Holt Renfrew

National embarrassment. I thought the Bloor location would be better than Sherway, but based on my expectation and the fact that it’s Bloor Street, this location is almost worse. Almost.
Handbag section is on the small side and the selection isn’t great. They have mall brands like Michael Kors — why is this even at Holt Renfrew, when you can buy at the mall? — and won’t have stuff like Proenza Schouler. No Chanel, didn’t see any Prada, but if you’re looking for MCM (ugly!) or Rebecca Minkoff, this place has got you covered!
Honestly, this place needs better buyers. I just walked in, tried to find what I was looking for and couldn’t, and walked out. Didn’t even bother taking the escalators upstairs.
No wonder most people shop online. Can’t wait until Nordstrom/​Saks come here!

I have to say, this place is amazing in customer service. Every Time I go here I am met with such friendly people whose eager to serve you or answer any questions. Such an amazing company. I will be definitely be coming back again and again. J’adore!

Where dreams are made of… and broken in the same day. An institution on Bloor St, this store always draws me in. The beautiful pink façade/​signage stands out on the bleak street. From valet parking (and remember when there was a dedicated doorman?!) this place not so silently screams richness.
Perfectly made up and gorgeous people are the bones that make up this gorgeous store — they look like those airbrushed models. So if you feel any insecurities or suffer from low self esteem then try and get a blowout and a full made up face before entering (you have been warned!)
One floor is dedicated to cosmetics and perfumes and you find brands that read about but can never find. Charlotte Tilbury, La Mer, Prada, Jo Malone, etc. I wish they had a better ventilation system because the mix of the fragrances can be overwhelming at times.
While there is a lot of staff in this store never have I once been approached to see if I need help (I don’t own a fur coat or a $ 5000 purse after all). I don’t like the fact that I never know what each floor has — there is no signage that I can see. Usually it’s by the escalators so you know if you want men’s clothing you can go the the XX floor. I do like that the store is broken up into designer categories — D&G, Kooples, The Row, etc. Like capsule collections that you can browse.
Yes the prices are steep but that’s a given. However their Boxing Day sales are pretty amazing and that’s when I usually hit this place up. This week they had lots of items 70% off. A few years ago I scored my fave pair of jeans here — $ 220 orig price down to $ 75. I still wear them to this day.
Their sales items are pulled into the aisles on racks so you never have to search for them and are always clearly marked.
For cosmetics and fragrances that are unique I would always come here. They also have some really nice accessories — hats, scarves etc. This is always my stop during the holiday season to dream.

I only came here because of the in-​store personalized Nutella printing service (limited Christmas promo). I was greeted at the door & approached by a friendly greeter who physically showed me where I needed to go. Anyone interested, the Nutella service is $ 12.99 (tax inc), four jars per customer (you can always come back on a different day to order more). This stocking filler service is a wonderful gift for anyone…

I am by no means rich, but Holt Renfrew is too beautiful and decadent to resist. The guards at the front are lovely, and the staff will always treat you with respect even if you’re dressed in rags.
I had the fortunate luck to swing by in December and the store was in full holiday cheer– they had free hot chocolate, Christmas caroling, and an artist to make fashion sketches of you if you asked.
Prices are steep of course, but their sales really bring in buzz and warmth to the otherwise untouchable place for the less-​wealthy. I also love the tiny pop-​up stores they bring in that sell macarons, donuts or tea. This location of Holt Renfrew is massive and sprawling– I can spend hours in here!

I only shop at Holt Renfrew to buy the perfumes from the jo malone counter. Moving to toronto just a few months ago I visited this location to pick up a new supply and was thoroughly disappointed. The whole thing being jo malone is to layer their scents. I walked out of there with 2 samples to see which other one I would buy to layer with the one I had already bought! If somebody is buying a 30 ml bottle of perfume for $ 75… throw a few more samples in… how else are you supposed to sell and how is the customer supposed to know what they want to pair it with? Stock up and quit acting so cheap!

Wonderful shopping mall for ladies! Near my home. Gentlemen polite and the patient guys and girls work there, greet me with smile. I love to Even it spends me more money on luxurious than shop in duty free. I get great deserve, and well paid.

Worst customer service. If you don’t get dressed up to shop, the sales people will look at you disdainfully then go back to their phone conversation or gossip session with other sales people. I don’t think I should have to get dressed up to go shopping!
Beware their seasonal sales. If you are a dedicated follower of a particular line you’ll see items in the racks that are from seasons as far as two years back (with the wear and grime of poor storage and too many try-​ons).
Do NOT use the valet service at Bloor St. I often park in that greenp lot. I frequently see high-​end cars squealing at high speed around the corners on the upper levels and invariably, one of the uniformed valets hops out once the car is parked. The valets are mostly youngish guys who will abuse your car.

