Battle of the Retails Events: Gilt City vs Dose Market

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This weekend is a big one for Chicago shoppers. Not only is there a monthly Dose Market scheduled for Sunday, Gilt City will also be stopping by on Saturday for their semi-annual warehouse.

The truly die-hard will do both, but if you'd rather only save energy for one or the other, we understand. We'll even take some of the work out of choosing—look no further than our Battle of the Retail Events showdown.

If you're looking for a great deal on a designer item: Hit the Gilt sale. That's where you'll find big-ticket retail items for insider prices.

If you want to pick up a piece that no one else has: The Dose Market is your best bet. With countless items from local artists and designers, this market has an advantage when it comes to originality.

If you're just here for the food: The Dose Market wins again. This month's event has an impressive lineup planned: Chef Thai of Embeya will supply shrimp dumplings, a favorite dish at the restaurant; Malika's By MDesserts will provide slices of s'more cake; Smoking Goose plans to supply slow-cured, smoked meats; and Peerless Bread and Jams will serve up—you guesed it—bread and jam.

If you want to see and be seen: Go for the Gilt City warehouse. It's the kind of event that should attract a huge crowd. While there's no way to eliminate chaos at an event of this scale, the two-hour sessions make things slightly more managable, which makes socializing a bit easier.

If you're all for supporting local designers: The Dose market isn't just the better option of the two, it also may be the most comprehensive way to browse local creations in the entire city.

If you're craving novelty: The Gilt City warehouse is the obvious pick. Unlike the Dose Market, it isn't a Chicago staple.

If you've got booze on the brain: Either event will work. Embeya's mixologist will stir cocktails at the Dose Market, Gilt City will offer an on-site bar, stocked with wine and vodka.
· Dose Market [Official Site]
· Gilt City [Official Site]