Country Casuals - part of Austin Reed - is to open between 15 and 18 concessions in Canada by the end of this year.
If the venture is successful, the retailer sees potential for about 30 altogether in Canadian metropolitan areas over the next two-and-a-half years.
Country Casuals is linking with Canada's biggest department store group, Hudson's Bay, to open ten concessions in Greater Toronto. The first eight will open at the end of March, stocking Country Casuals and Country Casuals Petite brands.
The retailer was approached by Hudson's Bay as a way of differentiating its department store offering. Country Casuals sees Canada as a way of making the most of opportunities hard to come by in the UK. Managing director David Lowbridge said: 'In the UK, it is increasingly difficult to find appropriate places in which to open. It is very difficult to find something with a potential£6 million (sales) scale in the UK.'
Country Casuals has 66 shops and 137 department store concessions in Britain. The concession model in Canada should help keep a lid on costs.
The Canadian business will be evaluated at the end of April, before more countries are considered for the international portfolio next year. There are 500 Hudson Bay department stores across Canada, trading as the Bay and Zellers chains.
In the UK, Country Casuals is redeveloping its 65 sq m outlet in the Meadowhall shopping development near Sheffield into a 130 sq m branch opening in April.
It will carry a wider range of the core and the Petite ranges.
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