Popular Vancouver-based accessories brand Herschel Supply Co. will open its first freestanding Canadian store next year. The 5,000 square foot flagship retail space, located in the city’s trendy and historical Gastown area, is expected to also carry the brand’s new men’s and women’s outerwear lines.

In an article in Business in Vancouver yesterday, Herschel confirmed that its Vancouver flagship would be opening at 347-349 Water Street, on the ground floor of Gastown's historic Greenshields Building. Herschel will replace the Oriental Rug Bazaar that has occupied the site for years. The new store will open in 2018, according to Herschel co-founder and principal Jamie Cormack.

Mr. Cormack told Business in Vancouver that Herschel chose Gastown because that’s where the company was founded. Gastown is becoming one of the hippest and most interesting retail areas in the city -- notable stores include quirky luxury retailer Secret Location, Vancouver-based John Fluevog shoes, Aussie skin care brand Aesop, and pricey menswear retailer Roden Gray. H&M sister brand COS opened its first Vancouver location on Water Street last month, and eyewear retailer Bailey Nelson will be opening a corporate store this summer. Canada’s first Filson store also opens this month at 47 Water Street.

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*(Taipei store. Photo: cool-style.com.tw*

Rapidly growing Herschel is in the process of launching an outerwear collection that will be available in June. According to the company, the outerwear line is meant to “help customers on their journeys”, not unlike the brand’s bags. Outerwear offerings will include designs for wind and rain -- the ‘Voyage’ assortment, consisting of three men’s styles and two women’s styles created for the wind, will join its ‘Forecast’ collection of two men’s styles and two women’s styles designed for the rain.

While the Vancouver flagship will be Herschel’s first freestanding store, it’s not the first globally. The brand currently operates 42 stores, all owned by third party distributors, in cities including Singapore, Mexico City and Milan. Store locations in New York City and Los Angeles are also in the pipeline, according to a report in WWD.com.

Herschel Supply Co. was founded in Vancouver in 2009 by brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack, with its name adopted from the town of Herschel, Saskatchewan, where three generations of their family grew up. The company produces and retails accessories ranging from wallets to larger bags, all at reasonable price points. While the brand may appear ‘localized’, Herschel’s bags are mass produced in China, and are carried in over 10,000 points of sale in 72 countries. The company reported growth in excess of 30% last year, with no end in sight.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: April 18, 2017