Iconic New York City-based fashion brand Ralph Lauren has opened its first full-priced luxury store in Canada at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Ralph Lauren plans to expand further into the Canadian market with a dedicated e-commerce site launching next month, as well as more standalone stores in the future.
The Yorkdale Ralph Lauren spans nearly 5,500 square feet on one level in a retail space formerly occupied by a Club Monaco store (which relocated in the mall). The new Ralph Lauren features a double-height facade comprising of cherry wood louvers and aged-bronze metal. The interior is described as being bright and contemporary, with white walls and a limestone floor.
About 75% of the merchandise in the store is considered to be ‘luxury’ in terms of price point, featuring a mix of men’s Purple Label and the Ralph Lauren Women’s Collection, as well as a selection of Polo Ralph Lauren men’s and women’s fashions that make up about a quarter of the remaining merchandise.
The store’s client services include private styling appointments, alterations and repairs, and made-to-measure tailoring.
Ralph Lauren will also expand its Canadian operations online. On October 11, an English language e-commerce site will launch with the URL RalphLauren.ca, featuring the brand’s full portfolio of Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Collection, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL and Lauren by Ralph Lauren, with categories for men, women and children for apparel, accessories and footwear. A range of home goods will also be available on the new site.
The company said in a statement that it plans to eventually launch a French language website for the province of Quebec.
Ralph Lauren is in a growth phase in North America as well as in Asia and Europe. Ralph Lauren is calling the strategy the ‘Next Great Chapter: Accelerate’ which it says will deliver sustainable, long-term growth and value creation for the company which many thought had become stale in recent years. Ralph Lauren launched luxury stores across the United States in years past and many have since shuttered.
The new strategy for Ralph Lauren includes a mix of flagship stores, boutiques, outlets, wholesale partners and digital platforms. Ralph Lauren operates 12 outlet stores across Canada and also has a wholesale presence in retailers such as Hudson’s Bay, Sporting Life and Harry Rosen. Sources told Retail Insider several months ago that some of the Polo Ralph Lauren shops in some Hudson’s Bay stores could close as Ralph Lauren tightens some of its distribution channels.
“Ralph Lauren’s ethos of timelessness and authenticity has inspired and connected with our Canadian consumers for decades, and we’re excited to bring a more holistic expression of our brand to Canada,” said Bob Ranftl, Regional Chief Executive Officer for North America at Ralph Lauren Corporation in a statement. “We look forward to serving our consumers throughout Canada with enhanced and elevated experiences that reflect our luxury lifestyle point of view.”
Toronto is one of Ralph Lauren’s top 30 target markets for expansion globally, prompting the opening of the Yorkdale store. A location in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville could be expected as Ralph Lauren has stated that it plans to open more stores in Canada in the coming years. Sources told Retail Insider that locations could include the future Royalmount in Montreal and future Oakridge Park in Vancouver, though neither are confirmed by the brand at this time.
The Yorkdale Ralph Lauren store is located in the mall’s 2012 expansion wing, across from an Apple store and Holt Renfrew and alongside such brands as Emporio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Bottega Veneta, Celine and others. Yorkdale is significantly expanding its luxury offerings over the next couple of years as it dedicates an additional 100,000 square feet of existing retail space in the mall to luxury brands. Sources familiar with luxury retail in North America are saying that Yorkdale will be among the top malls globally in terms of luxury brand offerings in the coming years as more stores open and relocate in the centre.
Until about two decades ago, Ralph Lauren had stores across Canada under its Polo Ralph Lauren banner. Store openings began in the early 1980s. In Montreal, Polo Ralph Lauren stores were found in locations including Westmount Square and Sherbrooke Street West. In Ottawa, Ralph Lauren had stores at the Byward Market (11 York Street) and Bayshore Centre. Toronto had stores at Hazelton Lanes and Sherway Gardens among others. Edmonton had a store in 1984 on Jasper Avenue, which in 1986 relocated to Europa Boulevard in West Edmonton Mall. Calgary had stores at Banker’s Hall and Mount Royal Village. The town of Banff in the 1990s had a store at Cascade Plaza, while Whistler BC had one at the Delta Mountain Plaza. Victoria BC had a store at 1200 Government Street for years. Downtown Vancouver was a unique market for Ralph Lauren for a time with a store on Robson Street in Vancouver as well as in Gastown — and in 1989 the Gastown store at 375 Water Street (The Landing) was converted to the very first ‘Polo Country Store’ concept, which was ultimately unsuccessful.
