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BRIEF: Quebec Home Retailer Bankrupt, Aritzia Looks to China

By
Craig Patterson
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Brief August 2nd, 2019

Lacoste Opening First Concept Store in Vancouver, Third in Canada: Known particularly for its polo shirts featuring a crocodile logo, French fashion brand Lacoste will be opening its third new-concept store in Canada at Metropolis at Metrotown in suburban Vancouver. It will be the first concept store in British Columbia. 

YOKRDALE STOREFRONT. PHOTO: LACOSTE

Lacoste opened its first concept store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in the summer of 2018. A second concept store opened several months ago at Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre. The Metrotown store will mirror both the Toronto and Ottawa stores in design and the company says that they expect Metrotown to sell about as much as Lacoste’s productive Toronto Yorkdale unit. 

Lacoste’s new concept store’s design inspiration stems from the inside of a tennis locker, while incorporating a “chic and sophisticated look and feel.” As a tribute to Lacoste’s French heritage, the boutique’s design features a customer-centric experience.

PHOTO: LACOSTE

Next year, Lactose will create a customized online experience while also launching a new loyalty program in the next two to three years. 

“We have always been dedicated to ensuring a personalized customer experience for everyone that walks into our boutiques,” says Lacoste Canada’s General Manager Grégoire Brasset. “The new loyalty program is a way for us to maintain and build relationships with our customers, while creating an exclusive and VIP experience for those that have been longtime friends of the brand.” The loyalty program was launched in the European marketing just over three-years-ago. “After a strong response from customers in Europe, we are excited to bring a more enhanced shopping experience to our Canadian customers,” Mr. Brasset said.

Lacoste says that it is looking to open a second concept store at the Vancouver market at some point. Lacoste operates a network of standalone stores across Canada, including full-priced units as well as off-price outlets. Lacoste also wholesales to retailers in Canada including Hudson’s Bay, Browns Shoes and Foot Locker. Lacoste was founded in 1933 and has distribution in 120 countries globally. 

Frank And Oak Opening Dual-Gender CF Toronto Eaton Centre Flagship: Montreal-based fashion brand Frank And Oak is building a new storefront at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. It replaces an M0851 location that formerly occupied the space.

AT CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

Frank And Oak will boast considerable visibility from Queen Street West, as the store will feature an exterior presence facing Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson’s Bay, while also being adjacent to the busy Queen Street entrance to CF Toronto Eaton Centre. 

Frank And Oak launched its women’s collection in 2017 and began opening standalone women’s stores that fall. The current Frank And Oak women’s store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, located a few doors north of the new space, will close when the dual gender store opens next month. 

PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

Sources say that Tesla was supposed to open a large store where Frank And Oak is now opening. In the spring, Tesla announced that it had halted its store expansion that was expected to see several more locations open in Canada over the next couple of years. Fortunately, Tesla decided not to close all of its stores as planned, which means there are several still operational in Canada. That includes a highly productive unit at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre that is said to do gangbusters sales. 

Frank And Oak was founded in 2012 in Montreal as an online men’s brand and began opening stores in 2014. The brand became known initially for its subscription service where for a cost, shipments of clothing would arrive in the mail for customers. 

Aritzia Looks to Open Stores in China: A report in Business of Fashion notes that Vancouver-based fashion retailer Aritzia could eventually open stores in China. That’s according to an interview in the publication by Artizia’s CEO, Brian Hill. 

50 BLOOR ST. W. IN TORONTO. PHOTO: ARITZIA

Aritiza is seeing success with its brick-and-mortar stores in the United States, according to Mr. Hill. The company is picking the “best locations”, he said, including the recent opening of an Artizia store at Hudson Yards in New York City. About a third of Aritzia’s 92 stores are in the United States, which is impressive considering that Artizia only entered the US market a few years ago where it opened in high-rent locations on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, for example. 

Celebrity endorsements have played a part in Aritzia’s global success. Megan Markle is a fan, for example. 

Mr. Hill explained how opening physical stores has also led to increased online sales in those areas. That reflects a recent study by International Council of Shopping Centres where a “halo effect” leads to increased web traffic of up to 37% in areas where brands open brick-and-mortar retail spaces.  

Aritzia’s market capitalization is at about $2.2 billion, which is impressive. At the same time, its share price sits at about $17.50 — not much higher than its initial share price when Aritzia went public in 2016. The exit of investor Berkshire Partners may have something to do with it. Berkshire had acquired a majority stake in Aritzia in 2005 and helped fund the expansion. 

While there’s no timeline in place, Mr. Hill told Business in Fashion that Aritiza will expand into China “at some point in the future.” The article notes that by 2021, China may surpass the United States as the world’s biggest retail market.

In Canada, brokerage JLL represents Aritzia in its real estate site selection, under the direction of Dianne Lemm.  

Ontario’s first Cadillac-Exlusive Dealership Opens in Woodbridge: This week the new Roy Foss Cadillac Woodbridge facility at 2 Auto Park Circle opened to the public, spanning about 7,000 square feet on one level. 

Roy Foss Cadillac Woodbridge, the first Cadillac-exclusive dealer location in Ontario opens in Woodbridge. Photo credit: Cadillac Canada/Nino Michela

Four vehicles are on display in the showroom and an additional six vehicles are displayed on the parking pad in front of the retail space. Inside, there are two ‘delivery pods’, which are essentially offices where consumers “complete their purchasing journey and take possession of their new vehicles”. The new dealership also includes four Cadillac-dedicated service bays. 

The facility is LEED certified and includes three electric vehicle charging stations — Cadillac says that it is preparing to deliver on “an all-electric future”. 

Roy Foss Motors Ltd. was founded in 1962 and has operated in Woodbridge for 13 years. 

This follows Cadillac’s recent innovation where it launched a digital car shopping experience in Toronto, where consumers can view vehicles from home while interacting with live agents who demonstrate various features. 

Small-Farmed, Locally-Sourced Meal Subscription Box Company partners with Penguin Pickup: truLOCAL, an Ontario-based monthly meat delivery subscription box service that allows customers to choose from a vast assortment of locally-sourced non-GMO, antibiotic-free meats produced on small farms, is partnering with PenguinPickUp to create a network of  pick-up locations specializing in online deliveries. The strategic partnership is anticipated to help bolster truLOCAL’s growth significantly by unlocking the door to GTA-based condo-dwelling consumers with seamless delivery. 

PHOTO: TRULOCAL VIA FACEBOOK

While truLOCAL, a Kitchener-based company, has been growing rapidly across Ontario, delivering directly to GTA condo dwellers has become increasingly challenging for food companies due to ongoing building entry limitations. This is a major hurdle to overcome when you consider more than 20 per cent of the GTA population (roughly 1.2 million people) live in condos, according to Statistics Canada. 

CHURCH STEET IN TORONTO. PHOTO: PENGUINPICKUP VIA FACEBOOK

With the partnership, truLOCAL customers can order from truLOCAL.ca and pick up their meat subscription box from one of PenguinPickUp’s convenient and secure, temperature-controlled locations across Ontario once they are notified directly by PenguinPickUp.  truLOCAL and PenguinPickUp serve customers across Canada, however, the initial partnership is exclusive to Ontario at this time.

