Which Store Should Win the Racked Award for Best New Store?

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Yesterday we asked you what store has the most mind-blowing shoe selection, and today it gets even thicker today when we have no choice but to ask you who the Best New Store of 2012 is. Below are the nominees, so have a look, use your noggin and think about who was the mover and shaker in the shopping scene this year.

In the West Loop on the local level we saw Vile and Valiant creep onto the scene with great visual sensibilities in merchandising and a product offering that you really can't find elsewhere in the city. Then up north, CityBlue Apparel and Denim opened CB with a higher-end vision, Sofia on Walton has just transformed into the store of their dreams, and we can all remember when BHLDN brought their vision just down the street on Walton, making bridal easy breezy. On the larger level the first CityTarget in the nation opened in the Loop to hoards of people and the largest sushi-slinging Walgreens is steaking its claim at State and Randolph.