ACT7
Active Member
Great news. Although I'm surprised Serpentine has survived as long as they have. They must be taking a smaller space on Cumberland.
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Great news. Although I'm surprised Serpentine has survived as long as they have. They must be taking a smaller space on Cumberland.
ACT7
Active Member
Not specifically about Toronto, but sort of...
http://www.retail-insider.com/
Little surprised Vancouver is the launching pad for Van Cleef & Arpels, as well as a possible Bulgari boutique. If I remember correctly, the existing Rolex boutique used to be a Bulgari one. At any rate, I still think the old MAC spot would make the most ideal Van Cleef boutique in that area - and the most logical location.
Birks opened a Roberto Coin Boutique inside of Vancouver's Four Seasons Hotel last October, 2011. A Birks representative says that the free standing Coin boutique has been successful and that Birks believes it can operate free-standing designer jewellery shops not just in Vancouver, but also in Toronto and Calgary (not to mention more than one American city where Birks has several locations).
http://www.retail-insider.com/
Little surprised Vancouver is the launching pad for Van Cleef & Arpels, as well as a possible Bulgari boutique. If I remember correctly, the existing Rolex boutique used to be a Bulgari one. At any rate, I still think the old MAC spot would make the most ideal Van Cleef boutique in that area - and the most logical location.
vatche
Senior Member
Not specifically about Toronto, but sort of...
http://www.retail-insider.com/
Little surprised Vancouver is the launching pad for Van Cleef & Arpels, as well as a possible Bulgari boutique. If I remember correctly, the existing Rolex boutique used to be a Bulgari one. At any rate, I still think the old MAC spot would make the most ideal Van Cleef boutique in that area - and the most logical location.
Doesn't it surprise u have Vancouver is always a launching pad for these high end stores?? Toronto's twice as big but never seems to attract them. Bulgari indeed was on bloor but now it's a Rolex. Prolly it didn't do well!!!!
ACT7
Active Member
Doesn't it surprise u have Vancouver is always a launching pad for these high end stores?? Toronto's twice as big but never seems to attract them. Bulgari indeed was on bloor but now it's a Rolex. Prolly it didn't do well!!!!
Actually the city itself is 4 times bigger, and the GTHA is closer to 3 times bigger, so yes, it's a bit surprising. Not to mention the fact that Toronto gets far more tourists and is just generally much more on the world stage. All that aside, I wouldn't say it always happens but it does seem to happen probably a lot more than it should. My gut feel is that flagship space is much more difficult to come by in Toronto, so it doesn't generally make sense for a brand to set up a 1,500 sq. ft shop on Bloor when it needs 3,000 to 10,000 sq. ft to make it wortwhile. Whereas in Vancouver, flagship may not be the name of the game and a brand can get away with a smaller store and use it as a test market. With the exception of LV, you don't find a lot of 6,000+ sq. ft high end boutiques in Vancouver.
That's my two cents.
vatche
Senior Member
Actually the city itself is 4 times bigger, and the GTHA is closer to 3 times bigger, so yes, it's a bit surprising. Not to mention the fact that Toronto gets far more tourists and is just generally much more on the world stage. All that aside, I wouldn't say it always happens but it does seem to happen probably a lot more than it should. My gut feel is that flagship space is much more difficult to come by in Toronto, so it doesn't generally make sense for a brand to set up a 1,500 sq. ft shop on Bloor when it needs 3,000 to 10,000 sq. ft to make it wortwhile. Whereas in Vancouver, flagship may not be the name of the game and a brand can get away with a smaller store and use it as a test market. With the exception of LV, you don't find a lot of 6,000+ sq. ft high end boutiques in Vancouver.
That's my two cents.
I was in fact at that hotel last week and I noticed that the fairmont has omega, st John, Gucci and LV. Across from it u had Hermes. Holt renders and Salvatore ferragamo were totally in a different part of town, which I found bizarre. I prefer bloor st where where all is contained to one area.
ACT7
Active Member
I was in fact at that hotel last week and I noticed that the fairmont has omega, st John, Gucci and LV. Across from it u had Hermes. Holt renders and Salvatore ferragamo were totally in a different part of town, which I found bizarre. I prefer bloor st where where all is contained to one area.
Yah, I spend a tonne of time in Vancouver for work in that area have seen the same thing. The Omega store opened for the Olympics and then just stayed open. Gucci is quite a small store, and as soon as LV on Bloor opens, Vancouver's will be relegated back to second largest in the country, by quite a large margin. One thing that seems to happen a lot more in Vancouver is the amount of stores that open in hotels, compared to here. For instance, all the shops in the Fairmont as you've noted, Robero Coin in the Four Seasons, Burberry in the Shangri-la. That seems to be changing here a bit with Strellson moving into the Hyatt and the boutiques that will open at the new Four Seasons, but I'm surprised that Trump and Shangri-la Toronto don't have designated retail space. Trump would be the perfect spot for some sh-shi watch/jewelry boutique as would Shangri-la.
