Williams-Sonoma to open its first store in Edmonton

Iconic Kitchen Brand Comes to West Edmonton Mall

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Sept. 21, 2012 /CNW/ - Williams-Sonoma, a premier specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home, will open its first store in Edmonton, at West Edmonton Mall, on September 22, 2012.  The store will mark Williams-Sonoma's seventh location in Canada.

Grand opening weekend celebrations will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 22.  Store activities will include ongoing interactive product demonstrations ranging from knife skills to Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Favorites, cook top demonstrations and samplings from local Edmonton chefs and artisans such as The Art of Cake and Luxe Steakhouse, plus an interactive kids' station.

"We are excited to bring Williams-Sonoma to Edmonton. This ideal location at West Edmonton Mall allows us to respond to customers in western Canada who are interested in high quality kitchenware," said Patrick J. Connolly, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.  "We always knew we wanted to bring the Williams-Sonoma brand into the Edmonton market, since customers from all over Alberta shop our Calgary store."

Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams in Sonoma, California, the first Williams-Sonoma store sold an array of high-quality, classic French cooking equipment, including unique items like omelet pans and soufflé molds, which until then had not been available in North America. Since then, Williams-Sonoma has been bringing people together around food, providing world-class service and an engaging customer experience.

Williams-Sonoma's 7,000 square foot store will offer an exceptional selection of cookware, bakeware, cooks' tools, cutlery, electrics, tabletop and bar, housewares and linens, along with distinctive foods, cooking ingredients and a comprehensive cookbook library. The store also will feature a professional demonstration kitchen for cooking classes, complimentary technique classes and tastings conducted by expert culinary staff and guest chefs.  Interactive stations throughout the store will allow customers to experience and test products before purchase, and a comprehensive gift registry program for weddings and other special events will be available in store.

Online shopping is available to Canadians at www.williams-sonoma.com. In Canada, all costs are inclusive of duty and shipping rates are comparable to the U.S.

Follow Williams-Sonoma on Twitter: @WilliamsSonoma; Facebook: facebook.com/WilliamsSonoma.

ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing seven distinct merchandise strategies - Williams-Sonoma (cookware and wedding registry), Pottery Barn (furniture and bridal registry), Pottery Barn Kids (kids' furniture and baby registry), PBteen (girls' bedding and boys' bedding), West Elm (modern furniture and room decor), Williams-Sonoma Home (luxury furniture and decorative accessories) and Rejuvenation (lighting and hardware) - are marketed through 579 stores, seven direct mail catalogs and six e-commerce websites.  Williams-Sonoma, Inc. currently operates in the United States and Canada, offers international shipping to customers worldwide, and franchises its brands throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

SOURCE: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

Carla MacNeil, Jane Gill & Associates, 416.518.1780, [email protected]
Andrea Stevens, Jane Gill & Associates, 647.388.9958, [email protected]