Daily Synopsis: September 14, 2026

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Welcome to the Daily Synopsis by Retail Insider. We hope you enjoy the 13 articles we published today covering key developments in Canadian retail.

Italian brands Intimissimi and Calzedonia are launching their first Canadian stores at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto this fall, marking the start of a broader expansion led by ILT Group. Consumer prices in Canada rose 3.0% year over year in August, with gasoline price growth slowing but remaining elevated due to geopolitical tensions.

Toronto-based Liminal Assembly is expanding its LoiterFEST events to transform overlooked malls, aging retail spaces, and transitional urban environments into unique social destinations. The North West Company is experiencing rising consumer spending in Northern Canada as First Nations settlement payments are distributed to more communities, boosting sales alongside ongoing inflation driven by fuel and freight costs. RBC has relaunched its Avion Rewards Travel platform with integrated AI-powered tools that enhance fare tracking, price prediction, and personalized travel booking across flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages.

Canadian small and mid-sized businesses face increasing cash-flow challenges despite profitability, driven by late payments, high inventory costs, tariffs, and rising debt levels. Empire Company is accelerating its Canadian grocery store expansion, raising its fiscal 2027 target to over 25 new locations across multiple banners including FreshCo, Sobeys, IGA, and Mayrand.

Vancouver-based furniture retailer Article has opened its largest store in Toronto, expanding its physical retail presence following strong online sales and successful testing in Vancouver. Food inflation in Canada is rising significantly faster than in the U.S. due to structural challenges such as smaller market size, limited processing capacity, reliance on imported inputs, and fragmented provincial regulations.

🗞️ The Day’s Retail Insider Article List

🌐 Canadian Retail News From Around the Web will return tomorrow, due to a slow news day.

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