Holt Renfrew & Company

I have been a Holt shopper for many years, however at times I have a love/​hate relationship with them. I am a shopaholic and this place is dangerous for me. It’s my «crack».
Since the renovation Holt’s is A LOT nicer, bigger and I find it more organized!
I must say I do love the LV, Chanel and Hermes boutiques the best. I don’t often buy in them, but a girl can dream, right.
I find the staff is hit and miss. Just depends which area you’re in. The shoe area is the best since honestly they have the nicest and most attentive staff in that section… not to mention a great selection of shoes!
I like to venture here on the weekends since parking is free or pretty close to it. If you make a purchase, get your parking stamped and its free. If you don’t, I believe it’s a couple dollars for 2 hours of parking.
All in all Holt’s has been around a long time and glad they are still in the core.

So the crotch wore out on the suit I bought in less than a year and well I was blamed for the wear and tear. I decided that since I could still get a staff discount through my girlfriend I would still order a replacement pair of pants for the suit. They asked for a 100% deposit and after seven months we checked to see what was going on.
Believe it or not they did not even order the pants. We got our refund and I don’t think they will ever see a penny from me again. Try Nordstroms, better service and it seems that they are poaching lots of staff from Holts.

The worst experience I have ever ever had at a Holts.
I ordered a Mackage jacket that had to be shipped from another location in Canada but the sales associate assured me that there would be NO issue at all getting the coat as there were many left of the size that I wanted in other stores. She charged me for the jacket and said I would have to wait about a week to a week and a half.
More than a week later I called Holt only to find out that my order had been CANCELLED. She didn’t even know why but the only reason she found it it was cancelled was because I called… So basically if I didn’t call they would have kept my money. I don’t understand why the sales associate would not inform me immediately that i that it been cancelled especially if I’m spending close to a grand just on a jacket.
She told me she would try to rerequest it and would call me back soon… A week later nothing from her. So I had to call AGAIN and the same sales associate picked up and said she would check and then would call or text me if that was okay that same day. I said of course. Hours pass by and of course nothing from her. So I had to call again and all she said was «I forgot to call you» uhh??? Then she goes on to explaining that my order was cancelled again but she would issue a refund.
Worst customer service ever. It’s so disappointing to shop at a place that is considered high-​end and somewhere where you would expect would to have astonishing service for the amount of money you are spending. But nope, not at all. They treat you as if money is nothing.
Another thing is that the sales associates NEVER pick up. It always goes directly to their «voicemail» which even if you leave something, be sure you will NOT get a phone call back. I have called over 20+ times only to have someone pick up maybe ²⁄₂₀ times. It’s RIDICULOUS. Why even put a voicemail service if nobody bothers to call you back?
Lesson learned is DON’T order something from Holt. You’re better off directly ordering it from a website like
and paying the shipping fees. I have wasted 2 weeks waiting for a jacket that was «cancelled».
The absolute worst customer service ever. It makes me never want to shop at Holt again.

I can not always afford to shop here, but when I can. It is just about the greatest thing. You have to treat yourself every so often, and girls this is the place to treat yourself. The Staff here is usually very attentive and knows there stuff. I do not know if they are on commission here, but every so often you get an overly ambitious sales person. This one time last year I am buying a LV bag and the sales guy puts a LV key ring on my bag without asking me. When I pay for my purchase it is $ 500 more than I was told. He goes oh the Key Ring is $ 495.00. I get him to remove it and he gives me a dirty look. It kind of pissed me off. Other wise I would have given this review 5 stars. I have bought 4 bags her over the last few years and always had a great experience, except for that one time.

Two experiences combined to give this rating — one was outstanding the other not so much!
Outstanding — shoe department. I went in looking for a pair of Burberry ballet flats. I found two pairs I was torn between — one black one brown. Not once did I feel the pressure from the sales assistant helping me, or was I made to feel like I was looking at only Burberry and not the Valentinos (gorgeous yes, but twice the price). I finally settled on a splurge and bought both. The sales assistant was just fantastic — he listened to me mither away and try to pick on over the other. The contstant this pair, that pair on my feet walking around the floor trying to decide. He never once faltered in his cheerful helpfullness.
Horrific — watches. I had spotted a MK watch I wanted. Gorgeous rose gold, swarovski crystals all over the place. I don’t generally wear a watch anymore, becuase I have a cell phone. But this one was stunning, a time piece not just a watch. I tried it on. I wasn’t quite sure. Rather than being patient with me, the sales assistant was short and curt with me. I handed her back the watch and told her I just needed to think about it, and it was like I had taken food from her children.
I happened to go by the MK boutique in Southcentre, and the watch was there so I thought I would try it on and check the price — it was $ 200 LESS than at HR. So I bought it happily. I love it :)
Unlike the HR assistant, the MK girls were brilliant.
I find it is hit and miss with HR sometimes — and by that I mean the service is either out of this world outstanding (shoes) or 180 degrees the other way and absolutely horrific — the kind of service that make people unsure of even crossing the threshold.

