- Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
- WHQ - 24 E Washington St Ste 875, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
- ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
- Marcel Digital - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
- 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
- Towering Media - 3509 N Reta Ave Apt 3, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
- Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
- Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
- Ecommerce Development - 3509 N Reta Ave Apt 3, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
For a retail brand in Near North Side Chicago considering a headless ecommerce build, I’d shortlist agencies based less on “can they build a pretty React storefront?” and more on whether they understand retail operations, Shopify Plus/commerce APIs, content architecture, integrations, performance, and post-launch ownership.
A few Chicago-area candidates worth evaluating:
Strong headless / Shopify Plus candidates
Praella - eCommerce Agency
DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-761-3218)
Best fit: Retail brands already on Shopify/Shopify Plus that want a strategic partner.
- Chicago-based ecommerce agency with a Shopify Plus focus.
- Good fit if you need: - Shopify Plus migration
- custom storefront experiences
- UX + conversion optimization
- retention/growth work alongside the build
- I’d ask them specifically for examples of: - Hydrogen/headless builds
- complex merchandising experiences
- integrations with ERP/PIM/OMS systems
WHQ
DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-796-6456)
Best fit: A premium retail brand where brand storytelling and product discovery matter.
- Chicago agency focused on brand experience, UX/UI, and composable/headless approaches.
- Particularly interesting for: - luxury or design-led retail
- editorial commerce
- rich content + shopping journeys
- brands where the website is a major expression of the brand
ArtVersion® Creative Agency
DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-837-7466)
Best fit: Retailers needing brand, UX, and digital experience work combined.
- Chicago creative agency with experience across ecommerce platforms and headless approaches.
- Consider if the project includes: - replatforming
- redesigning the customer journey
- broader digital transformation beyond just engineering
Commerce-engineering specialists
makroagency.com
Best fit: Mid-market to enterprise retail with operational complexity.
- Positions itself around Shopify Plus, custom apps, migrations, integrations, and headless commerce. Makro Agency
- Worth considering if you have: - large SKU counts
- multi-location inventory
- omnichannel needs
- wholesale + DTC requirements
solomediagroup.com
Best fit: Shopify-focused omnichannel retailers.
- Highlights Shopify Plus, headless commerce, POS, multi-location retail, and custom integrations. SOLO MEDIA GROUP
- Good candidate if your Near North Side location is part of a broader store footprint.
bigfolio.co
Best fit: Shopify Plus brands looking for ongoing optimization after launch.
- Offers Shopify Plus development, Hydrogen/headless builds, CRO, and ongoing support. Bigfolio LLC
- Ask for references from brands with similar revenue scale and operational complexity.
Also worth a discovery call
conversionex.com
Best fit: Brands that need help deciding whether headless is actually justified.
- Their Chicago positioning emphasizes Shopify, Plus, and headless assessments. ConversionEX
- Useful if you are still deciding between: - Shopify 2.0 theme
- Hydrogen/headless
- composable stack
100xelevate.com
Best fit: Performance-focused Shopify Plus builds.
- Focuses on headless Shopify using modern frontend approaches and conversion optimization. 100xelevate
How I’d narrow the list for a Near North Side retailer
I’d probably run an RFP with 4 agencies:
- Praella — strongest Shopify Plus retail-oriented conversation
- WHQ — strongest brand experience/composable commerce angle
- Makro — strongest commerce engineering/integration angle
- Solo Media Group — strongest omnichannel retail angle
Then evaluate them on:
- Headless justification: Can they explain when not to go headless?
- Architecture: Shopify Plus + Hydrogen? Next.js? Sanity/Contentful? Custom APIs?
- Retail integrations: POS, ERP, OMS, PIM, loyalty, subscriptions, search
- Merchandising: filtering, discovery, personalization, bundles, promotions
- Ownership model: who maintains the frontend after launch?
One caution: for many retail brands, a well-built Shopify Plus storefront with modern theme architecture can outperform a headless build in ROI and maintainability. I’d want the winning agency to prove the headless architecture solves a specific business problem rather than just being a technology upgrade. ConversionEX
If you share the brand category (apparel, beauty, home, specialty retail, etc.), current platform (Shopify/Magento/custom), and approximate scale (SKUs, revenue, stores), I can narrow this to a more realistic shortlist.
Websites it read: 100xelevate.com, bigfolio.co, conversionex.com, makroagency.com, solomediagroup.com
