Continuing to build on the goal of bringing its premium practice to yogis across the country, YYOGA is announcing today the availability of franchising opportunities to Canadians.
“We’re thrilled to embark on this next chapter and have been immensely grateful for our founding communities in Vancouver and Toronto who continue to support us,” said YYOGA president, Carey Dillen. “Fueled by this energy, love and passion, we’re excited to bring our signature offering to more cities across Canada with the help of our partners!”
PHOTO: BRITTNEY GILL
Founded in 2007 by Terry McBride, YYOGA began as one studio in downtown Vancouver. Today, there are twelve locations, all dedicated to serving Canadians in both B.C. and Ontario. Inspired by the idea that yoga and meditation can change the world, YYOGA has spent the last twelve years creating a community of likeminded Canadians, all intent on connecting on a deeper level, both with themselves and with those around them. “We’re living in an often disconnected world, and many are searching for reflection and purpose. YYOGA provides our members with a safe environment to explore their boundaries through the practice of yoga and the power of mindfulness”, says Carey.
Since opening their doors in 2007, YYOGA has served almost 300,000 yogis with almost 400,000 classes. Including, but not limited to, YHot, YRide, YSculpt, and Yin and meditation, YYOGA provides a wide range of classes committed to different aspects of Canadians’ wellbeing, all of which are taught in studios designed to ensure a comfortable and inviting environment for everyone and every body. Offering over 800 classes a week with some of the highest quality teaching available, there is certainly something for every preference and every level of ability.
YYOGA president, Carey Dillen, ensures that with the introduction of each new class, the core value of alignment and mindfulness is not lost. “We’ve very much maintained our yoga-centric environment throughout the introduction of high-intensity workouts, and have made sure to stay true to our yoga spirit,” she said. Most recently, YYOGA launched an on-demand class steaming platform called YYOGA at Home. The goal? To provide top-quality yoga classes to people all across Canada, to be enjoyed at their own leisure from the comfort of their own homes.
True to their word, YYOGA has proven that yoga can truly have a positive impact on the world. By creating a place where people can go to feel safe, challenged, and fulfilled, YYOGA has managed to establish an increasingly socially aware community, one whose mission is to create opportunities for all people to practice yoga together. The We Move Together movement was born of this idea, and today YYOGA funds numerous projects, and organizations, in addition to providing use of their physical space for people to come together in the spirit of inspiring change. Some of their past partnerships include BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre and the Red Door Shelter Toronto.
PHOTO: BRITTNEY GILL
Celebrated as the country’s original yoga network, YYOGA has maintained their vision of making the world a better place through the application of yoga and mindfulness, and now you can be a part of this journey. As of September 17th 2019, YYOGA is extending their commitment to making their services more accessible across Canada, as they seek franchise owners to join the movement. “Our goal is to be coast to coast; accessible to all Canadians”, says Carey. Cities like Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, and Winnipeg are all high on the list of dream homes for future YYOGA studios, as well as hoping to add to the already existing studios in both Toronto and the Greater Vancouver Area.
As YYOGA opens their beloved community to the potential of new cities and new franchisees, the preservation of their core values are paramount. Seen as the heart and soul of YYOGA, future franchise owners will be chosen with great intent and purpose. “Finding the right fit to ensure YYOGA’s culture is maintained remains top priority”, says Carey. Extensive training and support will be provided to potential franchisees as they begin the journey to becoming the new faces of YYOGA’s coast-to-coast expansion. If you’re interested in learning about becoming a franchise owner go to ownayyoga.ca for more information.
Connect with YYOGA and become part of the ever-growing community at yyoga.ca, @yyoga, and @yyoga.at.home
French luxury brand Hermès opened an impressive flagship store in downtown Vancouver on Friday of last week. The new location replaces a former storefront located nearby, and is part of Hermès’ Canadian expansion that has seen the brand substantially grow its Canadian footprint over the course of more than 40 years.
The new two-level Vancouver Hermès flagship at 717 Burrard Street includes an expansive frontage on West Georgia Street in the Burrard Building. The store features almost 5,000 square feet of retail space, more than twice the size of its former store that occupied the Burrard and Alberni Street corner for well over a decade.
The new Hermès store was designed by Parisian architecture agency RDAI in collaboration with Gensler. The two-level moulded concrete white terrazzo facade now dominates the busy Burrard and Georgia Street intersection. Translucent glass canopies protect pedestrians from the rain as they walk past the store’s recessed windows that are trimmed in bronze.
In a statement, Hermès says that the store’s interior has an “emphasis on natural materials and tonal accords creates an airy ambiance that evokes the land and sea.” Terrazzo flooring in the store features a “Faubourg” patterned mosaic. The store took more than a year to complete.
The main level of the new Hermès flagship includes a front area for jewellery and watches. Further back is an area for the brand’s iconic silk scarves and accessories, as well as a “perfume discovery area”. A leather goods area faces the store’s staircase, and is next to a display for Hermès’ equestrian collection. At the back of the main floor is a men’s section that includes ready-to-wear as well as accessories and footwear offerings.
The store’s second level includes women’s ready-to-wear fashions, footwear and accessories, as well as a private shopping salon for VIP guests. Clothing is tailored to the local market, with fewer heavy sweaters than in the Toronto flagship, as well as fewer suede bags because of Vancouver’s rainy weather. The second level also houses Hermès’ home furnishings with a selection of homeware, tableware and wallpapers on display.
HERMÈS’ NEW VANCOUVER FLAGSHIP PHOTO: TREVOR BRADY
Both levels are joined by a staircase in oak and glass with steps that “appear to float”, according to Hermès. The staircase was designed and built by Canadian firm EeStairs. On the back wall of the staircase is a Pegasus flying horse relief by French sculptor Christian Renonciat.
The store caters to uber-wealthly clients with special orders via its ‘Horizons’ division which has outfitted private jets and luxury cars. And next year, an area for makeup will be coming to the new Burrard Street store, according to the company.
