Holt Renfrew, Calgary. Photo: Darrell Bateman

Sources tell us that Holt Renfrew will be opening the fourth floor of its Calgary store for retail, including a new restaurant and a combined mens/women's shopping area called 'Holts Commons'. The fourth floor restaurant is said to open in early 2014.

When Holt's opened its Calgary store in October 2009, it left its fourth floor shuttered so as not to 'overwhelm' the Calgary market with a store more than triple the size of its previous Calgary store. When its huge Vancouver replacement-store opened in 2007, sales struggled as shoppers adjusted to the new, larger (Neiman Marcus-like) format. Holt's subsequently figured its Calgary location should 'graduate' to a larger size as it saw sales increase.

The 4th floor of Calgary's Holt Renfrew is said to open early 2014

On opening day, the 25,494 square foot fourth floor of Calgary's Holt Renfrew laid vacant while shoppers were introduced to the stunning 121,400 square foot store below. When the fourth floor opens next year, Calgary's Holt Renfrew will be the second largest in the chain at 146,887 square feet (second only to the Toronto flagship store). Vancouver's Holt Renfrew will fall back to be third largest at about 140,400 square feet.

More changes will be coming to Calgary's Holt Renfrew store. We'll be announcing them periodically as it grows into its enlarged store space.

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