Cozey, the Montreal-founded Canadian furniture brand known for its modular, tool-free sofas and accessible design, is ramping up its national retail footprint with the announcement of two new permanent stores in Vancouver and Calgary. The move comes as the company continues to test the market with pop-up locations, including its newly launched Ottawa store, and marks a significant evolution from its digital-first beginnings in 2020.
“We’re on a good path,” said Frédéric Aubé, Founder and CEO of Cozey, in an interview with Retail Insider. “We’re trying to be optimistic but cautious with the current environment. We’re in it for the long term.”
From Pop-Up Success to Permanent Presence
Cozey’s new permanent Vancouver store is set to open this fall at 1168 Robson Street, near the intersection of Robson and Bute in the city’s bustling West End. “That would be our next permanent store,” said Aubé. “It’s right beside the Shangri-La hotel—great visibility, great energy.”
The Calgary store, which has also recently been signed, will be located on the vibrant 17th Avenue corridor, a well-trafficked shopping and dining destination. “We also just signed the lease in Calgary,” confirmed Aubé. “We’re opening later this year.”
These announcements follow the opening of Cozey’s first permanent store in Toronto in 2024. Situated on Queen Street West, the flagship has proven to be a retail success, with Aubé noting it helped significantly boost the company’s online sales in the region.
“We see a pretty good uptake in e-commerce sales when we open a physical location,” he explained. “Toronto is now our biggest region. The effect of our permanent store has made the region even more profitable for us.”
Testing the Market with Ottawa Pop-Up
In June 2025, Cozey launched its most ambitious pop-up to date at 137 Rideau Street in Ottawa. The two-level, 4,000-square-foot store was designed not just as a showcase for products, but as a full retail concept experiment.
“It’s our first physical presence in Ottawa,” said Aubé. “We haven’t historically done a lot of marketing in the city, but it’s a top five market for us in Canada. There’s strong interest in Ottawa and Gatineau.”
The Ottawa location is designed to operate until January 2026, offering a real-world test for whether a permanent store might follow.
“If it goes well, we’re considering a permanent store at the end of our stay,” Aubé added. “But right now, we’re just starting with a pop-up.”
Streetfront Strategy and a Cautious Rollout
Unlike some direct-to-consumer brands that have embraced mall-based retail, Cozey has deliberately focused on urban streetfront locations.
“We’re not looking at malls that much,” Aubé explained. “We’re trying to control the entire experience. For markets that look and feel like Cozey, that’s what we prefer.”
That said, Aubé is open to the idea of adapting for specific markets. “I think in places like Edmonton, we may eventually need to go into malls. But for now, street experience aligns better with the brand.”
This cautious rollout is rooted in lessons from other digitally native brands that struggled with brick-and-mortar transitions.
“I’ve seen a lot of DTC brands have a rough patch with retail,” he said. “We just want to make sure we have the right infrastructure in place before we go all out. It’s a tough game to master and we want to do it right.”
Building a Furniture Brand Canadians Can Be Proud Of
Founded in 2020 while Aubé was studying finance and economics at McGill University, Cozey emerged as a pandemic-era disruptor with its “sofa-in-a-box” concept: modular, tool-free sofas that arrive in courier-sized boxes and can be assembled easily by anyone.
“Hey, that’s why I made it,” joked Aubé. “You don’t need tools. You just want to touch, feel, see the comfort—it’s something people want to try before they buy.”
While e-commerce still drives the bulk of Cozey’s revenue, the company’s integrated retail approach is paying dividends. “You discover us online, and you fall in love with the brand. But once you experience the product in-store, I think you fall in love with the product too,” said Aubé.
He’s especially proud of the company’s Canadian roots. “We’ve got 150 people in Canada working to build this organization. When I see Canadian companies like Lululemon or Canada Goose succeed globally, I feel proud. I want people to feel the same way when they see Cozey stores open around the world.”
Ambitious Category Expansion on the Horizon
As Cozey scales its physical presence, it is also aggressively expanding its product line. While sofas remain its flagship product, the company has already added rugs, lounge chairs, storage solutions, and accessories.
Next up: dining and bedroom furniture.
“We’re trying to be in the entire home by the end of the year,” said Aubé. “We’ll launch dining and bedroom in the fall. We want to be really aggressive in taking market share in those categories.”
The Road Ahead: National and Global Goals
With plans for additional Canadian pop-ups and permanent locations on the table, Cozey is steadily laying the groundwork for a national rollout—and eventually, an international one.
“Our pop-ups are really a test,” said Aubé. “We want to see where we resonate, what markets are ready. If Ottawa performs well, we’ll look at it for permanent expansion too.”
Beyond Canada, Cozey recently tested the waters in New York City’s Soho district and plans to return with another pop-up this July. “New York and Ottawa will be our only two pop-ups this year,” he noted.
As for wholesale or third-party retail partnerships, Aubé doesn’t see it as part of the future.
“I don’t see us wholesaling,” he said. “We’re as much a retailer as we are a brand. Just like IKEA, we’ll continue to operate as our own channel—even internationally.”
Ultimately, Aubé has set his sights high. “We want to one day be the largest furniture retailer in the world. That’s our goal—to compete with and beat IKEA on a global stage.”
Conclusion: A Modern Retailer with Global Ambitions
From its roots as a Montreal-based e-commerce startup to its growing network of showrooms and pop-ups, Cozey is emerging as a serious player in Canada’s furniture landscape. The upcoming openings in Vancouver and Calgary, alongside its Ottawa pop-up and expanding product lines, signal a brand confidently stepping into its next phase.
With cautious optimism and a long-term mindset, Aubé and his team are building more than just sofas—they’re building a brand that Canadians can rally behind, and one that may soon be seen on high streets around the world.
“We just want to make sure we build a solid organization,” said Aubé. “We’re in this for the long haul.”
More from Retail Insider:
- Furniture Brand Cozey Opens Vancouver Pop-Up as it Expands Physical Retail [Interview]
- Montreal-Based Furniture Brand ‘Cozey’ Launches First Permanent Showroom on Queen Street West [Interview/Photos]
- Montreal Startup ‘Cozey’ Disrupting the Furniture Industry with Expansion that Includes 1st Toronto Store [Interview]
