New York City-based jewellery and watch brand David Yurman continues to grow its Canadian operations, as it expands existing concessions and opens new ones. The company recently expanded two Holt Renfrew concessions, and has the opportunity to open new shops as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom continue opening Canadian stores. As well, Yurman has introduced its pricey ‘High Jewelry’ collection to one Canadian location, making it one of only five Yurman stores worldwide to feature the pricey by-appointment only pieces.

Designer David Yurman founded his eponymous company in 1980, and in 1983 introduced his signature bracelet which propelled the brand. The bracelet features a twisted helix adorned with gemstones on its end caps, available at different price points depending on materials. Designs now include pieces for women and men that range from earrings to necklaces to gift items such as pens, as well as a line of timepieces and even engagement rings.

*(Classic David Yurman bracelets. Photo: David Yurman)*

While prices generally average $1,500 for David Yurman pieces, the company recently introduced its ‘High Jewelry’ collection to Canada through its Vancouver Holt Renfrew concession. The 1,226 square foot Yurman shop-in-store, located in Holt Renfrew’s CF Pacific Centre expansion that opened in September, is the largest David Yurman concession in the world. It’s also one of only five Yurman boutiques in the world to include the brand’s ‘High Jewelry’ line, featuring rare gemstones and precious metals with prices that can exceed $100,000 per piece. Other locations featuring the pricey by-appointment collection include freestanding David Yurman stores in New York City and Beverly Hills, as well as Yurman concessions at Harvey Nichols in Dubai and at Printemps in Paris.

(Yurman's Vancouver Holt Renfrew concession, which relocated in September, is the brand's largest concession globally as well as one of only five boutiques featuring the pricey 'High Jewellery' line. Photo: David Yurman)

*(Yurman's concession at Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor St. W. in Toronto, relocated within the store last week. Photo: Craig Patterson)*

Besides the recently expanded Vancouver concession (Yurman has had a presence at Holt’s in Vancouver for several years), the brand also operates one freestanding and six shop-in-store concessions in Canada. Yurman’s only freestanding Canadian location is at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which opened in December of 2013 and measures about 1,625 square feet. Toronto also features Yurman concessions at Holt Renfrew in Yorkdale and on Bloor Street West — the latter concession just relocated to a prominent location near Holt’s concierge desk and escalators. Saks Fifth Avenue’s Canadian flagship at CF Toronto Eaton Centre also saw the opening of a Yurman concession in February of this year, coinciding with Saks’ brick-and-mortar Canadian launch.

Yurman concessions can also be found at Holt Renfrew in Calgary and Montreal, as well as at Nordstrom in Vancouver. Montreal's David Yurman concession is expected to relocate into the expanded/merged Ogilvy/Holt’s when it opens in 2018, coinciding with the closure of Holt’s current Montreal location on Sherbrooke Street West. Yurman, which has a relationship with Saks Fifth Avenue, could also potentially open concessions within Saks stores in Calgary and Montreal, both of which will see Saks store openings in early 2018 (CF Chinook Centre in Calgary, and within the Hudson’s Bay building in downtown Montreal). Nordstrom will open its third Toronto store in September of 2017 at CF Sherway Gardens, and it remains to be seen if Yurman will open a concession there, as it did in Vancouver’s Nordstrom last year.

Canada is seeing an unprecedented amount of luxury brand expansion, both freestanding branded boutiques as well as within upscale department stores. It remains to be seen if the market will continue to support these expansions, and we’ll be analyzing the Canadian luxury market further as we head into 2017.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: December 5, 2016