Vancouver’s Crate & Barrel store has completed an upgrade and expansion in preparation of the Oakridge mall’s re-opening.

Crate & Barrel recently held a re-opening ceremony in celebration of the new look in time for the peak Christmas holiday shopping season.

“We’ve endured a renovation for the last about six or seven months, and so,” said Joey Bruzzese, the store’s leader, in an interview with Connect at the location. “This is a way for us to really kick it off with the holiday season nearly approaching. It’s a perfect time for everybody to get reintroduced with the brand.”

Bruzzese said the location’s square footage has expanded “ever so slightly,” but he declined to disclose a figure.

“The store footprint has expanded with design services,” he said. “We have more design elements that are located onto our floor to be able to service our community and build new, spacious rooms for our clients and guests.

“We also have [a] holiday [section] which has been introduced to our selling floor, so that is incredible for us to be able to showcase.”

Northbrook, Ill.,-based Crate & Barrel markets a broad range of home furnishings and houseware products. Located on Oakridge’s ground floor, the Vancouver store has remained open through most of the massive redevelopment project’s construction.

Bruzzese declined to say whether Crate & Barrel received lease incentives to remain operating during construction. The existing Oakridge medical-office building has also stayed open throughout construction.

“It definitely comes with some of its challenges,” said Bruzzese of remaining open during construction. “But overall, I think the community have supported us very well. Crate & Barrel is a standalone brand, so I think we’ve become that destination for the surrounding area to come enjoy a little inspiration and take it home with them.”

The mall’s redevelopment has sparked billions of dollars worth of investments in new and upgraded commercial real estate projects in the surrounding Oakridge district. QuadReal Property Group and Wesgroup are redeveloping the site into a mixed-use community to be known as Oakridge Park.

QuadReal is also managing the property, with the retail component 96% preleased. A QuadReal spokeswoman recently told Connect that the opening, originally slated for late 2025, has been delayed until spring 2026.

Construction is not yet complete, and crews have been busily working just a few metres away outside the Crate & Barrel store, loudly a good deal of the time. But the store’s effective acoustics keep the high-decibel sounds out.

Crate & Barrel appears to be taking the delay in stride.

“I can’t speak to the delay, but I know that the mall is anticipating its opening in March of 2026,” said Bruzzese. “I mean, what a great time, spring of next year, to really embrace the surrounding areas and invite people back in. So, I think everybody is truly just waiting for that to happen, and it has been a little bit in the making.

“But we’re going to get there.”

The Oakridge re-opening will be an invitation for Crate & Barrel’s customers to revisit the store, he said.

“We’ve been here for the last 13 plus years, so it’s really great for us to be able to still be in the same spot that we opened initially,” he said. “And, I think that we’re a destination for a lot of individuals to come and see what’s new in the market and how they can make their interiors look absolutely fantastic with our designs.”

Crate & Barrel is “hopeful” that the store’s business will pick up as a result of revamped retail offering at Oakridge.

“But again, our community has been incredibly supportive of us, and we continue to look forward to their support and helping them also make sure that they go into their home every day and they can see a piece of our furniture or decor, or speak to any one of our designers here that assisted them in making their interiors look absolutely stunning.

“And, that’s all that we could ask for.”

The revamped Oakridge retail offering will include many other international and Canadian outlets. The Crate & Barrel store at Oakridge is the chain’s only B.C. location and just one of five in Canada.

Pictured: Crate & Barrel’s Oakridge store management and staff celebrate the location’s official re-opening.

Photo: Monte Stewart. All rights reserved. No republishing permitted.