Canadian intimates retailer Knix is opening its first Atlantic Canadian store at Halifax Shopping Centre, extending its physical retail network into Nova Scotia as the Toronto-based brand continues its expansion across the country.
The store, located at 7001 Mumford Road, brings Knix into a market where the company says it has already built a significant customer base. According to a recent Knix survey, 95 per cent of Nova Scotia respondents said they would shop the brand more frequently if a store were located closer to them.
“Knix was built by and for our community, and for years, Halifax has told us they wanted a store on the East Coast,” said Knix President Nicole Tapscott. “We have a lot of dedicated Knix community members in the area, and we are excited to show up where our customers asked us to be.”
The Halifax location carries Knix’s assortment of leakproof underwear, wireless bras, activewear, swimwear, loungewear and other products. Tapscott said physical stores are particularly important for categories where fit and personalized service can influence purchasing decisions.
“Categories like bras and swim are deeply personal and benefit from an in-person experience to ensure the right fit,” she said. “Our retail spaces thrive on creating welcoming spaces where customers feel seen, supported, and comfortable while receiving personalized fittings, and our new Halifax will be no different.”
Halifax Part of Broader Canadian Expansion
The Halifax store was previously announced as part of a larger Canadian expansion. In May, Knix told Retail Insider it planned to open 10 stores across Canada during 2026, taking its national footprint from 21 locations at the time to more than 30 by year-end.
Knix had already opened locations at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo and Devonshire Mall in Windsor when Retail Insider spoke with Tapscott in May. Masonville Place in London and Halifax Shopping Centre were among the next stores planned, with Halifax initially expected to open around mid-June.
Knix’s latest announcement describes Halifax as one of seven new stores planned for 2026. The company has also identified upcoming Ontario locations at CF Shops at Don Mills in Toronto, CF Lime Ridge in Hamilton and Mapleview Centre in Burlington.
The expansion reflects a strategy Knix has been pursuing more aggressively in recent years, using its established ecommerce customer base to identify markets where physical stores can complement existing demand. Tapscott told Retail Insider in May that customer concentration is an important starting point when evaluating markets, followed by factors including shopping centre co-tenancies, individual store locations and opportunities for customer engagement.
“We start with where the demand is. Where is the concentration of our customers?” Tapscott said at the time. “We have strong brand awareness for a 13-year-old business in Canada. We’re well penetrated online in most major cities.”
Halifax was already emerging as one of those opportunities.
“Halifax is a great example,” Tapscott told Retail Insider in May. “We saw a strong emotional connection there, and when a great location became available, we jumped at the opportunity.”
Physical Retail Takes Larger Role at Knix
Knix opened its first permanent retail store on Queen Street West in Toronto in November 2019, adding physical locations to a business built primarily through direct-to-consumer ecommerce. Its store network has expanded considerably since then, with Tapscott telling Retail Insider earlier this year that retail would continue to be a major growth lever for the company.
“Canada remains a priority. There’s still a lot of room to grow,” she said in May. “We’re looking to continue to open stores in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. You’ll see our fleet continue to expand both in major metro areas as well as suburban locations.”
The role of Knix stores has also evolved as its merchandise assortment has expanded. While leakproof underwear remains closely associated with the brand, Knix has built out categories including bras, swimwear, activewear, shapewear and loungewear, giving its stores a broader role in product discovery and fitting.
That evolution was visible when Knix redesigned its Queen Street West flagship in 2025. The original store had initially operated more like a showroom, with employees retrieving products for customers. The redesigned location moved considerably more merchandise onto the sales floor while retaining the fitting rooms and service areas important to the intimates business.
During a Retail Insider tour of the redesigned store, Tapscott said Knix had incorporated lessons from newer locations into the flagship, creating dedicated areas for categories including bras and underwear while allowing customers to browse more independently.
The approach reflects the changing role of physical retail within a company that was originally overwhelmingly digital. Stores provide another avenue for customer acquisition and product discovery while giving existing online customers access to fittings and in-person assistance.
Expansion Continues Under New Leadership
The Halifax opening comes shortly after a significant leadership change at Knix. Founder Joanna Griffiths stepped away from the company in July after 14 years, with Tapscott becoming President following her previous role as Chief Commercial Officer.
Tapscott had already been closely involved with Knix’s retail expansion, ecommerce operations, marketing and commercial strategy before taking the top role, providing continuity as the company moves forward with its Canadian store growth.
Griffiths founded Knix in Toronto in 2013 and grew the company primarily through direct-to-consumer channels before Swedish health and hygiene company Essity acquired an 80 per cent stake in the business in 2022. Knix has since continued to broaden its distribution through an expanding network of company-operated stores and selected wholesale partnerships.
The Halifax opening gives Knix a physical presence in Atlantic Canada for the first time while adding another market to a Canadian store network that has expanded rapidly in recent years. Further growth is expected as the company continues opening locations in Ontario and other parts of the country.
Knix will mark the Halifax opening with consumer events on August 21 and 22, including local partnerships, in-store activations and promotional offers.
