News   Mar 28, 2024
 1K     2 
News   Mar 28, 2024
 562     2 
News   Mar 28, 2024
 851     0 

Hudson's Bay Company

From today's NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/b...ess&adxnnlx=1209567791-ANeQKMwqj1QjhTtMFKgIYw

Lord & Taylor Considers Stores Outside U.S.
By MICHAEL BARBARO
Published: April 30, 2008

Lord & Taylor, the quintessentially American department store, is thinking about opening stores outside the country, possibly in Mexico and Canada, its chairman said Tuesday.

The chairman, Richard A. Baker, the head of the private equity firm that owns Lord & Taylor, NRDC Equity Partners, said the 47-store chain might thrive in foreign countries given its focus on American designers like Joseph Abboud and Charles Nolan.

Department stores have ventured beyond American borders before, but most, like Saks Fifth Avenue, do so by promoting a stable of largely European designers.

Lord & Taylor, however, will cast itself as a destination for the best in American fashion, a specialty that the store has emphasized for more than 180 years.

The United States is losing a bit of its luster for many department stores. The American market is crowded — with names like Kohl’s, J. C. Penney, Macy’s and Dillard’s — and apparel sales are growing at anemic rates.

But appetites for clothes are growing at a faster pace abroad, especially in historically poor countries where consumers are developing a taste for designer clothing. (Saks, for example, is opening a store in China.)

“We are thinking about growth outside the U.S.,†Mr. Baker said on Tuesday at a conference held by Emanuel Weintraub Associates, a retail consulting firm. Besides Canada and Mexico, he identified Asia as the most likely market.

Mr. Baker said that no foreign store openings were imminent, but that he had recently been traveling to Mexico and Canada.

NRDC bought Lord & Taylor in 2006 and has since purchased Fortunoff, the home furnishings chain, turning Mr. Baker, 42, into a major player in the retail world.

A foreign venture would be the latest chapter in Lord & Taylor’s remarkable turnaround over the last decade. Once regarded as irrelevant and financially troubled, the retailer has rebounded by recruiting upscale designers and fixing up its once-dowdy stores.
 
If it did come to pass, it would be a big event, retail speaking. The store in Manhattan is one of the missus' fave destinations. To compete in T.O. it would have to be Holt Renfrew or Harry Rosen sized. Most of L&T's stuff is womens fashion for the 30 and up crowd. It might just work as Harry Rosen's womens effort died years ago and Holts is thin on classical stuff for older (30+) ladies.

Stollery's seems to be doing fine in the higher end 'Brit' influenced ready to wear category, so the money seems to be here.
 
L&T

Seems that everything that's new is at Younge and Blook.
I heard Holts will open the new Don Mills Mall....
 
Seems that everything that's new is at Younge and Blook.
I heard Holts will open the new Don Mills Mall....

Now now, that's gossip and I seriously doubt Holt Renfrew would bother with that location. No one else has mentioned this... where did you hear this "news"?
 
Holts

Yes, it will def. cater to Bridal Path. Also, I can't recall the name of the chef right now, but he will open a grocery store there same as on Avenue and similar to Whole Foods.
 
Are you sure it's Puck, Mustapha?

Mark McEwan has been planning to open a competitor for Whole Foods...

Anyway, we're off the thread here - this is Lord & Taylor speculation in these here parts.

42
 
Are you sure it's Puck, Mustapha?

Mark McEwan has been planning to open a competitor for Whole Foods...

Anyway, we're off the thread here - this is Lord & Taylor speculation in these here parts.

42

Hey 42, I'll go check and get back to everyone. Last summer there was a sign on a vacant storefront at Ave Rd and Egl west (near the sw corner) announcing this.
 
The Wolfgang Puck Toronto Bistro is soon to open on Eglinton west of Avenue Road. I don't believe there's a grocery area included.

42
 
Good question! Puck has had a number of plans for TO that have all come to nought so far - he was going to go into the Colonnade, then it was Metropolis/TLS (hahaha!!) and I think there have been some other plans too. I remember there having been a Puck restaurant of some ilk at the "Oakville Centrum" (another AMC cinema mini-city) but I think it's long gone. Only his express cafe at Terminal 1 remains as far as I know... and they do a reasonable job there for airport food.

Why this Eglinton location is creeping along so slowly is anyone's guess.

Maybe Puck would like to run the cafeteria at Toronto's new Lord & Taylor? What? What?

42
 

Back
Top