platform, annual online revenue, and whether you want Shopify Plus, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually invite to the RFP, including estimated project scope/budget and relevant case studies.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Wojo Design - 318 W Adams St #1609, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

Yes. I found a handful of Chicago firms that can credibly cover both the rebrand/brand strategy side and the Shopify build/relaunch, which is preferable to hiring a branding shop and a separate ecommerce developer.

My shortlist

1. Design In Chicago — strongest local fit for Fulton Market

• 159 N Sangamon St, West Loop/Fulton Market
• Explicitly offers brand development, positioning/messaging, rebranding, brand guidelines, plus Shopify development and ecommerce development under the same team. Design In Chicago Design In Chicago
• Their positioning is specifically about eliminating handoffs between strategy, design, development and marketing.
• Best for: a hands-on rebrand where the new identity needs to flow directly into a new Shopify storefront.
• I'd put this at the top of the list if being physically close to your Fulton Market business matters.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest ecommerce/Shopify option

• 203 N LaSalle St, Chicago
• Shopify-focused and currently a Shopify Platinum Partner, with strategy, branding/identity, UX, development, growth and integrations all under one organization. Praella Praella
• Particularly compelling because they have an actual case study where a Shopify migration was used as an opportunity to redevelop the brand—VIIA Hemp. Praella
• Their team explicitly describes itself as covering the brand, storefront and technology together.
• Best for: a serious ecommerce relaunch where Shopify architecture, conversion, integrations and scalability matter as much as the rebrand.
• SITE IT NOW — smaller West Loop option

• 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago
• Offers branding/creative alongside Shopify ecommerce development and positions itself as a brand-first web-development company.
• Best for: a smaller/mid-sized business wanting one relatively compact agency rather than a large Shopify consultancy.
• Codal — technical/ecommerce-heavy option

• 433 W Van Buren St, West Loop
• Strong ecommerce and Shopify development capabilities, with design/product expertise.
• I'd consider them if the relaunch involves complex integrations, custom functionality, or a larger catalog, but I'd want to verify how much upstream brand strategy they'd personally own versus execute from an existing strategy.
• ALL FOR™ Agency — particularly interesting because they're actually in Fulton Market

• 160 N Elizabeth St, Suite 809
• They explicitly offer brand strategy + positioning, messaging, visual identity, rebranding, as well as ecommerce web design. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™
• The caveat: I don't see the same explicit Shopify-development depth on their public materials that I see with Praella or Design In Chicago.
• Best for: making the brand itself exceptional, potentially paired with a specialist Shopify developer.

How I'd rank them for your specific project

What I'd do

For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I'd invite Design In Chicago and Praella to pitch against each other.

The interesting comparison is:

• Design In Chicago: “Let's rethink the brand, customer experience and storefront as one integrated creative project.”
• Praella: “Let's use the rebrand/relaunch to build a higher-performing Shopify commerce system.”

If your business is already established and the relaunch needs to materially improve conversion, merchandising, subscriptions, retention, integrations, or Shopify Plus capabilities, I'd lean Praella. Their VIIA case is particularly relevant because it combines rebranding with a Shopify transformation. Praella

If the brand itself is the bigger problem—positioning, identity, messaging, packaging, photography direction, tone of voice—and Shopify is primarily the vehicle for the relaunch, I'd lean Design In Chicago.

And because you're in/around Fulton Market, I'd absolutely take advantage of the fact that Design In Chicago and ALL FOR are right there rather than treating this as a generic nationwide agency search.

If you tell me roughly what you sell, current annual ecommerce revenue, Shopify vs. another platform today, and your approximate rebrand/relaunch budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you the likely project scope, strengths/weaknesses, and questions to ask each in the RFP.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Wojo Design - 318 W Adams St #1609, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d prioritize agencies that can own the strategy/identity work and the ecommerce experience together, rather than hiring a pure branding firm and then handing the Shopify build to another vendor.

Best Chicago-area fits

• Design In Chicago — strongest geographic fit. They’re in the West Loop/Fulton Market area at 159 N Sangamon and combine brand strategy, branding/identity, Shopify development, UX, and digital marketing under one team. Their service mix is unusually close to what you described. ALL FOR™

Best for: a hands-on local rebrand where the new identity needs to translate directly into the Shopify storefront.

• ALL FOR™ Agency — excellent for brand-led rebranding. They are actually based in Fulton Market/West Loop and explicitly offer brand strategy & positioning, rebranding, messaging, identity systems, ecommerce web design, UX/UI, and web development. ALL FOR™

Caveat: I would confirm how much Shopify engineering they handle in-house versus through a development partner.
Best for: a business where the brand repositioning is the central challenge and the ecommerce site needs to embody the new brand.

• One Design Company — strong strategy/design + ecommerce combination. Their Chicago team describes itself as a strategic design and development agency, with research, branding/strategy, UX, ecommerce, and Shopify implementation capabilities.

Best for: a more substantial strategic rebrand where customer research, positioning, UX and Shopify need to be designed as one experience.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest Shopify/ecommerce-heavy option. They're Chicago-headquartered and specialize in Shopify/Shopify Plus, migrations, redesigns and ecommerce optimization. Their positioning is particularly relevant if the relaunch involves substantial ecommerce architecture rather than simply making the site prettier.

Best for: established ecommerce businesses, Shopify Plus, replatforming, integrations and conversion-focused relaunches.

• Codal — good choice for a more complex relaunch. Their Chicago office is at 433 W Van Buren and they combine strategy, design and engineering, with Shopify/Shopify Plus ecommerce work.

Best for: larger catalogs, complicated integrations, custom functionality or a business that needs serious UX/product strategy alongside Shopify development.

One I'd consider if Shopify execution is the priority

WayOut is worth interviewing even though it's not specifically a Fulton Market shop. Its Chicago practice combines strategists, designers and engineers and offers custom Shopify themes, headless Shopify, migrations, apps, subscriptions and CRO. Wayout Inc.

Similarly, Makro is more enterprise-oriented: Shopify Plus, UX/UI, development, migration, integrations and CRO are all under one roof. Makro Agency

My shortlist for your situation

If you're specifically in Fulton Market and want one partner to rethink the brand and relaunch the ecommerce business, I'd interview these three first:

1. Design In Chicago — best overall local fit.
2. ALL FOR™ — best if brand strategy/repositioning is the heart of the project.
3. One Design Company — best if you want a deeper research/strategy/UX approach.

I'd add Praella or Codal to the pitch if the Shopify side is technically complex or you're anticipating a migration, Shopify Plus, ERP/CRM integrations, subscriptions, wholesale, or significant post-launch optimization.

One important distinction: "branding + Shopify" doesn't necessarily mean "brand strategy + ecommerce strategy + Shopify engineering." In your RFP, I'd explicitly require them to address positioning, customer/audience strategy, messaging, visual identity, ecommerce UX/information architecture, Shopify implementation, migration/SEO redirects, analytics, QA, and post-launch CRO as one connected relaunch plan.

If you tell me your industry, approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, and rough budget, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies and compare likely fit, location, Shopify capability, rebrand capability, and project scale.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, 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
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Virtina - eCommerce Web Design and Development Company - 1 E Erie St Ste 525-2149, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

If the goal is a true rebrand + Shopify relaunch, rather than simply hiring a Shopify developer, I’d narrow the Chicago field to a few agencies that can credibly cover brand strategy/identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development → launch/optimization.

My shortlist

• Design In Chicago — strongest geographic fit

• Based at 159 N Sangamon St in the West Loop/Fulton Market area.
• Combines brand strategy, branding, design, development, marketing, and Shopify under one team.
• This is particularly attractive if you want the physical/local relationship to matter during a rebrand and launch.
• Best for: a founder-led or mid-market brand wanting a highly integrated creative + ecommerce partner.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest ecommerce-first option

• Chicago-headquartered, at 203 N LaSalle St.
• Focuses heavily on Shopify/Shopify Plus, UX/UI, development, migrations and ecommerce optimization. Its positioning is explicitly around revenue and retention-driven commerce experiences.
• Best for: a serious Shopify relaunch where technical ecommerce performance matters as much as the new brand.
• Codal — strongest strategic/technical option

• Chicago-based in the West Loop at 433 W Van Buren St.
• More of a digital product/ecommerce consultancy: strategy, UX/UI, engineering, Shopify/Shopify Plus and complex ecommerce implementations.
• Best for: a larger or more complicated relaunch involving integrations, custom functionality, or a substantial replatform.
• ALL FOR™ — particularly interesting for the actual rebrand

• Located at 160 N. Elizabeth St., Suite 809, West Loop/Fulton Market.
• Explicitly offers brand strategy & positioning, messaging, visual identity, rebranding, ecommerce web design and UX/UI. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™
• I would clarify Shopify development capabilities in the first call; their published service list emphasizes ecommerce web design rather than explicitly positioning themselves as a Shopify development specialist.
• Best for: when the brand transformation is the centerpiece and the ecommerce experience needs to be rebuilt around it.
• ALX Creatives — good smaller-agency candidate

• Chicago-based at 420 W Huron St.
• Combines branding/rebranding, web development, Shopify/ecommerce builds, content and performance marketing.
• Best for: a smaller consumer brand that wants one nimble creative/performance team rather than a large consultancy.

One non-local specialist worth considering

Solo Media Group is worth putting on the RFP list even though it isn't Fulton Market-based. It describes itself as a Shopify Platinum Partner and handles brand-led design, custom Shopify development, migrations, integrations, email/SMS and ongoing support under one team. SOLO MEDIA GROUP

How I'd rank them for your specific project

My first three calls would be Design In Chicago, Praella, and Codal. I'd add ALL FOR™ if the identity/positioning work is likely to be substantial.

One important distinction: don't ask these agencies simply for a “Shopify redesign.” For a relaunch, I'd issue an RFP around brand positioning → identity system → ecommerce strategy/IA → UX/UI → Shopify 2.0/Plus development → migration/SEO → launch → 90-day optimization. That will reveal very quickly which agencies actually own the whole problem versus subcontracting pieces.

If you tell me what the ecommerce business sells, approximate annual revenue, current platform, and rough relaunch budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you a suggested RFP/brief tailored to the project.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, 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
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, 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
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

Yes. For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d narrow the Chicago market to agencies that can genuinely connect brand strategy → identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development, rather than hiring a branding firm and a Shopify developer separately.

My shortlist

1. Design In Chicago — strongest local/Fulton Market fit

• Located at 159 N Sangamon St, right in the West Loop/Fulton Market area.
• Combines brand strategy, branding, web design/development, marketing, and Shopify development under one roof.
• Particularly attractive if you want the agency physically close enough for workshops and an in-person rebrand process.
• Their positioning is broader creative/digital rather than Shopify-specialist, so I'd specifically ask for examples of substantial Shopify launches. ALL FOR™
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest Shopify/ecommerce choice

• Chicago-based and highly focused on Shopify/Shopify Plus.
• Their offering spans strategy, UX/UI, development, migrations, optimization and ongoing ecommerce growth.
• Better choice if the relaunch has meaningful technical complexity, integrations, subscriptions, large catalogs, or you expect to scale substantially.
• The tradeoff is that they're more commerce-first than a traditional brand-positioning agency.
• The Branded Agency — particularly interesting for a true rebrand

• This is one of the more directly relevant examples I found: a verified Chicago client engagement involved brand strategy followed by a new Shopify website.
• The project was specifically for a retailer, and the agency handled the brand identity, Shopify site, and marketing funnel. Clutch
• If your primary challenge is “we need to redefine the brand and then make the new Shopify store express it”, I'd put them high on the RFP list.
• SITE IT NOW — good West Loop option for a smaller/mid-market business

• Located at 1016 W Jackson Blvd, near Fulton Market.
• Positions itself as a brand-first web design/development agency and offers branding, ecommerce and Shopify development.
• Likely worth considering if you don't need a highly complex Shopify Plus architecture and want a more hands-on local agency.
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago — literally on Fulton Market

• Located at 1375 W Fulton Market.
• Offers web design, ecommerce, creative and digital marketing services.
• I'd treat this as a local-agency candidate to interview, but I'd want to see several recent Shopify replatform/relaunch examples before putting them ahead of the specialists above.
• Codal — best if the relaunch is technically complicated

• Chicago-based in the West Loop.
• More of a digital product/ecommerce consultancy than a conventional branding agency.
• Strong fit if your Shopify relaunch involves complex integrations, custom functionality, UX/product strategy or a significant replatform.

