Downtown Vancouver’s luxury shopping district is seeing a series of store expansions, renovations and relocations, alongside the closure of several established boutiques. A recent visit by Retail Insider to Alberni, Thurlow, Burrard, Robson and West Georgia Streets found considerable changes underway across one of Canada’s most concentrated luxury retail areas.
Italian fashion house Brunello Cucinelli is expanding its boutique, Rolex has renovated its Alberni Street location, and Swiss watchmaker Longines has opened its first Canadian boutique on Burrard Street. Montreal-based Mackage is preparing to relocate from CF Pacific Centre to a nearby streetfront location, while Hublot, Graff and St. John have closed boutiques and Stefano Ricci is preparing to leave West Georgia Street.
The activity comes as Oakridge Park develops another major concentration of luxury retail in Vancouver. Several international brands are represented in both areas, although downtown retains a different mix of fashion, watch and jewellery boutiques.
Brunello Cucinelli Expands as Rolex Renovates
Italian luxury fashion brand Brunello Cucinelli is expanding its downtown Vancouver boutique into the former Thom Browne premises at 747 Thurlow Street. The additional space adjoins its existing store at 765 Thurlow Street, bringing the combined retail footprint to more than 4,500 square feet.
Construction was underway during Retail Insider’s recent visit, with the expansion providing additional room for the brand’s men’s and women’s collections. Thom Browne has established a boutique at Oakridge Park, maintaining a Vancouver presence following its departure from Thurlow Street.
Nearby, the Rolex boutique on Alberni Street has completed a renovation. During construction, the retailer operated from temporary premises at The Carlyle, 1080 Alberni Street, before returning to its renovated location.
The project adds to investment in luxury watch and jewellery retail along Alberni Street and the surrounding blocks. Several international brands operate dedicated boutiques in the district, including specialist watchmakers and high-end jewellers.
Longines Opens First Canadian Boutique on Burrard Street
Swiss watchmaker Longines has opened its first standalone Canadian boutique at 765 Burrard Street. The store spans just over 1,000 square feet, giving the brand a dedicated Canadian location alongside its existing distribution through authorized retailers.
The boutique is part of the larger 755 Burrard Street property, which also houses Cartier at 751 Burrard Street. Cartier opened its current location in 2022, occupying premises formerly leased by Hermès.
Trevor Thomas of JLL represented Longines in the transaction, while Mario Negris and Martin Moriarty of Marcus & Millichap represented the landlord. The property is also preparing to welcome Mackage, which will occupy the former Coach storefront.
Mackage Relocating from CF Pacific Centre to Burrard Street
Montreal-based luxury outerwear brand Mackage is preparing to relocate its downtown Vancouver boutique from CF Pacific Centre to 755 Burrard Street. The new store will occupy the former Coach premises, placing Mackage alongside Cartier and Longines.
A person at Mackage familiar with the plans told Retail Insider that the existing CF Pacific Centre boutique is expected to close after the Burrard Street location opens. An opening date for the replacement store has not been confirmed.
Mackage opened its first Vancouver boutique at CF Pacific Centre in 2017, occupying approximately 1,358 square feet previously leased by Rudsak. Its new location will move the retailer from an enclosed shopping centre to a streetfront storefront within the downtown luxury district.
The move gives Mackage direct access from Burrard Street and a location among several international luxury retailers. The company has not disclosed the size of the new boutique or the reasons behind its decision to relocate.
Closures Bring Changes to Alberni and West Georgia Streets
Several established luxury boutiques have closed in the district, including Hublot’s location at The Carlyle, 1080 Alberni Street. The Swiss watchmaker’s plans for any replacement Vancouver boutique have not been confirmed.
Hublot has also recently relocated its boutique at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, a separate development that Retail Insider plans to cover in another article. The two developments involve different retail locations, and no connection between the moves has been established.
On West Georgia Street, Italian luxury menswear brand Stefano Ricci is expected to close its boutique at 1139 West Georgia Street in January 2027. The retailer communicated the planned closure in an email to clients, although no replacement Vancouver location has been announced.
The Birks-operated Graff boutique on West Georgia Street has also closed, a development acknowledged in Birks’ fiscal 2026 corporate reporting. Birks continues to operate its Patek Philippe boutique at 1014 West Georgia Street, maintaining a presence in the area’s luxury watch market.
At the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, American fashion brand St. John closed its boutique earlier this year, ending its standalone retail presence in Canada. A temporary art gallery subsequently occupied the premises while a new long-term tenant is sought.
The Fairmont continues to accommodate luxury retailers and remains an established shopping address in downtown Vancouver. Its boutiques have been part of the surrounding district’s development as a luxury retail destination over several decades.
Modern Ambition Takes Former Ferragamo Store on Robson Street
Canadian menswear retailer Modern Ambition is preparing to open at 918 Robson Street, taking over approximately 2,700 square feet formerly occupied by Ferragamo. The Italian luxury brand operated on Robson Street for decades before relocating to Oakridge Park.
Modern Ambition’s arrival will introduce a new tenant to the prominent shopping corridor, which accommodates a mixture of international fashion brands and Canadian retailers. Ferragamo continues to operate in Vancouver through its Oakridge Park boutique.
Luxury Hotels Remain Important to the District
The downtown luxury shopping area includes several prominent hotels, restaurants, office towers and residential buildings. The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver has long been a retail landmark, while nearby developments combine luxury storefronts with hospitality and residential uses.
The former Shangri-La hotel near Alberni and Thurlow Streets became Hyatt Vancouver Downtown Alberni in 2025. Hyatt announced plans to renovate the property and convert it to Park Hyatt Vancouver, adding another development to the area’s luxury hospitality market.
Oakridge Park Offers a Different Luxury Brand Mix
Oakridge Park opened its first retail phase in May 2026, attracting international brands including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Miu Miu and Ferragamo. Several of these retailers also operate downtown, while others have established Vancouver boutiques at the new development.
As Retail Insider reported following Oakridge Park’s opening, the project had not secured standalone boutiques from the Kering and Richemont luxury groups. Both groups have a substantial presence in downtown Vancouver, where their brands operate streetfront boutiques and department-store locations.
Kering-owned Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga are represented downtown, while Bottega Veneta has a recently updated boutique within Holt Renfrew. Richemont brands including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, IWC, Panerai, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre contribute to the district’s concentration of luxury watches and jewellery.
Holt Renfrew adds an extensive selection of international fashion, accessories and beauty brands, complementing the surrounding standalone boutiques. The department store, together with the concentration of luxury retailers along Alberni, Burrard and West Georgia Streets, gives downtown a different retail offering from Oakridge Park.
Both destinations continue to develop their luxury tenant mixes, with some brands operating in both locations and others concentrating their stores in one. Downtown retains a particularly extensive selection of Kering and Richemont brands, while Oakridge Park has assembled a large collection of international fashion houses within a new mixed-use development.
Additional storefront changes are expected in the coming months. Mackage is preparing its Burrard Street boutique, Brunello Cucinelli is completing its expansion, and Modern Ambition is taking over the former Ferragamo premises on Robson Street.
