Retail

Scandinavia meets Japan at Mjölk (pronounced “mi-yelk”; it’s Swedish for “milk”). With a focus on high-end design and clean aesthetics, it’s a labour of love for husband-and-wife team John Baker and Juli Daoust. Their meticulous selection of pieces ranges from classic Danish furniture by Finn Juhl to beautifully crafted houseware from Oji Masanori. The couple partner with their favourite designers to develop products that espouse their vision of impeccable craftsmanship, documenting the collaborations in a self-published magazine series.

Blue Button Shop is a staple among Toronto’s fine array of independent clothing retailers, founded in Toronto’s west end in 2013 by Tamae Miyazaki and Brian Cheuk. With a well-curated selection of womenswear, menswear, accessories and stationery the shop has fostered a loyal local following. The labels stocked at Blue Button Shop are largely Japanese, giving Canadian shoppers flight-free access to the best in new and classic Japanese design, including eyewear by Grapes and Celadon, clothing by Kapital and ceramics by Mino Pottery.
bluebuttonshop.com

A fine array of nicely curated bottle shops, stocked with vintages and brews by independent producers from across Canada and further afield, have opened across Toronto in the past few years, following the relaxation of the region’s rigid alcohol-sales laws. Among the most charming of these is Bottega Volo, opened in 2021 and housed inside the art deco lobby of The Royal Cinema, a neighbourhood cinema in Little Italy. Well-stocked shelves of natural, sparkling and orange wines from Canada, Sweden, France and Spain share the space with beers by some of Toronto’s best independent breweries. There is also a pantry, where you can stock up on locally produced cheeses, snacks and cured meats to pair with a tipple or two of your choice.
bottegavolo.com

Issues, a new independent magazine shop in Little Portugal in Toronto’s west end, opened in the summer of 2022. Founded by Nicola Hamilton, a graphic designer and award-winning art director for several Canadian magazines, it has quickly become a neighbourhood hub. The intimate space, designed by Toronto-based studio Company Company, boasts a large, well-curated inventory of newer and more established print titles from across Canada and beyond. It also regularly hosts magazine launches, workshops and discussions with founders, editors and writers of some of the fine array of harder-to-find indies stocked on its shelves.       issuesmagshop.com

Toronto’s first and only cocktail shop takes an all-encompassing approach to the craft, carrying everything from recipe books and Japanese bar tools to absinthe fountains and vintage glassware. “BYOB has a large range of products sourced from around the globe,” says founder Kristen Voisey. “We’re a one-stop shop for all beginners looking to set up home bars.” Besides selling all the equipment you could ever need to get mixing, BYOB is home to the largest collection of cocktail ingredients in North America, with more than 200 different types of bitters from around the world.

Our Canadian home follows the same shop-bureau format as our outposts in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. Observe our team members as they busy themselves with stories for forthcoming issues and browse the full range of products and collaborations with our favourite partners, such as Porter, Delfonics and Comme des Garçons. It’s also where you can plug the gaps in your collection of past issues of Monocle and choose from our expanding collection of books.