Two specialists I'd also interview

Neat Digital is worth a look if you're open to a non-Fulton-Market agency. Their Chicago Shopify offering explicitly combines brand identity, discovery/strategy, design, custom Shopify development and launch, with a four-phase process from discovery through development. Neat Digital

Solo Media Group is another strong commerce-oriented candidate. It describes itself as an end-to-end Shopify studio covering brand-led design, custom development, integrations, retention marketing and QA, rather than making you coordinate separate vendors. SOLO MEDIA GROUP

How I'd rank them for your specific project

My first three calls would be Design In Chicago, Praella, and The Branded Agency. They represent three useful approaches: local brand-first, commerce/Shopify-first, and rebrand-first with demonstrated Shopify work.

One important distinction: don't let an agency sell you a "Shopify redesign" when what you actually need is a brand repositioning + identity system + ecommerce experience + technical relaunch. Those should be scoped as one connected program, with the brand strategy establishing the foundation before the Shopify UX and visual design are finalized.

If you tell me your approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, product category, and rough relaunch budget, I can narrow this to the best 3 agencies and give you an RFP/brief you can send to all three for apples-to-apples proposals.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, 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
• 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
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d focus on agencies that can own both the strategic brand work and the actual ecommerce experience—not just hand you a new logo and then outsource the Shopify build.

Best fits I found

1. Design In Chicago — strongest Fulton Market fit

• Based at 159 N Sangamon St, right in the West Loop/Fulton Market area.
• Offers brand strategy/positioning, visual identity, messaging, Shopify development, UX/UI, and ongoing support under one team.
• This is probably the closest match if you specifically want a Chicago/Fulton Market agency with branding + Shopify in-house. ALL FOR™
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest Shopify/ecommerce option

• Chicago-based ecommerce agency specializing in Shopify and Shopify Plus, including store redesigns, UX/UI and development.
• Better choice if the relaunch is technically substantial—migration, complex integrations, subscriptions, internationalization, etc.
• I'd ask specifically how much of the brand strategy/identity they would lead versus partner out. Makro Agency
• Codal — strong enterprise/complex-commerce candidate

• Chicago agency with substantial UX, ecommerce, Shopify/Shopify Plus and custom development capabilities.
• Particularly interesting if your rebrand also involves a complicated ecommerce architecture, integrations or a sizable catalog.
• Less of a boutique brand-studio feel than Design In Chicago, but stronger on technical complexity.
• ALX Creatives — good brand + DTC combination

• Combines branding, creative direction, web development, Shopify/ecommerce, photography, content and performance marketing.
• Their work appears particularly suited to consumer brands where the relaunch needs to connect new brand story → creative → Shopify storefront → marketing.
• SITE IT NOW — local, smaller-agency alternative

• Based on W. Jackson Blvd in the Near West Side.
• Offers branding, ecommerce, Shopify development and digital marketing.
• Worth considering if you want a smaller team and don't need enterprise-level Shopify Plus architecture.

One particularly interesting Fulton Market option

ALL FOR™ is actually located at 160 N. Elizabeth St., Suite 809, West Loop/Fulton Market and is unusually strong on the brand side: brand strategy, positioning, messaging, naming, identity, rebranding, design systems and ecommerce web design. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™

The caveat is that I wouldn't put them in the same Shopify-development tier as Praella/Codal without confirming the technical scope. They could be an excellent choice if the brand transformation is the centerpiece and the Shopify build is relatively straightforward—or if you're open to a brand agency + Shopify specialist arrangement.

How I'd shortlist them

There are also specialist Shopify agencies such as Makro, Bigfolio, Shero, and WayOut that can handle sophisticated Shopify Plus work, but I'd treat them primarily as commerce/technology partners rather than pure rebranding agencies. Makro, for example, explicitly combines strategy, UX/UI, ecommerce development and Shopify Plus, while Shero covers Shopify Plus, DTC/B2B, migrations and integrations. Makro Agency Bigfolio LLC Shero Commerce WayOut Inc

If this were my project, I'd take three pitches: Design In Chicago for the integrated/local option, Praella for Shopify depth, and ALL FOR™ if the brand repositioning is the most important part. Then I'd compare their proposed approach to the brand strategy → identity → UX → Shopify → launch/growth sequence, rather than comparing hourly rates.

If you tell me roughly your current Shopify setup, annual ecommerce revenue, product category, and whether you're looking for a premium/high-end rebrand or a more cost-conscious relaunch, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually contact and give you a suggested RFP brief for each.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• C Change - 1052 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Evolution Point - 2631 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d look for agencies that can cover three areas together:

1. Brand strategy (positioning, messaging, identity, customer research)
2. Commerce UX/design (new storefront experience, conversion flows, merchandising)
3. Shopify development (theme builds, migrations, integrations, optimization)

A few Chicago-area options that appear aligned:

My shortlist by scenario

• A consumer brand that needs a complete identity reset + premium Shopify storefront:

ALL FOR™, Design In Chicago, Praella

• An existing ecommerce business with revenue, integrations, and operational complexity:

Praella, SOLO MEDIA GROUP, Forix

• A Fulton Market founder-led brand wanting a close creative partner:

ALL FOR™, Design In Chicago

• A Shopify migration/replatform project (Magento, WooCommerce, legacy Shopify, etc.):

Praella, SOLO MEDIA GROUP, Forix

Questions I’d ask before hiring

• Can you show 3 Shopify launches where you owned both brand direction and ecommerce UX, not just development?
• Who owns the brand strategy vs. Shopify build internally?
• Do you handle: - customer research/personas?
• messaging and product storytelling?
• Shopify theme architecture?
• subscriptions, bundles, subscriptions, B2B/wholesale?
• analytics, CRO, and post-launch testing?
• What is the handoff plan after launch?

For a Fulton Market business, I’d probably start conversations with ALL FOR™, Design In Chicago, and Praella because they cover the biggest gap in many Shopify projects: making the new store feel like a coherent brand relaunch rather than just a redesigned website.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, 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
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

If you're looking for one partner to lead both the rebrand and the Shopify relaunch, rather than hiring a branding shop and a developer separately, I’d narrow the Chicago field to these:

Best fits for a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand

• Design In Chicago — Probably the closest match to your brief geographically and organizationally. They’re in the West Loop/Fulton Market area and explicitly combine brand strategy/positioning, identity, web design, Shopify development, and marketing under one team. Their branding work includes positioning, verbal identity, visual systems and brand guidelines. ALL FOR™

Best for: a genuine brand repositioning followed by a new Shopify experience, especially if you want the agency physically close to the business.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — Best if the Shopify relaunch is technically substantial. They're Chicago-based and specialize in Shopify/Shopify Plus ecommerce, including UX/UI, development, migrations and optimization. Makro Agency

Best for: established ecommerce businesses where the relaunch needs serious Shopify architecture, integrations and conversion work. I'd specifically ask them how much of the brand strategy/identity they'd own versus bringing in a creative partner.

• SITE IT NOW — Worth considering for a smaller/mid-market rebrand. They're located on W. Jackson in the West Loop and combine branding, ecommerce, Shopify development and digital marketing.

Best for: a business that wants a relatively hands-on local agency rather than an enterprise Shopify consultancy.

• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm — Strong brand/ecommerce strategy candidate. They specifically work with premium DTC brands and offer customer/audience research, ecommerce strategy, brand messaging and Shopify Plus alongside digital design.

Best for: a more premium, design-led repositioning where the brand story and customer experience are as important as the technology.

A particularly interesting local option

ALL FOR™ is actually in Fulton Market itself — 160 N. Elizabeth — and offers brand strategy/positioning, messaging, identity systems, rebranding and ecommerce web design. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™

The catch is that I would not assume they're a full Shopify development shop. For a complex Shopify relaunch, I'd ask whether they develop the Shopify storefront themselves or partner with a developer. If they have a strong technical partner, this could be an excellent brand-first Fulton Market team.

If Shopify is the more difficult part

I'd also put Makro and Bigfolio on the technical shortlist. Makro specifically handles Shopify Plus design, development, replatforming, UX/UI, integrations and custom apps for Chicago brands. Makro Agency Bigfolio similarly combines Shopify Plus design/development, redesigns, CRO, content strategy and ongoing optimization. Bigfolio LLC

My shortlist for your particular project would be:

1. Design In Chicago — strongest local + brand + Shopify combination.
2. Elevate Studios — strongest brand strategy + premium ecommerce experience combination.
3. Praella — strongest Shopify/technical + ecommerce growth option.
4. ALL FOR™ + a Shopify development partner — strongest Fulton Market creative/brand option.
5. Makro — strongest if the relaunch involves complex Shopify Plus/integrations.

One important distinction: "brand strategy" can mean anything from a logo refresh to a genuine positioning/rebrand. For a relaunch, I'd want the agency to own positioning → messaging → visual identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify design/development → migration → launch, with one accountable project lead.

If you tell me your approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, product category, and whether you need a full visual rebrand or just a brand refresh, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare likely fit, capabilities, location, and project scope/cost tier.

My shortlist for your particular project would be:

• 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
• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Evolution Point - 2631 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
• C Change - 1052 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + relaunch, I’d look for agencies that can own the full chain:

brand positioning → identity/messaging → UX strategy → Shopify design/build → migration → launch optimization

A few Chicago-area firms that appear relevant:

Best fits for a full rebrand + Shopify relaunch

Praella - eCommerce Agency

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

Best for: DTC brands that need Shopify Plus strategy, UX, and development.

• Chicago-headquartered ecommerce agency focused on Shopify/Shopify Plus.
• Strong fit if the relaunch involves: - a new storefront experience
• customer journey redesign
• subscriptions, personalization, or retention work
• Shopify Plus migrations/redesigns

Design In Chicago

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

Best for: A local Fulton Market/West Loop partner where branding and web execution need to stay closely connected.

• Located in the Fulton Market area.
• Offers brand strategy, design, digital development, marketing, and ecommerce capabilities including Shopify work.

ColorJar

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-448-8192)

Best for: Brand strategy-heavy transformations.

• Based in Fulton Market.
• Stronger on the brand side: positioning, messaging, identity systems, brand architecture, and strategic direction.
• You’d want to confirm Shopify implementation depth or pair them with a Shopify specialist.

Strong Shopify-first options

Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-741-0303)

Best for: Smaller-to-midmarket companies wanting branding + ecommerce design/development together.

• Offers brand strategy, visual identity, website design/development, and ecommerce work including Shopify projects.

WayOut

Best for: Custom Shopify builds where engineering depth matters.

• Shopify-focused development agency serving Chicago brands.
• Capabilities include custom themes, headless Shopify, migrations, apps, and conversion optimization.

WayOut Inc### Bigfolio LLC

Best for: Larger Shopify Plus relaunches.

• Focuses on Shopify Plus design/development, migrations, CRO, performance, and enterprise commerce needs.

Bigfolio LLC## If the business is more complex (B2B, wholesale, integrations)

Makro

Best for: Brands needing Shopify Plus plus operational complexity.

Good fit if the relaunch includes:

• wholesale portals
• ERP/CRM integrations
• large catalogs
• B2B workflows

Makro Agency### Gapstow

Best for: Strategy + ecommerce operations.

Useful if the problem is bigger than the storefront (systems, merchandising, conversion, operational alignment). Gapstow

My shortlist for a Fulton Market rebrand/relaunch

I’d probably start conversations with:

1. Praella — strongest all-around Shopify/ecommerce transformation fit.
2. Design In Chicago — best local brand + digital combination.
3. ColorJar + Shopify specialist (if needed) — strongest brand strategy pairing in Fulton Market.
4. Bigfolio or WayOut — if the main risk is Shopify execution quality. Bigfolio LLC WayOut Inc

When interviewing them, I’d ask:

• “Can you show a before/after rebrand that included Shopify conversion improvements?”
• “Who owns brand strategy versus Shopify implementation?”
• “Do you handle migration SEO, analytics, email/SMS flows, and post-launch CRO?”
• “Will the same senior team that scopes strategy also build the store?”

If you share the ecommerce category (fashion, food/beverage, beauty, home, B2B, etc.), current platform, and approximate revenue/traffic level, I can narrow this to the 3–5 best matches.

• 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
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, 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
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Evolution Point - 2631 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

If your goal is one partner that can lead the rebrand and then translate it directly into a Shopify relaunch, I’d shortlist these Chicago-area agencies rather than hiring a separate branding firm and Shopify developer.

