Laura (clothing)
Encyclopedia
Laura is a Canadian
women’s wear boutique chain. From a single boutique in Montreal
, Quebec
, Laura Canada has grown to 200 stores (26 of which are double concept stores and 36 being triple concept stores) with plans for continued expansion and growth.
Founded in 1930 by Laura Wolstein, the first Laura store was located on St. Hubert Street, Montreal and later moved to Verdun Avenue in Verdun, a suburb
of Montreal. It was a successful women’s wear boutique catering to meet the fashion
needs of women seeking exceptional service and quality merchandise. Mrs. Wolstein's daughter and son-in-law, Gertrude and Leonard Fisher, were actively involved in the business for a number of years.
Laura Canada remained a one-store operation until 1973 when Kalman Fisher, grandson of Laura Wolstein, and now President of Laura Canada, opened a second store in a small shopping centre in the Montreal suburb of St. Laurent
. A third store was opened in Place Vertu
in 1975, followed by another in les Galeries d'Anjou
in 1976.
The success of these first stores, coupled with the company’s mandate to provide exceptional merchandise and customer service
, laid the foundation for Laura Canada’s continued growth. Over the years, Laura Canada has increased its holdings by expanding throughout Quebec and by expanding into Ontario
, British Columbia
, Alberta
, Manitoba
, Nova Scotia
and Newfoundland and Labrador
. New concepts were also developed to meet the diverse fashion needs of Canadian women. Today, in addition to the original Laura concept, of which there are 72 locations, Laura Canada offers three additional divisions: Laura Petites, Laura Plus, and Melanie Lyne.
The Laura Petites division, catering to women 5' 4" and under in sizes 2 to 14, opened its first store in 1989. Since then, Laura Petites currently has 71 locations. The Laura Plus division, which offers plus fashions in sizes 14 to 24 and plus petite fashions in size 14 to 22 was launched in 1995. Today it numbers 54 locations. The higher end Melanie Lyne stores opened in 1984. There are currently 47 Melanie Lyne locations across Canada. Laura Superstores were launched in 2002 and offer fashions from Laura, Laura Petites and Laura Plus under one roof. There are 18 Laura Superstore locations.
Under the stewardship
of Mr. Fisher, Laura Canada has grown to become one of the most successful chains of women's clothing stores in Canada. Laura Canada is a privately owned company.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
women’s wear boutique chain. From a single boutique in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Laura Canada has grown to 200 stores (26 of which are double concept stores and 36 being triple concept stores) with plans for continued expansion and growth.
Founded in 1930 by Laura Wolstein, the first Laura store was located on St. Hubert Street, Montreal and later moved to Verdun Avenue in Verdun, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Montreal. It was a successful women’s wear boutique catering to meet the fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
needs of women seeking exceptional service and quality merchandise. Mrs. Wolstein's daughter and son-in-law, Gertrude and Leonard Fisher, were actively involved in the business for a number of years.
Laura Canada remained a one-store operation until 1973 when Kalman Fisher, grandson of Laura Wolstein, and now President of Laura Canada, opened a second store in a small shopping centre in the Montreal suburb of St. Laurent
Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec
Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, part of the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality. It is situated on the south side of Orléans Island....
. A third store was opened in Place Vertu
Place Vertu
Place Vertu is a Canadian shopping centre in the Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent in Quebec. It is located on Cote-Vertu boulevard, corner of Cavendish Boulevard....
in 1975, followed by another in les Galeries d'Anjou
Les Galeries d'Anjou
Galeries d'Anjou is a shopping mall located in the Anjou borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Current major tenants include The Bay, Sears, Zellers and Brick. It is roughly ....
in 1976.
The success of these first stores, coupled with the company’s mandate to provide exceptional merchandise and customer service
Customer service
Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.According to Turban et al. , “Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer...
, laid the foundation for Laura Canada’s continued growth. Over the years, Laura Canada has increased its holdings by expanding throughout Quebec and by expanding into Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. New concepts were also developed to meet the diverse fashion needs of Canadian women. Today, in addition to the original Laura concept, of which there are 72 locations, Laura Canada offers three additional divisions: Laura Petites, Laura Plus, and Melanie Lyne.
The Laura Petites division, catering to women 5' 4" and under in sizes 2 to 14, opened its first store in 1989. Since then, Laura Petites currently has 71 locations. The Laura Plus division, which offers plus fashions in sizes 14 to 24 and plus petite fashions in size 14 to 22 was launched in 1995. Today it numbers 54 locations. The higher end Melanie Lyne stores opened in 1984. There are currently 47 Melanie Lyne locations across Canada. Laura Superstores were launched in 2002 and offer fashions from Laura, Laura Petites and Laura Plus under one roof. There are 18 Laura Superstore locations.
Under the stewardship
Stewardship
Stewardship is an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources. The concept of stewardship has been applied in diverse realms, including with respect to environment, economics, health, property, information, and religion, and is linked to the concept of sustainability...
of Mr. Fisher, Laura Canada has grown to become one of the most successful chains of women's clothing stores in Canada. Laura Canada is a privately owned company.