Preppy international fashion brand GANT has expanded further into the Canadian market with a new dedicated e-commerce site and plans for stores in major markets. The brand currently has wholesale distribution in major retailers including Hudson’s Bay where the brand has been available for years.
The new Canadian website showcases GANT’s range of fashions for men and women in Canadian dollars. Collections include staple pieces such as sweat shirts and polos for men and women’s dresses, along with some edgier pieces with preppy styling. Pricing is in the contemporary range.
GANT has had a presence in Canada for decades with Hudson’s Bay being the largest supplier in years past. La Maison Simons, Sporting Life and Nordstrom also carry GANT fashions and some footwear styles are available at Browns Shoes. Ukrainian-born Bernard Gantmacher founded GANT in 1949 based on the preppy fashions that he observed at Yale University. GANT’s corporate head office is located in New Haven, Connecticut while its global headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden.Â
In Canada, early plans are in place to open standalone GANT stores as part of a direct-to-consumer expansion following the launch earlier this month of the brand’s Canadian e-commerce site. A communications representative said that the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver markets would be targets for GANT as it looks to further establish its foothold in the Canadian market by opening stores. A formal timeline for expansion has yet to be set.
GANT has stores in a range of sizes located in upscale and trendy areas in major cities. That includes major shopping centres and street front locations. In Canada, we could see GANT stores on streets and/or in malls with Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre being a likely target.
Many brands continue to grow direct-to-consumer channels, which has been more than just a trend over the past several years in Canada and globally. We’ll follow up with GANT when we can confirm when and where stores will be opening in the Canadian market.Â