Best fits

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — My first call for a serious ecommerce rebrand/relaunch. They’re Chicago-based and combine brand/experience work with Shopify and Shopify Plus design, development, migration, and optimization. This is the strongest option if the relaunch needs to be more than a visual facelift. WayOut Inc
• Design In Chicago — Best local/Fulton Market-area fit. Their West Loop location is at 159 N Sangamon, and their capabilities span brand strategy/positioning, identity, Shopify development, UX, content, and marketing. That makes them particularly interesting if you want the rebrand and website to be developed together. Neat Digital
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago — Worth considering for a smaller/mid-sized business. They're actually located at 1375 W Fulton Market and combine branding, website/ecommerce development, and digital marketing. I'd investigate their Shopify depth and larger rebrand experience before making them the lead candidate. Neat Digital
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — Strongest brand-strategy/design-led option. They combine brand strategy, research, visual identity, UX and web development and list Shopify among their commerce capabilities. I'd favor them if the brand repositioning is the hardest part of the project and Shopify is the implementation vehicle. Forix
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — Good integrated branding + digital option. They offer brand strategy, identity, ecommerce/web development and Shopify, so they can potentially own the full journey from positioning through launch. I'd put them below Praella/Design In Chicago for a sophisticated ecommerce transformation, however. Liquid Web Developers

If Shopify sophistication matters most

There are also specialist Shopify agencies I'd consider for the relaunch/build side:

• Bigfolio — strong Shopify Plus design/development, redesigns, migrations, CRO and ongoing optimization. Bigfolio LLC
• Forix — particularly strong on Shopify redesign + CRO, with an emphasis on measurable conversion improvements. Forix
• Neat Digital — Shopify-focused design/development with a discovery → design → development → launch process explicitly aimed at Chicago brands. Neat Digital

How I'd narrow it for a Fulton Market relaunch

For your specific situation, I'd request proposals from three: Praella, Design In Chicago, and ArtVersion. They represent three useful approaches: ecommerce-first, local integrated brand+digital, and brand-strategy-first.

One important distinction: don't ask agencies simply for a "Shopify redesign." For a genuine rebrand/relaunch, your brief should ask for brand positioning → messaging/identity → ecommerce UX/content architecture → Shopify design/development → migration/SEO → launch → post-launch CRO. That will quickly reveal which agencies actually have an integrated team versus those that subcontract the branding or development.

If you tell me roughly your product category, current annual ecommerce revenue, existing platform, and whether you want Shopify or Shopify Plus, I can narrow this to the 3–5 agencies most appropriate for your budget and complexity and pull their relevant case studies/pricing signals.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• 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
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• DittaTech - 616 W Fulton St Apt 408, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Danie Lyn The Brand - 401 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

Yes. For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d prioritize agencies that can handle the brand thinking and the actual commerce build, rather than hiring a branding shop and a Shopify developer separately.

Best Chicago-area fits

1. Design In Chicago — strongest local all-in-one option

• Located directly in Fulton Market at 159 N Sangamon St.
• Offers brand strategy, naming/taglines, brand guidelines, web strategy, UX/UI, ecommerce and Shopify development.
• Particularly interesting if you want the agency physically involved in the rebrand and relaunch rather than simply outsourcing development. ALL FOR™
• Best for: a hands-on Chicago rebrand where brand identity and website need to evolve together.
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago — closest geographic fit

• Their listed address is 1375 W Fulton Market, so they're actually in the neighborhood.
• Combines branding, web design, ecommerce and digital marketing.
• Best for: a smaller/mid-sized business wanting a local, relatively hands-on partner.
• I'd specifically verify how deep their Shopify development capability is before making them a finalist.
• ALX Creatives — brand + Shopify + content

• Offers branding/rebranding, web development, Shopify/ecommerce builds, design systems, photography/video, UGC and performance marketing.
• That combination could be valuable if the relaunch also needs new product photography, creative and launch content.
• Best for: a consumer/DTC brand where the relaunch needs to feel substantially different visually, not merely a new Shopify theme.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest Shopify/ecommerce sophistication

• Chicago-based, at 203 N LaSalle St.
• Shopify/Shopify Plus is a core competency, including redesigns, UX/UI and ecommerce development.
• I'd put them high on the list if the existing business has significant revenue, integrations, subscriptions, complex merchandising, or a migration involved.
• Best for: a serious ecommerce relaunch where conversion, architecture and scalability matter as much as the new identity.
• SITE IT NOW — West Loop/Fulton Market-adjacent boutique

• At 1016 W Jackson Blvd.
• Positions itself as a brand-first web design/development agency and offers branding, ecommerce and Shopify development.
• Best for: a smaller business looking for a more accessible boutique agency rather than an enterprise Shopify firm.

Also worth putting on the RFP list

Bigfolio is worth considering if Shopify Plus is important. Its Chicago practice combines custom Shopify Plus storefront design/development, UX/CRO, content strategy and ongoing optimization. Bigfolio LLC

Conspire is another strong ecommerce-oriented candidate: Shopify Plus, web design/development, UX, CRO and retention marketing are all under the same roof. Conspire

Makro is more enterprise-oriented. It combines Shopify Plus strategy, UX/UI, development, migration, analytics and CRO, so I'd consider it if the relaunch is relatively complex or you're doing substantial replatforming. Makro Agency

WayOut is interesting for a more technically ambitious Shopify build: its Chicago offering includes strategy, design, custom Shopify themes/headless, private apps, subscriptions/bundles and analytics, with strategists, designers and engineers in-house. WayOut Inc

My shortlist for your particular project

If I were sending out 3–4 RFPs, I'd start with:

One important distinction: "branding + Shopify" doesn't necessarily mean the agency is good at brand strategy. For a rebrand/relaunch, I'd want the engagement to start with positioning, target customer, competitive/category analysis, messaging and brand architecture—not with someone showing you Shopify themes.

For a Fulton Market consumer brand, I'd structure the RFP around six deliverables: brand strategy → visual identity → messaging → ecommerce UX/IA → Shopify development → launch/growth plan. That makes it much easier to compare agencies on equal footing.

If you tell me what the business sells, approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, and whether you want a premium/luxury vs. mass-market positioning, I can narrow this to the 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually interview and give you suggested RFP questions and a rough budget range.

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + relaunch, I’d look for agencies that can cover three areas together:

1. Brand strategy (positioning, messaging, visual identity, customer research)
2. Shopify design/development (UX, theme builds, migrations, integrations)
3. Growth after launch (CRO, analytics, lifecycle marketing)

The strongest fits I found are:

If I were shortlisting for a Fulton Market rebrand

I’d probably start conversations with:

1. Forix — if the priority is a premium storefront that converts.
2. Praella — if you need brand + commerce transformation.
3. Netalico — if you’re a product brand (food, beverage, consumer goods).
4. Uncap — if you have wholesale/B2B complexity.
5. Makro or Bigfolio — if this is a higher-revenue Shopify Plus relaunch.

A good RFP brief for these agencies would include:

• Current Shopify URL/platform issues
• Revenue range and SKU count
• Brand problems (positioning, packaging, awareness, conversion)
• Desired launch date
• Needed deliverables: brand strategy, identity, UX/UI, Shopify build, migration, CRO, email/SMS, analytics

If you share the type of ecommerce business (fashion, food/beverage, CPG, beauty, furniture, B2B, etc.) and approximate budget, I can narrow this to the 3–5 agencies most likely to fit.

I’d probably start conversations with:

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d narrow the Chicago market to agencies that can connect brand strategy → identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development, rather than hiring a branding firm and a Shopify developer separately.

My shortlist

• Design In Chicago — strongest local fit for a smaller/mid-market relaunch.

They’re in the West Loop at 159 N. Sangamon and explicitly combine branding, strategy, web design/development, ecommerce, and Shopify development under one team. That makes them particularly interesting for a Fulton Market business that wants a cohesive rebrand rather than a disconnected website rebuild.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest Shopify/ecommerce-led option.

Praella is Chicago-based and specializes in Shopify/Shopify Plus, while also covering ecommerce strategy, design, and implementation. I’d put them high on the list if the relaunch involves subscriptions, complex integrations, personalization, or a significant existing Shopify operation.

• Fresh Design Studio — good brand + ecommerce combination.

Their Chicago presence is at Merchandise Mart, and their offering spans brand identity, creative, Shopify/WooCommerce ecommerce development, website redesign, and performance marketing. This could be a good middle ground if the brand transformation is as important as the technical rebuild.

• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — strategy/branding-first option.

They combine brand research and strategy, positioning/messaging, visual identity, website development, ecommerce, and Shopify. I'd consider them if the existing brand needs substantial repositioning before the new store is designed.

• ALL FOR™ — particularly interesting because they're actually in Fulton Market/West Loop.

Their office is at 160 N. Elizabeth, and their published services specifically include brand strategy + positioning, messaging, visual identity, rebranding, ecommerce web design, and UX/UI. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™
Caveat: I don't see Shopify development prominently advertised in their core service list, so I'd ask whether they build Shopify themselves or partner with a developer. For a brand-heavy rebrand, though, they're worth interviewing.

• BlueBolt Solutions — best if the Shopify rebuild is technically complicated.

They're at 415 N. LaSalle and focus on digital commerce, Shopify/Shopify Plus, custom development, integrations, architecture, and performance. They're more commerce/technology-oriented than brand-agency-oriented, so I'd choose them when the backend is the difficult part.

Two others worth considering

Uncap is Chicago-headquartered and a Shopify Platinum Partner, but it's much more B2B/unified-commerce oriented—manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, complex catalogs, ERP integration, etc. Uncap If your Fulton Market business has a serious wholesale/B2B component, move them way up the list.

CQL is another more enterprise-level option. It describes itself as a full-service Shopify Platinum Partner combining strategy, branding, UX, and custom development, but it's likely more agency than you need unless the relaunch is fairly substantial. LinkedIn

How I'd rank them for your particular project

My first three calls would be Design In Chicago, Praella, and Fresh Design Studio. I'd add ALL FOR™ if the rebrand itself is the biggest priority.

One important distinction: don't ask agencies simply for "a new Shopify site." For a rebrand/relaunch, your RFP should explicitly ask for a single process covering brand positioning → messaging → visual identity → ecommerce UX/content architecture → Shopify design/build → migration/SEO redirects → analytics/CRO → launch. That will expose very quickly which agencies genuinely do integrated work versus simply subcontracting one half.

If you tell me what the ecommerce business sells, approximate annual online revenue, current platform, and rough relaunch budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare likely fit, pricing tier, location, relevant case studies, and what I'd ask each one in the first meeting.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• C Change - 1052 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
• Marks - 1330 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Point B Communications Inc - 600 W Fulton St #710, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• DittaTech - 616 W Fulton St Apt 408, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• LAB - 200 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Crossover Collective - 845 W Fulton Market, Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d look for a partner that can cover three things together:

1. Brand strategy (positioning, audience, messaging, identity)
2. Commerce UX/design (new storefront experience, conversion strategy)
3. Shopify build + launch support (theme development, integrations, migration, optimization)

A few Chicago-area agencies worth shortlisting:

For Shopify-heavy builds specifically, I’d also look at:

• wayoutinc.com — custom Shopify themes, headless commerce, migrations, apps, and optimization. Wayout Inc.
• netalico.com — Shopify development plus UX strategy/design for ecommerce brands. Netalico
• uncap.com — particularly relevant if the business has wholesale, dealer, or B2B components. Uncap

My shortlist for a Fulton Market ecommerce relaunch

• Consumer brand / DTC: Praella + ColorJar (or another brand studio)
• Need one integrated vendor: Design In Chicago or SITE IT NOW
• Premium rebrand with a big strategic reset: ColorJar or Marks, then a Shopify build partner
• Complex Shopify Plus, subscriptions, ERP, wholesale: Praella, Uncap, or a Shopify-specialist agency

When interviewing agencies, I’d ask:

• “Do you own positioning and brand strategy, or only visual identity?”
• “Can you redesign the Shopify UX and implement the theme yourselves?”
• “Who handles CRO, analytics, and post-launch optimization?”
• “Can you show 2–3 Shopify launches where the brand strategy changed conversion, not just aesthetics?”

If you share the category (food/beverage, fashion, beauty, home, B2B, etc.), current platform, and approximate revenue/traffic, I can narrow this to the best 3–5 fits.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Point B Communications Inc - 600 W Fulton St #710, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Suit 1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Yes. I found several Chicago agencies that could credibly handle a brand strategy → rebrand → Shopify redesign/development → ecommerce relaunch as a unified engagement. For a business specifically in Fulton Market, I’d prioritize agencies that either have a strong West Loop/Fulton Market presence or demonstrable Shopify + brand strategy capability.

