Aritzia’s on a Roll, Retailer Eyes 200 U.S. Stores

Aritzia is thinking big.

The fashion specialty chain is steadily growing its presence and popularity across North America, and sees the potential to operate upward of 200 stores in the U.S. alone.

And in many cases, the buildout is bolder, in larger boxes with cafés, spacious fitting areas with multiple fitting rooms, elevated service and greater amenities.

Aritzia flagships are always about bringing scale to a premiere location. In December 2024, Aritzia opened a 33,600-square-foot flagship at 608 Fifth Avenue, just a stone’s throw from Rockefeller Center and one block from the brand’s original Fifth Avenue location, which opened in 2012 and is now closed. Earlier in 2024, Aritzia opened a 25,000-square-foot SoHo flagship, which replaced an existing store in the neighborhood. And last November, a 25,500-square-foot Aritzia flagship opened in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood.

Aritzia stores average about 10,000 square feet, with flagship locations at least 20,000 square feet.

In Vancouver, Canada, where Aritzia is based, a flagship is tentatively set to open in 2027 at the site of a former Nordstrom flagship at the corner of Robson and Howe Streets — across from Robson Square. With four levels and 40,000 square feet of space, including selling and back-of-the-house areas, the flagship will be one of Aritzia’s most expansive and immersive retail destinations to date. In size, it will rival the Aritzia flagship on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, which occupies 46,000 square feet, including selling and back-of-house space, and is considered Aritzia’s largest store in terms of total leased square footage.

Nordstrom opened its 230,000-square-foot downtown Vancouver flagship in 2015 as part of its ambitious Canadian expansion, but after opening several department stores and Rack off-price stores, the Seattle-based retailer shut down all of its Canadian operations in 2023. With Aritzia occupying 40,000 square feet, there’s still a lot of space at the site leftover for other uses, possibly offices.

Aritzia has an in-house team of interior and industrial designers, handpicking furniture and art objects to intentionally avoid the cookie cutter or overly systemized appearance of so many other multiunit retail chains. The idea is that, when a shopper enters Aritzia for the first time, they shouldn’t feel like they’ve been there before.

Aritzia, a vertically integrated design house, is guided by its “everyday luxury” philosophy. The retailer can be fashion-forward, and has a reputation for quality and being spot on with trends. It’s not fast-fashion or cheap, and fills a niche between mass-market and high-end brands. Many of the items in the collection are considered wardrobing staples, versatile and easy to mix and match. Aritzia is further advantaged by successfully attracting mothers and daughters shopping together.

For the quarter ended Nov. 30, 2025, Aritzia generated 1.04 billion Canadian dollars in revenue, a 42.8 percent gain from the 728.7 million Canadian dollars during the prior-year period. Revenue in the U.S. increased 53.8 percent to 621.1 million Canadian dollars, comprising 59.7 percent of the total revenue. Net income practically doubled to 138.88 million Canadian dollars from 74.07 million Canadian dollars in the year-ago period.

For the year ended March 2, 2025, Aritzia reported 2.74 billion Canadian dollars in revenue and 207.8 million Canadian dollars in net income.

The U.S. expansion began in 2007, and was followed by the launch of e-commerce in 2012, and an initial public offering in 2016. The company was founded in 1984.

In the following Q&A email exchange, Karen Janes, Aritzia’s executive vice president of real estate, discusses Aritzia’s steady North American expansion, larger formats and what’s ahead.

WWD: How many stores will Aritzia open this year?

Karen Janes: We expect to open 13 new boutiques in premier locations this year, in addition to four strategic repositions or expansions. This reflects the strength of our real estate strategy and the sustained demand we’re seeing for Aritzia across existing and new markets.  

The performance of our newest boutiques speaks for itself. They are among our most productive and continue to be powerful drivers of client acquisition. This validates not just the number of openings, but how we’re opening — with a deep focus on product, quality, client experience and building lasting relationships with our community. 

WWD: Is Aritzia getting more aggressive in its store expansion? 

K.J.: Aritzia’s retail expansion has followed a thoughtful and disciplined cadence for several years, and we will continue to grow our fleet of boutiques in the same intentional way, grounded in strong results, growing brand affinity and a clear view of the significant runway ahead across North America.  

We continue to deliver boutique comp growth in both new and existing markets. Canada remains a core market with meaningful opportunities to elevate and expand our presence, and our newest U.S. boutique continue to outperform expectations, with 72 boutiques in the U.S. today and long-term potential for 180 to 200-plus. 

WWD: Will the former Nordstrom site in Vancouver be Aritzia’s largest store?

K.J.: The new Vancouver flagship boutique will be our largest to date in Canada — and we’re thrilled to expand our presence in the city where Aritzia was founded more than 40 years ago.  

Comparable in scale to the multilevel, experiential flagship boutiques recently opened in Chicago and New York, this flagship boutique is being thoughtfully designed to deliver a pinnacle expression of Aritzia — bringing together our full product assortment, highly personalized service and thoughtful amenities in a beautifully curated environment that embodies everyday luxury.  

WWD: Will your Vancouver flagship introduce any innovations in merchandise presentation, service or interior design? 

K.J.: Details and experience details for the new flagship boutique are actively in development. What we can share now is that the boutique will feature a casual yet elevated dining concept — contributing to an immersive experience for our clients. 

WWD: The Flatiron and the upcoming Vancouver stores are big. Is Aritzia generally looking to open bigger stores and, if so, for what purpose? 

K.J.: The success of our larger flagship boutique formats and recent repositions reinforce the value of creating immersive experiences in select markets. As we continue to expand our retail presence, we’re considering opportunities where a larger footprint allows us to better serve our clients and express the breadth of our brand and product — while maintaining the disciplined approach that has guided our real estate strategy for years. 

WWD: What is the ideal size of an Aritzia store, and why might it vary depending on the location? 

K.J.: Larger formats in key cities have proven effective at elevating the Aritzia experience and supporting strong demand. When a bigger footprint meaningfully enhances the client experience, we lean into that opportunity.