Maison Ethier Shuttering Montreal Stores Amid Bankruptcy: Quebec-based furniture retailer Maison Ethier is liquidating its two stores in Saint-Basile-le-Grand and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in suburban Montreal after filing for CCAA protection. The Toronto office of Tiger Capital Group is managing the retailer’s liquidation sale which is ongoing. 

PHOTO: MAISON ETHIER VIA FACEBOOK

In all, about $25 million in inventory is being cleared out, including furniture, mattresses, rugs, accessories and appliances. The retailer has been operating for 35 years. The going-out-of-business sales are being held at 267, boul. Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier, Saint-Basile-le-Grand, and 126, rue Jacques-Cartier Nord, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

The court has also authorized the addition of millions of dollars of new, special-purchased items offered at liquidation discounts

All items available for purchase at both stores will be available for immediate pickup or delivery. 

PHOTO: MAISON ETHIER VIA FACEBOOK

Maison Ethier’s flagship store in Saint-Basile-le-Grand includes 150,000 square feet of showroom space and a 70,000-square-foot warehouse. The original showroom and warehouse at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu spans about 75,000 square feet.

“Ecommerce, generational change and the continued expansion of mass-market discount chains pose competitive pressures across North America. We are seeing this everyday and are working hard to help both healthy and distressed retailers adapt to the changes,” said Mark Bannon, Director of Furniture Solutions at Tiger Capital Group.

Food Hall Phenomenon Sees Success in Canada Amid Increased Foot Traffic [Feature]

By
Craig Patterson
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PHOTO: MARKET & CO

Canadian cities have seen the opening of new food halls over the past couple of years, and many more are expected to follow. Various sources are saying that food halls are seeing success in Canada overall, and are becoming a significant source of foot traffic for shopping centres as well as neighbouring businesses. 

Food halls have opened both in downtown cores as well as in suburban shopping centres, and the phenomenon will continue into 2020 and beyond as developers look to increase footfall while seeking new uses for vacant commercial space. It’s part of a bigger trend as landlords seek out food and beverage operators as traditional fashion retailers slowdown in leasing activity.

The Greater Toronto Area appears to have been first to lead the trend, with Montreal and Calgary following soon after. Other regions confirmed for new food halls include Vancouver, Quebec City, Ottawa and Winnipeg, and secondary markets could also follow if the trend continues. 

PHOTO: ASSEMBLY CHEF’S HALL VIA FACEBOOK
PHOTO: ASSEMBLY CHEF’S HALL VIA FACEBOOK
PHOTO: ASSEMBLY CHEF’S HALL VIA FACEBOOK

Downtown Toronto is home to several food halls. That includes Assembly Chef’s Hall at 111 Richmond Street, which features concessions for some of the city’s most popular dining establishments, and also features a large outdoor patio area in the warmer months. Assembly Chef’s Hall has been a hit according to landlord Oxford Properties, which continues to open locations downtown as well as in suburban shopping centres. Italian ‘grocerant’ concept Eataly will also open a 50,000 square foot location at Toronto’s Manulife Centre towards the end of this year, which will be the first location of the brand in Canada. ‘The Well’ mega-development on the edge of the city’s Entertainment District will feature a 90,000 square foot ‘market hall’, while Oxford Properties’ recently announced Union Park will also feature a food hall, and there are other examples in the city as well.

Pusateri’s Fine Foods opened a food hall on the lower level of Saks Fifth Avenue’s Canadian flagship at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in November of 2016, and it continues to innovate by adding new dining and food options. Frank Luchetta, President and CEO of Pusateri’s, explained how the downtown food hall came about.

Youtube video

“It started as a dream and we saw the opportunity to do something that wasn’t yet in Canada — a combined luxury retailer and food hall”. Mr. Luchetta says that he called Richard Baker, Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, when he discovered that the Saks concept would be coming to Canada. “I told Richard Baker that if he wanted to build the Harrod’s of North America he’d require a food hall, and he got it,” said Mr. Luchetta.

The concept resulted in a hybrid grocery store and food hall in an upscale environment including marble floors and attractive fixtures, housing a wide range of food options as well as dining opportunities. As part of the Saks Fifth Avenue Food Hall by Pusateri’s, concession operators were welcomed to open in the space which sees a whopping 55,000 people pass through on a weekday.

Most recently, family-owned pasta retailer AMA Pastai Italiani opened a restaurant at the downtown Toronto Saks Food Hall, featuring a simple menu of fresh pasta and sauces. AMA also sells pasta for customers to take home and so far, it’s been a hit.

Mr. Luchetta explained that the CF Sherway Gardens Saks food hall, which was the first ever to open in a Saks store in March of 2016, is more of a grocery store though it also features a Champagne bar as well as sit-down options. Mr. Luchetta also revealed that he had at one time been in talks with Saks to open Pusateri’s food halls at Saks Fifth Avenue’s then-new store at Brickell City Centre in Miami as well as eventually in Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Palm Beach. A fire at Pusateri’s flagship store on Avenue Road in Toronto in 2015 became a priority when the store had to be rebuilt. It reopened in November of 2016, a couple weeks after the opening of the downtown Toronto Saks Pusateri’s location.

Landlord Oxford Properties opened Canada’s first two suburban food halls in the Greater Toronto Area, and both are seeing remarkable success. Sales and foot traffic are up as a result, and sales are even up in the mall food courts as well as in full-service restaurants.

Canada’s first suburban food hall, called Market & Co., opened at Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, north of Toronto, in the fall of 2018. That was followed by the spring 2019 opening of ‘The Food District’ at Square One in Mississauga, which Oxford Properties claims has resulted in increased foot traffic for both shopping centres.

PHOTO: MARKET & CO

Sherif Masood, Vice President of Retail Asset Management at Oxford Properties, said that both the Upper Canada Mall and Square One shopping centres have seen double-digit increases in foot traffic since the food hall openings. The food halls are also drawing in customers from a wider area and people are also staying longer in the malls and coming more often, he said. It’s been good for local communities as well — residential developers in Mississauga, for example, have touted the Food District as being a nearby amenity.

Greg Taylor, General Manager of Square One in Mississauga, said that the Food District had seen more than 600,000 visitors since its opening in April of this year. Foot traffic is up in the centre as well, and sales in the mall’s food court and restaurants have also seen increases. The addition of the Food District, as well as entertainment concept The Rec Room and new retailers OVO, Morphe and Uniqlo at Square One, resulted in foot traffic increases between 10% and 15% overall, he said.

Keeping things fresh is important as well. To create an experience, the Food District is hosting themed events and last weekend launched its first Night Market. Photographs from the evening indicate that the Food District was very busy. On the same day, Top Chef Canada host, Eden Grinshpan, led an interactive baking demonstration at Square One’s ‘District Kitchen’ located in the Food District.

PHOTO: THE FOOD DISTRICT
PHOTO: THE FOOD DISTRICT
PHOTO: THE FOOD DISTRICT

This fall, Oxford Properties will open its third suburban food hall at Galeries de la Capitale in Quebec City that includes a RICARDO restaurant that recently opened. It will be the first such food hall in the Quebec City market, which is one of several Canadian cities to see new food halls being added (we’ll be publishing a separate article about it next week).

