Banana Republic to arrive in city with Polo Park outlet

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/01/2012 (5356 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There will be a Banana Republic in Winnipeg this summer but without the drama of a military-style coup d’état.

The high-end clothier will christen its first Manitoba store in July, a 5,000-square-foot-plus store in Polo Park shopping centre, continuing a trend that has seen some of retail’s biggest names set up in the city’s biggest mall.

“We’ve had customers asking for Banana for five or six years now,” said Deborah Green, general manager of Polo Park. “They were one of those elusive tenants that we’ve been trying to get for a long time. They’ve been on our wish list for many years.”

Other upscale retailers to have made their first splash in the province at Polo Park include Sephora, Forever21, Urban Planet and Kiehl’s.

Banana Republic has begun construction on its new space, which is a combination of the second-floor stores near the centre court formerly occupied by Nyg*rd, which let its lease lapse and moved out, and Quilts Etc., which has relocated into a larger premises near the Bay.

Victoria Kirk, spokeswoman for Banana Republic, said the store will offer an assortment of women’s and men’s clothing, accessories and personal-care products.

“We’re very excited to be opening Banana Republic at Polo Park this July. Not only is it a premier shopping destination, but we’re confident that women and men seeking modern wear-to-work suiting and separates and elevated weekend wear will appreciate the effortless style and sophistication the brand is known and loved for,” she said in an email.

Green said she has been working on bringing Banana Republic to Winnipeg for more than a year. She said it is the kind of retailer that researches who its neighbours could be before it commits to open a store.

“They say, ‘Who do you have in your mall? If you have an Apple store, that’s my customer, too,’ ” she said.

Club Monoco already services the same type of clients at Polo Park but customers will benefit from another option.

“Competition breeds success,” Green said.

Even though the mall is at 100 per cent occupancy, Green said she is working on securing another major arrival she hopes to announce in the next two to three months.

Anticipating the next question, she said, “It’s not H&M. They’re not really looking at Winnipeg right now.”

A Toronto-based retail analyst said the pending arrival of Banana Republic reflects well on Winnipeg’s economy.

“It’s a positive sign. Winnipeg has seen a large number of these new stores coming here in the last few years. I presume people have recognized they can do good business here,” said John Winters.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca