Following the successful opening last year of its Vancouver flagship store, Monos, a consumer travel lifestyle retailer, has plans to open its second location this summer in Toronto on Ossington Avenue and is looking to expand as well to New York City.
“At Monos, we believe in the power of omnichannel retail. Our stores allow customers to step into the world of Monos – one built on thoughtful design and exceptional craftsmanship. The incredible response to our flagship in Vancouver has ignited our passion for bringing this experience to new cities, including Toronto. As we expand, we’re focused on replicating that experience to become a legacy travel brand by focusing on cities that perfectly align with our brand vision,” said Victor Tam, CEO and Co-Founder.
“The success of our Vancouver flagship has shown the power of our immersive retail experience, and we can’t wait to bring it to life in a city with a thriving retail scene, Toronto. We’re confident that our thoughtfully curated product experience and sleek, minimalist store design will resonate with Toronto’s residents and visitors. Opening a store here feels like a natural next step in our journey.”
Amanda Calouro, Senior Director, Retail Expansion, said the Toronto store will open in late Spring or early Summer.
“We are well on our way with construction,” she said, adding it’s 1,857 square feet at 111 Ossington Avenue.
“It is in the condo building in a space formerly occupied by Fresh City Farms. Ossington in general is one of the most exciting neighbourhoods in Toronto. It is such a vibrant street. It always has so much life and activity and we really felt it was a great home for the brand. It serves as kind of the cultural hub within the city and we really think that our customers are going to love to find us there.
“With this space in particular, we’re really excited to bring a bit of escapism into the city. We’re really leaning into the Portuguese heritage and history of the neighbourhood and incorporating that into our design and our material palette. I’m really excited about Ossington. I think it’s going to be such a beautiful space and such a beautiful representation of the brand itself.”
The Vancouver location on West Fourth Avenue opened in July 2023. The store is about 1,953 square feet.
Calouro said the brand has its sights on a site in Soho in New York City.
“New York will be our first entry into the U.S. market. We are aiming Q1 of next year,” she said.
“We are definitely exploring opportunities and really ensuring that we get our retail concept right. So with Vancouver and Ossington we’ll be able to really understand where we are at from a retail perspective as we look to really amp up expansion in 2025. In 2025, we are looking to open eight additional stores.
“Within the eight there will definitely be some additional U.S. expansion. Major cities. Similar to how we would approach Canada. And we have our eyes on a few major cities in Canada as well. We want to ensure that we’re really expanding thoughtfully. We’re never going to be that brand that shows up everywhere.”
Kate Camenzuli of CBRE represents Monos for its retail expansion.
Calouro said the brand wants to meet its customers where they’re at.
“I think a lot of what is exciting in retail, and especially for the brand itself, is really allowing our customers an opportunity to experience the product in real life. Once they experience the quality and all of the features of the product, we know that we have created a Monos customer for life. It’s really been truly special watching them interact with our product,” she said.
“That’s why we’re really excited about retail expansion. We know that there is a demand to see the product in person and to be able to build those connections and get that feedback on the product in person – it is so invaluable.”
Calouro said the rebound in the travel sector has also helped the retailer.
“We are definitely seeing a lot of customers coming into our store in Vancouver with kind of those bucket lists of travel experiences that they’re really excited to get back out there and be traveling again. A lot of excitement about going out and seeing the world, getting some of those bucket list places off of their bucket list. It’s been really exciting to see in person. That rebound in the travel industry of course helps for sure.”
Prior to opening its first bricks and mortar location in Vancouver, Monos set up a physical location as a temporary site at North America’s largest shipping container market – Stackt in Toronto.
The pop-up location was launched in 585 square feet.
Monos, launched in 2019, is a Canadian travel and lifestyle brand offering premium, beautifully designed suitcases, bags, and accessories, and inspiring people to travel in a mindful and present way – to embrace the journey as much as the destination.
