Lingerie giant Victoria's Secret has signed a lease for 35,000 square feet of retail space at Robson and Burrard in Vancouver.JJ Thompson/The Globe and Mail
Lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret will soon be opening a store in downtown Vancouver. Limited Brands Inc. signed a lease this week taking possession of a massive retail space at the intersection of Burrard and Robson streets.
Victoria's Secret will take over the approximately 35,000-square-foot space for at least 10 years – with options beyond that time, said Bob Nicholson, a Morguard Corporation retail asset manager who acts as a liaison between the corporation and the building's owners, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. Mr. Nicholson said he could not provide any other information from the lease.
Victoria's Secret is a great choice for the prominent location, he said. "They are a very well-known, worldwide brand. They bring significant legitimacy as a retail corner to that space," he said. "It's hard to think of another brand … that would bring as much to the property other than Victoria's Secret."
The store will span two levels and construction crews are currently revamping the location, which used to house an HMV store. Victoria's Secret will have a more open, airier concept than the old HMV store, said Mr. Nicholson. It will take over the atrium, which used to serve the CTV and Globe and Mail offices located on the upper floors of the building, and open up the ceilings to heights of more than 20 feet, he said.
Mr. Nicholson said a few other big-name brands considered the space. "Apple's been rumoured to be looking around downtown Vancouver. So, safe to say, Apple might have had a look at it. Forever 21 might have had a look at it," he said. "But those [possibilities] didn't go anywhere."
A Victoria's Secret media spokesperson could not confirm the store opening. However, a location of the company's related Pink store is slated to open in Burnaby in late September, she said.