*(PHOTO: DANIEL HASSAN/West Edmonton Mall)*

Hong Kong-based eyewear brand MUJOSH opened its first North American store last week at Edmonton’s West Edmonton Mall. It could be the first of multiple locations for the retailer, and marks the first of at least three new international eyewear companies set to enter the Canadian market in 2017.

MUJOSH was founded in 2010 and it already has over 700 boutiques globally, operating both freestanding stores as well as department store shop-in-stores. Its stores are in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and now, Canada.

The company describes itself as “boldly combining unique elements and styles into design," with "an attitude of its own to encourage the young group to think out of the box and to be innovative”. Product includes frames, sunglasses and related accessories.

The new West Edmonton Mall store boasts a strategic corner space on the mall’s ground floor, facing a busy main corridor as well as an access way to the busy Phase 3 food court. The store is also visible from the bright open area in the mall that houses a replica of the Santa Maria ship.

*(CLICK IMAGE FOR INTERACTIVE WEST EDMONTON MALL MAP)*

Ben Labrecque of Oakmont Real Estate Services negotiated the deal on behalf of the retailer.

Canada is seeing an unprecedented number of new optical retailers opening stores, both homegrown brands as well as international companies. New York City-based Warby Parker opened its second Toronto store in the fall of 2016, and Australia’s Bailey Nelson is in the process of launching another expansion. Montreal-based BonLook will expand across the country with over 20 new stores, after having launched its first store outside of Quebec in the fall, in Toronto. Two more American eyewear retailers will be entering Canada this year with their first freestanding stores, and we’ll reveal both of these soon, in separate articles.