Montreal-based clothing retailer Frank and Oak is closing all its stores, which includes its two remaining brick-and-mortar shops in Vancouver.
Frank and Oak began as an online brand in 2012 before expanding with pop-ups, including its first temporary womenswear standalone that launched in Vancouver in December 2017.
At the time, operators assured the brand's plans were small in scope. "We have big plans for 2018, but we are still a small company of just 200 people and we want to be careful and strategic, expanding impactfully. We’re never going to saturate the market," PR manager François Mercier told Glacier Media at the time.
However, Frank and Oak went on to open permanent retail locations across Canada, including in Metro Vancouver.
In 2020, Frank and Oak closed its store at Burnaby's Metropolis at Metrotown, citing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those struggles endured for the Canadian brand.
Frank and Oak filed a notice of intention in December 2024, saying it faced financial difficulties due to COVID-19 and supply chain problems.
In a press release issued this week, the company says the Superior Court of Quebec approved the sale of the brand to Lamour Group and Thread Collective Inc.
Along with closing its 14 Canadian retail shops, Frank and Oak is selling its intellectual property to a Montreal-based company as part of ongoing restructuring efforts.
The Frank and Oak brand will continue on, but the original corporate entity UGC Canada Holdings Inc. is expected to file for bankruptcy and wind down its operations.
Existing inventory will be liquidated, while e-commerce sales will continue for Canadian customers.
The new operating company will look at options for the future of the Frank and Oak brand, which could include opportunities to relaunch in select markets or channels.
The two Vancouver stores closing are located at 316 W Cordova St in Gastown and 2138 W 4th Ave in Kitsilano. The stores will close on May 18, 2025.
With files from Aileen Lalor and The Canadian Press
