French fashion brands Sandro and Maje will both open their first freestanding Canadian locations next month at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The fashion boutiques will locate in the mall’s new 300,000 square foot, $331 million expansion wing (opening on October 18 of this year) that will be anchored by a 199,000 square foot Nordstrom store (opening on October 21). 

The Sandro brand launched in Paris in 1984, and is known for focusing on “sleek, chic and effortlessly cool womenswear and menswear”. Maje was founded in Paris in 1998 and is known for “bohemian-chic, solar, and more feminine womenswear collections”, according to the company. The Yorkdale flagship will carry both men’s and women’s fashions/accessories/footwear, while Maje caters to women. There are over 500 Sandro stores and over 400 Maje locations worldwide. Parent company SMCP (which stands for Sandro, Maje, Claudie Perlot) operates 1176 points of sale globally in 35 countries, with about 4,300 staff. 

“Canadian shoppers have a European heritage and sensibility to styling which is very much in line with the Parisian Chic DNA of our brands,” said Paul Griffin, President & CEO, SMCP North America. “Yorkdale is the highest performing shopping centre in Canada with the strongest mix of accessible luxury. The choice of Yorkdale as our gateway into Canada was part of our larger strategy to expand our freestanding footprint in that market, as we continue to develop our North American business.”

Although these will be the first freestanding locations for Sandro and Maje in Canada, the brands have had a concussion presence in Canada for the past several years at several Hudson’s Bay stores. Sandro operates women’s concessions at Hudson’s Bay in downtown Vancouver, Montreal and in Toronto at Hudson’s Bay’s Queen Street, Yorkdale and CF Sherway Gardens locations. Sandro Men’s concessions are contained within Hudson’s Bay’s downtown Vancouver and Toronto Queen Street stores. Maje womenswear concessions are located within Hudson’s Bay’s downtown Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto Queen Street and Yorkdale stores. 

Yorkdale is currently Canada’s most productive shopping centre, with sales of $1,610 per square foot. The mall’s Nordstrom expansion will include several other ‘firsts’, including the world’s first Canada Goose retail store. After the expansion opening on October 18, landlord Oxford Properties will continue expanding the centre westward with a wing anchored by RH (Restoration Hardware) and at least two other confirmed anchors. 

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: September 27, 2016