The new Thom Browne store will span about 1,875 square feet on one level in a retail space featuring an angled facade at the base of a newly-built office tower. A Brunello Cucinelli store is located next to the future Thom Browne and retailers directly across the street include Moncler, Saint Laurent, Prada, Off-White, Rolex, and Burberry.
The Vancouver Thom Browne store will feature the brand’s collections of fashions for men and women including ready-to-wear, bags, accessories, footwear, eyewear, and fragrances. The design is expected to be similar to the Thom Browne store which opened in November at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre — that store spans about 1,430 square feet and was the first standalone Thom Browne store to open in Canada. The Yorkdale Thom Browne store showcases marble inside and out with high ceilings and a mid-century office theme to its design.
Click for interactive Google Map of 745 Thurlow Street, Vancouver
Future Thom Browne location with construction signage just off of Alberni Street in Vancouver (June 2021). Formerly the location of Versace. Photo: Lee Rivett
Future Thom Browne location with construction signage just off of Alberni Street in Vancouver (June 2021). Formerly the location of Versace. Photo: Lee Rivett
Exterior of Thom Browne store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Thom Browne
David Wedemire and Stan Vyriotes DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc. negotiated the Vancouver Thom Browne lease deal on behalf of the retailer, as well as the Toronto deal. QuadReal owns 745 Thurlow Street.
The downtown Vancouver Thom Browne store will be the fifth standalone location for the brand in North America. Besides the new Yorkdale location, three other Thom Browne stores exist in the United States: one in New York City at 100 Hudson Street, one at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa CA, and one at the Miami Design District in Miami.
Globally, Thom Brown operates 40 retail spaces including a mix of standalone stores and concessions in department stores. The majority of Thom Browne’s locations are in Asia.
Versace at 745 Thurlow Street — construction starts soon on the Thom Browne store that will replace it. Photo: QuadReal
In Vancouver, Thom Browne is also available at retailers including Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen (menswear), Roden Gray on Water Street, and The Room at Hudson’s Bay carries the women’s line in Vancouver (and Toronto) as well.
American fashion designer Thom Browne founded his brand in 2001 with made-to-measure menswear. His background prior to founding the clothing line included a position as a salesperson at Giorgio Armani in New York City before designing for Club Monaco. He was said to be instrumental in starting the trend of slim-fitting menswear with collections inspired by mid 20th century American style that included details such as grosgrain trim and short trousers shown with exposed ankles. His first line of ready-to-wear menswear launched in 2004 and he won several awards early on before launching womenswear for Brooks Brothers’ Black Fleece label in 2007. The first women’s Thom Browne collection debuted in 2011.
Interior image of new Thom Browne Flagship at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photos: Thom Browne
Interior image of new Thom Browne Flagship at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photos: Thom Browne
Exterior of a boarded up Harry Rosen in Yorkville - Photo taken by Craig Patterson Spring 2020
Many are no doubt pleased that the year 2020 has come to an end. The past 12 months have been unlike anything in recent memory, with some saying that a ‘retail apocalypse’ was playing out. While that’s up for debate, there’s no question that thousands of store locations have closed permanently while many of the trends towards digital seen pre-COVID were accelerated due in part to sheer necessity.
Many were enthusiastic that 2020 would be a good year for retail — it was the start of a potential “roaring twenties”, though there was talk of a coronavirus illness that was spreading outside of China. The chatter grew to become concern as COVID-19 spread into North America and the disease became better known in terms of its transmission. Restaurant patronage decreased while ‘panic buying’ of some items such as toilet paper began to challenge the supply chain.
In March, a group of large retailers banded together in an effort to stop the spread of the virus by agreeing to temporarily close their stores. Many more retailers joined them prior to government mandates that businesses deemed ‘non-essential’ would have to shutter temporarily by law. Stores remained closed for weeks or months depending on where they were located in the country. The closures put a financial strain on retailers and other businesses that were no longer able to rely on foot traffic as in the past.
Le Chateau storefront at Square One Shopping Centre – Photo by Square One
To address the shutdowns, retailers launched curbside pickup, contactless payments, and other innovations that were previously not commonplace in Canada. Ecommerce became a lifeline rather than another sales channel, resulting in unprecedented growth in online shopping in Canada as well as a surging stock price for Ottawa-based ecommerce platform Shopify. The supply chain expanded rapidly and companies involved in logistics and warehousing have done well. Many of the trends seen before COVID-19 were accelerated during the pandemic with some saying that the country moved five years into the future digitally in a span of about five months.
Despite the innovations, retailers across the country were struggling and some filed for bankruptcy protection. Some retailers such as Le Chateau announced that all stores would close. With people working from home, fashion categories struggled as an example. Travel bans and closed borders eliminated international tourism, again hitting retailers and other businesses reliant on visitors.
Consumers remained cautious and masks became increasingly mandated in businesses. The less-than-comfortable shopping experience saw many more look to online channels and convenience. The work from home movement also resulted in struggles for many businesses that catered to work places.
A quiet day on Toronto’s King Street East – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
The relationship between landlord and tenant became, in many instances, strained over the weeks and months of closures. Some retailers, including the Hudson’s Bay Company, did not pay rent on their retail spaces during the closures, and in some instances beyond. Landlords also struggled to meet financial obligations which were made worse by retailers not paying rents due. Government assistance helped to a degree though it was deemed generally inadequate overall. Thousands of retailers, foodservice businesses, and fitness facilities closed permanently due to strained finances.
The summer of 2020 saw increased retail sales as the deemed ‘non-essential’ businesses remained open. Precautions were put into place and case counts remained low in many parts of the country. For a time, Canada was looked at as being a country that was successfully controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Case counts again began to climb in many parts of the country in the fall of 2020, resulting in temporary business shutdowns in November in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba — and some lockdowns have unfortunately extended into 2021 with some saying that Toronto will be locked down through February. This is hitting retailers and other businesses hard and the full extent of the damage won’t be known for a few of months at least. While stores have been closed in the Toronto area since mid-November, southern Ontario is now seeing record-breaking COVID positivity numbers exceeding 3,000 daily. It’s likely that in the future we’ll look back at this time and realize that many grave and unfortunate mistakes were made.
The Christmas season saw non-essential retail lockdowns in the Toronto area as well as in Manitoba, while foot traffic was down significantly across the country. The physical Boxing Day shopping holiday was cancelled in Ontario and Quebec, again hitting the bottom line of many retailers. The destruction to the retail industry because of the lockdowns will be known as soon as this month as bankruptcy filings begin and businesses shutter.
At the same time, ecommerce shopping exploded in Canada and continues to be very popular. Condominium lobbies have become receiving centres as purchases for goods including groceries are done online. Amazon’s market share in Canada has expanded greatly. Small businesses have quickly either developed websites or have expanded ecommerce capabilities in order to just survive.
