After 40 years, Gotskind’s Children’s Shoes & Clothing is leaving its downtown Naperville location in January and moving to a new store a few miles south.
Meanwhile, a local design studio has found new location and a wholesale food distributor has expanded its Naperville headquarters.
Gotskind’s to move
On Jan. 8, Gotskind’s will close its downtown store at 115 W. Jefferson Ave. and reopen a few days later, on Jan. 11, at a new 513 W. 87th St. location, according to owner Andrea Gotskind Hamad.
The move comes nearly six months after Gotskind’s celebrated its 40th anniversary in Naperville and 90 years in existence.
Hamad says that while “downtown was wonderful for so long,” she’s excited for the move.
“(We’ll be in) a very family-oriented neighborhood kind of place,” she said. “I think it suits us really well. We started in a neighborhood and that’s always kind of felt like part of us.”
Gotskind’s originated on Chicago’s West Side in 1934. It was founded by Hamad’s grandfather, Saul Gotskind. The business was later passed on to Hamad’s parents, David and Gail Gotskind, and eventually to Hamad herself.
She has been running the downtown Naperville store alongside her dad, but the new location will be her own venture, she said. Her parents are stepping back to retire.
The new store will be more modern and have more space but will carry “really the same things,” Hamad said. That includes children’s shoes, clothing and gifts.
As for what happens with the downtown space Gotskind’s leaves open, that’s up in the air. The soon-vacant property has been offered to neighboring Anderson’s Bookshop, according to Ginny Wehrli-Hemmeter, director of events and marketing for the bookstore.
“When we heard they were leaving, the landlord reached out to us and offered us their space,” Wehrli-Hemmeter. However, nothing has been decided as of yet.
“We’re looking into it and looking at all of the options,” Wehrli-Hemmeter said, “but nothing that I can finalize.”
KeHe Distributors expands
A wholesale food distributor is expanding its corporate headquarters in Naperville.
Starting in July 2025, KeHE Distributors LLC’s headquarters at 1245 Diehl Road in Naperville Corporate Center will total 91,102 square feet — an expansion of 17,000 square feet over its current operation.
KeHE has also committed to a “long-term lease” at Naperville Corporate Center, according to a news release.
“We are thrilled to help KeHE advance its business objectives,” Joe Stevens, an executive vice president of Transwestern Real Estate Services, said in the release. Transwestern represented Naperville Corporate Center ownership in negotiating a lease with KeHE. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with KeHE for years to come,” he said.
KeHE is the largest distributor of natural and organic, specialty and fresh products in the country, supplying more than 31,000 natural food stores, chain and independent grocery stores, e-commerce retailers and other specialty product retailers across North America, according to its website.
Ellce Designs opens new studio
A local design studio and shop has changed locations. After operating on Jefferson Avenue in downtown Naperville, Ellce Designs by Lauren Fasolo has opened a new space at 306 E. Ogden Ave. A grand opening for the Ogden studio was held earlier this month.
Ellce Designs specializes in renovations, new home builds and furnishings and decorating. The company was founded in 2001.
