Sweden-based outdoor sports fashion brand, Peak Performance, with its focus on skiers, is opening its new global concept store in CF Carrefour Laval.
Christopher Clementoni, Country Manager for Peak Performance Canada, said the store is now open and the retailer’s mission is “to be the world’s leading sports fashion brand for the active lifestyle consumer”.
Currently, the company also has stores in Whistler, B.C. and in Brossard, Quebec, just outside of Montreal.
PHOTO: PEAK PERFORMANCE, CF CARREFOUR LAVAL
The Carrefour store, on the North Shore of Montreal, is about 1,500 square feet of selling space.
Clementoni said the location is “essentially the artery to all of the skiing destinations” such as popular Mont-Tremblant resort.
“We wanted to open something up that would be in a major mall. We did work with Cadillac Fairview which we look to obviously continue to grow with in the future,” he said.
PHOTO: PEAK PERFORMACE (CF CARREFOUR LAVAL)
“This particular store is our newest concept which launched in the back half of 2019 in Oslo (Norway). We’re opening the new concept store in Canada – the second new concept for Peak Performance in 2019.”
The new concept store has a new layout, new fixtures, and different branding with a premium Scandinavian design.
Clementoni said Peak Performance is a good fit for the Canadian market.
“In 2018, Peak Performance was purchased by Amers Sports which is also the owner of Arc’teryx, Salomon, Suunto, Atomic, and various other brands. Wilson obviously one of the bigger ones,” he said.
Previously, Peak Performance was owned by more of a fashion company.
“Now being back rooted in sport as we are our brand is rooted in ski but the beautiful part of it and the reason we were picked up by Amers Sports is because of the ability to have a fashion component. With that being said, Peak Performance before was able to develop a fashion line and more of a fashion forward twist on active and functional products which I don’t think are currently being distributed in the marketplace,” said Clementoni.
“If you look at a foundational landmark, it would be Canada. We fit very, very well into the current geographical climate of the Canadian marketplace. We’re a very technical high end brand that provides obviously exceptional ski wear being rooted in ski but have a very highly technical and sustainable essentials offering. All of our down products are sourced in the most sustainable way as possible.
PHOTO: PEAK PERFORMACE (CF CARREFOUR LAVAL)
“We are looking to expand our retail footprint in Canada. We will be looking at major epicentres such as Toronto and Vancouver. Right now in Eastern Canada, in Quebec specifically, our business is very, very healthy as we have our headquarters here and we’ve been very focused on this kind of ski, Euro fashion market. We have expanded quite a bit nationally in the last 18 months working with new partners on the West Coast and Sporting Life which has helped us create a national expansion. Now we’re looking to open branded stores in epicentres like Toronto and Vancouver to really essentially create that Peak Performance environment for the consumer in those territories.”
The partnership with Sporting Life, which began a year ago in October, has allowed the retailer to position itself amongst other similar highly technical outdoor brands.
Peak Performance products are also distributed through the Sportium stores and Sports Experts stores in Quebec.
“As you move across the country, as you move to the West Coast, we don’t have a key partner now on the West Coast but that’s essentially part of the expansion,” said Clementoni.
The ski brand was founded in 1986 in Åre, a mountain village in the Swedish province of Jämtland, by the two founders hanging out in a chalet talking about making better quality ski wear and creating a line that could transfer seamlessly to their traditional après–ski activities.
Popular Montreal-based outerwear brand SOIA & KYO has opened its first permanent store and has plans to open many more locations as it strives to create a stronger brand experience for its customers.
SOIA & KYO, known for coats that are both fashionable and functional, recently opened its flagship location at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre. It comes a year after the brand opened its first retail store, a temporary location at Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. Although the Square One location has been operating for more than a year, it was designed as a pop-up location, according to Ilan Elfassy, creative director at SOIA & KYO.
In contrast, the CF Toronto Eaton Centre store was designed to be a permanent space that truly represents the look and feel of the SOIA & KYO brand.
PHOTO: SOIA & KYO (CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE)
PHOTO: SOIA & KYO (CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE)
“I want the customer to feel and understand the brand,” Elfassy says. The goal of the physical store strategy is to build a stronger connection with end customers and to enable customers to appreciate everything that the brand has to offer, he says. Although the wholesale channel has been effective for SOIA & KYO, that approach typically only enables customers to see a small selection of products.
“I don’t think they’re getting the right value, the right feeling of the brand [through the wholesale channel],” he says. “It doesn’t really present who we are, what I am designing.”
By operating its own stores, SOIA & KYO is able to display its full selection of products, ranging from lighter fall jackets to heavy winter coats, as well as accessories such as hats, scarves, and gloves. Whereas many customers associate the brand with winter jackets, Elfassy wants to showcase the diversity of its collections.
PHOTO: SOIA & KYO (CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE)
“When you have a store, you have the full experience – from wool to down, leather, accessories, trenches – you can appreciate what you see,” Elfassy says.
The 2,000-square-foot store, located on the second level of the CF Toronto Eaton Centre next to Victoria’s Secret, was designed by high-profile New York design agency Kramer. A bright and inviting space, it incorporates rocks, greenery and other accents that create a natural, outdoorsy feel. Dominated by neutral colours, the space also features bamboo accents and large mirrors.
Another benefit to operating stores, Elfassy says, is the ability for the company’s staff to interact directly with customers and get feedback on the designs. “The store is an experience to see how customers react to the product,” he says. In fact, midway through Retail Insider’s interview with Elfassy at the new Eaton Centre store, he paused to listen to a customer’s feedback on a jacket she was trying on.
