Winnipeg-based clothing company Mondetta Canada is accelerating the growth of its emerging luxury menswear brand Modern Ambition with a number of new brick-and-mortar locations planned to open across the country.
The company has scheduled new store openings for Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver later this year built around the ‘Living Room’ concept first introduced at its Winnipeg pilot store, opened last fall. SVP and global head of retail Georgi Gvakharia tells strategy that the three new markets were selected through a combination of demographic alignment and long-term strategic opportunity.
Artist’s rendering of Modern Ambition’s Toronto location courtesy of Mondetta Canada
“Toronto gives us access to Canada’s largest luxury market and positions us within the prestigious Yorkville retail corridor,” Gvakharia says. “Vancouver aligns naturally with our blend of technical performance and refined style, while Calgary’s entrepreneurial and professional customer base strongly connects with our product proposition and brand values.”
Meanwhile, Mondetta is also investing $500,000 into a custom-built mobile showroom designed to travel across Canada and allow consumers to interact directly with the brand’s mix of tailored menswear and styling services. CEO Ash Modha says the travelling space will introduce the brand to new markets and be used to evaluate interest and demand for future store openings.
While New York-based agency Garj and Gustafson led brand development and marketing for Modern Ambition’s Winnipeg launch, Modha says it will now work with internal marketing resources and a network of specialized agency partners across PR, content creation and storytelling to create locally relevant promotional work in each new market.
Images courtesy of Mondetta Canada
Gvakharia says that the Winnipeg flagship has exceeded the company’s expectations in several key areas beyond revenue, including conversion rates, repeat customer visits, clientele engagement, customer acquisition and retention. The data will be used to form the core DNA of every location moving forward, with each storefront focused on delivering an immersive customer experience and a carefully curated product assortment.
“The biggest learning has been that today’s consumer is looking for more than just a product; they’re looking for an experience,” Gvakharia says. “The success of our hospitality-driven ‘Living Room’ concept reinforced that customers value personal connection, styling expertise and an environment that feels welcoming rather than transactional.”
Mondetta says insights into assortment planning, clientelling opportunities, service expectations and customers interactions will be used to directly influence the design, staffing models, customer journeys and operational strategies for future stores.
