Toronto-based home decor retailer Merchant Sons has opened its doors at 273 Richmond St West following its successful e-commerce launch in April 2017.
The store is styled as a home to create an immersive, customer-oriented brand experience and will include a full-service coffee bar by De Mello Palheta Coffee Roasters. The new store features subtle sales displays, no cash registers, and no line ups. Instead, customers pay electronically through a mobile point-of-sale while enjoying a coffee.
“Instead of building a store or a showroom, we built a home for our customers to enjoy,” said co-founder Cathy Ly. “Anyone who is interested in purchasing items can speak with one of our advisors who will package their purchase and process payment – there will be no lineups, just a relaxing experience reflective of the Merchant Sons’ lifestyle.”
The store features four main areas where Merchant Sons products are styled alongside bespoke and hand-picked vintage furniture finds that will remain in the store as permanent fixtures:
- Living: Vintage furniture sets the scene for soft-as-velvet, stain-resistant cushions, sweatshirt cushions and the signature sweatshirt blanket
- Dining: A harvest table provides a work space for guests, along with a display of Merchant Sons’ bed linens in a custom performance fibre weave of Tencel and Egyptian cotton
- Bedroom: Test out Merchant Sons’ bedding collection in a full styled bedroom
- Coffee Bar: De Mello Palheta brings a full-service coffee bar to the space. Similar to Merchant Sons, this local micro-roaster is known for its high-quality and commitment to ongoing, sustainable relationships with its suppliers
The store also serves as an online fulfillment centre to ensure full quality control for online orders from merchantsons.com. Every package is visually inspected and sent to its new home by a Merchant Sons brand representative.
“Our store experience and quality control are examples of how Merchant Sons designs subtle ways to enhance our daily lives,” continued Ly. “Our doors are open to the Toronto community to come and explore, whether it’s a quick stop in for a coffee on your way to the office, or to spend an hour working on your latest project from our harvest table with free wifi.”