By Craig Patterson

UK-based household and technology ‘reinvention’ brand Dyson will open its second standalone Canadian location in Vancouver this year. It follows Dyson’s first Canadian showroom that opened in Toronto in late 2017.

The ‘Dyson Demo’ store will showcase various Dyson innovation products, including supersonic hairdryers, air purifiers, commercial hand dryers and various vacuum models. Dyson also sells LED lights which were created by by Sir James Dyson’s son, Jake. The highly experiential retail space will showcase Dyson’s latest technology courtesy of a trained team of employees, while also providing visitors the opportunity to purchase various Dyson products.

Construction hoarding recently went up for a Dyson showroom at the CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver. The retail space, formerly occupied by J. Crew, will span about 2,500 square feet on one level according to lease plans, and will be located between an Ann-Louise jewellery store and eyewear retailer BonLook on the lower retail level of the shopping centre.

*Dyson highlighted in Blue. Click image for interactive CF Pacific Centre floor plan, via Cadillac Fairview*

Dyson was said to have been looking for space in Vancouver ever since the opening of its first Canadian storefront, which opened in December of 2017 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Sources say that Dyson had initially been looking to locate in a street-front retail space in Vancouver and ended up negotiating a deal with landlord Cadillac Fairview for the upcoming CF Pacific Centre location.

CF Pacific Centre is now Canada’s second-most productive shopping centre. According to an upcoming Retail Council of Canada Shopping Centre Study, CF pacific Centre saw sales per square foot of a whopping $1,865 for the 12 months ending June 30, 2019. The downtown Vancouver shopping centre recently added new retail locations for brands such as Canada Goose, Sandro and Maje, and new storefronts for footwear brands Geox and SoftMoc will be opening in the centre this fall. The south end of the shopping complex features the highest-selling Nordstrom store in the entire chain, and Holt Renfrew’s top-selling unit anchors the north end of CF Pacific Centre.

Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre is currently Canada’s most productive shopping centre in terms of annual sales per square foot, and the mall is also the launching pad for more first-to-Canada retailers than anywhere in the country. The Dyson Demo store at Yorkdale, which we toured on December 18 2017, measures just over 2,000 square feet according to lease plans provided by landlord Oxford Properties.

Dyson’s first store in the world opened in Tokyo in the spring of 2015, followed by locations in Paris, Moscow, Jakarta and London. More have since opened in major centres globally. The United States is currently home to three Dyson Demo retail spaces in New York City, San Francisco, and in suburban Washington DC.

It remains to be seen if Dyson will open any more ‘Dyson Demo’ stores in Canada. Major markets could be in line and West Edmonton Mall was said to be a target, according to sources. Given Dyson’s removing itself from broker consultations in Vancouver, however, parties involved in any future discussions may want to be cautious in any dealings with the company.

*Construction hoarding at CF Pacific Centre. Photo: Lee Rivett*

Dyson’s wholesale distribution in Canada is extensive. Many major retailers across the country carry Dyson products, with big names including Canadian Tire, Best Buy, Hudson’s Bay, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Costco, Leon’s, The Brick, Lowe’s, and various others chains. Dyson recently lost a multi-store distribution network with the closure of Hudson’s Bay-owned home furnishings retail chain Home Outfitters.

While many multi-brand retailers in Canada are expressing concern as brands begin to open direct-to-consumer stores, the opening of Dyson’s ‘Demo’ showrooms is not expected to have a major impact on Canadian retailers. Hundreds of retailers in markets of all sizes carry various Dyson projects in their stores across Canada, and Dyson is unlikely to open enough Canadian showrooms to result in a significant hit to these retailers — nor is it likely that Dyson will begin to pull-out of multi-brand retailers, as is being seen in the luxury realm as some brands increasingly go direct-to-consumer.

Now located in Toronto, Craig is a retail analyst and consultant at the Retail Council of Canada. He's also the Director of Applied Research at the University of Alberta School of Retailing in Edmonton. He has studied the Canadian retail landscape for the past 25 years and he holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws Degrees. He is also President & CEO of Vancouver-based Retail Insider Media Ltd. Email Craig: craig@retail-insider.com

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