From crystal vases to blossom veils, Hudson’s Bay will soon have the Canadian bride covered for her big day. The Canadian retailer has partnered with luxury bridal banner Kleinfeld to become a full-service bridal destination.
The Canadian retailer will open a 20,000-square foot Kleinfeld within its Toronto flagship location early next year. The boutique will be part of what Mary Turner, VP of private brands and global sourcing at HBC called, “Bridal World.”
Kleinfeld at Hudson’s Bay will carry the same selection, scope and breadth of designer gowns as the New York store. Prices will range from $1,200 to $30,000.
“It’s all part of our desire to have exclusive and relevant brands that mean something to our customer and with the power of our bridal registry business we felt for some time that it was important also to work with the bride on her wedding,” Turner told Marketing.
According to a release, Hudson’s Bay is already number one in Canadian bridal registry. The retailer is trying to connect with its female consumer through the important phases of her life, said Turner.
“It seemed a bit of a disconnect; we were her number one choice for bridal registry but we couldn’t actually help with her wedding,” she said.
The hope is to eventually launch similar boutiques within Hudson’s Bay’s Montreal and Vancouver flagship locations, said Turner.
Kleinfeld is a well-known retailer among brides. It gained wide spread appeal in 2007 when the first episode of TLC’s reality series, Say Yes to the Dress debuted.
When asked if Hudson’s Bay would one day make a cameo appearance on the show, Turner said, “We’ve certainly discussed that with them and we’re talking with the network to see if that’s something that can be organized.”
The show follows sales associates, managers, and fitters at the store, who pride themselves of delivering top-notch customer service. Turner said Kleinfeld would be “very much involved” on recruiting staff for the Toronto location.
“The staff will go to New York for training with the New York team and the New York team will come to Toronto to deliver further training on the ground here,” she said. “The service piece is the most important piece to make sure it’s the perfect experience.”
Kleinfeld joins Hudson’s Bay’s growing list of exclusive partners including Topman and Topshop.
Will these two brands live happily ever after? Is it a smart move for Hudson’s Bay to enhance its focus on the bridal experience? Or is it a union headed for divorce? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
