Canadian footwear brand Shumaker (pronounced ‘shoe maker’) has opened its largest store to date in Kingston, Ontario. The new location marks the company’s first street-front retail space, and is part of a larger expansion that is seeing Shumaker open several stores this year.

The two-level 3,200 square foot Kingston store, located at 202 Princess Street (just off the intersection of Montreal Street and Princess Street), is Shumaker’s 10th store to date. The space includes high ceilings, exquisite chandeliers, grand antique mirrors, and a touch of modernism, blending the charm of the exposed brick and stone, burnt wood, and century old space with its typical bright environment that includes modern white furniture and its signature red and rose gold accents.

The store was designed in-house, and Olivier Raoult of FR Capital Realty coordinated that lease deal.

The Princess Street building has an interesting history. Originally constructed in 1887, it once belonged to W.J. Baker, tobacconist, known for its special "Queen's blend and Baker's Cut Plug”. The second floor formerly housed a billiards parlour. Princess Street, formerly called ‘Store Street’, is a popular destination for both locals and tourists, in a city that was once Canada’s capital.

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An 11th Shumaker store is set to open later this year, in Toronto. Located at 2581 Yonge Street in Toronto (between Eglinton Avenue and Lawrence Avenue), the new store will be on a stretch of Yonge Street that is adjacent to some of the city's most affluent residential areas, including Lawrence Park.

Shumaker was founded in 1948 as a footwear manufacturer and distributor, and is now based in Mississauga. Known for its moderately priced contemporary casual footwear for men and women, Shumaker also boasts wholesale distribution in over 1,600 points of sale across Canada.

The company opened its first physical store locations in 2015, adopting an interior design featuring white interiors with strong red accents. In August of 2015, Shumaker’s first store opened at Peterborough’s Lansdowne Place, followed by locations in Barrie (RioCan Georgian Mall), Bellville (Quinte Mall), Hamilton (CF Lime Ridge), Ottawa (two stores: Carlingwood Shopping Centre and Place d'Orleans) as well as two Toronto area stores (Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga and CF Markville in Markham).

Shumaker’s Director of Operations, Ishan Singh, notes that the retailer continues to be in discussions with several landlords for locations in Ontario, both within shopping centres as well as urban street-fronts. Mr. Singh says that he is the primary contact for landlords regarding any potential future deals for Shumaker, at this time, and that more locations are expected to be announced in the coming months.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: March 29, 2017