Canadian retailer Tip Top, specializing in men’s dresswear, is opening four new stores in Quebec, re-entering the province for the first time in two decades.
And it’s coming back with a new look and feel.
“We are excited to be returning to the Quebec market, the fashion capital of Canada,” said Lance Itkoff, CEO of Grafton Apparel Ltd. (Tip Top). “There is no one else in Quebec doing what we do, and we see a real need in the market, which presents a tremendous opportunity for both us and our customers. Our new concept stores, which have been extremely successful across Canada, focus on outfitting men for the most special events in their lives, or as we say, ‘Perfect Moments, Perfectly Dressed’.
“Along with our real estate partner Oberfeld Snowcap, we are continuously looking for new development opportunities across the country. Within Quebec, we have targeted upwards of 20 malls, and are in a position to continue growing as the right spaces become available. The choice to launch first in Montreal and Quebec City was simple, as these cities present the biggest base of need for both special event and go-to-work men’s apparel. Both Galeries d’Anjou and Galeries de la Capitale are located in suburban hubs with heavy foot traffic where we feel our value proposition resonates strongest.”
The initial two stores are slated to open this fall with a third and fourth confirmed for early spring 2024. The first location will open its doors on Thursday, October 19 in Montreal at Galeries d’Anjou and the second in Quebec City on Thursday, November 2 at Galeries de la Capitale.
“Why weren’t we in Quebec? That was a question that we were scratching our heads about. I’ve been with the company for seven years now and when we were in the deep dark recesses of COVID we really had to take a good hard look at our business strategy and what was it we wanted Tip Top to look like when we came out of it,” said Itkoff. “It really offered us the chance to move the brand forward by 10 years probably in two years.”
Tip Top’s roots date back to 1909 and today the retailer has more than 80 stores across the country.
Tip Top continues to roll out its new prototype stores and is renovating existing locations across Canada to reflect the brand’s reimagined look and feel. The retailer says interiors will attract shoppers with a bright and airy vibe featuring the Tip Top Event Shop, which is disrupting the status quo by providing consumers with a one-stop shop for all event solutions.
The Event Shop is a newer concept that makes the shopping experience simple and seamless. It mirrors a real-life catalogue displaying countless options to help shoppers find everything they need in matching colours and patterns to suit up for their special event, all in one visit to Tip Top, it said.
Itkoff said the merchandise was changed in the stores to speak to eventing.
He said the company now plans to open more stores in the future in Quebec.
“It’s pretty exciting times. Boy, if you told me two years ago we would be talking about what we’re talking about I would have been happy to be having that conversation then,” added Itkoff.
“We believe that the opportunity is for a total right now we’ve identified 16 locations (in Quebec) we’d like to be in. We are actively working with Oberfeld on identifying the right spots at the right malls. The good news is we have the ability to move quickly when we get the right opportunity. The better news is we don’t have pressure. We haven’t gone out and announced that we’re opening up x amount of stores. So we have to open up a store even if it isn’t the right location in the right malls. We don’t have that pressure.
“So we’re going to open up stores when it makes sense. When we can find the right space in the right mall. We have a fantastic space in Square One. We’ll be opening that up in April. We have a right size store format where we’re plus or minus 2,500 square feet.”
Tip Top recently opened in Markville and Vaughan Mills and “those stores have been doing phenomenally.”
