Kit and Ace is continuing its national retail expansion with the opening of a new store in downtown Victoria, British Columbia. The brand is scheduled to open a 2,200 square foot location in March 2026, at 1221 Government Street, occupying a prominent corner at the intersection of Government Street and Trounce Alley. The opening marks another step in the company’s carefully paced return to physical retail under its current ownership, following several years of contraction and restructuring.
The Victoria store will feature the brand’s full assortment of men’s and women’s apparel and is designed to serve both local shoppers and the steady flow of tourists that move through one of the city’s most established retail corridors. Government Street remains a focal point for downtown retail in Victoria, known for its mix of heritage storefronts, national brands, and independent operators.
The new Kit and Ace location occupies approximately half of a larger retail space that was previously home to W&J Wilson, a long-running multi-brand fashion retailer that closed its Government Street store in May 2021. The building at 1221 Government Street sits directly beside Trounce Alley, a narrow pedestrian passage that links Government Street with the Old Town area and continues to attract strong foot traffic throughout the year.
By taking over part of this space, Kit and Ace is reactivating a site long associated with apparel retail in Victoria. The store’s footprint aligns with the brand’s current store strategy, offering enough space to present a complete assortment while maintaining operational efficiency in a high-rent, high-traffic downtown environment.
The Legacy of W&J Wilson at 1221 Government Street
W&J Wilson was one of Victoria’s most historically significant retailers, with origins dating back to the 1860s. Founded by William Wilson, the son of a London silk merchant, the business began after Wilson arrived in Victoria in 1862 carrying trunks of clothing intended for miners heading to the Cariboo gold rush. Rather than continuing north, Wilson established a permanent retail operation after acquiring a local merchant’s business through bankruptcy.
The store operated at 1221 Government Street for more than 150 years and was widely described as Victoria’s oldest continuously operating business in its original location. Over generations, W&J Wilson built a reputation for high-quality menswear and womenswear, sourcing tailored clothing, outerwear, and accessories directly from European manufacturers. Its positioning emphasized craftsmanship and longevity over trend-driven fashion, serving a loyal local clientele as well as visitors to the city.
At its peak under the Thompson family, W&J Wilson expanded well beyond its original downtown location, operating as many as seven stores. These included additional locations in Oak Bay and Sidney, along with shops in high-end hotels as far away as Lake Louise. Over time, the business consolidated back to the core Victoria market before ultimately closing its flagship store in 2021. The arrival of Kit and Ace introduces a new chapter for a space long tied to premium apparel retail in the city.
Store Design and Product Assortment
The Victoria location will present the full Kit and Ace assortment across men’s and women’s apparel, with women’s continuing to account for a larger share of in-store product than in the brand’s earlier years. The shift reflects how the line has evolved under new ownership, with broader seasonal depth and expanded categories now supporting a more balanced business mix.
Consistent with other recently opened stores, the Victoria location will prioritize clarity of presentation and ease of navigation, allowing customers to engage directly with the garments. The layout is intended to support longer dwell times while maintaining a streamlined footprint suited to a high-traffic downtown environment.
A More Disciplined National Store Expansion
The Victoria opening comes amid a renewed phase of national expansion for Kit and Ace that has unfolded steadily over the past two years. Under its current ownership with Unity Brands, Kit and Ace has focused on rebuilding its physical retail presence through a more disciplined, Canada-first approach, prioritizing high-visibility urban locations, strong regional shopping centres, and select pop-up formats used to test demand before committing to permanent stores.
Recent openings have included new locations in Toronto, Calgary, and multiple markets across British Columbia, with stores positioned in both downtown settings and major enclosed shopping centres. In several instances, Kit and Ace has chosen to relocate or resize stores rather than pursue aggressive square-footage growth, reflecting a strategy centred on store productivity and long-term sustainability.
Pop-up locations have also played a role in the rollout, allowing the brand to reintroduce itself in key cities while gathering real-time insights into consumer demand. The most recent opening prior to Victoria was a pop-up store in Ottawa at CF Rideau Centre, marking the brand’s return to the national capital and signaling continued interest in underpenetrated urban markets.
Collectively, the recent openings point to a more measured retail strategy than the one that defined the brand’s early years. Rather than pursuing rapid global expansion, Kit and Ace is rebuilding its footprint market by market, with an emphasis on operational discipline, consistent brand presentation, and locations that align closely with its target customer.
From Founding to Unity Brands Ownership
Kit and Ace was founded in Vancouver in 2014 by Shannon Wilson and J.J. Wilson, positioning itself around technical performance fabrics and elevated everyday apparel. The brand expanded rapidly in its early years, opening dozens of stores across Canada and internationally in a short period of time. While the strategy helped build awareness, the pace of growth proved difficult to sustain as market conditions shifted and operating costs increased.
After a period of contraction and store closures, Kit and Ace entered a new phase in July 2023, when the brand was acquired by Unity Brands. The acquisition marked a strategic reset for the business, with a renewed focus on Canada, operational discipline, and a more deliberate approach to physical retail expansion.
Under Unity Brands’ ownership, Kit and Ace has moved away from rapid scale in favour of selective growth, using a combination of permanent stores and pop-up locations to evaluate markets before making long-term commitments. This recalibrated strategy has shaped the brand’s recent store openings and provides the framework for new locations such as the Victoria store, which reflects a focus on sustainability, productivity, and alignment between product, place, and customer.
