Minimalist Japanese retailer Muji has announced that it will be expanding its store at CF Richmond Centre in suburban Vancouver this spring to become another flagship location for the brand. The Richmond Muji opened in the spring of 2018, and the expansion announcement comes before the store is even a year old.
Muji has been re-evaluating its Canadian operations and as part of that, it is looking to open larger stores. That’s according to Masaaki Kanai, Chairman of parent company Ryohin Keikaku, who told us in an interview several months ago that Muji is not only looking at opening substantially larger stores, but that it is also considering opening grocery stores, hotels, designing public realm, and even getting into residential development.
Muji’s CF Richmond Centre store currently spans 6,252 square feet on one level, and it will add almost 50% more retail space when it annexes an adjacent unit. By the time the renovation and expansion is completed, the store will span an impressive 9,212 square feet, making it the fifth largest Muji store in Canada — but still its smallest in the Vancouver area, remarkably. Muji says that it will provide further details on what will be in the expanded store, and the expansion is likely an effort to replicate the flagship Robson Street and Metropolis at Metrotown flagship in terms of store experience, both in product selection and retail footprint.
In the Vancouver market, Muji opened its first store at Metropolis at Metrotown in August of 2017, followed by a large flagship on Robson Street in December of that year. The Robson Street store is the largest in the region with 14,507 square feet of retail space, and the Metropolis at Metrotown store, which was 7,770 square feet when it first opened, was expanded to 12,305 square feet in order to also bring it more in line with the offerings at the Robson Street flagship, with both units being among the top sellers in the chain in North America.
That means that all three of Muji’s Vancouver-area stores will be flagships. Furthermore, all three Vancouver stores will be larger than the retailer’s Toronto locations, except for the downtown Toronto store which was expanded to a whopping 19,110 square feet in November.
The downtown Toronto store, located at 20 Dundas Street West in the Atrium complex, was the first location in Canada when it opened in November of 2014. The store was only 4,373 square feet on one level (before the recent expansion). That was followed by a 5,225 square foot store at Mississauga’s Square One in November of 2015, followed by the October 2016 opening at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre (6,375 square feet) and the Summer 2017 debut of a 6,000 square foot space at CF Markville, north of Toronto. A store at Scarborough Town Centre, measuring about 6,800 square feet, opened in March of 2018.
Given the expansion of the two Vancouver units, one might speculate that Muji may seek to expand some of its other Toronto units, depending on their performance. In our interview with Mr. Kanai in the fall, he explained how Muji had underestimated the Canadian market and that it had plans for expanded and new stores, as well as non-retail concepts.
We’ll continue to follow Muji’s expansion in Canada, as it plans to operate about 30 stores in Canada over the next few years. Sources are saying that the Montreal market could be in line for a Muji flagship store, and that secondary markets such as Edmonton and Calgary are also expected to see stores as Muji expands nationally. There are plenty of ‘unknowns’ in terms of non-retail initiatives, and rumour has it that Muji may be opening a Muji Hotel in a new development in Toronto, though it’s unconfirmed at this time.
FICO, a leading global data analytics company, is committed to gaining and building stronger customer engagement for businesses through increasing personalization in a world dominated by technology.
“The ultimate goal is really to understand your customer better than your competition and be able to act on that knowledge faster than your competition can,” said Michael Testa, retail and loyalty vertical lead in North America for FICO.
“Because if you can actually provide customers offers, messaging, information, faster than your competition, they’re going to be a customer for life and that is when you are really building an engaging and loyal relationship with them. It’s really the ultimate goal that personalization is trying to get to.”
“Conversations have to be very relevant and engaging for customers and FICO achieves this by utilizing predictive analytics and decisioning systems that deliver personalization at that level. Understanding what a customer has a need for or wants to buy within a certain time frame and then providing that information at the right possible time, is achieving true personalization.”
