Luxury multi-brand retailer Holt Renfrew has announced that its standalone men’s store at 100 Bloor Street West in Toronto will be relocating back into the 50 Bloor Street West flagship store nearby where it had operated for years. The new men’s store will be located on the third floor of the larger Holts and will open towards the end of 2024.
The current Holt Renfrew Men store at 100 Bloor opened in September of 2014 in a 16,500 square foot space that was formerly occupied by Roots and The Body Shop. The men’s store currently houses a range of brands, including a second-level concession space for Gucci.
Prior to opening its standalone store, Holt Renfrew’s men’s department was located over two levels within the 190,000 square foot Holt Renfrew flagship at 50 Bloor Street West — that included space on the street level as well as part of the basement, which now houses a beauty department.
As part of the new third floor men’s department, Holts said that there will be “new multi-use experience spaces”. And menswear won’t be the only category on the third floor, which spans less than 30,000 square feet. Holt Renfrew said in a statement that women’s contemporary fashions, which are already housed on the third floor, will remain there (though obviously in a smaller space). Holt Renfrew’s socially-drive department ‘H Project’ will also be located on the third floor after the renovations. Construction will involve Green Build upgrade including a new HVAC system for better temperature control and airflow.
The design of the new men’s store will be “bold and modern” according to Holt Renfrew, allowing for “benefits and service opportunities”. Last year a sales associate mentioned to a Holt Renfrew journalist that it would be a good idea to have men’s on-site — if a female customer wanted to shop for her husband, for example, she and the sales associate would have to travel up the street to the standalone men’s store.
Holt Renfrew has already been investing heavily into its larger Bloor Street flagship store, including a renovation to its women’s designer floor on level two. Since last year, new boutique spaces have opened for luxury brands Chanel, Gucci and Celine for women, as well as The Studio which is an Instagrammable space catering to stylists as well as offering a unique place to try on clothing. Renovations are ongoing on the second floor, following renovations to the street level which includes 12 luxury brand concessions as well as the basement level housing beauty brands including a standalone Chanel Beauty concession.
Currently the largest men’s store for Holt Renfrew is in Montreal, contained within the Holt Renfrew Ogilvy store which opened fully during the pandemic. That men’s store spans about 40,000 square feet on the fourth floor of the store, with the Vancouver store’s men’s floor being the second largest.
The exit of Holt Renfrew Men from 100 Bloor Street West provides an opportunity for another luxury retailer to occupy the space — or possibly more than one, given its size. Retail Insider will follow up on this when we learn more about what’s happening.
Holt Renfrew also said to Retail Insider that after Mother’s Day on May 14th, the restaurant at the Yorkdale Holts store will close to eventually be repurposed into retail space. The goal is to increase sales in the store as well as foot traffic. Details will be released later this year — Holt Renfrew told Retail Insider that it will involve “an exciting key brand development, who will significantly expand their offering and experience in the store”.
Holt Renfrew also said that its growing its e-commerce business by launching eConcession, where the store’s leased brands can showcase their assortment. A substantial number of brands at Holt Renfrew stores are in concession spaces, including names such as Gucci, Prada, Dior, David Yurman, Burberry and others. Holt Renfrew is the dominant multi-brand luxury retailer in Canada with many brands not carried at either Saks Fifth Avenue or the soon-to-close Nordstrom chain.
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- Holt Renfrew Segregates Its Menswear Business
- Holt Renfrew to replace Toronto’s Roots flagship with a men’s store
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- Holt Renfrew Unveils Overhauled Mink Mile Flagship Facade And Main Floor Luxury Hall In Toronto [Photos]
