Built by master retailer Marshall Field & Co., The Merchandise Mart’s history occupies a grand place in the city of Chicago. Marshall Field & Co. built The Mart with the vision of creating a single, national wholesale center under one roof. Construction began in the 1920s and The Mart officially opened in 1930 to face the challenges of the Great Depression. Showrooms have remained in the building throughout its history but The Mart struggled to retain its purpose as the heart and sole of retail trade during the 1930s and early 1940s.

When Joseph P. Kennedy purchased The Merchandise Mart in 1945, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. was formed. Kennedy ushered in a new era of mercantile pride by reviving the original concept of the building and gradually allowing public access. The Merchandise Mart was once again primed to be a market maker.

In the 1940s and 1950s, The Mart management was the single largest producer of trade shows in the United States and helped to lay the foundation for Chicago’s continued leadership of the convention and tourism industry.

Today, The Merchandise Mart is the ultimate resource for the design industry, featuring wholesale showrooms for contract, kitchen and bath as well as residential furnishings. Both a showcase and a resource, The Mart attracts leading designers, architects, builders and consumers to its trade and consumer markets and special events throughout the year.