Holt Renfrew
Encyclopedia
Holt Renfrew is a chain of high-end Canadian department store
s. It is comparable to Barneys New York
and Saks Fifth Avenue
in the United States
, and to two other upmarket chains owned by the same family
, Britain's
Selfridges
and Ireland's
Brown Thomas
. Once the "Furrier-in-Ordinary" to Queen Victoria
, the chain began in 1837 as a hat shop in Quebec City
.
With a small assortment of caps and hats, William S. Henderson of Derry
, Ireland
, arrived in Quebec City in 1834. He joined the retailing firm of Ashton and Company in 1835. After buying controlling interest in 1837, he renamed the company after himself, and opened a store on rue Buade.
In 1849, Henderson started selling furs, and three years later, sold the shop to his brother, John Henderson. In 1860, George Richard Renfrew, who had been an employee, bought a partnership, and the firm became Henderson, Renfrew & Co. In 1867, John Holt bought out Henderson's remaining interest, and the company eventually was renamed Holt Renfrew & Co. Ltd. in 1908.
The company built a reputation for furs that was solidified in 1886 when the firm had the honour of being appointed "Furrier-in-Ordinary to her Majesty" by Queen Victoria
. The company eventually received five generations of Royal Warrant
.
The company expanded to Montreal, and in 1889 it extended into Ontario
with the opening of a Toronto
store. Stores followed in Winnipeg
in 1910, Ottawa
in 1942, Hamilton
in 1945, Edmonton
in 1950, and Calgary
and London
in 1953. The chain also opened outlets in some of the country's most notable hotels, including the Royal York
, the Château Frontenac
, and the Château Laurier
. Holt Renfrew's expansion across the country continued in the next two decades, with locations opening in Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre
in 1964, Ste-Foy in 1965 and Vancouver
in 1975.
In the 1930s, the company began entering into exclusive accounts with some of the best designers in Europe and the United States to sell their fashions in Canada. In 1947, Holt Renfrew began a relationship with Christian Dior
and his "New Look" that continues to this day. Many well-known upscale designers have since been added.
in 1965, and resold in 1972 to the American retail chain Carter Hawley Hale
, which also owned Neiman Marcus
and Bergdorf Goodman
at that time. In 1979, the Holt Renfrew head office was moved from Montreal to Toronto. This move coincided with the opening of the new flagship store at 50 Bloor Street West in Toronto.
Holt Renfrew returned to Canadian ownership when Galen Weston
bought the chain in 1986. Through George Weston Limited
, Wittington Investments
, and other holding companies, the Weston family owns or controls over 200 companies, including Canada's largest food retailer, Loblaw Companies Limited, and upscale department stores Brown Thomas
in Ireland and Selfridges
in the United Kingdom.
Weston and his wife, Hilary Weston
, immediately sought to revitalize the chain, which was perceived to have been in decline during its time under absentee ownership. Well-known retail designer Naomi Leff was hired to guide store renovations, new designer boutiques were opened, and changes were made to the merchandise mix. A new high-end Holt Renfrew magazine was launched in 1987, Point of View, which was renamed Holts in 2000 and split into separate men's and women's editions in 2006.
In 2004, Holt Renfrew was named "Store of the Year" by the National Association of Store Fixture Manufacturers at its 33rd annual Retail Design Awards. Later that year, Caryn Lerner took the reins as firm president, succeeding Andrew Jennings, who left in February to head up Saks Fifth Avenue
. Lerner has held senior management positions at QVC
, Jones New York, Barneys New York and Bloomingdale's
. She had most recently headed Escada
.
In 2005, the chain launched another rebranding exercise, including the introduction of a new logo, led by Alannah Weston, the daughter of Galen Weston. Other changes included the return of children's wear to the chain's stores, a drastic increase in floor area devoted to footwear, store renovations and the construction of new and larger stores in Vancouver and Calgary. Holt Renfrew retained the New York City
-firm of Janson Goldstein to design the new Vancouver and Calgary stores, which opened in 2007 and 2009 respectively.
, and in Yorkdale Shopping Centre
and Sherway Gardens
), Montreal
, Quebec City
(Ste.-Foy), Ottawa
, The Core Shopping Centre
in Downtown Calgary
, Manulife Place
in Downtown Edmonton
and Pacific Centre
mall in Downtown Vancouver. There is also a "Last Call" end-of-the-line store at Vaughan Mills
in Vaughan, Ontario
. The Last Call outlet in Winnipeg
closed in 2007, but Holt Renfrew operates personal shopping suites and a cosmetics outlet in that city.
The Bloor Street
(Toronto), Montreal
and Edmonton
locations include Holt's Café, an informal diner-like restaurant concept, that features tartine made from Poilane bread that is flown in directly from Paris
, France
.
Holt Renfrew also contributed to promote new brands, such as Greta Constantine
, designed by Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong.
