Roots’ flagship store at the highly prominent northwest corner of the intersection of Robson and Burrard streets has long been a staple of downtown Vancouver’s ever-changing retail landscape.
But that will change later in 2024, as the quintessentially Canadian clothing and apparel retailer is vacating the corner for a new location just half a block to the east, closer to Robson Square.
The flagship store at 1001 Robson Street first opened in the 1990s, during Roots’s period of significant global expansion. This coincided with the brand’s rise to prominence as the official outfitter of Canada’s Olympic athletes.
The location’s last significant renovation and expansion was completed nearly a decade ago.
The existing Roots flagship store at 1001 Robson Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The existing Roots flagship store at 1001 Robson Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The existing Roots flagship store at 1001 Robson Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Roots will relocate its downtown Vancouver flagship to 929 Robson Street, near the northwest corner of the intersection of Robson and Hornby streets, within the ground level of an 11-storey office building.
This space was previously occupied by the Tesla showroom, which is right next to the Peloton store, until 2021. TWG Tea had plans to occupy this retail unit in 2022 but later decided not to.
With the opening of the new replacement flagship location, Roots will maintain three store locations in downtown Vancouver. The other two locations are 1153 Robson Street (a block to the west of Burrard Street) and inside CF Pacific Centre, which opened in 2017.
Roots’ current flagship location at 1001 Robson Street and its future relocated flagship location at 929 Robson Street. (Google Maps)
Future Roots flagship store location at 929 Robson Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Future Roots flagship store location at 929 Robson Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
“With over 100 Roots locations across Canada, including three in the downtown Vancouver core within close proximity to the new Robson store location, we are constantly working to elevate the consumer shopping experience, and our physical stores are an extension of that,” Meghan Roach, president and CEO of Roots, told Daily Hive Urbanized.
“Our upcoming location on the corner of Robson and Hornby will provide a boutique flagship experience, something our customers want and expect from us.”
Roach adds that this new store, with the brand’s “refreshed design concept,” will open in early Fall 2024.
The existing Roots flagship store at 1001 Robson Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The existing Roots flagship store at 1001 Robson Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The existing Roots flagship store at 1001 Robson Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
There are other major retail changeovers in the immediate area, including the sudden January 2024 permanent closure of Victoria’s Secret 35,000 sq ft flagship store just across the street at 750 Burrard Street. Daily Hive Urbanized previously reported that an Adidas flagship store will occupy the entirety of the Victoria’s Secret space, with Adidas-branded graphics covering the ongoing construction work as of this week.
Just to the west, across the street, JD Sports is currently in the process of turning Club Monaco’s former 8,600 sq ft, two-storey space into its first store location within the city of Vancouver.
Further west on the block, Esprit is expected to open within the two-storey space of 1088 Robson Street, previously occupied by J.Crew.
At this time, there is no indication of what will fill the large space soon to be vacated by Roots at 1001 Robson Street. Roots and La Vie En Rose occupy about 7,500 sq ft of leasable retail space within this 1911-built, single-storey building.
Future Adidas flagship store at 750 Burrard Street, Vancouver, replacing Victoria’s Secret. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Future Adidas flagship store at 750 Burrard Street, Vancouver, replacing Victoria’s Secret. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)