Reitmans had its beginnings in the early 1900s when Herman and Sarah Reitman ran a small department store in Montreal. The Reitmans Company was founded after a second store opened in 1926. Since then, a number of stores have opened every year, and other banners have emerged, namely Smart Set, RW&CO., Penningtons, Addition Elle and Thyme Maternity. The Thyme Materinty brand dates back to at least October 1993, when it was under the ownership of Shirmax Fashions Ltd, and operated by its subsidiary, Shirmax Retail Ltd. The Montreal company also operated Shirley K, a larger maternity clothing brand. A Singapore company licensed the Thyme brand in 1999, intending to open five locations. In June, 2002, Reitmans acquired Shirmax Fashions Ltd., which operated 109 Addition Elle stores and 66 Thyme Maternity stores.
Partner relationships
In September 2011, Thyme Maternity opened 10 shop-in-shops in select Babies"R"Us locations in Canada as well as launched online sales of their maternity offering on babiesrus.ca. There are currently 23 of these shops in operation in Canada. In September 2012, Thyme Maternity opened 150 shop-in-shop locations in select Babies"R"Us locations throughout the U.S. as well as launched online sales on babiesrus.com. There are currently over 160 of these shops in operation in the United States. In 2013, Thyme partnered with Baby Buggy, a nonprofit organization founded by Jessica Seinfeld. Baby Buggy provides essential maternity and baby-related items to families in need. Through this partnership, Thyme donated maternity and nursing clothing to pregnant women and new moms in the United States.
Photography
Thyme uses real pregnant models in all of its photography.
Store Closures
On June 1, 2020, Reitmans announced it was closing all its women’s Thyme Maternity and Addition Elle stores in the country over the summer as well as chopping its workforce by about 1,100 employees in its retail stores and about 300 employees at its head office in Montreal as part of its restructuring plan under the protection of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. The stores scheduled for closure include 77 Addition Elle and 54 Thyme Maternity locations. The company said it is optimizing its retail footprint as it is building its future on its legacy in retail fashion with three premium brands: Reitmans, Penningtons, and RW & CO.