Small businesses have also been embraced in Canada much more than in the past, with many campaigns launched to save small businesses. Websites, associations, and even web tools have been developed to help the consuming population support small businesses. Many hope that the trend will continue into the future, particularly given that large international chains were continuing to gain market share in this country prior to the pandemic.
Thousands of people in the retail industry lost their jobs in 2020. With thousands of stores closing came thousands of job losses on the sales floor and on up. A surprisingly high number of managers within retailers and at major landlords were terminated in 2020, almost none of which was reported in the mainstream press. The same goes for other support industries. Many entrepreneurs also lost their retail businesses. Government monies have supported some hit with unemployment though the end of that will be in sight this year.
Hudson’s Bay, Queen Street, Toronto – Photo by Hudson’s Bay
Interestingly, some luxury retailers said that sales had been up in 2020. Brands that were able to interact virtually with clients, such as on mobile devices, were able to make sales even higher than in 2019. Shoppers buying high-end items such as jewellery and bags were buying “treats” according to retailers, as opposed to taking trips or having an expensive evening out.
It’s not yet clear exactly how many individual store locations closed in Canada in 2020, though we know it is extensive and will continue into this year. Malls and urban streets across Canada are seeing increasing vacancies that are concerning. The expense of opening physical businesses will keep some leasing deals from happening for the short term, though things are looking up.
Some retailers are looking at a longer-term situation — where rents are currently going down, they are looking to find the right spot and are willing to do a lease deal. That means that new stores and restaurants will be opening, which is good news — Point Zero, for example, could see 50 new stores. Some are seeing 2020 as a catalyst for innovation which will ultimately make the world a better place.
The Canadian retail industry will never be the same as things begin to recover from the current pandemic. Many retail chains will have been lost and some brands will gain or regain popularity, while new brands altogether will come on the market (likely with some sort of celebrity endorsement). It will be interesting to see what happens in 2021 and beyond as we move more rapidly into the digital age than ever.
A special edition podcast interview with Natalie Bibeau, President at NATA PR. Craig and Natalie discuss skills and education retailers may need to successfully emerge from a troubled 2020.
NATA PR SCHOOL: Get known by combining simplified Public Relations tactics.
Learn how to combine PR with social media to reach your clients and easily boost your SEO and sales. Find out about the next training sessions here : www.natapr.com/en
The Weekly podcast by Retail Insider Canada is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Subscribe, Rate, and Review our Retail Insider Podcast!
One of Canada’s highest profile entrepreneurs and biggest advocates for entrepreneurship, Arlene Dickinson, has launched a social media campaign to help struggling Canadian business owners as they navigate the turbulent waters caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a recent Facebook post, Dickinson said: “Small businesses are in DANGER! They make up the fabric of our communities but many are at risk of closing this winter. If you want to see your favourite places survive and thrive act now! Waiting until ‘it’s all over’ may be too late. So I’ve come up with a way to make a real difference to local shops and businesses now by helping their rankings on search — please write and perform a #RavingReview! You could sing it, dance it, stand outside your favourite shop and YELL it! Get creative and be as over-the-top complimentary as you can be!”
Arlene Dickinson
Dickinson is urging people to keep buying from local businesses but also to go a step further and help them in this social media campaign by following three simple steps:
Submit a review of a local business on Google/Yelp;
Record yourself performing it; and
Post it on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites with #RavingReview.
“Everybody’s talking about how important it is to support local and how meaningful it is for us to give them business but we can’t support every single business. Telling people to spend money is sometimes a really difficult thing for people to do right now. So we were thinking at Venture what could we do to support small business without it costing people more money and asking people to spend all the time,” said Dickinson.
“Small business relies on Google reviews and Yelp reviews because that helps them in their search ranking but also when you have a great review online you actually get more customers and you actually get them to spend more. So we knew there was a financial reward in having reviews and we knew that people liked to talk about the businesses they support with enthusiasm. So we thought why don’t we make that easier for people to do and get people to just do a rating review. Put something on Google and Yelp. Then record yourself and put it on your social media and amplify your voice. It works. Businesses are getting business as a result of it.”
Along with serving as Calgary-based Venture’s President and CEO, Dickinson is the General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a venture capital fund focused on helping market, fund and grow entrepreneurs and companies in the food and health space. The serial entrepreneur is a three-time best-selling author, podcaster, and accomplished public speaker. Dickinson is widely recognized for her role as a Dragon/Venture Capitalist for over 12 seasons on the multi-award-winning television series, Dragons’ Den. Dickinson is cause-oriented, passionate about the underdog, and brings a strong sense of social responsibility to everything she does.
Dickinson’s leadership has been recognized many times, including Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, as well as PROFIT and Chatelaine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners. She is a Marketing Hall of Legends inductee and a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award. Dickinson has served for many years as an Honourary Captain in the Royal Canadian Navy. She also sits on several public and private boards and is actively involved in supporting community and country.
“I have a fear that big business is going to fill the void and what’s happening with small businesses being shut down and big business not being shut down. You’ve got entrepreneurs who are not able to deliver their goods and services the way that they should be able to. So I do worry alot about small business being impacted,” said Dickinson. “We’re hearing now that one in seven businesses are at risk of closing. I think that’s an underestimation actually. I worry about their ability to keep the lights on and also to keep growing.
“It’s one thing with these government programs for businesses to do just that — keep their lights on. It’s another thing for them to be able to recover to pre-pandemic revenues. How do we help them grow and get in the digital world and compete? This is where I feel there’s going to be a lot of damage done to small businesses.”
As small businesses navigate through these challenging times, Dickinson said this is an opportunity for them to make sure they are keeping track of their costs and keeping up with their ecommerce.
“Going where people are. Making sure you’re thinking about the things you’re really good at and how you deliver those goods and services in a new age where there’s curbside delivery or back door delivery for restaurants now with their delivery services. And try to understand that consumers are still shopping — we saw record numbers on Shopify as an example — we know that consumers are still consuming. How do you get in front of them where you have to find ways to leverage your existing customer bases through email marketing, through offers and through promotion on digital platforms,” said Dickinson.
“Some small businesses are caught without a digital presence and so making sure that you have one I think is really critical.
“Being an entrepreneur is never easy but I’ve said this before but I will say that everybody always loves to say entrepreneurs are the backbone of our country’s economy. Small business matters so much and employs the majority of our country. And yet when it comes to programs that actually help small businesses whether it’s tax policy, whether it’s opening policies during a pandemic and how that can work better, whether it’s programs to help digitalize better, we really don’t do a good job. And we need to do a better job of that as a country or we are going to lose the innovation that entrepreneurs and small business brings to us.”
Interior of new TUDOR boutique in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: TUDOR
Every year Retail Insider tracks international retailers opening stores within the Canadian marketplace. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 saw at least 13 international brands enter the country. While it’s the lowest number since Retail Insider began tracking international entrants in 2014, it’s still an impressive number given what has been a transformative year for the retail industry in Canada.