For the opening of the Vancouver flagship, Hermès created several exclusive products for the store. That includes roller skates that reflect “the activity of the city” as well as special Kelly bags and a limited-edition Twilly scarf.
“This beautiful new store reflects the longstanding relationship between Hermès and Vancouver, which is built on shared values and a deep appreciation for innovation,” said Jennifer Carter, President and CEO of Hermès Canada.
HERMÈS’ NEW VANCOUVER FLAGSHIP PHOTO: TREVOR BRADY
HERMÈS’ NEW VANCOUVER FLAGSHIP PHOTO: TREVOR BRADY
The new Hermès is located in the Burrard Building that was designed by Vancouver architect C.B.K. Van Norman in 1955. The Hermès store was made possible by joining five retail units into one, including former storefronts for Bell Mobility, Montblanc, and a hair salon on the second level.
Occupying the Burrard and Alberni Street corner of the Burrard Building is Tiffany & Co., which unveiled an expanded 9,762 square foot flagship in spring of 2017. Several other luxury brands occupy the base of the Burrard Building. On the Alberni Street side, tenants include Jimmy Choo, Montblanc, Vacheron Constantin and a CIBC Bank, with a vacant two-level space that once housed an Italian restaurant. The Georgia Street side of the Burrard Building podium houses two luxury boutiques — Graff and Patek Philippe — which are operated by Maison Birks.
HERMÈS’ NEW VANCOUVER FLAGSHIP PHOTO: TREVOR BRADY
Across the street from the new Hermès flagship is the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, which houses flagship locations for brands including Dior, Louis Vuitton, Omega, Gucci and St. John Knits.
On West Georgia Street, boutiques for Chopard and Stefano Ricci have opened over the past couple of years, joining an impressive lineup of luxury brands occupying spaces on Alberni Street as well as nearby Thurlow Street. Other ‘Luxury Zone’ retailers include Panerai, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lao Feng Xiang, Hublot, Tory Burch, Prada, Van Cleef & Arpels, IWC, Escada, Burberry, Rolex, Brunello Cucinelli, Versace, Saint Laurent, Moncler, and Off-White.
The former Hermès space at 755 Burrard Street will be replaced by French luxury jewellery Cartier, which will relocate from its current retail space at 456 Howe Street. Cartier’s parent company Richemont is said to have bought the strata unit, which spans 3,218 square feet according to BC Assessment records, several years ago.
The area around Howe Street and West Hastings Street, which includes retailers such as Leone and at one time Chanel, Escada, Hugo Boss and Alfred Dunhill, was being positioned to be a retail ‘luxury zone’ for the city. Brokers have since focused on creating the the current ‘luxury zone’ clustering that has grown between the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the Shangri-La Hotel, which is one of Canada’s top-three luxury shopping areas in terms of the number of standalone storefronts for the world’s biggest brands. The other two Canadian luxury zones are in Toronto, including the city’s Bloor-Yorkville area as well as Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
Hermès has had a presence in Vancouver since the early 1990’s when multi-brand retailer Collections International operated a 150 square foot Hermès boutique at the back of its store at 1005 Alberni Street (I visited the tiny shop in 1992 when it carried a selection of scarves, several handbags, and a few styles of clothing for men and women). In 1995, Jennifer Carter relocated the Vancouver Hermès boutique to Holt Renfrew, where it occupied a 1,000 square foot space for more than a decade prior to moving into its 755 Burrard Street space in 2006, which before that was occupied by fur/variety retailer Saitoh.
Vancouver’s Burrard Street ‘luxury zone’ was formed in the early 1990’s when Chanel opened a 1,300 square foot store at 755 Burrard Street where Coach is currently located. Multi brand retailer Collections International opened a Celine boutique next to Chanel, and also once operated small storefronts within the Burrard Building for Alfred Dunhill, Valentino, Gold/Pfeil and Fendi — Tiffany & Co. now occupies all of those former shops. The current corner of Burrard and West Georgia Street that is now occupied by Hermès once housed North America’s first standalone location for Versace’s diffusion line ‘Versus’ which opened in 1992, and after it closed, Italian leather brand Furla operated a store at the corner for several years before the space was leased to Bell Mobility.
Hermès has been expanding its Canadian operations for more than 40 years. The Westwood family brought the brand to Canada in 1976 with a 600 square foot boutique at Toronto’s Hazelton Lanes (in 1981 it expanded to carry ready-to-wear under the ownership of Hazelton Lanes developer York Hannover).
Jennifer Carter bought Hermès Canada in 1989 and relocated the Toronto boutique to a 2,240 square foot space at The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West (currently occupied by Mulberry) in the spring of 1992. In the summer of 2008, she relocated Hermès to a 3,965 square foot space at 130 Bloor Street West.
In the fall of 2017, Hermès relocated its Toronto location to its current and considerably larger space at 100 Bloor Street West. Hermès leased nearly 13,000 square feet of what was formerly a Williams Sonoma store, with about 5,800 square feet of retail space, according to the retailer. Hermès’ Canadian corporate headquarters are located at the back of the second level of the Toronto flagship, including a board room, offices and storage.
Hermès also operates shop-in-store concessions at Holt Renfrew stores in Calgary and Montreal. The Calgary boutique, measuring nearly 1,500 square feet, opened in 2009. The Montreal Holt Renfrew concession, which opened in 1995, will relocate to the new Holt Renfrew Ogilvy early next year and will span about 3,000 square feet on the ground floor of the 250,000 square foot Holt Renfrew Ogilvy store. Hermès also operates a Canadian e-commerce website that sells millions of dollars of product annually, according to the company.
With two large flagships and two concessions, Hermès has grown its Canadian operations substantially over the past 43 years. Over the past four years alone, the company is said to have tripled its retail space in this country while its online sales have grown substantially as well.
Landlord Cadillac Fairview has announced that it is investing a further $67.5 million in its CF Promenades St-Bruno shopping centre property to create a “market-style food hub” that it says will reinforce the centre as a key destination for Montreal’s South Shore community. Cadillac Fairview says that it will be the first of its kind for the landlord’s shopping centre portfolio. It’s all part of a much larger investment on the part of Cadillac Fairview in CF Promenades St-Bruno, which has seen more than $175 million spent over the past several years on updates and expansions.
