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Over the Rainbow Unveils Relocated Manulife Centre Store [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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NEW BRANDING ON THE MALL-FACING FACADE OF THE NEW TORONTO STORE. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

Iconic Toronto-based fashion retailer Over the Rainbow, which specializes in denim with hundreds of styles, has just opened its new store location at the Manulife Centre on Bloor Street West in Toronto. The store relocated from a smaller space on nearby Yorkville Avenue that the retailer had occupied for years. 

Joel Carman co-founded Over the Rainbow in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area in 1975, and it continues to be a family run business to this day. It began as a 450 square foot shop that soon relocated to a 1,500 square foot Cumberland Street location, prior to relocating to 101 Yorkville Avenue in 1982. 

The 4,300 square foot Yorkville Avenue store closed last weekend and product was relocated to Over the Rainbow’s new 6,500 square foot retail space at the Manulife Centre, located at 55 Boor Street West across the street from Holt Renfrew’s flagship. Over the Rainbow technically occupies about 10,500 square feet at the Manulife Centre according to Joel Carman, with about 4,000 square feet of back room and offices also behind the new store.

GROUND FLOOR PLAN OF MANULIFE CENTRE IN TORONTO, SHOWING OVER THE RAINBOW’S LOCATION.
LOOKING TOWARDS THE MEN’S DENIM WALL IN THE NEW STORE. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
A FRAMED PHOTO OF THE FORMER 101 YORKVILLE AVENUE OVER THE RAINBOW STOREFRONT, AS WELL AS SWEATSHIRTS WITH THE FORMER BRANDING. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
JOEL CARMAN IN FRONT OF THE FORMER YORKVILLE AVENUE STORE IN 1982. PHOTO: OVER THE RAINBOW

Broker Richard Levinsky negotiated the Manulife Centre lease deal on behalf of Over the Rainbow and remarkably, also negotiated the Cumberland Street and 101 Yorkville Avenue lease deals in years past. Landlord Manulife leased out spaces in the overhauled retail podium of Manulife Centre which recently saw Birks open a new concept store and with Eataly, Pilot Coffee and Shoppers Drug Mart on the way as well. 

The new Over the Rainbow location has been significantly updated from the previous Yorkville Avenue storefront, and the retailer has also adopted a new logo and branding. Award-winning architectural design firm Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. created the new retail space, and boutique creative agency JULIET was commissioned to evolve the company’s brand identity. 

The Over the Rainbow store itself features attractive interiors using high quality materials such as stone flooring, wood, stone, and copper accents in the store as well as on the facade. Two large ‘denim walls’ are featured in the store, one for men’s styles at one end and another for women at the other. The men’s denim department measured about 900 square feet in the former Yorkville Avenue store, and the new Manulife Centre Over the Rainbow now boasts 2,500 square feet that is dedicated to men’s fashions and accessories. More than 160 denim styles can be found on the men’s denim wall. 

BY THE END OF THE YEAR, MANULIFE CENTRE WILL BE HOME TO EATALY, SHOPPERS DRUG MART, AND OTHER NEW TENANTS. BIRKS RE-OPENED LAST MONTH. RENDERING: MANULIFE.
CANADA GOOSE SHOP-IN-STORE IN THE NEW OVER THE RAINBOW. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
WOMEN’S EVER-CHANGING ‘SHOP-IN-STORES’ THAT WILL FEATURE DIFFERENT LOOKS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

A large women’s area also features a denim wall as well as four shop-in-store areas that will feature rotating ‘stories’ with different looks, depending on the season. The women’s area features two clusterings of bright and spacious dressing rooms, with the men’s area also housing several rooms near the store’s repair and tailoring area. Included behind a glass wall is an area where customers can get free repairs on Nudie Jeans, as well as the “best hems in the city” for denim, according to Mr. Carman.

The store includes a Canada Goose shop-in-store. Mr. Carman explained that the brand has been with Over the Rainbow for about 15 years. Over the Rainbow ensures to diversify its brand offerings, he noted, especially as many brands are now going direct-to-consumer with their own storefronts.

Other kitschy elements in the new store include a wall made of recycled denim, and a 24-karat gold-plated sewing machine that was a gift from fashion brand AG to the Carman family. There are also ‘Yorkville’ branded products and shirts with Over the Rainbow’s former logo.