Some international brands had already set out plans to open in Canada prior to the pandemic, and some continued to do so despite concerns about a changing consumer profile and mass shutdowns. Some brands, looking to a future where the pandemic is over, opened stores with an eye to long-term growth despite current challenges.
In terms of geography, the breakdown of cities that saw first-to-Canada stores open in 2020 are broken down as follows:
Toronto/GTA: 8
Montreal: 2
Vancouver: 1
Winnipeg: 1
Regina: 1
The Toronto area is clearly the primary entry point for international brands opening stores in Canada, far surpassing any other market in 2020. The Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which for years has launched more first-to-Canada brands than anywhere else, saw two of the 13 retailers we tracked for 2020 open in the mall. Luxury brands Celine and Golden Goose were both expected to open at Yorkdale in late 2020 but were delayed due to the pandemic.
First Capital REIT-owned Yorkville Village, including the adjacent Hazelton Hotel, is home to three of the 13 international retail entrants — representing 23% of the total.
The Montreal area saw two of the 13 international entrants open there while Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Regina each saw one first-to-Canada retailer opening. The Vancouver market in particular has seen a slowdown since 2017-2018 when a relatively high number of first-to-Canada brands launched there.
The following is Retail Insider’s count of the international brands that entered Canada in 2020 by opening standalone stores. The list is chronological from earliest to most recent openings.
Exterior of ba&sh store in Yorkville. Photo: Craig Patterson
ba&sh: In March, French women’s fashion brand ba&sh opened its first Canadian storefront at the base of the Hazelton Hotel in Toronto’s Yorkville area. The 1,300-square-foot boutique was open for a couple of days prior to being shut down temporarily along with other ‘non-essential’ retail, opening again in the early summer until a second shutdown hit stores in November. First Capital REIT owns the Hazelton Hotel at 118 Yorkville Avenue as well as the adjacent Yorkville Village.
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. Shane Butner, Director of Marketing & Brand for Bluenotes, Aéropostale Canada and Thrifty’s, said the company chose Winnipeg as its first entrance back into the market because the Manitoba city “was a strong market for Aéropostale when they were last in Canada and a great market to learn from before we open a store in Toronto.”
Exterior of YOYOSO store. Photo: YOYOSO
YOYOSO: In March, Chinese variety retailer YOYOSO is kicking off its entry into Canada with its first storefront at the Southland Shopping Centre in Regina. A second location recently opened at Cornwall Centre in Regina, with both stores being operated by a local franchisee.
The Southland store spans about 2,000 square feet featuring the retailer’s blue-green branding that is eye-catching. The retailer focuses on eight categories in its stores, including health and beauty/cosmetics, home accessories, fashion accessories, fashion bags, digital accessories, stationery & gifts, seasonal products, and imported food. A total of 5,000 products are available and YOYOSO says that 500 new items arrive in its stores each month.
YOYOSO was founded in 2014 and now operates more than 1,000 stores in 30 countries worldwide. Markets include China, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Bahrain, Brunei, Georgia, Kuwait, India, South Africa, Hungary, Mongolia, Brazil, the United States, Guatemala, Ecuador, France, Russia, and Iraq. South Africa is a new market for YOYOSO, according to its website.
Exterior of new Away store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Maxime Frechette
Away Luggage: In late summer 2020, New York City-based travel and lifestyle brand Away — known particularly for its innovative luggage — opened its first Canadian storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The Yorkdale Away location spans more than 2,880 square feet on one level, and features a unique design inspired by travel. That includes a double-height metallic facade with mock airplane windows above the glass storefront. The interior of the store includes light wood shelving and flooring that contrast with bright artwork such as large postcards on the walls. The direct-to-consumer brand is likely to open more stores in Canada as it also sells through its online channels and social media.
Exterior of QuanU store in Kennedy Commons in suburban Toronto. Photo: QuanU
QuanU: In July, Chinese furniture retailer QuanU opened its first Canadian store at Kennedy Commons in suburban Toronto. The company will continue to expand further into Canada in 2021 with plans for as many as 15 stores this year. QuanU has more than 5,000 stores in China and was founded in 1986.
Entrance of new Ray-Ban store in CF Toronto Eaton Centre. Photo: Craig Patterson
Ray-Ban: In September, upscale sunglasses and eyewear brand Ray-Ban opened its first standalone store in Canada at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto. The 650-square-foot boutique features the brand’s trademark red facade and interiors, as well as hundreds of styles of sunglasses. More locations are expected to follow as Ray-Ban expands its direct-to-consumer operations in Canada.
Exterior of Pilgrim store in Place Montreal Trust. Photo: Maxime Frechette
Pilgrim: In the fall, Danish jewellery brand Pilgrim opened its first permanent storefront in Canada in downtown Montreal. It follows last year’s openings of two Pilgrim pop-up stores in the Montreal area that proved successful. The new Montreal Pilgrim boutique is located at Place Montreal Trust located on Ste-Caterine Street. The boutique is 504 square feet in a prime corner retail space. More locations are expected to open in the Montreal area and possibly beyond in 2021.
Exterior of Thom Browne store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Thom Browne
Thom Browne: In November, New York City-based luxury fashion brand Thom Browne opened its first Canadian store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 1,430-square-foot store features a range of men’s and women’s fashions, bags, accessories, footwear, and fragrances. The store’s interior is unique with high ceilings and a design reflective of a mid-century office with signature slat blind-covered windows, “fluorescent” LED tube lighting, polished grey and black terrazzo flooring, and banker grey Bardiglio and Carrara marble walls. Mid-century furniture by American and French designers is featured throughout. The expansion will continue in 2021 with a second standalone Canadian Thom Browne store that will open in Vancouver, details to follow.
Avon make up counter. Photo: Avon
Avon: Beauty brand Avon officially launched a Canadian retail expansion in November with an initial plan to open three storefronts. The first of these opened in Montreal and locations in Toronto and Vancouver are also in the works. It’s part of an effort by Avon to create an immersive experience for consumers in dedicated spaces for the first time. The Montreal Avon flagship features a reception area, café and lounge space (with complimentary snacks and beverages), product displays, ordering stations, a ‘mini spa experience’, training area, and a conference room. The space encourages trial, sampling, and discovery through product knowledge training and beauty advice. Avon’s full range of skincare, colour cosmetics, fragrances, personal care items, and health and wellness items are carried along with Avon-owned brands.
The 3,200-square-foot Montreal ‘Studio 1886’ Avon location is at 5500 Trans-Canada Highway in suburban Pointe-Claire. The highly interactive retail space is contained within Avon’s Canadian headquarters. The open concept Avon space is a place where Avon’s independent sales representatives can meet with customers to showcase the latest products. It’s part of a multi-channel shift from Avon’s door-to-door sales which has been a core sales channel for the brand for over 100 years.