FICO is an acronym of Fair, Isaac and Company which was founded in 1956. William Fair, an engineer, and Earl Isaac, a mathematician, were the original founders of the company which is today based in Silicon Valley. It was created to help businesses focus on making smart decisions by using math and engineering to do that.
FICO focuses on analytics, decisioning systems and consulting, creating solutions for businesses to make smarter decisions in business speed.
“We take advanced analytics that are needed for specific problems with specific decisioning system applications and with our consulting expertise put it together to create solutions for businesses,” said Testa.
One of FICO’s major solutions is the credit score, The FICO Score, which is used in more than 25 countries around the world.
FICO holds more than 180 patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 2.6 billion payment cards from fraud, to helping people get credit, to ensuring that millions of airplanes and rental cars are in the right place at the right time.
Testa said retailers can use advanced analytics and decision systems to personalize customer experiences.
“Advanced analytics will help you predict what your customer wants. FICO has a client that is currently using our solution to do just that right now, FICO builds and updates over 4,000 models every four-months that will predict what their customers are going to buy in a specific time period. ” said Testa. “Now that FICO can predict what they’re going to buy, the FICO decision systems identify the best offer and the best message for that customer.”
Testa said “FICO has been utilizing artificial intelligence for over 25 years in its fraud business and has utilized that experience and expertise in its advanced analytics for other industries such as retail.
“Artificial Intelligence is going to make the customer interactions a more meaningful experience resulting in higher customer engagement,” he said. “If a retailer can understand what a customer needs or the reason why they are interacting, that helps alleviate a lot of the friction that happens in the conversation today” he said.
“The customer really has control because of the mobile phone. They have access to information at any time. They have a very limited attention span because there’s so much coming at them…So that kind of stress on people in terms of their attention, their time, for a retailer to break through you’ve got to have a message that can engage quickly, be right on spot, be highly relevant, for them to say ‘yes they understand me. They know what I need. They know who I am.’ And then the ability to act on that.
Testa said the most important element is data to understand customers and to be able to personalize the experience for them.
FICO has been doing personalization in the retail space for over 15 years and we have found that the transactional information is the most valuable. Transactional purchases are much more telling of a customer’s behaviour than demographic profiles.
“Once retailers have the ability to identify a customer to the transactional information then they have the richness of data to do personalization,” said Testa.
He said the company now has taken its operational artificial intelligence system that it’s had for the past 25 years in its fraud business to be able to do what it calls “streaming analytics.”
“FICO can interact with a customer in real time, make a decision in milliseconds, that will actually provide the customer an outcome that seems very seamless. And that’s a huge technology leap forward from where the industry has been.” said Testa.
*Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, contact Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com.
In December of 2018, Retail Insider’s west coast correspondent Helen Siwak traveled to Hangzhou, China to meet and interview Canadian fashion icon RozeMerie Cuevas to learn about the extensive JAC by JC retail presence in China, and to receive firsthand the details of the planned North American expansion and IPO.
Series Background
In Part I of this series, Siwak laid the groundwork of progress of JAC by JC in China, and its rapid expansion of this women’s wear brand to 101 stores, in less than three years. Siwak visited the headquarters in E-Fashion Town, the company-owned production facility and accompanying employee residence, store locations including an outlet, and the official JAC by JC headquarters.
Annual Buying Event
The visit to Hangzhou coincided with the yearly buying event attended by franchise owners and representatives of the JAC by JC owned-stores. Staff and management had been preparing for weeks for this annual gathering.
The first floor of the headquarters was converted to a showroom with a circular runway, racked product, and change area. Seated buyers actively participated in the selection process, stopping models to inspect garments as they passed, and asking questions of the MC who provided a garment narrative as each model walked. Fabric selections are especially important to buyers as the brand has built its reputation on quality construction and top textiles like silk, cashmere, wool, cotton, tercel, cupro, and modal.
