Aritzia to open 40,000 sq. ft. Vancouver flagship store at former Nordstrom space

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The Vancouver-based clothing retail giant states this will be one of their most expansive and immersive retail destinations to date, adding to the recent unveiling of their four largest Flagship Boutiques in New York City and Chicago.

“Vancouver is where our story began, and we’re thrilled to bring an even more impactful Aritzia experience to the heart of the city with our new Pacific Centre Flagship,” said Jennifer Wong, CEO of Aritzia, in a statement.

“Expanding our collection of iconic flagships, this boutique represents an exciting step in our growth strategy as we continue to build our presence in North America and beyond.”

Few details are available at this early stage, but the company states the store design will feature elements inspired by the Pacific Northwest, the chosen setting for the fashion runway of “Aritzia’s most comprehensive collection of styles for every function and individual aesthetic.”

As well, Aritzia will provide this new store with an unspecified “casual-yet-elevated dining concept.” Notably, Aritzia’s future space in this corner of the building was also previously home to Nordstrom’s Bistro Verde restaurant on the third level, overlooking Robson Square — complete with a large sit-down dining area, extensive kitchen facilities, and a dedicated elevator entrance to the restaurant from street level to enable after-store hours operations.

The retailer is already known for opening its in-store A-OK Cafe concepts, including a location that opened within the Aritzia at Guildford Town Centre this past spring.

In addition to delivering a standout in-store experience, a newly released conceptual artistic rendering reveals major upgrades planned for the building’s exterior where the Aritzia location will be situated.

The new facade appears to show a bold and contemporary architectural statement. The ground level features a rhythmic series of large arched openings framed in light stone, creating a grand, gallery-like feel along the busy pedestrian sidewalks.

Some of the arches include lush greenery cascading from the upper edges, softening the geometry with a sense of nature and inviting warmth. As well, directly above, a large digital video screen wraps around the corner of the building, providing a dramatic contrast to the lighter stone base and establishing a new sense of place for the prominent intersection.

Aritzia intends to open this new downtown Vancouver flagship store in 2027.

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“We are incredibly proud to support Aritzia’s continued growth across Canada. The new Flagship Boutique at Pacific Centre will be a true testament to our shared commitment to creating unparalleled retail destinations, and we can’t wait to see what Aritzia has in store for this landmark location,” added Sal Iacono, president and CEO of Cadillac Fairview, the owner of CF Pacific Centre.

As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized, the former Nordstrom space spanning 230,000 sq. ft. across three levels is in the process of being subdivided into four large retail units of varying sizes. Demolition of the former department store’s interior space and furnishings first began earlier this year to prepare for the new retailers.

The new four-storey, 40,000 sq. ft. retail unit being carved out for Aritzia represents just under 20 per cent of the overall floor area size of Nordstrom’s space.

This new store at the mall will also be three times larger than Aritzia’s existing downtown Vancouver flagship store at the southwest corner of the intersection of Thurlow Street and Robson Street. This current location was last overhauled and expanded a decade ago, spanning about 13,000 sq. ft. — including the Wilfred store.

No other formal announcements have been made to date on the other retailers that will fill the remaining Nordstrom volume.

Nordstrom closed its CF Pacific Centre location in June 2023, as part of the chain’s decision to completely shut down its struggling Canadian division. The seven-storey building was first built in 1971 for the Eaton’s department store, which later became Sears Canada from 2002 to 2012.

After a major renovation that reached completion in 2015, a CF Pacific Centre indoor mall corridor expansion opened on the basement level of the department store building. Nordstrom took over the first three levels, and new office spaces were created within the upper four levels, including spaces for Sony Pictures Imageworks’ global headquarters and Microsoft Canada.

In July 2025, Daily Hive Urbanized reported that lululemon will take over the entirety of nearly 300,000 sq. ft. of office space above Nordstrom. Sony Pictures Imageworks is relocating to The Post complex, while Microsoft is relocating and consolidating its office spaces within the new B6 office tower.

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