Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one of the world’s largest jewellery retailers, has opened its third Canadian showroom with the launch of a flagship location in Ajax, Ontario, positioning the store as a cornerstone of the brand’s broader national expansion strategy. The opening reflects Malabar’s growing confidence in the Canadian market following strong early performance and marks another step toward building a coast-to-coast retail presence.
The Ajax showroom officially opened on December 6, and has been designated as Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ flagship location in Canada. Spanning more than 6,000 square feet, the store represents the company’s most significant Canadian investment to date, both in scale and in the breadth of its offering. The opening follows the brand’s initial entry into Canada in late 2023 and its subsequent expansion into British Columbia earlier this year.
Beyond Ajax, Malabar Gold & Diamonds has confirmed plans to continue expanding its Canadian store network. Future locations are planned for Calgary and Montreal, with discussions also underway for a possible additional showroom in the Vancouver area. These planned openings would extend the retailer’s footprint beyond Ontario and British Columbia and support its longer-term objective of establishing a national platform in Canada’s largest metropolitan markets.
A Purpose-Built Flagship Experience in Ajax
The Ajax showroom has been designed as a destination retail environment that showcases the full scope of Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ global offering. The store houses more than 30,000 jewellery designs across gold and diamond categories, spanning over 25 exclusive Malabar brands and collections. The assortment includes a substantial bridal jewellery offering, alongside collections tailored to occasional wear, daily wear, and office wear.
In addition to its extensive merchandise selection, the Ajax flagship features a customized jewellery design facility that allows customers to create bespoke pieces with the support of in-house designers. The showroom also includes a dedicated customer lounge intended to support longer, more consultative shopping experiences, as well as ample parking to accommodate destination-driven traffic within the eastern Greater Toronto Area.
The scale and format of the Ajax location reflect Malabar’s global approach to flagship stores, which are intended to anchor regional growth and reinforce brand positioning through immersive retail environments.
Strong Canadian Performance Drives Expansion
Malabar’s continued investment in Canada has been supported by strong performance at its existing locations, particularly in Ontario. Sources tell Retail Insider that the brand’s Mississauga showroom at Heartland Town Centre generates annual sales exceeding $35 million, placing it among the top-selling jewellery stores in Canada. While Malabar does not publicly disclose store-level financials, the reported figures highlight the strength of demand the brand has achieved since entering the Canadian market.
The Mississauga location, which opened in November 2023, was Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ first Canadian showroom and remains the largest jewellery store in the country by square footage. Its early success played a key role in accelerating the company’s Canadian rollout, leading to the opening of its second showroom in Surrey, British Columbia in June 2025 and now the launch of the Ajax flagship.
With two locations now operating in the Greater Toronto Area, Malabar has established a strong regional base that mirrors its expansion strategy in other global markets, where initial clustering supports brand awareness, operational efficiency, and sustained sales growth.
Growing North American Footprint
Globally, Malabar Gold & Diamonds operates more than 415 showrooms across 14 countries and ranks among the top five jewellery retailers worldwide by store count. In North America, the brand now operates 10 showrooms, including seven in the United States and three in Canada.
The company’s U.S. locations span key metropolitan markets including Los Angeles, New Jersey, Dallas, Chicago, Naperville, Atlanta, and Austin. The Ajax opening coincided with the launch of a new showroom in Austin, Texas, underscoring the parallel pace of Malabar’s expansion on both sides of the border.
Chairman of Malabar Group, M.P. Ahammad, described North America as central to the company’s global growth strategy. “Our North American operations have always been a pivotal part of our international growth journey, and we are proud to expand our retail presence in the region with 2 new showrooms. The launch of our Austin & Ajax showrooms reflects our commitment to elevating India’s jewelry craftsmanship onto the world stage and advancing our ambition to become the world’s No.1 jewelry retailer. These launches also reaffirm our dedication to customers across continents who continue to place their trust in our brand. It is not merely about adding new retail spaces, but about building cultural bridges, creating new standards of transparency, and introducing the world to the unparalleled richness of Indian jewelry design. We remain focused on strengthening our global presence through responsible practices, innovation, and the unwavering values that have guided us for over three decades.”
Canada as a Strategic Growth Market
Canada has emerged as a strategically important market for Malabar Gold & Diamonds, driven by both demographic factors and evolving consumer tastes. The country is home to a large and economically significant South Asian diaspora that values traditional jewellery craftsmanship, particularly in bridal and ceremonial categories. At the same time, Malabar has increasingly positioned its collections to appeal to a broader customer base seeking contemporary design, premium materials, and transparent pricing.
Managing Director of International Operations, Shamlal Ahamed, emphasized the importance of North America within the global jewellery landscape. “North America has evolved into one of the most influential and high-potential markets in the global jewelry industry. The region is home to a vibrant Indian sub-continental diaspora that deeply values traditional craftsmanship, while also attracting a growing audience of mainstream customers who appreciate the contemporary elegance and design diversity that Malabar Gold & Diamonds brings. Our expansion into Austin & Ajax reflects our deep understanding & trust in the city’s jewelry landscape and we are confident that these showrooms will go on to become a preferred jewelry shopping destination for residents.”
He added that Malabar has charted an ambitious expansion roadmap across both the United States and Canada. “Our presence in North America remains vital to our global expansion plans and to this effect, we have charted an ambitious expansion plan for both the USA & Canada. In the USA, more showroom launches are being planned across San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Virginia, Detroit, Houston, Charlotte, Phoenix, New York, and San Diego. In Canada, expansion is being planned to Calgary, Vancouver & Montreal in the near future.”
Ethics, Transparency, and the Malabar Promise
Malabar Gold & Diamonds continues to emphasize sustainability, transparency, and ethical sourcing as core elements of its retail proposition. These principles are formalized through the company’s Malabar Promise, which includes transparent pricing, assured lifetime maintenance at any showroom globally, guaranteed buyback, certified diamonds, full value exchange on gold and diamond jewellery, 100 percent hallmarked jewellery, responsible sourcing, and fair labor practices.
Vice Chairman of Malabar Group, Abdul Salam K.P., reinforced the role of these commitments in the company’s growth strategy. “As we expand our footprint across North America, sustainability, responsibility, and ethical business practices remain central to our growth strategy. The jewelry industry is undergoing rapid transformation, and we believe that true leadership comes from not only offering world-class products but also doing so with unwavering integrity. The launch of our Austin and Ajax showrooms is another step in delivering a retail experience that combines global luxury with ethical value. Our customers can trust that every piece they purchase is crafted with respect for people, the environment, and the global supply chain.”
He added that Malabar continues to invest heavily in ESG initiatives across markets. “We are also investing in strengthening our ESG initiatives across markets, ensuring that our expansion brings measurable positive impact. As we grow internationally, we remain committed to fostering local relationships, creating employment opportunities, and introducing customers to world-class jewelry backed by the highest standards of responsibility and craftsmanship.”
From Kerala to a Global Jewellery Leader
Malabar Gold & Diamonds was founded in 1993 in Kozhikode, in the Indian state of Kerala, by entrepreneur M.P. Ahammed. The company began as a single jewellery showroom and has since grown into the flagship brand of Malabar Group, a privately held conglomerate with vertically integrated operations spanning retail, wholesale, manufacturing, and design.
Over the past three decades, Malabar has expanded from India into the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. Key milestones include the opening of its first U.S. showroom in Chicago in 2018 and the launch of its 300th global showroom in Dallas in 2023. Today, Malabar Gold & Diamonds reports annual revenues in the range of $7.5 billion USD, placing it among the largest specialty jewellery retailers in the world.