I went two weeks ago to Holts because there was a foundation from Bobbi Brown that I wanted and they were the only ones carrying them in store.
As soon as we got there I thought it was closed and doorman said they were still open and graciously opened the doors for me. I went to the Bobbi Brown counter and there was no one there mind you it’s still half an hour before close. I asked the concierge if there was anyone working the counter. A minute later some sale rep showed up not looking happy at all.
I told her that I would like to get colour matched. She took three colours and smeared them across my cheeks and they were such heavy streaks they all looked wrong. She handed me a mirror and said choose. I told her I couldn’t because there would be no way to tell if it was the right colour with how much she smeared across my cheeks. She was huffy the entire time and then proceeded to blend and said again to choose. It’s a good thing that I’m well versed with foundations because I was able to pick the colour I wanted. The attitude was very unpleasant and service was horrible.
This is not the first time that I have encountered bad service at Holt’s but now that I have my colour I will be buying online for sure. I have complained in the past about their terrible service but have never received a response. Pretty sad for such an upscale company

Now they have Roger Vivier boutique at the shoes department, which is great! More styles compared to David’s! End of season sales is on right now. Not so many selection but price is good…

I went here with my friends that visited here from out of town. It was my birthday and a friend bought an expensive outfit for myself and he spent an average person salary for a month. When you spend that much there eager to help you and instead of picking things that look good on you they will pick the most expensive things for you to try on. That’s what happens when they make commission. My advice is bring a friend along that has a flair for fashion. The salespeople act as if they own the store and act as if there all that. But really there just servants that make as much as people that work at McDonald’s. Anyways I’m getting of topic.
When it was time to pay I noticed the salesperson was taking of the tags of all the clothes. I didn’t think anything of it. I thought that’s what they always do. Well there was a reason he did that.
The week after I decided I wanted to return my gift from my friend since it was a prada dress shirt and chino pants. I’m a contractor so when would I wear these nice set of clothes. I wanted to return it and get something I would use more.
I brought it in and a salesperson looked at it and he said he had to get the manager. Well the manager came down and looked at the pants and shirt. He had the most stuck up attitude. He’s says «it looks like it’s been worn and smells of cologne».
I’m like excuse me «I didn’t wear it and your salesperson is the one that took the tags off» I also said «so you sell clothes that looks like it’s been worn?»
He stares at me and says «yes»
I was getting really irritated with his attitude and I just wanted to get the refund and get out of there.
I also told him my friend thinks the salesperson charged him full price for a couple shirts he bought. He says «well the garments not here so we can’t do anything about it»
I literally wanted to punch him in the face. I even showed him the picture of my friends shirt and he totally ignored me. Was I ever pissed.
He also said now they have to spend money to get it dry cleaned.
I wanted to say «hello!!! I didn’t fuckin wear the damn clothes and it’s not costing you a fuckin dime because it’s not your fuckin store. So stop your fuckin snobby attitude and do your servant job»
Fuckin stupid people with a false sense of wealth. Never going to this place again.

Holt Renfrew on Bloor actually has the worst customer service I’ve ever had. I don’t know what it is, but it’s consistently awful every time I go there. My only criteria for decent customer service are: a) be available, and b) be helpful. Friendliness goes a long way, too. Having worked in retail once upon a time ago, I try to be a good customer and expect good service in return.
I don’t expect the moon, but at these prices, I should certainly get it.
I needed to update my wardrobe, so I headed over to Holt’s for a couple of pairs of shoes. The only reason I continue to shop here is because of the selection and proximity to home/​work. I found a sales associate to help me get the sizes I needed. She looked annoyed as I interrupted her texting, and was very unfriendly and unhelpful throughout the process, scowling the entire time. I happily left and ordered everything I needed online, and she didn’t make any commission on my sale.

Consistently great service. The ratio of staff to customers is unparalleled in Toronto — no other department store can beat this.
The result is definitely seen in the mark-​up but there are great marketing promos to make up for that. Clothes are often on sales as well. Considering they exclusively carry certain products as well, you just don’t have an option sometimes.
I will say however, the marketing can go a bit over the top — receiving phone calls to tell you about new products is unacceptable in my opinion.

Holt Renfrew is where everyone likes to get their ballin’ on. Holt has their own little Prada corner, a Miu Miu corner, a Chanel corner, shoe section, cosmetics, menswear, etc. Lots of glitz and they constantly change up their displays, so visually appealing. Some exclusives to Holt, that you can’t find elsewhere in Toronto with instore selection, is Agent Provocateur, and Jo Malone. I’m sure there’s a ton others, but I’m not going to sit around listing them.
I find the service can vary. Ex, Holt sends their loyal customers gift cards every few months, like $ 100 off every $ 300 spent on apparel. Not bad! But some of the salespeople will tell you that undergarments and outerwear is not apparel. Some others find it perfectly acceptable.
Another way service can vary is how you present yourself while shopping. It’s a bit annoying, but I do find that when I’m dressed to impressed, the service I get is better by FAR, as opposed to when I stop by on just a casual day, and I can walk through the whole store without a greeting. Not great.
The doorman is excellent! I’m sure many people recognize him as the dapper man in a top hat who greets anyone within hearing distance — very pleasant!
Overall Holt can be a fun shopping experience, with some wonderful exclusives. Watch out for those gift cards in the mail!

