MANOLO BLAHNIK, JIMMY CHOO AND GUCCI SHOE BOUTIQUES OPENING AT YORKDALE'S HOLT RENFREW

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Women's shoe boutiques for Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Gucci will open this fall at Holt Renfrew's Yorkdale Shopping Centre location. They will join the previously reported Christian Louboutin 'apartment', modelled after the residence of shoe designer Christian Louboutin. These will be housed in Holt Renfrew's largest women's shoe department, at almost 10,000 square feet. 

Holt Renfrew is taking a page from its sister store Selfridge's in London. Selfridge's enormous women's shoe hall includes shops-in-store for various designers including Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Louboutin, and at the lower end, TopShop.

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Yorkdale's Holt Renfrew is being designed as the prototype store for future Holt Renfrew store expansions and renovations. The Yorkdale Holts recently opened a new 10,000 square foot beauty hall and it will debut an expanded menswear department, accessories area and women's designer floor. New women's ready-to-wear boutiques will include the likes of Gucci, Prada, and a major score - a Chanel Boutique. 

Given that the Yorkdale Holt Renfrew is being used a prototype, we can expect Holt Renfrew to roll out similar shoe floors and updated departments at Holt Renfrew stores nation-wide. 

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Now that Saks Fifth Avenue will open in Canada, Holt Renfrew will find itself facing increased competition. Holts and Saks carry many of the same shoe designers. Adding to the competition will be Nordstrom, opening its first Canadian location next year in Calgary.

Jimmy Choo has 27 free-standing American stores, 2 outlet stores and 3 boutiques within Bloomingdale's stores. It is also carried at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada. Manolo Blahnik has 2 American boutiques and is available at selected Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Barneys New York stores in the U.S. It is carried at selected Holt Renfrew and Browns Shoes stores in Canada. 

Thank you, again, to our Retail Insider ACT7 of Urban Toronto for providing us these tips. Leads were found by investigating the City of Toronto's Building Application Status website.

[Holt Renfrew website]