Popular British fashion brand Ted Baker has opened its third Canadian location at the Toronto Eaton Centre. The unique store reflects the layout of a British shopping arcade, complete with an umbrella shop, watchmaker, optician, jeweller, perfumery and tea shop. Company officials won’t openly comment on Ted Baker’s further expansion into the rest of Canada, though we’re told that the retailer has spoken to several landlords about possibly opening stores in other Canadian cities.
Ted Baker’s new Toronto Eaton Centre location replaces womenswear retailer Melanie Lyne in a 3,800 square foot space, next to Harry Rosen on the mall’s top level. Ted Baker joins an increasingly upscale tenant mix in the mall which, in 2016, will add two new luxury anchors — a 150,000 square foot Saks Fifth Avenue within Hudson’s Bay, and a 213,000 square foot Nordstrom in part of the mall’s former Sears space.
Both men’s and women’s fashions are carried in the new Ted Baker, as are footwear and accessories. The new store’s design is based on a modern interpretation of the ‘Great British Shopping Arcade’ – complementing the gallery design of Toronto Eaton Centre. The store reflects six shops typically found in a traditional British arcade as mentioned above, featuring spray painted steel ceiling trusses in neon pink, taking inspiration from the intricate Victorian steel work in traditional arcades. Areas of fixtures create a modern diamond grid of ‘shops’, making up ‘Baker’s Arcade.’ A series of framed panels of wallpaper, fabric, leather and detailed collections of relevant props define each ‘shop’ area.
Founder and CEO Ray Kelvin attributes the company’s success in part to its down-to-earth attitude. “I didn’t want to make clothes for wealthy people, and I didn’t want to make clothes to help people with their confidence,” Kelvin recently told the Globe & Mail. “I wanted to make real clothes for real people who really appreciate fashion, and want to enjoy something that they can afford.”
In the United States, Ted Baker has 15 free-standing stores, 25 concessions within Bloomingdale’s stores, and 5 outlet stores.
Ted Baker’s first Canadian location opened in October of 2012 in the newest expansion of Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The roughly 3,200 square foot store is across from the hall from the recently expanded Holt Renfrew store. Ted Baker’s only Canadian outlet store opened in August of 2013 at the Toronto Premium Outlets.
We’ll continue to keep you updated on Ted Baker’s Canadian store expansion.
In how many Hudson’s Bay stores does Ted Baker have concessions?