LONDON — Hunter is getting ready to cross the pond and open the brand’s first store in Toronto in October.
“Toronto’s diversity and vibrancy makes it one of North America’s most exciting places to be and reflects the Hunter ethos,” said creative director Alasdhair Willis. “Which is why it’s where we decided to open our third standalone store and the brand’s first in North America.”
With two stores in London and Tokyo and selling in over 30 countries, the British label will make its Canadian retail debut in Toronto’s Yorkdale mall. The 2,800-square-foot store will carry the fall men’s, women’s and kids’ Hunter Original footwear, outerwear and accessories collections as well as the Hunter Field technical range. Prices range from 14 Canadian dollars for a boot buffer set to 575 Canadian dollars for a down coat. To mark the opening the label has issued a red-and-white limited-edition backpack accented with a red maple leaf which is exclusive to the Yorkdale location.
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The store’s interiors were created by the brand’s in-house team and Willis, who have taken a minimalist approach and focused on details such as linear designs embedded within the floor — fashioned with strips of rubber from the Original green boot. Taking cue from the outdoors, midfloor tables — which doubles up as seating — were created using natural oak and Douglas fir.
While the brand could not disclose sales projections or figures, a spokeswoman from the brand pointed to North America as the label’s largest region commercially, with the U.S. their biggest market. Other countries include the U.K. and Japan — where the label has flagships — as well as Germany, Italy, Spain, Benelux and Scandinavia. The brand also has a partner store in Taipei, with Taiwan also being a key territory.
“Q4 is a very important period for us,” said a spokeswoman for the brand. “And we are planning activity in New York and London, in addition to the Yorkdale store opening, in line with that. Details to be outlined in due course.”