Despite reports that Canada’s economy faces challenges, homegrown and international retailers continue to expand in Canada. There is so much movement, in fact, that it can be difficult to keep track of everything that is happening. We have identified dozens of retailers growing their operations nationally and below is the first of a series with our latest updates. Many of these have not been revealed until now.
The following is a list of 35 retailers that are either entering the Canadian market or are expanding their operations. 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 NAME | LOCATIONS TO OPEN IN CANADA | NEW OR EXPANDING? | ESTIMATED # OF LOCATIONS POST-EXPANSION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aesop | Vancouver (2-3 more), Toronto (at least one more freestanding, at least one Saks Fifth Avenue concession), Montreal | Expanding | 8+ |
| AllSaints | Toronto (CF Toronto Eaton Centre opening soon), more to follow | Expanding | 3+ |
| Bailey Nelson Eyewear | About 45 more stores coast-to-coast | Expanding | About 50 |
| Bass Pro Shops | Tsawwassen BC (spring 2016) | Expanding | 5+ |
| BESTSELLER | Winnipeg CF Polo Park (Spring 2016), more to follow | Expanding | About 12 |
| Chocolates X Brandon | Toronto | New | Unknown |
| David’s Tea | Approximately 110 more Canadian locations across the country | Expanding | ~250 |
| DSW Designer Shoes | Oakville, Ottawa, Halifax, Regina, Calgary under negotiation | Expanding | 40-50 Nationally |
| Eileen Fisher | Toronto (2016, details TBA), more to follow | Explanding | Unknown |
| Fendi | Vancouver (2016, details TBA), more re: Toronto to follow | TBA | TBA |
| Holt Renfrew | Mississauga Square One (spring 2016), possible 2nd Vancouver-area store | Expanding | 7+ |
| Hyba by Reitmans | Nationwide | New/Expanding | 20+ |
| Ikea | Pick-up Centres: Quebec City (opening Dec 2), all rest Ontario: London (opening Dec 2), 2016: St. Catherines, Windsor, Whitby, Kitchener, more to come nationally | Expanding | Unknown (conflicting information) |
| Illbury + Goose | Toronto, Vancouver (retailer based in London, ON) | Expanding | 3+ |
| Jeff de Brugges | 50-60 Nationally, franchised | Expanding | 50-60 |
| Jennifer Tattanelli | Toronto (Yorkville site selection underway), Vancouver anticipated | New | Unknown |
| Jermyn Street 1664 | Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal (Calgary CORE opened August, 2015) | Expanding | Unknown |
| K-Way | TBA | New | TBA |
| Kate Spade | Calgary (now open at CF Chinook Centre), Mississauga Square One (spring 2016) | Expanding | 10+ |
| Kit and Ace | Oakville ON (Dec 2015), Toronto (Briar Hill, spring 2016), Port Carling ON (summer 2016) | Expanding | 15+ |
| La Cure Gourmande | Quebec (6-7 before 2018), Ontario (12-15 eventually), national | Expanding | 30-35 |
| Ladurée | Vancouver (early 2016), more TBA | New | Unknown |
| Le Creuset | Montreal, Halifax site search | Expanding | 10+ |
| Louis Vuitton | Toronto: Saks CF Toronto Eaton Centre, February 2016 | Expanding | 9+ |
| M0851 | Toronto (seeking Bloor Street, Queen Street, Yonge & Eglinton retail spaces) | Expanding | 15+ |
| Meinhardt Fine Foods | Vancouver (Burrard Place, 2016) | Expanding | 3+ |
| Nations Fresh Foods | Toronto | Expanding | 3+ |
| NYX Cosmetics | Mississauga ON (Now open), Toronto (opening soon), more to follow nationally | New | Unknown |
| Piaget | Toronto: Saks CF Toronto Eaton Centre, February 2016 | New | Unknown |
| Saks OFF 5TH | Ottawa (2), Niagara-on-the-Lake ON, Vaughan ON, Halton Hills ON, Mirabel QC, Calgary. Edmonton & Vancouver TBA | New | ~25 |
| Sephora | Toronto (major expansion to be revealed, new locations and existing location expansion/relocation) | Expansion | Unknown |
| Shumaker | National Expansion, details TBA | New | ~150 across Canada |
| Sporting Life | Calgary Southcentre (fall 2016) Richmond Hill ON Hillcrest Mall (2016), Toronto 2019 (TBA), Vancouver TBA, further national expansion) | Expanding | 10+ |
| Stefano Ricci | Vancouver (spring 2016), possible Toronto location | New | 1+ |
Our next Peregrine-sponsored List of Retailers Opening and Expanding in Canada will be published next week.
Why is Uniqlo missing from this list? That’s by far the new entry I am most excited about.
The list above isn’t comprehensive — we’ll have a follow-up next week where Uniqlo will be included.
What does this list mean by Mercedes Benz? Surely it can’t mean dealerships, as I have two of them within a 15km radius from me
We’re actually going to delete that one — there was a slight misunderstanding as you noted, and this article was misread: http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/09/12/calgary-gets-a-mercedes-benz-dealership-in-the-southeast
Exiting stuff. Lots of new places to look forward to. Fendi will add another nice edition to Vancouver’s increasingly growing luxury retailers. Also surpised by the number of sweet/chocolate shops opening/expanding.
I look after Ardene’s real estate needs – they presently have 400 stores and are looking to expand everywhere across Canada – not only expanding their existing stores but adding new ones as well. New size format varies between 8,000 – 20,000 sf depending on the market.
Thank you, Dave. We’ll add that to next week’s ‘Part 2’ list. Actually, we should consider doing a feature article on Ardene’s real estate needs. If you’re interested, feel free to email Craig at: craig@retail-insider.com