PHOTO: SOIA & KYO (CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE)
Since launching SOIA & KYO in 2004, Elfassy has focused on designing outerwear made with luxurious fabrics and refined construction.
“It’s all about the silhouette, the fit, and the quality,” he says. “For me, that’s very important. With quality, there’s no negotiation.” Many of the Elfassy’s designs boast unique features such as asymmetrical zippers and dramatic hoods. Versatility is also a key theme, with many jackets featuring removable layers. The brand is popular among many celebrities, such as Taylor Swift, Meghan Markle, Reese Witherspoon, and others.
PHOTO: SOIA & KYO (CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE)
Although SOIA & KYO hasn’t announced any specific plans for additional locations, Elfassy says the brand intends to add new stores in the near future. Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants is the broker representing SOIA & KYO.
“We are for sure going to open more stores,” Elfassy says. “We are looking into the right locations that will fit well with our customers.”
The more Canadians buy online, the higher the risk of falling victim to online scams, especially around the holidays.
With new scams on the rise, leading global analytics company FICO is offering Canadians tips on how to protect themselves this shopping season.
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FICO’s top four tips include:
Take Care at ATMs
Never approach an ATM if anyone is lingering nearby. This is rule number one for holiday shoppers.
It’s also important to not engage in conversations with others around an ATM. Remain in your automobile until other ATM users have left the ATM.
“If an ATM looks odd, or your card doesn’t enter the machine smoothly, consider going somewhere else for your cash,” said TJ Horan, vice president of Product Management, leading the fraud solutions business unit at FICO. “If your plastic card is captured inside of an ATM, call your card issuer immediately to report it. Sometimes you may think that your card was captured by the ATM, but it was later retrieved by a criminal who staged its capture.”
Either way, FICO encourages holiday shoppers to arrange for a replacement card as soon as possible.
Be Safe Online
Watch out for emails promising amazing bargains. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
“Rather than click on a link in an email or SMS, go to the site itself. Hackers can even spoof websites, so all holiday shoppers should make sure to shop on the actual site. If you experience anything odd on a website, look for another place to shop. If you’ve already paid and later become suspicious that you may have been tricked, let your bank know,” says Horan.
Additionally, if an online merchant offers enhanced security features such as step-up-authentication or soft token, FICO encourages shoppers to opt in.
“If you’re setting up a new account with a website, use a strong password you haven’t used before. If your online merchant offers enhanced security features such as step-up-authentication or soft token, please be sure to opt in,” Horan explains.
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Check Your Purchases and Bulk Up on Security Features
Holiday shoppers should check their credit card transactions frequently, using online banking and their monthly statement.
“Update your address and cell phone information for every card you have, so that you can be reached if there is ever a critical situation that requires your immediate attention,” says Horan.
FICO also encourages all holiday shoppers to ask their card provider if they offer account alert technology. These technologies will deliver SMS text communications or emails to the consumer if fraudulent activity is suspected on your payment card, which can limit the damage if your information is stolen.
Watch Out for Social Engineering
FICO also warns all holiday shoppers to watch out for social engineering.
“If you get a call from someone who says they’re from your bank, and you feel suspicious, hang up and call your bank directly. Your bank will never ask you for your password. Criminals know people are worried about fraud in the holidays and may take this opportunity to try to get you to divulge information,” explained Horan. “The same principle applies to online payment requests. If you get a request to pay someone from your bank account, make sure that you know who you are paying and that their request is legitimate.”
Additionally, all Canadians should be wary of emails or texts that tell you that there has been a change of bank account number— if in doubt, pick up the phone and confirm that they have changed their bank account details.
Criminals are exploiting direct payments and Faster Payments by masquerading as people that holiday shoppers interact with, and if you make the payment you may be liable, according to Horan.
Getting Smarter in the Fight Against Fraud
The good news is that financial institutions are doing more than ever to prevent fraud, according to FICO.
“When a consumer is using your credit or debit card to pay online, they may be sent a one-time passcode to their mobile phone that they will need to enter into the browser window,” said Matt Cox, vice president of fraud solutions for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “This extra security is a fraud prevention method intended to make sure that it’s really the consumer making the payment. While it may seem inconvenient, the consumer will be better protected if their card does fall into the hands of criminals.”
“FICO too is doing more than ever to help banks, card issuers, fintechs, merchants and others protect customers from fraud and financial crime,” notes Jason Keegan, vice president and general manager of the Fraud and Protection business at FICO.
“We have made continual AI and machine learning innovations available, which protect more than 2.6 billion accounts worldwide. Last Black Friday we sent 2.3 million fraud alerts to banking customers using our FICO® Customer Communication Services. And we recently announced new FICO® Authentication Suite and FICO® Identity Proofing solutions to better validate customer identities.”
PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW (CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE)
Canadian retail sales growth just keeps stumbling along slowly, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. Total retail sales gained just 1.5% year-over-year on a not seasonally adjusted basis in Q3 2019, a smidgen above the 1.4% Q2 gain but a drop from the 1.8% increase in Q1 of the year. After 9 months of 2019, or 3/4 of the year, year-to-date Canadian retail sales are up only 1.6% compared to a year ago. That doesn’t even cover price inflation and population growth.