In downtown Montreal, landlord Ivanhoé Cambridge is overhauling its retail properties, which will include a Time Out Market at the newly expanded Montreal Eaton Centre as well as a ‘gourmet biergarten’ at the nearby Place Ville Marie. Suburban Montreal will also start to see the opening of food halls. The now under construction Royalmount mega-project, developed by Carbonleo in partnership with L Catterton, will see a new food hall that is expected to debut in the summer of 2022. Cadillac Fairview says that it plans to open a food hall called ‘CF Marché des Promenades’ at the CF Promenades St-Bruno, and plans are also in place for a food hall at CF Fairview Pointe-Claire as part of an expansive development that will create something of a ‘downtown’ for the area. Montreal is already home to some unique food experiences, including Marché Artisans in the downtown core as well as the Jean Talon Market outside the downtown core, among others.

Calgary is home to the Avenida Food Hall & Fresh Market, which is seeing tremendous success despite being in a standalone suburban location. The 22,500 square foot space, located on the city’s south side about a kilometre south of the Southcentre Shopping Centre, features 42 vendors and restaurants with a parking lot that is often near or at capacity.

Vancouver is a bit late to the game in terms of opening food halls, and three are already confirmed for the downtown core as well as in the suburbs. Landlord QuadReal announced that it will be opening two food halls in Vancouver. One will be at it’s ‘The Post’ in downtown Vancouver, which will span more than 25,000 square feet at part of the redevelopment of the former Canada Post building that will also include a grocery store and other retail, as well as a substantial office tower component. Vancouver’s highly productive Oakridge Centre in the city’s West Side will see a spectacular overhaul over the next few years that will include new retail as well as residential and other components. It will also include ‘The Kitchen’, which will be a “world class” food hall spanning nearly 100,000 square feet over two levels.

Developer Shape’s ‘The Amazing Brentwood’ in suburban Vancouver, which will feature a mix of retail (including luxury), residential and office space, will also include a chef-driven food hall that will also include chain options, according to the developer. 

CALGARY’S AVENIDA FOOD HALL PHOTO: AVENIDA FOOD HALL
CALGARY’S AVENIDA FOOD HALL PHOTO: AVENIDA FOOD HALL
CALGARY’S AVENIDA FOOD HALL PHOTO: AVENIDA FOOD HALL

In November of 2018, Retail Insider reported on the opening of Ottawa’s 10,000 square foot food hall called ‘The Queen St. Fare’. Included are six food counters as well as one central licensed bar. In downtown Winnipeg, the 25,000 square foot Hargrave St. Market will open in the fall on the second level of True North Square, and will include a range of unique food and beverage offerings as well as a 5,000 square foot gourmet grocery store on the ground floor. The area around Queen St. Fare has seen an increase in footfall following its opening, according to nearby businesses. Downtown Winnipeg could definitely benefit from anything that could increase foot traffic in the area — the core has struggled over the years with the closure of Eaton’s and Holt Renfrew, and with the future of the downsized Hudson’s Bay flagship being uncertain.

Will Canada eventually become saturated with food halls? Despite the rapid growth over the past two years, there is likely room for more. After all, humans eat food and food halls are considered to be experiential in nature. Millennials are said to be seeking out experiences and are increasingly preferring to spend money with friends as part of a social experience. The ‘Gen Z’ segment, which is in early adulthood, is statistically shown to seek out physical retail experiences over online shopping as is popular with the ‘Generation X’ demographic.

At the same time, in the United States, some are concerned that there may become an over saturation of food halls as developers race to build them. According to a report by Cushman & Wakefield, the United States is expected to have approximately 450 food halls open by the end of 2020. That’s up from 120 food halls in 2016. Herb Heiserman, Managing Principal at Streetsense, said that he doesn’t think that all 450 will succeed. In an interview with Bisnow, Mr. Heiserman said “I think there will be a lot of failures in there, and I think it will be related to the operating model.”

He went on to say that he thinks that the first food halls in the United States to fail will be those where a landlord tries to “shoehorn” the concept into a vacant retail space that is less than ideal. That is, it can’t be a “filler” and “many more things have to come together”. That includes high foot traffic throughout the day that can make food halls become a natural community gathering place.

Canada doesn’t have nearly as many food halls as in the United States. Despite concerns of possible over saturation, many of Canada’s top shopping centres could eventually see the addition of food halls, and with great success. Canadian cities, particularly Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, also boast vibrant downtown cores housing significant resident populations as well as workplaces and attractions — something less common these days in cities in the United States.

So far, the food hall experiment seems to be working in Canada. Food halls are creating foot traffic while drawing in consumers from a wider area and as a result, are creating community gathering places. Greg Taylor explained how at Mississauga’s Square One during the Toronto Raptors playoffs, many Raptors jerseys could be seen from those also attending nearby Celebration Square that had been dubbed ‘Jurassic Park West’. On rainy days before games, the Food District was packed — no doubt as a result of the food hall being enclosed.

The closure of Target and Sears Canada resulted in millions of square feet of real estate that had to be repurposed. At the same time, brokers and landlords say that it’s becoming more challenging to lease out retail space to traditional retail tenants. As well, the traditional department store anchor has been on the decline for decades. Will food halls be the new ‘anchor’ for malls? Given the success of the phenomenon so far, it appears to be likely.

The “Upside” of Downsizing: Designer Consignment Retailer Finds Success in Pre-Loved Market

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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GRAPHIC: THE UPSIDE VIA FACEBOOK

Calgary-based retailer Upside is proving that the business of reselling second-hand items doesn’t have to be something that’s solely undertaken by the Value Villages of the world, thrift stores and consignment stores.

In fact, Upside has been successful in launching its model in the more upscale, luxury side of that particular retail sector as Canada’s largest online resale platform of luxury goods – handbags, shoes, accessories, clothing, fine jewelry – with over 200 luxury brands available.

Lauryn Vaughn founded the company in November 2015 with the warehouse/office and small retail space located in Calgary.

PHOTO: THE UPSIDE VIA FACEBOOK

“We are in the resale space. We are an ecommerce company that provides women a seamless luxury experience where they can buy and sell luxury goods. So the value proposition on the buy side is obviously it’s 100 per cent online. So you can get authenticated luxury goods for a fraction of retail delivered to your home,” said Vaughn.

“And then on the sell side we offer more back outside of selling it yourself. We have pickup options as well and we pay for the shipping to receive the items or you can drop it off if you are located in Calgary.”

Vaughn said the concept for now is geared to women but the company does hope to expand to items for children and men in the coming years as an expansion strategy.

PHOTO: THE UPSIDE VIA FACEBOOK

“The luxury resale market is growing for a number of reasons. Consumers have woken up to the reality that in some cases they are sitting on thousands of dollars tied up in handbags and other products that are not being worn. Having been manufactured with high quality materials, luxury products can last for decades and have a very long product life cycle. In many cases they hold much of their value. They are often timeless in design,” said Bruce Winder, a retail expert and consultant.

“At the same time the stigma of buying used products has been significantly reduced as Millennials and Gen Z customers look for ways to stretch their money yet look great. In addition, technology through marketplace platforms has enabled the almost frictionless buy and sell relationship needed to form a strong and growing market on both sides. Finally, with higher price points, there are enough profit dollars available to intermediaries to inspect and manage the exchange while still yielding a decent return once volume gets to a certain level.”

