Carter’s Babies & Kids

Just wanted to post a more recent review after a really great visit to this store yesterday. Parking garage behind store (can be accessed from North Ave or Clybourn) is free with validation, store clerks were extremely helpful with returns and they were also happy to let this 9 month pregnant lady use their restroom. The store is smaller but no more cramped than any other Carter’s I’ve been in. It’s clean and well organized with a great selection. Definitely glad I stopped in!

This is a frustrating review for me. I love Carter’s clothes. I order online often. They’re cute, they’re cheap, and they’re disposable (for when your child inevitably soils it beyond recognition).
THIS STORE, THOUGH. Dudes. Let’s forget that it is cramped and poorly laid out. Let’s forget that you can’t fit a stroller around the displays. Let’s forget that the sale stickers and banners are confusingly places, seemingly advertising sales on items that are not applicable.
I came in 6 weeks before giving birth to my daughter. I was hugely pregnant, nesting, and needed more onesies STAT. In the store, the inevitable happened. I had to go to the bathroom IMMEDIATELY with my enormous belly. They informed me that they don’t have a bathroom open to customers. That is SHOCKING to me. They are catering SOLELY to pregnant women and people with babies and toddlers. They should have a flipping bathroom!
After much hemming and hawing, they deign to inform me that they do have an employee bathroom that they GUESS they can allow me to use. They point to a locked door. Five more minutes to get them to unlock it. I am doing a full on potty dance at this point. I am considering walking to the Apple Store and buying a computer so I can just use the damned bathroom. The door is to a large storage area full of merchandise, unfinished and scary. They walk away, not accompanying me through the stock room to the bathroom. The bathroom is dirty, small, and freezing cold.
When I emerge from the dungeon, the women are palpably rude to me. Brusque and pissed.
The two stars are for the actual clothes stocked in the store. PROTIP: get them at Costco for half the price.

REALLY cramped and crowded but they do have a decent selection of baby clothes. They have really fantastic sales and a rewards program. The quality of the clothes aren’t the best with the way my little one grows, it’s not really worth spending money on clothes he’ll be out of in a few weeks. I really do rely on them for pajamas for my infant as it’s hard to find pjs with zippers as opposed to snaps for late night diaper changes. Parking lot attached/​free with validation.

WARNING: Do not park in lot behind this store.
There is a heartless man who is hired by the towing company to have cars towed if they exceed the posted time limits by even a minute. We returned to our spot 28 minutes after arriving and our car was already long gone. They are preying on pregnant women and mothers buying clothes for their children. Disgusting.
To be fair, Carters is also upset about this issue and has tried to involve the police. They also offered me a coupon and gift card since I went through this which I thought was classy. But how am I supposed to shop at this store now at 6 months pregnant when there isn’t parking nearby? How is this good for business/​the neighborhood/​a contribution to society? I’m furious and saddened by the owners of this lot. Sorry Carters.

My wife and I went in looking for summer clothes for our 6 month old nephew. My wife’s sister lives in southern florida and shopping for florida friendly clothes in the middle of the x-​mas season in Chicago is challenging to say the least. We were pleasantly surprised that the two Carter’s employees (Angie and LeeAnne) went out of their way to pull out the summer clothes from out of the back for us. It was a great deal too, purchased 8 outfits for about $ 30!

Yipes, baby clothes that cost more than mine! Even on sale, the prices seemed rather exorbitant…
This store has an issue similar to The Children’s Place in that most clothes are really designated either «boy» or «girl» via colors and prints/​appliques. However, the cartoon-​like animal characters on some of the onesies and such are incredibly cute. I saw some that came in packs of blue, white, brown and green — definitely gender-​neutral.
The sales clerk was busy sorting items, but gave me a welcoming smile and greeting. She helpfully pointed out for me where I could find the smaller sizes.
Not somewhere I’d shop for the bulk of a child’s wardrobe, but it works ok for occasional cute gifts.

Great selection of baby clothes! But more importantly tons of sale racks. So you can find plenty of onesies that were initially $ 8 but are now 70% off. It’s a great way to get a bunch of good quality basics without spending a lot of money. Friends have told me that Carter’s clothing doesn’t shrink as much as some of the other brands you might find at Target or BRU. Worth visiting.
I’m updating to say that this is really truly the only place you should buy carter’s baby clothes which has massive price differences depending upon where it’s sold. For example, a onesie/​pants set will be $ 25 at Macy’s. At Babies R Us it will be $ 15 and you will be able to buy one, get one ½ off. At Kohls it will just be on sale for $ 12. But at Carter’s, it’s $ 10. Same outfit. Makes no sense.