My shortlist

1. Design In Chicago — strongest local fit

• Based at 159 N Sangamon St in the West Loop, very close to Fulton Market.
• Combines branding, strategy, web design/development, ecommerce and Shopify development under one team.
• This is probably the most natural fit if you want an agency that can physically work with you through a rebrand and then translate that identity into the Shopify experience.
• Best for: a mid-market rebrand where brand identity and website experience need to be developed together.
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago — very close geographically

• Located at 1375 W Fulton Market, literally in the neighborhood.
• Offers web design, branding, ecommerce and digital marketing, with a particularly small-business/growth-company orientation.
• Best for: a smaller or emerging ecommerce company wanting a more hands-on local agency rather than a large consultancy.
• I'd specifically verify their depth of Shopify development before making them a finalist.
• SITE IT NOW — West Loop + brand-first

• At 1016 W Jackson Blvd, just west of Fulton Market.
• Positions itself as a brand-first web design/development company and offers branding, ecommerce and Shopify development.
• Best for: a practical rebrand + Shopify redesign where you don't need a massive enterprise implementation.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest Shopify/ecommerce option

• Chicago-headquartered at 203 N LaSalle, with substantial Shopify/Shopify Plus expertise.
• This is the one I'd put on the shortlist if the relaunch involves substantial ecommerce complexity—subscriptions, B2B, integrations, personalization, migrations, etc.
• Best for: an established ecommerce business where the Shopify architecture is as important as the visual rebrand.
• BlueBolt Solutions — technical/commerce-heavy option

• Chicago-based digital commerce agency specializing in Shopify/Shopify Plus, ecommerce strategy, replatforming, custom apps, integrations and conversion optimization.
• Best for: a relaunch where you're dealing with ERP, inventory, subscriptions, complex catalog logic or other backend requirements.
• I'd pair them with a dedicated brand specialist if brand strategy is the centerpiece rather than ecommerce technology.

One particularly interesting candidate

The Branded Agency deserves a call even though it isn't one of the Fulton Market offices I found. There's unusually direct evidence for exactly the combination you're describing: a verified Chicago client engagement in which the agency defined the brand strategy, created a new identity, built a new Shopify website, and supported the marketing funnel. The project was reported at $10K–$49K. Clutch Clutch

That's a much stronger signal for your particular brief than an agency simply saying it does "branding + Shopify."

How I'd rank them for your project

For context, the broader Chicago Shopify market is substantial: Clutch's August 2026 rankings show firms ranging from Shopify specialists to agencies combining branding, digital strategy and ecommerce development. Clutch

What I'd actually do

If this were my shortlist for a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand/relaunch, I'd interview Design In Chicago, The Branded Agency, and Praella first.

I'd give all three the same brief:

"We're not looking for a logo and then a separate website build. We need one partner to rethink the brand positioning, identity, ecommerce customer experience and Shopify implementation, and take us through relaunch."

Then ask them to show you one comparable before/after ecommerce rebrand, not just their prettiest branding work or their most technically impressive Shopify project.

If you tell me roughly your current annual ecommerce revenue, product category, current platform, and budget range (e.g. $30–50k, $50–100k, $100k+), I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit, strengths, weaknesses, and expected project scope.

• All For Agency - 160 N Elizabeth St, Ste 809, Elmhurst, IL 60607
• 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
• ALX Creatives - 420 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d look for agencies that can own both the brand transformation (positioning, identity, UX direction) and the commerce build (Shopify theme, integrations, CRO, launch) rather than splitting the work between a branding studio and a developer.

Here are Chicago-area agencies that look like strong fits:

My shortlist for a Fulton Market rebrand/relaunch

I’d probably start conversations with:

1. ALL FOR™ Agency — if the brand itself needs a major reset (new positioning, identity, packaging, tone, visual system) and Shopify is the next expression of that brand. ALL FOR™
2. Praella — if you already have traction and need a serious Shopify/Shopify Plus relaunch with integrations and scalability.
3. Design In Chicago — if you want a smaller, collaborative team handling brand + ecommerce together.
4. BlueBolt Solutions or Uncap — if your relaunch involves complicated backend requirements (ERP, wholesale, subscriptions, large catalogs).

Questions I’d ask before hiring

• Do you lead brand strategy before UX/design, or do you mostly redesign the storefront?
• Can you show Shopify launches after a rebrand, not just new builds?
• Who owns copy, photography direction, packaging updates, and email/SMS migration?
• Do you handle Shopify data migration, SEO redirects, analytics, and post-launch CRO?
• Is development done in-house or outsourced?

For a Fulton Market consumer brand, I’d prioritize agencies that understand premium retail positioning + conversion design, not just Shopify implementation.

• 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
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Suit 1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• DittaTech - 616 W Fulton St Apt 408, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Awesome Dynamic Tech Solutions, Inc. - 401 N Michigan Ave #1200, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d narrow the Chicago market to agencies that can genuinely connect brand/positioning → UX → Shopify build → launch/growth, rather than hiring a branding shop and a Shopify developer separately.

My shortlist

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest overall fit for a sophisticated Shopify relaunch.

Chicago-based and a Shopify Platinum Partner. Its offering spans business strategy, UX/design, conversion optimization, migrations, integrations, and custom Shopify development. Shopify itself describes Praella as a full-service Shopify Plus agency. Shopify
Best for: a meaningful rebrand where the new positioning, visual identity, ecommerce UX and Shopify implementation all need to work together.
praella.com

• Design In Chicago — particularly interesting because it's actually in the West Loop.

Its service mix includes branding, strategy, UX/UI, Shopify development, ecommerce and digital marketing, and its office is at 159 N Sangamon St in the West Loop.
Best for: a more hands-on Chicago agency relationship where the brand transformation is as important as the technology.

• Uncap — excellent if the ecommerce operation is complex.

Uncap combines strategy, information architecture, UX/UI, Shopify development, custom apps/Functions and integrations. It's especially strong for B2B, wholesale and operationally complicated Shopify Plus businesses. Uncap
Best for: a business with ERP, inventory, wholesale, subscriptions, complex catalogs or other systems that need to survive the relaunch.

• BlueBolt Solutions — strong strategy + commerce technology option.

The Chicago team positions itself around digital commerce strategy, replatforming, Shopify Plus, headless, custom applications and conversion optimization.
Best for: a larger or technically complicated relaunch where you want strategic discovery before committing to architecture.

• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — worth considering if the brand side is the priority.

It combines brand research/strategy, positioning, visual identity and website/ecommerce development, including Shopify.
Best for: a business that needs to figure out what the new brand should stand for before translating it into Shopify.

• Fresh Design Studio — boutique alternative.

Its Chicago operation combines brand identity/logo work with Shopify/WooCommerce ecommerce development and conversion-oriented site design.
Best for: a smaller/mid-sized brand looking for a more boutique creative partner rather than an enterprise Shopify consultancy.

One more I'd interview: Makro

Makro is particularly compelling if the relaunch is substantial rather than just a visual refresh. Its Chicago practice covers strategy, UX/UI, ecommerce development, Shopify Plus migrations, headless, CRO and custom apps, and it specifically talks about redesigning and modernizing Chicago ecommerce brands. Makro Agency

makroagency.com

How I'd rank them for your situation

For a Fulton Market business specifically, I'd start conversations with Praella, Design In Chicago, and Makro. If the business has complicated fulfillment, inventory, B2B or ERP requirements, I'd substitute Uncap for one of those.

One caution: I wouldn't choose solely based on an agency saying it does "branding + Shopify." For a relaunch, ask each agency to show you one case where they changed the brand/positioning and then carried that strategy through the ecommerce UX and actual Shopify implementation. That's the combination you're really looking for.

If you tell me roughly what the business sells, current Shopify/other platform, annual ecommerce revenue, and whether you're doing a full visual rebrand or just repositioning, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you a recommended RFP/budget range for each.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601
• DS&P Digital Marketing & PR Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604
• 222 Digital Marketing Agency Chicago - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602
• VisualFizz - 875 N Michigan Ave 31st floor, Chicago, IL 60611
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
• Awesome Dynamic Tech Solutions, Inc. - 401 N Michigan Ave #1200, Chicago, IL 60611
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601
• Adcetera Chicago - 750 N State St Fl 7, Chicago, IL 60654

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + relaunch, I’d look for agencies that can bridge brand strategy (positioning, identity, UX direction) and Shopify execution (design, development, migration, CRO) rather than a pure branding studio or a pure developer.

Here are Chicago-area options that fit that combined brief:

My shortlist for a Fulton Market rebrand/relaunch

1. ALL FOR™ + a Shopify specialist (or ask ALL FOR™ for their commerce partner)

Best if this is a true brand reset: new identity, story, packaging, photography direction, then ecommerce rebuild. ALL FOR™

2. Praella

Best if Shopify is the center of gravity and you need a partner who understands ecommerce operations. Shero Commerce

3. Neat Digital

Best if you want a smaller, Shopify-first team that can move quickly. Neat Digital

4. WayOut or Forix

Best if conversion rate, performance, subscriptions, integrations, or custom functionality matter. WayOut Inc Forix

When interviewing them, I’d ask for:

• 2–3 examples of full rebrands that ended in Shopify launches (not just Shopify theme builds)
• Who owns brand strategy vs UX vs development
• Whether they handle Shopify migration, SEO redirects, analytics, and post-launch CRO
• Their approach to Fulton Market-style audiences (hospitality, food/beverage, lifestyle, premium consumer brands, etc.)

If you share the business category (food/bev, fashion, beauty, B2B, hospitality, etc.) and approximate revenue/complexity, I can narrow this to the 3–5 strongest fits.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• C Change - 1052 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Point B Communications Inc - 600 W Fulton St #710, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Suit 1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• DittaTech - 616 W Fulton St Apt 408, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d narrow the Chicago market to agencies that can genuinely connect brand positioning/identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development, rather than hiring a branding shop and a developer separately.

My strongest shortlist

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — Probably the strongest fit if this is a substantial ecommerce relaunch. They’re Chicago-based, Shopify/Shopify Plus focused, and combine ecommerce strategy with design and development. Their Shopify work spans complex DTC, subscriptions, B2B, personalization, and integrations.

Best for: a serious replatform/relaunch where the brand and commerce architecture both need to change.

• C Change — Particularly interesting if brand strategy is the central problem. They’re a strategy-led creative agency in Fulton Market/West Loop, with work spanning brand strategy, storytelling, design and digital execution. I would specifically ask how much Shopify development they do directly versus through partners.

Best for: repositioning the company and creating a distinctive new brand before rebuilding the store.

• Design In Chicago — An unusually relevant local option because they combine branding, web strategy, UX/UI, Shopify development and digital marketing under one team, and they're in West Loop at 159 N Sangamon.

Best for: a hands-on, integrated rebrand + ecommerce redesign without going to a large enterprise agency.

• Fresh Design Studio — Combines branding/identity work with Shopify/WooCommerce ecommerce development and conversion-oriented web design.

Best for: a smaller/mid-sized business wanting a more boutique relationship.

• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago — The most geographically convenient option: 1375 W Fulton Market. They combine web/ecommerce work with branding and digital marketing, though I'd scrutinize their Shopify depth and experience with sophisticated rebrands before putting them on the final shortlist.

Best for: a smaller/local business where proximity and hands-on collaboration matter.

One more worth considering

CQL is worth a look if your business is larger or operationally complex. Shopify's own Partner Directory identifies CQL as a Platinum Partner in Chicago and explicitly lists business strategy, store build/redesign, custom apps/integrations, logo/visual branding, and optimization strategy among its services. Shopify

For the actual Shopify execution, Chicago Web Co is also compelling: its portfolio specifically shows brand relaunches, ecommerce strategy, Shopify redesigns, UX/UI, subscriptions and CRO, including a substantial Southern Scholar Shopify transformation. The Chicago Web Co

How I'd rank them for your situation

One thing I'd emphasize: don't make "Shopify development" the only screening criterion. For a rebrand, you want the agency to be able to answer questions like:

• What is the new positioning and target customer?
• What should the brand stand for after the relaunch?
• How does that positioning change the information architecture and merchandising?
• What gets retained from the existing site for SEO/equity?
• What does the new visual identity look like inside PDPs, collection pages, checkout and lifecycle marketing?
• How will the new Shopify architecture support subscriptions, bundles, wholesale, international sales, etc.?
• How will they measure whether the relaunch actually worked?

If this were my shortlist, I'd start with Praella, Design In Chicago, CQL, and Chicago Web Co, then add c|change if the brand transformation is more important than the technical Shopify work.

