Birks is looking to expand its market share across jewellery categories. The retailer is also innovating by launching a new store design, which will include an intimate storefront for Birks-branded jewellery at Royalmount next to TimeVallée. The new store was designed by French luxury retail architecture firm Landmark Architecture.
Birks CEO Jean-Christophe Bedos said in an interview that the retailer is looking to add more brands in the future, in an effort to boost the retailer’s bottom line while bringing the best names in jewellery and watches to Canada. The Chaumet brand from Paris has shown strong sales numbers in Canada at Birks, prompting Birks to make plans to open two standalone storefronts for Chaumet in Canada. One is confirmed to be opening in 2025 at Oakridge Park in Vancouver, and the other will open at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto.
Birks currently operates 24 stores in Canada under the Birks brand, and the retailer also operates banners including the multi-brand Brinkhaus retail concept in Calgary, as well as standalone storefronts in Vancouver for Graff and Patek Philippe on West Georgia Street.
Last year, Birks completed a substantial renovation to its 2,288 square foot store at CF Carrefour Laval near Montreal, including adding a 257 square foot Breitling boutique in an adjacent space. The 4,186 square foot Birks store at CF Chinook Centre in Calgary was also renovated and expanded, with a Rolex shop-in-store added as well. The downtown Vancouver flagship saw a partial renovation with ongoing updates that will soon include a concession for ultra luxury watch brand Roger Dubuis, which also recently opened a store on Bloor Street in Toronto.
Last year Birks closed stores in downtown Winnipeg and Guildford Centre in Surrey, and the year before locations closed in downtown Victoria, downtown Saskatoon, and in Oshawa ON. Bedos said that Birks is evaluating its retail portfolio as it looks to the future of jewellery retail in Canada.
The move to bring TimeVallée to Canada is a positive one, introducing a proven luxury watch concept to the country that also has the backing of Richemont. Bedos said that Birks will continue to innovate and look at new ways of attracting consumers to the retailer, which has operated in Canada since its founding in Montreal in 1879.
