Holt Renfrew plans to significantly expand its Vancouver store while opening a dedicated menswear entrance on Howe Street, opening a restaurant and going even more upscale by launching new luxury personal shopping options.
Most of the expansion is the 40,000 square feet of additional space that the Toronto-based chain is taking by expanding west along Howe Street. Its April 24 announcement comes about five months in advance of competitor Nordstrom's planned opening of a 230,000-square-foot store a couple blocks south. Saks Fifth Avenue has also been rumoured to be interested in opening a store in the area.
Holt Renfrew’s Howe Street frontage will expand from about 30 feet to around 200 feet thanks to it taking over FGL Sports’ current sporting goods store, which is branded both SportChek and Atmosphere.
FGL will then move those brands to the corner of Robson and Howe streets in space that Chapters has occupied since 1998 but will leave by the end of June.