Interior of Yorkville Couple Diamonds store. Photo: Toronto Life
Couple Diamonds: New York City-based Lab-grown diamond brand Couple Diamonds opened its first permanent store at Toronto’s Yorkville Village shopping centre in the fall. The 900-square-foot boutique became Couple’s Canadian flagship store as part of a retail expansion for the brand. Couple specializes in lab-grown diamonds which it claims are identical to mined diamonds down to the atom. The raw diamonds are cut and polished and graded by the International Gemological Institute before undergoing a 12-step quality control process to ensure they meet an exceptionally high standard.
Exterior of the new Tudor boutique at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Tudor
Tudor: In the fall, luxury watch brand Tudor opened its first standalone store in North America at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 450-square-foot boutique is connected to and operated by Raffi Jewellers. The boutique was only open briefly before being shut down temporarily in November — the store has yet to reopen as Ontario’s lockdowns extend until at least January 23rd.
The Toronto store features red, black, and grey colour hues and houses a range of price Tudor time pieces. We’ll update this with a full article when the store has reopened hopefully later this month.
The history of Whoo storefront. Photo: The history of Whoo
Exterior of Polestar in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
Polestar: In late December, Volvo-owned electric car brand Polestar opened its first location in North America at Toronto’s Yorkville Village shopping centre at 55 Avenue Road in Yorkville. The bi-level space includes a street-facing facade on busy Avenue Road as well as an entrance from within the mall. One-on-one appointments are permitted though the space is otherwise shut due to provincial lockdowns until at least January 23rd. Grand Touring Auto runs the Toronto space, as well as a new Montreal Polestar location (at 1255 boulevard René Levesque West) set to open this year. A Vancouver location under a different operator (at 827 Seymour Street) is also set to open and the company will open service centres in Victoria, BC and Waterloo, ON.
1 of 2
Exterior of Polestar in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
Exterior of Polestar in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
The EMERGE team celebrating a successful 2020 despite the odds. Photo: EMERGE Instagram
EMERGE, a disciplined, diversified, rapidly-growing acquirer and operator of e-commerce assets, has seen tremendous growth as it rides the wave of the growing trend in online shopping.
In its third quarter, for the three months ending September 30, the Toronto-based company saw gross merchandise sales growth of 251 percent from a year ago to $7.7 million. Revenue jumped by 196 percent to $2.2 million. Also Adjusted EBITDA was positive $62,196 compared to negative $173,681 in Q3 2019.
“EMERGE’s third quarter results demonstrate the impact of the acceleration of consumer spending online,” said Ghassan Halazon, Founder and CEO of EMERGE. “Our diversified e-commerce portfolio grew rapidly in the quarter as we saw strong demand in a number of key verticals, including groceries, essentials, and golf products, which offset COVID affected categories. This performance is a testament to the agility of our business model, the resilience of our merchant partner network, as well as the great trust instilled in us by our loyal customer base.
Ghassan Halazon
“The quarter continues the trend this year of strong revenue growth and positive Adjusted EBITDA, demonstrating our consistent commitment to disciplined operations and prudent capital allocation. It’s truly a momentous time to be at the forefront of Canadian e-commerce, a sector that has experienced more growth in recent quarters than it has over the prior decade. EMERGE is better positioned than ever to continue to acquire, integrate, and accelerate quality e-commerce brands.”
EMERGE Connects 2 Million Members With 12,000 Merchant Partners Across North America
Halazon said the company, which was founded in 2016, connects more than two million members with 12,000 merchant partners across North America. Its portfolio includes UnderPar.com, JustGolfStuff.ca, WagJag.com, and BeRightBack.ca.
“We’re a disciplined acquirer and operator of digital or niche e-commerce brands. Our network of e-commerce sites provide offers on everything from golf to groceries, essentials, nearby staycations and experiences,” said Halazon.
“Right now we’re focused on pure play e-commerce sites.”
EMERGE was named one of the fastest growing companies in Canada by the Startup 50, and the Globe and Mail’s 2020 Canada’s Top Growing Companies.
Halazon said he and other veteran e-commerce and technology entrepreneurs and operators have been in this space for the past decade or so.
“We realized that the small to mid market e-commerce is challenged from an exit opportunities perspective. That is to say that the small bootstrap niche e-commerce companies were not getting a lot of attention from the Amazons of the world. So Amazon is more interested in acquiring the Whole Foods of the world. Private equity folks are interested in acquiring sorts of relatively bigger e-commerce companies that are either public or that have sort of $100 million plus range in sales,” said Halazon.
“That carved us an interesting opportunity to consolidate this small to mid market. That’s what we do. We actually go out, we acquire these often bootstrap businesses in e-commerce and when we acquire them we consolidate them. So we integrate them under a universal platform and playbook where they share everything from technology to resources to data. So the idea is power in the group. Power in the scale.
“In essence what we do is when we acquire a business we’re basically helping them centralize a lot of things that are non-core to the niche itself.”
Halazon offered an example of what EMERGE can do. He said the company acquired WagJag for about $500,000 from newspaper giant Torstar which was looking to restructure. And EMERGE has since driven $30 million in gross sales in three years and made its money back in six months in what Halazon describes as a “very lucrative acquisition.”
The e-commerce trend has been a growing one in recent years but it has been accelerating for the past few months during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Obviously we’ve seen a monumental rise in e-commerce here where the last couple of quarters we’ve experienced more growth in the sector than e-commerce has seen in the prior decade,” explained Halazon. “So from our perspective, sitting at the forefront of Canadian e-commerce, there’s never been a better time for us to prove out this thesis and we believe we are well-positioned to go out and consolidate this small to mid market e-commerce space.
“There’s thousands of fast-growing, profitable e-commerce companies that have been created and are continuing to thrive in this pandemic world. As an acquirer and operator, from our perspective, there’s no shortage of pipeline to go after. The types of businesses we look at often exhibit between $1-$5 million in profit and between $5-$50 million in revenue. When we go speak to these groups, we offer them a win-win scenario where they get to continue on with us under the EMERGE umbrella, they keep their brand, they keep their team and offices, but they get the fair portion of the consideration in cash and the remainder they get through EMERGE shares which are faring quite well and some earn out over a multi-year period.”
In 2020, the Canadian retail industry changed significantly amid ‘non-essential’ store closures and shifting consumer sentiment. Retail is increasingly moving online while some retail brands struggle. We will be identifying the lasting impacts from 2020 for years to come.
Over the course of the year, some articles published in Retail Insider saw many thousands of readers, and we’ve listed the top ones below.
Other News: Nordstrom shuts main floor designer boutiques in Toronto, Saks Food Hall shut until 2021, Balenciaga opens in Montreal, Zadel Jewellery Studio opens Granville Island workshop.
