Toronto-based menswear retailer Harry Rosen is shaking things up by bringing in new luxury brands and offerings catering to a more casual shopper. It’s part of a move for the upscale retailer to maintain market share while also looking to attract younger consumers at a time when men are dressing down.
Over the past couple of weeks, the retailer has brought in a range of new brands not previously carried in the store. That includes some big names such as Balmain, Marni, Jil Sander, Kenzo, Maison Margiela, MM6, and an exclusive partner collection of Zegna X The Elderstatesman has also been added. And last week, a splashy party and fashion show in Toronto signalled the “New Wave” as Rosen is calling it, ushering in a ‘new era’ for the retailer which is targeting fashion-forward shoppers seeking more casual and contemporary styles of clothing, footwear and accessories.
Harry Rosen’s President, Ian Rosen, said in an interview that the move to bring in more contemporary brands is to address shifting consumer tastes to more casual clothing after the panemic. And with that, Harry Rosen is buying the ‘world of’ for some of these brands, thus carrying a wide product range for each including ready-to-wear, accessories and in some cases footwear.
So far, three of Harry Rosen’s top stores are carrying the contemporary luxury lines. That includes the multi-level flagship store at 82 Bloor Street West in Toronto, as well as the store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre and the location at CF Pacific Centre in downtown Vancouver. Ian Rosen said that some of the contemporary designer collections will be rolled out in other Canadian markets where there’s demand and where it makes sense.
The main floor of the Bloor Street Harry Rosen store recently saw some updates, including an aesthetic refresh for the new youthful collections which includes a grey and silver look that replaced a more traditional wood interior.
Multi-brand retailers nearby in Bloor-Yorkville also are known to carry expansive assortments of luxury casual menswear. Across from Rosen’s 50,000 square foot Bloor Street flagship is the 16,500 square foot Holt Renfrew Men’s store. For several years, Holt Renfrew Men has been focusing on casual but luxurious men’s fashions while at the same time carrying less suiting when compared to decades past. Holts has developed a substantial following with its mix of brands which are carried both in wholesale areas as well as, in some instances, concession spaces.
Carolyn Wright, SVP of Product and Planning at Holt Renfrew, said in an interview that the retailer is beefing up its menswear business with new brands and offerings, many of which lean towards more casual dressing. New brands are being added while some product assortments are growing to cater to customers seeking the latest styles for edgy names such as Amiri, which is said to be selling very well in the Canadian market. Last week, Holts launched a men’s event in its Vancouver store which is said to be the top location in the chain in terms of sales.
Holt Renfrew will be relocating its men’s store back into 50 Bloor Street West next year, after opening a standalone men’s store in 2014 across from Rosen’s at 100 Bloor Street West. The new men’s store will be on the third floor of the 50 Bloor building, and the exit of Holts Men from the corner of Bloor and Bellair streets means that Harry Rosen will again dominate the intersection in terms of menswear when all is said and done in early 2025.
Harry Rosen faces some steep competition in the contemporary/casual men’s space in Toronto and Vancouver. In the Toronto market, multi-brand retailers such as CNTRBND have been selling high-end casual men’s fashions for years, and in 2019 Miami-based The Webster entered the ring with a location on Scollard Street in Toronto. Several employees have told Retail Insider that menswear sales at The Webster have been very strong as of late, with men buying items for special occasions with less consideration for price.
New York City-based Kith also recently opened in Toronto on Yorkville Avenue, adding competition to the market with a range of edgy fashions and footwear. And Toronto-based TNT-The New Trend is also amplifying its casual designer men’s offerings as the retailer prepares to open an expanded 20,000 square foot flagship store at Yorkville Village in Toronto. And brands themselves are opening stores more now than ever while also launching e-commerce sites in Canada. The added competition means that Harry Rosen will have to carve out a niche and build further consumer awareness in order to attract new clients for its casual offerings. At the same time, Ian Rosen said that existing clients have been asking for more casual styles, and existing relationships and enhanced customer service may ultimately lead to success with the new brand venture.
Harry Rosen lost some competition when Nordstrom exited Canada earlier this year, and could see even less competition if Saks Fifth Avenue exits the Canadian market in the coming months. Saks’ Calgary store at CF Chinook Centre has been downsized significantly with menswear becoming nearly non-existent, while menswear offerings at the CF Sherway Gardens Saks were moved upstairs from a much larger dedicated area next to a now shuttered Saks food hall. Saks has also introduced less pricey brands into its downtown Toronto flagship store, which a few weeks ago lost its Prada bag/accessory concession on its main floor.
Another trend impacting multi brand retailers is brands opening their own stores. In terms of the new brands Harry Rosen has brought in, none of the brands operate standalone stores in the Canadian market. That could change, however, if Balmain were to expand into retail — there have been rumblings that Balmain could open at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, although nothing is confirmed. And prior to the pandemic, Toronto-based CNTRBND was planning to open a Margiela boutique space at Yorkdale, and those plans have since been shelved.
Nevertheless, competition is fierce in the contemporary men’s brand space in Canada, with e-commerce also taking a percentage of sales from local and global players. Montreal-based SSENSE carries a wide range of trendy men’s brands on its website as well as in its multi-level store in Old Montreal, and other big online players are also looking to grab market share of menswear in Canada. Resellers are also showcasing streetwear and other casual men’s brands on websites and in stores, with some buyers looking for brand names at a reduced cost by purchasing second-hand.