Despite a slight recent uptick, the 3 month sales growth trend (orange line in the chart above) remains at a historical low level. The underlying 12 month trend (green line) continues to dwindle and could end the year at an increase of about 1.5%, which would make 2019 the slowest growth year since the Great Recession of 2009. I’m dreaming of a mediocre Christmas.
The Automotive & Related sector is the main culprit behind soft Canadian retail sales, but it’s not as if the Food & Drug and Store Merchandise sectors are doing well either. Excluding Automotive, Store Retail is up a modest 2.3% year-to-date so far in 2019, a 6 year low.
Retail sales growth in the Food & Drug sector actually performed well in the early part of 2019, but this has now collapsed to near record lows. In Q3 2019, sales increased by only 1.2% year-over-year, as compared to 3.5% in Q1 and 2.0% in Q2.
The above chart shows that the 3 month trend (orange line) is now in the middle of a weak period. This in turn is driving down the underlying 12 month trend (green line), and it doesn’t look like there’s much relief on the horizon. At current rates, the Food & Drug sector is likely to record a retail sales gain of only about 2% in 2019, one of the lowest annual gains in recent memory.
Supermarkets and other grocery stores’ retail sales were practically flat in Q3 2019 year-over-year, with a decline of 0.01%. Convenience stores were especially weak, down 7.1% in the period. Specialty food stores offset this however, with a 7.1% Q3 retail sales gain.
Health and personal care stores’ retail sales were up 3.7% in Q3 2019, their best quarter of the year so far. Their year-to-date sales have now improved to a 2.5% increase.
Store Merchandise had a relatively good Q3 2019, with retail sales up 2.8% year-over-year. This is up from 2.0% and 2.5% in Q1 and Q2 of the year respectively. Such gains are not at all record setting, but they’re still better than what the other major retail sectors produced. Also, positive trends in Store Merchandise are important for the holiday shopping season.
The 3 month trend (orange line in the chart) has been somewhat erratic recently but still has improved since the start of the year. The underlying 12 month trend (green line) has been steady in recent months and could improve somewhat by the end of the year.
There are some weak spots in Store Merchandise. Retail sales at electronics and appliance stores were down a huge 10.3% year-over-year in Q3 2019, and sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores’ sales were off 1.8%. Clothing stores only managed a 0.8% gain for the quarter.
Miscellaneous store retailers had the highest sales gain of 13.0% in Q3, mostly thanks to the addition of cannabis stores (this effect will start to dampen in the next few months). Building material and garden equipment & supplies merchants were up 5.4% in Q3, which is a significant recovery from the stingy 0.9% gain for the first half of the year. Also of note is that general merchandise stores, which account for about 1/3 of Store Merchandise retail sales, gained a respectable 3.9% in the quarter and are up 4.1% on a year-to-date basis.
Note that Statistics Canada is now suppressing the breakdown of general merchandise stores for confidentiality reasons. The figures in the “By The Numbers” table below are estimates based on previous trends.
After soaring like an eagle in 2017, the Automotive & Related sector has become a dead duck in 2019. Retail sales were up just 0.4% in Q3, and a similar 0.4% year-to-date in 2019 so far.
Gas stations are the main problem. Their retail sales declined 5.2% in Q3, and are off 4.8% on a year-to-date basis. This is due to relatively low gasoline prices, and consumers don’t seem to be applying their savings at the pump to other types of shopping.
Automobile dealers’ sales were up 3.1%% in Q3, but this was not enough to offset the poor performance at gasoline stations.
By The Numbers
Special Note: Statistics Canada revised historical data with the February 2019 release. Unadjusted monthly data were revised back to January 2018, while seasonally adjusted data were revised back to January 2015. Those keeping score should update their files. The analysis in this report is always based on unadjusted data.
Canadian E-Commerce Sales
StatsCan started providing ecommerce retail sales data in January 2016. While the amount of data is limited, some trends appear to be emerging. Here are some results.
Overall, e-commerce represented about 3.4% of total Canadian retail sales for the 12 months ending September 2019, including both pure play operators as well as the online operations of brick & mortar stores. Canadian consumers however also buy online from foreign websites which is not captured in these numbers.
Canadian e-commerce sales were up 31.4% year-over-year for the 3 months ending September 2019. This was much higher than for location based retail which gained just 1.5%.
Note that location based retail is the same as that in the preceding “By The Numbers” table. It’s what’s normally reported as Canadian retail sales. Except that it isn’t. Location based retail excludes another section called Non-Store Retailers (NAICS code 454), which includes electronic shopping and mail-order houses, which in turn is where (mostly) pure play e-commerce businesses are. For the 12 months ending September 2019, electronic shopping and mail-order houses had an estimated $13.2 billion in e-commerce sales.
But that’s not the only source of e-commerce, as (mostly) bricks & mortar location-based retailers also sell online. For the 12 months ending August 2019, this group had an estimated $7.8 billion in e-commerce sales. With electronic shopping and mail-order houses, there’s a grand total of $21.1 billion in e-commerce sales by Canadian operators over the year. Note that this does not include foreign e-commerce purchases made by Canadian consumers, but it does include e-commerce purchases made by foreigners at Canadian operations.
For electronic shopping and mail-order houses, an estimated 85.6% of their sales are allocated to e-commerce. For (mostly) bricks & mortar retailers, it can be estimated that just 1.3% of their total sales are attributable to e-commerce.
