RAVENSWOOD — GiGi’s General Store carries a little bit of everything, from Caribbean Jerk seasoning to upcycled butter dishes. But one thing customers definitely won’t find: plastic.
GiGi’s, 1926 W. Montrose Ave., opened March 16 after owner Nicolle Wood completed some small renovations, she said. The storefront used to be home to Hazel Apparel, which moved down the street to 1825 W. Montrose Ave.
The shop carries pantry items such as dried rice, pasta, nuts, spices, cooking oils, fruits and veggies; upcycled kitchen utensils and containers; gardening materials, cleaning supplies and more.
With the tagline “plastic-free for you and me,” nearly everything in the store is made out of wood, ceramic, glass, metal or plant-based materials. Wood said her goal was to create a store that was sustainable, accessible and affordable.
“There will be some people who seek me out because we are plastic-free, and that is a tenet that they are really behind,” Wood said. “But there will also be people who come because they want something cold to drink or because they would like breakfast cereal granola that doesn’t cost them $14-a-pound.”
Because of an issue with the building’s plumbing, GiGi’s food service sink isn’t currently operational, so all of the food items have been pre-packed at a licensed kitchen. Once the service sink is ready, customers will be able to fill their own containers with food and pay by the pound. GiGi’s will also provide paper bags and other containers.
Wood said she wants the store’s inventory to be shaped by what customers need. She is circulating an online survey to learn more about what shoppers want.
‘The Painful Prevalence Of Plastic’
Though her background is in entertainment production, Wood decided to open a general store after coming to terms with “the painful, painful prevalence of plastic,” she said.
“I was at a market, and all the produce was on a foam plate wrapped in plastic,” Wood said. “I couldn’t find a head of cabbage that wasn’t wrapped in plastic.”
In 2018, over 14.5 million tons of plastic packaging and plastic containers entered the municipal solid waste stream, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Overtime, this plastic waste breaks down, getting smaller and smaller, entering lakes, oceans and even the human body.
Plastic pollution is a relatively new problem because the prevalence of plastic is relatively new. Plastic production ramped up after World War II, and research shows half of all plastics ever manufactured were made in the past 20 years. Before plastic wrap and Ziploc bags, pantries were full of canning jars and glass bottles.
Growing up outside Detroit, Michigan, as the daughter of a German immigrant, Wood learned how to live without single-use plastic at an early age, she said. Her family would wash and reuse cotton rags, she said.
“I didn’t buy a sponge until college,” Wood said. “I didn’t even know they existed.”
Wood’s mother, who came to the United States in the 1950s, also taught her how to hem her own clothes and turn old t-shirts into yarn, she said.
“She did things the way they used to do things,” Wood said. “It was a different way of living, which I didn’t know was different at the time.”
The resourcefulness Wood learned as a child inspired her vision for GiGi’s, which carries plastic alternatives such as plant-based sponges and glass food storage. Wood’s interest in food equity also shaped the store, she said.
For decades, food co-ops have allowed shoppers to buy in bulk to reduce plastic waste. But sustainability usually comes at a cost, she said.
“You often have to have deep pockets to live sustainably, and that to me is a travesty,” Wood said.
GiGi’s offers some organic products, but the store also carries conventional brands and items. Wood sources from local distributors when she can, buying in bulk to reduce shipping costs and keep store prices low, she said.
“I’m turning over rocks to find good deals,” Wood said.
Her skills from working in entertainment production have come in handy in her new business, she said. Even before she’d found a location for GiGi’s General Store, Wood was building wooden display tables and crafting ceramic containers.
“If I envision something, I can either make it myself or find someone who can,” Wood said.
GiGi’s General Store joins a host of zero-waste stores that have opened throughout the city in recent years, including Lincoln Square’s The Eco Flamingo, which launched in 2020.
Other stores with similar sustainability missions include The Refilleri in Humboldt Park, The Unwaste Shop (now in West Loop), Tinyshop in Logan Square and online store VolverDe from two Southwest Side sisters.
Gigi’s General Store is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Wood said the hours may change based on demand.
GiGi’s also will host a small farmers market 3-7 p.m. Fridays, she said. Bennett Farms, which is based in Michigan, will bring in poultry, eggs and pork products.
GiGi’s also hosts sustainable living workshops. Last week the shop held a seed-starting workshop, there will be a finger crocheting workshop 7 p.m. Thursday. Participants can register here.
Wood hopes her store will spark more conversations about personal consumption and waste at the neighborhood level, she said. On a much larger scale, she envisions GiGi’s General Stores spreading to cities across the country.
“I would love for larger corporate entities to recognize that this is something somebody will cross the street for,” Wood said. “I would love if GiGi’s could apply some pressure to some big, deep-pocket corporate conglomerate to do something similar.”
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