H&M's upscale fashion brand COS ('Collection of Style') has opened its fourth Canadian location in Vancouver’s Gastown area. COS entered the Canadian market about 18 months ago.

The 3,024 square foot Vancouver store, located at 18 Water Street, is contained within a heritage building that was built in 1911. The store’s interior is clean, modern and minimalist, with neutral colours throughout. Flooring is of locally-sourced Douglas Fir, and a row of original wooden columns in the space have been left exposed for character.

The brand’s spring/summer 2017 collections are featured within the store. Women’s collections include a "palette of feminine and nature-inspired colours that contrast with utilitarian silhouettes,” while men’s collections are characterized by "simplicity and effortlessness,” that are "coloured with dark blue, indigo, camel and sand, and toying with airy, light fabrics,” according to COS.

The Vancouver lease deal was negotiated by Martin Moriarty and Mario Negris of CBRE in Vancouver.

*(click above for interactive google map)*

COS launched its first Canadian store in September 2015 in Toronto at 85 Bloor Street West (former Tiffany & Co. space), followed by a second store in October 2015 at 1310 Sainte Catherine Street West in Montreal (formerly occupied by Le Château). A third location opened in October of 2016 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

Sources confirm that COS is in talks to open more Canadian stores, indicating that the brand plans to further penetrate the Canadian market with more brick-and-mortar locations.

Parent company H&M launched the COS store concept on London’s Regent Street in March 2007. The brand has a wide product range that is divided into a number of different concepts, incorporating fashion essentials, reinvented classics and modern trends for men and women. It has over 200 stores in 33 countries in Europe, Asia, the US, North America and the Middle East. In the United States, COS has 12 stores, in metro New York City (x3), Greenwich CT, Los Angeles (x3), Philadelphia (King of Prussia), Miami, Atlanta, Boston and Houston.

*Photos courtesy of COS/Jane Gill PR.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: March 20, 2017