Vaughn has always wanted to be in the fashion industry. She spent some time in Paris for a couple of years before moving back to Calgary. Living in Europe, she noticed there was a different mindset about consignments.

PHOTO: THE UPSIDE VIA FACEBOOK

“I don’t think there’s such a negative connotation associated where I found in North America it was kind of frowned upon. If you were selling stuff you needed the money or if you were buying you couldn’t afford new. There was these kind of negative connotations around consignments and even when you thought about the traditional consignment stores you could almost smell the mothballs, very over-crowded spaces. So the customer experience wasn’t great,” she said.

But Vaughn thought it could be done better. When she moved back to Canada, RealReal, an online and brick-and-mortar marketplace for authenticated luxury consignment in the U.S., was gaining traction. She researched what was available in the Canadian market.

“I found that there was nothing that had a full breadth of product online. You either had a consignment store that posted one or two things. But there was nothing that was a fully-functioning online boutique focused on the retail industry,” added Vaughn.

PHOTO: THE UPSIDE VIA FACEBOOK

“When we first started we were in my basement. We’ve grown since then . . . We’ve now outgrown our current warehouse. We’re 3,100 square feet now. We are moving in the next couple of months here to a space that will probably be 6,000 or so square feet. From an actual space perspective we’ve grown immensely. We now have online over a thousand people signing up every month and our database we have about 11,000 users and growing online.”

Vaughn said that segment of the retail industry is growing for a number of reasons. Sustainability, for one, is a huge factor for many people, especially for younger demographics.

Of course, affordability is another.

“The other thing I think resale really provides is that you can get quality, variety and quantity. So the ability to be constantly changing your wardrobe.”

Plant-Based Restaurant Concept ‘by CHLOE.’ Entering Canada with 2 Confirmed Locations

By
Craig Patterson
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exc-5d40892bb52572000155dcfe

Another international brand has announced that it is entering Canada with two confirmed locations. 

US-based plant-based restaurant chain by CHLOE. has secured a space in Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which will open this fall. A second Toronto location will open next year in Toronto’s Financial District as by CHLOE. gains a foothold in the Canadian market that could see more locations open in other markets. 

The by CHLOE. concept is a ‘fast casual’ chain that offers flavourful vegan foods that “fuel and energize without compromising flavour, taste or satisfaction”. The company was funded in 2015 and has its flagship in the West Village area of New York City. There are currently 12 by CHLOE. locations in the United States including seven in greater New York City, three in Boston, and one each in Los Angeles and Providence, Rhode Island. Another location in New York City will open soon, according to by CHLOE.’s website. Its first international location opened in London’s Covent Garden area in February of 2018, and the chain subsequently opened three others in the city. In the fall of 2016, as well, by CHLOE. opened ‘Sweets by CHLOE.’, which is a plant-based bakery that is located adjacent to its West Village flagship. 

The Yorkdale by CHLOE. will be the first ever for the chain to be located in a large enclosed shopping centre. The company’s other locations are located on urban street-fronts, and the Los Angeles location is connected to a Whole Foods store on Glendale Boulevard. 

Graham Smith of brokerage JLL acted on behalf of by CHLOE. in the Yorkdale lease deal with landlord Oxford Properties. Mr. Smith is negotiating other potential locations for by CHLOE. as well. JLL is rapidly expanding its retail team and we recently reported that Mr. Smith and Brandon Gorman moved to JLL from a competitor.

SAMANTHA WASSER

Samantha Wasser, by CHLOE.‘s Founder and Creative Director, was recently named one of the “100 Coolest People in Food and Drink” by Business Insider. In a written statement, she said, “We couldn’t be more excited to expand our brand into Canada. Toronto’s vibrant and diverse community, paired with its innovative food scene, makes for the perfect destination for our first location in Canada. The brand by CHLOE. was created to make plant-based food approachable, accessible, and of course, fun! We look forward to our future growth throughout Canada and promoting an inclusive plant-based community with our new customers.”

Towards the end of September, by CHLOE. will open its first Canadian storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 2,300 square foot space will be located in Yorkdale’s most recent expansion wing which is anchored by RH Restoration Hardware and Sporting Life. Other nearby tenants include German appliance retailer Miele, which opened a first in the world concept store in the summer of 2018. A Kit-Kat-branded retail space will open this fall nearby as well — the expansion wing features several food and beverage concepts, including unique Japanese restaurant concept TORA, Village Juicery, as well as Toronto-based health focused iQ Foods, which is expected to be a fierce competitor to by CHLOE. Other nearby retailers include an Escada Sport pop-up space, as well as a recently opened Canadian flagship for Hong Kong-based eyewear retailer Mujosh.

Hopefully not causing any confusion, Yorkdale is also home to French luxury women’s fashion brand Chloé, which opened its only standalone Canadian unit in the shopping centre in June of 2018.  

BY CHLOE WILL OPEN NEAR RH AND SPORTING LIFE, AS CIRCLED IN RED IN THIS INTERACTIVE YORKDALE MALL MAP.

Yorkdale’s by CHLOE. will be feature the brand’s signature dining menu as well as market specials that change with the season, grab-and-go options, and fresh-baked sweets. The menu will be 100% plant-based with gluten-free and soy-free options available. An exclusive “Toronto by CHLOE.” menu will be featured at the Yorkdale location and it will be inspired by “classic Canadian dishes and local ingredients”.

Popular meal options include the Guac Burger, Quinoa Taco Salad, and Pesto Meatball. The ‘Sweets by CHLOE.’ line will also be carried at the Yorkdale locations as well as a collection of house-made, dairy-free ice creams and sorbets called ‘Chill by CHLOE’.

The Yorkdale retail space will be “a replica of the brand’s first ever flagship location in NYC’s iconic West Village,” according to the company. That includes a reproduction of by CHLOE.’s Bleecker Street facade. The interior will include colourful stripped banquettes and tiled tabletops, as well as Toronto-inspired neon signage, swing chairs, and bathroom wallpapers.

BY CHLOE’S FIRST LONDON LOCATION IN COVENT GARDEN

Yorkdale has been adding dining options to diversify its retail offerings, as landlord Oxford Properties continues to grow square footage dedicated to food and beverage options within its shopping centres. Yorkdale’s by CHLOE. will add another health-focused dining option to what has become Canada’s most productive shopping centre in terms of annual sales per square foot, and is also the highest-grossing mall in the country with annual sales approaching $2 billion. Yorkdale sees more first-to-Canada openings for retailers than any other place in Canada, and several restaurant concepts have also opened their first Canadian locations in the busy shopping centre. Cheesecake Factory is an example, and the restaurant is said to be one of the chain’s top performers. 

A second by CHLOE. location will open in Toronto’s Financial District next year, according to the company, and details have yet to be provided. Other Canadian markets could be in line for the plant-based chain — the Vancouver market is a likely target for by CHLOE. given its demographics and healthy-focused lifestyle ethos. 

Competition will be fierce as homegrown plant-based chains such as rapidly growing Montreal-based Copper Branch also continue to expand operations into Canada while Toronto-based iQ and others add units as well. The healthy eating trend is on the upswing in Canada, including in shopping centres, breaking away from offerings found in traditional mall food courts. Meatless meal options are also going mainstream in fast food chains such as A&W, which has seen tremendous sales from its Beyond Meat burger options. 

