HARRY ROSEN ANNOUNCES MONUMENTAL FLAGSHIP RELOCATION; FLEET OF UPDATED RETAIL SPACES

by John Russel Jones Mar 19, 2024


Luxury men’s retailer Harry Rosen announced today that it will invest $50M over the next five years to update its retail fleet and strategy. This program will include relocating Harry Rosen’s flagship store to a 38,000 sq. ft. footprint to create a new luxury customer experience in the heart of Yorkville, Canada’s premier retail shopping destination, and transforming its existing retail concepts.
Image, above: Rendering of Harry Rosen’s new flagship at 153 Cumberland Street, opening 2026. Courtesy of dkstudio architects.

This announcement serves as the next stage in the brand’s forward-looking strategy after the brand has invested heavily in digital over the past five years. Major milestones include growing e-commerce into Harry Rosen’s largest storefront; building Herringbone, an in-store associate selling tool by which style advisors directly drive 10% of online business; launching a new online outlet (FinalCut by Harry Rosen); and more. This next leg of the strategy will progress the brand’s innovative offerings, responding to customer needs at the in-store level.

The new three-story flagship space on Cumberland Street, adjacent to the Village of Yorkville Park and around 220 yards from the brand’s current Bloor St. store, will open by Spring 2026. It will feature updated design and customer-centric experiences that reflect the brand’s vision while honoring its 70-year legacy. The new space will house all the latest ideas in men’s retail and designer shops, a vast patio overlooking the Village of Yorkville Park, a luxurious client lounge and espresso bar, and valet parking on weekends, among other key features.

Original newspaper advertisement for the flagship opening in 1987. Courtesy of Harry Rosen.

“Since my father opened the Bloor St. doors in 1970 and our current flagship in 1987, Harry Rosen has developed such a deep connection to the Yorkville neighborhood,” says Larry Rosen, Chairman & CEO of Harry Rosen Inc., and Harry Rosen’s eldest son. “We are very excited to continue pushing our legacy forward by positioning our most important, innovative, and immersive flagship at the center of the Canadian luxury and fashion space.” Moving deeper into Yorkville Village, he adds, will help to continue the neighborhood’s evolution and increase development in the area.

Harry Rosen (seated) with his son Larry (Chairman & CEO)(right), and grandsons Ian (President & COO) (left) and Graham (EVP Strategy)(center). Courtesy of Harry Rosen.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Harry Rosen, an iconic Canadian brand, to help them realize an ambitious vision for their new flagship store in Yorkville,” says Rob Kumer, CEO of KingSett Capital. “This relocation repositions and enhances a core asset in the KingSett portfolio and highlights a growing trend in retail real estate, the importance of creating an extraordinary in-store customer experience to build long-term brand and property value.”

KingSett is a leading Canadian private equity real estate firm that holds the Cumberland Street building in its Canadian Real Estate Income Fund. Founded in 2002, KingSett manages $18 billion in assets across its Growth, Income, Urban, Mortgage, Residential Development and Affordable Housing strategies.

Transforming the Harry Rosen Experience

Harry Rosen has also announced that its Canada-wide retail fleet will transform to meet the expectations of today’s luxury customer and to deliver new experiences with every visit. Beginning with a renovation of 13,000 sq. ft at West Edmonton Mall in 2024 and continuing with the opening of a 16,000 sq. ft. location in Vancouver’s Oakridge Park development, Harry Rosen stores will be fully refreshed over the next five years with new designs optimized for client experience and interaction. Each store will host an engaging and immersive environment, with concepts inspired by the art of tailoring and facilitating relationships between customers and their trusted advisors. The West Edmonton Mall, Oakridge Park, and new flagship store designs have been developed in strategic partnership with dkstudio architects inc. The brand has engaged this renowned Canadian-based design firm to help reimagine its store design and experience.

The iconic exterior of the current Harry Rosen flagship store, which opened its doors in 1987. Courtesy of Harry Rosen.

This announcement also represents a significant milestone for the retailer, which has operated at its Bloor St. flagship for most of its 70-year legacy. The brand’s founder and visionary, Harry Rosen, who passed away in December, established the trusted brand to help men discover their individual style through personalized service, a mandate that his son, grandsons, and their team intend to push forward.

“Retail is theatre, and the store is our stage,” says Ian Rosen, the brand’s President and COO—and a third-generation member at the helm of the family-run business. “Our new store concepts are a direct response to what we’ve heard from our clients and from studying the world’s leading customer experiences. Both are central to how we plan to deliver excellence moving forward.”