Vancouver-based modern furniture brand Article is heading to Toronto, announcing its first store in Canada’s largest city at 90 Bathurst Street in King West. The 9,600-square-foot location will open in late 2026 at West House, a premier mixed-use development, and marks the company’s second physical retail location as it accelerates a broader brick-and-mortar expansion across North America.
For Torontonians who’ve been ordering Article’s sofas, dining tables, and bedroom furniture online for years, the new store will offer something the website never could — the chance to sit on the couch before buying it.
A brand built online, now making its move offline
Article was founded in Vancouver in 2013 with a straightforward premise: cut out the middleman, skip the showroom markups, and sell well-designed modern furniture directly to consumers online. The model worked. Over the past decade-plus, the company has delivered nearly three million orders to customers across Canada and the United States, building a loyal following among design-conscious shoppers looking for Scandinavian, mid-century, and contemporary pieces at accessible price points.
For most of its history, Article existed entirely in the digital space — no stores, no showrooms, just a website, a warehouse, and a delivery truck. That began to change in August 2024 when the company opened its first-ever physical location at 848 East Hastings Street in Vancouver, a move that was as much experiment as expansion. The results exceeded expectations. In-store average order values have surpassed online orders by more than 20 per cent — a number that clearly caught the attention of the company’s leadership and accelerated plans to bring the concept to new markets.
“For more than a decade, Article succeeded through a digital-first model, meeting consumer demand for modern furniture online,” said Aamir Baig, co-founder and CEO of Article. “Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen how physical retail can deepen customer connections and strengthen our presence in key markets. As we expand, we’ll focus on store locations in North American cities where e-commerce performance is already strong, using retail to build on that momentum and make it easier to experience Article in person.”
Toronto was a logical next step. The city is one of Article’s strongest e-commerce markets in all of North America, meaning there’s already a deep base of existing customers who know and trust the brand — and a significant pool of potential new customers who’ve browsed the site but haven’t yet pulled the trigger on a purchase. A physical store changes that equation considerably.
What to expect inside
At 9,600 square feet, the Toronto location will be Article’s largest store to date, surpassing the Vancouver flagship in both size and scope. The space will be organized around curated room vignettes designed to show how pieces work together in a real home setting — a format that addresses one of the biggest friction points in furniture shopping online, where it can be difficult to gauge scale, texture, and how different items complement each other.
Shoppers will also have access to an extensive fabric and material swatch library, allowing them to see and feel upholstery options before committing to a purchase. Free interior design services will be available on-site, offering personalized guidance for customers furnishing a new home or refreshing an existing space. For families, a dedicated kids’ area means parents can take their time browsing without the usual distractions.
The store will operate on Article’s established hybrid model: customers can browse and order in-store with delivery to follow, while select décor and accent pieces will be available to take home same-day. Hours will run Monday through Sunday, 10am to 7pm.
West House: King West’s next retail destination
The choice of West House as Article’s Toronto home is no accident. The mixed-use development at 90 Bathurst Street is quickly establishing itself as one of the most curated and design-forward retail addresses in downtown Toronto’s west end, anchored by a combination of tenants that speak directly to the neighbourhood’s affluent, design-conscious resident base.
Article will join Equinox, the premium fitness brand, and Dark Horse Coffee, a beloved Toronto-grown café chain, as anchor tenants at the project — a trio that collectively signals what West House is going for: aspirational but liveable, premium but approachable. It’s a tenant mix that reflects the character of King West itself, a neighbourhood long associated with modern condo living, creative professionals, and a resident demographic that places a premium on design and lifestyle.
The location also benefits from exceptional transit connectivity. West House sits on the Bathurst streetcar route, one of the city’s busiest north-south transit corridors, and is just two blocks north of the future King Street station on the Ontario Line — the transformative new subway currently under construction that will dramatically improve east-west transit across the downtown core when it opens. As the Ontario Line draws nearer to completion, the surrounding area is expected to see increased foot traffic and continued intensification, making a long-term retail commitment to the neighbourhood a well-timed bet.
The lease was brokered by Alex Edmison and Jackson Turner of CBRE, who represented West House owner Hines, while Mary Mowbray of Colliers International represented Article in the transaction.
Eyes on the U.S. and beyond
The Toronto store is one piece of a larger growth strategy taking shape at Article. The company has signalled plans for U.S. market entry to follow the Toronto opening, with up to five total locations planned by early 2027. While specific U.S. cities haven’t been announced, the company’s stated approach — targeting markets where its e-commerce business is already strong — suggests major American metros with established Article customer bases are likely candidates.
The broader trajectory reflects a shift happening across the direct-to-consumer furniture space, where brands that built their businesses entirely online are increasingly recognizing that physical retail, done right, doesn’t cannibalize e-commerce — it amplifies it. For Article, the Vancouver data appears to have made that case convincingly.
Customers interested in staying up to date on the Toronto store’s opening can sign up for updates at article.com.
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 roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, The Canadian Opera Company, Starbucks Canada and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024, 2025 and 2026, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.