Peggy Byron opened Boutique Au Lit Montreal in 1981. It was one of Canada’s first bed linen shops to sell pure cotton sheets and not treated polyester. People lined up to shop at the 700-square foot store. Soon, Byron added a factory to the business where she made her own line of linens.
Byron, fifteen years later, moved the retail side of the business to Toronto where she eventually took over a store nearly ten times larger than her first. Joanna Goodman, her daughter and a passionate designer, is now the owner of the family business along with Miguel. They travel throughout Europe and the U.S to source the finest linens and plan and design new collections.
Our belief is that linens of authentic quality will improve the quality of your life and your sleep. They don’t need to be intimidating or exclusive. Everybody should experience the luxury of sleeping in 100% Egyptian cotton. We manufacture in Canada so we can offer exceptional quality and an unbeatable value.
We believe that a great night’s sleep with high-quality bedding and linens will improve your quality of life. We are passionate about improving the quality of sleep and all that we do is driven by this singular goal.
What are the key elements that made your store successful?
Au Lit Fine Linens was originally a brick-and-mortar store in 1981. It wasn’t until 2012 that we began to consider ecommerce. Shopify was the most polished e-commerce platform we found.
Four “aha moments” were created by Shopify. “:
- They will come if you make it. It was a difficult decision to make. Within a matter of weeks, our skepticism was replaced by wide-eyed wonderment.
- Education. Customers need to be informed about many aspects of bedding before making a purchase. Shopify makes it easy to create content and features that help customers better understand our products. We have only received four returns in almost two years.
- Shopify – New customers: Shopify gave us the ability to quickly expand our customer base in other areas of Canada and the United States.
- We got organized: As we were organizing our product lines for our online store we realized quickly that some aspects of our brick-and-mortar store needed to be reorganized. Shopify is our favorite product organization tool. It has simplified and cleaned up our online and offline lives.
Which are your top tips for new store owners?
What is our recommendation for brick-and-mortar stores that are considering ecommerce? Jump in. Shopify enabled us to jump into the deep end e-commerce pool quickly and we have been happily swimming ever since. Although you might not be able to figure everything out immediately, you will quickly learn.
Ready, Set, Relax…
Our Portuguese-made bedlinen collection can be used to create beautiful beds, no matter if it’s 500-thread-count Egyptian cotton or soft, in colour and texture, laidback linen.
We were inspired by sustainability and have created products that will last a lifetime and are practical and useful in our everyday lives.
All of our Bed Linen Collections include a French Tail, a large fabric tail that fits at the base your duvet cover. For a neat and tidy fit, the fabric can be tucked into your mattress’s base.
All of our Pillowcases have generous amounts of fabric to keep them in place. Our Fitted Sheets are also made uncompromisingly to fit under even the most thickening mattresses.
Island Collection
The Island Bed Linen Collection is woven from 300-thread Oeko Tex 100% Egyptian Cotton in a percale weave. It has a matte finish, great breathability, and a crisp, cool feel that gets better with every wash.
DELIGHTFULLY COOL AND CRISP
Heritage Collection
Our Heritage Collection is a luxurious collection made with the finest 500-thread count 100% Egyptian Satin Cotton. It is soft and silky smooth with a subtle sheen.
Elegantly soft & silky
Hemstitch Collection
The Hemstitch Collection features elegantly finished Hemstitch detailing. Made from 100% Egyptian satin cotton with a 500-thread count, it is soft and silky with a slight sheen.
Bespoke touches
Monogramming is a great way to personalize your order. This service is available on Bath Linens and Pillowcases. It’s perfect for personalizing a gift. Contact our sales team for bespoke sizing and trims.
Elegant Luxury
Savile Row’s tailoring inspired our Bed Linen. It features tight stitches and refined techniques as well as a French tail that tucks under the mattress to hold your duvet in place throughout the night.
The inspiration behind our grosgrain edging has been a huge hit and is a beloved detail in all of our collections. You can choose from a variety of bespoke colours, including white, silver, and navy.
