Japanese retailer Uniqlo has partnered with four independently owned retailers with stores in Toronto for its “Uniqlo meets Toronto” shop-in-shop program.
Selected items from gravitypope, The Beguiling, Soundscapes and BYOB Cocktail Emporium are currently available for sale in the CF Toronto Eaton Centre Uniqlo location. These independently owned retailers “feed the city’s creative desires for comics and graphic novels, music, entertaining and fashion, and share similar values with Uniqlo, including customer centric thinking, unique pieces and a strong sense of community”, according to Uniqlo. Each ‘shop’ features items from these retailers, as well as a curated selection of Uniqlo clothing that is displayed to help further demonstrate the strong fit and collaborative spirit of the partnership.
Edgy Edmonton-based footwear and fashion retailer gravitypope, which has stores in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto, has added a number of items to the Uniqlo pop-up. Owner Louise Dirks said, “We value this aesthetic in Uniqlo product and are honoured to be showcased in their first Canadian shop.” Uniqlo’s first Canadian stores opened in September of 2016 at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, and a second location followed in October at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
The Beguiling is considered to be Toronto’s premier comics and alternative culture shop that offers an overflow with an eclectic mix of the best and most interesting books and art from across the world of comics. Founded in 1987, it has a store location at 319 College Street, and has stocked some unique pieces at Uniqlo.
Soundscapes Music, considered to be one of Toronto’s iconic independent music shops, offering a unique selection of music ranging from current non-mainstream hits to overlooked artists from the past. It also has a retail store at 572 College Street in the trendy Little Italy area.
BYOB Cocktail Emporium, located at 972 Queen Street West and at 20 Kensington Avenue, is “Toronto’s one stop shop for everything bar and cocktail related”. The retailer partnered with Uniqlo, noting that one of its most popular collections is its “full line of premium Japanese-made bar tools”, and that it strives ” to keep (its) collection similar with unique wares and ingredients from around the globe that function to keep the fine art of cocktail culture alive in our vibrant city.”
The shop-in-store collection is now available on the ground level of Uniqlo’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre store.
Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: March 20, 2017