In the final section of the above table, (mostly) pure play operators (namely, under electronic shopping and mail-order houses) generated an estimated 62.8% of all e-commerce sales in Canada, while (mostly) bricks & mortar location-based retailers’ share of e-commerce is 37.2%.
This analysis is updated monthly as new numbers are published by Statistics Canada. If you would like notification from LinkedIn of when an update becomes available (and you’ve read this far), please connect with Ed Strapagiel on LinkedIn.
This analysis is updated monthly as new numbers are published by Statistics Canada. If you would like notification of when an update becomes available (and you’ve read this far), please connect with Ed Strapagiel on LinkedIn.
ENTRANCE TO CHANEL FROM THE MAIN LEVLE OF HOLT RENFREW OGILVY. PHOTO: CHANEL
By Craig Patterson and Maxime Frechette
Iconic French luxury brand Chanel has unveiled an impressive bi-level retail space at Holt Renfrew Ogilvy on Ste-Catherine Street West in Montreal. It replaces a smaller second-floor Chanel boutique in the soon-to-close Holt Renfrew store on Sherbrooke Street West.
Included in the new Chanel boutique is an assortment of ready-to-wear, handbags, footwear, costume jewellery, and eyewear, as well as a selection of watches and pieces from the Chanel Fine Jewellery collection. Chanel launched its Cruise 2020 collection in the new Montreal boutique which opened last week — the company’s new Artistic Director of Fashion Collections, Virginie Viard, designed the collection following the death of Karl Lagerfeld earlier this year.
RENDERING OF THE COMPLETED HOLT RENFREW OGILVY, WITH CHANEL’S LOCATION CIRCLED IN RED. IMAGE: GENSLERRENDERING OF THE COMPLETED HOLT RENFREW OGILVY/FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, WITH CHANEL’S LOCATION CIRCLED IN RED. IMAGE: GENSLER
The new Chanel boutique spans more than 3,300 square feet of retail space on the main floor of Holt Renfrew Ogilvy – it’s more than twice the size of the previous Chanel boutique that was located on the second floor of the Sherbrooke Street Holt Renfrew. A new Chanel-branded facade with window displays faces onto Rue de la Montagne and is next to the entrance to the recently completed Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences. The main entrance to the Chanel boutique is from within Holt Renfrew Ogilvy itself — Chanel will be an anchor on the soon-to-be-completed ground-level luxury hall which will house many of the world’s top brands.
EXTERIOR FACADE OF CHANEL (ON RUE DE LA MONTAGNE) AT HOLT RENFREW OGILVY IN MONTREAL. PHOTO: CHANELEXTERIOR FACADE OF CHANEL (ON RUE DE LA MONTAGNE) AT HOLT RENFREW OGILVY IN MONTREAL. PHOTO: CHANEL
Architect Peter Marino designed the Montreal Chanel boutique. Custom fabrics, including chairs and furnishings, were designed by Mr. Marino in the iconic Chanel tweed. Silk and wool carpeting was created especially for the store. Textured walls were hand-applied in custom ‘moongold’ and coromandel tones. Ample use of black, white and gold create contrast between dark and light, according to the company.
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Shoe Departmentr
Gootwear/Accessories
Stairway to Shoes/Ready-to-Wear
Accessory Area
Ready-To-Wear Salon
Upon entering the new Chanel boutique, visitors are greeted in an atrium-like space with high ceilings. To the left of the entrance is a black-and-white accessory salon accented with gold, dedicated to costume jewellery and handbags. A vast assortment of products includes seasonal reinterpretations of the popular 2.55 handbag as well as the 11.12, Boy Chanel, Chanel’s Gabrielle, and the newly introduced Chanel 19 handbag.
To the right of the main entrance is a selection of watches and fine jewellery. Included are jewellery pieces from the Coco Crush collection as well as a selection of watches including the Boy.Friend, Code Coco, and the J12 styles which are showcased in glass cabinets. Above the display is a commissioned artwork by Hugo McCloud.
Two staircases lead visitors to an upper level area in the new boutique. The staircase to the left leads to a second accessory salon dedicated to small leather goods, eyewear, and other accessory categories. The staircase to the right leads to a shoe salon space that is adorned in gold leaf textured wall panels — a large assortment of footwear styles in the space reflect the latest styles ranging from casual to formal.
To the right of the shoe salon on the upper level is the ready-to-wear salon. Chanel says that the area was designed to make one feel as if they were in a private residence of a similar style to that of Coco Chanel’s apartment at 31 rue Cambon in Paris. At the heart of the ready-to-wear salon is a sofa covered in custom-woven fabrics in black, gold and coromandel tones. A nearby club chair is dressed in dusty red, beige, black and gold. Three Peter Marino-designed tables include two blackened bronze textured side tables as well as a coffee table with an oil-quenched steel base and an oil gilded ‘moongold’ leaf glass top. A hand-blown Murano glass vase, designed by Mr. Marino, rests on the coffee table.
Two fitting rooms on the north side of the ready-to-wear salon feature artworks such as a canvas pasted with hand-cut paper by Fernando Daza, a camellia collage by Peter Dayton, and a black and white camellia triptych.