You know what, I really like Holts.
I like Holts because in 2010 I inherited my grandmother’s vintage mink coat and needed a professional to reshape and condition it; and Holts delivered.
The end result of working with the fur salon was a jacket that is a prized piece in my closet — not to mention that after re-​lining and conditioning, it now counts itself among one of my more highly valued items.
The staff are very professional, helpful, knowledgeable and have a no-​pressure approach. They let me hum and haw over a design and new liner for weeks before making a decision; and after everything was finished, the result was beautiful. With the leftover cuttings from the fur, I was able to have Holts make my mom a mink shawl and we still have enough for other female cousins in the family.
Every summer, Holts diligently stores my heirloom jacket in a temperature controlled, insured location and will re-​condition it if I ask. My grandfather would be pleased to know that the jacket he got his wife so many years ago is being so well handled.
For anyone inheriting fur they wish to keep, recondition, re-​cut or have made into scarves, I recommend the fur salon at Holts.
T.

Coming from Edmonton and our dismally small Holt Renfrew, I had to stop for a moment when I walked in the door of Calgary’s Holt location. The store is large, much, much larger than Edmonton, and beautifully laid out, with large areas to browse, multiple floors and many windows. There are numerous boutiques located within the store (Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tiffany & Co., Gucci and Hermes), and I was impressed by the selection in all departments. The shoe department was especially fun to browse, with shoes from every high end shoe designer you would hope to see in a store like this.
Unfortunately the store doesn’t have the service to match it’s impressive esthetic and selection. I was dressed well, in a business suit with styled hair and appropriate make-​up, but in 20 minutes of browsing, I was not greeted by a single salesperson. I walked past many bored looking staff, and even looked at them, but didn’t receive any smiles or offers of help finding anything. When I had decided which shoes I wanted to try on, I finally made eye contact with a salesman who said hello… and kept on walking past me. I chased him down and asked for sizes, and he was very helpful after that, but it seems that the aloof attitude of sales staff is the name of the game at Holt Renfrew, regardless of location.

What can I say «heaven» a lot of fun and a lot of restraint needed! ‚;-)
Go with cash no cc or debit. I went way over… To many pretty things!!!

I had probably one of the most «5 star» experience with Jenn in the handbag department. Jenn was nothing but helping & kind! I was on a hunt for a certain purse for weeks & don’t live close to Holts, I called asking for that specific bag & told her about my hunt for it! She had one in stock & asked if I would like her to send me a picture of it to make sure it was the right one & I didn’t waste my time (soooo handy!)
sure enough it was the right one & she put it aside for me. When I got there she wasn’t there but the bag was waiting for me! She later checked in with me to make sure I had gotten the bag & was happy with it. she was so sweet! I can honestly say I will only shop when she is working!

Glad to see that Calgary has finally gotten a «flagship» style store and new digs. Years ago, it was kind of a pittance.
I haven’t been living here long (from Vancouver) but I have been in a few times to buy a few things.
Most recently a Mackage jacket — great help in that ladies section — Thanks Teresa!!!
Pricing is, well, high end pricing. They can order in for you nearly anything you desire.
I haven’t tried the personal shopping services, but I’m sure they’re great. The older staff at this location are fabulous to deal with. Most of the younger ones are kind of aloof/don’t know what they’re talking about. With the exception of one younger asian gal at the Gucci bag shop — she’s good.
Pretty good selection of sunglasses, watches and trinkets.
For a city with very few boutique shops, you’re kind of left shopping from Holt, but it’s been fine so far.

Nice merchandise, but I haven’t had good service at Holt’s. The latest disappointment was paying nearly $ 400 for a pair of shoes to have the heel come apart after one wearing. Not Holt’s fault, but they wouldn’t exchange them for another pair because they had been worn once, so they had to be repaired. They then told me that it would take them at least a month to have them fixed. When I balked, the manager said she would have them sent to an outside repair shop so they would be done quicker. Which she obviously didn’t do, because six weeks later they finally called me to tell me they were ready to be picked up.

Wow! This Holt is huge compared to the one in Edmonton. Three floors of every high end designer you could imagine! The renos make this place beautiful and there always seems to be a large sale selection. Lunch time doesn’t seem to be the most ideal time to go as it’s crazy busy with people shopping on their lunch hour. I love all the little stores that are part of Holt: Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton, Prada etc. The shoe section is unbelievable and bag selection is something to be jealous of. Overall I think Calgary Holt has much more to offer and way better brands than Edmonton.

My favourite Canadian store! I am originally from Toronto so have been spoiled with large and numerous Holt stores. However, this one is a great size and very modern looking. I like how it is always organized and lots of employees ready to help. The shoe section is my favourite then Chanel and LV (quite big).
Free parking Sat/​Sun underground for less than 2 or 3 hours.

I seem to have a different experience with the staff than many reviewers. I find that as soon as I tell one I’m just looking, I’ll have yet another one following me in one long chain. I know some people appreciate that kind of service, but I hate it. I want to be able to browse in peace until I need assisstance.
Besides that annoyance, Holts is okay. I find their selection to be somewhat lacking at times and they don’t have my favourite brands that they have in their other stores (JPG for one.)
However, I have gotten some really nice things from there and their end of season sales can be pretty good too.

