These Are The Biggest Store Openings of 2017

2017 saw a lot of great store openings for Toronto. Check out this article to find out the most anticipated ones.
These Are The Biggest Store Openings of 2017

Coming off of the unprecedented number of mega-retailers that entered the Canadian market in 2016, this past year was another big one for Toronto’s shopping scene.

With store expansions from coast to coast and many new flagships, 2017 saw a lot of great store openings for Toronto. And although there are many more exciting stores coming in 2018, here are some of the biggest ones from 2017.

Woolrich

American heritage brand Woolrich has become increasingly cool as of late and to Canadians’ delight, just opened their 2,000-square foot retail space at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The brand also announced it has plans to open additional Canadian stores in Montreal and Vancouver.

Chanel Flagship

After 26 years, Chanel relocated their Bloor Street Toronto flagship boutique a couple blocks north to the heart of Toronto’s upscale Yorkville neighbourhood. Now located at 98 Yorkville Avenue, the boutique is housed behind an original façade dating back to 1871 and the space spans two, luxurious floors.

MINISO

Japanese retail giant Miniso opened its first Ontario location mid-October this year and its first west coast location earlier in 2017 in Vancouver. The brand plans to open 30 to 50 Miniso stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec by the end of 2018 with the goal of 500 stores by 2020.

MCM Flagship

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Winter ready and wish-list worthy. #MCMHoliday

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Luxury leather goods brand MCM opened its first stand-alone store this past November. The flagship is located at 93 Bloor Street West, steps from the trendy Yorkville neighbourhood and offers everything from small wallets to leather sneakers and luggage, all featuring the signature MCM print.

Nordstrom at CF Sherway Gardens

Nordstrom still isn’t done with Canada, which is exciting news. The Seattle-based department store opened its sixth Canadian store and its third in Toronto, earlier this fall at CF Sherway Gardens. But we will still have to wait until 2018 to get Nordstrom Rack in Canada.

Hunter

Earlier this fall, Hunter brought its iconic and colourful rubber boots to Toronto, opening its first North American store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The U.K.-based company currently only has two other stores worldwide: one in London and one in Tokyo.

Moose Knuckles

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@roshellemusic knows how to make matching count.

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Popular Montreal-based outerwear brand Moose Knuckles opened its first freestanding store in 2017 at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Best known for its outwear, customers can shop Moose Knuckles’ full range of jackets and parkas, ready-to-wear clothing, rain gear and accessories right in the mall.

OVO at Yorkdale

If you’re a huge Drake fan, you are most likely already aware that the Toronto rapper opened an OVO store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre this past year. Spanning 1,600-square feet, the store features a marble exterior, mirrored walls and golden fixtures that show off the OVO apparel, consisting of capsule collections and exclusive drops.

COS at Square One

H&M’s pricier fashion brand COS, which stands for ‘collection of style,’ opened its first Vancouver store in 2017, but COS wasn’t stopping there. The brand has since opened a second store location at Square One in Mississauga.

Aritzia’s Babaton Flagship at Yorkdale

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After opening its first Babaton store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in late 2016, Vancouver-based company Ariztia opened a massive flagship Babaton boutique at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in 2017. This is the second Babaton location in the GTA and the womenswear retailers’ 82nd location in North America.

Saks OFF 5TH Expansion

Saks Fifth Avenue’s off-price concept Saks OFF 5TH plans to operate 25 Canadian stores by the end of 2018. In 2016, it opened nine, but most recently it opened six locations this year in Brampton, Pickering, Quebec City, Winnipeg and West Vancouver in addition to a second Edmonton store.

Muji Expanding Westward

After successfully opening three stores in the GTA, minimalist Japanese retail Muji set its sights on western Canada. The store opened not one but two locations in Vancouver this past year, one at Robson Street and one at Metropolis at Metrotown.

Have you visited any of these stores opened in 2017?

Featured image: Instagram/ @mcm