Toronto Shopping Spotlight: Bayview Village

For those who fear going North Of Bloor, I’d like to extend an olive branch. Yes, the Great White North can be a scary thing indeed, but we have things you don’t. Like Bayview Village.

Now, I’ll admit that in previous years Bayview Village wasn’t exactly my go-to destination for fun. The mall was run down and the only thing it seemed to offer was a trip to the dentist (shout-out to the wonderful and lovely Dr. Telch) and a follow-up croissant at Timothy’s.

Fast-forward 10 years and you have the beautiful, comfortable-yet-posh mall that I love to spend time in. Bayview Village has undergone a major overhaul, especially in the last two years, with the mall becoming a go-to for haute fashionistas. The carefully curated selection of stores means that it can be your one-stop-shop for anything you might need.

At Bayview Village, you can:

Start your day with a steaming cup of DavidsTea
Channel Kate Middleton by purchasing the perfect Issa dress at Your Choice
Fuel your shoe addiction with some Louboutins or Jimmy Choos at David’s
Take advantage of the latest capsule collection at Banana Republic
Pick up some sassy lingerie or add to your Hanky Panky collection at Linea Intima
Stock up on hostess gifts from Dana Jordan (or the LCBO)
Haute-ify your home at Teatro Verde
Prep for a dinner party at Pusateri’s
Shop for bling at Berani Jewellers
Find the perfect occasion dress at Andrew’s or Lemor
Satisfy your tummy at South St. Burger Co., Oliver & Bonacini, Lettieri and more (coming soon: Origin, Aroma Espresso)

…and so much more. Seriously, the list of retailers is so impressive. Did I mention Bayview Village is now home to Brooks Brothers? Forget Yorkville – Bayview Village is the hautest place to shop.

Teatro Verde at Bayview Village — The all-new Teatro Verde shop at Bayview Village

What sets Bayview Village even further apart from the competition is the amazing customer service – both online and offline. Set in the chandelier-clad ‘lobby’ of the mall is a concierge desk, always eager to help fashionistas.

Online, you’ll find Melissa Evans-Lee and her team manning the mall’s Twitter account, Facebook page and their What’s Haute blog. You might also recognize Melissa from her Melissa’s Musts features – they always send me running to the shops – but she often moonlights as my personal shopping enabler.

One of the things that makes Bayview Village’s social media strategy so successful is the personal connection Melissa and her team manage to make with BV regulars and first-timers alike. Whether a shopping has a clothing query or is merely tweeting during a visit, a response from Bayview Village is imminent.

See that tweet above? The conversation could have ended there, but Melissa and Douglas from the Bayview Village team responded with their shoe picks for me. Now that’s customer service.