River Island makes Canada debut in deal with The Bay

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Dec 4, 2021

River island is boosting its presence abroad with the British fashion chain opening in Canada in a deal with major retailer The Bay.

The Canadian firm is actively targeting the Millennial and Gen Z shoppers that are big fans of the River Island brand in its domestic market. These young consumers are the fastest growing demographic for The Bay so the deal to bring the label to Canada makes good commercial sense.

The label will be sold in Hudson’s Bay stores next spring but has already launched on TheBay.com. The firm’s women’s and men’s offer is available with a selection of pieces from partywear to loungewear in sizes up to 18.

The Bay said the River island brand offers “attainable price points with an aspirational aesthetic and we know our younger customers will find on-trend and affordable pieces that suit their taste and lifestyle”.

The firm’s debut with The Bay comes as UK retailers continue to seek effective ways to expand abroad without the heavy expenses involved in the kind of ambitious expansion drives with international store openings seen in previous decades. 

The Topshop business that’s now owned by ASOS, for instance, in July announced a major link-up with Nordstrom in the US. They formed a North American joint venture with the first step seeing “an edit of the best ASOS brands” launching on Nordstrom’s webstore and in selected “high-impact Nordstrom stores”.