We’ll follow up on this story when by CHLOE. opens its Yorkdale storefront, and do a side-by-side comparison with the Bleecker Street flagship which will be Yorkdale’s primary design inspiration. 

Sharing Is Caring: How 2 Retailers Teamed Up to Open A Shared Storefront

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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PHOTO: SO PRETTY/PURA BOTANICALS

An Edmonton-based jewelry brand has found a unique way to build its business – by sharing storefront space with another retailer with a similar customer base.

And Cara Cotter, owner/creative director of So Pretty, believes the concept, with Pura Botanicals, can be replicated elsewhere in the future – perhaps in Calgary.

Cotter designs every single piece of jewelry the company sells as well as overseeing all the creative elements of the business including the website, branding and store operations.

So Pretty began in 2005 on a very small scale. She was hand-making everything herself and was just online and through wholesale. She built the business very slowly. Then three years ago, she opened her design office on 124th Street in Edmonton – next to the downtown.

  • PHOTO: SO PRETTY/PURA BOTANICALS

“That was just purely to maintain our wholesale business and have some more space and to be able to hire people for our team. As an experiment one holiday season, we did a pop-up with some other local entrepreneurs in Edmonton. Poppy Barley. Pura Botanicals. We did it in Manulife Place across from Holt Renfrew. We did that for a month and a half and it was such a pleasant surprise. I’d never really done retail before. We just had our wholesale business. And it did really well,” said Cotter.

“So my thought on the business really changed at that point. I thought testing out different areas of the city to see where we would be successful would be a good start. We did pop-ups with Poppy Barley again and continued with Pura Botanicals. We seemed to have a lot of crossover in our demographic which is like the 25 to 55 (year old) professional woman. We did Southgate. We did West Edmonton Mall. We did Manulife Place. Then last spring space became available right on 124th (Street) below our office.”

Although it is a smaller space than Cotter would have liked, it does serve as a perfect incubator for the company’s future retail.

Having a pop-up together with Pura Botanicals, a natural skin care and green beauty products retailer, they realized there was a crossover market for So Pretty. Branding is very similar and the two retailers get along really well.

“The direction of retail is really influenced by experiences and community and giving customers something different. So we thought why not do a collaboration, not because we need to financially, but to do something different,” said Cotter. “And we saw through our pop-ups how that experience was translating. So we had proof it would work. Our first year has been really, really good. We opened July last year.”

When a customer walks through the door, it looks like one store but with signage for each retailer.

“We didn’t want it to look like a market or just two separate brands thrown together. We wanted it to be when you walk in you see essentially one store but you discover two brands within that store. Whether they’re coming to see Pura or So Pretty they have an amazing experience but also they’re discovering maybe something different,” said Cotter. “And being part of the community. We’re both female-founded brands. So having that story really helps to connect with our customers. We’re both from Edmonton. That also helps.

LANE EDWARDS OF PURA BOTANICALS PHOTO: SO PRETTY/PURA BOTANICALS

“The esthetic is very similar. A lot of whites, and blush pink. Feminine but still very modern . . . I always wanted to make a product that was sort of the attainable luxury category. I’ve never made jewelry out of any base metals or brass. The largest part of our category is everything has a sterling silver base with 18-karat gold really heavily plated on top or just solid sterling pieces. We range from $50 to $450 in that category and our average ticket bill is about $185. We want something that’s price sensitive but also really good quality for what you’re paying. Every design is unique and everything’s handcrafted and we make very limited runs of pieces. We’re not a mass manufacturer. We come out with four collections a year. So there’s always something different for customers.”

So Pretty also sells online with about 30 per cent of its business in that area. The online business began before the storefront was opened.

Cotter said that in an ideal world she would like to do a standalone store in a mall with its own branding.

“But Pura and I have also discussed opening another duplicate store of what we have here in Edmonton in Calgary. That would be a year from now and it really depends on finding the right location with a lot of foot traffic and the right size. So we’re investigating that at this point. We don’t have any solid plans,” she added.

Independent Retailers in Canada Struggle for Survival

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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The challenge for smaller independent retailers and businesses these days is clear.

Rising costs including rent and property taxes, wages, and operations, are making it extremely difficult for many of them to simply survive. Combine that with the big players of the world who are making it tough to compete on price point and of course the proliferation of ecommerce, and you have a scenario where being an independent retailer in today’s world is most likely a tough go.

So how do you survive in that environment?

July was Independent Retailer Month where consumers were encouraged to shop locally and it also cast a light on how independent retailers can not only survive in these tough times but also thrive.

The key is for them to provide unique experiences for customers, great customer service and develop personal relationships with those people who are coming into their places of business and spending money.

Robert Phelps is President of Silver Chef Canada, a leading dedicated hospitality financier that has supported 30,000 hospitality businesses globally, including more than 3,000 in Canada, to either create their business or expand their business.

“Our ultimate purpose is to help people achieve their business dreams,” said Phelps.

“The hospitality sector as a whole is an art and a passion. It’s a dynamic and vibrant industry. The operators with their business are able to display that passion which creates that element of differentiation and that’s why a lot of operators actually set out to start a business in the industry. That differentiation point is what consumers, as we continue to see, are looking for from a point of difference in the experience and whether that creates an extended stay, whether that’s an opportunity to connect for a longer period, or that drive for additional choice. Consumers are looking for a point of difference.”

Silver Chef has supported the hospitality sector for more than three decades – 32 years in Australia, 15 years in New Zealand and five years in Canada.

Creating unique customer experiences and developing closer customer relationships becomes a key differentiator for independent businesses as they strive to compete in an increasingly competitive world. It’s also a key in getting return business – repeat customers.

“It’s essential,” said Phelps.

Anna McMillan, founder and general manager of The Garden in the Strathcona neighbourhood in Vancouver, has followed that formula in setting up her new venture.

“We opened 10 months ago. We’re a new business. We’re a cafe as well as a retail shop and an event space. The retail section we focus on sort of home and personal products and our key focus is sourcing products from companies that are ethically produced. So we have a big emphasis on local products as well as environmentally and socially responsible companies and products,” she said.

THE GARDEN STRATHCONA IN VANCOUVER, BC PHOTO: BRIAN M VIA GOOGLE MAPS

The Garden has received some financing from Silver Chef for its operations.

“From my perspective and one of the reasons I started The Garden and why it’s sort of a unique offering in the services and products that we provide is to really be a differentiator from those traditional spaces,” said McMillan. “Personally, I’m really passionate about bringing people together in real life to focus on core values and things that people genuinely care about. So that’s why we focus on the sustainable and ethical products and to have some conversation around that.

“Originally my idea was to open a retail store but I knew that it needed to be something a little bit different because traditional brick and mortar retail is struggling as we all know. So including food with that and a really beautiful space that people would want to come together and spend time in was something that is more unique especially in Canada and in Vancouver. And our approach to food is really similar to that of our products. A lot of chain type of restaurants are just not in that space. It’s not a priority in that sense. They’re more of a traditional and typical offering. We’re trying to send out in the type of products that we carry, and the way we present those products to our consumers, and the environment and the experience we’re creating around that, a new experience.”