Nordstrom at CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Dri-Design
After opening its first store in Canada more than five years ago, the retailer has unveiled an ecommerce site featuring luxury brands to boost revenue in this country. Given the vast assortment, competitors could take a major hit.
Reitmans’ New CF Carrefour Laval boutique – Photo by Reitmans
The iconic Canadian retailer says that this was “the hardest decision we have had to make as an organization in our almost one hundred years of history”.
Store owner turning open sign broad through the door glass and ready to service.
A careful, phased approach to the reopening of the economy has begun in several provinces after many businesses were effectively shut down in mid-March to prevent the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
It is unlike any other Superstore location in Canada. The 80,000-square-foot store is also joined by other Loblaw nameplates in the same RioCan complex which is part of the city’s East Village revival.
An empty CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Toronto Tourism
It’s an inevitable consequence of the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, though the future could be promising when retail adapts to a new world.
Exterior of Yorkdale Shopping Centre – Photo by Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Industry sources blast landlords and suggest solutions amid the COVID-19 epidemic which could result in “tumbleweeds blowing through malls” if businesses go under.
The loss of the last department store in downtown Edmonton is a blow to the city’s core which saw Holt Renfrew exit earlier this year, as well as Woodward’s and Eaton’s in years past.
Army & Navy department store on Whyte Ave, Edmonton – Photo by Google street view
Retailers across the country are evaluating operations to determine if they can remain operational. Some retailers such as Army & Navy have already announced that they will close forever.
Exterior of Addition Elle Store – Photo by Addition Elle
After obtaining bankruptcy protection last month, the company will shut two of its retail banners while at the same time reducing its workforce by about 1,400 employees.
Executive Vice President of Operations Sal Iacono discusses what will be done to enhance safety as mall stores across the country reopen in the coming weeks.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday that the federal government has reached an agreement to implement the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) which could help save the economy.
Retail Insider counts well over 700 retail locations that will shutter early on this year amid a shift in consumer preferences and an otherwise challenging time for the industry. At the same time, some analysts expressed optimism as new concepts open and expand in Canada.
Other News: Diesel opens only Canadian store at Yorkdale, Frank And Oak looks to international expansion after acquisition, Oxford Properties supports food banks, interview with Muji President, King & Bay innovates to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls to provide a window into shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This edition takes us to Guildford Town Centre in Surrey, near Vancouver, which is the third largest mall in the province after Metropolis at Metrotown (see our Metropolis and Metrotown photo tour) in Burnaby and Park Royal Shopping Centre (see our video tour of Park Royal) in West Vancouver.
Google Map of Guildford Town Centre Location
Photograph of the old Guildford Mall sign at the corner of 152 Street and 104 Avenue – Photo by Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans Association
Guildford Mall nearing completion in 1966 – Photo by Heritage Surrey Twitter
History of Guildford Town Centre
Guildford Town Centre was built in 1966 and has undergone several renovations. Under the ownership/management of Ivanhoe Cambridge, the latest modernization renovation began in 2010 and in 2014 across three phases. The first phase focused on a new Walmart Supercentre and a two story parkade and completed in 2011. The second and third phases focused on modernizing the existing interiors as well as adding 200,000 square feet to the south end, including a 1,034-seat food court and 75 new stores.
Upper Level Mall Entrance from new, southern two-level parkade – Photo by Lee Rivett
Main Plaza of Guildford Town Centre – Photo by Lee Rivett
Main Plaza of Guildford Town Centre – Photo by Lee Rivett
Upper Level Mall Map of Guildford Town Centre.
The Guildford Shopping Centre has two retail shopping levels. To separate the shopping centre into manageable pieces, we’ll divide the centre into five zones for each floor/level. Based on the map above, the quadrants break down to the ‘right addition’, ‘lower centre’, ‘upper centre’, ‘upper left’ and ‘lower left’.
Upper Level ‘Right’ Zone tour at Guildford
Ground Entrance – North Zone – Photo by Lee Rivett
Anchor at north end of overpass – Photo by Lee Rivett
Guildford Centre Mall Map – Upper Level with Right Zone Circled.
To start off the tour, we arrived and parked in the north parking lot and entered through entrance number nine on the lower level (ground level). To access the upper level, there is a very small entrance hall that hosts the BC Liquor Store, a Lyft ride share kiosk area and the anchor tenant, Life Instyle Furniture on the bottom floor of the large building at the extreme north end of the shopping centre.
Ground Floor anchor on north side of Guildford Mall
There are very few retailers on the ground level in this area as the majority of it is located on the upper level right accessible by escalators right inside of the doors. Urban Behavior occupies the floor above the furniture store and is located at the top of the escalators.
North hallway on ground/lower level in the north end of Guildford. Below is BC Liquor Store and above is mall administration offices – Photo by Lee Rivett
Escalator ascending to Upper Level – Photo by Lee Rivett
Urban Behavior as the Upper Level Anchor Tenant – Photo by Lee Rivett
What was unique about the second floor extension was that the retail was within an overpass above 104th Avenue. Once shoppers reach the Urban Behavior entrance, it is not readily noticeable that one is walking above a busy street below.
Overpass over 104th Avenue containing majority of retailers in this area
Overpass Signage in 104 Ave Overpass retailer space at Guildford Town Centre – Photo by Lee Rivett
Overpass Retailers in Guildford Town Centre – Photo by Lee Rivett
Stretching from Urban Behavior anchor to the Hudson’s Bay Store, notable retailers in this overpass zone include:
American Eagle Outfitter at Guildford Town Centre - Photo by Lee Rivett
Miniso at Guildford Town Centre - Photo: Lee Rivett
Tip Top at Guildford Town Centre- Photo: Lee Rivett
Garage at Guildford Town Centre - Photo: Lee Rivett
Bellissima at Guildford Town Centre - Photo: Lee Rivett
Mobile Klinik at Guildford Town Centre. Photo: Lee Rivett
LensCrafters at Guildford Town Centre - Photo: Lee Rivett
Nutrition House at Guildford Town Centre - Photo: Lee Rivett
Atrium at the Guildford Shopping Centre
Guildford Mall Map – Centre Atrium Location
Once visitors trek over the overpass, the main shopping centre generally follows the shape of a square; however, there are some additional twists that keep this square ‘thinking outside of the box’. The centre atrium at the core of the shopping centre is a wide open space with living, green walls and provides a perfect space for events in a non-COVID era.
Guildford Atrium (South View) – Photo by Lee RivettLiving Wall in Guildford Centre Atrium – Photo by Lee Rivett
Guildford Atrium (North View) – Photo by Lee Rivett
Guildford Atrium (North View) – Photo by Lee Rivett
Upper Level ‘Lower Centre’ Zone Tour at Guildford
Guildford Mall Map – Lower Centre Zone on Upper Level
Continuing the tour, the ‘lower-center’ zone has the historic and major anchor of Hudson’s Bay, but other major tenants in the area include UNIQLO, Old Navy, Atmosphere and Lululemon.