I’ve been in here a few times for gifts for that special someone, and at first I’ve always tried to avoid it based off of the reviews and what people told me, with regards to snobby employees. My few experiences here were however quite pleasant. I’ve always been asked if I needed help by employees and there always seems to be several employees ready and willing to assist you with all your needs.
The store itself looks a bit dated. To be honest with the amount of revenue they pull in, I figured they would at least renovate the place a bit more. It looks like an old Sears outlet store inside, and the displays are often cluttered or disorganized. It’s relatively easy to find the different departments, but I find I’m usually asking around to find specifically what I am looking for.
They do have loyalty incentives if you shop here a lot as they mail out gift cards, coupons and other assorted promotional things for regular customers. It’s a nice treat considering how hard it is to find a deal off high end merchandise they carry. Overall I’ll probably be back here again for that next special occasion, but I do think the store needs a bit of an update. Compared to the rest of the stores on Bloor, it falls a bit short on the looks department.

Great place to shop if you like stuck up associates who couldn’t care less.
I am planning to return my Gucci purchase, the experience was so bad it ruined the product for me. After I explicitly told u it was a gift, why on earth would u put it in a torn gift box. WFT. Oh right, you don’t give a shit about the customer.
Can’t wait until Nordstrom arrives, your ass will be so handed to you.

Horrible, unenthusiastic, unhelpful sales representative at the Nobis/​Moose Knuckle jacket section on the lower concourse. I came in to purchase a men’s nobis jacket today at around 5:45pm. I was set on getting a size large and this sales rep did not even seem interested in making the sale, helping us look for other store locations that had the size and jacket type. Long story short, due to the atrocious customer service I experienced today, this girl lost her sale. Management — please look into this. How or why do you even hire people like this? I don’t think I’ll be returning to Holt Renfrew on Bloor St. I will stick to Yorkdale.

This review pertains specifically to the Jo Malone fragrance counter at Holts Renfrew Bloor street location.
Holts Renfrew are currently the only distributor of Jo Malone fragrance in Toronto, Canada. I am extremely disappointed at how an employee at Holt Renfrew handled my needs and request to exchange a fragrance and body cream scent which did not suit me purchased and gifted by a friend. Being in fragrance, I would presume she knows fragrance is something very personal and all I wanted was to exchange the body cream and perfume to a different scent which I always use.
Eventhough the body cream and fragrance is new, un opened, same packaging, as Holts Renfrew carried. All the sales associate at Holt Renfrew told me was, it was bought in London it cannot be exchanged. I was terribly disappointed and she didn’t even try, but closed the door of opportunity saying no, no, no.
I was also wiling to upgrade the fragrance to a bigger bottle and pay more. By shutting the door close, Holts not only lost a sale (opportunity to upgrade) but also a loyal customer. Classic case of snobbery from Holts and it’s associates.
Thank you.

Interesting store. It kind of reminds me of a Macys store. The difference is, there are a lot of high end brand names. I did think the selection was a little sparse, and one of the floors smelled like old wet mildewy clothes, but the clothes were beautiful. They had a huge sale going on… maybe that is why the selection wasn’t the best.
We walked into the Donna Karen area and I immediately fell in love with the skirt on the mannequin. I usually «shop off the mannequin», as I am the same size as most of them, which I am really thankful for, because I love it when the sales associates put together cute ensembles and I don’t have to think about it. :)
Anyway, i tried to make eye contact with a salesperson, and the first 4 made it obvious they weren’t trying to be helpful. Another associate sized us up by telling me the price, and mentioning it was a one of a kind DK, and only came in the size 4. A sales associate named Duane came over and was very friendly– to which I am grateful. I’ve rarely had that happen, so it was surprising. The last time we were sized up incorrectly was in Cartier, so we just went to Tiffany’s and bought our jewelry. :)
Duane offered me a water and the skirt. I tried it on, and was in love! It was made for me :). The detailing was amazing, as was the material.
I decided to walk around a bit, since the price was a bit steep -$ 3,400. Yes, that is correct… on sale at 40% off made it slightly less expensive. Well, as much as I loved it, I decided that I’d rather spend that money on a nice bag, a coat or more jewels from Tiffany… Lol.
I’m not going to lie, I can’t justify the price… ever… But it was AWESOME trying on a one of a kind Donna Karen! :) I owned that skirt– if only for 10 minutes. :)

Holts, you dark mistress of debt creation. If I were a wealthy kept woman I would surely be a lady who lunched and shopped here.
You give Barney’s a run for its money and have divas all over Canada thinking pink.
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