If you tell me what the ecommerce business sells, approximate annual online revenue, current platform, and whether you need a full visual identity or just positioning + website redesign, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies and explain why, including likely project size/pricing tier.

• What is the new positioning and target customer?
• What should the brand stand for after the relaunch?
• How does that positioning change the information architecture and merchandising?
• What gets retained from the existing site for SEO/equity?
• What does the new visual identity look like inside PDPs, collection pages, checkout and lifecycle marketing?
• How will the new Shopify architecture support subscriptions, bundles, wholesale, international sales, etc.?
• How will they measure whether the relaunch actually worked?

If this were my shortlist, I'd start with Praella, Design In Chicago, CQL, and Chicago Web Co, then add c|change if the brand transformation is more important than the technical Shopify work.

If you tell me what the ecommerce business sells, approximate annual online revenue, current platform, and whether you need a full visual identity or just positioning + website redesign, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies and explain why, including likely project size/pricing tier.

• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• All For Agency - 160 N Elizabeth St, Ste 809, Elmhurst, IL 60607
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• OFFIX - 744 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• NEXT! Digital Ad Agency - 55 W Monroe St #2950, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• Point B Communications Inc - 600 W Fulton St #710, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d look for agencies that can bridge three things: brand positioning/identity → ecommerce UX/design → Shopify build and optimization. A lot of Shopify developers are not brand strategists, and a lot of brand studios outsource the commerce build, so the overlap is narrower.

Here are Chicago-area options that appear relevant:

How I’d shortlist them for a Fulton Market relaunch

• Consumer brand / food & beverage / lifestyle / DTC:

Start with ALL FOR™, ColorJar, Design In Chicago, Neat Digital. They are closer to the “make the brand matter again, then rebuild the storefront” problem. ALL FOR™ Neat Digital

• High-volume Shopify store, subscriptions, integrations, wholesale, B2B:

Look harder at Praella, Codal, Uncap, Forix. Forix

• If you want one partner instead of coordinating a branding studio + Shopify developer:

I would ask Design In Chicago, Neat Digital, ALL FOR™, Praella, and Codal specifically:
“Can you own brand strategy through Shopify launch, including UX, copy direction, theme/custom development, migration, analytics, and post-launch CRO?”

For a serious rebrand/relaunch, I’d also ask for:

• 2–3 recent Shopify case studies (not just websites)
• who owns strategy vs. production
• whether copywriting/content strategy is included
• Shopify theme customization vs. fully custom development
• post-launch conversion optimization support

A Fulton Market company will likely benefit from a partner that understands premium positioning, hospitality/food/CPG aesthetics, and direct-to-consumer conversion, not just a technically correct Shopify build. ConversionEX

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• 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
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, 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
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d narrow the Chicago field to agencies that can genuinely connect brand strategy → identity/messaging → ecommerce UX → Shopify development → launch, rather than hiring a branding firm and a Shopify developer separately.

My shortlist

1. Design In Chicago — strongest Fulton Market/West Loop fit

• Located at 159 N Sangamon St, right in West Loop.
• Combines branding, brand strategy, web/ecommerce strategy, Shopify development, and digital marketing under one team.
• Specifically lists naming/taglines and brand guidelines alongside Shopify development. ALL FOR™
• Best for: a hands-on rebrand where the new brand needs to translate directly into the new Shopify experience.
• Codal — strongest sophisticated ecommerce/build option

• Located at 433 W Van Buren, close to Fulton Market.
• More technology/ecommerce oriented, with strategy and discovery, UX/UI, Shopify/Shopify Plus development, and ongoing optimization.
• Best for: a business where the relaunch has substantial UX, integrations, data, or technical complexity.
• BlueBolt Solutions — strong Shopify + strategy combination

• Chicago office at 415 N LaSalle.
• Focuses on ecommerce strategy plus Shopify/Shopify Plus builds, migrations, integrations and ongoing support.
• Best for: an established ecommerce operation that needs the rebrand to improve conversion and backend operations—not just aesthetics.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — Shopify-first, higher-end option

• Chicago-headquartered and focused heavily on Shopify/Shopify Plus.
• Particularly relevant if you're looking at a substantial replatform/relaunch, integrations, subscriptions, CRO, or a larger-scale DTC operation.
• I'd consider them if the Shopify component is the most technically demanding part of the project.
• SITE IT NOW — good nearby boutique alternative

• Located at 1016 W Jackson Blvd in the West Loop/Near West Side.
• Positions itself as a brand-first web agency and combines branding, ecommerce, Shopify development and digital marketing.
• Best for: a smaller/mid-sized company wanting a relatively integrated, hands-on agency rather than a large enterprise consultancy.
• ALL FOR™ — particularly interesting for the brand side

• This one is actually in Fulton Market, at 160 N Elizabeth St.
• Their service mix explicitly includes brand strategy & positioning, messaging, visual identity, rebranding, ecommerce web design and UX/UI. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™
• The caveat: their public service information emphasizes ecommerce web design rather than specifically positioning them as a deep Shopify engineering shop. I'd ask them exactly what Shopify development they do in-house versus through a partner.

One important distinction

If you're talking about a true business rebrand, rather than simply redesigning the Shopify site, I'd prioritize:

Design In Chicago → ALL FOR → Codal → Praella/BlueBolt

If the existing brand is already strong and the main problem is replatforming/relaunching Shopify, I'd reverse the emphasis:

Praella → Codal → BlueBolt → Design In Chicago

There are also Shopify specialists such as Forix, WayOut, and Neat Digital that are worth considering, but their public positioning is more heavily weighted toward Shopify/design/development than deep brand strategy. For example, Neat describes a discovery → design → custom Shopify development → launch process, while Forix emphasizes Shopify redesign, UX and CRO. Neat Digital Forix

What I'd ask each agency

For a Fulton Market ecommerce relaunch, I'd send the same brief to 4–5 agencies and ask them to respond to these specifically:

• Brand: positioning, audience research, naming/messaging, visual identity, brand guidelines
• Commerce: Shopify theme architecture, UX/UI, PDP/collection redesign, merchandising
• Migration: existing Shopify store vs. migration from another platform, redirects/SEO, customer/order/product data
• Integrations: ERP, 3PL, POS, subscriptions, reviews, email/SMS, analytics
• CRO: conversion research, analytics baseline, A/B testing after launch
• Launch: QA, redirects, tracking, DNS, launch-day support
• Post-launch: ongoing Shopify development and brand/creative support

I'd also explicitly ask “Who owns the brand strategy, and who actually writes the Shopify code?” That will quickly expose agencies that subcontract one half of the project.

If you tell me what kind of ecommerce business it is, approximate annual revenue, current platform, and whether you want a premium/strategic agency or a more boutique shop, I can narrow this to the 3 best Chicago agencies and compare likely fit, capabilities, location, and project complexity.

What I'd ask each agency

For a Fulton Market ecommerce relaunch, I'd send the same brief to 4–5 agencies and ask them to respond to these specifically:

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Codal - 433 W Van Buren St Ste 205, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• 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
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago - 1375 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Plan B - The Agency Alternative for the AI Economy® - 10 W Hubbard St #5w, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• The Office of Experience, LLC - 980 N Michigan Ave Ste 1090, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

Yes. I’d narrow the field considerably for a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + Shopify relaunch. You want one team—or a tightly integrated team—that can handle brand positioning → identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development → launch/CRO, rather than a branding agency that hands the site to a separate developer.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Design In Chicago — strongest local fit

• Located at 159 N Sangamon St in the West Loop, essentially in the Fulton Market ecosystem.
• Combines branding, web strategy, UX/UI, Shopify development, ecommerce, digital marketing, and creative production.
• This is probably the most natural fit if you want the rebrand and Shopify relaunch to feel like one integrated project.
• Best for: a consumer-facing brand that needs both strategic/visual repositioning and a substantial Shopify redesign.
• Codal — strongest for sophisticated ecommerce

• Based at 433 W Van Buren, in the West Loop/Fulton Market area.
• More technology/product-oriented than a traditional branding shop, with capabilities spanning strategy/discovery, UX/UI, ecommerce, Shopify/Shopify Plus, engineering and optimization.
• Best for: a relaunch where Shopify architecture, integrations, UX, and scalability matter as much as the new identity.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strongest Shopify-first option

• Chicago-headquartered and focused heavily on Shopify/Shopify Plus.
• Particularly relevant if the existing business already has meaningful ecommerce volume and the relaunch involves migration, integrations, subscriptions, CRO, or a more complex Shopify Plus build.
• Caveat: I'd investigate whether you want Praella to own the brand strategy itself or primarily the ecommerce side of the engagement.
• SITE IT NOW — interesting smaller-team option

• Located at 1016 W Jackson Blvd, close to Fulton Market.
• Positions itself as a brand-first web design/development agency, with branding, Shopify ecommerce, development and digital marketing under one roof.
• Best for: a smaller/mid-sized company wanting a hands-on agency rather than a large ecommerce consultancy.
• Evolve with Digital - Web Design Chicago — very local, potentially more hands-on

• Actually located at 1375 W Fulton Market.
• Offers branding, web/ecommerce and digital marketing, so geographically and functionally it checks a lot of your boxes.
• I'd put it into the pitch process if proximity and a smaller-team relationship are important, but I'd scrutinize its Shopify portfolio more heavily than I would with Praella or Codal.

Two others I'd consider

ALL FOR™ is particularly interesting if the brand transformation is the centerpiece. It's literally based in Fulton Market at 160 N. Elizabeth, and explicitly offers brand strategy/positioning, rebranding, ecommerce web design and UX/UI. All For Agency All For Agency

The catch is that I don't see the same depth of publicly demonstrated Shopify development as with Praella/Codal. I'd therefore consider ALL FOR + a Shopify specialist if the brand work is more important than having one vendor.

The Chicago Web Co. is another worth interviewing for the ecommerce side. Its portfolio demonstrates full Shopify redesigns, ecommerce strategy, brand relaunches, UX/UI, subscriptions, custom flows and CRO, including a case where a brand went through a complete Shopify transformation. The Chicago Web Co

How I'd rank them for your specific project

The important distinction

For a rebrand + relaunch, I'd avoid evaluating these as simply "Shopify agencies." Your project really has four connected workstreams:

1. Brand strategy → positioning, audience, differentiation, messaging
2. Identity → visual system, photography/art direction, packaging if relevant
3. Commerce experience → information architecture, merchandising, PDP/PLP, conversion journey
4. Shopify implementation → theme, apps/integrations, migration, analytics, SEO redirects, QA and launch

I'd make every agency pitch against that exact framework. Otherwise, you'll get beautiful brand work followed by a generic Shopify theme—or an excellent Shopify build that doesn't actually express the new brand.

For a Fulton Market-based business specifically, my first three calls would be Design In Chicago, Codal, and Praella, with ALL FOR™ as the fourth if the brand strategy/repositioning is the most important part of the engagement.

If you tell me the type of ecommerce business, approximate annual online revenue, current platform, and rough relaunch budget (e.g. $50–100k vs. $150–300k+), I can narrow this to 3 agencies and explain exactly why I'd brief each one differently.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d separate the Chicago market into agencies that genuinely combine brand strategy/identity + ecommerce execution versus Shopify specialists that are better as the technical partner.

Best fits to investigate

1. Design In Chicago — strongest Fulton Market-area integrated option
   • Located at 159 N Sangamon in the West Loop.
   • Offers branding, brand strategy, web design/development, ecommerce, and Shopify development under one team.
   • This is probably the closest match to your requirement if you want one agency responsible for the brand and the new store rather than coordinating two vendors.
   • Design In Chicago

2. Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — brand-led, smaller-business oriented
   • Downtown Chicago rather than Fulton Market.
   • Does branding, web design and Shopify alongside digital marketing.
   • Better suited if the project is a brand refresh/repositioning plus Shopify redesign rather than a highly complex Shopify Plus replatform.

3. Praella — strongest Shopify/ecommerce option
   • Chicago-based Shopify/Shopify Plus agency with substantial ecommerce experience.
   • Particularly compelling if your relaunch involves subscriptions, personalization, B2B, integrations, migration, or a more sophisticated Shopify Plus build.
   • Its emphasis is more ecommerce/experience than traditional brand strategy, so I'd explicitly ask whether they'll own the positioning, messaging and identity work or bring in a brand partner.
   • Praella

4. BlueBolt Solutions — strong commerce + UX/design
   • Chicago office on N LaSalle.
   • Shopify/Shopify Plus, custom ecommerce, migrations and integrations, with an emphasis on data-informed UX and brand-aligned experiences.
   • I'd consider them if the commerce experience is the difficult part of the relaunch, but I'd verify how deeply they go into actual brand strategy.

