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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Number of locations
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30 |
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Key people
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Jean-Christophe Bédos (CEO) |
| Revenue |  C$185.3 million (2024) |
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Operating income
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C$73.6 million (2024) |
Birks Group Inc. is a company that designs, makes, and sells beautiful things like 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.
The main office for Birks Group is in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They also have offices in Tamarac, Florida for their American operations.
Contents
Birks Group: A Look at Its History
How Birks Started: Henry Birks and Sons
The story of Birks Group began in 1879. That's when a man named Henry Birks opened a small jewellery shop in Montreal.
Henry Birks invested about CAD$3,000 to start his shop on Saint James Street. This area was the busy financial and business heart of Montreal. In 1893, Henry brought his three sons, William, John, and Gerald, into the business. The company then became known as Henry Birks and Sons.
As Montreal's main shopping area moved north, the Birks store also moved. In 1894, they opened a new store on Phillips Square. This location is still home to a Birks store and their main offices today.
Growing Across Canada
Starting in 1901, Birks began to open stores in other big cities across Canada. Sometimes, they bought existing local jewellery stores and added the Birks name to them. For example, the store in Toronto was called Birks-Ryrie, and the one in Winnipeg was Birks-Dingwall. The famous store on Phillips Square in Montreal officially 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. Then, in 1954, when the first shopping center in Canada opened in Dorval, Birks was the first jewellery store to open inside it.
In 1953, Henry Birks and Sons bought another company called Roden Bros. Ltd.. This company made silver items, cut crystal, and medals.
Becoming a Public Company
In 1993, Jonathan Birks sold the company to an Italian company called Iniziativa Regaluxe SrL. Today, Birks Group is a publicly traded company. This means its shares can be bought and sold on the stock market under 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 United States joined together. They formed a new company called Birks & Mayors Group.
In 2007, Birks was chosen as the official supplier of jewellery for the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver. The company also had a famous spokesperson, the freestyle skier Jennifer Heil.
In 2013, the company changed its name from Birks & Mayors to the Birks Group.
In 2015, there was some discussion when Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, wore some Birks jewellery to meet Queen Elizabeth II. One piece was a maple leaf brooch that Birks had loaned to her. This led to questions about whether it was right to accept such a valuable loan.
Expanding to the UK
In 2017, Birks Group sold the Mayors chain of stores (which started in Ohio in 1910) to another company called Aurum. As part of this deal, Birks Brand jewellery continued to be sold in 16 Mayors stores in the U.S. This sale helped Birks Group focus on growing internationally, starting with the UK in October 2017.
Just one 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 for her official engagement announcement to Prince Harry. This news made many people want to buy Birks jewellery online, and some items quickly sold out. Meghan Markle is said to really like Birks jewellery and has bought several pieces from them.
What Birks Group Does Today
Maison Birks is a company that 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 operate stores under two different names: 28 Maison Birks stores across Canada (which used to be called Birks) and 2 Brinkhaus stores in Vancouver and Calgary.
Maison Birks has six main stores in big Canadian cities: Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
The company also runs one store in Orlando that sells only Rolex brand watches.
Awards and Recognition
Birks Group has received several awards for its work:
- 1998: Diamond International award
- 2004: Diamonds: Nature's Miracle award
- 2018: World Branding Awards
