Bizou to Open up to 5 Canadian Stores in 2016

Quebec-based jewellery and accessories brand Bizou will open up to five Canadian stores next year, as it looks to eventually operate hundreds of locations worldwide.  By the end of this year, Bizou will have 125 locations. 

Last month, Bizou opened a 600 square foot location at Georgian Mall in Barrie, ON, and a 750 square foot store at Ottawa’s St. Laurent Centre. In September of this year, Bizou opened its second store at Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport, measuring 600 square feet in the airport’s new international section. The retailer also recently unveiled a new 800 square foot location at Les Promenades Gatineau, replacing a busy kiosk. 

For 2016, Bizou is looking to open between three and five Canadian stores, according to its representative brokerage, Think Retail. Stores will ideally be in the 500 square foot to 800 square foot range, with a major focus on the Greater Toronto Area. Bizou is looking for strong co-tenants, such as H&M, Zara, Sephora, Banana Republic, Fossil, Victoria’s Secret and others, according to Think Retail. 

Next year, as well, Bizou will open its first location in Bahrain in February, and Qatar in the spring. Deals are in place to open 17 shops in this region by 2017, with more to come, according to Think Retail.

Founded in Quebec City in 1982, Bizou specializes in women’s moderately-priced fashion jewellery and accessories. Its product mix is about 60% for jewellery and 40% accessories. Its target market is women aged 18 to 35, seeking stye and affordability. The company designs its own products and retails them in over 120 retail stores in six Canadian provinces. The company employs over 500 people. Bizou currently operates Canadian locations in Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.

Long-term, Bizou has aggressive expansion plans, according to the company’s administrative and corporate affairs manager Alain Duval. Last spring, he told us that Bizou is looking to eventually operate as many as 300 Canadian locations (there are currently less than 100) and that the brand could expand into France and the United States.