Hudson Bay at Guildford Town Centre – Photo by Lee Rivett
Old Navy at Guildford – Photo by Lee Rivett
Lululemon at Guildford – Photo: Lee Rivett
Atmosphere at Guildford – Photo: Lee Rivett
L’Occitane at Guildford – Photo: Lee Rivett
Pandora at Guildford – Photo: Lee Rivett
We continued onward towards the lower left zone, passing by the side of UNIQLO with a view of the skylights and red ribbon to soften the aesthetics.
Corridor Outside of Uniqlo Guildford – Photo by Lee Rivett
Upper Level ‘Lower Left’ Zone Tour at Guildford
Guildford Mall Map – Lower Left Zone on Upper Level
Continuing the tour to the ‘lower-left’ zone, this area is accessible by the two-level parkade through entrance 10. The major anchor retailers in this area are on either side of entrance 10, being Thrifty’s by Bluenotes and Aritzia. Select other retailers amongst the larger retailers include:
Victoria's Secret at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Bikini Village at Guildford. Photo by Lee Rivett
Guess! at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Upper Level ‘Upper Left’ Zone Tour at Guildford
Guildford Mall Map – Upper Left Zone on Upper Level
Continuing the tour to the ‘upper-left’ zone, this area is accessible by the two-level parkade through entrance 11. The major anchor retailer in this area just inside of entrance 11 is H&M.
The Latest Scoop at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Roots at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Torrid at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
La Vie en Rose at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Ever New at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
The corridor along the upper level between the left and center zones is quite open and expansive.
Upper Level Corridor at Guildford – Photo by Lee Rivett
Upper Level ‘Upper Centre’ Zone Tour at Guildford
Guildford Mall Map – Upper Center Zone on Upper Level
The last area of the mall the ‘upper-center’ zone, this area is accessible by the two-level parkade through entrance 6. The major anchor retailers in this area are London Drugs as well as Muji Canada. Related articles for the major anchor retailers for this area include:
Muji at Guildford – Photo by Lee RivettLondon Drugs at Guildford – Photo by Lee Rivett
1 of 9
Le Chateau at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
The Gap at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Birks at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Soft Moc at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Below the Belt at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Ann Louise at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Change Lingerie at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Bath & Body Works at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
MAC Cosmetics at Guildford - Photo by Lee Rivett
Before we leave the upper level, the high ceilings provide a theatrical and airy feel to the shopping centre.
Upper level Guildford (facing Ann Louise and Change) – Photo by Lee Rivett
Upper level Guildford (from Grand Artium) – Photo by Lee Rivett
Upper level Guildford (facing Muji) – Photo by Lee Rivett
Lower Level at the Guildford Shopping Centre
Heading down the escalators in front of Birks, we found ourselves on the lower level at the Artium. We could see grand views of the Hudson’s Bay and the architecture truely shone in the winter afternoon sunlight.
Atrium at Guildford from Lower Level – Photo by Lee Rivett
Hudson’s Bay from Atrium at Guildford on Lower Level – Photo by Lee Rivett
Swarovski and LUSH from Atrium at Guildford on Lower Level – Photo by Lee Rivett
To organize the photo tour for the lower level, we separated the floor into three zones (upper zone, middle zone and lower zone) which we will run through for major tenants as well as the select retailers amongst them.
Lower Level “Upper” Zone Tour at Guildford
Guildford Mall Map – Upper Zone on Lower Level
Continuing the tour to the ‘upper-left’ zone, this area is accessible by ground level through entrance 5. Walmart Canada is the major tenant which isn’t directly accessible through the inside of the mall, but the lower floor of H&M is the other major tenant. Related articles for the major tenant (besides H&M which we previously covered) include:
H&M Man at Guildford from Lower Level – Photo by Lee RivettWalmart Canada (seen from upper level parkade) at Guildford – Photo by Lee Rivett
1 of 14
Swarovski at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Boathouse at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Champs Sports at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
BlueNotes at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Naturalizer at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Ardene at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Sunrise Records at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Carter OshKosh at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Suzy Shier at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Stokes at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
The Body Shop at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Sketchers at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Call it Spring at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
The Praguery at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Lower Level “Middle” Zone Tour at Guildford
Guildford Mall Map – Middle Zone on Lower Level
Continuing the tour to the ‘middle’ zone, this area is to the left of the main atrium and above the main food court. Muji Canada and Sport Chek are major tenants. Select other retailers amongst the larger retailers include:
SportChek at Guildford from Lower Level – Photo by Lee RivettMuji at Guildford from Lower Level – Photo by Lee Rivett
1 of 15
Boys'Co at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Jack and Jones at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Hot Topic at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Mountain Warehouse at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Just Cozy at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Bootlegger at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Michael Hill at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Disney Store at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Bentley at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Reitman's at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Lego Store at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Vans at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
RW&CO at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Nike Store at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Foot Locker at Guildford from Lower Level - Photo by Lee Rivett
Lower Level “Lower” Food Court Zone Tour at Guildford
The final area in our Guildford Town Centre tour is the food court area in the lower zone on the lower level.
Guildford Mall Map – lower food court zone on Lower Level
1 of 3
Guildford Food Court - Photo by Lee Rivett
Guildford Food Court - Photo by Lee Rivett
Guildford Food Court - Photo by Lee Rivett
We had a very interesting photo walk around Guildford Town Centre, and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Don’t forget to check out the Yorkville photo tour in Toronto that came out earlier this month.
Discover More Related Photo Tours From Retail Insider:
Brentwood Shopping Centre in December 2020. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls to provide a window into shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This edition takes us to Brentwood Town Centre (now known as “The Amazing Brentwood”) in the north side of Burnaby just east of Vancouver.
History of Brentwood Mall
Brentwood Town Centre opened in 1961 and is older than any other shopping centre in Burnaby including Metropolis at Metrotown (see our latest photo tour of Metrotown as well). The grand opening of Brentwood included anchor tenants Eaton’s and Zellers department stores in an open air strip-mall style which was covered in a renovation/expansion in the early 1970s.
Other than a second floor and food court addition in the late 1980s, the Brentwood Town Centre Skytrain station opened in 2002 establishing it as a major transportation hub for North Burnaby. Shape Properties purchased the shopping centre in 2010 as the centre reached 125 retail stores and services. Shape began redevelopment plans to create a master-planned neighbourhood which would incorporate office, residential and retail components.
The plans included increasing retail space from 500,000 sq. ft. to over 1.1 million square feet.