Chanel has had a presence in Montreal since the early 1990’s when the brand opened a boutique space at Holt Renfrew at 1300 Sherbrooke Street West. It followed two standalone boutiques for Chanel in Toronto and Vancouver. The Toronto boutique opened in 1989 at 131 Bloor Street West which relocated to 98 Yorkville Avenue in the fall of 2017. Chanel opened a standalone store in Vancouver in 1991 at 755 Burrard Street – after relocating to a large space at 900 West Hastings Street for several years, the boutique closed and relocated to Vancouver’s Holt Renfrew flagship. Chanel also operates boutiques at Holt Renfrew in Calgary as well as in Holt Renfrew’s Toronto stores at 50 Bloor Street West and at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
The main floor luxury hall of Holt Renfrew Ogilvy in Montreal, located at 1307 Ste-Catherine Street West, will be completed in the spring of 2020. Several boutiques have already opened on the main floor, including Tiffany & Co., Bottega Veneta, David Yurman and Prada. We’ll follow up this article with a discussion of Chanel’s recent expansion in Canada, as well as a feature on Holt Renfrew Ogilvy when it is completed early next year.
Montreal-based Maxime Frechette is an expert in luxury and other retail, and is also an influencer who works with brands through his platforms including Montreal-Weekly.
The Toronto contingent of the Second City comedy troupe has announced that it will move into a new space at One York Street near Toronto’s waterfront in the fourth quarter of 2020. The company had to find a new space after it was announced that its current location at 51 Mercer Street will be demolished for a condominium development.
Retail Insider was provided plans and renderings from a source not wishing to be named in this article. Plans were drawn up in the spring of 2019 and Retail Insider was awaiting confirmation that a deal had been done prior to reporting on the development.
CURRENT SECOND CITY LOCATION CIRCLED ON THE LEFT OF THE MAP, AS WELL AS THE NEW LOCATION AT ONE YORK. CLICK FOR INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP
MAIN LEVEL FLOOR PLAN INCLUDING SECOND CITY’S ENTRANCE FOYER IN RED. IMAGE: MENKES
Second City will occupy 28,700 square feet on the third floor of the 170,000 square foot retail podium at One York Street, which is owned by Menkes Developments Ltd. in partnership with Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) and Sun Life Financial. One York is connected to Toronto’s PATH network and also includes a 35-storey office tower as well as two condominium towers spanning 70 and 66 stories that are branded as the ‘Harbour Plaza Residences’.
The new Second City space will feature several comedy theatres for live performances, along with an improvisation-based arts school, and a games-driven bar and restaurant.
ENTRANCE FOYER. IMAGE: MENKES
ENTRANCE FOYER. IMAGE: MENKES
BRANDING ON THE SEOND RETAIL LEVEL OF ONE YORK. IMAGE: MENKES
“Since The Second City came to Toronto in 1973, this city has developed some of the finest names in comedy: Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Rader, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Colin Mochrie, Nia Vardalos…the list goes on. Our new home will allow us to continue the tradition of discovering new talent while affording us additional stages for diverse programming like She The People,” said Andrew Alexander, CEO and Executive Producer of The Second City.
IMAGE: MENKES
SECOND LEVEL ENTRANCE NEAR THE COPPA’S GROCERY STORE AT ONE YORK. IMAGE: MENKES
FLOOR PLAN INDICATING SECOND CITY’S SPACE ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF ONE YORK. IMAGE: MENKES
The new location will provide Second City with needed space as it grows.
“The Second City is excited to break ground on three new state-of-the-art theatres, as well as provide increased classroom space for our ever-growing Second City Training Centre, which serves thousands of students of all ages every year,” added D’Arcy Stuart, Chief Operating Officer of The Second City. “This is also a prime opportunity for us to add dynamic multi-use spaces to accommodate groups, meetings, celebrations, and events of all sizes.”
Second City will vacate 51 Mercer Street, located in Toronto’s Entertainment District, in November of 2020. Second City’s first Toronto location was on Adelaide Street East prior to moving into 110 Lombard Street in 1974. In 1997, Second City moved into 56 Blue Jays Way and remained there until 2005 when it was announced that the Blue Jays Way property would be demolished with a facade to be integrated into the now-standing Bisha Hotel. Second City moved into 51 Mercer Street in 2005 and once again, Toronto’s condo boom saw Second City having to relocate. Fortunately One York is a new development that will stand for years to come.
One York Street’s retail podium includes several smaller retailers as well as a food hall called ‘Harbour Eats by Mercatino’, a 20,000 square foot Winners store, and a Market 63 by Coppa’s grocery store which was featured in Retail Insider in March of this year. Being on the PATH network, One York is accessible to Union Station, Toronto’s Financial District, waterfront, and other nearby attractions including Scotiabank Arena, the Rogers Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and the CN Tower.
EXTERIOR OF THE 3-LEVEL MICHAEL KORS FLAGSHIP AT 1133 STE-CATHERINE ST. W. IN MONTREAL. PHOTO: MICHAEL KORS
Well-known New York City-based fashion brand Michael Kors has opened its largest flagship store in Canada, by far, in the heart of the action in downtown Montreal.
It is unlike anything seen in Canada to date for the brand, which now occupies a three-level retail space at 1133 Ste-Catherine Street West. It is also the first Michael Kors location in the world to feature an organic juice bar.
The impressive 9,000 square-foot store features all product categories for the Michael Kors brand, including a vast assortment of accessories, jewellery, footwear, and fashions for men and women. Included are pieces from the Michael Kors Collection one might find on the fashion runway.
CLICK IMAGE FOR INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP.