WHEN CONSTRUCTION TO THE EXTERIOR OF MANULIFE CENTRE IS COMPLETED IN SEVERAL MONTHS, OVER THE RAINBOW WILL FEATURE AN EXTERNAL WINDOW FACING BALMUTO STREET. RENDERING: OVER-THE-RAINBOW
YORKVILLE-BRANDED MERCHANDISE IN THE NEW STORE. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

Joel Carman explained that the retailer’s goal is to have the widest range of denim styles and sizes available, with the store’s almost 40 staff having extensive product knowledge. Staff are also hired because of their personality, with the store featuring an emphasis on personalized customer service. “You can teach a nice person how to sell, but it’s harder to teach a sales person to be nice,” he said. 

As well, Over the Rainbow has a robust e-commerce business and fulfillment is done from the back of the store. A system of rolling storage racks allows for efficient use of the space, and there’s even an e-commerce photography room at the back of the new store.

FORMER STORE AT 101 YORKVILLE AVENUE. PHOTO: YELLOWPAGES.CA

Over the Rainbow announced that it was relocating its store in May of 2017. One of the reasons the store had to move is the current landlord of 101 Yorkville Avenue, First Capital Realty, plans to eventually demolish the building to redevelop the site into a luxury-focused multi-unit retail building. Much of Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area is under construction, with much of it expected to be completed by early 2021. 

That includes a new facade and interior for Holt Renfrew, located at 50 Bloor Street West. Holts is consolidating its operations by relocating its standalone menswear offerings into its newly renovated flagship. Apple is said to be opening a 25,000 square foot store nearby at 1 Bloor Street West at the base of ‘The ONE’ tower at the corner of Yonge Street, and other construction in the area includes commercial and residential developments that will add thousands of new residents over the next several years, as well as new retailers as space is built out. 

We’ll continue to report on the transformation of Toronto’s Bloor Yorkville, which is undergoing significant changes as it further transitions into a high-density, high-end mixed use area. Over the Rainbow is the latest piece in the puzzle and will be another draw to bring shoppers into the overhauled Manulife Centre complex that is located at the heart of the rapidly changing area. 

Canadian Grocery Retailers Must Deliver on Delivery or Lose to Competitors: Expert

By
Sylvain Charlebois
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PHOTO: LOBLAWS

Walmart just announced it will now offer a one-day delivery service to its customers in the U.S. It’s a move that will help them compete with Amazon, and Walmart will begin offering its service in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and southern California soon after. Walmart intends to cover 75% of the entire country this year. Customers need to purchase at least $35 U.S. worth of products and this service, of course, includes food items. Most retailers across North America are doubling their e-commerce strategies, trying to catch up with the modern consumer’s pursuit for higher convenience. And Canadian grocers are not staying idle. 

Food deliveries are not new in Canada. They’ve been happening for decades. What is new, though, is the scalability of operations, which banks on speed and reliability. Online food delivery programs are all about time and precision. Amazon set the benchmark and everyone else is following.

Sobeys recently announced its “Voilà” service a few days ago, a highly appropriate, bilingual spin for a company desperately trying to execute an online strategy which requires some intense centralization. In order to do so, it is investing close to $100 million on a new distribution centre north of Toronto that is the size of 15 hockey rinks. Sobeys is hoping to capitalize on its partnership with U.K.-based Ocado, known for its knowledge in AI and cybernetics.

INSTACART SHOPPER SELECTING GROCERIES FOR A CLIENT AT WALMART PHOTO: INSTACART VIA WALMART
Voilà by Sobeys and Voilà par IGA promises to help Canadians stay one step ahead of their busy lives, underscored by a new tag line “Your groceries delivered. Just like that.” (CNW Group/Empire Company Limited)

Loblaws, on the other hand, has been working internally on a new online model while expressing its content on its “Click and Collect” service, offered now in over 700 stores across the country. That said, Loblaws and Instacart already do offer grocery delivery to millions of Canadian homes. Some movement has been reported at Metro as well. Costco is in the middle of its southern Ontario pilot, which could prove interesting since its sales now include over $14 billion worth of food in Canada each year. Having someone else to carry all those bulk food items from the store to your home can be a very appealing proposition for an ageing population, or even for people living on second or third floors of buildings. Blazingly convenient.