The new 113,000 square foot ‘Marché des Promenades’, which will open in the fall of 2020 in CF Promenades St-Bruno’s former Target space, will be a “unique food, beverage, and entertainment experience” according to Cadillac Fairview. Included will be a 35,000 square-foot Avril Supermarché Santé, a Saint-Houblon Brewery, as well as a diverse mix of restaurants, specialty and artisanal retailers and producers. Selections will include both permanent and seasonal food vendors offering the best produits du terroir from Quebec, Greater Montreal and its surrounding agricultural regions, according to Cadillac Fairview.
Cadillac Fairview continues major investment in CF Promenades St-Bruno with unique food and beverage marketplace, Marché des Promenades, opening Fall 2020. (CNW Group/Cadillac Fairview)
Besides the retailers mentioned above, other tenants announced for the new Marché des Promenades will include:
Bar à Gaufres
Beignes d’Antan.
Fromagerie Boivin
Galeries des Viandes
Just Pressed
Küto
Pasta Bella
SAQ
SOS Fondue
YOKO Gâteau au fromage
Cadillac Fairview says that the project will include interior and exterior spaces as well as an outdoor public plaza designed to host a wide variety of year-round events, and will also include dedicated patio spaces for new restaurants.
Brian Salpeter, Senior Vice President, Development at Cadillac Fairview, said, “This latest project is a continuation of our significant investment at the property, with exciting new food and beverage offerings to enhance our overall customer experience.” Mr. Saltpeter told La Presse that there will be nothing quite like it anywhere in the world.
Cadillac Fairview has already invested $175 million in phased property upgrades at CF Promenades St-Bruno. That began with a $49 million redevelopment of the property that was completed in October 2015, which included a renovation of all public areas in the mall as well as major upgrades to its dining amenities.
A subsequent $35 million redevelopment of the mall’s former Sears location includes a flagship 53,975 square-foot Sports Experts/Atmosphere store that opened in May of 2019. This fall, a new 43,500 square-foot Winners store will open in the mall nearby, while unique Quebec City-based novelty retailer Imaginaire will also open a flagship store as its first location in the Greater Montreal area.
INSIDE SPORTS EXPERTS AT CF PROMENADES ST-BRUNO ALL PHOTOS: CF PROMENADES ST-BRUNO VIA FACEBOOK
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Work is also underway for the updated two-level $30 million flagship La Maison Simons store at CF Promenades St-Bruno, which was reported in July of 2018 in Retail Insider. Simons will expand its CF Promenades St-Bruno store from 65,600 square feet to nearly 90,000 square feet over two levels. Simons will remain open throughout the expansion and the new expanded store will be completed in 2020, and will be the retailer’s only location in Montreal’s South Shore area. CF Promenades St-Bruno is also home to many best-in-class retailers such as Zara, Aritzia, H&M, Sephora, Browns Shoes, Victoria’s Secret, Starbucks, Aldo, Michael Kors and others. Besides La Maison Simons and Sports Experts/Atmosphere, CF Promenades St-Bruno is anchored by a 130,600 square foot Hudson’s Bay department store.
“We’re proud to continue showcasing CF Promenades St-Bruno as a unique and vibrant gathering place, as a hub for this community where people want to meet, with best-in-class retailers and the addition of a new food destination that is the first of its kind in CF’s portfolio and unique to Quebec in its vision and scale,” said Mr. Salpeter.
Cadillac Fairview built the two-level CF Promenades St-Bruno in 1978. Retail Council of Canada’s Canadian Shopping Centre Study has recognized the shopping centre as one of the most productive malls in the Montreal region. The centre’s annual per square foot productivity for non-anchor reporting retailers is well over $600. Remarkably, its food court sees annual per square foot sales exceed $1,800, according to Cadillac Fairview.
Simons
CF Promenades St-Bruno houses 158 retailers in the 792,500 square foot centre which has about 5,900 parking spaces. About three quarters of the mall’s visitors are female, with the average shopper being 47 years old. The average annual household income of shoppers at CF Promenades St-Bruno is more than $97,000. The centre’s primary trade area is more than 500,000 people with a total trade area approaching a population of 900,000. About 22% of visitors to CF Promenades St-Bruno are said to be tourists, according to the landlord’s leasing documents.
INSIDE CF PROMENADES ST-BRUNO ALL PHOTOS: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
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One of the most anticipated food experiences is Eataly, which will open its first Canadian location at the Manulife Centre in Toronto at some point this fall (sources have said possibly late October or November). The concept is a hybrid grocery store and restaurant, or ‘groceraunt’ as some have called the concept. Eataly recently told the Financial Post that it is looking at possibly opening a second Toronto location at some point, as well as locations in either Vancouver or Montreal, or both cities depending on real estate opportunities.
Other Canadian shopping centres are also expected to see expanded food and beverage offerings as landlords look to attract customers from wider trade areas while at the same time increasing visitor frequency and dwell times. We’ll continue to report on the trend as landlords innovate to compete for consumer dollars.
In recent months, with more headlines bringing attention to active shootings and aggressive customers in stores, there is greater appreciation of the critical role retail loss prevention professionals play in both protecting people and assets.
To understand the extent of retailers growing concerns about violence in retail stores, unconscious bias, data security threats, digital payment fraud, organized retail crime networks, and cyber threats and shrink, Retail Council of Canada is asking its members participate in the Loss Prevention Shrink Survey.
Results of the survey will be shared on September 24, at Retail Secure 2019, Retail Council of Canada Loss Prevention conference where leading security, protection and prevention experts will present best practices and improvement strategies for retailers.
Retail Secure 2019 will be held at the International Centre in Mississauga.