PHOTO: MICHAEL KORS
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At the heart of the store is a bright accessory area featuring a sleek white interior with aluminum touches. Ceilings are nearly 20 feet high which create a sense of drama. A dedicated shoe salon showcases Michael Kors footwear styles for both men and women. Marking a trend seen in other leading retailers, an area to personalize products is found in the new Montreal flagship. That includes hot stamping on leather goods.
A mezzanine level is dedicated to ready-to-wear fashions in two sections. That includes men’s and women’s area featuring the more affordably priced MICHAEL Michael Kors line, as well as the brand’s menswear. Spacious dressing rooms on the mezzanine level create an elevated experience.
A custom tote bag was created especially for the opening of the Montreal store.
PHOTO: MICHAEL KORS
PHOTO: MICHAEL KORS
On the third floor of the new store is the private ‘Studio 1133’ level which features a completely different atmosphere than the rest of the store. When one enters the space, they are transported into a New York City loft-like vibe that can be used to host private events. Included are styling services, an area dedicated to private shopping and VIP clients, as well as an assortment of luxury pieces from the pricey Michael Kors Collection and runway collection for women. The Montreal flagship is the second in Canada to feature the brand’s runway collection, which is also available at Michael Kors’ Yorkdale flagship that was overhauled in December of 2018 and was featured in Retail Insider. Until recently the Yorkdale Michael Kors store was the largest in Canada, spanning 5,720 square feet on one level.
PHOTO: MAXIME FRECHETTE
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JUICE BAR AT THE NEW MICHAEL KORS. PHOTO: MAXIME FRECHETTE
On the main floor of the Montreal flagship is a first for Michael Kors anywhere in the world — a juice bar by Rejuice that offers coffee as well as vegan organic juice options. Rejuice has its own entrance doorway facing onto Stanley Street which allows it to have its own hours of operation independent of the main store. The Michael Kors Rejuice shop-in-store is the second location for the juice brand, which also has a storefront in the affluent Westmount area.
JUICE BAR AT THE NEW MICHAEL KORS. PHOTO: MAXIME FRECHETTE
One of the reasons Montreal was chosen for such a flagship is because Michael Kors’ Canadian headquarters is also located in the city. Designer Michael Kors himself will visit Montreal in 2020 to make a personal appearance in the Ste-Catherine Street flagship. Michael Kors has had a retail presence in Canada for the past 15 years and operates a network of stores as well as wholesale accounts in major retailers.
Until recently, Michael Kors’ Montreal storefront was a concession located inside the Ogilvy department store at 1307 Ste-Catherine Street West. The Kors shop closed last year to make way for a renovation and expansion of the new Holt Renfrew Ogilvy flagship that will be completed next spring.
PHOTO: MAXIME FRECHETTE
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Holt Renfrew Ogilvy and Michael Kors are both part of the revival of Ste-Catherine Street in Montreal, which is seeing major investments that will include a new public realm as well as new retailers. Upscale brands such as Mackage and COS have opened to the west of Michael Kors on the street. To the east of Michael Kors, Ivanhoé Cambridge is investing more than $1-billion into its properties in Montreal’s downtown core.
That includes the soon-to-be-completed Montreal Eaton Centre, which this month saw the opening of Canada’s first Time Out Market food hall. Sports retail behemoth Decathlon also recently opened at Montreal Eaton Centre, while beauty retailer Sephora also recently unveiled a renovated space facing Ste-Catherine Street. In the fall of 2020, Japanese retailer Uniqlo will open its largest store in Canada at Montreal Eaton Centre, occupying two levels.
New York City-based retailer Aéropostale is making its return to the Canadian market in time for Black Friday with its first collection of products appearing in 75 Bluenotes stores across the country.
The “shop in shop” stores are part of an overall plan Aéropostale has to add 20 to 30 freestanding new concept stores in Canada from coast to coast in 2020. It’s part of a partnership with YM Inc. — Oberfeld Snowcap is handling leasing for the standalone Aéropostale locations under the direction of Andrew Laudenbach.
“This new partnership is a perfect fit for our customers as our jeans are the heart of both of the Bluenotes and Aéropostale brands. This collaboration has been in the works for some time now and thanks to the hard work of everyone on the Bluenotes and Aéropostale teams, it’s an exciting timing to be able to reveal this in time for Black Friday,” said Michael Roden, CEO of Bluenotes and Aéropostale Canada.
Aéropostale was in Canada a few years ago but left the market in the spring of 2016 after the bankruptcy of its US division. The company had 41 stores in Canada at the time.
“It’s a good partnership. It’s definitely along the grounds of our same clientele – our customer base. Jeans are the hero of both businesses so we kind of felt it was a good fit for us.”
On November 28, 75 of the 100 Bluenotes stores will create a shop within those locations for an Aéropostale collection. The first collection will include the Aéropostale lineup of Girls and Guys jeans plus branded graphics, hoodies, and joggers. These are classic Aero staples and a perfect pairing for the Bluenotes collection.
PHOTO: BLUENOTES
Also this week Aéropostale online is launching in Canada.
“We have developed a new concept and in 2020 we will be starting to build freestanding stores under the Aéropostale banner in shopping centres across the country,” said Roden. “We’re going into construction in the early part of January and February with five locations.
“Bluenotes has been around for many years. Some of us remember it as Thrifty’s and Bluenotes was always the brand name for the jeans. So we felt that when the partnership was presented to us early last year, beginning of this year, that it would be a good complement to the Bluenotes brand and for us to be able to continue to grow not only the Bluenotes brand but also bring back a brand that was very much wanted in the Canadian market.
