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List of Retailers Opening and Expanding in Canada

By
Craig Patterson
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The following is a list of 28 retailers which are either new to Canada, or expanding their operations nationally. Although some of these retailers have recently been discussed in Retail Insider, most are new and haven’t been revealed until now.

The list is sponsored by Vancouver-based Peregrine, which custom designs and fabricates retail, display, furniture and architectural features for some of the country’s top retailers.

STORE NAMELOCATIONS TO OPEN IN CANADANEW OR EXPANDING?ESTIMATED # OF LOCATIONS POST-EXPANSION
Abercrombie & FitchVancouver (Summer 2015)Expanding5+
AllSaintsVancouver (Summer 2015)Expanding2+
AritziaVancouver, Montreal, Halifax, Oshawa, Saint Bruno, QCExpanding60+
Atlantic FabricsTruro, N.S. (Spring 2015)Expanding5+
Bailey Nelson EyewearToronto (now open)Expanding2+
Cabela’sAbbotsford BC (fall 2016), Calgary (fall 2015), Moncton NB (May 28, 2015), Ottawa (Spring 2016)Expanding11+
Choices MarketVancouver (Commercial Drive)Expanding10+
Cole Haan OutletVancouver (Richmond: Summer 2015)Expanding3+
Consonant SkincareToronto (now open)Expanding2+ (unknown)
COS by H&MToronto (fall 2015), Montreal (winter 2015)New4+
DollaramaAcross CanadaExpanding1200+
Drake General StoreToronto (Union Station, spring 2015)Expanding5+
DSW ShoesSherwood Park AB, Victoria BC, Moncton NB, Barrie ON, Toronto, London ON (all fall 2015)Expanding40-50 estimated
Famous FootwearVaughan, ON (March 2015)ExpandingUnknown, but substantial
Kit and AceToronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Halifax, possibly Kelowna – all by early 2016Expanding15+
LEGO StoreWinnipeg, TorontoExpanding11+
LodingToronto (3rd location), MontrealExpandingUnknown
NordstromVancouver (1+), Toronto (3+), Edmonton speculatedExpanding7 to 10
Pan Am Games StoreTorontoNewOne?
Polo Ralph Lauren OutletVancouver (Richmond: Summer 2015), Edmonton TBDExpanding5+
Rider StoreSaskatoon (May 2015)Expanding5+
Saks Fifth AvenueToronto (Spring 2016), Etobicoke ON (Spring 2016), Vancouver (TBD), Montreal, Calgary TBDNew7 estimated
Secret Location OutletVancouver (Richmond, Summer 2015)NewPossibly only one
SitkaVancouver (now open), possibly Calgary, southern Ontario, and another Vancouver unit.ExpandingUnknown
Strong’s MarketNorth Vancouver, BC (early 2016)Expanding2+
Urban FareCalgary (Mount Royal Village)Expanding6+
VersaceVancouver (TBD)Expanding5 estimated
West ElmCalgary (Mount Royal Village)Expanding4+

Outdoor Lifestyle Brand Sitka Looks to Expand Across Canada

By
Craig Patterson
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Victoria-based lifestyle brand Sitka is looking to expand its network of brick-and-mortar ‘community centre’ stores nationally, and it’s using a rather unique method to do so. The conservation-focused brand launched a crowdfunding campaign last week with the intent to move the brand into various Canadian markets, while continuing to promote and fund wilderness conservation. We spoke with the company’s co-founder to learn more. 

Founded as a surfboard brand in Victoria, B.C. in 2002, Sitka retails outdoor gear, clothing, and related accessories. The company says part of its mission is ‘wilderness activism’ with a portion of its profits going to conservation. It currently has three brick-and-mortar ‘community centres’, including two in Canada. Last week, Sitka opened its second permanent Canadian location in Vancouver, adding to its existing flagship in Victoria and a location in Auckland, New Zealand.

The 2,100 square foot Vancouver location, which opened on April 20 at 2127 W. 4th Avenue in Kitsilano, features sustainable wood furniture by a local woodworker and an interactive ‘cabin’ where a digital screen displays Sitka’s conservation projects.

