Over the past several years, Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre has created a luxury wing from an area which, less than a decade ago, was fairly nondescript. We’ve located a lease plan of the mall from 2005, showing the mall’s rather pedestrian ‘Holt Renfrew Court’ tenant mix. Fast forward to 2015, where the same area boast Canada’s densest collection of luxury brands.
August 2005 Yorkdale lease plan, via Oxford Properties.
The 2005 Yorkdale lease plan, above, shows Holt Renfrew Court and the hallway immediately north. Its tenant mix was generally average, featuring retail space for Telus, Black’s, ScotiaBank, Stitches, Suzy Shier, Addition Elle, La Senza and others. The lease plan, below, shows the area’s remarkable new tenant mix.
November 2014 lease plan.
The same area is now dedicated primarily to luxury. Tiffany & Co. opened in April of 2009, followed by Burberry and, soon after, luxury retailers were lining up to get into Yorkdale. The mall’s new ‘luxury wing’ boasts retailers such as Jimmy Choo, Moncler, Montblanc, Versace, Ferragamo, Cartier, Mulberry and Bulgari. Adding to this are concessions within an expanded Holt Renfrew for brands such as Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Dior (accessories), and a 4,000 square foot Louis Vuitton – Canada’s third-largest Vuitton location. It’s an impressive transformation, led by the leasing team at Oxford Properties.
Yorkdale isn’t stopping there. French luxury brand Longchamp will open this spring across from Holt Renfrew, and a number of luxury retailers will join Nordstrom in the mall’s newest wing, scheduled to open in the fall of 2016. We won’t reveal the new retailers in the Nordstrom wing just yet, though we’re providing a lease plan below showing the mall’s newest expansion.
Map, above, shows the location of the lease plan, below.
On March 6, 2015, Yorkdale leasing manager Greg Schmidt will be speaking at the University of Alberta School of Retailing Thought Leadership Conference in Edmonton on the topic of mall leasing. For more information and to attend, visit the Thought Leadership Conference website.
Today’s Retail News From Around The Web: January 13, 2015
uniqlo? muji?
A number of new retailers will be opening in Yorkdale by 2016. Although we can’t publicly confirm them, we think you’ll be pleased with what’s on the way.
Where will the Jamie Oliver restaurant be located?
In the former TD Bank space on the mall’s north side.
Are they opening any luxury stores in 2015 besides longchamp
2015 will be a slightly ‘slower’ year for Yorkdale – much of the available appropriate space has been leased, so some luxury retailers are waiting until the new Nordstrom wing is completed in 2016. We’ll reveal these in the coming weeks and months.
Is the cheesecake factory taking the place of the rainforest cafe?
That was originally the plan, but the deal fell through. Sport Chek will now expand into the former Rainforest Cafe space.