Downtown Chicago is awash in summer tourists. But a key driver of retail activity is missing: office workers

Tourists have returned to Chicago’s downtown this summer, and anyone looking at the crowds thronging Millennium Park, the Riverwalk and stores on Michigan Avenue might think the city’s pandemic crisis is past. But “For Rent” signs still cover many downtown storefronts, and office workers remain scarce, which means fewer customers for Loop retailers.

“Our customers are primarily people working for financial institutions and law firms, and you no longer see a lot of our customers, guys walking around with briefcases,” said Scott Shapiro, the owner of Syd Jerome, a luxury men’s clothing shop in the Central Loop. “It’s really a lot of young people in khaki pants.”

The advent of COVID-19 vaccines unleashed pent-up demand, helping store owners lease new spaces across the metro area. But downtown, the pandemic has made clear just how essential one constituent is: the office worker. While a spring and summer infusion of tourists has boosted foot traffic in many shopping districts, the Loop is a step behind, and street-level businesses may continue