Holt Renfrew store employees in Quebec City and Ottawa learned Thursday that both locations will close at the end of January as the luxury retailer focuses on other markets, including Toronto, Montreal and Western Canada.

The Ottawa store has 72 employees; the Quebec City store has 85.

“Holt Renfrew employees in these markets have been devoted through many successful years, and we are dedicated to supporting them through this transition,” said Holt Renfrew president Mark Derbyshire.

The privately owned Holt Renfrew has more than 2,600 employees, and expects overall employment to grow through 2017 to support national expansion plans, according to a company press release.

The release also revealed that the flagship store at 50 Bloor St. W. in Toronto will be expanded and fully renovated by 2017, and will get a new façade. A private apartment for personal shopping will be added, along with enhancements to the beauty, accessories and footwear areas.

Other newly announced enhancements include updates to the personal shopping areas at the Vancouver and Calgary flagship stores, including the private apartment concept. The stores will get cafés and expanded footwear and leather goods areas.

The news comes as Seattle-based department store retailer Nordstrom prepares to open its first store at the Chinook Centre in Calgary on Sept. 19.

Nordstrom has plans for six stores in Canada, including opening sites at the Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Shopping Centre in fall 2016; Sherway Gardens in 2017; Vancouver’s Pacific Centre a little more than a year from now and the Rideau Centre in Ottawa in March.

Holt Renfrew is undergoing an expansion that will result in a 40 per cent increase in square footage, from approximately 800,000 to over 1.2 million square feet, but the retailer has decided to focus on key markets, elevating the luxury flagship store model, according to the company press release.

“In establishing its growth plans, Holt Renfrew undertook a comprehensive strategic analysis of the Canadian marketplace and prospects for its luxury business model, and is confident in its positioning and potential for targeted growth,” according to the press release.

The chain has already launched a newly expanded 120,000 square foot store at Yorkdale, and will add a 120,000-square-foot store at Square One in Mississauga in the spring of 2016.

According to the company, the renovated Yorkdale store has been extremely successful and will be the prototype for improvements throughout the network.

The chain has also announced a new 220,000-square-foot store in Montreal, to be completed by the end of 2017. The store will be among the largest in the Holt Renfrew network.

The locations in Ottawa and Quebec City are 35,000-square-foot regional stores.

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