The brand reportedly achieved sales of almost $4 million in 2013, with impressive growth forecasts. Besides its three brick-and-mortar stores, Sitka is retailed in over 200 stores across Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Germany, South Korea and Indonesia.

We spoke with Sitka co-founder Rene Gauthier. He told us that the company is looking to open its ‘community centres’ in a number of Canadian locations, measuring between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet. Streetfront locations are most ideal, he says, though in some markets Sitka could move into shopping centres if the right opportunities come available. He says that another Vancouver location is likely in the cards and that a location in Whistler, B.C. could be next – depending on Sitka’s crowdfunding success. Future markets on his radar include Calgary, Montreal, and Southern Ontario. Being from Winnipeg, Mr. Gauthier says he’d like to see a ‘community centre’ there some day, as well. 

Mr. Gauthier also mentioned that the company’s goal is for 100% of its clothing products to be made in Canada or the United States by late 2016, up from a current 60%.  

Holt Renfrew Vancouver Flagship to be One of North America’s Largest Luxury Stores

By
Craig Patterson
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Holt Renfrew will expand its Vancouver flagship to an impressive 190,000 square feet. When completed at the end of 2016, only a handful of North American luxury stores will be larger. The following is our analysis where we also discuss how Holt’s Vancouver location will also feature Canada’s largest leathergoods hall. 

For full details on Holt’s Vancouver expansion, we direct you to this article where we discuss the overhaul which will add about 40,000 square feet, as well as possibly a ground-level Chanel boutique with its own street entrance. 

In our analysis below, we have determined large American luxury retailers to include Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Barney’s New York. We have excluded Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, as both carry a considerable amount of mid-range merchandise. 

Only a handful of North American luxury stores exceed 190,000 square feet. These include the following: 

New York City:

  • Saks Fifth Avenue: 646,000 square feet,
  • Bergdorf Goodman 316,000 square feet, including a 250,000 square foot main store and 66,000 men’s store across the street,
  • Barneys New York: 230,000 square feet.

San Francisco, California: 

  • Neiman Marcus, Union Square: 252,000 square feet

Beverly Hills, California: 

  • Saks Fifth Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard: 285,000 square feet, including a 175,000 square foot east store and 110,00 square foot west store.  

Houston Texas: 

  • Neiman Marcus, Houston Galleria: 224,000 square feet
  • Saks Fifth Avenue, Houston Galleria: 210,000 square feet, replacement location: 198,000 square feet (opening early 2016)

Dallas, Texas:

  • Neiman Marcus, Northpark Center: 218,000 square feet

Atlanta, Georgia:

  • Neiman Marcus, Lenox Square: 206,000 square feet

Although Vancouver’s Holt Renfrew will be the chain’s largest when completed at the end of 2016, Holt’s Bloor Street business will technically boast more square footage. The Bloor Street store includes 175,926 square feet at 50 Bloor Street West, about 3,800 square feet on the ground level of 60 Bloor Street West, and an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 square feet dedicated to personal shopping suites upstairs in 60 Bloor Street West. Holt Renfrew also operates a 16,500 square foot men’s store at 100 Bloor Street West, about 500 feet to the west of its 50 Bloor flagship. Therefore, Holt’s currently operates about 200,000 square feet on Bloor Street. The company plans to further expand 50 Bloor and sources at Holt’s say that details are still being finalized.

Furthermore, Montreal will see a 220,000 square foot combined Holt Renfrew/Ogilvy location in 2017, resulting in the closure of Holt’s nearby 84,000 square foot unit. Although the new Ogilvy/Holt’s is expected to carry a substantial amount of luxury product, industry insiders expect it will also carry a substantial variety of more moderately-priced brands. 

Business in Vancouver reports that Vancouver’s expanded Holt Renfrew will feature a 30,000 square foot leathergoods section — triple the size of its current offerings. If correct, it would be the largest department of its kind in Canada, including even those within Hudson’s Bay’s Canadian flagships. 