“Our marketing campaign for it we’re calling ‘better together’. It also allows Aéropostale to be able to grow again in Canada. It was just a good match for our customers.”
Roden said the Aéropostale main age demographic can be as young as 15 years old up to the early 20s – high school to early college and university.
“We’re very excited. We’ve been working on this for quite some time. We’ve been working with the merchandising group and we’ve been going back and forth to New York learning about the brand, learning what works,” he said.
“I think the Bluenotes team here we’re all very pumped and we’ve already done the first stage of making big announcements about Aéropostale. We got quite a lot of positive feedback and it will be in the store very shortly.”
Bluenotes has been a Canadian company since 1942 with the original store called Thrifty’s at the corner of Queen Street and Church Street in Toronto. Bluenotes is known as one of the top denim retailers in Canada.
Bluenotes is the exclusive licence partner of Aéropostale in Canada. The merchandise is designed in Canada in partnership of Aéropostale USA making it an exclusive collection to the Canadian stores.
Montreal-based, eco-friendly, vegan accessory fashion brand Matt & Nat continues to open stores amid an aggressive expansion both within Canada and the United States. The company now operates 12 stores in both countries and more are planned.
Most recently, Matt & Nat opened stores in Edmonton, suburban Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay area. The West Edmonton Mall store spans about 2,000 square feet, according to Matt & Nat’s President and CEO Manny Kohli, and a unit at Bellevue Square in the affluent city in Bellevue, Washington, spans about 1,480 square feet. Last week, Matt & Nat opened a storefront at Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California — the centre has expanded to include many luxury stores, being located in Northern California’s ‘Silicon Valley’.
PHOTO: MATT & NAT, WEST EDMONTON MALL
A flagship in New York City’s Soho area also recently became permanent after a lease extension of a pop-up at 242 Lafayette Street.
Early next year, Matt & Nat will open its first Vancouver-area store at Metropolis at Metrotown — the Vancouver market is an important one for eco-conscious Matt & Nat. Mr. Kohli said that the Vancouver area could support as many as three standalone stores for the brand and is in talks with landlords. Matt & Nat is working with brokerage Oberfeld Snowcap for its store expansion, under the direction of Kathleen McGuigan.
The Matt & Nat brand was founded in Montreal in 1995 — the name is short for “mat(t)erial” and “nature”. The brand is particularity known for not using leather or any other animal-based materials in its bag and accessory designs. Since 2007, Matt & Nat has been committed to using linings only made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles, and last year it introduced recycled bicycle tires to its collections. The brand launched with a collection of accessories and it has since expanded to also carry a range of footwear designs.
PHOTO: MATT & NAT, WEST EDMONTON MALL
About a year ago, Matt & Nat launched a new premium collection called ‘Studio 901’. The line includes a range of accessories that look and feel luxurious, featuring gold hardware, exceptional fabrics and a range of colours.
Mr. Kohli explained that the new Matt & Nat stores are not only creating brand awareness for the brand, they are also highly successful in terms of sales numbers. Matt & Nat’s first freestanding store opened in March of 2016 at the CF Carrefour Laval shopping centre near Montreal, and the store relocated several months ago into a 1,760 square-foot storefront to showcase a broader range of product. A second store opened in October 2016 at Quartier DIX30, in Brossard, and a third location opened in Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre in May of 2017.
PHOTO: MATT & NAT, WEST EDMONTON MALL
PHOTO: MATT & NAT, WEST EDMONTON MALL
PHOTO: BELLEVUE STORE, WASHINGTON
In 2018, Matt & Nat opened two Toronto-area stores — one at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto spanning 1,470 square feet, as well as a 1,450 square-foot location at Square One in Mississauga. The brand’s first store in Western Canada opened at Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre, and a storefront at Vaughan Mills in suburban Toronto opened on April 25 of this year. Matt & Nat operates outlet stores at Premium Outlets Montreal and at Toronto Premium Outlets, as well as the former pop-up store in the Soho area of New York City which recently became permanent.
PHOTO: BELLEVUE STORE, WASHINGTON
PHOTO: BELLEVUE STORE, WASHINGTON
While the expansion is ambitious, Mr. Kohli said that the company is being respectful of its wholesale accounts which will be maintained. The goal is to continue to grow Matt & Nat’s brand awareness to drive sales at all distribution points, not to mention its expansive e-commerce site which is also responsible for a substantial amount of retail sales.
PHOTO: BELLEVUE STORE, WASHINGTON
PHOTO: BELLEVUE STORE, WASHINGTON
The brand’s expansion will continue into 2020 with a confirmed Metropolis at Metrotown location, and other negotiation are said to be in the works. Matt & Nat stores are noticeably absent from the vibrant downtown cores of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, though all are expected to be in line for new Matt & Nat stores.
Given Matt & Nat’s current base of stores, shopping centres appear to be a target for new store openings. In downtown Toronto, CF Toronto Eaton Centre is a likely target for Matt & Nat — the shopping centre is the busiest in North America in terms of footfall and is one of the most productive in the country in terms of sales per square foot, and Matt & Nat already has a strong partnership with landlord Cadillac Fairview. In Vancouver, one might expect CF Pacific Centre to be a target for Matt & Nat — the busy shopping centre is the second most productive in Canada in terms of annual sales per square foot at $1,865 according to the upcoming Retail Council of Canada Shopping Centre Study. In Montreal, the Montreal Eaton Centre is a potential target for Matt & Nat — the downtown shopping complex recently became home to Canada’s first Time Out Market food hall, and also saw the addition of sportswear retailer Decathlon and a renovated Sephora store. Next year, Uniqlo will open its largest Canadian flagship at Montreal Eaton Centre as well.