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s. It is comparable to Barneys New York
Barneys New York
Barneys New York is a chain of luxury department stores headquartered in New York City. The chain owns large stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale, and smaller stores in other locations across the United States.Brands sold include...
and Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and to two other upmarket chains owned by the same family
Galen Weston
Willard Gordon Galen Weston, OC, OOnt , is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and President of George Weston Limited...
, Britain's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Selfridges
Selfridges
Selfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
and Ireland's
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Brown Thomas
Brown Thomas
Brown Thomas & Company Limited is a chain of four Irish department stores, located in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick. Owned by Wittington Investments, Brown Thomas is an upmarket chain, akin to Canada's Holt Renfrew chain and Britain's Selfridges stores, which are also controlled by the Weston...
. Once the "Furrier-in-Ordinary" to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, the chain began in 1837 as a hat shop in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
.
Origins
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, arrived in Quebec City in 1834. He joined the retailing firm of Ashton and Company in 1835. After buying controlling interest in 1837, he renamed the company after himself, and opened a store on rue Buade.
In 1849, Henderson started selling furs, and three years later, sold the shop to his brother, John Henderson. In 1860, George Richard Renfrew, who had been an employee, bought a partnership, and the firm became Henderson, Renfrew & Co. In 1867, John Holt bought out Henderson's remaining interest, and the company eventually was renamed Holt Renfrew & Co. Ltd. in 1908.
The company built a reputation for furs that was solidified in 1886 when the firm had the honour of being appointed "Furrier-in-Ordinary to her Majesty" by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. The company eventually received five generations of Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
.
The company expanded to Montreal, and in 1889 it extended into Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
with the opening of a Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
store. Stores followed in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
in 1910, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in 1942, Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
in 1945, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
in 1950, and Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
in 1953. The chain also opened outlets in some of the country's most notable hotels, including the Royal York
Fairmont Royal York
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, formerly the Royal York Hotel and still often so called, is a large and historic hotel in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at 100 Front Street West. Opened on June 11, 1929, the Royal York was designed by Ross and Macdonald and built by the Canadian Pacific Railway...
, the Château Frontenac
Château Frontenac
The Château Frontenac, currently known as Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, is a grand hotel in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1980...
, and the Château Laurier
Château Laurier
The Fairmont Château Laurier is a landmark hotel in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive designed in the Châteauesque style.-History:...
. Holt Renfrew's expansion across the country continued in the next two decades, with locations opening in Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Yorkdale Shopping Centre is a large shopping mall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It contains over 250 stores and is located in the community of Downsview, in North York. It is the fifth largest shopping mall in Canada and also enjoys the highest sales per square foot of any mall in Canada, with...
in 1964, Ste-Foy in 1965 and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in 1975.
In the 1930s, the company began entering into exclusive accounts with some of the best designers in Europe and the United States to sell their fashions in Canada. In 1947, Holt Renfrew began a relationship with Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
and his "New Look" that continues to this day. Many well-known upscale designers have since been added.
Recent history
The firm was purchased by New York financiers CIT Group IncorporatedCIT Group Incorporated
CIT Group Inc. is a United States bank holding company founded in 1908 with more than $35 billion in finance and leasing assets. It provides financing and leasing capital to its more than one million small business and middle market clients and their customers across more than 30 industries...
in 1965, and resold in 1972 to the American retail chain Carter Hawley Hale
Carter Hawley Hale Stores
Broadway Stores, Inc. was an American retailer based in Southern California. Known through its history as Carter Hawley Hale Stores and Broadway Hale Stores over time, it acquired other retail store chains in regions outside its California home base and became in certain retail sectors a regional...
, which also owned Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus, formerly Neiman-Marcus, is a luxury specialty retail department store operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in the One Marcus Square building in Downtown Dallas, Texas, and competes with other department stores such as Saks Fifth...
and Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman is a luxury goods department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son Andrew Goodman....
at that time. In 1979, the Holt Renfrew head office was moved from Montreal to Toronto. This move coincided with the opening of the new flagship store at 50 Bloor Street West in Toronto.
Holt Renfrew returned to Canadian ownership when Galen Weston
Galen Weston
Willard Gordon Galen Weston, OC, OOnt , is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and President of George Weston Limited...
bought the chain in 1986. Through George Weston Limited
George Weston Limited
George Weston Limited , often referred to as Weston or Weston's, is Canada's largest food processing and distribution company. Founded by George Weston in 1882, the company today consists of Weston Foods, a wholly owned subsidiary, and Loblaw Companies Limited, the country's largest supermarket...
, Wittington Investments
Wittington Investments
Wittington Investments Limited is an unquoted British investment company. It is 79.2% owned by the Garfield Weston Foundation, which is one of the UK's largest grant-making trusts, and 20.8% owned by members of the Weston family....