Holt Renfrew to Create 190,000 Square Foot Pacific Centre Showpiece

By
Craig Patterson
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Holt Renfrew will substantially expand its Vancouver Pacific Centre flagship, creating a 190,000 square foot showpiece by annexing adjacent retailers. Holt’s will expand existing departments, including a new men’s store with its own street entrance. Glen Korstrom at Business in Vancouver recently interviewed Holt Renfrew president Mark Derbyshire, and some of those details are provided in this article. 

Construction on the store’s overhaul will begin in August, with an expected completion date in late 2016. Holt Renfrew won’t confirm the cost of the expansion. The Vancouver store will be slightly larger than Holt’s Bloor Street flagship, which measures about 185,000 square feet in size. 

Holt’s will gain about 40,000 square feet by annexing the adjacent FGL Sports-owned Sport Chek and Atmosphere stores. As a result, Holt Renfrew will be able to expand its current 25,000 square foot men’s store by about 20,000 square feet, creating a space with its own separate entrance onto Howe Street. Holt Renfrew has increased its focus on menswear, having recently opened a free-standing men’s store on Toronto’s Bloor Street West. The new men’s store will be branded as Holt Renfrew Men, as is the Bloor Street location. 

Sport Check will relocate to a 50,000 square foot retail space at the southeast corner of Robson Street and Howe Street, currently occupied by a Chapters Bookstore. 

Mr. Derbyshire told Mr. Korstrom that a 3,500 square foot, 80 seat licensed Holt’s Café will locate above the new men’s store, with windows overlooking Howe Street. The rest of the annexed retail space will be utilized to expand Holt’s ground-floor, which currently houses cosmetics, accessories, leathergoods and jewellery. 

Remarkably, the store will gain a second atrium as part of the expansion, making the store appear even more massive. According to Holt Renfrew, both atriums will be used to showcase “world-renowned visual installations.”

Until January, Holt’s housed a franchised ground-floor salon and spa, with windows facing onto Dunsmuir Street. Sources at Holt’s say that the retailer may dedicate some of that space to a massive Chanel boutique, complete with a dedicated Dunsmuir Street entrance. Sources say that Holt Renfrew may have done this on the condition that Chanel abandon plans to open a free-standing unit in Vancouver’s nearby ‘Luxury Zone‘. Mr. Derbyshire would not confirm details of the speculated Chanel boutique with Mr. Korstrom. 

Mr. Derbyshire also said that the store’s women’s footwear department will triple in size, as will women’s handbags. The Vancouver footwear salon will be about 10,000 square feet and if Holt’s Yorkdale location may act as precedent, Vancouver’s footwear salon could see shops-in-stores for brands such as Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnkik and Christian Louboutin. Handbags and leathergoods will expand to a whopping 30,000 square feet, the largest department of its kind in Canada. Sources speculate that Holt’s expanded handbags section will include several new shops-in-stores including a space dedicated to Italian luxury brand Miu Miu, which currently has locations within Holt’s Bloor Street and Yorkdale locations. A source at Holt Renfrew says that the store’s current ground floor Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Dior concessions will all see new updated spaces.

The store’s already expansive jewellery department will expand by 50%. Current concessions include Tiffany & Co., David Yurman and Links of London. 

Mr. Derbyshire also said that the store’s current 16,000 square foot cosmetics department will be expanded by about 50%. The department boasts some cosmetics brands unavailable elsewhere in Vancouver. 

Holt’s third floor womenswear department is also set to expand. It currently houses Vancouver’s top selection of luxury brands, including shops for Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Gucci, as well as luxury brands such as Oscar de la Renta, Jil Sander, Marni, Piazza Sempione, Valentino, Pucci, Etro, Lanvin and others. Luxury ready-to-wear does exceptionally well at the store, with some brands seeing their highest Canadian sales in Vancouver. Sources say that Vancouver is currently the second-highest selling Holt’s location, though sales sometimes surpass that of the Bloor Street flagship, which is estimated to trade in excess of $150 million annually. The company’s Yorkdale unit, currently third in the chain in terms of sales, does an estimated $110 million over 120,000 square feet, according to industry sources. 