Some of the speakers and sessions at Retail Secure 2019 will include:
For more information on RETAIL SECURE 2019, being held during the day on September 24th, please visit: rcclpconference.ca/agenda
This week Craig and Lee talk about Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville, Hamleys, St. John and Fashion Rentals.
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US-based women’s luxury fashion brand St. John Knits will open a standalone storefront on Toronto’s Mink Mile. It will be the second standalone St. John boutique in Canada, joining a Vancouver store that has operated in the city for years.
The Toronto St. John boutique will open in a 2,500 square foot retail space at 130 Bloor Street West, located between Gucci and Intermix. The space that St. John will move into was once occupied by French luxury brand Hermes before it relocated to a flagship space nearby in late 2017. Most recently, athletic brand Peloton occupied the same retail space temporarily before finding a permanent location across the street.
St. John Knits is popular amongst the ‘ladies who lunch’ set and its location on Toronto’s Mink Mile could be very successful as a result. The stretch of Bloor Street between Yonge Street and Avenue Road is home to several luxury brand flagship stores as well as Holt Renfrew’s corporate flagship location. The St. John brand is known for its classic wool and rayon knits that include Chanel-inspired jackets and extensive use of primary colours.
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ST. JOHN WILL MOVE INTO A RETAIL SPACE AT 130 BLOOR ST. W. IN TORONTO THAT WAS ONCE OCCUPIED BY HERMES AND MOST RECENTLY A PELOTON POP-UP SHOP. IMAGE: CITYFEET
Vancouver was the first city in Canada that St. John knits opened a standalone storefront more than 15 years ago. Its first location occupied the Burrard Street and West Georgia Street corner of the retail podium of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. St. John relocated to a 3,000 square foot space in the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver with its main entrance from within the hotel and with window frontage onto Hornby Street in the spring of 2014— the space was once home to Griffins restaurant. French luxury brand Dior ended up taking the corner retail space formerly occupied by St. John, as well as an adjacent retail space, service desk and second level space to create a jaw-dropping 9,600 square foot Dior flagship that opened in the summer of 2015.
St. John at the Fairmont Hoel Vancouver in September, 2019. Photos: Lee Rivett
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The St. John brand is headquartered in Irvine, California, and was founded in 1962 by model Marie St. John and her husband, Robert Gray. While modelling in Los Angeles, Ms. St. John hand-knit straight skirts and matching short-sleeved tops to wear, and her fellow models began wearing the designs. Robert Gray, who was Ms. St. John’s fiancé at the time, showed the collection to retailer Bullocks, who picked up the line by ordering 84 dresses. St. John grew quickly as women embraced the fashion line, with knit designs that proved to be flattering to a wide range of body types.
German fashion brand Escada bought an 80% share of St. John in 1990 for $45 million. St. John used the money to launch a US boutique expansion and in 1993, St. John became a publicly owned company. Daughter Kelly Gray became CEO of the company after Robert Gray’s retirement in 2002 and Kelly was also the face of the brand for a time as a model in various advertisements. St. John was purchased by a private equity firm in 2005 and after a couple of years away, the Gray family returned after St. John experienced declining sales in their absence.
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St. John Knits was once a staple brand in upscale department stores throughout the United States, as well as at prestigious multi-brand retailers. Jacobson’s, Lord & Taylor, I. Magnin, Elder-Beerman and others carried the line for years, while many Nordstrom stores in the United States featured dedicated St. John departments that were among the most productive spaces in Nordstrom stores. While the St. John brand isn’t as broadly distributed as it once was, it still has a following and can be found in prestigious retailers globally.
Nordstrom still carries the St. John line, including in Canada in Nordstrom’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre store. Hudson’s Bay also carries St. John in women’s luxury department ‘The Room’, which can be found in Bay flagships in Toronto and Vancouver. Canadian retailer Holt Renfrew also once carried an extensive assortment of the St. John brand.
The same stretch of Bloor Street West is home to impressive flagships for brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and others, and there are whispers that Valentino may open a flagship store nearby. Holt Renfrew, which operates a 190,000 square foot flagship store at 50 Bloor Street West, is also undergoing an overhaul that includes interior renovations and new leased concession boutiques, with a new store facade expected to be completed early next year. Yorkville Avenue, located two blocks north of Bloor Street West, has seen the addition of flagship locations for luxury brands including Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Off-White, Brunello Cucinelli, Versace and next month, Stone Island will open its first Canadian storefront.
Given Bloor-Yorkville’s proximity to wealthy Toronto neighbourhoods including Rosedale, South Hill/Summerhill and Forest Hill, St. John Knits may have made a smart move by choosing to open at 130 Bloor Street West. The Bloor-Yorkville Area, itself, is home to an affluent population that is growing rapidly with the addition of several new residential condominium and rental towers. One challenge the area is currently facing is a lack of parking, which some retailers have said is resulting in challenging sales in the area. As more valet parking is added to Bloor-Yorkville, parking may become less of an issue and may give the area a boost as well as an edge as the area competes with Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre for wealthy shoppers.
April Sabral is on a mission to inspire retailers to value their best asset – their people.
After working within retail for over two decades and developing teams to their highest potential, Sabral has launched an online education site called retailu which offers accessible and affordable leadership development programs for retail managers.
Sabral, founder and president of the company, said, “retailu is an e-learning platform and library of resources for retail managers. Many retail store managers start their career through default. They may have time or money constraints which don’t allow them to go to college or university or they haven’t decided what they want to do as a career, so they fall into retail and many stay. The idea was to make leadership development accessible and affordable for all retail managers so that they can afford to buy courses and develop themselves. I myself landed in retail as a young mum, time and money was tight.”
GRAPHIC: RETAILU
April Sabral
Sabral, who is from the UK originally, is a senior retail executive with more than 25 years in various sales and operations roles. She’s worked with stellar brands such as Paul Smith, Starbucks, Gap, Banana Republic, Holt Renfrew, Apple and David’s Tea. She is also a John C. Maxwell certified leadership coach and Shift Business Coach (WBAC).
