Canadian online bedding and home decor retailer Maple Harbour is planning to open physical stores, according to its representative brokerage Aurora Realty Consultants. Maple Harbour's national rollout will commence in Toronto and Montreal.

Maple Harbour was founded in Montreal in 2014. Bed linens, textiles and home decor are its primary focus, with its website breaking categories down into bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and 'kids' products. Prices are reasonable and at the moment, a considerable amount of its online merchandise is on sale at even better prices. The company offers free shipping on all orders within Canada and the Continental United States, and charges a $100 flat rate for shipping to Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon. Maple Harbour collaborates with a number of non-profit animal shelters and adoption centres, and a portion of each purchase goes towards the customer's charitable organization of choice.

*Bedding from Maple Harbour's website (screen capture)*

The company is seeking retail space within enclosed malls that is between 2,500 and 3,500 square feet, according to Aurora Realty Consultants.

Maple Harbour is the latest pure play online retailer to open brick-and-mortar stores. Farla Efros, President of leading consultancy HRC Advisory, noted that furniture shopping is often a tactile "feel and touch experience", and that physical stores allow consumers to actually see product without having to visualize what it would look like. Ms. Efros hypothesized that Maple Harbour's initial online endeavours was a "testing ground for them" and that brick-and-mortar stores will help further build the brand's sales. Maple Harbour joins Canadian retailers such as Frank & Oak, Indochino, SHOES.com and Clearly Contacts by expanding online operations into actual storefronts.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: January 14, 2016