Holt Renfrew will introduce a 1,000 square foot luxury shopping ‘Apartment‘ to the fourth level of the Vancouver store, along with expanded personal shopping suites, spanning 7,000 square feet. The ‘Apartment’ will be a by-invitation private luxury salon, which has seen success at Holt’s Yorkdale location. Included with the Vancouver ‘Apartment’ will be an outdoor landscaped terrace. The store’s fourth level currently houses offices, storage and backroom activities. When the Vancouver store was built in 2007, the space was earmarked for a restaurant but the City of Vancouver denied its license because the space lacked a dedicated service elevator. 

Mr. Derbyshire confirmed that New York City-based Janson Goldstein will oversee Vancouver’s Holt’s expansion and renovation. Goldstein designed the current store which opened in 2007, which replaced a 68,000 square foot unit half a block south. Holt Renfrew first opened in Pacific Centre in 1975, in a space measuring approximately 45,000 square feet. At the time it was the company’s second-largest location, following Holt’s former 60,000 square foot flagship at 144 Bloor Street West in Toronto. 

Holt Renfrew is in the process of expanding and renovating its entire fleet of stores, spending in excess of $300 million to expand from about 800,000 square feet to about 1.2 million square feet. Holt’s will also expand its Calgary and Bloor Street locations, as well as build a new 122,000 square foot location at Square One in Mississauga. The Montreal location will shutter after Holt’s merges with nearby Ogilvy, creating an expanded 220,000 square foot flagship. 

 

Chinese Tourism May Explain Canada’s Increase in Luxury Retail [With Infographic]

By
Craig Patterson
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Luxury brands continue to open Canadian locations, and a spike in Chinese tourism may be partly the reason. The number of Chinese visitors to Canada is substantial, and is expected to triple over the next five years. Chinese visitors are now the second-largest contributors of tourism dollars to the Canadian economy and as Canada is the world’s third most popular destination for Chinese tourists, retailers can’t help but take notice. 

Jeff Guthrie, Chief Sales & Relationship Officer at Moneris, says that Canada is only third to New Zealand and the United States for popularity among Chinese tourists. Of the roughly 500,000 Chinese who visited Canada in 2014, about 55%, or 270,000, visited British Columbia. The second most visited province was Ontario, with 38% or about 186,000 Chinese visitors. Mr. Guthrie says he expects Chinese tourism to triple by the year 2020 and remarkably, the number of Chinese applications for Visas to come to Canada were up 51% in January of 2015 over the year before. 

Retail accounts for about 77% of all spending by Chinese tourists in Canada, while only 7% goes to lodging and 8% to dining. Spending by Chinese visitors continues to grow each year. In 2013, the average amount spent by each individual Chinese visitor averaged $1,804, up from $1,630 in 2010. Mr. Guthrie says that these numbers may even be higher if purchases for friends and family are factored in.  

As China’s population gains affluence, residents are looking to see the world. Mr. Guthrie says that China now boasts the world’s largest ‘middle class’, consisting of about 600 million people. The Chinese are spending an estimated $164 billion internationally annually, more than any other nation. Luxury goods, apparel and uniquely Canadian items are especially popular.

Mr. Guthrie explains how Moneris has partnered with Chinese card company China UnionPay to help Canadian retailers benefit from the forecasted increase in Chinese tourism. UnionPay is the world’s largest card issuer, with over 4.7 billion in use to date. Canadian retailers can now include China UnionPay in their payment systems at no extra cost, and fees for retailers are lower than those of traditional cards such as VISA and Mastercard. Mr. Guthrie explains how it makes sense for Canadian retailers to include the China UnionPay option, as its familiarity will encourage Chinese tourist patronage.

