The Royalmount development in Montreal has announced new jewellery tenants ahead of its opening next month. Included will be several first-to-market brands as well as one of the world’s largest Rolex stores.
The Rolex store, to be managed by Raffi Jewellers Flagship Boutique of Cambridge, ON, will span a whopping 7,295 square feet, making it one of the largest in the world for the brand when it opens. Raffi will also operate a standalone Tudor boutique at Royalmount, which will be the first in Montreal and the third in Canada.
Luxury watch brands IWC and Omega will also open their first storefronts in Quebec at Royalmount, both in partnership with local retailer Maison Monaco. Additionally, Maison Monaco will open its own storefront at Royalmount housing shop-in-stores for brands including Zenith, Longines, Frederique Constant and Roberto Coin.
Luxury brand Montblanc will open at Royalmount, in partnership with a local licensee who also operates Montblanc stores in downtown Montreal as well as at CF Carrefour Laval — the Laval store will close with Royalmount set to replace it, according to a reliable source. Jewellers Pandora and Swarovski are also confirmed to be opening, with Swarovski featuring its newest ‘blue’ store design that recently opened on Bloor Street in Toronto.
As reported last week, Maison Birks will bring Swiss watch concept TimeVallée to Royalmount, with a 2,800 square foot storefront that will be adjacent to a new concept Birks store. TimeVallée will house shop-in-stores for seven watch brands including Cartier, Panerai, Baume & Mercier, Jaeger Lecoultre, Chopard, Grand Seiko and Piaget.
The brands join previously announced luxury jewellers opening at Royalmount including a flagship Tiffany & Co. store, David Yurman and TAG Heuer. The TAG Heuer shop will be run by Maison Monaco.
“Securing top-tier watch makers and jewelry retailers for Royalmount solidifies our commitment to offering visitors a diverse and high-quality shopping experience,” said Andrew Lutfy, CEO of Carbonleo and lead investor, in a statement. “Jewelry often holds sentimental value for its owners. It tends to invoke a special moment or memory. And this fits beautifully with the Royalmount experience, of which creating human connections is a huge part.”
“The increase in the cultural relevance of luxury jewelry and watches over the past few years has led to unprecedented demand and growth in both categories,” added Michael Stroll, Senior Vice President, Leasing & Partner at Carbonleo in a statement. “Royalmount securing so many of the top brands in the world, including Rolex’s largest Canadian boutique, reflects the world-class nature of the project, and will be wonderful for the city of Montreal and its retail and tourism ecosystems.”
The newly announced brands will join a wide selection of luxury fashion and lifestyle giants that have already committed to being a part of Royalmount.
Luxury brands will cluster along a central corridor on the main floor of the shopping centre component of Royalmount, with art work located in central areas that will be visible from some of the big-brand stores. In November of 2022, Royalmount announced a roster of luxury brands secured for the retail centre that include Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Gucci, as well as French contemporary brands Sandro and Maje. In June of 2023, Royalmount announced further luxury brands including Saint Laurent, Versace, Jimmy Choo, David Yurman and TAG Heuer — all of which will be the first standalone locations for the Montreal market.
In June of 2023, several Montreal-based brands were announced to be opening stores at Royalmount. They include Acuité Visuelle, Aldo, Arc’teryx, Bikini Village, Browns Shoes, Dynamite, Garage, Influenceu, Judith & Charles, La Canadienne, La Vie en Rose, Mackage, Moose Knuckles and Rudsak.
In April, newly announced retailers at Royalmount included Moncler, Longchamp, Veronica Beard, Anine Bing, Roche Bobois and Canada Goose, Zara, Nike, Mango, H&M, Alo Yoga, and Sephora.
Previous larger-format retailer announcements include home furnishings retailer RH (occupying about 46,000 square feet) and Rennaï, a beauty hall concept spanning about 36,000 square feet housing a retail presence for various leading brands.
The massive project will include food and beverage options, including a food hall. Royalmount’s new food hall, Le Fou Fou will span about 35,000 square feet and be run by MTB Collective. The European-style food hall will have 12 distinct culinary offerings including catering plus four bars with indoor/outdoor dining that seats over 900 guests. It’s described as being Montreal’s first food hall to combine top-tier talent, hi-touch technology and programming all year round.
The $7 billion Royalmount development, set to open September 5, 2024, will be the largest such project of its kind in Canadian history according to Carbonleo. The project has been under construction since before the pandemic and in the spring of 2019 Retail Insider attended the ground-breaking of Royalmount which at the time was a former industrial site with construction equipment ready to dig.
Royalmount’s first phase will include an 824,000 square foot two-level retail and lifestyle complex. Royalmount will be the first 100% carbon-neutral mixed-use development in the Americas and the largest LEED Gold retail project in Canada. Previously announced components include an aquarium and Cineplex, which will bring premium cinemas and The Rec Room entertainment concept to Royalmount.
The privately-funded Royalmount project will become a state-of-the-art lifestyle hub for the region, with L Catterton, an investment arm of LVMH, being a key investor. The development will include a mix of experiences and will also be home to a three-kilometre linear park called Le Champ Libre, along with an outdoor public plaza.
Carbonleo is a privately owned, Quebec-based real estate development and management company. Founded in 2012, the company has more than 170 employees and counts several major projects to its credit, including Quartier DIX30 and the Four Seasons Montreal Hotel and Private Residences.
Related:
Birks to Open TimeVallée Luxury Multi-Brand Watch Concept Stores in Canada
Royalmount in Montreal Announces Major Art Initiative Ahead of August Opening
I’ll be stopping by to check it out in September, but I’m keeping my expectations low. The only store openings I’m looking forward to are Alo Yoga and the new Apple Store on St. Catherine. If a tourist were to ask me the best places in Montreal to visit, I’d direct them to Old Montreal (but not touristy Old Port) and the Plateau/Mile End. I don’t expect anything unique about Royalmount. It sounds too generic and inauthentic.