Upscale Toronto-based menswear retailer Harry Rosen is about half way through the overhaul of its Pacific Centre location in Vancouver. The store's interior will be updated and expanded, and two new luxury boutiques will be added. We interviewed CEO Larry Rosen, who tells us that the store is scheduled to be completed by September of this year.

Mr. Rosen told us that the existing store will expand its sales area by utilizing some existing storage space. It's able to do so because it recently acquired about 4,000 square feet of off-site storage within the Pacific Centre complex -- enough space to house stock for an entire store. As a result, inventory replenishment will become faster -- a good thing, given that the Pacific Centre store does higher sales per square foot than any other Harry Rosen location. Although he wouldn't provide exact numbers, Mr. Rosen said that the store's sales are approaching $2,000 per square foot.

The store will see expanded men's accessory areas, as well as a new cologne bar. A 'stronger' tailored clothing area and tailor shop will be featured, as well as new change areas and expanded designer collections. Different floor treatments will denote different areas of focus within the store, catering to an increasingly sophisticated Vancouver shopper.

Mr. Rosen told us that the renovated store will feature two new luxury boutiques -- A 600 square foot Tom Ford shop, as well as a Kiton shop-in-store. Both brands are among the most expensive in the world, with Kiton suits selling in the $8,000 to $10,000+ range. Tom Ford will actually be a second location for the brand in Vancouver, as Holt Renfrew also features a men's Tom Ford shop-in-store. The Kiton shop will be a first for Harry Rosen.

The Pacific Centre Harry Rosen will also feature hard shops for brands including Canali and Giorgio Armani, as well as soft shops for brands such as Brunello Cucinelli, Hugo Boss, and Isaia. The Cucinelli shop will be a new concept for the brand, featuring a new interior and measuring about twice the size of the existing shop.

*New shoe store with its own mall entrance. Photo: Harry Rosen, via Twitter.*

The store recently opened a separate 2,000 square foot shoe boutique with its own mall entrance. It's the second of its kind for the company, following the recent opening of a replacement Ottawa store. Mr. Rosen says that the Ottawa footwear shop has been very successful since its opening last fall.

Harry Rosen occupies 21,645 square feet in Pacific Centre, with a separate 5,000 square foot Ermenegildo Zegna store, operated by Harry Rosen, located across the hall. The Vancouver store is the second-highest selling in the company, following its 54,000 square foot Bloor street flagship in Toronto.

Pacific Centre's Harry Rosen is the fifth-largest in the company. Besides its Bloor Street flagship, its Yorkdale Shopping Centre store has expanded to almost 31,000 square feet. Its 22,000 square foot Montreal store will grow to about 33,000 square feet by the end of 2015, while its Downtown Calgary store spans over 30,000 square feet. We'll provide updates on the Montreal location shortly, as well as discuss Harry Rosen's new Square One and Sherway Gardens replacement flagships.

Click above for full Pacific Centre lease plan, via landlord Cadillac Fairview. — *Click above for full Pacific Centre lease plan, via landlord Cadillac Fairview.*

Harry Rosen recently replaced its Ottawa unit with a modern showpiece, complete with its own shoe store with a separate mall entrance. Also included was North America's second Robert Tateossian accessories shop. Pacific Centre's Harry Rosen location will not be getting a Tateossian shop due to space constraints, according to Mr. Rosen.

Harry Rosen will face new competition when Nordstrom opens in downtown Vancouver on September 18. Nordstrom's 230,000 square foot store at Pacific Centre will feature some of the same upscale menswear designers as Harry Rosen, though Rosen's is known for carrying a wider variety of product, as well as having enhanced customer service. Neighbouring Holt Renfrew will also expand its menswear offerings when it renovates its store within the same complex, with a completion date expected for late 2016.

Retail News From Around The Web: May 21, 2015