Vintage fashion retailer HG Vintage is exploring expansion opportunities across Canada after moving into a larger space at CF Chinook Centre, a step founder Moe Khoja says reflects growing demand for second-hand apparel and the company’s cautious approach to growth.
Khoja, who launched HG Vintage in 2019 after decades in conventional fashion retail, said the Calgary-based business recently relocated within the shopping centre after operating for three years in a smaller location.
The move comes as shopping centre operators and landlords in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada approach the company about opening additional stores, although Khoja said any expansion will be carefully evaluated.
“We have other landlords approaching us to expand into their shopping centres, not just in Calgary, but also Alberta and Canada,” Khoja said in an interview. “But we want to make sure that we find the right partners that we can do this with and that it makes sense for us.”
The retailer currently operates two brick-and-mortar locations in Calgary — one on 17th Avenue and another at CF Chinook Centre — alongside an online store.
From traditional retail to vintage fashion
HG Vintage was born from a shift in strategy that emerged while Khoja was travelling in Los Angeles in 2019.
At the time, Khoja had already built a lengthy career in fashion retail. While attending university in 1989, he founded Hot Gossip Clothing and eventually expanded the business to seven stores across Alberta. Raised in South Africa, he was introduced to the industry through his father, Dolfie Khoja, who operated a large fashion retail business and exposed him to buying, merchandising and retail operations from an early age.
The idea for HG Vintage took shape after Khoja encountered vintage markets and growing interest in sustainability during a trip to Los Angeles.
“Basically, 2019, while travelling to LA, we came across the vintage markets there and the whole sustainability,” he said. “So we thought at the time that we would branch out from our traditional retail, which was Hot Gossip, into the vintage scene.”
The company was founded with a focus on extending the life cycle of clothing through reuse and resale, positioning itself within a segment of the apparel market centred on vintage and second-hand merchandise.
Today, HG Vintage carries a broad assortment of products, including denim, leather jackets, music-related apparel and other vintage items for men, women and children.
Larger store designed to support product assortment
Khoja said the decision to relocate to a larger space within Chinook Centre was driven largely by the need for additional selling space and inventory capacity.
The company’s previous location generated strong sales despite its smaller footprint, he said, prompting discussions with the landlord about a larger unit.
“We were upstairs for three years here in Chinook in a smaller space, which we moved a lot of product out of,” Khoja said. “Then eventually, the landlord approached us to see if we wanted to do a bigger space.”
The larger store allows HG Vintage to showcase a wider range of merchandise and improve the overall shopping experience, he said.
“For us, it was more about trying to get more product through here,” Khoja said. “We carry everything from band tees to Harley tees to denim to leather jackets, men’s, women’s, kids.”
The expanded space aligns with the company’s merchandising strategy, which centres on curated vintage inventory sourced from multiple categories rather than a narrow product focus.
“So the bigger space is kind of where we wanted to be, and it seems to be working out quite well,” he added.
Growth strategy focused on partnerships
While Khoja acknowledged interest from landlords seeking to bring HG Vintage into additional shopping centres, he suggested the company is taking a measured approach rather than pursuing rapid expansion.
That strategy reflects a focus on finding locations and partners that fit the business model before committing capital and operational resources to new markets.
The company sources vintage apparel and collectibles through curated buying efforts and has built a reputation around categories including denim, graphic T-shirts and other vintage apparel. As the business grows, Khoja said future expansion opportunities will be evaluated through the lens of long-term sustainability and operational fit.
The retailer’s ambitions extend beyond commercial growth. HG Vintage is also developing the Dolfie Khoja Charity Foundation, an initiative intended to support clothing donations and assist people in need, including Calgary’s homeless population during both summer and winter months.
For now, however, the company’s immediate focus remains on maximizing the potential of its expanded Chinook Centre location while assessing opportunities elsewhere in Alberta and across Canada.
“We want to make sure that we find the right partners,” Khoja said, “and that it makes sense for us.”
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