Google Map of Vancouver with Brentwood Town Centre Highlighted
1 of 7
The Amazing Brentwood under construction on August 1, 2017. (SHAPE Properties)
The Amazing Brentwood under construction on August 1, 2017 from the corner of Lougheed Highway and Willingdon Avenue. (SHAPE Properties)
The Amazing Brentwood’s central plaza under construction on August 1, 2017. (SHAPE Properties)
The Amazing Brentwood under construction on August 1, 2017. (SHAPE Properties)
The Amazing Brentwood under construction on August 1, 2017. (SHAPE Properties)
The Amazing Brentwood under construction on August 1, 2017. (SHAPE Properties)
The Amazing Brentwood under construction on August 1, 2017. (SHAPE Properties)
Construction was still ongoing in December 2020 when Retail Insider headed onsite to see how the mall has progressed. For perspective, Shape Properties had a Leasing Plan available on their website which includes the layout of the future state of the shopping centre, including the new “Town Centre Plaza” at the bottom left and the legacy shopping centre in the upper right which is receiving an overhaul and a new food court.
The Amazing Brentwood Lease Plan – Photo by Shape Properties
Town Centre Plaza – Social Areas
From the lease plan above, the “Town Centre Plaza” is at the bottom left where our first-impressions of the mall were made. The eye-popping corner of Willington and Lougheed highway has a modern architecture which was obviously intended to impress visitors as they approach.
Town Centre Plaza from The Amazing Brentwood Lease Plan – Photo by Shape Properties
The red star on the lease plan above shows the perspective and grandeur of the façade from the street perspective:
Corner of Willingdon and Lougheed Highway – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Corner of Willingdon and Lougheed Highway – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Corner of Willingdon and Lougheed Highway – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Corner of Willingdon and Lougheed Highway – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Town Centre Plaza Fountain Area
Ascending the stone staircase with inset LEDs which change color, we arrived at the “Town Centre Plaza” itself with a water feature with a tree in the centre. The south side of the plaza hosted a Starbucks with an amazing view towards the future entertainment and cinema space.
Brentwood Mall Courtyard – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Brentwood Mall Courtyard – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
1 of 2
Brentwood Mall Courtyard Fountains - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Brentwood Mall Courtyard Fountains - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Brentwood Mall Courtyard – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Brentwood Mall Courtyard – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Town Centre Plaza – Future Retail Complex (South East Side)
At the south east corner of the Town Centre Plaza was a new retail complex which remained under construction. The main tenant appeared to be Sephora based on the construction hoarding that was in place and is a prime location as the Brentwood Skytrain station platform connects to the shopping centre at this point.
Retail Complex under Construction in South East Corner in Town Centre Plaza – Photo by Shape Properties
Retail Complex under Construction at South-East corner of Town Centre Plaza – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Town Centre Plaza – Retail Aspects
It is safe to say that the Town Centre Plaza has that impressive factor. Looking into the retail offerings around the plaza identified their major commercial anchor tenant was Sporting Life.
Sporting Life Exterior – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
In addition, there were a few other hidden gems at ground level next to the parking area before you head up the staircase, including:
Body Energy Club Exterior – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Express News Exterior. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma
Presotea Exterior. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma
Excited to get into the retail interior section, we headed towards a large glass wall to what we presumed would lead to the retail centre marked on the map below with a red star. The lease plan notes this as the entrance to the “Grand Lobby” with a large “WELCOME” sign above the doors; however, the double doors were locked solidly and was not open to the public.
Grand Hall Entrance in Town Centre Plaza – Photo by Shape Properties
Entrance to retail section of shopping centre – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Passing the locked “WELCOME” doors, we passed through the exterior corridor in the photo above which brought us to an additional exterior section with retail storefronts hidden behind construction hoarding with promotional marketing proclaiming their future opening. Examples include:
Positioned on Halifax Street (red star) facing SuitSupply (circled in red).
Suit Supply coming up soon, leading to another retail section. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma
Continuing to the left of SuitSupply was the exterior of the original shopping centre. There were a few retailers already open for business, including a Nike showroom and some food trucks. Construction hoarding proclaimed Adidas and Saku would be coming soon as well. To the right of the Nike showroom was the entrance to the interior retail section.
Positioned in front of the Nike showroom (red star) with entrance to interior retail shopping centre to its right (circled in red).
Nike Exterior, Brentwood Boulevard – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Adidas Exterior, Brentwood Boulevard – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Saku Coming Soon Signage – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Interior Retail Shopping Centre – Lower Level (Right Side)
Heading into the older, legacy portion of the shopping center, we should point out that there were two levels which were called the lower level (ground) and an upper level (second floor). Using the map below, we came into the mall using the entrance marked with a red star. The first interior retail area we visited in the lower level was the ‘right zone’.
Brentwood Lower Level Map – Right Section
Retailers in the lower level ‘right zone’ included:
Suzy Shear at Brentwood - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Thinka at Brentwood - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Core Games at Brentwood - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Dania Down at Brentwood - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Lushwear at Brentwood - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Moving up to the upper (second) level, we emerged at the centre of the floor noted by a red star in the map below. Construction hoarding was in place keeping visitors from entering the area and the signage attached to the hoarding promoted their future ‘The Food Lounge” which was coming soon.
Brentwood Upper Level Map – Food Court Section
Looking at the lease plan from Shape Properties website, an entire section of the shopping centre will be dedicated to “The Food Lounge”.
The future Food Lounge on The Amazing Brentwood’s leasing plan. Red circled is the area noted as “Food and Beverage” tenant by the pink color within the lease plan.
Moving along from the future food court area, the upper level “right zone” was anchored by Sears Canada while it was operating but you can see by the map that Shape Properties hasn’t updated their online mall maps yet. It was currently occupied by “Accents @ Home”.
Brentwood Upper Level Map – Right SectionACCENTS @ Home at Brentwood Mall – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
There were some other non-retail services operating, including Wanna Do Beauty Studio and Instant Tailoring
Purdy’s Chocolates at Brentwood – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
iParty Dollar Store at Brentwood – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
As we headed to the last retail area for the mall on the upper level, adjacent to the future food court location was the London Drugs anchor tenant at the top of the map:
Brentwood Mall Upper Level – London Drugs LocationLondon Drugs at Brentwood Mall – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
The final retail area did not have a major retail anchor tenant, but the upper level ‘left zone’ had the following notable tenants:
Wireless Wave at Brentwood Mall - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Vitamin Centre at Brentwood Mall - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Shoe Warehouse at Brentwood Mall - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Channel 3 at Brentwood Mall - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Match at Brentwood Mall - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Looking back at the Brentwood Town Centre, there is mounds of potential as a community hub in addition to the retail possibilities. The redevelopment still underway is hampering the full potential as of December 2020 but when construction completes (and hopefully COVID-19 eases along with the associated restrictions) we absolutely want to return to see how the The Amazing Brentwood blossoms.
