Photo: portfolio.seanwich.com
*Update: Sources say this store will open early this summer, and below we’ve provided a lease plan showing its exact location*
Tiffany & Co. will open its first free-standing Ottawa location at Rideau Centre, replacing a shuttered shop-in-store concession within the city’s recently closed Holt Renfrew. Downtown Ottawa’s Rideau Centre is seeing a significant expansion which will see Nordstrom open its second Canadian location next month, as well as La Maison Simons a year later.
Until recently, Tiffany & Co.’s first and only Ottawa location was located within Holt Renfrew at the CD Howe Building, 240 Sparks Street. The small concession carried a limited selection of Tiffany product. The new free-standing Rideau Centre store will be substantially larger at 3,000 square feet, carrying a wider variety of Tiffany merchandise, as well as a private viewing room and other amenities found in larger free-standing Tiffany locations.
Holt Renfrew’s former Ottawa store. Photo: Google Street View screen capture.
Ottawa’s 36,000 square foot Holt Renfrew closed on January 25 as part of the company’s $300 million expansion plans to operate large stores in a handful of Canadian cities. Besides its Tiffany & Co. concession, Holt Renfrew also leased space to Gucci, Links of London and Hugo Boss. No word yet if any of these brands will open free-standing replacement locations in the Ottawa area.
Ottawa will be Tiffany & Co.’s ninth free-standing Canadian location. Tiffany has three free-standing stores in Toronto, two in Vancouver, and one each in Edmonton, Calgary and Montreal. Three smaller Tiffany & Co. concessions also operate within Holt Renfrew locations in Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.
Tiffany & Co. recently started advertising various employment positions for the store. Tiffany declined to provide comment for this article, except to say more information will be revealed closer to the store’s opening date.
Rideau Centre is undergoing a $360 million expansion which will see Nordstrom’s second Canadian store opening on March 6. Measuring 157,000 square feet, Nordstrom will occupy the top two levels of the mall’s former Sears location on the mall’s south side. New retail space will be added and in August of 2016, a 100,000 square foot La Maison Simons will open at the north end of the mall. As well, upscale menswear retailer Harry Rosen recently opened a 17,000 square foot replacement store featuring a footwear store with its own entrance, replacing a location about half its size.
Today’s Retail News From Around The Web: February 5, 2015
This was posted on their Facebook page nearly a month ago, but Kate Spade is also opening at the Rideau Centre in Ottawa, on the 3rd floor between Harry Rosen and Nordstrom.
https://www.facebook.com/RideauCentre/photos/a.155128514631706.48019.138034856341072/584874868323733/?type=1&permPage=1
Is it still on Rideau Centre’s Facebook page, Craig? We can’t find it but may not be looking in the right place.
You’re correct re: Kate Spade. We’ve been waiting for a formal interview from the company but no one has gotten back to us. Kate Spade is also opening at Toronto Eaton Centre, and we may run an article based on those two locations.
It’s hidden deep in the Facebook page from early January.
We’ve updated this article to include a lease plan indicating exactly where Tiffany & Co. will locate at Rideau Centre. The store will be about 3,000 square feet.
It would be nice to see more unique Ottawa only or Canadian only stores expanding in places like Ottawa.
Tiffany is opening so many branches, that it is on the verge of becoming just another mall store.