Canada’s online shopping in food retail represents roughly 1.8% of the $120 billion market – a drop really. But some analysts suggest Canada could catch up to the U.S. by 2025, and 7% of all food sold in the U.S. at retail is purchased online. It still may not look like much, but 7% would be almost $9 billion worth of food. Minus the non-food sales, that sum is almost equal to the food sold by one of the country’s top grocers, Metro. With laser-thin margins, generating more online revenues will be key. Grocers have realized for a while now that embedded into a successful delivery model is the illusion of a free service to consumers. Selling food online and increasing profits while the customers remain convinced they’re getting deals this is a feat that can only be achieved through algorithms and analytics, an art Amazon has mastered for decades.

PHOTO: HELLOFRESH VIA FACEBOOK

As the industry attempts to make its offerings more convenient, culprits will need to keep in mind one important thing: convenience will always trump two fundamental things in our lives, our environment and health. Most often, the food industry will go after the mighty dollar without thinking twice about how a newly deployed strategy can impact the environment and our health. Think about it. Fast food with little or no nutritional value, ready-to-eat products and meal kits with excessive packaging – all have provided more convenience while undermining our ability as consumers to serve the planet or safeguard our wellness as individuals. It’s been like that for decades, but things are slowly changing due to an ever-empowered, social network-savvy marketplace. 

The sudden, collective backlash against plastics was violent for the industry and came out of nowhere, but it had to happen. As a society, we realize how our way of life is no longer sustainable, in many ways. It is more than reasonable for consumers to ask the industry to comply with societal expectations as soon as possible.

Convenience is the main box being ticked when looking at home delivery service, but it can’t stop there. Grocers will need to think about ways to go after our business and our grocery money while keeping us and our planet healthy. More choice for consumers may be desirable, especially when food is involved, but it can’t come at a huge cost for us all.

Jewellery Brand ‘APM Monaco’ Kicks Off Canadian Expansion with 2nd Storefront

By
Craig Patterson
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APM MONACO’S NEW CF RICHMOND CENTRE BOUTIQUE PHOTO: RITCHIE PO

Upscale Monaco-based jeweller APM Monaco is kicking-off its Canadian store expansion this spring by opening its second storefront, with more to follow in various markets. 

A jewel box-sized APM Monaco boutique opened at the end of last month at CF Richmond Centre in suburban Vancouver. The 375 square foot corner retail space is located across from the mall’s Uniqlo store in a busy part of the mall near upscale retailers that include Hugo Boss, Browns Shoes and Kate Spade. It is the first of several APM Monaco boutiques anticipated for the BC Lower Mainland. 

CLICK FOR INTERACTIVE MAP OF CF RICHMOND CENTRE
PHOTO: APM MONACO VIA FACEBOOK

APM Monaco’s first Canadian store opened in the fall of 2017 at 89 Bloor Street West on Toronto’s famed ‘Mink Mile’, alongside big brands such as MCM and Sephora, and across from Harry Rosen’s flagship as well as Holt Renfrew Men, Hermes and Ermenegildo Zegna. The 1,700 square foot Bloor Street APM Monaco store design was inspired “by the Monaco lifestyle” with a signature navy and white colour combination. 

Jordan Karp and Ryan Morein of brokerage Savills represent APM Monaco in Canada and are handling the expansion. Savills negotiated the Toronto Bloor Street deal as well as the CF Richmond Centre lease with landlord Cadillac Fairview. 

In Canada, APM Monaco is seeking retail spaces in the 800 square foot to 1,300 square foot range in top shopping centres as well as on busy urban street-fronts. APM Monaco may look to first open temporary storefronts to test out markets prior to possibly further renovations to create permanent locations. 

The APM Monaco brand is seeing tremendous growth internationally with some international storefronts selling millions of dollars of product annually. APM Monaco has about 200 stores worldwide, and it’s growing quickly — a rapid store expansion is currently in the works as the brand looks to significantly grow its retail presence globally. In the United States, APM Monaco operates eight storefronts in Boston, Las Vegas (x2), Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Saipan and in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue. The brand locates in busy upscale areas. 

