Upscale French fragrance and candle brand Diptyque launched a store expansion in Canada over the summer, after entering the country with its first location in Toronto in 2022. The brand opened a location in Vancouver last month and this week will open a shop-in-shop at Rennaï in Montreal as well.
Diptyque began its Canadian expansion when it opened its first store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in the fall of 2022. A second opened last summer at 101 Yorkville Avenue in downtown Toronto’s Yorkville area.
The brand expanded outside of Toronto for the first time last month, when it opened a store at CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver. A Diptyque shop-in-store will open this week in Montreal at Royalmount, in partnership with multibrand retailer Rennaï.
A fourth Canadian Diptyque store is currently under construction at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto, and it is scheduled to open in October of this year. A fifth will open next year at Oakridge Park in Vancouver, according to the brand. Stores for Montreal and Calgary are also planned in 2025-2026, along with further expansion in the Vancouver and Toronto markets.
The CF Pacific Centre Diptyque spans 935 square feet and is located in a retail space formerly occupied by defunct retailer Siba Jewellers. Vancouver-based Cutler was the architect and project manager for the store, which included producing the required architecture drawings, managing mechanical and electrical engineering, managing landlord reviews, managing the building permit process, managing the general contractor tender process, and provided construction administration services. The store’s interior design was executed internally by Diptyque.
Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants negotiated leases on behalf of Diptyque. Ideal Diptyque retail spaces could be in malls and on streets with locations ideally being in the 600-1,000 square foot range.
Diptyque was founded in 1961 by interior designer Christiane Gautrot, theatre set designer Yves Coueslant, and Desmond Knox-Leet, a painter. The brand, which sells fragrances, candles & home, skincare, and home decor, has stores globally as well as distribution in upscale retailers.
Candles are typically priced in the $50-$100 range depending on size, with some more expensive ones exceeding $500. Diptyque fragrances are typically well over $100 and a room spray was priced at $80 on a Canadian retailer’s website.
In the United States, Diptyque has 30 stores in major markets with a mix of street and mall stores in upscale locations. Some stores are on luxury streets while others are located a bit off the beaten path in trendy places close to affluent population areas.
The Diptyque brand was introduced to Canada via wholesale channels, with retailers such as Holt Renfrew and Saks Fifth Avenue carrying the brand in Canadian stores. The multi-brand retailers are expected to retain distribution despite the direct-to-consumer brick-and-mortar expansion.