“My entire retail career has been in sales and operations as well as working very closely with HR, training and development,” says Sabral, who is based in Toronto. “Having worked as a Sales Associate all the way up to Vice President, I understand the skills required to develop as a retail leader.”
The concept for retailu began three years ago as a passion project – a blog. Her vision at the time was to share her personal leadership life lessons with other retail managers, in an effort “to inspire them and see retail as a great career choice, where they can make a difference,” she says.
Educational programs of this kind are extremely important. They open up limitless opportunities for people in different fields. Online training courses, educational platforms, and even cheap paper writing resume service make life easier for today’s young professionals.
“I have worked for amazing brands and was fortunate to have worked with leaders that invested in me. I now feel a sense of responsibility to share those lessons which have now turned into this amazing library of courses on retailu.ca”.
Sabral says anyone can go to the retailu website and buy a course individually if they want to further their development as the price points are very affordable, being between $25 – $225 for each course. “There is also a ton of free resources for retail managers, such as her personal Interview Guide,” she notes.
“It started as a concept for individual users; however we’re also doing business to business now. We’re selling enterprise bundles and subscriptions. The idea came about as every retailer is trying to figure out ways to save money due to the transformation of online to bricks and mortar.”
The retailu website was developed by innovative design agency Volume 18, which is based in Halifax.
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Sabral’s retailu provides an affordable way to support ongoing career development for retail teams. More than 80% of retail sales still come from stores, which means that retail teams need exceptional training and development programs, she says. As retail becomes even tougher to recruit for, providing a growth and development plan will become even more crucial in retailer recruitment and retention strategy.
She goes on to say, “retailu gives you retail-specific tailored training at an affordable price to enhance what you already have and focuses on the leadership development piece, which is lacking.”
“Facts show that people leave jobs because of the leader they work for or a lack of growth and development. We want to provide a service that can help retailers provide leadership development for all of their retail managers.”
Sabral says the initiative can add value to retailers. Engaged employees create engaging customer experiences, and that translates to sales growth. It also translates into long-term employee loyalty.
Sabral grew up in retail and says that she knows how important leadership development is to the success of a retail leader. She is highly passionate about what she does and has a proven track record of developing teams to their highest potential, she explained.
The retailu courses are short videos, under five minutes in a podcast style so busy managers can learn on the go, learn at their own pace or network with other retail managers to find solutions and coaching for their most significant challenges through the chat forums.
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Courses include a wide variety of topics such as Principles of Communication, How to Be a Successful Coach, The Art of Conflict Management, How to Build Resilience and Agility Into Your Leadership, Developing Your Problem Solving Skills, and Multi-Site Management.
After working in Quebec for the last ten years, Sabral says that she sees the importance of providing French courses for national retailers, which will also become available this fall.
The gap and the need she saw was to help retail managers grow in their personal and professional skills and to be ready and prepared for promotions in their career to different levels.
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“It’s retail-specific and the reason why I’ve stuck with retail is because number one I know it. Retail basically has its own language. Most people who work in retail are not highly academic, so when you’re training in retail you have got to keep the language simple. You have to keep the courses visual and very short because everybody wants to be on the sales floor and not sitting in a room for five hours, learning in between customers can be very effective,” says Sabral.
She also offers retailers live training and leadership development workshops.
“The transformation (in retail) today is happening at light speed.While introducing and enhancing technology, re-inventing store experiences and trying to figure out how to drive sales are all on the high priority list, the whole people piece kind of gets missed. However, we need to remember people build brands and everyone should have a people strategy that is active and includes career development as a big piece of their actions. Millennials want to grow in their careers, ask any manager in retail what they want more of? And they will tell you more personal development.” adds Sabral.
HAMLEY’S REGENT STREET STORE IN LONDON, ENGLAND PHOTO: WESTEND.COM
Iconic toy retailer Hamleys, which was founded in London UK in 1760, will be entering the Canadian market by opening stores as part of global expansion. That’s according to news reports from India stating that Reliance Retail, which acquired Hamleys several months ago, plans to open Hamleys stores in the United States as well as in Canada.
The expansion of Hamleys into Canada could create serious competition for homegrown brands including Mastermind Toys, as well as Toys ‘R’ Us which itself is launching new concept stores in the Canadian market after the bankruptcy last year of its US counterpart. Hamleys could also impact toy sales in multi-brand retailers offering toys as a category.
Hamleys was founded in London in 1760 and is said to be the world’s oldest toy retailer. Founder William Hamley called the store ‘Noah’s Ark’ and the first store, located on London’s High Holborn, was relocated to its current site on Regent Street in 1881. The seven-floor flagship store boasts more than 50,000 lines of toys and is one of London’s most prominent tourist attractions, with more than five million annual visitors.
The company has changed hands several times. Icelandic investment company Baugur Group acquired Hamleys in 2003 and after Baugur collapsed, Icelandic bank Landsbankinn took over Hamleys. French toy retailer Groupe Legend bought Hamleys for GBP 60 million in 2012 and in 2015, Hong Kong-based footwear and fashion conglomerate C.banner acquired the Hamleys toy chain for GBP 100 million. Hamleys lost money under C.banner’s ownership.
Reliance Retail, which is headquartered in Mumbai, closed on the deal to buy Hamleys from C.banner International on July 18 of this year. Reliance Brands appears to be serious in its efforts to expand its roster of partner brands globally. Reliance acquired Hamleys for a reported GBP 67.96 million in an all-cash deal.
Hamleys currently has 167 stores in 18 countries. Reliance Retail has the master franchise for Hamleys in India and currently operates 88 stores in 29 cities across the country.
Reliance Retail, which was founded in 2006 by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is the largest retailer in India in terms of revenue. The company’s retail offerings include foods, grocery stores, apparel, footwear, lifestyle, home improvement products, electronic goods, and farm implements and inputs. The company’s revenue is about US $10 billion annually with nearly 4,000 stores spanning 18 million square feet in 750 cities.