5. Uncap — excellent for complex Shopify, less obviously a brand agency
   • Chicago HQ and Shopify Platinum Partner.
   • Particularly strong for B2B, wholesale, manufacturing, ERP integrations and unified commerce. www.uncap.com
   • Probably overkill if you're a straightforward DTC brand, but very interesting if the business has wholesale/retail operations behind the Shopify store.

Particularly relevant because you're in Fulton Market

DittaTech is actually at 616 W Fulton St, so it's physically in the neighborhood. It's positioned as a boutique digital/branding agency covering web, branding, SEO, social and digital growth. However, I would verify their depth of Shopify development before putting them on the shortlist.

LAB and Designkitchen are also in/around Fulton Market and could be interesting for the brand/creative side, but I wouldn't assume they provide the same level of Shopify implementation as Praella or Uncap without confirming it.

My shortlist for your specific project

One important distinction: "brand strategy + Shopify" can mean two very different things. Some agencies mean logo/visual refresh + Shopify design, while others will actually do positioning → audience/competitive research → naming/messaging → visual identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development → launch/retention. For a true rebrand and relaunch, I'd favor the latter.

If you tell me roughly what the business sells, current annual ecommerce revenue, Shopify vs. another platform today, and your approximate relaunch budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit, capabilities, location, project scale, and relevant case studies.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave #1300, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• 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
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• All For Agency - 160 N Elizabeth St, Ste 809, Elmhurst, IL 60607
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, 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
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States

For a Fulton Market ecommerce rebrand + relaunch, I’d look for agencies that can own brand positioning/identity → UX/content → Shopify design & development → launch optimization, rather than pairing a branding shop with a separate developer. These Chicago-area options are the closest fits:

A few additional Shopify-specialists worth considering:

• BlueBolt Solutions — better if the relaunch involves integrations, experimentation, or a more technical commerce rebuild.
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. — better for larger organizations needing broader digital strategy, ecommerce, and ongoing support.
• 10com Web Development — broader web/branding/ecommerce support if you want a bundled digital partner.

For a Fulton Market brand relaunch specifically, I’d shortlist:

1. Praella — if the priority is Shopify performance, migration, and scaling.
2. Design In Chicago — if the priority is a complete brand expression and digital redesign from a local West Loop/Fulton Market-adjacent creative partner.
3. Uncap — if the store has operational complexity (wholesale, ERP, large catalog, Shopify Plus).
4. Ethercycle — if you already have a clear brand direction and need excellent Shopify execution.

A good agency brief for this type of project should ask for:

• brand strategy + positioning workshop
• visual identity refresh (if needed)
• Shopify UX audit
• information architecture/product merchandising
• custom Shopify theme development
• migration plan (SEO URLs, customer data, analytics)
• CRO testing roadmap after launch

One Fulton Market-based option to look at for the brand/creative side is All For Agency, which offers brand strategy, rebranding, ecommerce web design, and is located in the Fulton Market/West Loop area. Allfor Agency Allfor Agency It may pair well with a Shopify engineering specialist if you want a more brand-led relaunch.

Yes. For a rebrand + ecommerce relaunch, I’d prioritize agencies that can own both the brand/UX strategy and the Shopify build, rather than hiring a branding firm and a Shopify developer separately.

Best Chicago-area candidates

My shortlist for a Fulton Market relaunch

1. Praella — strongest first conversation

Praella - eCommerce Agency is particularly worth talking to if the project is more than a cosmetic redesign. Their positioning is ecommerce-first, and they can cover strategy, design, Shopify implementation and the technical side of a relaunch.

2. Makro — strongest for Shopify sophistication

Makro's Chicago Shopify Plus practice describes work spanning strategy, UX/UI, ecommerce development, migrations, headless commerce, CRO and analytics. That's a good match if the existing business has meaningful traffic, a substantial catalog, integrations or ambitious growth requirements. www.makroagency.com

3. Shero — strong "one agency" option

Shero's Chicago Shopify practice explicitly combines Shopify Plus, DTC, B2B, migrations, integrations and ongoing optimization. Their pitch is essentially that you don't need separate specialists for different parts of the commerce stack. sherocommerce.com

4. Neat Digital — worth considering if brand experience is central

Neat Digital's Chicago Shopify practice lays out discovery → design → custom Shopify development → launch, including QA, redirects, analytics and post-launch support. They specifically reference Fulton Market when describing their Chicago audience, which makes them particularly relevant geographically. neat.digital

5. Digital Heroes — interesting if you want positioning + ecommerce

Digital Heroes' Chicago Shopify practice describes a process covering discovery, positioning, design, Shopify Plus development and launch, with in-person kickoff/launch support available in Fulton Market. digitalheroesco.com

6. Netalico — good growth/ecommerce option

Netalico's Chicago Shopify agency page specifically combines strategy, UX/design and Shopify/Shopify Plus development, with an emphasis on conversion, AOV and sustainable ecommerce growth. netalico.com

One important distinction

If by "brand strategy" you mean a true rebrand—e.g. positioning, target audience, brand architecture, messaging, visual identity, naming, packaging/art direction—I'd put Praella / Digital Heroes / Neat ahead of agencies that are primarily Shopify engineering firms.

If you mean "rebrand" as a new visual identity + ecommerce experience, then Makro, Shero and Netalico become much more compelling.

For a Fulton Market physical/ecommerce brand, I'd probably send the same brief to Praella, Makro, Neat Digital and Digital Heroes and compare their proposed approach rather than selecting solely on Shopify credentials.

If you tell me what the business sells, approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, and whether the physical Fulton Market location is part of the relaunch, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies and compare likely project scope/pricing, relevant case studies, and who I'd contact first.

Yes. For a rebrand + ecommerce relaunch, I’d prioritize agencies that can genuinely connect brand positioning/identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify design/development → launch/growth, rather than hiring a branding shop and a Shopify shop separately.

My Chicago shortlist

A particularly interesting option is Design In Chicago because its offering explicitly spans branding, website strategy, UX/UI, ecommerce and Shopify development, and its office is at 159 N Sangamon in West Loop.

Elevate Studios is another strong candidate if you're doing a true rebrand, rather than merely refreshing the Shopify site. Its strategy work includes customer/audience research, brand messaging, ecommerce strategy and acquisition/CRM strategy, alongside Shopify Plus and other commerce platforms.

For a more enterprise/technical engagement, Praella and Codal are worth serious consideration. Praella is specifically focused on Shopify/Shopify Plus ecommerce, while Codal combines discovery/product strategy, UX/UI, engineering and Shopify development.

One important distinction

I would not automatically choose the agency physically located in Fulton Market. For this kind of project, I'd rank capabilities roughly:

1. Brand strategy/repositioning
2. Ecommerce/customer journey strategy
3. Shopify UX/UI
4. Shopify development/integrations
5. Migration, SEO redirects & analytics
6. Launch + post-launch growth

For example, Uncap is excellent if the difficult part is Shopify architecture, B2B, ERP, migration or integrations, but it is less obviously the choice if you're looking for a deeply creative consumer-brand repositioning. Its current positioning is explicitly Shopify/Shopify Plus B2B and unified commerce. www.uncap.com

Conversely, ColorJar is compelling if the heart of the assignment is "figure out what this brand should become"—it's a boutique brand-strategy/design consultancy right in Fulton Market—but I'd want to establish the Shopify delivery model before making it the lead agency.

There's also Chicago Web Co, which is unusually explicit about combining brand identity/creative direction with custom Shopify design and development, plus CRO and post-launch support. chicagoweb.co

If this were my project

I'd probably take 3 agencies into an RFP:

1. Elevate Studios — brand/ecommerce strategy-led option
2. Design In Chicago — local, integrated boutique option
3. Praella — Shopify/ecommerce-heavy option

And I'd ask all three to respond to the same brief covering:

• brand positioning and audience
• naming/messaging, if needed
• visual identity system
• ecommerce UX/customer journey
• Shopify theme/design system
• Shopify Plus vs. standard Shopify recommendation
• migration/data/SEO
• apps and integrations
• analytics/CRO
• launch plan
• 90-day post-launch growth

That will reveal very quickly whether you're talking to a brand agency that happens to build websites, a Shopify developer that happens to do design, or a genuinely integrated relaunch partner.

If you tell me roughly what the ecommerce business sells, current annual online revenue, current platform, and whether the brand identity itself needs to change, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies and give you a likely budget/timeline range for each.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d prioritize agencies that can own both the brand strategy/identity and the ecommerce experience, rather than hiring a branding shop and a Shopify developer separately.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Uncap — best for Shopify-heavy, growth-oriented relaunches
   • Chicago-based and a Shopify Platinum Partner.
   • Strong on Shopify/Shopify Plus, migrations, UX, integrations, and ongoing growth.
   • Better fit if the rebrand needs to be tightly connected to ecommerce architecture and operational systems. www.shopify.com
   • Caveat: its positioning is more commerce/technology-led than classic brand-strategy-led, so I'd specifically ask who would lead positioning and identity.

2. The Office of Experience, LLC — best for strategic brand transformation
   • Stronger on research, brand strategy, customer journeys, experience design, and digital transformation.
   • I'd consider them if the business needs a fundamental repositioning, not merely a visual refresh.
   • Their Chicago presence is in the Loop/West Loop area.

3. Design In Chicago — best local boutique option
   • Particularly interesting for a Fulton Market business because they're actually in West Loop at 159 N Sangamon St.
   • Their capabilities span branding, strategy, web design/development, Shopify, ecommerce, marketing, and creative production.
   • This is probably the closest match if you want a smaller Chicago team that can keep the brand and website under one roof.

4. Praella — best Shopify specialist with sophisticated ecommerce experience
   • Chicago-headquartered, Shopify/Shopify Plus-focused ecommerce agency.
   • Particularly strong for complex ecommerce builds, migrations, subscriptions, integrations, and high-growth DTC businesses.
   • I'd shortlist them if the relaunch mechanics and conversion performance are as important as the rebrand. www.shopify.com

5. CQL — strongest enterprise-grade integrated option
   • CQL is a Chicago Shopify Platinum Partner with a notably broad combination of commerce strategy, branding/creative direction, UX, Shopify development, custom integrations and post-launch growth. www.cqlcorp.com
   • What's especially relevant: CQL has documented Shopify projects where brand refresh/repositioning and Shopify replatforming happened together. Its Kan Jam work, for example, involved new brand styles followed by a repeatable Shopify architecture. www.cqlcorp.com
   • Its Gazelle Sports case is another very close analogue: digital brand refresh + UX redesign + Shopify replatform + custom development. www.cqlcorp.com
   • I'd lean CQL if you're an established business with meaningful revenue, inventory, integrations, or multiple channels.

6. Envoy — best if the rebrand itself is the centerpiece
   • Envoy has a Chicago office at 211 N Clinton St and explicitly combines Brand & Strategy with Commerce. www.weareenvoy.com
   • Its brand practice includes positioning, consumer/market insights, visual identity and brand activation; its commerce practice includes ecommerce strategy, UX, visual design, new builds and migrations. www.weareenvoy.com
   • This is probably the most compelling option if you want a serious strategic rebrand that then gets translated into a premium ecommerce experience, rather than simply redesigning the Shopify theme.

How I'd rank them for your specific project

One important distinction: “brand strategy” can mean very different things. Some Shopify agencies mean visual identity + UX; others actually do positioning, audience research, value proposition, messaging architecture and brand platform. For a true rebrand, I'd insist on the latter.

For a Fulton Market DTC/ecommerce company, my first three calls would be CQL, Envoy, and Design In Chicago. CQL has the strongest evidence of actually executing the brand refresh → Shopify relaunch combination, while Envoy looks strongest if the brand transformation is the central challenge. www.cqlcorp.com

If you tell me your industry, approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, and rough rebrand/relaunch budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare likely project scope, strengths, weaknesses, and fit.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d prioritize agencies that can own both the strategic/brand work and the commerce build rather than handing the Shopify portion to a separate developer.

Strongest Chicago-area candidates

1. Praella — probably the strongest fit if this is a substantial Shopify/Shopify Plus relaunch. They’re Chicago-headquartered and specialize in Shopify/Plus, with strategy, UX/design, development, migrations, and integrations. Good choice if the business has meaningful operational complexity or ambitions beyond a simple storefront.

