Vancouver-based INDOCHINO, now the world’s largest made-to-measure menswear company, has opened its first retail showroom in the province of Alberta. Located on the second level of West Edmonton Mall, the new 3,200 square foot space features an eye-catching graphic exterior, and an interior with prominent ceramic flooring.

The store features four ‘zones’ as described by INDOCHINO’s Senior Director of Retail, Dean Handspiker, including areas for suiting, fabric, shirting and two lounges — one for grooms, and one for tailoring. The company’s other showrooms lack a tailoring area on the selling floor, making the new Edmonton location particularly unique. Furnishings in the space are from Vancouver-based eCommerce retailer Article, which is experiencing explosive growth, as discussed in Retail Insider last week.

Fixtures in the the new store were created by Vancouver-based Peregrine, which works with some of the country's leading retailers and their interiors.

The Edmonton store’s design is intended to make shoppers comfortable, according to Mr. Handspiker, while video screens allow customers to ‘bring the suit to life’.

*(INDOCHINO's location on level 2 of west edmonton mall, between tumi and ugg. click image for interactive mall map)*

The West Edmonton Mall showroom is INDOCHINO’s sixth Canadian location, and is one of three to be opening in Canada this spring. On Thursday, April 6, INDOCHINO will open its second Alberta location at Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre and on Thursday, April 27, it will open at Metropolis at Metrotown, east of Vancouver. Indochino’s other Canadian showrooms are in Vancouver (Yaletown), Toronto (King Street East and Yorkdale Shopping Centre) Mississauga (Square One) and in Ottawa at CF Rideau Centre.

INDOCHINO announced a major international expansion last year, with the goal to open about 150 retail stores globally while selling a million suits annually by the year 2020. The company was founded in Vancouver in 2007 as an online custom suit retailer and in late 2015, co-founder Kyle Vucko was replaced as CEO by Shop.ca founder Drew Green.

INDOCHINO’s retail spaces/showrooms are an extension of the company's online made-to-measure experience. INDOCHINO customers are paired with a Style Guide in-store, who helps them design one-of-a-kind suits or shirts. Style Guides take measurements, assist with fabric selection, and walk shoppers through custom options including buttons, vents, pockets, lapels and monograms. Each garment is made to order and delivered within four weeks, when customers can return for a second fitting to ensure a perfect fit. The showroom works in tandem with INDOCHINO’s e-commerce website, so men can access their profiles and reorder at their convenience. The showrooms are designed to be modern and bright, boasting comfortable reception areas and lounges dedicated to serving groom parties and other groups.

2016 was record setting for INDOCHINO, with three new showrooms, year-over-year omnichannel sales growth of 54% and year-over-year sales in comparable showrooms ending the year at 32%. In February 2016, the company announced a US $30 million strategic investment by Dayang Group -- the world's largest suit manufacturer -- which has helped accelerate the company's expansion plans, significantly enhanced the product offering to its customers, and generated additional operating efficiencies.

In 2017 the company's growth trajectory has continued, with January's year-over-year omnichannel sales growth over 50%, according to INDOCHINO.

Oberfeld Snowcap represents INDOCHINO as brokerage in Canada. According to Mr. Handspiker, future INDOCHINO showrooms will ideally be in the 2,500 square foot to 3,500 square foot range.

*The top photo of the store's facade was provided by West Edmonton Mall.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: April 3, 2017