KIT + ACE opened its 12th Canadian location at Bayview Village Shopping Centre this week, expanding the athleisure retailer’s Greater Toronto Area presence to seven stores across distinct market segments. The North York opening comes as the mall undergoes its largest transformation since 1961—a $1 billion mixed-use redevelopment adding over 1,000 residential units and 45,000 square feet of retail space.
The opening follows the brand’s strategic buildout across GTA markets, with locations now spanning Oakville, Sherway Gardens, Toronto Premium Outlets, Queen Street West, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, The Well, and Bayview Village. The regional approach targets different demographics and shopping behaviors across the metropolitan area.
CEO David Lui said the location targets customers from the company’s former Bloor Street store who live in the area. “Our customers are perfectly situated at Bayview. The demographics fit our brand well because we had a lot of guests from our Bloor Street store living in that trade area. We’ve been looking for great locations, and through discussions with QuadReal and our Mastermind store—which does really well at Bayview—we know the market.”
The Vancouver-based brand secured a corridor location between the mall’s restaurant area and main shopping district, steps from the main entrance and Loblaws. KIT + ACE sits beside Mastermind, another Unity Brands company, creating a cluster of Canadian retailers alongside established brands like GAP and Swarovski.
The retailer executed the opening in three weeks while simultaneously reopening its renovated Calgary Market Mall location. Retail Director Amy Pollock managed the Toronto launch while Lui oversaw Calgary operations, with separate visual merchandising teams coordinating the dual opening.
“We have a great team. We divided operations between East and West—Amy handled the Toronto opening while I managed Calgary. Our visual teams split accordingly, and our store directors are self-sufficient. Our contractors had two teams going simultaneously, and they executed effortlessly,” Lui said.
The Calgary team brought seasoned expertise to the dual opening. “Our Calgary team is a seasoned team. We already are established on the West Coast. We were already established in Market Mall, but we needed a refresh,” Pollock explained. “We had our visual specialist Lee Cacalda go over from Toronto coordinating with our senior visual director Scott Ferguson. Both of them were coordinating hands-on the whole entire time. The communication was absolutely flawless—a lot of FaceTimes, a lot of texts, making sure that all the images were set up properly.”
The Bayview Village store operates with a smaller footprint but stocks similar inventory to the brand’s Well location. Pollock said the team focuses on transitional pieces and neutral colors rather than markdowns, targeting the mall’s mature demographic and young professionals from nearby condos.
“We’re positioned in the main corridor between the restaurants and apparel shopping, so you can access KIT + ACE from both entrances and see us from the most popular corridors,” Pollock said. “We’re focusing more on transitional pieces and newer items. The neutral colors are really doing wonders for the shoppers over here.”
The store team includes KIT + ACE’s Sherway Gardens director and a lead from The Well location, plus staff with experience at Lululemon, Mackage and other premium retailers. Pollock said this background helps with “clienteling, suggestive selling, technical fabrics, as well as Canadian brands.”
KIT + ACE’s timing coincides with QuadReal Property Group’s massive mall renovation. The project will transform Bayview Village from a traditional suburban shopping center into an integrated lifestyle destination with residential towers, an outdoor retail promenade, and direct subway connectivity.
Construction began this fall with closure of the north parking lot. The renovation includes artisanal marble tiles in chevron patterns and brass accents, designed by Antonio Tadrissi to evoke European shopping districts like Milan’s Piazza Duomo.
QuadReal’s relationship with Unity Brands through the existing Mastermind store helped facilitate the deal. “They presented us with a great opportunity,” Lui said.
The opening reflects broader retail trends as consumers maintain pandemic-era preferences for comfortable clothing while returning to offices and social activities. “Post-pandemic purchases are all about athleisure and comfort. The pandemic’s over and people want to get out again, but they’re still adapting to a more comfortable lifestyle,” Pollock said. “That’s where KIT + ACE fits perfectly. Our fabrics are eight-way stretch—you can do cartwheels in our suits. With the demographic at this mall, people are comfortable but still looking good.”
The company has confirmed its 13th location will open at Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver by November, accelerating expansion plans outlined during the CF Toronto Eaton Centre move. In July, Lui told 6ix Retail the brand was pursuing “controlled national expansion” with plans to reach 13 stores while maintaining focus on e-commerce growth.
Bayview Village’s transformation represents one of Canada’s largest mall redevelopment projects as shopping centers adapt to changing consumer habits through mixed-use development. The mall serves over 110 retailers and draws customers from some of the GTA’s most affluent neighbourhoods.
KIT + ACE, founded in 2014 and acquired by Unity Brands Inc. in 2023, specializes in technical fabrics for urban professionals. The company targets customers requiring versatile clothing that transitions between work and personal activities.
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Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes leadership roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.