Having studied luxury retail in Vancouver and Toronto, we were particularly interested to learn more about why Chinese tourists are coming to Canada to buy luxury goods. We spoke with luxury retail expert Farla Efros, Executive Vice President and COO of HRC Advisory. Ms. Efros explained that Canada is an attractive shopping destination for the Chinese for a variety of reasons. The price difference of luxury goods in China vs. Canada, for example, can be as high as 45 to 51% when factoring in import duties, consumption tax, and VAT. Chinese shoppers believe that goods bought in Canada are less likely to be counterfeit and furthermore, the breadth and selection of luxury goods is often better in North America. Getting a tourist visa to visit Canada is relatively simple, enhancing Canada’s reputation as a Chinese visitor destination. 

Ms. Efros went on to explain how Canada could become an international luxury goods destination with the lower dollar, making goods bought here even more of a bargain. She said that luxury brands already recognize Canada’s ability to attract top-spending tourists and as a result, these brands continue opening free-standing flagships. Ms. Efros also explained how mono-brand luxury stores in Canada will see an expanded selection of products, including exclusives, as sales continue to increase. Chanel, for example, creates a limited quantity of some items and then limits their distribution. Canada may see more than its fair share of exclusives if sales continue to increase. Furthermore, brands such as Valentino, Saint Laurent Paris, Brunello Cucinelli, Versace, Tod’s and other brands continue to seek Canadian retail space, recognizing potential sales from both affluent locals as well as increased tourism. 

If what Mr. Guthrie says is correct, Canada will be seeing substantially more Chinese tourists over the next several years. Ms. Efros notes that Chinese shoppers seek out prominent brands, both for themselves as well as gifts for others. Given the projected increase in spending among Chinese tourists, we may now be better able to explain why Toronto’s Bloor Street West and Vancouver’s Alberni Street will continue to see luxury brands signing new leases. 

Below is an infographic provided by Moneris, providing insight into Chinese tourism in Canada. 

Yorkdale Announces West Expansion With Canada’s Largest Restoration Hardware

By
Craig Patterson
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Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre has announced a new west expansion, which will be anchored by a flagship Restoration Hardware. The expansion will involve demising the mall’s former 190,000 square foot Sears location. It will add to the mall’s already substantial expansion plans, which includes an eastward expansion to be anchored by Nordstrom and Uniqlo. We have included lease plans in this article, provided by Yorkdale’s landlord, Oxford Properties. 

The new west expansion will span an estimated 120,000 square feet. Of that, 69,000 square feet is earmarked for upscale home furnishings retailer Restoration Hardware. The four-level store will be Restorations Hardware’s largest Canadian location. The new west expansion is scheduled to open in November of 2016. 

The mall’s 298,000 square foot east expansion, currently under construction, will house a 191,000 square foot Nordstrom, a 24,000 square foot Uniqlo, and about 30 additional retailers. Sources say that a number of retailers in the east expansion will be new to Canada, as Yorkdale is now considered to be Canada’s top destination for retail brands looking to enter the Canadian market. The east expansion is scheduled to open in August of 2016. 

Yorkdale also completed a $220 million southwest expansion in 2012. The expansion included a significantly enlarged Holt Renfrew, which grew from about 65,000 square feet to over 120,000 square feet. The expansion also houses Canada’s largest Apple Store as well as retailers such as Tesla Motors, Microsoft Store, Club Monaco, John Varvatos, Anthropologie and AllSaints. 

By 2018, Yorkdale is expected to be North America’s top-selling shopping centre, with sales anticipated to exceed $2 billion. The mall already includes Canada’s densest concentration of luxury brands, located in the mall’s ‘luxury wing’ in the area adjacent to Holt Renfrew. Yorkdale is currently the only suburban Canadian shopping centre to feature a world-class luxury retail component, housing free-standing locations for brands such as Cartier, Bulgari, Mulberry, Jimmy Choo, Moncler, David Yurman, Montblanc, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, and others. This spring, French luxury brand Longchamp will open a new store across from Holt’s and in July, luxury timepiece brand Jaeger-LeCoultre will open its first Canadian location. Holt Renfrew, itself, features mall-facing concessions for luxury brands Chanel, Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, as well as internal concessions for Dior, Giorgio Armani and others.  

