Stores

Mark Your Calendars: It’s Warehouse Sale Season in Vancouver

The Aritzia and Oak and Fort warehouse sales are back to threaten your bank balances, patience and self-control.

By Lucy Lau /

Vancouver may get its fair share of flak for its decidedly, erm, laidback fashion leanings (here, leggings aren’t only pants, but a way of life) but real style sleuths know that we’re actually home to a wealth of respected retail heavyweights: Arc’teryx, Lululemon, Reigning Champ, Native Shoes, Gentle Fawn—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

And while I’d expect there to be a few more perks of sharing a home with a company as big as, say, Aritzia (it’s 2019—why am I, a resident of Metro Vancouver, paying $8 for shipping on online orders below $150, when it’s coming from mere kilometres away in New West?), at least the brand gives locals the chance to save some moolah on its increasingly pricey womenswear at an annual warehouse sale. Indeed, if you haven’t seen the lines snaking across Canada Place in past years (shoppers have lined up as early as 4 a.m.) that signal the start of the Aritzia warehouse sale, you’ve likely heard, at least in passing, of the treacherous conditions (crowded communal fitting rooms, hot temps made worse by an excess of sweat and body heat, and just general disorganized chaos) that many Vancouverites will endure for a discounted puffer jacket.

In recent years, Oak and Fort—another local clothing brand—has also gotten in on the warehouse sale action, hosting its own blowout only one week before Aritzia throws its well-attended affair. The conditions at Oak and Fort’s iteration are the same as Aritz’s (items are marked up to 80 percent off their retail price and merchandise is added daily; ditch large purses to avoid bag check and wear for layers for easy try-ons). You’ll want to arrive early for this one, too: I wouldn’t put it past folks to get their camp on the night before the sale. There are 60-percent-off jumpsuits and linen blazers to be had, after all.

Check out the full dates and times for this year’s Oak and Fort warehouse sale and the Aritzia warehouse sale below. And, if you’re making the brave choice to attend, godspeed.

Credit: Oak and Fort

Oak and Fort Warehouse Sale

When: Friday, August 23: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.

Saturday, August 24: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.

Sunday, August 25: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Where: Vancouver Convention Centre (East building, exhibition hall B), 999 Canada Place

More info: ca.oakandfort.com/vancouver-warehouse-sale-2019

Aritzia Warehouse Sale     

When: Wednesday, August 28: 7 a.m.–9 p.m.

Thursday, August 29: 7 a.m.–9 p.m.

Friday, August 30: 7 a.m.–9 p.m.

Saturday, August 31: 7 a.m.–9 p.m.

Sunday, September 1: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Monday, September 2: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Where: Vancouver Convention Centre (West building), 1055 Canada Place        

More info: aritzia.com/warehouse-sale