DRAKE GENERAL STORE OPENS 'POP-UP' SHOP AT HUDSON'S BAY IN TORONTO

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Today (Friday, June 7th) Toronto's Drake General Store will open a pop-up shop at Toronto's flagship Hudson's Bay Queen Street store. It will be located on the lower-level of the department store, accessible to Toronto's underground PATH system.

Drake General store has three Toronto locations and is known for its unique products and novel interiors. The store's website provides a more in-depth description of its concept and wares. According to their website, the store re-imagines the "traditional hotel gift shop" with a contemporary and urban context. It is varied, combining elements from the "classical general store, the museum shop and the flea market stand". Both local and international products are available.

Store interiors include reclaimed wood cabinetry, recycled hanging fixtures and mid-century modernist wood furniture. The store uses a neon purple cross as its 'beacon', modeled after those used by European pharmacies.

The first Drake General Store opened in 2008 on Toronto's Queen Street West. The Drake General Store has three permanent Toronto stores including 1144 Queen Street West (neighboring the Drake Hotel), 2607 Yonge Street (between Eglinton and Lawrence Avenues) and 82A Bathurst Street (Bathurst and King Street).

Pop-up shops are a potentially beneficial way for retailers to enrich the in-store experience. In an age where online shopping has become common, building a unique in-store experience will be vital. We commend Hudson's Bay's inclusion of a pop-up shop and we encourage the company to consider other similar innovations to attract customers.

Source: Skeezix of Urban Toronto, who directed us to this blog post describing the new store.

[Drake General Store website]

[Hudson's Bay website]