I do agree with you, Bloor is a much more luxurious street, as is Yorkville in general, so given its cache, it always surprises me when much smaller cities attract such high-end retailers.
pw20
Senior Member
Hong Kong/Chinese money...
ACT7
Active Member
Hong Kong/Chinese money...
I was waiting for someone to say that.
Toronto gets virtually the same amount of Chinese tourists as Vancouver. Don't believe me? Look it up on their tourism websites. There is a bigger Chinese population in Toronto. I would also argue that the biggest luxury shopping spenders in the world right now are Chinese, Russians, Middle East/Gulf, Brazilians, and Indians. All of which have larger populations and tourist volumes in Toronto. The blanket statement that everything happens in Vancouver because of Chinese money is kind of strange to me.
Plus, if it was just money/disposable income, Calgary would have every brand under the sun opening up there.
vatche
Senior Member
Well, trump's and shangri law's location are more business oriented. High end shopping is more in yorkville. I'm hoping that the four seasons will attract quite a few high end, exclusive boutiques.
Something tells me that Toronto is going to get better and better as time goes by if the economy stays healthy. We already have a lot of small boutiques and high end chain stores movin in in droves. Look at yorkdale, ossington and bloor/yorkville. We didn't have half these stores 10 years ago. They all entered the Toronto market at once. Something tells me that high end stores will continue coming.
I remember in the 90's going to yorkville. There wasn't much except for Remy's. The difference between Today's yorkville and back then is like day and night.
Toronto has grown a lot in every aspect. The more it changes the more tourists we shall get and the more stores will open up.
Something tells me that Toronto is going to get better and better as time goes by if the economy stays healthy. We already have a lot of small boutiques and high end chain stores movin in in droves. Look at yorkdale, ossington and bloor/yorkville. We didn't have half these stores 10 years ago. They all entered the Toronto market at once. Something tells me that high end stores will continue coming.
I remember in the 90's going to yorkville. There wasn't much except for Remy's. The difference between Today's yorkville and back then is like day and night.
Toronto has grown a lot in every aspect. The more it changes the more tourists we shall get and the more stores will open up.
G
gabe
Guest
I was waiting for someone to say that.
Toronto gets virtually the same amount of Chinese tourists as Vancouver. Don't believe me? Look it up on their tourism websites. There is a bigger Chinese population in Toronto. I would also argue that the biggest luxury shopping spenders in the world right now are Chinese, Russians, Middle East/Gulf, Brazilians, and Indians. All of which have larger populations and tourist volumes in Toronto. The blanket statement that everything happens in Vancouver because of Chinese money is kind of strange to me.
Plus, if it was just money/disposable income, Calgary would have every brand under the sun opening up there.
If wealthy Asians are flying across the world to shop, they would probably pick the fashion capital of the world (New York City) over Toronto.
ACT7
Active Member
If wealthy Asians are flying across the world to shop, they would probably pick the fashion capital of the world (New York City) over Toronto.
That has nothing to do with it, nor has anyone on this thread ever questioned why NYC gets every single brand on the planet ahead of virtually everywhere else. The comment was made that Chinese money is behind Vancouver getting all these brands. Yes, wealthy Asians are going to NYC to shop, so are poor Europeans. I think you missed the point.
G
gabe
Guest
Well Chinese money IS behind Vancouver. Wealthy Asians have more high end real estate invested in Vancouver than Toronto.
ACT7
Active Member
Well Chinese money IS behind Vancouver. Wealthy Asians have more high end real estate invested in Vancouver than Toronto.
Still has nothing to do with retail. Plus, no one actually has any stats on that anyway. It's all anecdotal realtor driven.
ACT7
Active Member
If wealthy Asians are flying across the world to shop, they would probably pick the fashion capital of the world (New York City) over Toronto.
I should also point out that Toronto is in the top 10 in NA for international tourism behind a few notables like NYC, L.A., Miami, S.F. Las Vegas sees more but 70% of that is Canada, Mexico and Great Britain. Orlando, same thing.
Anyway, this is clearly getting off topic.
vatche
Senior Member
Nobody's saying Toronto has to be a shopping Mecca like ny. Nor it could be!!!! Toronto is Toronto and new York in new York. However nothing stops Toronto from being a fashion center with a variety of options for high and mid end shopping. Chicago is, Florence italyis and Athens is. Once Toronto starts getting more tourists, they will shop no matter what.