Innovative Education Platform ‘Progress Retail’ Launches in Canada

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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PHOTO: PROGRESS RETAIL

Chicago-based , an innovative education platform for the retail sector, has launched an initiative to expand its presence in Canada.

Ray Riley, the company’s Co-CEO, said Progress Retail’s learning experience platform creates a meaningful ‘one-stop shop’ for retail sales training, sales management, product knowledge, and brand communications.

With a strong conviction that brick-and-mortar retail is alive and well, Progress Retail pioneered a human-centered, live in-person retail sales and leadership education program that has been operational for nearly thirty years. With the launch of Progress Retail’s learning technology platform, the company is the exclusive learning and development partner for omnichannel brands such as Mecca, Volcom, Chatters, and Seed Heritage.

RAY RILEY

The company was founded as People in Progress in 1989 in Australia by Terry Hawkins, Co-CEO. With a strong personal growth and personal development component deeply rooted in empathy, Progress Retail’s professional skills and processes were able to be implemented with considerably more success than the majority of mainstream retail ‘training’. This unique approach led to the company working with numerous high-profile retail brands such as Ralph Lauren and Nordstrom. Since 1989, the company has more than 100,000 alumni globally who have attended in-person courses from its C.A.R.E. Customers Are Really Everything®, and S.M.A.R.T. Superior Management of a Resourceful Team® retail education systems, among several others.

“We are very unique in the fact that retail education has become very stagnant. Many retailers see learning and education as an add-on rather than the core of their business. As such, learning and education isn’t given a high priority. So rather than developing people in a highly effective manner, short cuts are taken. For example, many “buy” experience, or copy concepts, training modules etc. I say, buy cheap, buy twice, ” said Hawkins

TERRY HAWKINS

“We believe in long term, sustainable development. And our secret sauce is that we have been able to unlock the ability to teach people how to truly connect with the customer, and others, on a very deep, personal level. This has a game changing effect on results,” Hawkins went on to say.

“As a retailer partnering with Progress Retail, you’re able to distribute and manage the most relevant learning and development that exists for the industry, both offline and online,” said Riley. “Learning is our core, and our platform is rapidly developing in areas of performance analytics and retail sales management. We’re carefully building an ecosystem of tools and learning that have a dramatically positive impact on sales professionals and store managers of the future,” he went on to say.

Progress Retail can point to specific, evidence-based results that demonstrate the impact of its unique approach. In a recently published study, Progress Retail’s retail partners from fiscal year 2018 (July 1st 2017 to June 30th, 2018) decreased retail employee turnover 61% in fiscal year 2019 (July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019).

Progress Retail’s roots come from Hawkins’ background in the retail industry, where she commenced her retail career on the shop floor.

“I remember feeling so embarrassed to tell people that I actually worked in retail. When I moved into a training role, I just loved witnessing what knowledge and inspiration could do for someone regardless of their role, whether they were scrubbing cupboards in a cafeteria, or building a rocket ship, it changed how people approached their work,” she said.

“That’s how it all started. I could see the influence of really impactful learning.”

Today, the company’s mission is to “enable every member of a retail organization to connect deeply with themselves, their company, their career, and their customers.”

Jo Horgan, founder of Australia-based Mecca, (a cosmetics and beauty retailer with 100 stores boasting 10 percent of Australia’s $4.2 billion beauty market) said: “We regard Progress Retail as a partner and not a supplier – they are integral to our success. We have seen our dollar spend per customer increase significantly while at the same time dramatically improving our customer service standards and staff retention. They stand alone in retail transformation.” Hawkins and the business first partnered with Mecca Brands in 1997 when the beauty retailer had fewer than 10 stores.

Progress Retail is operating today in Australia, Canada and the United States. The company’s first client and launch partner in Canada is hair salon chain Chatters, which began working with Progress Retail in Ontario in January of 2019, followed by Alberta in June.

Barb Sim, Vice President of Operations and Distribution at Chatters, said, “The reason we’re investing a significant amount in education is because we believe that this will set us apart. C.A.R.E.™ was really key for us in providing our leadership team that structured approach on coaching our team members at the store level, and really making sure we understand the steps to deliver an exceptional experience.”

“In Canada there is no shortage of retail trainers, or consultants. They may dabble in retail training and also do keynote speaking. We don’t rely on a personality – we are performance-based with equal doses of scalable purpose and process that is assisting in transformative outcomes for our retail partners. We’re taking the heavy-lifting out of crafting a powerful, strategic learning journey and meaningful employee experience for retailers,” Riley said.

For more information on progress retail, contact hello@progressretail.com or visit

*Partner Content. To work with Retail Insider, contact: craig@retail-insider.com

BRIEF: Luxury Retailer Shutters Amid Death Threat, Diesel & Anthropologie Exit Yorkville

By
Craig Patterson
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7Montreal Multi-Brand Luxury Men’s Retailer Closes Amid Death Threat

PHOTO: GIORGIO GRUPPO ROMA VIA FACEBOOK

The three-level Giorgio Gruppo Roma store at 1440 Peel Street in Montreal has shuttered as its owner, Tony Elian, flees for his life. That’s according to a French language report over the weekend in TVA Nouvelles, which says that it has sources who say that Montreal police have informed Mr. Elian to go into hiding because his life is in danger, with threats said to be linked to his many debts to creditors. 

The threats to Mr. Elian’s life follow other serious incidents. In the spring of 2017, his car was firebombed and in March of 2018, he was shot with a shotgun in his Peel Street store. The TVA Nouvelles report notes that last week, a moving truck was parked in front of the shuttered Giorgio Gruppo Roma store. 

Debts have plagued Mr. Elian’s business dealings since at least 2015. TVA Nouvelles reports that there’s a long list of subcontractors claiming to be unpaid for work done on a condominium building in nearby Westmount that was developed by Mr. Elian’s company Cesare Immobilier. Between 2009 and 2014, Mr. Elian was involved in a $1.1 million lawsuit with Frank Bertucci, who was accused of trying to bribe a Revenue Canada representative with $150,000 for a tax reduction.

Outstanding rents on the 1440 Peel Street property resulted in a $500,000 lawsuit between him and landlord 825 Bancroft Investment Limited. Mr. Elian’s personal residence is subject to notice of sale to pay off debts. He owes about $2.7 million in loans for his properties in Westmount and Bank of Montreal is suing him for nearly $2.2million. 

PHOTO: GIORGIO GRUPPO ROMA

Some are saying Mr. Elian had ties to criminal entities in the Montreal area. He was seen in photos with gangster Ducarme Joseph who was murdered in 2014, and he attended the funeral of Italian-Canadian crime boss Vito Rizzuto in late 2013 — Rizzuto is alleged to have been the leader of the Sicilian Mafia in Canada. 

According to TVA Nouvelles, some are claiming that Giorgio Gruppo Roma was claiming that it’s “made in Italy” fashions were actually produced in China. 

Giorgio Gruppo Roma was located across the street from men’s luxury retailer Harry Rosen and is a few doors south of prestigious multi-brand men’s retailer L’Uomo. All are located in downtown Montreal’s prestigious ‘Golden Square Mile’ area that also houses Holt Renfrew Ogilvy, the adjacent Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, and the Ritz Carlton Hotel. 