2. Uncap — particularly compelling if the business has B2B, wholesale, inventory, ERP, or other complicated commerce requirements. They combine ecommerce strategy, Shopify development, UX, and systems integration. Their positioning is more commerce-engineering-heavy than traditional brand-agency-heavy.

3. Design In Chicago — the most geographically relevant option for Fulton Market: their office is at 159 N Sangamon St in West Loop, essentially right in the neighborhood. They combine branding, web strategy, UI/UX, Shopify development, marketing, and creative production. This is worth a serious look if you want an agency that can participate closely in the physical/local side of the relaunch.

4. Brand Vision Marketing — a more brand/marketing-led option. They explicitly work across branding, web strategy, Shopify, and conversion-oriented digital experiences. I'd consider them if the brand repositioning is at least as important as the technical Shopify work.

5. Elevate Studios — interesting for a more premium/DTC-oriented rebrand. Their capabilities span ecommerce strategy, customer research, brand messaging, creative, and Shopify Plus, with an emphasis on premium beauty/fashion/DTC-type businesses.

6. Fresh Design Studio — a smaller, potentially more hands-on option. Their Chicago presence is at the Merchandise Mart, and they combine Shopify/WooCommerce development with brand identity, logo work, creative direction, and performance marketing.

One especially relevant proof point

The Branded Agency has a particularly close case study to what you're describing: Clutch documents a project where they defined a retailer's brand strategy, created a new identity, and built a new Shopify website as one engagement. clutch.co

That makes them worth putting on the shortlist even though I'd want to verify their current Chicago availability and Shopify depth before ranking them above the firms above.

How I'd shortlist them

There are also several Shopify specialists that are excellent technically but I'd put behind the above for a true brand rebrand. For example, Conspire explicitly combines Shopify Plus strategy, design, development and CRO, while Chicago Web Co combines Shopify development with brand identity and creative direction. www.conspireagency.com

My first three calls would be Praella, Design In Chicago, and Uncap—but for different reasons. If the priority is “make the brand feel completely new and then make the new Shopify experience embody it,” Design In Chicago is especially interesting because of its Fulton Market/West Loop proximity. If the priority is “this is a serious ecommerce transformation and Shopify has to work flawlessly,” Praella or Uncap becomes more compelling.

If you tell me the type of ecommerce business, approximate annual revenue, current platform, and rough relaunch budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit, pricing tier, relevant case studies, and who I'd contact first.

Yes. For a rebrand + ecommerce relaunch on Shopify, I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably rather than looking at generic Shopify developers. You want an agency that can connect brand positioning/identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify design/development → launch/CRO under one team.

My shortlist

1. The Chicago Web Co. — probably my first call

The Chicago Web Co.

This is unusually close to what you're describing. They explicitly combine brand identity/creative direction with Shopify design and development, rather than treating branding and ecommerce as separate engagements. chicagoweb.co

Their portfolio is particularly relevant: they've done brand relaunches, Shopify replatforms, full redesigns, ecommerce strategy and CRO. For example, their work includes a brand relaunch for QM Spirits, a new branded Shopify launch for Geneba Tequila, and substantial Shopify redesign/replatform projects. chicagoweb.co

They also have a Chicago base and describe themselves as having launched 1,200+ Shopify stores. chicagoweb.co

I'd put them at #1 if you're a consumer brand and the goal is "make the new brand feel completely different when customers hit the site."

2. Design In Chicago — strongest if the brand strategy is the centerpiece

Design In Chicago

They're based in West Loop, so geographically they're particularly convenient for a Fulton Market business. Their positioning is explicitly integrated: strategy, branding, design, development and marketing, with an emphasis on avoiding handoffs between separate vendors. designinchicago.com

The caveat is that I'd want to verify the depth of their Shopify-specific ecommerce engineering during the pitch. Their broader offering is excellent for the brand/creative side, but I'd probe how much of the Shopify work is done in-house versus through partners.

Good choice if your project is 60% brand transformation / 40% ecommerce.

3. Praella — strongest sophisticated Shopify option

Praella

Praella is Chicago-headquartered and focused heavily on Shopify/Shopify Plus. Its positioning is more commerce transformation than traditional branding agency, but it has the technical depth I'd want if your relaunch involves subscriptions, complex integrations, personalization, B2B, internationalization, or a significant migration. praella.com

The local business listing identifies its Chicago office at 203 N LaSalle and describes it as a Shopify/Shopify Plus-focused ecommerce and marketing agency. Praella

I'd shortlist them if the new site needs to be a serious revenue/technology platform, not just a prettier storefront.

4. Elevate Studios — worth a look for a premium brand

Elevate Studios
Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm
Web
Address: 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
Phone: +1 312-932-1104

Elevate sits at the intersection of strategy, design and technology, with strategy work encompassing customer research, brand messaging, ecommerce strategy, content strategy and acquisition. It also works with Shopify Plus.

I'd especially consider them if this is fashion, beauty, wellness, luxury, lifestyle or another design-sensitive category where the brand experience matters as much as the underlying commerce infrastructure.

5. Uncap — excellent, but only if your commerce is operationally complicated

Uncap

Uncap is Chicago-headquartered and a Shopify Platinum Partner. Its specialty is B2B/unified commerce: complex catalogs, company pricing, wholesale, ERP integration, migration and combining B2B and B2C. www.uncap.com

If your Fulton Market company has wholesale accounts, distributors, sales reps, NetSuite/SAP, complicated inventory, or a large catalog, I'd move Uncap way up the list.

If you're primarily a straightforward DTC brand doing a visual rebrand, I'd favor Chicago Web Co. or Design In Chicago instead.

The one I'd use as the "technical benchmark"

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

Ethercycle

Ethercycle is much more Shopify-specialist/ecommerce-focused than brand-agency-focused. That's useful as a benchmark: if another agency says it can do the Shopify work, I'd ask it to demonstrate comparable Shopify-specific experience.

For a Fulton Market relaunch, I'd pitch 3 agencies

If this were my project, I'd request proposals from:

1. The Chicago Web Co. — brand + Shopify integration
2. Design In Chicago — brand strategy + creative + local Chicago presence
3. Praella — Shopify Plus/technical benchmark

Then I'd potentially substitute Uncap for Praella if you're B2B/wholesale-heavy.

The important thing is to not simply ask "can you redesign our Shopify site?" I'd give each agency the same brief:

Brand strategy/repositioning → visual identity → messaging → ecommerce UX/IA → Shopify redesign/development → migration → launch → post-launch CRO.

That will reveal very quickly whether you're talking to a genuine rebrand-and-relaunch partner or merely a Shopify development shop.

If you tell me what the Fulton Market business sells, approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, and whether you're DTC/B2B/both, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies and compare likely project scope, strengths, weaknesses, and what I'd ask each in the pitch.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch in Fulton Market, I’d prioritize agencies that can connect brand positioning/identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify build, rather than hiring a pure branding firm and a separate developer.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Design In Chicago — probably the most literal match

Design In Chicago
Web
Address: 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
Phone: +1 312-535-3088

They're in the West Loop, and explicitly position themselves as an integrated partner connecting strategy, branding, design, development and marketing, rather than handing work between disconnected vendors. Their services include Shopify development and ecommerce experiences. designinchicago.com

This would be particularly attractive if your relaunch involves more than a new logo—e.g. new positioning, messaging, visual identity, packaging/content direction and a new Shopify experience.

Design In Chicago

2. The Chicago Web Co. — strongest Shopify/rebrand combination

This is probably my first call if Shopify is the center of the project. They explicitly offer brand identity & creative direction alongside custom Shopify design/development, and describe themselves as a strategic, design-led Shopify studio. chicagoweb.co

More importantly, their portfolio contains examples unusually close to what you're describing: brand relaunches, Shopify replatforms, ecommerce strategy, creative direction and UX redesigns. Their Mielle Organics, QM Spirits, Geneba Tequila and Southern Scholar work are particularly relevant examples. chicagoweb.co

They've also launched 1,200+ Shopify stores, so the Shopify implementation side isn't an afterthought. chicagoweb.co

I'd put them at #1 if you're a DTC/consumer brand.

3. Praella — best if this is a serious Shopify Plus build

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

Praella is more commerce/technology-heavy than a traditional brand agency. They're a Shopify Platinum Partner and combine strategy, UX/creative, Shopify Plus, migrations, subscriptions, B2B, integrations and custom development. praella.com

I'd favor them if the relaunch has substantial technical complexity—subscriptions, ERP/CRM integrations, international markets, B2B, complex catalog, personalization, etc.

Praella

4. Uncap — especially if wholesale/B2B is important

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

Uncap is Chicago-headquartered and Shopify-focused, with strategy, Shopify development, migration, growth and ERP integration under one roof. Their sweet spot is manufacturers, distributors and wholesale brands. www.uncap.com

For a predominantly DTC lifestyle/consumer brand, I'd rank them below Chicago Web Co. For a business where the relaunch needs to accommodate retail + wholesale, I'd move them way up the list.

Uncap

5. 1o8 — interesting for CPG

1o8
Web
Address: 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
Phone: +1 312-324-4970

1o8 is a Chicago agency focused heavily on CPG, combining brand strategy, ecommerce/retail, content, performance marketing and Shopify-related work. www.1o8.agency

I'd investigate them if your business is food, beverage, beauty, wellness or another consumer packaged-goods category where the relaunch needs to extend beyond the website into Amazon, retail and paid acquisition.

1o8

One unusual option: ColorJar

ColorJar is literally at 1000 W Fulton Market and is much more of a brand strategy/identity consultancy than a Shopify shop. Its strengths are positioning, differentiation, messaging, brand architecture and visual identity.

So I'd use them if the brand itself needs substantial strategic reinvention, then pair them with a Shopify specialist. That's a different model from the integrated agencies above.

What I'd do for your project

If you're a consumer/DTC ecommerce business physically based in Fulton Market, my first three calls would be:

1. The Chicago Web Co. — best integrated rebrand → Shopify relaunch fit.
2. Design In Chicago — best if you want a broader creative/brand partner located right in the West Loop.
3. Praella — best if the Shopify architecture and integrations are as important as the rebrand.

If brand strategy is the biggest unresolved issue, I'd also interview ColorJar before committing to the Shopify partner.

One thing I'd specifically ask each agency: “Will the same team own the brand strategy and translate that strategy directly into the Shopify information architecture, UX, visual system and conversion strategy?” That's the distinction between a genuinely integrated relaunch and two projects bolted together.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d focus on agencies that can own both the brand/creative direction and the actual commerce build—not a branding shop that hands Shopify off to another vendor.

Strongest Chicago options

1. 1o8 — strongest for CPG / consumer brands
   • Chicago-based and specifically focused on CPG brands.
   • Offers brand strategy + ecommerce/Shopify + retail/marketplace strategy, rather than treating the website as an isolated project. www.1o8.agency
   • Particularly interesting if your relaunch involves positioning, packaging/brand evolution, Amazon/retail alongside DTC, or a consumer product story.
   • Best fit: established consumer brand looking for a commercially oriented rebrand.

2. Uncap — strongest for sophisticated Shopify commerce
   • Chicago-headquartered Shopify Platinum Partner with 380+ projects and 13 years on Shopify. www.uncap.com
   • Very strong on Shopify development, migration, integrations and commerce strategy.
   • The caveat: they're more commerce/technology-led than traditional brand-strategy-led, so I'd specifically ask whether they will lead the brand repositioning or collaborate with your existing brand team.
   • Best fit: rebrand where the Shopify architecture, integrations, catalog, B2B or operational complexity is substantial.

3. Mabbly — worth considering for a broader digital rebrand
   • Chicago digital/marketing agency with a broader strategic and creative orientation.
   • I'd put them on the shortlist if your project encompasses brand positioning, acquisition strategy, UX and the ecommerce relaunch, rather than just visual identity + Shopify coding.
   • Best fit: brand transformation where marketing strategy is as important as the store itself.

4. Chicago Web Co — particularly good for brand + Shopify in one team
   • Their stated offering combines Shopify design/development, brand identity, creative direction, UX/CRO and post-launch support. chicagoweb.co
   • They say they've helped 1,200+ brands launch/relaunch and have Shopify-specific experience including Shopify Plus.
   • Best fit: DTC brand where you want the new identity to translate very directly into the ecommerce experience.
   • This is probably one of the closest matches to your exact brief.

5. CQL — enterprise-level option
   • Shopify's Partner Directory lists CQL as a Platinum Partner in Chicago, offering business strategy, store build/redesign, integrations, ongoing management, logo and visual branding, and optimization. www.shopify.com
   • Best fit: larger organization, complex commerce stack, multiple channels or a more enterprise-grade relaunch.

