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TORONTO — A record-breaking number of international retailers entered the country in 2017.

Roughly 50 international merchants set up shop for the first time in Canada last year by opening standalone boutiques or opening small “stores within a store” at larger retailers, according to data from Retail Insider, which has been tracking retail store openings for the past five years.

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That compares with 21 international retailers that opened in 2016, and 28 in 2015.

“This is probably an all-time record for Canada, not just for recent years,” said Retail Insider president Craig Patterson.

International retailers began establishing a strong foothold in this country in the 1990s through a series of mergers and acquisitions: home improvement giant Home Depot bought Aikenhead’s, mass merchant Walmart entered through the purchase of Woolco and off-price conglomerate TJX Cos. bought Winners. The following decade welcomed a slew of large fast-fashion giants to the Canadian landscape, from H&M, Old Navy, Zara and Forever 21. Those deals involved large retailers and vast amounts of square footage, whereas the more recent entrants involve luxury and niche brands opening small boutiques: Chinese dollar store chain Miniso, jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels, Swiss watch brand Vacheron Constantin and the outdoor apparel and footwear brands Hunter and Woolrich.