KLEINFELD BRIDAL OPENING CANADIAN STORES || FIRST STOP: TORONTO'S HUDSON'S BAY

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NYC-based Kleinfeld Bridal is opening a  20,000 square foot flagship salon on the seventh-floor of Toronto's flagship Hudson's Bay (aka "Queen Street store"). Readers may be familiar with Kleinfeld as featured on the TLC television show 'Say Yes to the Dress'. The store opens early 2014.

Hudson's Bay President Bonnie Brooks first alluded to the Kleinfeld deal in July 2012 when The Toronto Star reported that a 20,000 square foot franchise was 'close to signing a deal' for seventh-floor space. 

Kleinfeld Bridal salons will subsequently open at Downtown Hudson's Bay stores in Montreal and Vancouver. 

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Kleinfeld's partnering with Hudson's Bay is a brilliant move ahead of Nordstrom's Canadian entry. In late 2010, Nordstrom introduced 'The Wedding Suite', an upscale bridal salon at selected stores. We've been told we can expect more than one Nordstrom Wedding Suite in Canada when Nordstrom opens next year.

Hudson's Bay already has Canada's most popular wedding registry. Kleinfeld will compliment that with an extensive wedding gown collection generally priced from $1500-upward.

Kleinfeld reportedly earns about $1000 per square foot per year, according to an article in The Globe & Mail. If Toronto's salon does similar sales, it will mean $20million/year. This could become the 'most productive' retail space in the Queen Street flagship Hudson's Bay store, surpassing per-square-foot sales of cosmetics, handbags, shoes and its luxury women's salon 'The Room'. 

We will keep you updated on Kleinfeld's Canadian expansion, including details of upcoming Montreal and Vancouver salons. 

Article Sources: [Press Release] and [Globe&Mail]

Kleinfeld Bridal website: kleinfeldbridal.com

Hudson's Bay website: www.TheBay.com