Sources say that a further westward expansion could be in the works for Yorkdale, and we’ll discuss this further when permitted. 

*We previously featured a rendering in this article, and were requested to remove the image. 

West Elm to Open its 4th Canadian Location in Calgary

By
Craig Patterson
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WEST ELM PHOTO: DEREKRUBINOFF.COM

Popular upscale furniture and housewares retailer West Elm will open its fourth Canadian location at Calgary’s expanded Mount Royal Village. West Elm is currently advertising for a general manager for the new Calgary store.

West Elm was founded by parent company Williams-Sonoma in New York City in 2002. It retails a variety of housewares, from large furniture pieces to small gift items. It currently operates 65 stores in the United States as well as stores in Australia, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and Canada. In Canada, West Elm operates a large location in Toronto’s Shops at King Liberty, a store at 995 Rue Wellington in Montreal, and separate West Elm and West Elm Market locations on Vancouver’s tony South Granville strip. The Toronto store opened in October of 2008, Vancouver in September of 2012, and Montreal in June of 2013.

Remarkably, the Montreal location isn’t included on West Elm’s website listing the retailer’s Canadian locations. This could be explained, however, by the fact that West Elm’s English-only website is blocked in Quebec. 

RENDERING VIA FIRST CAPITAL REALTY

First Capital Realty is in the process of overhauling Calgary’s Mount Royal Village, expanding its retail component as well as adding condominium and other uses. We’ll discuss Mount Royal Village’s transformation in a separate article to follow. 


Porsche Design Halts Expansion, Closes All Canadian Locations

By
Craig Patterson
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German luxury brand Porsche Design has closed its Canadian stores, as well as discontinued plans to open locations across the country. The brand opened its first location in 2012 with plans for up to eight Canadian locations. 

The company recently informed us of its Canadian exit, but wouldn’t provide details as to why it abandoned its originally ambitious Canadian expansion plans. 

Porsche Design retails high quality, high-priced clothing, accessories, luggage, watches and various novelties. The company was founded in Germany in 1972 to compliment the Porsche motorcar business. It concentrates on product design and products are often manufactured for a limited time. Porsche Design has 20 store locations in the United States as well as one outlet mall location. It also boasts store locations worldwide and its products are also carried in various upscale international retailers. 

The brand originally planned to open stores Canada wide. In November of 2013, its Canadian manager told us that Porsche Design was looking to open stores in Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, and possibly Edmonton. Specifically, the brand has its sights set on Calgary’s Chinook Centre, Ottawa’s Rideau Centre, Montreal’s Carrefour Laval and possibly West Edmonton Mall. Sources also say that the brand was negotiating for retail space at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre as well as at Sherway Gardens, where it operated a temporary kiosk for a brief period. All plans are now cancelled, according to the company. 

Porsche Design’s first Canadian location opened in the summer of 2012 at 77 Bloor Street West, in the heart of Toronto’s ‘Mink Mile’. Its retail space is now available for lease, along with the adjacent Guess location, with the possibility to create a combined retail space spanning 10,000 square feet. 

Porsche Design’s second Canadian location opened in the fall of 2013 on the basement level of downtown Vancouver’s Hudson’s Bay building. The awkwardly located retail space, adjacent to the building’s TopShop, was meant to be temporary before the brand moved into either a permanent space below Nordstrom at Pacific Centre, or possibly within Hudson’s Bay itself. Neither option materialized. After opening a Vancouver concession, Porsche Design opened on the concourse level of Toronto’s flagship Hudson’s Bay. That location, too, has since shuttered.

Kit and Ace to Open West Edmonton Mall Flagship

By
Craig Patterson
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Vancouver-based ‘Technical Luxury™’ brand Kit and Ace has confirmed its third Canadian flagship location to be at West Edmonton Mall, after recently confirming two permanent locations in Toronto and Vancouver. The Edmonton store will open early this fall. Kit and Ace plans to open 15 Canadian flagships by early 2016 as it grows its store base worldwide. 