Over the course of the day, the four collections for 2019 were presented, selected, the results tabulated, followed by a break wherein the attendees tried on the top chosen selections to gauge fabric/construction, wear-ability, and desirability by their market. This process was repeated until each season’s offerings were culled down and the selection of JAC by JC garments, which would go into production, was finalized. Garments with an affordable luxury price point of $300-$800 for outerwear, $150-$250 for tops, and $250-$450 for dresses. It was a rigorous process observed closely by Cuevas and her business partner Bruce Li.
The day concluded with a sit-down dinner with inspiring speeches, showy cocktails mixed by a rock-a-billy bartender, rousing karaoke, photos on a media wall, and dancing to a Russian cover band.
The atmosphere was one of teamwork, closeness and familiarity and was a perfect example of the JAC by JC philosophy at work creating a business environment that facilitates success through empowerment.
2019 Store Expansion in China
In addition to the 101 freestanding JAC by JC stores, the company is working on 35 additional locations to open in China in 2019. Store roll-out is relatively seamless as the model has been perfected and the interior components are all manufactured in China. The company is also in discussions with a very successful online company because “the future of fashion will require both retail and online to work together,” says Cuevas.
Canada/USA Expansion
Moving forward, JAC by JC is preparing a two-part expansion. Firstly is the successful completion of a multi-store expansion to Canada and the US. The second, an IPO set for 2022. Speaking to the upcoming expansion plans, Cuevas explains, “We have set the foundation during the past five years, and now we are ready for the next big step in our growth plan. JAC Shanghai is already speaking with potential e-commerce partners, and JAC Canada is ready to speak with potential partners…2019 will see big changes for our JAC Brand.”
Cuevas is in Vancouver until February 17th with plans to meet with as many potential business partners as possible during the trip. JAC by JC is seeking a partner(s) with retail experience and a $5,000,000 capital investment to facilitate the roll-out of stores across Canada, ideally in the urban centres of Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Ottawa; with favoured American cities including Seattle, San Francisco, and New York. AAA retail locations of 1,000-1,500-square-feet in high traffic areas would receive preferential consideration.
“Planning the Canadian/US expansion is a huge undertaking and feels extremely exhilarating and yet very scary at the same time. The foundation of product and production is set at extremely favourable margins due to the completely vertical operation model. Now we need the distribution channel. I know I cannot do this on my own and know that to make this happen, I need the right partner with the same vision.”
Vancouver-Based multi-brand women’s retailer Aritzia has re-opened its store on Toronto’s prestigious Bloor Street West after a substantial expansion. Now one of the brand’s largest stores globally, the 50 Bloor Street West flagship is the first in Canada to feature an in-store coffee shop as the brand experiments with its ever-expanding base of stores.
It’s the latest flagship retail space to be unveiled on Toronto’s Bloor Street West strip, which some consider to be Canada’s answer to Fifth Avenue in New York City. Holt Renfrew’s flagship and headquarters are located in the same Morguard-operated Holt Renfrew Centre at 50 Bloor, and further up the street are flagships for Harry Rosen, Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton.
The new store features an imposing facade that spans almost triple the width of the former, smaller store. Last year Aritzia updated its logo from a stylized design to more of a traditional font (that is also arguably more readable). A large marquee entrance with dozens of lightbulbs greet shoppers on the street into the new store.
The store’s interior is described as being ‘feminine and spacious’ with ample use of wood and marble. The store’s layout includes a series of steel and glass-partitioned ‘boutiques’ for Aritzia’s house brands — the shops line the walls on each side of the flagship, with the central part of the store featuring fashion displays as well.
Custom millwork, architectural wall panels, large media art installations, and marble can be found throughout the store. Marble tables, wire-wheeled oak tables, curated artwork, sculptures, books and plants can be found through the store, with flooring consisting of polished concrete and herringbone.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the store is located at the back — through a marble archway is a stunning dressing room area and lounge featuring rich woods, plush furniture, and whimsical antiques. (Aritzia refers to it as a ‘chill lounge’). The store features ‘expert stylists’ that can be booked by appointment.
