Upscale French menswear brand Loding plans to open locations Canada-wide over the next several years. Its fourth location is set to open early next year, and strong sales will see the brand expand into new markets.
Loding’s first Canadian location opened in February of 2014 at 133 Avenue Road in Toronto’s Yorkville area. Success at the 1,100 square foot boutique led to a second location opening that October at Toronto’s First Canadian Place. Loding’s third Toronto store opened in late September of this year at CF Sherway Gardens, measuring 665 square feet. Toronto remains Loding’s only North American market for now, though that is expected to change when North American franchisee Yannick Bigourdan (who also owns The Carbon Bar) locates retail space in new markets.
Loding’s fourth Toronto location, measuring about 400 square feet, will open in early 2016 at Toronto’s commuter hub, Union Station. More Canadian locations are expected to follow, according to operations manager Zofia Koch. Ms. Koch explained that Montreal could be next for the brand, particularly given the city’s connection to France. She said that the brand would look to expand into Eastern Canada before expanding westward, as well as into the United States. Ms. Koch also said that Toronto could see one more Loding location, given success at current stores.
Ms. Koch described how Loding’s patina artist, Emmanuel Farre (originally from Toulous, France), has been a popular addition to the Yorkville store. Loding shoes typically cost $330 and for an additional fee, Mr. Farre will customize a patina at the owner’s request.
Founded in Paris in 1998, Loding now boasts over 70 stores worldwide. The brand features men’s shoes, shirts, ties, belts and other accessories, as well as shoe care. The store is unique in how it prices its products: the company doesn’t participate in promotions or sales/discounts, so prices in the store will be the same year-round. The company also practices the idea of ‘one price by type of article’ with all shoes costing $330, shirts $95 and ties for $70, for example.
