is a chain of high-end , the chain began in 1837 as a hat shop in
Quebec City ,
Canada .Holt Renfrew, Official History,
{Link without Title} (retrieved March 16, 2007)
, designed by
Ross And Macdonald , under construction in 1937.]]
With a small assortment of caps and hats, William Samuel 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.Canadian Register of Commerce & Industry, University of Western Ontario,
{Link without Title} , (retrieved March 16, 2007)
In 1849, Henderson started selling furs, and three years later, sold the shop to his brother, John Henderson. In 1860, G. R. 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 .
In the 1930s and 1940s, the company started adding international designer lines such as
Christian Dior . Many well-known upscale designers have since been added.
]]
The firm was purchased by
New York financiers
CIT Group Incorporated 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.Foley, Bridget. "New Strategies Return the Glow to Holt Renfrew",
Women's Wear Daily . February 7, 1990.
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 foreign 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.
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.Holt Renfrew, Announcements and Awards,
{Link without Title} . (retrieved March 18, 2007) 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 .Kletter, Melanie. "Lerner Named President at Holt Renfrew". Women's Wear Daily. September 10, 2004.
In 2005, the chain launched yet another rebranding exercise to further refine its image. Lead by Alannah Weston, the daughter of Galen Weston, the rebranding entailed a new logo, 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 a new store in
Vancouver .Moin, David. "Holt Renfrew Focused on Mission to Keep Growing". Women's Wear Daily. October 18, 2005.
Holt Renfrew store.]]
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 stores in Toronto (on
Bloor Street , and in
Yorkdale Shopping Centre and
Sherway Gardens ), Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. There are also "Last Call" end-of-the-line stores at the
Vaughan Mills in
Vaughan, Ontario , and in
Portage Place in
Winnipeg .
The
Bloor Street (Toronto),
Montreal ,
Edmonton , and
Vancouver locations include ''Holt's Café'', an informal diner-like restaurant concept, that features famous tartine made from the world-renowned Poilane bread that is flown in directly from
Paris ,
France . Holt Renfrew Official Site,
{Link without Title} .
