By Craig Patterson

Swedish brand Fjällräven has opened a store on Toronto’s Queen Street West, marking the fifth Canadian location for the brand that specializes in outdoor gear and clothing.

*Nathan Dopp, President of North American, Fjällräven*

"We’re thrilled to expand our brand footprint in Canada with our first bricks and mortar store in a bustling retail district in Toronto," says Nathan Dopp, President of North American, Fjällräven. "Our intent is for the Queen Street West location to serve as a hub for Torontonians who are outdoor enthusiasts, while helping local customers find the perfect Fjällräven fit for their next adventure.”

Located at 356 Queen Street West, the 2,200 square foot store carries the brand’s expansive assortment of clothing and accessories, including dozens of different colours and styles of its iconic Kånken backpack on a dedicated display wall (with hundreds in stock in a back room). One of the reasons Fjällräven is opening stores is to better showcase its entire line in a dedicated environment, which it says also helps create brand awareness for its extensive network of wholesale accounts in Canada.

Chris Canuel of brokerage Northwest Atlantic negotiated the lease deal.

Fjällräven, which is known for its functional and sustainable outdoor equipment, has a commitment to making the outdoors accessible to more people at all experience levels. The word ‘Fjällräven’ translates to mean ‘artic fox in Swedish’, and the company was founded in 1960 by Åke Nordin in his basement in the Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik. The company has expanded to to have a presence in more than 30 countries worldwide. Fjällräven has 20 stores in the United States.

The Toronto store is highly experiential with an element of customization — a trend being seen among leading retailers. Included is a ‘waxing station’ that allows shoppers to witness waterproofing of the brand’s G1000 material, and there’s an in-store tailor at another station that allows buyers to fine-tune the fit of their outerwear purchases, free of charge. Touch screens on the backpack wall allows customers to choose styles in a range of colour combinations.

Fjällräven opened its first Canadian store in the spring of 2014 in Vancouver at 147 West Broadway, in the city’s ‘Fairview’ area, and a second Vancouver store opened on W. 4th Avenue in Kitsilano in the summer of 2016. The company also now has stores on Government Street in Victoria and on Banff Avenue in Banff, Alberta, as well as on Sainte Catherine St. W. in Montreal as well as a shop-in-store at NEON on Queen Street West in Toronto.

The Toronto store’s grand opening is on Saturday, April 28, with doors opening at 10:00 am.

*All photos are by Jenna Marie Wakani.

Craig Patterson, now based in Toronto, is the founder and Editor-in-Chief Retail Insider. He's also a retail and real estate consultant, retail tour guide and public speaker.

Follow him on Twitter @RetailInsider_, LinkedIn at Craig Patterson, or email him at: craig@retail-insider.com.

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