Holts used to be one of my go to places, I did most of my shopping there. I have yet to go to Holts in a couple years (I have a plethora of horror stories from this place).
My main reason for stopping shopping here is the service. On my days off I don’t wear pant suits, heels or have my hair done for that matter fact, and I don’t appreciate being treated like a begger, as I not dressed to my nines on a Sunday afternoon. They are judgemental, rude and sometimes won’t even give you the time of day.
I purchase my goods online now from the actual retailers, or Neiman & Saks. I refuse to give anymore money to this place.

Loving the new store since the renovation! The shoe department is fabulous. Some days it is hard to stay away. But then again, it’s nice to know there’s a place close to my office where I can go to buy a little trinket at Links of London or Tiffany when I’m feeling blue!

So glad that Holts completed the renovation! I know… I’m about a year late to comment on the renos. Love the bright and open atmosphere. The entire TD mall is really shaping up to be a great shopping destination. With the 3 hour free parking on evenings and weekends, why wouldn’t you shop downtown?
While I can’t afford to shop exclusively at Holts, I like to get a few pieces each season (contemporary designers only, no luxury designers for me). I appreciate the selection that is mostly only otherwise available at American department stores. For anyone who hasn’t been to Holts, check it out! If the price is a turnoff, they do have some amazing sales, and not everything is crazy expensive.
The only reason I can’t give Holts a 5-​star rating is the service. I agree with Elle C. about the attitudes of the sales people, although they are not all bad apples. In some departments I feel totally ignored, especially in the casual side of the contemporary womens section. The wall of jeans is the worst! It is impossible to find a style and usually no one offers to assist. But, the sales associates who work in the other half of the contemporary department (Theory especially) are very friendly. The grey-​haired man that works in handbags is also very helpful and friendly, not to mention easy on the eyes ;)

This place gets +1 star for stepping up and finally renovating to be on-​par to the rest of the Holts across Canada. But this location needs to wake up. I spend ALOT of money on my work wardrobe and I’d rather wait till I get to go to Nordies or NM or Saks.
The service is absolute ****. Alot of the service associates have a glorified sense of self worth, and will leave you wandering for 20 minutes while they chat with other associates before they can «be bothered» to help you. The other ones will point you in a general direction loaded with attitude. Makes me wonder why they hire people that feel like they’re too good to serve the paying customer.
Personal shoppers or assistance? Never seem them.
The seasonal items? Always last to get to this location. A catalogue will arrive at my door and the items won’t be in store for another month. This seems to be a store wide problem, from clothing, accessories to cosmetics.
The look of Holt has definately changed but everything else has not. The only reason why this place still thrives is because Calgary does not have a Nordies or Saks, so they take full advantage of their position. Very dissapointing.

What can I say about this store that hasn’t already been said? They have a chic bathroom? I love the simple graphic of the W on the door (see photos)?
The new Flagship store Holt Renfrew, shines ever so brightly from afar in the night, pink geometric lighted tiles grace the upper corset of the building and send a beacon to Calgarians that their new fashion Icon has finally arrived.
This three floored monster is so beautiful that it attracted tons of people shopping there today. 60% discounts saw earrings once priced at $ 600 marked down to $ 250. Can I afford a pair of earrings at $ 250? No, well how about this white t-​shirt with one breast pocket at $ 265? Yes fellow Unilocalers this is where people with money shop. They visit their old friends Luis, Prada, Stella and Yves here. This is without a doubt the most glamorous and most expensive store in downtown Calgary, probably in all of Alberta. But it is also without a doubt the most exclusive and trend setting.
The store is also very beautiful to look at, kind of like the anticipation of a shooting star or the magic of the northern lights, it is so clean and bright and shiny, and every corner, every curve and every recess is filled with gorgeous chic clothing and accessories.
It is worth just coming down with the family and simply walking around; treat it like a new fashion botanical garden if you will.
Holt Renfrew is every fashionista’s dream and if you don’t have the money can be every fashionista’s nightmare.

Today I went downtown to check out the new Holt Renfrew. I carefully stepped through the construction zone that is still TD and then into a burst of lights and candy coated colours that make up the best department store ever. I had reached fashionista heaven.
It was three floors of amazing, and I immediately started identifying with Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic series. There they were, all of my favourite designers’ new collections calling my name: Dolce and Gabbana, DSquared, Coach, everything a girl’s heart could possibly want. My credit cards ached just looking at the storefront but my mouth was working overtime, drooling all over the dresses. Below the woman’s ready to wear lay a floor full of accessories and the floor above was full of fashionable menswear.
Even though I was such a hot mess (reaching heaven can do that to a girl), the staff were very courteous. After the initial courtesy check in each section they would stay within eyesight but not obtrusively so, and they were quite approachable.
The Holt Renfrew in Calgary (the flagship store) is a beautiful haven for fashion lovers and rich people alike. If you’ve taken up recessionista chic, it’s a good place to soak up some eye candy. And if you don’t understand why someone would pay more than $ 50 on a shirt, steer clear.