Artizia Bloor Street Flagship
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Artizia Bloor Street Flagship
Artizia Bloor Street Flagship
Photo: Craig Patterson
Photo: Craig Patterson
Photo: Craig Patterson
One unique feature to the store is an in-store coffee bar called ‘A-OK Café’. The concession serves coffee and other drinks as well as pastries and other food items. Included are coffee beans by De Mello Palheta (a Toronto-based micro roaster), loose leaf tea by Genuine Tea, food and pastries by Butter Baker and vegan options provided by Tori’s Bakeshop — there’s even A-OK Café-branded coffee beans for purchase. The café space features an exterior doorway onto Bloor Street as well as from within the Aritzia store and interestingly, its hours are shorter than the adjacent fashion store, with A-OK Café closing at 6:00pm on weekdays — about two hours before the rest of the store.
PHOTO: ARITZIA
The new Aritzia flagship includes Artizia in-house brands including Tna, Babaton, The Group by Babaton, Wilfred, Wilfred Free, Le Fou Wilfred, Sunday Best, Little Moon, Main Character, Auxiliary, Denim Forum, Golden by Tna and The Constant. Over the past decade Aritzia has launched multiple private label brands in order to maintain product exclusivity — it has done so partly as a response to new multi-brand retailers such as Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue that have entered Canada and carried some of the same designer brands as Aritizia in the past.
Aritzia operated a considerably smaller store at the Holt Renfrew Centre for years, and the tired looking store was in need of an update. The expansion was made possible by annexing a retail space that had previously housed womenswear retailer BCBG, as well as an escalator well that provided public access to the Holt Renfrew Centre mall located below.
The escalators have since been updated and are now part of the Aritzia store itself. A dedicated basement level mall entrance features Aritzia signage with access upstairs into the store itself, as per the photo below.
PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
Aritzia’s original Holt Renfrew Centre location featured a narrow storefront with a retail area spanning just over 4,900 square feet. After annexing the former BCBG space as well as the escalator well, the expanded Aritzia flagship measures more than 11,400 square feet, making it one of the largest stores in the entire chain. BCBG closed all of its physical stores worldwide last year — its Holt Renfrew Centre location spanned just over 5,000 square feet on one level. At one time, the escalator well included upstairs access to music retailer HMV which closed in 2016 (the 9,000 square foot space was subsequently leased to Holt Renfrew which will expand by adding a new floor this year).
We visited the expanded Aritzia over the weekend and were impressed with how busy it was. Loud, thumping music set the mood, and the store was surprisingly vibrant in a part of the city that is typically subdued. Dozens of staff are on duty at any one time, and we’d say that the new store would be one of the busiest on the street, and that includes considerably larger stores such as Louis Vuitton and Holt Renfrew.
Over the past three years, Aritzia has been upsizing many of its existing locations by annexing space to create flagships, as it continues to see success with its retail model that includes in-house as well as a selection of designer brands. The company’s in-house brands TNA, Wilfred and Babaton have all been expanded to include their own standalone stores in selected markets — in markets where Aritzia store real estate is constrained, the company has unveiled locations for these brands, according to founder and CEO Brian Hill, in an interview.
Aritzia is represented in Canada by Dianne Lemm of brokerage JLL.
Aritzia, while not a prestige or luxury retailer, fits in with the transformation of the Yonge and Bloor intersection. Last spring, Nordstrom Rack opened its Canadian flagship store at 1 Bloor Street East, and other major mid-market brands are said to be eyeing the area in anticipation of Eataly and other draws moving into the area.
