Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo has opened its newest Canadian storefront on Toronto’s Bloor Street luxury run. The flagship joins other luxury brands on the rapidly transforming street which will see several more store openings before the end of the year.
The Ferragamo store is located at The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West, in two combined retail spaces that once housed retail locations for brands Coach and Mulberry. The new Ferragamo spans 5,628 square feet on one level with 3,312 square feet of that being selling space, according to the brand.
Products in the new store include Ferragamo’s range of apparel, leather goods, footwear, silk items and other accessories for both men and women, as well as a range of licensed eyewear, watches, and fragrances. Also included are some exclusive products not available in other Ferragamo locations in Canada.
The store’s beige facade contrasts with black metal frames and an illuminated logo — Ferragamo recently changed the font of its branding from a handwritten version of ‘Salvatore Ferragamo’ (that had been iconic for decades) to a type-written upper-case serif font. Materials used inside the new store include travertine, walnut, and bronze, with design elements including walnut, precious wallpapers, boucle fabrics, and espresso and ivory silk hand tufted rugs. Construction firm Amachris Corporation built out the space.
Jordan Karp of Savills Canada negotiated the lease deal for the Ferragamo Bloor Street store on behalf of the retailer. Morguard owns and manages The Colonnade.
The Bloor Street store design is reflective of Ferragamo Creative Director Maximilian Davis’ vision for the brand — Davis was appointed to the position in March of 2022 and he’s taken the brand in a more contemporary direction in terms of product design.
Retail Insider had the opportunity to speak to Daniella Vitale, CEO of Ferragamo Americas. She said that Bloor Street was chosen for a store because of the importance of the street, and that Ferragamo had been looking for the ‘right’ space in the area for years. Toronto’s growing affluence and increasing tourism are expected to bolster sales in the new store, located alongside various other luxury brands on Bloor Street.
Younger consumers with money are among Ferragamo’s target market, with the brand bringing in more modern designs in footwear, handbags, accessories and ready-to-wear. At the same time, Ferragamo is embracing some of its iconic product designs while looking to expand its base of luxury customers. Men’s categories have also been strong in Canada, particularly accessories and footwear.
Bloor Street is the fourth Ferragamo store to open in Canada — Vancouver has had a Ferragamo store at 918 Robson Street since the spring of 1981. The Vancouver store was the only standalone location in the country until Ferragamo opened at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in 2013. In the summer of 2016, Ferragamo opened a store in a new wing at Square One in Mississauga.
Vitale said that Ferragamo is doing well in Canada, with Yorkdale in particular being a strong point in terms of sales. The Vancouver store also does well, and will be eventually relocating — the building where it is located is slated for redevelopment. The Square One Ferragamo store is more of a ‘work in progress’ in terms of sales, according to Vitale.
Ferragamo could eventually open a store in the Montreal market, said Vitale, and other cities such as Edmonton could be a possibility in the future as well. Ferragamo has partnered with Montreal-based SSENSE to carry the brand wholesale, and an expanded wholesale partnership with Holt Renfrew is also in development. A concession presence for Ferragamo at Holts is currently not in the works, however, according to Vitale.
The Bloor Street store is Ferragamo’s 41st full-priced retail location in North America — the brand also operates 15 outlet stores in the US. Full-priced locations in the United States include a mix of street-front stores and locations in upscale shopping malls.
Ferragamo is the latest luxury brand to open on Bloor Street’s luxury run. Across the street, luxury jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels is preparing to open a store at 100 Bloor Street West, with a Rolex store under construction across the way. The overhauled retail podium at 110 Bloor Street West will soon see storefronts for Saint Laurent, Anne Fontaine, Paris Baguette and Alexander Wang. Luxury French children’s brand Bonpoint recently opened a store at 151 Bloor Street West, and other big names are said to be coming to the street as well with announcements forthcoming.
Ferragamo was founded in Florence, Italy, by Salvatore Ferragamo in 1927. The brand now has stores, concessions and wholesale accounts globally as well as a digital presence. The brand is renowned for the creation, production and distribution of luxury collections of shoes, leather goods, apparel, silk products and other accessories for men and women, including also eyewear, watches and fragrances under license.