Parent company Reliance Industries Limited also focuses on petroleum, natural gas, petrochemicals, telecommunications, media, consumer goods, consumer durables, travel services, entertainment and leisure, health products and even educational products and services. Reliance Industries Limited, which was founded by Mukesh Ambani’s father Dhirubhai Ambani in 1973, has revenue exceeding $90 billion annually.
Reliance Retail has a portfolio of more than 40 international brands with more than 660 store locations. Brands range from major luxury labels to more affordable offerings. For the Indian market, Reliance Retail partnered to distribute luxury brands such as Burberry, Bally, Bottega Veneta, Canali, Zegna, Giorgio Armani, Furla, Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo and others. Reliance Retail also partners with brands such as Diesel, G-Star Raw, Michael Kors, Muji, Pottery Barn, Steve Madden, Scotch & Soda and Marks & Spencers for Indian distribution as well.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani is the founder of Reliance Retail. He’s the richest person in Asia with an estimated net worth exceeding $50 billion, making him the 13th wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes Magazine. He’s also the wealthiest person in the world outside of North America and Europe, and is the first non-American ever to have been appointed as a Director of Bank of America.
He resides in the Antilia Building in Mumbai, which is the most expensive house in the world and is valued at more than US $2 billion. Architecture firm Hirsch Bedner Associates told Forbes Magazine that the residence cost nearly US $3 billion to build when it was completed in 2010. The 27-storey house is 568 feet tall (with some very high floor-to-ceiling heights) housing 600 staff, a private movie theatre, swimming pool, fitness centre, three helipads and a garage for 160 cars. Antilia House is situated on a 1.12-acre plot on ‘billionaires row’ Altamount Road in the city’s prestigious Cumballa Hill area. Buckingham Palace in London, which is technically not a private residence, is the only home to be valued higher.
ANTILIA HOUSE IN MUMBAI: THE 400,000 SQUARE FOOT PRIVATE RESIDENCE IS SAID TO BE VALUED AT MORE THAN $2BILLION. PHOTO: JONATHAN BECKER PHOTO: WESTEND.COM
We are awaiting further details pertaining to Hamleys Canadian expansion. Given its ownership, Hamleys North American expansion could be aggressive and could consist of standalone stores as well as shop-in-stores in host retailers. Hamleys’ expansion could be disruptive to toy retailers operating in this country, as well as multi-brand retailers carrying toys as a category. Toys R Us Canada, which is innovating by opening smaller stores while embracing experiential retail, is attempting to gain market share after the bankruptcy of its US parent company. Education-focused Mastermind Toys may be more insulated from competition from Hamleys, given the unique products offered in Mastermind stores.
Retailers such as Walmart and even Loblaw-owned Superstore feature toy departments and depending on the extensiveness of Hamleys’ expansion, both could be impacted. As well, New York City-based FAO Schwarz partnered with Canadian retailer Hudson’s Bay to open shop-in-stores last year, though its product selection in Hudson’s Bay appears to be limited as of late. FAO Swartz partnered with Hudson Group in the spring of 2018 to open FAO Swartz-branded airport shops and the brand hasn’t made its way into Canada’s urban centres other than through its Hudson’s Bay partnership.
We’ll follow up on this story with further details on Hamleys’ Canadian expansion when we receive more details.
Calgary-based Royop, a commercial development and property management company, has started construction of its first phase of the regional development Township which will include initially about 300,000 square feet of retail space.
And the developer has already lined up an impressive list of retailers for the project’s first phase, a $125-million mixed-use development in the deep south of Calgary, which spans 60 acres and will include 1.5 million square feet of retail, office, residential, hospitality, entertainment and food and beverage space.
“Township will be a complete community with a heavy focus on celebrating local businesses, providing everything a Calgarian would want in one place. It’s not just a spot to shop, but a hub where you’ll want to try the latest in boutique fitness or catch up with friends at your favourite craft brewery,” said Jeremy Thal, Royop’s president and CEO. “From pop-up farmers’ markets in the summer to outdoor public skating rinks in the winter, we’ll be bringing the community to life all year long.”
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Thal revealed to Retail Insider the following retailers and businesses who have signed up for space at the new Township development: a traditional Sobeys grocery store, 45,000 square feet; Bed Bath & Beyond, 26,000 square feet; buybuy BABY, 17,000 square feet; Winners, 26,000 square feet; BrightPath Child Care & Daycare Centre, 20,000 square feet.
Thal said there will also be a Canadian Brewhouse, a Starbucks, and an A&W and more than 200,000 square feet of other space is committed to negotiated offers to lease or letters of intent.
“You start with the anchor tenants which we’ve done and then we start to bring in all the smaller concepts and local businesses, which we are working on now. Round two of leasing,” explained Thal.
Construction has started with Ledcor the general contractor. Businesses are expected to open in the Spring of 2021.
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Township is located at Macleod Trail and 210th Avenue Southeast, near Highway 22X and the Ring Road which is under construction. It’s in an area that has seen tremendous population growth in recent years with more to come in the near future.
TREVOR THOMAS, VICE PRESIDENT OF RETAIL FOR JLL
Trevor Thomas, Vice President of retail for , which is leasing the Township retail project, said the location is ideal due to its accessibility off of Macleod Trail and the Ring Road when it is completed.
“When the Ring Road is completed, it’s just going to open up the market to that much more people,” he said. “The accessibility is important. But what we’re doing here with Township . . . is we’re really creating something never seen in Calgary before. It’s not just your typical power centre. This shopping centre really is going to be the definition of mixed-use.
“We’ve got the retail. We will have office. We will have residential. We will have the entertainment factor. But aside from that we’ll also have the public realm where there’s going to be a calendar of events which is going to be drawing people to Township on a regular basis . . . This is really going to be the epicentre for south Calgary and everything we’ve seen, and everything that Royop has provided us with drawings and plans, it’s really shaping up to be that destination.”
The project will also feature larger-than-life art installations and a unique combination of services and community spaces featuring immersive year-round programming with core and experiential shopping.
“We really want to create a community where people of all ages can come together and experience something new each and every time and redefine a modern community,” said Thal.
