TORONTO – Specialty apparel chain Express is the latest U.S. outfit to seek a slice of the Canadian retail pie with the opening of its first store north of the border and dozens more on the horizon in the coming years.
Until 2007, Express was a division of Limited Brands, which owns Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works. The retailer became a public company a year ago and operates more than 590 stores.
The fashion brand for women and men covers all the lifestyles categories from suiting to party, denim and office wear, targeting customers from their 20s into their 30s, said Pam Seidman, vice-president of communications.
“Every season, we’re following trends,” she said in an interview at their first Canadian store at Fairview Mall in Toronto. “Our design team out of New York City is really at the forefront of looking at colour, fit, and everything that goes into making fashion.”
Company executives were joined by Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui of “Entourage” fame and Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. A second location will open this month at Lime Ridge Mall in Hamilton.
In November, the fashion retailer heads to Calgary with locations slated to open at Southcentre Mall, Chinook Centre and Market Mall. Another Ontario store will open at Square One in Mississauga, west of Toronto. The company plans to have an additional 50 stores across Canada over the next five years.
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Canada is proving to be a desirable market for American retailers looking to expand internationally. Victoria’s Secret, J. Crew and Intermix have recently opened their first bricks-and-mortar locations outside of the U.S. in Canada, with discount retailer Target following suit in 2013.
Express president and CEO Michael Weiss said the Fairview Mall location is the first store owned by the company outside of the U.S. There are seven franchise stores in the Middle East.
While Canada now faces the prospect of a second recession, the country has felt the effects of economic turmoil to a lesser degree than the U.S.
Weiss said while some retailers may see Canada’s more relatively stable economy as a draw to set up shop, for Express, it was about finding a market for their merchandise.
“We see Canada as a young fashion market and that’s what we want. So what we find is our business fluctuates much more with trend than with economy,” he said.
Canadians can already purchase items on the retailer’s website where prices are listed in U.S. dollars.
Weiss said while prices for accessories will be the same as in America, Canadian consumers can expect to see slightly higher prices on clothing sold at Express north of the border. Weiss said prices will be about 10 to 13 per cent higher on an overall basis, with variations depending on the company’s costs and pricepoints.
“We still believe that the prices are very viable,” Weiss said. “They’re good prices next to what we see in these malls for similar quality goods.”
Express fall apparel items for women range from trenches, fitted blazers, menswear-inspired tuxedo jackets and cocoon-shaped knits to flashier offerings for evening like shimmering dresses, camisoles and tiered minis bathed in sequins, along with colourful, body-hugging cocktail numbers.
Envelope clutches, totes and satchels sit perched on shelves across from shimmering chunky chain-link necklaces and bracelets. Flats, wedges and slouchy boots in grey, red and leopard print dot nearby walls.
For men, there is an array of colourful shirts in solid and plaid patterns accessorized with ties and knit V-necks for a more formal look, along with shawl-collared cardigans and shelves lined with brightly-hued pullovers.
Weiss said the retailer retains customers because they come back again and again for certain items such as the 1MX men’s collared shirt or camisoles for women. But he recognizes their current clientele may not necessarily be long-term consumers of the brand.
“We don’t try to hold onto customers too long because then we’d be trying to make something which would destroy our story. It really would,” he said.
“You have to be clear in this business. You walk into our store, like it or dislike it, you’ve got to understand fashion-wise what we’re saying as a customer. Then you’ve got to trust us. We’ve got to earn your trust in terms of having fashion authority.”
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