Montreal-based fashion brand RUDSAK is preparing to open a store on Bloor Street in Toronto, taking street-facing space at Manulife Centre that includes the former Van Cleef & Arpels boutique operated by Birks.
Construction hoarding for RUDSAK is now in place at 55 Bloor Street West, immediately beside the main Bloor Street entrance to Eataly. The opening follows the closure of RUDSAK’s store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, shifting the brand’s downtown presence to the Bloor-Yorkville retail district.
Ben Labrecque of commercial real estate brokerage Urban Reform Realty Inc., who represents both RUDSAK and Birks, told Retail Insider that Birks continues to hold the premises and that RUDSAK is taking the space through a sublease. Labrecque said the Bloor Street location is being used as a test for RUDSAK.
Former Van Cleef & Arpels Space
Van Cleef & Arpels previously operated a licensed boutique through Birks as part of the jeweller’s Bloor Street flagship. Although connected internally to Birks, the boutique had its own entrance directly from Bloor Street, giving the French luxury jewellery brand a separate storefront.
Retail Insider reported in 2022 that Van Cleef & Arpels was preparing to establish a standalone corporate boutique farther west at 100 Bloor Street West. The new store opened in 2023, moving the brand into a larger dedicated space within the section of Bloor Street where many international luxury brands are concentrated.
The space now being prepared for RUDSAK includes the former Van Cleef frontage. While the Birks premises had previously been marketed in various configurations, RUDSAK will span over 1,000 square feet. Birks continues to control the overall premises, with RUDSAK operating under a sublease.
Birks Remains at Manulife Centre
Birks continues to operate at Manulife Centre despite earlier expectations that its Bloor Street store would eventually close. Retail Insider previously reported comments from former Birks leadership indicating that the location was expected to close, but those plans later changed following discussions with the landlord.
More recently, Retail Insider spoke with a vendor that was exploring establishing a shop-in-store within the Bloor Street Birks location, providing another indication that the jeweller expects to remain at Manulife Centre for the time being. The vendor was not authorized to speak publicly about its plans and is not being identified.
The Birks store itself has changed considerably over the past several years. Van Cleef & Arpels is no longer part of the location following its move to 100 Bloor, while other luxury brands have also departed as the jeweller has adjusted its operations on Bloor Street.
RUDSAK Tests Bloor-Yorkville
The move gives RUDSAK a different type of downtown Toronto presence following the closure of its CF Toronto Eaton Centre store. The new location has direct Bloor Street frontage and places the brand within the Bloor-Yorkville market, where Canadian fashion retailers operate alongside a growing concentration of international luxury brands.
Founded in Montreal by Evik Asatoorian in 1994, RUDSAK built much of its early recognition around leather goods and outerwear before expanding into apparel, footwear, bags and accessories. Its retail strategy has changed considerably over the years, including a period of aggressive expansion that took the company to 34 locations by 2019 after it had earlier contemplated a Canadian network that could eventually surpass 50 stores.
In a 2021 interview with Retail Insider, Asatoorian acknowledged that RUDSAK had opened stores in some locations where it should not have and said the company was moving toward a smaller physical network. Toronto and Montreal remained important markets, but the focus shifted from maximizing store count to operating stronger locations. Asatoorian also said physical stores remained important for customers to discover and experience the brand as e-commerce grew.
RUDSAK subsequently began updating its store fleet and refining its positioning. Executives told Retail Insider in 2023 that the company was developing what it described as a “performance luxury” identity, while renovations incorporated more open layouts, digital elements and experiential features.
That approach was reflected in RUDSAK’s boutique at Royalmount in Montreal, where the company adopted a more elevated store presentation. By RUDSAK’s 30th anniversary in 2024, Asatoorian described e-commerce as the company’s largest “store,” alongside a more selective physical retail network and expansion outside Canada.
The decision to test Bloor Street after closing at CF Toronto Eaton Centre provides another example of that more selective approach to physical retail, shifting the brand’s downtown Toronto presence from a major enclosed shopping centre to a street-facing location in Bloor-Yorkville.
Bay and Bloor Retail Mix Evolves
RUDSAK will join a notable group of retailers around Bay and Bloor. Alo Yoga occupies the northeast corner of the intersection, with Canadian footwear retailer Browns next door and Holt Renfrew immediately to the east. Aritzia and lululemon also operate nearby, creating a concentration of Canadian fashion retailers alongside international brands.
The intersection is also seeing further luxury investment. Tiffany & Co. is currently building a new flagship at Bloor and Bay, diagonally across from Birks, with an opening expected in early 2027. Farther west, the retail mix becomes increasingly concentrated with international luxury brands, including Van Cleef & Arpels, Hermès, Burberry, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Rolex, and others.
RUDSAK’s storefront immediately beside Eataly’s main Bloor Street entrance also places the brand next to one of Manulife Centre’s principal retail destinations. Eataly opened its first Canadian location at the complex in 2019. Retail Insider will report on the store opening, happening this fall.
