Tableware retailer Fable is launching a new concept in its Vancouver store that could eventually be rolled out to other markets.
The company has retail locations in Toronto and South Granville in Vancouver. The Toronto location is on Queen Street West.
The retail stores originally opened in 2023 with the Vancouver location originally in Gastown but in September the new Granville location was launched.
“Fable is a home decor brand. To date, we’ve been primarily focused on table top, making it as easy and effortless as possible to set this beautiful looking table, helping customers feel right at home with sustainable goods that are all crafted ethically, sustainably and across all of like Europe, for the most part, we have products coming out of Japan, but outside of that, most of our pieces are coming from Portugal and Germany, some from Italy as well,” said Joe Parenteau, Co-Founder and CEO of the company.
“But our main focus and what’s been shifting for us is how we think about the company as a whole. There’s been definitely a big shift towards becoming a full home decor brand. A lot of the new pieces that you’re going to see come out later this year are focused in the living room. We’re calling it our Living Collection. Think things like wall art, rugs, lighting, planters, all these other pieces in parts of your home that outside of furniture help a house feel more like a home, and those finishing touches around that space.
“For us, though, the main goal and long-term objective for the company is to make outfitting your home as easy and effortless as possible. And we really look at ourselves as like that graduation step from IKEA. So after you’ve outfitted your home from IKEA, and that first stage you’re looking to upgrade into something premium, things that are going to last you for the rest of your life. We hope that Fable is that obvious choice for you.”
When thinking about retail expansion, Parenteau said it is all about complementing its online strategy with physical presence that allows its customer base to come and gather in different locations and to be able to touch and feel the product.
“Home decor is a very tactile experience and it is nice to see the product before it enters into your home and you can understand how that’s going to look and come together in the space,” he said.
“So for us when we think about expansion it’s really about entering into different markets and different regions where we have a strong community and customer base already established. Next year we are looking at ideally opening two new retail locations and advancing our Toronto location. Essentially re-doing our Toronto location with a better space but also a new concept . . . The new Vancouver concept we hope will be our new blueprint as we expand going forward.”
Max Tims, Co-Founder and Head of Operations, said the new Vancouver location will have a cafe soon.
“That’s the big thing we’re hoping to test . . . This will allow us to complement our earlier build out and bring in a full cafe offering. What we’re hoping to test with this cafe offering is two things. One is can we get more customers to touch and feel the product? Our products are really tactile . . . We want to get more people to touch and feel our products, have a nice coffee in a beautiful Japanese glassware and just experience the products,” he said.
“The second thing we’re also hoping to build is more a community. Fable is all about bringing people together, sharing moments, sharing meals and having this cafe concept we really want to test how can we bring people in, have people come in and enjoy coffee with a friend, and have a retail environment that supports people outfitting a home that they love but also a space that we have some community building.”
The Vancouver store is about 3,300 square feet. The Toronto store is currently much smaller.
The retail concept had its roots from a personal problem. Parenteau said most generations looking for home decor initially shopped at IKEA.
“I think IKEA is really great, and they ultimately design all their pieces to match. So when you want to graduate from the IKEA days, which is where I found myself, you turn to the traditional stores, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel. But those stores are nothing like IKEA. In fact, they had designed nothing to match each other,” he said in a previous Retail Insider story.
“So the concept behind Fable is to make the shopping experience even easier for home decor and make it as simple as possible.”
