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The sign is up and construction on the shell is done, as Yorkdale’s new 300,000 sq. ft. $331 million expansion moves towards completion. Now it’s time to accessorize, with 28 retailers gearing up to put their unique stamp on their new spaces, in anticipation of the Toronto shopping centre’s grand opening this fall.
A tour of the new space—construction began January 2014—reveals cathedral ceilings, luxury finishes and plenty of natural light for a dramatic effect designed to showcase Nordstrom and a slew of new and relocating retailers.
“This renovation is one of the largest that Yorkdale has ever undergone, you can see the magnitude of it,” says Claire Santamaria, Yorkdale Shopping Centre’s general manager and Marketing’s tour guide.
Owned by Oxford Properties Group and Alberta Investment Management Corporation, Yorkdale is already home to more than 250 shops and services. Since it was built in 1964, it has undergone four major renovations (the last was completed in 2012).
The new area replaces the old stacked parking lot at the northwest end of the building (more than 1 million sq. ft. of underground parking, with 5,000 spaces, was added to accommodate shoppers) and is thoughtful in its design, which will blend seamlessly with the current shopping area and create walkable blocks (no dead ends) so that visitors can wander, explore and shop the entire mall.
The newest wing will feature a 105,000 sq. ft. corridor with 27 stores opening to the public on October 18, while the 195,000 sq. ft. Nordstrom, a completely new build, will open its doors October 21st.
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The showstopper is Nordstrom’s interior mall entrance area, which is infused with natural light and will feature plenty of seating to allow people to enjoy the space, not just walk through it.
Fittingly, the Nordstrom entrance will be flanked by two Canadian retailers—a relocated Birks and the country’s first and only Canada Goose store. Other retailers to move into the new wing include COS, Nadege, Samsung, Acr’Teryx, Lululemon, Mackage, Pandora, Swarovski, Strellson, Oak + Fort, Riess, Square Pants, Sage, a two-floor Uniqlo, Muji, Williams Sonoma and Mendocino, as well as the expanded areas of Sephora and H&M. Sport Chek has already completed its renovation, though its new interior entrance will be unveiled with the grand opening.
The new wing is 85% leased, which will allow for time to pique the interest of other retailers and keep the momentum alive as the shopping centre announces new retailers into 2017 (Restoration Hardware is already gearing up to open in March a 70,000 sq. ft. four-storey flagship at the other end of the mall, taking over a portion of the 112,000 sq. ft. space vacated by Sears).
Yorkdale is once again living up to its reputation for welcoming first-to-market retailers—Apple made its debut here, as did AllSaints, David Yurman, John Varvatos, Mulberry, White House|Black Market and Zara Home, to name a few. This time, Uniqlo will make its Canadian debut, while Mackage will open its first store outside the Province of Quebec.
“We want to offer our customers something unique and different, something they can’t get anywhere else,” says Santamaria, who acknowledges that shopping centres coast to coast are upping their game in a bid to become a destination space. “It showcases the importance of a redevelopment like this. Customers really do vote with their dollars.”
Yorkdale already boasts the country’s highest sales per square foot ($1,610), but it’s not resting on those laurels.
“We don’t just focus on the expansion, but the overall experience,” says Santamaria, adding that several existing storefronts will undergo a refresh to provide a seamless experience as one navigates the new and more established areas of the mall. The storefronts are all different, with their own personalities and signage at varying heights for a city-block type feel. “Different lines of site allow us to create a really dynamic atmosphere.”
It’s these details that bring the space to life. Everything from the retail mix to the heights of toilets in the bathrooms (shorter ones for the children) is carefully considered.
Lucia Connor, director of marketing for Yorkdale, says the centre will also introduce a Style Concierge to work with customers and personal stylists around the city and beyond.
To highlight the efforts, Yorkdale is working with its agency partners including G+ International on a multifaceted, multiplatform campaign (details of which are still under wraps) that is to launch towards the end of September in tandem with Style by Night, an event designed to generate further buzz.
“We want to introduce our customers to some of our new brands and celebrate the brands we have,” says Connor. “There is so much happening.”
