Aritzia to expand into former Starbucks location at Thurlow and Robson

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      The Vancouver-based women's fashion chain Aritzia will expand its flagship store into prime real estate at Robson and Thurlow streets.

      Real estate company Deecorp Properties announced on April 16 that the Aritzia store located at 1110 Robson will add 4,837 square feet to its existing location. Aritzia also operates the neighbouring Wilfred boutique (1112 Robson) as well as TNA Robson (1067 Robson).

      The Aritzia flagship store will annex the space formerly occupied by one of the city's first Starbucks that opened in 1988. That particular Starbucks store garnered attention for being located kitty corner to another Starbucks on the northeast corner of the Robson-Thurlow intersection. Those two stores ranked among the top two locations for the chain and inspired the company's cluster-bomb approach to opening locations in close proximity to each other.

      Starbucks left the location at the end of their lease in 2012, due to a demolition clause in new lease terms.

      Local coffee chain Caffe Artigiano caused a stir when it took over the location—known as one of the most expensive retail spaces in Canada—but it has since closed.

      Meanwhile, stores such as Sephora, L'Occitane and Lululemon all opened flagship stores on Robson Street in 2014 while Roots (at Robson and Burrard) is renovating and expanding its flagship store.

      Aritzia began with one boutique in 1984 in Vancouver and now operates over 60 stores in Canada and the U.S.

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