Holt Renfrew Men Suiting Up for October Opening

Holt Renfrew targets men with new Bloor Street store.

Holt Renfrew Men

Today Holt Renfrew announced that their Holt Renfrew Men store at 100 Bloor Street West will officially open October 1st. At 16,500 square-feet, Holt Renfrew Men will provide a dedicated space to men's luxury brands.

"Holt Renfrew is proud to enhance its unique position as Canada's specialty luxury retailer," said Holt Renfrew President Mark Derbyshire. "As part of our substantive growth and customer experience strategy, we are pleased to present Holt Renfrew Men: a personalized retail experience tailored to the modern man."

Showcased will be menswear, shoes, and accessory collections from brands such as Bottega Veneta, Canali, Zenga, Gucci, and Paul Smith. Holt Renfrew has also partnered with local menswear purveyor Walter Beauchamp Tailors to offer bespoke suiting.

Holt Renfrew Men Interior

With the opening of Holt Renfrew Men comes new masculine branding. The HR logo is rendered in a solid cube and the signature magenta is replaced here with warm grey.

Holt Renfrew Men Branding

The store was designed by Janson Goldstein, a New York based firm that recently worked on Holt Renfrew's renovated Yorkdale store. As at Yorkdale, Holt Renfrew Men will include dedicated shopping suites and personal shoppers. Alterations, a valet service, shoe shining, and monogramming round out the store's offerings.

Holt Renfrew Men

Holt Renfrew Men is part of a multi-year $300 million company wide investment to expand the chain's retail square footage by 40%. Also planned is a new store at Mississauga's Square One, extensive renovations at the Bloor Street flagship, and an e-commerce website scheduled to launch next year.

The opening comes as retailers Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue prepare to enter the Toronto market. Holt Renfrew Men will aim to solidify the retailer's menswear business and will no doubt ensure competition for the Harry Rosen flagship just steps away.

[Press release and images via Holt Renfrew]

Nordstrom Introduces A New Way to Shop ... Via Instagram

Venerable retailer aims to reach millennial shoppers with social media platform.

Nordstrom's Instagram feed (left) and Like2Buy page (right)

For years retailers have been looking for ways to channel the power of social media. To varying degrees of success, brands have been using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with a generation of customers largely unreachable via traditional advertising methods.

Instagram is one space that has been challenging to commercialize. Largely ad free, (although Michael Kors ran Instagram's first ad last year), Instagram offers a huge potential audience to a brand.

Nordstrom is partnering with Curalate to "bridge the gap" between their Instagram feed and their online store with Like2Buy. By using Like2Buy, a retailer can make their Instagram feed instantly shoppable.

When customers browse Nordstrom's Instagram feed they'll see a "Link in profile" caption atop product photos. By then accessing the main Nordstrom profile page, customers can use the link to access Like2Buy. From there customers can purchase those items directly from the Nordstrom e-commerce website.

"We continue to hear from many of our customers that they want speed and convenience incorporated into all the places they shop – including our social platforms," said Bryan Galipeau, social media director at Nordstrom in the official launch announcement. "We connect with more than 500,000 customers on Instagram by posting items we hope they find inspirational, beautiful and fun. Like2Buy enhances the experience for customers who want to take the next step and learn more about the great fashion we're featuring, to make a purchase or save items for another time."

Nordstrom is opening its first Canadian store September 19th at Calgary's Chinook Centre. While there is no dedicated domestic e-commerce site, Canadian shoppers can utilize Link2Buy and purchase via the US Nordstrom website.