He said Royop is back to the drawing board currently to determine how the rest of the project will unfold. The company will be looking for residential partners towards the end of this year.
“We could see phase two commence construction probably the summer 2021,” he said, adding the project will likely include a 40,000-square-foot professional building.
“There’s demand for seniors (housing). There’s demand for condos. There’s demand for purpose-built rentals. There’s demand for towns (townhomes). Add to the whole idea of creating a township.”
Royop’s portfolio includes 75 Alberta properties in Calgary, Cochrane, Lethbridge, Strathmore, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Edmonton, Airdrie, and Fort McMurray.
Commercial real estate company recently released that provides an optimistic overview on the rapidly changing area. Industry expert Dianne Lemm, Executive Vice President of JLL’s Canadian retail division, says that she expects the area to become even more of a world-class retail node as the area transforms with an unprecedented amount of construction and new leasing activity.
That includes an overhaul to the Manulife Centre commercial podium at 55 Bloor Street West that, this fall, will see the addition of Canada’s first Eataly location. Holt Renfrew’s flagship at 50 Bloor Street West is also seeing an overhaul that includes new luxury brand shop-in-store concessions as well as a new facade that will be revealed in early 2020. Other developments in the area, including new retail space as well as the addition of thousands of new residential units, will create a world-class district that will rival the likes of Mayfair in London and surpass that of Chicago’s famed Gold Coast.
“I believe that the Bloor-Yorkville node will stand up against the leading high streets around the world,” said JLL’s Dianne Lemm. “The incredible continuing development of premium residential density in the immediate area, as well as strong tourism, should make the Bloor-Yorkville node thrive,” she added.
lays out relevant data on Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville node, noting that the luxury stretch of Bloor Street West between Yonge Street and Avenue Road boasts Canada’s highest retail lease rates, which averaged in 2018 about $325 per square foot, putting Bloor Street ahead of Robson Street in Vancouver as well as in line with upscale streets such as Newbury Street in Boston, and Lincoln Road in Miami. The only retail corridors in North America surpassing Bloor Street’s luxury run include the upper run of Fifth Avenue in New York City, the Rodeo Drive/Triangle in Beverly Hills, Union Square in San Francisco, and North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, according to JLL’s study.
“Toronto is the most active real estate city in North America with more operating tower cranes than New York, Los Angeles and Chicago combined. Considering Bloor-Yorkville’s proximity to Toronto’s wealthier neighbourhoods such as Rosedale, The Annex and Forest Hill, it is not surprising that the delta in rents between these two areas is smaller than it’s ever been”, said Tim Sanderson, Executive Vice President at JLL.
Dianne Lemm says that she expects retail rents in the area to remain strong as they increase on up-and-coming streets such as Yorkville Avenue however, we are seeing a reduction in the Net Rents as an off-set as the Realty Taxes soar in the area. On a gross basis however, the rents remain high. Luxury brands such as Chanel, Brunello Cucinelli and Versace have all opened on Yorkville Avenue, and the clustering has resulted in even more opportunities for high-end brands looking to open in the area. “The more encompassing node now includes a stronger Yorkville Village shopping complex as well as a thriving Yorkville Avenue and great retail spanning along Bloor Street West from Yonge Street to Avenue Road. There is more relevant space today than in years past, and I believe that we are on the cusp of a flood of retail leasing activity in the Bloor-Yorkville node,” Ms. Lemm went on to say.
The JLL study describes how Yorkville Avenue’s transformation kicked-off in 2016 when luxury footwear and accessory retailer Christian Louboutin opened on the street. That was soon followed by Off-White and Chanel, and more recently Brunello Cucinelli and Versace. The stretch of Yorkville Avenue between the Hazelton Hotel at 118 Yorkville Avenue and Bellair Street has seen rents nearly double over the course of three years, now averaging between $150 and $230 per square foot. First Capital Realty has been instrumental in developing Yorkville Avenue and will continue to do so with new developments at 101 Yorkville Avenue, as well as adding new tenants to the street’s former Diesel and Anthropologie storefronts.
The Mink Mile stretch of Bloor Street, between Yonge Street and Avenue Road is home to more than half of all global retailers in the node, according to the study. It encompasses almost 24% of retailers that are either classified as being luxury retailers or ‘luxury lite’. Yorkville Avenue boasts almost 20% of retailers being either luxury or ‘luxury lite’ retailers, while Cumberland Street trails the two. In the Bloor-Yorkville node, the study states that 30.2% of retailers are in the luxury price point, with a further 14.2% being ‘luxury lite’. A further 23.1% of retailers in the area are at a ‘high’ price point with the remainder being mid-priced brands including 8.6% being low priced/discount retailers. Apparel and accessories dominate the node with 37.2% of tenants, with cosmetics and beauty trailing at 23.4%. Dining is the next biggest category for the Bloor-Yorkville node, representing almost 20% of the retail mix.
Since the early 1990s, Bloor Street West has been Toronto’s primary luxury street in terms of brands opening flagship stores. Yorkville Avenue is giving it a run for its money as of late. Some industry professionals compare Bloor Street West to New York City’s Fifth Avenue or Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue ‘Magnificent Mile’, while Yorkville Avenue has been compared to Madison Avenue in New York City or Oak Street in Chicago.
“Luxury brands are choosing both Bloor Street and Yorkville Avenue to open flagship stores. Yorkville Avenue is able to provide some freestanding, build-to-suit opportunities that have been attractive to some luxury brands on a street that provides a more intimate, boutique environment. The more conventional retail at the base of office and residential buildings is the more typical format along Bloor Street”, Ms. Lemm said.
Bloor-Yorkville will see the addition of a considerable amount of new retail space north of Holt Renfrew’s flagship, which includes new mixed-use developments along Cumberland Street and Yorkville Avenue between Yonge Street and Bay Street. The JLL study notes that these projects will add about 270,000 square feet of new retail space to the existing 2.2 million square feet of retail space in the core. Opportunities for a range of retailers, including luxury and more affordable options, could see the area become a major shopping draw. Kingsett Capital will overhaul the Cumberland Terrace complex at 2 Bloor Street West, for example, which will add new retail space as well as three towers with office and residential units, and a public square in the renamed ‘Cumberland Square’.