Plans are in place to include a corridor of luxury stores and it’s not clear how far leasing activities have gone in terms of securing those tenants. L Catterton, the investment arm of LVMH, acquired a stake in The Amazing Brentwood in 2017 and plans were in place for a luxury run that would have been anchored by a Holt Renfrew store, according to sources. Holts is said to have since cancelled plans for a second Vancouver-area store.
As part of our ongoing Photo Tour series, Retail Insider visited Metropolis at Metrotown in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia, to provide an inside view of the shopping centre with retail insights leading up to the Christmas holiday season.
Owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, the property is located in the “Metrotown” community and features a retail shopping centre and is accompanied by two Metrotowers office buildings. Metrotown is well-connected to the public transit system with a Translink Metrotown Skytrain station as well as a 24-hour bus loop.
Google Map of Vancouver showing location of Metropolis at Metrotown.
Metrotown area in 1952 when a Ford Auto Plant (left side of photo) occupied the land as well as warehouses and residential schools/homes – Photo by Vintage Air Photos (British Columbia)
History of Metropolis at Metrotown
For a bit of history on the shopping centre, the core “Metrotown Centre” opened in 1986 on land which previously was a Ford Canada factory and has seen several renovations, including a new wing featuring Hudson’s Bay in 1992.
The “Eaton Centre Metrotown” and “Station Square” shopping centres were built adjacent to “Metrotown Centre” over the years; however, a megamall expansion project in 2005 merged two shopping centres and demolished “Station Square” in 2013 for mixed-use high-rise complexes.
Metropolis at Metrotown – Ground Level – Photo by Metropolis Website.
To separate the shopping centre into manageable pieces, we’ll cover the center into four quadrants for each floor. Based on the map above, the quadrants break down to:
Lower left
Upper left
Core/centre
Right/Hudson Bay
Lower Level ‘Lower Left’ Zone Tour at Metrotown
Our photo tour begins at the ‘lower left’ quadrant which is accessed from the ‘back side’ of Metrotown and is the typical access point when arriving from the Metrotown Skytrain station which runs along Central Boulevard. The ‘front face’ of Metrotown on the other side of the shopping centre has ample surface parking facing the main traffic through-fare of Kingsway.
Metrotown Mall Map (highlighting Ground Floor lower left quadrant).
Metrotown Central Boulevard Entrance – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Metrotown Central Boulevard Entrance – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
The first, ‘lower left’ quadrant of the Metrotown lower floor is circled in red above. It has a main anchor of FGL Sports-owned Sport Chek which opened in December 2014. A selection of other retailers on our tour which call this area home include:
Metrotown Urban Behavior - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Roots Store at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, BC - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Metrotown Nike Store - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Metrotown Atrium Court – Photo from Google Maps
Tour of ‘Atrium Court’ at Metrotown
On the border between the zones of our tour, the “Atrium Court” delineates between our ‘lower left’ and ‘upper left’ tour areas. The notable Metrotown retailers which encircle the atrium include:
Metrotown Mall – Lower Level. Upper left Quadrant.
Lower Level ‘Upper Left’ Zone Tour at Metrotown
Continuing the photo tour northward, the ‘upper left’ quadrant of the ground level is anchored by the Real Canadian Superstore and Indigo Books. Other Metrotown retailers within this area include:
Real Canadian Superstore at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Bentley at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Indigo Books at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Club Monaco at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Middle/core of Metrotown’s lower level. Metrotown corridor between Banana Republic and Build-A-Bear
Lower Level ‘Core/Centre’ Zone Tour at Metrotown
Moving our tour into the third section of the Metrotown lower level, the ‘core/centre’ quadrant is densely packed with numerous domestic and international retailers, including:
Arc'Teryx at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Michael Kors at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
H&M at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Little Mountain at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Uniqlo at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Banana Republic at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Reitmans at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Hudson Bay wing on the lower level at Metrotown (right quadrant of map).
Lower Level ‘Right/HBC’ Zone Tour at Metrotown
The final area on the tour of the lower, ground level is the right side of the map which is anchored by department store retailer Hudson’s Bay. Other retailers residing in this area include:
Hudson's Bay at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Uncle Tetsu at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
MUJI Canada at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Steve Madden at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Vans at Metrotown - Photo by Kevin Gartner via Google Maps
Completing all four areas of the lower, ground level at Metrotown at the Hudson’s Bay, the retailer spans both the lower and upper levels. Much of the shopping centre has the open atrium spanning the length of each quadrant.
Mall Halls at Metrotown – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Mall Halls at Metrotown – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Upper Level Food Court at Metrotown
Moving up to Metrotown’s upper level, it follows the same footprint noted as the tour visited the lower level. Some of the main anchor tenants stretch both floors, including the Hudson’s Bay department store. The upper level wing next to Hudson’s Bay hosts a food court which was part of the megamall expansion project in 2005.
Centre piece at the centre of the Metrotown Food Court.
Metrotown Food Court – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Metrotown Food Court – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Metrotown Food Court – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Metrotown Food Court – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Upper Level ‘Centre/Core’ Zone Tour at Metrotown
After walking from Hudson’s Bay and across the glass bridge through the centre of the Metrotown food court, the photo tour arrives at the ‘centre/core’ section of the shopping centre. This section on the upper level mirrors the density on the lower level below, including:
Kate Spade at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Saje Wellness at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
L'Occitaine at Metrotow - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Little Burgundy at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Swarovski at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Mountain Warehouse at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
1 of 7
Aritzia at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Armani Exchange at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Boys'Co at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Sephora at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Lululemon at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Garage at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Dynamite at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Upper Level ‘Upper Left’ Zone Tour at Metrotown
The second-last stop on the photo tour is the ‘upper left’ quadrant on the Metrotown upper floor, which is anchored by Winners/Homesense and Old Navy. Other retailers in this quadrant include:
Upper left quadrant of the Upper Level at Metrotown.
1 of 7
Weekend by Max Mara at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Pandora at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
MonteCristo at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Laura at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Plenty at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
The GAP at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Fresh Slice Pizza - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Upper Level ‘Lower Left’ Zone Tour at Metrotown
The final area on Metrotown’s upper floor is the “lower left” quadrant above where the tour began. The major anchor tenant for the area will be Zara (construction signage shown below) with other retailers including:
Upper level of Metrotown, lower left quadrant. Zara ‘opening soon’ at Metrotown – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Zara is expanding in the mall to encompass about 40,000 square feet over two levels. It will be certainly one of the largest Zara stores in Canada when it opens next year.
1 of 4
MAC Cosmetics at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
RW&CO at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Guess at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
tna at Metrotown - Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
Couturist at Metrotown (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
We had a very interesting photo walk around Metropolis at Metrotown, and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Don’t forget to check out the Yorkville photo tour in Toronto that came out earlier this month.
