Urban Planet
{{Short description|Clothing retailer in Canada}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Urban Planet
| logo = UrbanPlanetKingswayMall2.jpg
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Subsidiary
| logo_caption = Urban Planet at Kingsway Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| foundation = 1989
| location = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| key_people =
| locations = 100+
| parent = YM Inc.
| industry = Apparel
| products = Men's and women's clothing, jeans, shoes, and fashion accessories.
| num_employees =
| subsid = Urban Behavior
| revenue =
| website = https://urban-planet.com/
}}
File:UrbanBehaviorKingswayMall.jpg in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.]]
Urban Planet, also known as Urban Behavior, is a unisex apparel retailer in Canada with a focus on clothes for young adults and teenagers.{{Cite web |url=http://toronto.beforelastcall.com/intouch/39/urban_behaviour_is_style_a_lifestyle.html |title=Urban Behaviour is style... |access-date=2008-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615021219/http://toronto.beforelastcall.com/intouch/39/urban_behaviour_is_style_a_lifestyle.html |archive-date=2008-06-15 |url-status=dead }}[http://ifdb.co/ The Internet Fashion Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514200521/http://ifdb.co/ |date=2011-05-14 }} Retrieved and verified on 2011-05-29 A fast fashion chain, it has been acquired by YM Inc.
The store is mostly popular with people trying to keep up with today's fashion trends. Urban Planet targets teenage to young adult consumers with focus on affordability.{{Cite web |url=http://www.urbanbehaviour.com/ |title=Company website |access-date=2008-10-18 |archive-date=2008-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220120501/http://urbanbehaviour.com/ |url-status=dead }} It has over 100 locations across Canada.{{Cite web |title=YM Inc. Fashion House |url=https://ym-inc.com/#message |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=YM Inc. |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |title=Urban Behaviour {{!}} Square One Shopping Centre |url=https://shopsquareone.com/store/urban-behaviour/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Square One |language=en-US}}
History
Urban Planet and Urban Behavior have stores located all across Canada, the Eastern United States, and formerly the Middle East. All mall-based stores operate as unisex locations. The outlet locations in Toronto were divided along male and female clothing lines.{{Cite web |last=Porpora |first=Tracey |date=2017-07-31 |title=Urban Planet now open in the Staten Island Mall |url=https://www.silive.com/news/2017/07/urban_planet_to_open_in_the_st.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=silive |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Yarr |first=Kevin |date=January 19, 2017 |title=Urban Planet opening at Charlottetown Mall |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-urban-planet-charlottetown-mall-1.3942707 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |website=cbc.ca}}{{Cite web |last=Grech |first=Ron |date=January 15, 2013 |title=Urban Planet fills Zellers void |url=https://www.timminspress.com/2013/01/15/urban-planet-fills-zellers-void |access-date=March 19, 2025 |website=timminspress.com}}
In July 2008, CMT America Corporation, Urban Behavior's corporate parent in the United States, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Many of the US stores have subsequently been closed. The company has maintained its Canadian stores and continues a wholesale presence in the United States.[http://www.risnews.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=2E3DABA5396D4649BABC55BEADF2F8FD&tier=4&id=6ADDDFE675624B67A2D1FD4063A61D6C Toxic Economy Shutters More Stores] In June 2011, CMT Canada, Urban Behavior's corporate parent, filed a Notice of Intention to Make a Proposal (“NOI”) pursuant to the provisions of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”). The NOI is a restructuring process and did not proceed to a liquidation or bankruptcy of the retailer. Approximately 24 of the existing 120 store locations across Canada were planned to be closed by August 31.[http://www.farberfinancial.com/Portals/43526/docs/cmt%20motion%20record%20dec%2015%202011.pdf December 15, 2011 hearing] Urban Planet opened a store in New York in 2017.{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-01-14 |title=A Toronto Urban Planet Is Having A Massive Liquidation Sale |url=https://www.styledemocracy.com/a-toronto-urban-planet-is-having-a-massive-liquidation-sale/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=StyleDemocracy |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2019-05-24 |title=Urban Planet is coming back to North Bay |url=https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/urban-planet-is-coming-back-to-north-bay-1471779 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=BayToday.ca |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=John |date=2019-01-04 |title=‘Very sad’: Urban Planet to close as Mark’s taking over Renfrew location |url=https://www.insideottawavalley.com/business/very-sad-urban-planet-to-close-as-mark-s-taking-over-renfrew-location/article_0f475d96-de73-50e2-955e-976c08e9203c.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=InsideOttawaValley.com |language=en}}
YM Inc. acquired Urban Behaviour in 2011 and had previously acquired Urban Planet years earlier. Urban Behavior was founded in 1989 by Arif Noor.{{cite web| url=https://ym-inc.com/ | title=YM Inc. Fashion House | access-date=2024-01-24}} It is now a sub-brand of Urban Planet, with 22 stores in Canada as of February 2021.{{Cite web |title=Urban Planet x Forever 21{{!}}Find A Store |url=https://urban-planet.com/pages/store-finder |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Urban Planet |language=en}} Following the closure of Forever 21 stores in Canada, Urban Planet carries Forever 21 clothing items inside their stores and online.{{Cite web |title=Forever 21 just relaunched in Canada but people are already unimpressed |url=https://www.blogto.com/fashion_style/2020/11/forever-21-relaunch-canada-people-unimpressed/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=www.blogto.com |language=en}} Urban Planet also carries children clothes under the Urban Kids banner, and accessories.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-14 |title=Forever 21 Returning To Canada - Retail & Leisure International |url=https://www.rli.uk.com/forever-21-returning-to-canada/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |language=en-GB}}
The chain has had controversies in the past. In 2016, the store was under fire for firing an employee after she had an allergic reaction on the job.{{Cite news |last=Biber |first=Francois |date=June 24, 2016 |title=Urban Planet CEO apologizes to woman fired after an allergic reaction |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-woman-fired-urban-planet-1.3650439 |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=CBC/Radio-Canada}} In 2019, Urban Planet apologized after a racially insensitive word was used on merchandise.{{Cite news |date=October 2, 2019 |title='This word is our N-word': Indigenous teacher asks Urban Planet to drop racial slur |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/offensive-term-remove-urban-planet-1.5305540 |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=CBC/Radio-Canada}}{{Cite news |date=October 4, 2019 |title=Urban Planet responds to request for removal of racial slur |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/urban-planet-responds-racial-slur-1.5309008 |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=CBC/Radio-Canada}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://ifdb.co/labels/urban_behavior/63 The Internet Fashion Database]
Category:Companies based in Toronto
Category:Clothing companies established in 1989
Category:Retail companies established in 1989
Category:Clothing brands of Canada
Category:Clothing retailers of Canada
Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008