PHOTO: BELLEVUE STORE, WASHINGTON
Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre could also be in line for a Matt & Nat location at some point. The massive shopping centre, which features an impressive roster of luxury stores, is the top in Canada with annual sales per square foot of $1,964 according to Retail Council of Canada’s upcoming Shopping Centre Study.
Retail Insider will follow up and report on Matt & Nat as it continues with its international expansion that is seeing tremendous success as consumer awareness continues to grow.
From humble beginnings with its first store in St. Albert, Alberta in 1987, Edmonton-based family-owned retailer Paris Jewellers has expanded to 26 locations in Western Canada.
“Our first store opened in St. Albert, Alberta in 1987, so to be able to have our new flagship store in our home city and in West Edmonton Mall is very special,” said Chau Lui, co-owner of Paris Jewellers. “As we began to expand our brand across Canada, our family would use the Map of Dreams; a large map that was framed on the wall and stickers were placed on wish-list cities. The Kelowna sticker has been there for over 10 years, so opening a store in that amazing community is truly a dream come true. We are excited for the new adventure and the work we are doing with our amazing community partners.”
PHOTO: PARIS JEWELLERS
The company is in four provinces – British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. Alberta has 15 stores.
“Our family immigrated from Vietnam in 1987 for a better life for our family and our family just worked odd jobs and really got the opportunity to train as goldsmiths at another jewellery store. So they would do that during the day and work their second or third jobs in the evening,” said Lui. “And then an opportunity came to open one small, 400-square-foot store in St. Albert.
“What was really interesting is at the time they were still going through English as a Second Language classes. So how they would talk to customers is they would use a Vietnamese/English dictionary to translate with customers. Can you imagine that? They would do that and customers would still have a great experience.
“So after a few years the Vietnamese/English dictionary went away and the mall in St. Albert called and said do you want to open another store and they thought one store is more than we could ever have imagined. Could we have two stores? But they took the chance and opened that other store and that’s how Paris Jewellers came to be. That was the second location and from there malls started to call and we continued to scale and grow the business.”
The first store was called St. Albert Goldsmiths then the second store became Paris Jewellers.
“In the Vietnamese community there’s a concert that’s called Paris By Night. All the famous Vietnamese singers and entertainers perform that. It’s held in Los Angeles.”
“Really the name Paris represented a dream of what could be if we worked hard and if we tried and if we kept going for our goals and our dreams that we could maybe get there one day. So the name Paris actually represents a dream and what could be,” said Lui.
PARIS JEWELLERS IN NORTH HILL CENTRE MALL, CALGARY. PHOTO: PARIS JEWELLERS
“We’ve always been in West Edmonton Mall but what we did is we’re so proud to introduce a new concept store design. It’s a brand-new concept. Brand new design. And this is our flagship store. It’s almost 2,000 square feet.”
Lui said the store has a completely different look with different colours. It has curtain drape detailing across the back of the bridal bar. Hardwood looking floors and custom plaster wall with its logo on it and different light fixtures. There’s also a nature inspired look with plants in the store. All to make it inviting for customers.
The Kelowna store is a smaller location at about 1,000 square feet and it took on some elements of the new concept.
“That will be our new concept moving forward with any expansion,” said Lui.
“We’re still planning to grow the business and open stores when the timing, location and the market is right. We always aim to make smart, strategic decisions to build a great company for our employees. For us, it’s not so much about quantity as it is being in the right market at the right time at the right location and the right property.
“We’re still family-owned and operated even though we have 26 stores in four provinces across Canada. We still really maintain this family business with close connections for our employees across Canada. And also we believe a lot in working with our communities of giving back. When we first started in St. Albert, we were relatively unknown and the community took a huge chance on us and allowed us to grow and scale our business. And really that’s why we’re here today. We’re really proud that we have great partnerships with foundations like the Children’s Wish Foundation and a portion of the proceeds from every sale from our holiday Moments Collection will be donated to the Children’s Wish Foundation. They do such incredible work granting magical wishes to children facing life threatening or terminal illness. It’s truly our sincere hope this year in assisting them in granting more wishes to deserving children.”
Paris Jewellers has also launched the limited-edition Joy Pendant (only available until November 25) where 100 per cent of the profits will be donated to Mamas for Mamas – a national charitable organization that supports mothers and caregivers in crisis by providing ongoing support to individuals and families facing various poverty-related struggles.
As well, for every pendant sold, Paris Jewellers will match it and donate a pendant to a mom in need. The pendant will be available online and in all 26 stores across Canada.
Also, from November 2 to 17, Paris Jewellers will be donating five per cent of every purchase from the Kelowna store to JoeAnna’s House. JoeAnna’s House will also be new to the Kelowna landscape and aims to provide affordable accommodation for family members with loved ones being treated at Kelowna General Hospital.
“Jewellery brings joy to people’s lives by evoking the emotions associated with special celebrations and meaningful milestones. The magic of jewellery is that it can instantly take you back to a happy moment or memory, every time you wear it,” said Lui. “Customers can choose to shop anywhere, and when they choose to celebrate their special occasions with us – it is an honour and a privilege that we cannot take for granted.”