Founded in 2014 by Shannon Wilson (wife of Lululemon founder Chip Wilson) and her son, J.J., Kit and Ace’s clothing is made from proprietary fabric called Qemir, which includes a percentage of cashmere. Remarkably, the product can be washed in a machine instead of having to be dry cleaned.

Kit and Ace will replace West Edmonton Mall’s Smart Set location on the mall’s second level. Spanning about 2,900 square feet, Kit and Ace will be located between Express and the mall’s busy Apple Store. Below is a mall map and lease plan showing Kit and Ace’s new location. 

A Calgary flagship, located on 17 Avenue S.W., is also expected to be announced shortly. 

Kit and Ace currently operates five Canadian locations. These were originally intended to act as temporary test ‘studios’ prior to the brand’s long-term rollout. Located in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon and Toronto, all but the Vancouver studio operate on 12-month leases. 

The brand’s first two Canadian flagships are now confirmed. Opening in October, a 3,300 square foot location at Toronto’s 102 Bloor Street West will replace a Benetton store as well as an adjacent retail space to the rear facing Critchley Lane. A second Vancouver location will open on July 1, at 2235 West 4 Avenue, in the popular Kitsilano area. 

Kit and Ace also plans to open at least one more location in Toronto, as well as flagships in Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Halifax, and possibly eventually Kelowna, BC. Kit and Ace’s original 151 Water Street ‘studio’ will remain open indefinitely, according to co-founder J.J. Wilson. The Vancouver location was the brand’s first and it opened in July of 2014. 

Kit and Ace continues to look for retail space, generally in the 2,800 to 3,200 square foot range. Although streetfront locations are preferable, the brand will consider locating in top-tier high-traffic malls. 

Besides the approximately 15 Canadian locations intended to open by early next year, Kit and Ace will open a further 15 to 40 locations internationally. Japan, the United Kingdom and Australia are on its radar, with American locations confirmed for Cincinnati, Columbus, Denver, Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Jose and Washington DC — all scheduled to open by mid-October of this year.  

Confirmed: COS by H&M to Open Canadian Locations

By
Craig Patterson
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*Article originally published April 16 2015, updated April 20, 2015.

H&M‘s upscale fashion brand COS will open Canadian locations, beginning with a flagship on Toronto’s ‘Mink Mile’ which opens this fall, and a location in downtown Montreal which opens this winter. Two other Toronto locations are said to be in the works as the brand expands into Canada. The potential for three Toronto locations is remarkable, given that the Swedish brand currently operates only two U.S. locations. 

COS, which stands for Collection of Style, launched in Stockholm in 2007. The brand’s price point is marginally higher than that of H&M, and it says that its designs are timeless, tactile, functional, classic and modern. Collections include fashions for women, men and children. 

COS recently signed a lease for Toronto’s 85 Bloor Street West, formerly occupied by jeweller Tiffany & Co. Spacelist.ca indicates that the entire 85 Bloor building is 13,451 square feet. COS will occupy three levels of the four level retail structure. 85 Bloor Street West is owned by Toronto-based real estate company Burnac Corporation, and is located next to Hugo Boss on Canada’s most prestigious shopping strip.

COS also secured space in an historic retail building at 1310 Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest in Montreal. The space was most recently occupied by fashion retailer Le Chateau. 

Sources also say that COS continues to negotiate for space at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, as well as possibly for a location at Toronto Eaton Centre. If both potential deals conclude, Toronto would be North America’s only city with three COS locations. We must be clear that we cannot confirm either of these locations at this time.

COS currently operates two stores in the United States. Its first location, measuring 5,680 square feet, opened on North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, CA, in October of 2014. A second 4,950 square foot location opened in December of 2014 in New York City’s Soho area. According to its website, COS currently has stores in 26 countries. 

Thank you to Urban Toronto‘s ACT7 for this tip and related research. 

 

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