[French language TVA Nouvelles report]

6Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship Saint Laurent Boutique Sees Updates

Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship Saint Laurent Boutique PHOTO: AMACHRIS CORPORATION

The Saint Laurent accessory boutique at Saks Fifth Avenue at CF Toronto Eaton Centre was recently under tarp for a refresh that was completed late last week. The updated space was expanded to house even more of the brand’s luxurious accessories, with bags priced well into the thousands.

The boutique features Saint Laurent’s signature marble walls that contrast with metal fixtures. Bags and accessories are displayed in new display cases as well as along the walls of the boutique. Retail construction specialist Amachris Corporation partnered on the space build-out.

Other shop-in-stores on Saks CF Toronto Eaton Centre ground floor include Bottega Veneta, Celine, Chloé, Valentino and Givenchy, as well as leased concessions for Louis Vuitton, Dior and Prada. Saks’ women’s designer floor on level three also houses a Saint Laurent ready-to-wear boutique, along with several other big-name designers.

Saint Laurent opened its first standalone Canadian store, spanning 4,800 square feet, in Vancouver in the summer of 2016. A second standalone store measuring about 3,000 square feet opened at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in November of 2016. A 3,000 square foot ‘world of’ Saint Laurent opened at Holt Renfrew at 50 Bloor Street West in Toronto in March of 2018. Saint Laurent is also carried at several Holt Renfrew stores as well as at Nordstrom in Vancouver.

5Toronto Athlete Tech Summit to Include NBA Players

NBA players are expected to attend a tech summit looking to attract investments in Toronto’s booming tech scene.

Landing in Toronto August 1st and 2nd, the 2019 Athlete Technology Summit is labelled the only event of its kind in Canada. According to organizers, the Summit benefits startups, Venture Capitalists, influencers, and professional athletes. The event will be host to roughly 150 hand selected ‘high profile individuals’ who all have a vested interest in the opportunities that the Toronto Technology Eco-System has to offer.

“Toronto recently has been named the Technology Hub of Canada, fastest growing sector in North America, and is currently the fourth largest in North America. That is due to the fact that Toronto has over 5000+ Start Ups and over 245,00 Technology jobs,” reads the summit’s website.

Toronto is also known as a world innovation leader in Artificial Intelligence, and second in the Neuroscience and Neuroscience Technology space only behind the city of Boston. As well, companies such as Uber, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and many other international brands are already in the city, or building offices in Toronto.

The first-ever Athlete Technology Summit will explore the trends and innovations in Canadian talent, technology, and sports. It will be held at Artscape Daniels Launchpad on the fourth floor of 130 Queens Quay East.

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4Anthropologie and Diesel Shutter Yorkville Avenue Flagships

FORMER ANTHROPOLOGIES STORE IN YORKVILLE PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

The Anthropologie store at 78 Yorkville Avenue in Toronto closed on July 19 as the street continues to transform into a luxury retail destination. A week prior, Diesel also closed its storefront at 92 Yorkville Avenue. Both buildings are owned by First Capital Realty. 

First Capital Realty has been repositioning Yorkville Avenue after acquiring several buildings along the street. Chanel opened at the landlord’s property at 100 Yorkville Avenue in November of 2017 and recently, it was joined by Brunello Cucinelli and Versace in the 102-108 Yorkville Avenue complex. A Stone Island flagship will open in the same complex this fall. 

Other luxury brands along the stretch include Christian Louboutin, Off-White, Kiton, Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet. First Capital Realty will redevelop its 101 Yorkville Avenue property to include luxury retail spaces in what is proposed to be a mixed-use development, with designs pending. A goop pop-up space opened at the base of the Hazelton Hotel and if things go well, its lease could be extended beyond September. Other developments to the area will add more retail as well as restaurants and other uses. 

FORMER DIESEL STORE IN YORKVILLE PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

No new tenants have been announced for the Diesel or Anthropologie spaces on Yorkville Avenue, though Chanel confirms that it will annex about 1,000 square feet of the back of the second-floor of the former Diesel space to expand back-of-house operations. Veteran broker Jane Baldwin of Lennard negotiated the Diesel and Anthropologie leases and both stores opened in 2009, prior to Yorkville Avenue being repositioned as a luxury retail address. Both spaces are located at the base of luxury condominium towers, however, with units priced well into the millions of dollars in some instances. 

3Designer Brand Boutiques Exit Nordstrom CF Toronto Eaton Centre

REMAINING DESIGNER BOUTIQUE AT CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE’S NORDSTROM STORE INCLUDING STELLA MCCARTNEY, MONCLER AND BURBERRY. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

The third-floor ready-to-wear boutique for LVMH-owned Spanish luxury brand Loewe was recently decommissioned at Nordstrom’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship in Toronto. The space currently houses fashions for Italian brand Max Mara, though it currently retains the hard-shop fixtures that characterize Loewe retail spaces. Two Loewe boutiques, including a women’s ready-to-wear on the third floor and separate accessory boutique on the ground floor, opened in the store in September of 2016 when Nordstrom unveiled its impressive flagship. The Loewe accessory boutique remains operational on the store’s ground floor. 

Several months ago, as well, the edgy ‘SPACE’ department exited Nordstrom’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre store, though it remains at Nordstrom’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre location. Both SPACE locations opened in the fall of 2016, featuring an expansive offering of trendy designers, some of which are so unique that staff had said some styles were unisex. 

LOEWE ‘HARD SHOP’ ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF NORDSTROM’S CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE FLAGSHIP, WHICH NO LONGER CARRIES LOEWE FASHIONS. THE SPACE TO THE LEFT WAS ONCE A LANVIN BOUTIQUE. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

Last year, the Lanvin boutique on the third floor of Nordstrom’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre store also shuttered. The former Lanvin space, located next to the former Loewe shop, now houses an area for personal stylists. On the third floor, designer boutique spaces remain for brands including Stella McCartney, Moncler and Burberry.  

Until about four years ago, distribution of Loewe in Canada was fairly limited until Nordstrom entered the Vancouver market with an offering of the popular Spanish brand. Since then, Holt Renfrew has been beefing up its offerings with stores carrying a growing assortment of Loewe bags and apparel. 

2Tech Startup ‘Intelocate’ Gets In the Groove with Sunrise Records

PHOTO: FYIMUSICNEWS.CA

Toronto-based tech startup Intelocate has signed on to help fellow Canadian-based company Sunrise Records, gaining the largest footprint in the music entertainment retail space. 

Intelocate is said to be the first operations platform that is specifically designed for the complexity of a multi-location business. It empowers head office departments, regional teams, location staff, and even external vendors to coordinate efforts to solve problems by combining the modern, chat-based style of communicating with sophisticated issue and task management.

“Retailers around the world are all turning to hyperlocal in-store experiences, and the music business is doing that really well by listening to local music preferences and organizing local events. To achieve that, retailers require tools that provide actionable insights into what happens across locations, it is so important to give location teams a voice,” explains Yulia Vasilyeva, Chief Executive Officer at Intelocate. 