“I expect that there will be a continuation of luxury, ‘affordable luxury’, and globally recognized street brands that will move into the area, as well as incredible food and beverage offerings. There’s a possibility that on the east end of the node, some of the popular Asian brands and disruptor brands entering the market will locate in that area of the Bloor-Yorkville node, as they may not be able to pay the asking rents for the 50-yard line opportunities nearby,” said Ms. Lemm.
Not all of the retailers in the Bloor-Yorkville node are luxury brands. Vancouver-based women’s fashion retailer Artizia recently unveiled an impressive expanded flagship store near the Yonge and Bloor intersection that includes a coffee concept with its own entrance onto Bloor Street. Ms. Lemm represents Aritzia and assisted in the negotiation of the lease deal for the store’s expansion.
Holt Renfrew’s overhauled 190,000 square foot flagship store will act as a significant anchor to the Bloor-Yorkville district when it’s completed early next year. The Bloor Street Holt Renfrew store includes the company’s corporate offices that are located in the adjacent 60 Bloor Street West office tower that is owned and operated by Morguard.
When the 50 Bloor Street West Holt Renfrew store opened in 1979, it included approximately 100,000 square feet over three levels. Ms. Lemm described how the store has expanded and how its latest renovation will bring good things. “Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street flagship had grown organically as adjacencies became available and while it has been a very successful store, the shopping experience felt disjointed with a challenging flow. This opportunity to expand and reset the store, including adding beauty on the lower level and the procurement of even stronger and more premium concession brands, should provide for an incredible shopping environment,” she said. “The updated store will drive a wider trade area, will attract more tourists, and thus is expected to result in higher sales productivity,” she went on to say.
Eataly’s highly anticipated 50,000 square foot three-level ‘grocerant’ concept is expected to be wildly popular and is expected to drive a considerable amount of foot traffic to the area. It’s also expected to become a catalyst for other retailers looking at moving into the area.
Ms. Lemm said, “I cannot think of a time when I have visited New York City, time permitting, that I have not made my way to the Eataly location in the Flatiron District since it opened in 2010. I expect that Eataly on Bloor Street will attract a great domestic and international tourist traffic to the area”.
The JLL study, which was prepared by JLL’s Canadian research team, provides an informative overview of the upscale shopping node. More than 500 retailers can be found in the area (both on streets as well as in the area’s above and below-ground shopping centres) and many of the retailers in the area operate flagship locations.
The high-quality retail in the area “has attracted Hollywood celebrities, wealthy Chinese tourists and New York fashionistas looking for a true luxury shopping experience,” according to the study.
Bloor-Yorkville has come a long way from its counterculture days in the 1960s and 1970s when it was known to be a hangout for beatniks and then the epicentre for the Canadian ‘hippie movement’. Now, one is more likely to see affluent shoppers descend on the area looking for the latest fashions from brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Dior.
Christian Dior’s confidence in the Bloor-Yorkville node is evident with the recent opening of its jaw-dropping 13,300 square foot two-level flagship store at The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West. It’s the largest Dior flagship in North America and carries the brand’s full assortment of fashions for men and women that include ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, bags and other items. It’s also the first Dior store in North America to carry the brand’s home furnishings collection, which is found in only a handful of Dior stores globally. JLL’s Dianne Lemm co-brokered the Dior deal with Hanna Struever of Retail Portfolio Solutions.
Dior also recently opened a new accessory boutique at Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street flagship, which also recently saw the addition of main-floor leased concessions for brands including Gucci, David Yurman, Balenciaga, Burberry, Gucci, and Bulgari. Miu Miu and Bottega Veneta concessions are also on the way, joining a ‘world of’ concessions for Fendi and Saint Laurent, both of which opened last year and measure nearly 3,000 square feet each.
Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville Area is home to several top-notch luxury hotels including the global flagship for the Four Seasons chain, as well as the intimate and super-exclusive Hazelton Hotel. At the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street, as well, will be Mizrahi Development’s ‘The ONE’ development that will include an Andaz hotel and more than 400 luxury condominium residences, with prices for penthouses said to exceed $30 million each. When completed in 2022, ‘The ONE’ will be Canada’s tallest building with 85 floors rising over 1,000 feet above the iconic intersection, and will include a yet-to-be-named retailer at its base.
The JLL study provides details on the massive investments in the Bloor-Yorkville area that will result in a “sleeker, busier and more sophisticated luxury corridor in the heart of the city”. The study notes that there are currently 12 large-scale construction projects underway within the corridor, and another 11 proposed projects in the pipeline waiting for city approval. Incredibly, the projects currently in the construction pipeline will more than double the residential population in the area, according to the study.
Household incomes in the Bloor-Yorkville area are 171% higher than in the metropolitan Toronto area, according to the study, with average household incomes surpassing $300,000 annually. The average selling price for a new three-bedroom condominium in Bloor-Yorkville is approximately $6.5 million, or $2,200 per square foot. As of June, more than 90% of the units under construction in the area had already been pre-sold.
The study discusses several developments in the works, including Oxford Properties’ Park Hyatt redevelopment that will include an upgraded hotel component as well as a new luxury residential rental building which will be located in the historic south tower at the northwest corner of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road. Included in the development will be about 33,000 square feet of retail space.
Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, located at Highway 401 and Allen Road, has seen many first-to-Canada store openings which includes an impressive clustering of luxury brands. JLL’s Dianne Lemm says that there’s room for at least two luxury nodes in the Toronto market, with Bloor-Yorkville finding its place with a point of differentiation being its urban street-front character. “With the densification of the Toronto market and the strong tourist demographic, there is room for two successful premium luxury shopping nodes in our city,” she said.
To download JLL’s Bloor-Yorkville Corridor Report,
