I recently heard a radio ad for the retailer Uncharted. The commercial ended by listing all of their locations in the Chicago region. And from this list I could guess who they see as their customers:

Uncharted is located in Wilmette, Arlington Heights, Oak Brook, Wheaton, Geneva, and Orland Park. Here are some common features about these locations:

-These are wealthier and whiter suburbs compared to the demographics of the United States as a whole (data from 2025 Census estimates):

Arlington Heights: 75% white, $116k median household income

Wilmette: 76.3% white, $190k median household income

Oak Brook: 59.3% white, $178k median household income

Wheaton: 76.3% white, $120k median household income

Geneva: 83.5% white, $144k median household income

Orland Park: 77.3% white, $98k median household income

-The stores are located along major roads in existing shopping areas, not in suburban downtowns or in newly built structures.

-They are roughly spread out across the region in a middle layer of suburbs (not in inner-ring suburbs, not in far-flung locations).

From these patterns, it looks like Uncharted’s customers are middle to upper class suburbanites in or near established communities with lots of single-family homes and shopping centers. People with plenty of disposable income and an interest in brands and items that stand out in the marketplace of consumer goods? It would be interesting to see how these locations in the Chicago regions and other parts of the country – the Chicago area is actually the farthest west the company has ventured in the United States – compare to other retailers aiming for similar customers (Crate & Barrel, Trader Joe’s, and so on).