BUSINESS: Retailers SEE Eyewear Expects to Open its First Canadian Location in Toronto Next Month By Staff Friday, August 4, 2017 12:24 AM SOUTHFIELD, Mich.—With its presence established in many key U.S. markets, SEE Eyewear is ready to enter Canada with its first location later this summer. It will mark the company’s third new-store opening this year, SEE chief executive officer Richard Golden told VMail in a telephone interview earlier this week. “We’re always looking at [real estate opportunities],” he said. SEE, a privately-held retailer, markets and sells a unique proprietary or private label assortment of frames and sunglasses. It currently operates 40 stores in 17 states after opening new locations in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Memphis, Tenn., earlier this year. The SEE boutique in Toronto—located in the trendy and upscale Yorkville area—is expected to open on or about Sept. 1, Golden said. He noted that there are plans for SEE to enter additional new markets in 2018, but he declined to specify further until the details are finalized. “I never count any deal until it’s signed,” he said. The new Toronto location, like most of SEE’s locations, is about 1,000-square feet of retail space with a product assortment that is a mix of sophistication and style. “But not ritzy or stuffy,” Golden said. He noted that the company prefers to open stores in urban areas with a SoHo-type feel. Golden said SEE’s business is trending in a positive direction this year. “We’re up, but we want to be more up,” he said. The target consumer for SEE is someone “who wants great-looking eyewear, but doesn't want to pay for designer brands,” Golden has explained.