Birks reinvents itself
Iconic jeweller seeks new markets
After more than 134 years in business, Birks, the iconic Canadian jewelry store, has opted for a facelift.
The Montreal-based company made several alterations to its brand and jewelry collections this year, including the transformation into the newly minted La Maison Birks.
“Birks has been a household name in Montreal and in the rest of Canada for nearly 135 years,” Jean-Christophe Bédos, president and CEO of Birks & Mayors Inc., said in a media release.
“While attesting to our rich history, the new corporate identity rejuvenates Maison Birks’ brand proposition, and allows Canadians to discover Maison.”
In honour of the new name, the company opened two all-in-house brand stores — one in Burlington, Ont., and one in Brossard, Que. they join the 31 Birks stores already across Canada.
The Birks & Mayors brand also intends to expand its global presence with the opening of a store in Beijing in early 2014. The shop will be the company’s first location outside of North America.
The sweeping changes have affected its in-house collections, as well.
There are two new bridal collections using Canadian diamonds and 16 new assortments bearing bright monikers such as Links, Splash and Pearl — introduced to try to entice a younger clientele to the brand. Birks also recently announced a collaboration with Swiss watchmaker Frederique Constant for an exclusive timepiece set to hit stores next year.
Dubbed the Manufacture Worldtimer — Canadian Edition, the timepiece features five Canadian cities among 19 international destinations such as London, Moscow and Tokyo. Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver will be represented in bold red font on the timepiece’s sleek silver face.
The water-resistant watch will be available in either rose gold-plated polished steel case for $4,200, or a polished steel case for $3,800.