Taschen Opens Shop in Shop in The Art Institute

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At a time when bookstores are struggling to stay open, the Art Institute of Chicago is counting on an unusual deal with provocative art book publisher Taschen to boost sales at the museum's store.

The Art Institute's Museum Shop has sliced off a section of the store exclusively for Taschen books, calling it a "shop within a shop." The deal marks the first time the German publishing house has established a branded outpost inside of a museum shop and will give Taschen a chance to test the Chicago market.

Taschen has been distributing its books to unconventional outlets for years, from clothing store Urban Outfitters to luxury department store Saks Fifth Avenue. The Art Institute deal allows Taschen a low-cost entry into Chicago. And it gives the Art Institute a new revenue source.

"The million-dollar question is would we do this in other museums," said Creed Poulson, spokesman for Los Angeles-based Taschen America. "We would certainly be open to that. We're very eager to see how this plays out." Read more [Chicago Breaking Business]