Max Mara expands
The Max Mara store at Pacific Centre will be doubling in size. The current 975 sq.ft. store will do so by taking over about 1,000 sq.ft of the adjacent La Swiss watch store. Max Mara, a luxury, ready-to-wear Italian fashion house known for its womenswear (particularly its hand-made cashmere and angora coats), currently has two other locations in Vancouver plus two Weekend by Max Maras, giving Vancouver the largest concentration of Max Maras throughout North America.
Students get MEC
On March 28, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) opened a 850 sq.ft. outpost within the expanded and newly renovated UBC Bookstore. The shop-within-a-shop will feature more than 100 popular MEC-brand products, such as lifestyle apparel, as well as clothing for cycling, running, hiking and yoga. “With the Outpost, MEC has come full circle,” said Gary Faryon, chief retail operations officer, in a press release. “A handful of UBC students started the co-op in 1971, and forty-three years later we are excited to be back with a new MEC store format that will serve students and the wider university community right on campus.” MEC is a co-operative and it only sells to its members. Existing members will be able to shop at the UBC Outpost, and new members will be able to join the co-op on site. More information about the Outpost at UBC, including hours of operation, is available at MEC.ca.
Go, go Uniqlo
Fans of Uniqlo will be delighted by reports that the Japanese fast-fashion retailer is in advanced negotiations to open a 35,000 sq.ft. store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Why is this news? Uniqlo is also negotiating to open other Canadian stores (fingers crossed for Vancouver?), the first of which could open as early as 2016. For those who aren’t aware, Uniqlo has more than 1,300 stores in 14 countries, and is the world’s fourth-biggest fashion retailer, behind Zara, H&M and Gap.
Have $50, will shop
Nifty for Fifty is back April 6, bringing you the chance to shop more than 30 local labels (Adhesif Clothing, Allison Wonderland, Bronsino, Daub + Design, Elroy Apparel, Flightpath, Floating Gold Iceberg, Irit Sorokin Designs, Kdon, Toodlebunny and more), plus accessories and kids clothes — all for $50 or less. Heritage Hall (3102 Main), April 6 from 11am to 8pm. Admission is $1 at the door. NiftyForFiftySale.com.