, and other holding companies, the Weston family owns or controls over 200 companies, including Canada's largest food retailer, Loblaw Companies Limited, and upscale department stores Brown Thomas
Brown Thomas
Brown Thomas & Company Limited is a chain of four Irish department stores, located in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick. Owned by Wittington Investments, Brown Thomas is an upmarket chain, akin to Canada's Holt Renfrew chain and Britain's Selfridges stores, which are also controlled by the Weston...
in Ireland and Selfridges
Selfridges
Selfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
in the United Kingdom.
Weston and his wife, Hilary Weston
Hilary Weston
Hilary M. Weston , CM, O.Ont was the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, serving from 1997 to 2002. During her five year tenure, Mrs...
, immediately sought to revitalize the chain, which was perceived to have been in decline during its time under absentee ownership. Well-known retail designer Naomi Leff was hired to guide store renovations, new designer boutiques were opened, and changes were made to the merchandise mix. A new high-end Holt Renfrew magazine was launched in 1987, Point of View, which was renamed Holts in 2000 and split into separate men's and women's editions in 2006.
In 2004, Holt Renfrew was named "Store of the Year" by the National Association of Store Fixture Manufacturers at its 33rd annual Retail Design Awards. Later that year, Caryn Lerner took the reins as firm president, succeeding Andrew Jennings, who left in February to head up Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
. Lerner has held senior management positions at QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
, Jones New York, Barneys New York and Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
. She had most recently headed Escada
Escada
Escada is an international luxury fashion group in women's designer clothing. The company has a presence in about 60 different countries. Its main sales markets are North America, western and eastern Europe and Asia. It filed bankruptcy in August 2009, and was acquired by Megha Mittal, in November...
.
In 2005, the chain launched another rebranding exercise, including the introduction of a new logo, led by Alannah Weston, the daughter of Galen Weston. Other changes included the return of children's wear to the chain's stores, a drastic increase in floor area devoted to footwear, store renovations and the construction of new and larger stores in Vancouver and Calgary. Holt Renfrew retained the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-firm of Janson Goldstein to design the new Vancouver and Calgary stores, which opened in 2007 and 2009 respectively.
Today
Holt Renfrew bills itself as "a national retail specialty store of international renown and the headquarters for the world’s most prestigious brands and innovative designers". It currently operates nine stores, located in Toronto (on Bloor StreetBloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
, and in Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Yorkdale Shopping Centre is a large shopping mall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It contains over 250 stores and is located in the community of Downsview, in North York. It is the fifth largest shopping mall in Canada and also enjoys the highest sales per square foot of any mall in Canada, with...
and Sherway Gardens
Sherway Gardens
Sherway Garden is a large shopping mall located in Etobicoke with over 200 stores. It is located on the south-east intersection of The Queensway and The West Mall in the west end of the city on the Mississauga border...
), Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
(Ste.-Foy), Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, The Core Shopping Centre
The Core Shopping Centre
The CORE Shopping Centre, which consists of TD Square, the Holt Renfrew building, and the former Calgary Eaton Centre, is the dominant shopping complex located in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It spans three city blocks and contains approximately 160 retailers on four levels...
in Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
, Manulife Place
Manulife Place
Manulife Place is a highrise office building and shopping centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was completed in 1983 to the design by Clifford Lawrie Bolton Ritchie Architects. It is located at the corner of 102 Avenue and 101 Street....
in Downtown Edmonton
Downtown Edmonton
Downtown Edmonton is bounded by 109 Street to the west, 105 Avenue to the north, 97 Street to the east, 97 Avenue, 100 Avenue, and Rossdale Road to the south and Jasper Avenue to the southeast , though many people consider part or all of the surrounding neighborhoods to be part of downtown...
and Pacific Centre
Pacific Centre
Pacific Centre is a shopping mall located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is operated by Cadillac Fairview Corporation. Based on the number of stores, many of which are underground, it is the largest mall in Downtown Vancouver with over 100 stores and services...
mall in Downtown Vancouver. There is also a "Last Call" end-of-the-line store at Vaughan Mills
Vaughan Mills
Vaughan Mills is a large shopping centre in Canada located at the southeast corner of Highway 400 and Rutherford Road, in Vaughan, Ontario about 32 km north of Downtown Toronto. The mall is located adjacent to Canada's Wonderland...
in Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
. The Last Call outlet in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
closed in 2007, but Holt Renfrew operates personal shopping suites and a cosmetics outlet in that city.
The Bloor Street
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
(Toronto), Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
locations include Holt's Café, an informal diner-like restaurant concept, that features tartine made from Poilane bread that is flown in directly from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Holt Renfrew also contributed to promote new brands, such as Greta Constantine
Greta Constantine
Greta Constantine is a line of women's wear designed by Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong in Toronto, Canada. The label is a pairing of the names of Wong's mother, Greta, and Pickersgill's grandfather, Constantine...
, designed by Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong.
See also
- Barbara Atkin, Vice President of Fashion Direction
- List of Canadian department stores