APM Monaco was founded in 1982 by Ariane Prette as a jewellery brand specializing in creating traditional gold, diamond and precious stone pieces for other jewellers. In 2011, the Prette family launched the new APM line (standing for Ariane Prette Monaco) that is made from the purest form of silver, carefully selected cubic zirconia and one-of-a-kind freshwater cultured pearls, among other high-quality materials. 

Its products are handmade with their own manufacturer to ensure consistency. Designs are also “influenced by Monaco and the South of France,” according to the company, “with a touch of Monegasque flair”. Creative director Kika Prette (daughter-in-law of Ariane Prette) introduces four new collections a month with 12 fashion themes a year. 

The limited edition nature of APM Monaco’s collections acts as a draw for brand fans. New collections come out monthly and “once they’re gone, they’re gone”. As a result, limited-edition pieces sell-out quickly. With some pieces priced under $100 (and some costing considerably more), APM Monaco targets a wider spending demographic than many upscale jewellery brands, and the client base is known to be loyal, which could assist a rapid Canadian store expansion moving forward. 

Canada continues to see new international brands enter the market, while other recent entrants continue to expand their presence. In 2017, more than 50 international brands entered the Canadian market by opening stores, which was a record. In 2018, more than 30 brands entered Canada and this year could surpass that number, given recent numbers as well as some brands that we are tracking. 

We’ll update this article when we learn of future details about APM Monaco’s Canadian expansion plans. 

BRIEF: goop Opening 1st Storefront in Canada, Hopson Grace Opening in Muskoka, Fjällräven Lands in Calgary.

By
Retail Insider
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‘goop’ Announces 1st for Canada ‘goop MRKT’ Retail Space in Yorkville: Toronto is about to get “goop”ed.  Gwyneth Paltrow’s well-known lifestyle brand will bring its pop-up MRKT concept to Yorkville’s Hazelton Hotel in a Canadian first.  goop will open its doors on June 7th, 2019 bringing with it goop’s favourite items in clean beauty, wellness, luxury fashion, and curated home essentials. The boutique will be open through to September 22, 2019.

Canada is a special place for goop as it was the first international market in which the brand launched its e-commerce platform.  Melanie Ramer, goop’s VP of Retail, says that she hopes that Torontonians and those visiting the city will love and enjoy all that the goop MRKT has to offer. 

YORKVILLE’S HAZELTON HOTEL, LOCATION OF GOOP’S FIRST TORONTO MRKT

goop MRKT Toronto will live in a 1300 square-foot pop-up space in The Hazelton Hotel at 118 Yorkville Avenue, “inspired by the energy” of the Yorkville neighbourhood.  “Creating the right tone for the pop-up has been an interesting process, a coming together of the psyche of what Toronto is all about with the strong personality of the goop brand,” said George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg of international design firm Yabu Pushelberg, who designed the space. Adding, “If the goop customer lived in Toronto, she would feel differently and live differently than the one in New York or Los Angeles. Each city and each context is unique, and that is the challenge, and the fun.”

Known for featuring items hand-picked by the goop team, or even Gwyneth herself, the Toronto retail space will feature a selection of items specifically chosen for Toronto’s goop customer.  The shop will feature a Canada-specific edit of pieces from brands like: La DoubleJ, ATM, La Californienne, Mosser Glass, and Tata Harper to name a few.  One will also be able to shop goop’s private label collection of apparel and activewear, G. Label and G. Sport respectively.

The goop MRKT Toronto marks the first time the company is executing its full-scale pop-up concept in the city.  In 2017, goop executed an abridged version of the MRKT concept in Pop-In@Nordstrom at in Vancouver and Toronto. 

Massive 1-Million Square Foot Distribution Centre Opening in Montreal: TVA Nouvelles reports that the largest distribution centre in Canada has been announced for a location in Greater Montreal. Two logistics companies, Drakkar and Wiptec, will invest about $150-million to build a 1-million square foot distribution centre that will create an estimated 1,000 jobs. 

The intention of the new distribution centre is to allow small and medium-sized retailers to have the infrastructure to allow them to compete with bigger online players such as Amazon and Walmart. The state-of-the-art tools and logistics offered in the new facility aren’t typically available to smaller retailers. 

Wiptec already operates a distribution centre in Sherbrooke, and manages the distribution of several major companies such as Davids Tea and Sports Experts in Quebec.