New York | A successful start for Kanuk

(New York) If the experience of Kanuk’s first American store mirrors its very first sale, it will be a huge success.

Richard Hétu
Special collaboration

The store, located at 75 Greene Street in SoHo, held a pre-opening (or soft opening) in anticipation of its official opening on 1^er next December, which will be enhanced by a performance by Quebec singer Charlotte Cardin.

Its doors had not been open for an hour when an elderly Mexican tourist couple walked into the main section of the store, a white-domed room where the lighting makes it look like coats are floating in the room. air.

“They bought five coats with one slap”, told Press Keith Ferguson, Project Manager at Kanuk. “They had already been to Montreal and they had fallen in love with the company. As soon as he saw [les manteaux], the man said, “I buy one for my boy, two for my daughters, one for my wife and yet another for me.” ”

“It was going very well,” added the man who has been in New York for almost two months to oversee all stages of the opening of the store and who will stay there until spring.

The “madness” of SoHo

And sales continued the next day.

“We have interesting traffic. People want to know who we are, ”Keith Ferguson said Tuesday morning, after electricians left to adjust elements of the lighting created by New York studio Derek Porter and James Clotfelter Lighting Design, in collaboration with the studio. Montréal architect Atelier Barda, who designed the space.

And that “traffic” is expected to increase over the next few days, marked by the long Thanksgiving holiday break and the start of holiday shopping. “That’s what we’re going to see,” said Keith Ferguson, trying to control his enthusiasm. “All I can say is it’s been crazy in SoHo on the weekends since I’ve been here. Last week I was like, “What the hell is going on in SoHo? It’s crazy.” It almost scared me. “

Of course, this pre-opening does not go without a few glitches.

“We have had our own challenges with supply chains,” Kanuk Chairman Richard Laniel said in a brief telephone interview.

A “museum impression”

On Tuesday, for example, the Greene Street store was still waiting for a bench for a dressing room, mirror and important coats from its fall / winter 2021 outerwear collection.

But the store had received that day a capital element of its decor, namely a free-standing “altar” where customers can pay for their purchases using a built-in screen and where sellers can fold coats according to the ritual. from the house before slipping them into their bag.

This altar is in the center of a room with a high ceiling and two walls decorated with screens. On one of them, the visitor sees scrolling images of mannequins dressed in coats. On the other appears a snowy owl, emblem of Kanuk.

Both screens are accompanied by bilingual texts, in English and French, where Kanuk introduces himself.

“It gives a museum feel that I find interesting,” said Kevin Botchar, architect at Atelier Barda studio. “It gives a taste, like you’re about to walk into a showroom. ”

The Montreal architect has virtually followed the progress of the construction of the SoHo store. He set foot there for the first time on Sunday. A smile then lit his face.

A New York recruit

Ladu Pearson, a native of New York, will be Kanuk’s first overseas store manager. Keith Ferguson chose him from ten finalist candidates. Two weeks ago, he took him on a four-day visit to Montreal.

“We wanted him to really understand Montreal, where the industry comes from,” explained the project manager. “He saw the manufactures made in Canada. He is already so involved, committed. He speaks to “us”. He embodies the company very well. We are proud of our recruit. And his entire team is immersing themselves in Quebec culture. ”

For his part, Ladu Pearson says he has fallen in love with Montreal and its diversity, a trait that is at the heart of Kanuk’s culture, he observed on the spot.

“Everything they say they are, from what I’ve seen so far, they genuinely are, and more,” said the New Yorker, who was responsible for customer service for four retail stores. ‘a chain known before going to Kanuk. “This is why I am so happy and proud to work with the company. I believe in this business. And I believe it will be very successful in the United States. ”

That’s what we’ll see, to borrow Keith Ferguson’s words.