Japanese and Japanese-inspired brands have made a splash in Canada. And while some retailers are struggling (and some closing their doors forever), Canadian shoppers are gravitating to stores like UNIQLO, MINISO, and MUJI for clean lines and minimalistic designs.
Just recently, a brand new line launched in Canada that has a much different appeal from the brands most shoppers affiliate Japan with.
Puebco launched in Canada this summer.
Kicking off its launch into North America with a pop-up shop at Stackt Market, Puebco began in 2007 and has gained major popularity in Asia and Europe. Its founder, Hirotaka Tanaka, spends 300 days of the year traveling across Asia searching for inspiration, fabrics, and technics for the goods that make up the extensive Puebco collection.
Like other Japanese brands, Puebco Canada’s offerings are built up of simple, yet versatile pieces. But its inspiration is utilitarian, with sustainability front and centre.
The collection features everything and anything you could imagine — think hangers and storage to aprons and dog beds — made from materials that otherwise would’ve made their way into the trash.
Puebco has hundreds of different items to explore, but there are a few things that I’d love to see in my house right now.
To introduce you to the brand, I’ve rounded up 10 of my favourite Puebco pieces. Take a look below!
Shop the entire Puebco Canada collection at puebco.ca.
Over the years, an influx of Japanese retailers have made a splash in Canada, bringing clean lines, simplicity, and versatility to a market that was missing it. And now, Toronto is going to get a taste of another Japanese lifestyle label that’s much different than the ones we’re used to.
Puebco opened its first Canadian retail location today.
The Japanese lifestyle brand launched in Asia in 2007 and is moving into the North American market this year, opening its first Canadian pop-up shop in Toronto at Stackt Market.
Known for its industrial style and unique homewares, Puebco’s founder, Hirotaka Tanaka, spends 300 days of the year traveling across Asia searching for inspiration, fabrics, and technics for the goods that make up the extensive Puebco collection.
While simplicity is at the core of Puebco, what makes the brand standout from its counterparts is its utilitarian inspiration and practice of sustainability.
Many of the items in-store are created using found and recycled materials, giving each piece a sense of history. Take, for example, Puebco’s collection of pet beds. Made from the fabric of old camping tents, each pet bed has its own qualities that make it unique.
And while sustainability is typically synonymous with high costs, everything in-store is reasonably priced.
Shoppers can expect to find giftables, homewares, travel accessories, apparel, and bags ranging between $10 and $200. However, the majority of items in-store are priced between $20 and $60.
The store, which is located on Bathurst St., is teeming with Puebco originals, made from old fabrics and materials that might otherwise be deemed worthless such as recycled straws and moving blankets. And while each corner is loaded with something different, it’s easy to recognize the minimalist aesthetic Japan is known for in the core of each piece.
Puebco will be popped up for a limited time at Stackt Market.
Open from now until the end of September 2019, visit the Puebco Toronto Stackt Market pop-up at #1-112 – 28 Bathurst Street. The pop-up is open Monday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
And if you can’t make it to the store, you can shop the entire Puebco collection online at puebco.ca.
Take a closer look inside the Puebco Toronto pop-up shop below.
All images by StyleDemocracy
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While U.S. retailers in Canada close up shop, popular Japanese retailers UNIQLO and Muji surge ahead. Just over the weekend, Uniqlo opened its second location in suburban Vancouver, and Muji opened its fifth store in the GTA. Moreover, both chains are committed to opening additional stores in Canada.
In 2016, Uniqlo opened its first Canadian store, 33,400 square feet, at the Eaton Centre in Toronto. Its second store, 30,000 square feet, opened one month later at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. A third store in the GTA will open shortly. Its new store in the Vancouver area a 12,800 square foot space in Surrey, opened last Friday. Even though Uniqlo had just opened a 20,630 square foot space in nearby Burnaby in October 2017, there were still huge lineups to get in. This spring, the company will open a third store in the Vancouver area at CF Richmond Centre. According to Uniqlo Founder and CEO Tadashi Yanai, Uniqlo is planning to open some 100 stores in Canada.
Muji’s largest store in the GTA, at 6,800 square feet, opened at Scarborough Town Centre on Saturday. Their store in downtown Toronto has temporarily relocated but will expand to the size of its flagship Vancouver store, which opened in December. According to Muji’s Canadian President, Toru Akita, Muji expects to operate between 15 and 20 stores in Canada by 2020, including stores beyond the Toronto and Vancouver areas, including Montreal.
Other Japanese retailers are expected to enter the Canadian market, including Japanese footwear brand ASICS, which opened its Canadian flagship store on Queen Street West in Toronto. More ASICS stores are expected to follow. In addition, variety retailer Miniso plans to open 500 stores in Canada, and another Japanese footwear brand will open soon. This is all happening as Canadian retailers face reduced sales with this new competition. While it appears that leasing retail space is difficult in Canada, some brands still plans to expand their presence.
Source: Retail-Insider.com
Do you shop at Miniso or Muji? Let us know in the comments.
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