Birks Group facts for kids
The logo of the Birks banner on a jewellery box
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| Public | |
| Traded as | AMEX: BGI |
| Industry | Luxury goods |
| Founder | Henry Birks |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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Key people
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Jean-Christophe Bédos (CEO) |
Birks Group Inc. is a famous company that designs, makes, and sells beautiful jewellery, watches, silver items, and gifts. They have stores and factories in both Canada and the United States. The company was formed in November 2005 when two companies, Henry Birks and Sons Ltd. from Canada and Mayors Jewelers Inc. from the U.S., joined together.
Birks Group has its main office in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Their American offices are located in Tamarac, Florida.
Contents
History of Birks Group
How Henry Birks Started
The story of Birks Group began in 1879. That's when Henry Birks opened a small jewellery shop in Montreal.
Henry Birks started his shop with about CAD$3,000. It was on Saint James Street, which was a busy business area in Montreal. In 1893, Henry teamed up with his three sons: William, John, and Gerald. Because of this, the company's name changed to Henry Birks and Sons. As Montreal's main shopping area moved north, the Birks store also moved. In 1894, it opened in a new spot on Phillips Square. The company still has a store and offices there today.
Starting in 1901, Birks began to open stores all across Canada. They opened shops in the country's biggest cities. Sometimes, they bought local jewellery stores and added their name to them. For example, the store in Toronto became Birks-Ryrie. The famous store on Phillips Square in Montreal opened in 1907.
In 1934, Birks received a special honor called a Royal Warrant of Appointment. This meant they were official suppliers to the Royal Family. In December 1934, Birks opened its first store in Vancouver. In 1954, the first shopping mall in Canada opened in Dorval. Birks was the first jewellery store to open inside a shopping mall.
In 1953, Henry Birks and Sons bought another company called Roden Bros. Ltd.. This company made silver dishes, cutlery, crystal, and medals.
In 1955, the company won a legal case against the City of Montreal. The city had tried to make them close on certain holidays. Birks argued they should be able to decide their own business hours.
Becoming a Public Company
In 1993, Jonathan Birks sold the company to an Italian company called Iniziativa Regaluxe SrL. Later, the Birks Group became a "publicly traded" company. This means its shares can be bought and sold on the stock market, using the symbol BGI.
In 2001, the company completely updated its main store on Phillips Square in Montreal.
In November 2005, Henry Birks and Sons Ltd. from Canada and Mayors Jewelers Inc. from the U.S. joined together. They created a new company called the Birks & Mayors Group.
In 2007, Birks was chosen to be the official supplier of jewellery for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The Birks store in Ottawa was also a place where official visitors to Parliament would get gifts. A famous freestyle skier, Jennifer Heil, was a spokesperson for the company.
In 2013, the Birks Group changed its name from Birks & Mayors to simply the Birks Group.
Growing Internationally
The Birks Group sold the Mayors chain of stores in 2017. This deal helped Birks focus on growing its own brand around the world. As part of the agreement, Birks jewellery collections are still sold in 16 Mayors stores in the U.S. This change allowed Birks to expand internationally, starting with the UK in October 2017.
A month after launching in the UK, Birks became very popular. This happened when Meghan Markle wore a pair of their 18K yellow gold and opal earrings. She wore them for her official engagement announcement to Prince Harry. This publicity made many people want Birks jewellery, and some items quickly sold out online. It is believed that Meghan Markle really likes Birks jewellery and has bought several pieces.
What Birks Group Does
Maison Birks designs, makes, and sells jewellery, watches, silver items, and gifts. They have stores and factories in Canada and the United States. As of October 2017, they run stores under two different names. There are 28 Maison Birks stores across Canada (which used to be called Birks). They also have 2 Brinkhaus stores in Vancouver and Calgary.
Maison Birks has six main stores in big cities. These are in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
The company also runs one store that sells only Rolex watches. This store is located in Orlando.
Awards Birks Has Won
- 1998: Diamond International award
- 2004: Diamonds: Nature's Miracle award
- 2018: World Branding Awards
Archives
There are historical records about the Birks Family. These are kept at Library and Archives Canada. You can find them using the reference number R1481.
