Canadian technical apparel retailer KIT + ACE is expanding its national network to 18 locations with a new store at The Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby, British Columbia, continuing the Vancouver-founded brand’s rebuilding under Unity Brands.
The Brentwood location is listed at 4580 Brentwood Boulevard, Unit 1226. KIT + ACE CEO David Lui has also confirmed to Retail Insider that the company is working toward finalizing its first U.S. store under the current ownership, although details of the location and opening date have not been publicly announced.
The developments follow substantial growth for KIT + ACE, which operated just four stores when Unity Brands acquired the business in July 2023. Its Canadian network has since expanded through new openings, relocations and returns to markets where the brand previously operated.
KIT + ACE Expanding at The Amazing Brentwood
The Brentwood store adds to KIT + ACE’s presence in Metro Vancouver, where the company was founded in 2014. The retailer already operates at Metropolis at Metrotown, Park Royal, Gastown and West 4th Avenue, giving it a combination of shopping centre and urban street-front locations.
The Amazing Brentwood is a major mixed-use development combining retail, restaurants, entertainment and residential towers. Its location in Burnaby provides access to a growing residential community and customers from across Metro Vancouver.
The new KIT + ACE store is located at 4580 Brentwood Boulevard, Unit 1226, according to the retailer’s official store directory. The shopping centre has identified the retailer as open, although KIT + ACE’s own location page has carried a coming-soon notice.
The Brentwood addition continues a series of Canadian openings that have expanded the retailer’s physical footprint over the past three years. It also strengthens KIT + ACE’s concentration in its home market, where the company operates several stores serving different shopping districts.
Canadian Network Rebuilt Under Unity Brands
KIT + ACE’s store directory lists 18 Canadian locations across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, a substantial increase from the four stores operating when Unity Brands acquired the business in 2023.
In August, the retailer opened an approximately 4,700-square-foot store at Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill, Ontario, bringing its network at that time to 17 locations. The opening followed its return to West Edmonton Mall, where KIT + ACE established a roughly 3,500-square-foot store in space previously occupied by Michael Kors.
The Edmonton opening marked a return to a shopping centre where KIT + ACE had operated during its earlier expansion in 2015. The decision was supported by online demand from Edmonton-area customers, some of whom had been travelling to Calgary to shop at the company’s stores.
Lui previously told Retail Insider that KIT + ACE was being selective about its real estate, emphasizing location quality over aggressive store-count targets. He estimated that Canada could potentially support approximately 20 to 25 stores, although the company does not consider that range a formal target or ceiling.
The retailer’s Ontario network includes CF Toronto Eaton Centre, CF Sherway Gardens, Bayview Village, The Well, Queen Street West, Hillcrest Mall, Toronto Premium Outlets, downtown Oakville and CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa. Its western Canadian presence includes Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and several Metro Vancouver locations.
Store Relocations and Real Estate Performance
KIT + ACE has also refined its existing network, including a relocation at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto. The company moved from an approximately 3,000-square-foot store to a smaller, roughly 2,370-square-foot location between Rodd & Gunn New Zealand and L’Oro Jewellery.
Despite the reduced footprint, Lui told Retail Insider that the relocated store was performing considerably better than its predecessor. The new location benefits from a more prominent position within the shopping centre’s fashion and jewellery corridor.
“The store actually went smaller from 3,000 square feet in the old space,” Lui said. “But this location has been way better.”
The results illustrate how positioning within a shopping centre can influence performance, particularly for specialty retailers where visibility, neighbouring tenants and customer circulation affect sales opportunities. KIT + ACE’s experience at Sherway suggests that securing better real estate can be more valuable than maintaining a larger footprint.
At CF Toronto Eaton Centre, the retailer opened a nearly 4,100-square-foot store in July 2025, occupying the former Williams Sonoma space on the shopping centre’s third level. Described at the time as the brand’s largest store, the location provides a substantial showcase for its merchandise assortment.
“Our goal isn’t to be everywhere,” Lui previously told Retail Insider. “It’s to be in the right places with the right experience.”
First U.S. Store Being Finalized
KIT + ACE is preparing to return to physical retail in the United States, with plans for its first American store under Unity Brands’ ownership. The proposed opening would extend the company’s current expansion beyond the Canadian market.
Lui confirmed to Retail Insider on November 3 that the company is working toward finalizing its first U.S. location. The retailer has not publicly announced the market, store size, anticipated opening date or whether a lease has been completed.
The development would mark a return to American physical retail for KIT + ACE, which previously operated an international network before substantially reducing its store count. Under Unity Brands, the company has concentrated its retail investment on rebuilding the Canadian business.
In earlier discussions with Retail Insider, Lui indicated that KIT + ACE had received interest from American landlords but wanted to strengthen its Canadian network and merchandise offering before committing to U.S. expansion.
The proposed store introduces another stage in the company’s growth, requiring it to apply its Canadian operating experience in a different market. KIT + ACE has not disclosed whether additional U.S. locations are being considered.
Expanding the KIT + ACE Lifestyle Brand
KIT + ACE was founded in Vancouver in 2014 by Shannon and JJ Wilson, initially building its reputation around technical fabrics and contemporary casual apparel. The company expanded rapidly across Canada and internationally before significantly reducing its physical retail operations.
Unity Brands, founded by Joe Mimran, Frank Rocchetti and David Lui, acquired KIT + ACE in July 2023 and began rebuilding the business. Its strategy has combined store expansion with merchandise development and a renewed focus on the brand’s position in the Canadian apparel market.
The retailer has also been broadening its assortment beyond technical clothing. Its initiatives include leather handbags, home products and licensing arrangements that extend KIT + ACE into adjacent lifestyle categories.
In previous reporting, the company described a home-goods program with TJX Canada involving products such as bedding, pillows, comforters and throws sold through HomeSense, Winners and Marshalls. KIT + ACE has also partnered with Quebec-based Jovi Sports Inc. on a licensed bag program, with international distribution opportunities extending beyond its company-operated store network.
These initiatives provide additional avenues for growth without requiring a corresponding increase in physical locations. They also introduce the KIT + ACE brand to customers in markets where the company does not operate stores.
Physical retail nevertheless remains central to the company’s strategy. Lui has emphasized the importance of allowing customers to examine fabrics, assess fit and experience merchandise firsthand, particularly for a brand built around technical materials and comfort.
E-commerce also informs store development. At West Edmonton Mall, existing online demand helped demonstrate the potential for a physical location, providing evidence of customer interest before the company committed to the market.
Next Stage of Expansion
KIT + ACE’s growth from four stores in 2023 to a directory listing 18 Canadian locations represents a substantial rebuilding of the business in just over three years. The company has returned to established retail markets while adding stores in shopping centres and urban districts that reach its target customers.
The Brentwood location strengthens its Metro Vancouver network, while the planned U.S. store introduces an international growth opportunity. Both developments reflect the company’s continued investment in physical retail, supported by a more selective approach to real estate than during its original expansion.
The next challenge will be maintaining that discipline as KIT + ACE moves beyond its rebuilt Canadian network. Its first U.S. store under the current ownership will provide an important test of whether the company’s domestic operating model can be successfully extended into another market.
