After Disney's flagship Magnificent Mile storefront closed last year, the building has remained vacant since, but now a new shop has opened its doors.
IT'SUGAR, described as a "sugar-filled emporium," had its grand opening last week, bringing to life an 11-foot Ferris wheel candy display, a Chicago skyline recreation out of jelly beans, a "lollipop garden" and a light-up marquee made of gummy bears.
The store features "immersive areas devoted to retro and international candy, TikTok-trending treats" and more, alongside Chicago candy brands like Nerds, Tootsie Roll, Wrigley’s Gum, and Charms Blow Pops.
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"It really brings you back to feeling like a kid again," said Ashley Mady, vice president of brand development for the company.
The new store's hours run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
IT'SUGAR calls itself the "largest specialty and experiential candy retailer" in the U.S., with 100 locations across the country, including two others in Illinois: one at Navy Pier and another at Woodfield Mall.
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The store follows the closure of the long-popular Disney Store on Michigan Avenue.
Disney announced last year it would close all of its locations, including the Mag Mil flagship and stores at Woodfield Mall, Gurnee Mills and the Chicago Premium Outlets.
The Walt Disney Co. shuttered nearly 60 of its full-size retail locations across the country last summer, according to USA Today, as Target plans to open more than 100 new Disney shops inside its stores ahead of the holiday season. The company said it was reducing the number of stores to focus on its e-commerce business.
