Official opening of the Royalmount | Between curiosity and a taste for luxury

Curiosity for many. A taste for big brands for others. Although it has never managed to gain unanimous approval after a 10-year saga, the Royalmount, a luxury destination, attracted many visitors on the occasion of its official opening on Thursday. It remains to be seen whether they will become regular customers of this shopping centre, where paid parking has attracted criticism.

Balloons, drum performances, doughnuts. About fifteen minutes before opening, the atmosphere was already festive in this shopping complex that aims to become Montreal’s second city center, noted The Press on site. Nearly half of the 170 stores planned for the first phase were open. Ambient music even accompanied consumers who, arriving by metro, took the famous 200-meter footbridge overlooking Highway 15. The Royalmount is located at the intersection of Highways 15 and 40, a place known for its dense traffic.

Once inside, the decor seemed to please many, even specialists in the field. “Hats off!” said Charles de Brabant, general director of the Bensadoun School of Retailing at McGill University, spontaneously. The professor came on site with a group of a dozen international students who will then carry out a class assignment on the evolution of the project.

Earlier this week, more than 1,000 workers were still working on the site. On Thursday, they were more discreet. You could almost count them on the fingers of one hand.

Like many of the people interviewed, Charles de Brabant and his group traveled by public transportation. In fact, those who used the metro all seemed to say that the experience had been conclusive. Carbonleo, who led the Royalmount project, estimates that nearly 30% of visitors will use public transportation to get to their destination. On the other hand, several customers who came by car had difficulty understanding why they had to pay to park, a practice that is quite unusual for shopping centers.

“Ridiculous!” said Éric Lépine, as he had just set foot in the luxury aisle, to describe the decision to charge for parking. The retailer took a taxi to the site, which he also considered a bad option. Other customers also told us that the idea had somewhat dampened their enthusiasm.

On site on this opening day, Nicolas Désourdy, president and partner of Carbonleo, hammered home that it was “a responsible decision to encourage public transportation.” During a visit reserved for the media on Tuesday, the promoters of the project also suggested that some retailers would offer the possibility of reimbursing, at least in part, the parking bill of some customers who would come to spend money at their place.

The taste of luxury

While many were shopping at UNIQLO, eagerly awaiting the opening of Garage, where promotions announced on TikTok attracted many young customers, or lining up in front of the Aldo store offering pastries and flowers, several visitors were wandering downstairs in the luxury aisle. Phones in hand, they were photographing the facades of Gucci and Louis Vuitton, which will open later in the fall.

Sitting on a bench with her husband across from the Michael Kors store, Sophie Bergeron waited impatiently for employees to let the first customers in. “I like the clothes,” she said, pointing to the chic boutique. “Not me,” her husband added with a laugh, straightening the yellow duck shirt he was wearing.

His wife admits that she sometimes treats herself to more luxurious pieces of clothing. “But I’m not always buying expensive clothes,” she added. She believes that these new luxury options available in Montreal will attract visitors from all over the world.

Enthusiastic, Siham Tazala is passionate about fashion. This first visit will not be the last, she said. Gucci, Mackage, Moncler will be her favorite destinations.

Well-dressed, with a folder full of resumes in her hands, Ornella Novarini took the opportunity to go looking for a job. When we met, she had already visited six retailers. “I decided to come today because everyone is in a good mood. And I know that the stores are not yet fully staffed.”