“We are thrilled to work with Intelocate,” says Chris Dipardo, Vice President of Stores and Operations, at Sunrise. “We saw what they’ve been doing with customers in Europe and in particular, the time savings and operational improvements it provided for HMV Retail UK after we acquired the company. We knew that we would benefit immediately from Intelocate’s expertise to support our ecosystem.

“We’re supporting companies all around the world, we are proud to support a Canadian company with our technology,” says Vasilyeva. Intelocate removes operational obstacles for locations, regional teams, head office, and vendors. “Even more exciting is that the Sunrise Records partnership is giving us the largest market footprint in the music entertainment retail space.” said Vasilyeva.

1Shopping Platform ‘Picodi’ Expands Into Canada

GRAPHIC: PICODI VIA FACEBOOK

Smart-shopping platform Picodi.com, which offers discount coupons to online stores, launched its Canadian website in July. Along with recent expanding into the American and New Zealand markets, Picodi now operates in 44 countries. 

Initially called International Coupons, the company was founded in 2010 in Poland. The company operated under different brand names until 2016 when it merged into Picodi.com. 

The website offers its Canadian users unlimited free access to promo codes and coupons to over 200 local and international online shops, giving a chance to save on clothes, shoes, electronics, home appliance, travel tickets or food delivery. Picodi.com is free to use and does not require registration. 

Le Chateau to Enter US Market As it Grapples with Challenges at Home

By
Craig Patterson
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PHOTO: YELLOWPAGES

By Retail Insider

Montreal-based fashion retailer Le Chateau is reportedly looking at expanding into the US market, according to a French language report in La Presse by journalist Marie-Eve Fournier. This comes after Le Chateau closed about half of its stores in less than 10 years, while at the same time investing millions of dollars into e-commerce in an effort to become profitable. 

Jane Silverstone Segal, Chairman and CEO, said in a shareholder meeting last week that Le Chateau is looking to sell its fashions in the US using a wholesale model. That could include selling to smaller retailers and even department stores — Johnny Del Ciancio, VP of Finance at Le Chateau, reportedly said that expanding into department stores was the “logical” choice. 

The expansion is set for this fall as Le Chateau is in talks with potential partners. Le Chateau already sells its wares on Amazon’s US and Canadian websites, though it’s only a small percentage of sales for the brand. 

PHOTO: INTERCITY SHOPPING CENTRE

Le Chateau has not been profitable since 2010 and is reportedly working towards a goal of restructuring. That’s been going on for seven years and with that, the company went from operating 243 stores to just 129 stores, which means 45% of its network has shuttered over the past decade. In its most recent year, Le Chateau saw a loss of $23.8 million on sales of $190.9 million. 

Four more Le Chateau stores are set to be closed, according to La Presse and it’s expected that the remaining 129 units will lead the company to profitability. Le Chateau has particularly downsized its presence in Montreal’s downtown core where at one time, it had nine stores on Ste-Catherine Street between Atwater and Berri. Now Le Chateau has just one unit at the Montreal Eaton Centre. 

Le Chateau was founded in 1959 and was known to be the first retailer to introduce various trendy brands into the Canadian market. The retailer is marking 60 years in operation and the company says that it plans to be around for a long time to come, according to the report in La Presse.

Luxury Brands ‘Philipp Plein’ and ‘Billionaire’ to Enter Canadian Market Through Local Partner

By
Craig Patterson
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exc-5d360b3f42b5000001a19ec4

Concord, Ontario-based multi-brand representative OriginalLuxury Inc. will launch luxury brands Philipp Plein and Billionaire to the Canadian market on July 30.

The expansion will begin with an online offering. OriginalLuxury will also allow its VIP clients to visit the showroom by appointment to showcase product to customers who are interested in interacting with the product prior to making a purchase.

Innovative photo and video technology from StylePhotos Canada will be used for the brands’ Canadian e-commerce sites. 

Entrepreneur Husan Aripov, is spearheading a major brand development initiative in Canada on behalf of OriginalLuxury. Swiss luxury brand Philipp Plein, known for its pricey and flashy men’s and women’s sportswear fashions, will launch on the OriginalLuxury website next week, with new products arriving weekly. Philipp Plein founded his eponymous brand in Lugano, Switzerland in 1998 by making bags and accessories from leftover exotic leathers.

The fashion-side of the Philipp Plein business launched in 2004 and has grown substantially since. The brand is particularly known for its bejewelled leather and crystal-studded knits, and has sold very well in Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe, and is expanding further into North America. Philipp Plein designs and manufactures fashions, accessories and footwear for both men and women, and has stores in major markets globally. 

This fall the luxurious, Italian-made men’s fashion line, Billionaire, will launch in Canada through OriginalLuxury.ca’s e-commerce site. Billionaire features clothing, bags, accessories and shoes as well as a children’s line. “Billionaire presents an extravagant, rich wardrobe for mature men who are unafraid of who they are and who they want to be,” according to the company’s website.

The designer, named “Mr. Plutus”, is described as being “Part man, part machine” as he “represents a new breed of creative force in the fashion industry.” Billionaire’s website goes on to say, “A mysterious robotic entity, Plutus miraculously appeared earlier this year behind the wheel of a white Rolls Royce, The Rolling Stones’s anthem Sympathy for the Devil blaring as he raced into the heart of Milan. Rumours and theories about the origins of this electronic enigma immediately started swirling, with some experts believing him to be the ancient Greek god of wealth returned to earth on a secret mission.” 

Securing the Philipp Plein and Billionaire brands is a major coup as OriginalLuxury becomes a significant player in the international brand market with Canadian distribution. Concord-based OriginalLuxury Inc. continues to expand the roster of brands it represents, with many being high-end. Additional brands carried by OriginalLuxury include: Italian luxury brand Artioli, French fashion house Christian Lacroix, Como Silks, Escorial, Faliero Sarti, Joshua Ellis, MA.AL.BI., Mantero, The Volon, and Serpui (a Brazil-based handbag brand).

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For all of its online brand offerings, OriginalLuxury Inc. uses StylePhotos to photograph and take videos of its products. Mr. Aripov explained how StylePhotos is able to capture the “actual” look and texture of products when photographed using their proprietary technology; these services are available for anyone seeking top-quality photos and videos for e-commerce. With StylePhotos, the cost per photo or video is a fraction of the cost of traditional e-commerce product photography and videography, according to Mr. Aripov, making StylePhotos accessible to a wide range of retailers from independents to major players.  

StylePhotos is located at OriginalLuxury’s headquarters in Concord, just north of Toronto. Those seeking photography and/or videography services using StylePhotos’ technology can visit the Concord office to rent the equipment or send product to their headquarters to be photographed or captured on video in the most accurate way possible. StylePhotos Canada is owned by local partner OriginalLuxury Inc., and Retail Insider has profiled StylePhotos, which can be read here and here.

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OriginalLuxury Inc. will continue to target unique global brands looking to enter the Canadian market through its online platform. We’ll continue to follow up on this story as we track international brands entering the Canadian market. 

For Retail Insider readers, OriginalLuxury Inc. is offering a 10% savings on StylePhotos for those interested in high-quality, affordable e-commerce photography and videography.

For more information on OriginalLuxury Inc., visit: OriginalLuxury.ca.

For more information on StylePhotos Canada, visit: StylePhotos.ca

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