U.S. clothing retailer Express (NYSE:EXPR) is set to open its first B.C. store in the Pacific Centre.
The Columbus, Ohio-based apparel chain opened its first Canadian store in Toronto in September 2011. Since then, the chain with more than 550 locations in the U.S. has been on a tear, opening another Toronto store and three stores in Calgary.
Express, which sells men’s and women’s clothing, will move to the 8,200-square-foot location in Pacific Centre that formerly housed women’s fashion store Jacob.
Jacob has already moved out of the space and into a smaller 3,700-square-foot location in the mall, said Karen Hachey, who is a leasing representative with the mall’s owner Cadillac Fairview.
Other moves in the mall include American Eagle expanding from its longtime 4,100-square-foot corner location to a larger 5,700-square-foot space, Hachey told Business in Vancouver.
“They needed to get bigger space because they were doing so well,” she said.
“I’m not able to say who we’re talking to about leasing the old American Eagle space. We’ve almost got a signed deal for their replacement.”
Not all retailers believe leasing space at Pacific Centre is a good corporate strategy.
Mexx plans to vacate its longtime 4,780-square-foot space in the mall later this month.
See next week’s issue of Business in Vancouver for revelations on a major retailer’s negotiations to move into a prime Robson Street location.
