Sam Ovens Discusses Adaptation and Chicago’s Changing Business Landscape

It is no secret that a changing business landscape is dramatically altering the way companies choose to operate in Chicago, especially due to the increased focus on digital storefronts instead of the traditional brick-and-mortar options. For many Chicago businesses, the skyrocketing cost of rent -- due to the continued strengthening of the economy as well as the sharp increase in tech startups being drawn to the city -- has created issues for even some of the most longstanding members of the Chicago business community.

Sam Ovens, a digital marketing consultant and the founder of a wildly successful tech startup, has openly wondered how this shift will affect the way members of a community interact with one another. Ovens pointed out that Bookworks, a staple of Wrigleyville for well over 30 years, is just the latest in a long line of iconic Chicago businesses that have been forced to shutter their physical storefronts while continuing to operate online.

When discussing the closing of Bookworks’ physical storefront, part of the owners’ rationale struck something of a chord in Ovens, leading him to consider the implications for neighborhoods and community members in these areas. In addition to the aforementioned rent increase, the owners of Bookworks in Wrigleyville cited the fact that the makeup of the neighborhood had changed dramatically over the past 30 years, with most of the area storefronts turning into bars.

It is not hard to draw a conclusion regarding the reason why bars are the business of choice for renters of these commercial locations, as it is one of the few types of businesses in which consumers do not prefer a digital storefront to the traditional brick-and-mortar option -- not to mention the fact that the markup on alcoholic beverages is more than enough to cover the rising cost of rent.

Ovens felt that this was a troubling side-effect of the digital age, as it was once the case that a bookstore -- just like Bookworks in Chicago -- was just as much a community gathering place as a bar. It is certainly more convenient to search for rare vinyl records or signed first-editions through a lightning-fast search engine than it is to sift through boxes and shelves in person, but it also makes it less likely that a particular book or album sparks a conversation over a shared interest. According to Ovens, it is possible that the slow fading away of these minor social interactions contribute to communities and neighborhoods feeling just a little less connected.