6. Netalico — commerce-heavy alternative
   • Their Chicago offering combines Shopify/Shopify Plus development with strategy, UX/design and ecommerce growth. netalico.com
   • They explicitly position themselves around food & beverage, manufacturing and B2B as well as DTC.
   • Best fit: brand relaunch where Shopify performance and conversion are major priorities.

One important distinction for Fulton Market

I wouldn't over-weight whether the agency's office is physically in Fulton Market. For this project, Chicago-based + capable of working onsite in Fulton Market is more useful than having a Fulton Market address.

For example, Digital Heroes explicitly says it conducts Chicago engagements in Fulton Market, including kickoff and launch-week sessions, and combines brand identity with Shopify Plus development. digitalheroesco.com It's worth considering if you want a hands-on onsite engagement, although its positioning is more commerce/engineering than pure brand agency.

My shortlist for your specific project

If this is a meaningful rebrand—not just a new logo—I'd start conversations with Chicago Web Co, 1o8, and either Uncap or CQL. That gives you three materially different approaches: design-led DTC, consumer/brand strategy-led, and commerce/technology-led.

If you tell me what the ecommerce business sells, approximate annual revenue, current Shopify setup, and whether you need a full visual identity or just a positioning/design refresh, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely project scope, strengths, weaknesses, and typical budget tier.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d prioritize agencies that can own the brand/UX decisions and the Shopify implementation, rather than a pure Shopify development shop.

My Chicago shortlist

The three I'd interview first

1. Praella — best overall

This would be my first conversation if you're looking for a true relaunch, not simply a new Shopify theme. Their offering spans strategy, UX/design and Shopify development, and their VIIA case is particularly relevant: the company migrated to Shopify Plus while simultaneously redeveloping its brand and then continued with design/development/CRO. praella.com

Praella

2. Uncap — best if the ecommerce operation is complex

Uncap is particularly compelling if your business has substantial catalog complexity, subscriptions, wholesale, ERP integrations, B2B/B2C requirements or a legacy platform to migrate. Its current offering explicitly combines ecommerce strategy, information architecture, UX/UI, custom theme development, app development, integrations and migration. www.uncap.com

Uncap

One caveat: I'd ask specifically who owns brand strategy. Uncap is exceptionally strong on commerce strategy and implementation, but its positioning is more Shopify/ecommerce-centric than a traditional brand-strategy agency.

3. Design In Chicago — best Fulton Market/West Loop option

If being physically close to Fulton Market matters, this one jumps up the list. They're at 159 N Sangamon St, and explicitly combine branding, strategy, design, development and marketing rather than treating Shopify as an isolated technical project. www.uncap.comdesigninchicago.com

Design In Chicago

One I'd not put at the top for your specific brief

There are several very capable Shopify agencies in Chicago—Makro, Shero, Axis Web Art, Netalico, etc.—but their public positioning leans more heavily toward Shopify engineering, UX, migration, integrations and ecommerce optimization than toward leading a fundamental brand repositioning. For example, Makro is excellent for Shopify Plus design/development and enterprise commerce, but I'd want a separate answer to "who is going to develop our new brand strategy?" shopifyplusdesigners.comwww.makroagency.com

What I'd put in your RFP

For a Fulton Market business relaunching an existing ecommerce brand, I'd ask each agency to price these as one integrated program:

1. Brand discovery & positioning
2. Competitive/category research
3. Brand strategy and messaging
4. Visual identity refresh/rebrand
5. Ecommerce/customer journey strategy
6. Information architecture + merchandising
7. Shopify UX/UI design
8. Custom Shopify development
9. Product/content migration
10. SEO/URL migration
11. Analytics + conversion tracking
12. Launch campaign/CRM integration
13. QA and launch
14. 90-day post-launch optimization

The key question in the first meeting isn't "Can you build Shopify?" Most of these agencies can.

It's: "Can the same senior team take us from positioning the new brand through translating that positioning into the ecommerce experience and then actually building and launching it?"

For your particular brief, I'd interview Praella, Uncap, and Design In Chicago first, then use Fresh Design Studio as the boutique alternative. If you tell me roughly annual ecommerce revenue, product/category, current platform, and whether the rebrand is a light refresh or complete identity change, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 and compare likely project scope/cost level, relevant case studies, and who I'd contact.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d narrow the Chicago field to agencies that can actually bridge brand strategy → identity/messaging → ecommerce UX → Shopify development, rather than hiring a branding firm and a Shopify shop separately.

Best fits

1. Design In Chicago — strongest geographic fit

• 159 N Sangamon St, West Loop, essentially in the Fulton Market ecosystem.
• Offers branding, web strategy/design, development, marketing, and specifically Shopify development under one team. designinchicago.com
• Their positioning explicitly emphasizes eliminating handoffs between brand, strategy, design and development.
• Best for: a founder-led or mid-market business where you want the rebrand and new store to feel like one integrated project.

2. Elevate Studios — strongest strategic/brand + ecommerce option

• Chicago digital design studio with deep premium beauty, fashion and DTC experience. www.elevatestudios.com
• Their strategy practice includes audience research, ecommerce strategy, content strategy and brand messaging; design includes brand identity and ecommerce; technology includes replatforming and development.
• They explicitly list Shopify Plus among their platform experience. www.elevatestudios.com
• Particularly compelling if the relaunch is meant to be a meaningful repositioning, not just a visual refresh. They also show a prior rebrand + website engagement for Soom. www.elevatestudios.com

3. Brand Vision Marketing — good integrated rebrand + Shopify option

• Chicago office at 30 N Michigan Ave.
• Their offering explicitly combines brand strategy/identity with web development on Shopify, plus UX and research. www.brandvm.com
• They specifically say they work with companies that are launching, rebranding, or optimizing for growth. www.bbb.org
• Best for: a brand that needs positioning, messaging and visual identity brought into a conversion-oriented ecommerce redesign.

4. One Design Company — strongest strategy/design pedigree, but verify Shopify depth

• River North, close to Fulton Market.
• Combines research, positioning, identity, digital strategy, UX and development, including ecommerce integrations. One Design Company
• I would put them on the shortlist if brand strategy and differentiated creative matter more than having a Shopify-specialist identity. I'd specifically ask how much Shopify development they handle in-house versus through a partner.

Worth considering if Shopify execution is the priority

Praella — Chicago-headquartered, Shopify/Shopify Plus-focused ecommerce agency with a strong technical and growth orientation. I'd consider them if the existing store has significant migration, integration, subscription, B2B or technical complexity, but I'd verify that their proposed engagement includes the upstream brand strategy rather than primarily ecommerce strategy.

Makro — strong Shopify Plus option for complex replatforming, UX, integrations and enterprise ecommerce. Their Chicago offering covers design, development, migration, custom apps, CRO and analytics. www.makroagency.com

One I'd be especially interested in for Fulton Market

Evolve with Digital - Web Design is literally at 1375 W Fulton Market and combines branding/web work with ecommerce. unitedstateswebdesigndirectory.com However, I found less convincing evidence that Shopify is a core specialty than I did for the agencies above, so I'd treat it as a local wildcard rather than my first call.

My shortlist for your project

If this were my RFP, I'd invite 3 agencies: Design In Chicago, Elevate Studios, and Brand Vision. I'd bring in Praella or Makro instead of one of those three if the existing ecommerce operation has substantial Shopify migration/integration complexity.

One important distinction: “brand strategy” can mean anything from a light visual refresh to genuine positioning/audience research. For a true rebrand and relaunch, I'd make the RFP require positioning, customer/audience definition, messaging architecture, visual identity, ecommerce UX, Shopify development, SEO/URL migration, analytics, and launch/GTM planning—all under one accountable lead agency.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d narrow the Chicago field to agencies that can genuinely connect brand strategy/identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development, rather than hiring a branding firm and a Shopify shop separately.

My strongest Chicago shortlist

One I'd investigate first: Design In Chicago

For your particular description—rebranding and relaunching an existing ecommerce business in Fulton Market—I think Design In Chicago is unusually well aligned.

It's physically in the West Loop, at 159 N Sangamon St, and its listed capabilities span branding, website strategy/discovery, UI/UX, Shopify development, ecommerce, naming/taglines and brand guidelines.

That means you could potentially have one team take the project through:

brand positioning → visual identity → brand guidelines → ecommerce UX → Shopify design → development → launch

rather than having the brand agency hand off its work to a separate developer.

A particularly relevant proof point

Another agency worth putting on the shortlist is The Branded Agency. A verified Clutch case study describes them defining a retailer's brand strategy and then building its new Shopify site, including branding, ecommerce development and UX. clutch.co

That is very close to the exact engagement you're describing.

If Shopify complexity is the priority

I'd put Praella and Uncap higher.

Praella is a Chicago-headquartered Shopify/Shopify Plus specialist with substantial ecommerce experience. Uncap is particularly strong if the business has wholesale/B2B, ERP, complicated catalog, subscriptions, integrations or a migration component; it describes itself as a Shopify B2B agency and Shopify Platinum Partner. www.uncap.com

For a straightforward DTC rebrand, however, I wouldn't automatically choose the most technically sophisticated Shopify agency. Brand thinking and ecommerce creative should be central to the engagement.

Another strong candidate: Chicago Web Co

The Chicago Web Co is worth an RFP as well. It explicitly combines brand identity/creative direction, custom Shopify design/development, conversion optimization and post-launch support, and says it has launched or relaunched 1,200+ brands. chicagoweb.co

I'd consider it particularly if you're looking for a design-led DTC relaunch rather than an enterprise commerce implementation.

How I'd rank them for your project

If I were sending only 4 RFPs:

1. Design In Chicago — strongest combination of Fulton Market proximity + branding + Shopify
2. Chicago Web Co — strongest design-led Shopify/relaunch candidate
3. Praella — strongest Shopify/ecommerce infrastructure option
4. The Branded Agency — especially worth considering because of its demonstrated brand-strategy-to-Shopify case

I'd add Uncap if your business has meaningful B2B/wholesale/ERP complexity, and 1o8 if you're in food, beverage, CPG or a retail-heavy category.

One caution: being in Fulton Market itself isn't necessarily an advantage. I'd prioritize whether the agency can show 2–3 examples where a brand repositioning/rebrand was translated into a materially better ecommerce experience, rather than simply showing attractive Shopify sites.

If you tell me what you sell, approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, and whether you're DTC vs. wholesale, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually interview, including likely budget tier and what I'd ask each one in the first meeting.

Yes. For a rebrand + Shopify relaunch, I’d prioritize agencies that can connect brand positioning/identity → ecommerce UX → Shopify development, rather than hiring a branding shop and a Shopify developer separately.

My Chicago shortlist

The three I'd talk to first

1. Design In Chicago — best match to your exact brief.
The combination of branding + strategy + Shopify development, plus an actual West Loop/Fulton Market location, makes this particularly relevant. Their offering spans branding, website strategy/discovery, UI/UX and Shopify development rather than treating the ecommerce site as a separate technical project.

2. Praella — best if the relaunch is substantial.
I'd put them ahead if you're talking about a significant Shopify Plus rebuild, complex integrations, subscriptions, B2B functionality, personalization, or a business that's already doing meaningful ecommerce volume. They're explicitly positioned around Shopify/Shopify Plus transformation rather than general web design. praella.com

3. Chicago Web Co — best for a design-forward DTC rebrand.
Their positioning is unusually close to what you're describing: brand identity/creative direction + custom Shopify + UX/CRO + post-launch growth. chicagoweb.co

One important distinction

If by "brand strategy" you mean a serious strategic rebrand—positioning, audience segmentation, competitive differentiation, brand architecture, messaging, verbal identity, etc.—I'd scrutinize the agencies' strategy capabilities during the pitch.

There's a big difference between:

"We'll make your new Shopify site match your new logo"

and

"We'll determine what the brand should stand for, who it's for, how it wins, translate that into identity/messaging, and then build the Shopify experience around it."

For the latter, I'd also consider pairing a Fulton Market brand strategy agency such as Point B Communications Inc with a Shopify specialist if the ecommerce agencies' brand strategy offerings aren't deep enough. Point B is actually at 600 W Fulton St and describes itself as a full-service branding/advertising agency.

If this is a DTC consumer brand rather than B2B, my ranking changes somewhat: Design In Chicago → Chicago Web Co → Praella → BlueBolt. If you tell me your industry, approximate annual ecommerce revenue, current platform, and whether you're staying on Shopify or migrating to Shopify Plus, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit, strengths, weaknesses, and project scale.