Rennaï, a New Luxe Beauty Retail Concept in Montreal With International Ambitions
A new retailer is looking to shake up Canada’s prestige offerings before eyeing the U.S.
Rennaï will open its doors at the upcoming Royalmount development of retail, offices and hospitality spaces in Montreal in August 2024, with brands including Hermès, Diptyque, Le Labo and Dermalogica already on board.
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It’s backed by L Catterton and Carbonleo, who want the 36,000-square-foot beauty and wellness space to be heavily focused on experiential retail.
Beyond the product offering, services will include traditional aesthetics, dermatology, nutrition, a fragrance zone and a retreat area where guests can extend their time by enjoying a self care space.
“[The investors] saw that today’s consumer is really looking for more than just a product. They’re looking for an experience that adds value to their day,” said Rennaï president Christopher Novak. “What we’re doing is creating a place for people to take a moment out of their busy lives to really reconnect with themselves through the lens of beauty and self care.”
He continued that many more prestige partners will be revealed in the run-up to the grand opening.
“Exclusives and never-been-seen-before experiences are the core foundation of what makes Rennaï so unique and timely,” Novak said. “We will continue to announce partners leading up to the launch that represent our brand spirit and promise — to offer our clients a complete one-stop experience both on location and through our complimentary virtual concierge experience.”
Homegrown brands will be important too, with the selection including Watier Cosmetics, Apprenti Ôr’ganik, JB Skin Sävvi, Selv, Ruby Brown, Landish, and Camellia Sinensis Tea House.
Located in Montreal’s Midtown, Rennaï will join Royalmount’s 170 retail tenants — including luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Gucci — and more than 60 restaurants, alongside offices, a hotel and public green spaces.
Already present players in Canada’a prestige market include Sephora, several department stores and Shoppers Drug Mart. The latter has over the years been gaining market share in the prestige beauty sector, which has only ramped up with the appointment of Gwennaëlle Varnier as vice president of prestige beauty in 2019.
But Novak, who previously worked for Canadian luxury retailer Holt Renfrew, doesn’t just have eyes on Canada.
“We’re opening in Royalmount this August and we do have plans for a nine-store rollout. We’re looking for major cities across Canada and the U.S. to open a future location,” he said.
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