Vancouver-based global travel lifestyle and accessories brand Herschel Supply Co. is opening its fourth North American retail store on Vancouver’s iconic shopping destination, Robson Street, and it is the retailer’s flagship location.
Lyndon Cormack, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Herschel Supply, said the store is 2,800 square feet.
Originally renowned for their contemporary renditions of classic backpack silhouettes, Herschel Supply’s range has since expanded to include luggage, travel accessories, wallets, apparel, and more.
Herschel Supply, with headquarters in Vancouver, was founded in 2009 by brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack and is named after the small Canadian town in Saskatchewan where three generations of their family grew up.
“We thought the bag space was a little boring so as we say every business starts with a problem. Ours was simple. Bags are boring. So we decided to go after that category specifically and make it more interesting,” said Lyndon Cormack.
“From there we have grown quite rapidly over the last decade and a bit and we now sell in about 113 different countries around the world.”
The retailer’s first store opened in Gastown in 2018. Other stores are located at Metropolis at Metrotown, and McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport
“We are looking throughout North America to expand our retail footprint throughout our top selling cities throughout the US and Canada,” said Cormack.
The company said the new Robson Street store has a curated selection of vintage pieces, art, and well-traveled items from journeys all over the world.
“We designed it internally with our Herschel Supply Design Studio. We really wanted to celebrate the vibrant and eclectic nature of our end consumer and the creativity that we instill in them and they instill in us,” said Cormack.
“It’s a very vibrant store mixing old and new, classic design but with modern colours and design . . . For a brand that’s predominantly transacted online or transacted through wholesale, it’s a real opportunity for the stores to act as community hubs to bring all our creative customers together in one place. We’re really looking forward to this being another one of our clubhouses around the world that allows people to gather together.”
Herschel Supply Robson will serve as the brand’s retail hub and platform for local artists, designers, musicians, and other creatives, hosting artist-in-residence programs, workshops, speaker series, and community events.
“(Robson) is the most important street for Vancouver retail . . . We wanted to find the best location we could on the street as it is a really important, prominent retail location in Vancouver,” said Cormack. “It brings in a consumer we certainly already engage with online or through wholesale but it allows us to really join the conversation on a really important street.”
In addition to the brand’s diverse range of iconic backpacks, duffles, luggage, travel accessories, and updated apparel line, the new flagship store will be home to the Herschel Supply Book Fair, a curated reading area with books and magazines centered around Art, Architecture, Photography/Graphics, Music/Film, Travel, and Leisure, said the retailer.
“At Herschel Supply, we offer classic products with a modern twist, and that design ethos extends to the way we think about retail too,” said Cormack. “Retail is an opportunity to have fun and foster community, we wanted to make sure that our store reflected that by creating a space that inspires creativity and connection.”
