Eyewear brand BonLook has opened this Edmonton store as part of an expansion across Western Canada.
When Sophie Boulanger founded BonLook in 2011, her goal was to offer high-quality eyewear at down-to-earth pricing. “There’s no reason why a very good pair of eyeglasses should cost you as much as a trip to Vegas or an iPhone,” Boulanger says. Eight years later, that focus on fair-pricing has led to an optical boom, with wearers collecting multiple frames for different moods and occasions. Boulanger compares owning one pair of glasses to wearing the same pair of shoes every day. “No one would do that!” she says.
Like many other direct-to-consumer businesses, Boulanger’s BonLook started out online. She quickly realized that, in the eyewear biz at least, shoppers really want to try before they buy. To connect with customers face-to-face, BonLook began opening kiosks in Quebec malls, which led to stores throughout the province followed by an expansion into Ontario. It’s currently in the middle of opening locations throughout Western Canada, with new stores in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Surrey and Vancouver and plans to go south of the border.
At Edmonton’s second BonLook boutique, which opens its doors March 9 at the Kingsway Mall, shoppers will find eyeglasses and sunglasses for men and women. All of the frames are designed at the brand’s Montreal HQ, manufactured in China and then filled with prescription lenses at a Canadian lab. BonLook releases about 15 collections each year and regularly collaborates with homegrown stars such as television personality Maripier Morin, Olympian Tessa Virtue and singer-songwriter Coeur de Pirate. “There’s a trend in retail of actually giving back value to the client,” Boulanger says. “As a merchant, I love knowing that I sell you a product that you pay the right price for.”
BonLook, Kingsway Mall, 1 Kingsway Garden Mall Northwest, Edmonton, bonlook.com.
BonLook Fab in Gold, $149.Handout
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Style news
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