The Holt Renfrew Centre is a 247,000 square foot retail centre at 50 Bloor Street West housing a 190,000 square foot Holt Renfrew store, as well as several retailers that are located primarily on its lower-level, accessed from the city’s underground PATH pedestrian network that connects to adjacent commercial properties. According to the Retail Council of Canada 2017 Shopping Centre Study, the Holt Renfrew Centre saw annual sales in excess of $1,000/square foot last year.
Anchor Holt Renfrew is also in the process of a significant renovation. Departments are being shifted around as the store’s ground floor is transformed into a luxury brand destination, primarily housing leased concession boutiques for some of the world’s biggest names. Menswear will relocate from a 16,500 square foot standalone store at 100 Bloor Street West into the third floor of the 50 Bloor West flagship, and other details such as a new facade will be revealed shortly.
Toronto-based retail recruiter Best Retail Careers International Inc. is launching a first-of-its-kind membership-based recruitment concept called ‘Retail Staffing Canada’ that pairs retailers with qualified candidates. With an aim of saving time and money, membership-based recruiting will disrupt the entire industry. Interested retailers and landlords are encouraged to pre-register using the form below.
Created by industry expert Suzanne Sears, the new ‘Retail Staffing Canada’ club is simple, fast and considerably less expensive than typical recruiting. It also eliminates time that may be wasted with traditional recruiting while at the same time creating a more pleasant experience for both employers and candidates.
For a membership fee, retailers have access to a vast number of pre-screened, prequalified talent seeking new opportunities, and Best Retail Careers International Inc. guarantees a minimum number of hires per year. If a member retailer has a position available, Retail Staffing Canada will forward qualified candidates with a guarantee that you’ll get what you’re looking for.
Ms. Sears refers to it as ‘the Tinder of retail — matching is done based on applicant profiles. Retailers therefore don’t have to take the time to search a vast number of resumes to find qualified candidates. Rather, they’re matched with qualified candidates that have been pre-screened, saving time and money.
In 2017 Best Retail Careers International Inc. launched its highly successful ‘Super Star Talent Registry’ which saw more than 15,000 Canadian retail workers register on its site. Candidates confidentially submitted their names and resumes into Best Retail Careers International Inc.’s database, presenting themselves as being ‘open to opportunities as they arise’. As a result, many candidates in the database are currently employed elsewhere, and they’re seeking a change.
The thousands of candidates were pre-screened and many have already received screening calls. They’re waiting to be matched with retailers for their next dream job. The quality of candidate is therefore considerably better than with traditional ‘blast ads’.
Time and money savings come from the fact that retailers don’t have to search resume databases and candidates don’t have to look for companies hiring, because Retail Staffing Canada’s matching is done based on profiles.
Best Retail Careers International Inc.’s social media reach extends to more than 11-million people working at various levels of retail in North America, and that reach is constantly expanding.
Best Retail Careers International Inc. also offers education to retailers seeking out talent — Suzanne Sears offers to teach internal recruiters how to use digital and social media for staffing, including how to sort through potential hires using an Applicant Tracking System.
If you are a retailer who is curious to learn more about Retail Staffing Canada’s membership-based recruiting, fill in the form below and Ms. Sears will get back to you as soon as possible.
Sports Experts to Open Massive First-of-its-Kind Montreal Flagship:La Presse reports (in French) that Quebec sporting goods chain Sports Experts, a division of Toronto-based Canadian Tire, will open a massive 75,000-square-foot store at the Quartier DIX30 complex in suburban Montreal in November. The store will include features not found in other sports retailers in Canada.
Franchisee Paul-André Goblet, who owns seven Sports Experts and three Atmosphere stores, partnered with Oxford Properties to build the $25-million store. Mr. Goblet will spend a reported $10-million and Oxford will kick in about $15-million.
The store will feature giant video screens, interactive kiosks, a 3D measuring tool, bike testing, an interactive mirror, and a ‘cold room’ where customers can try on coats. It will also include a unique ‘element room’ where customers can test waterproof clothing in rain and wind. To keep the store organized, only about 50% of merchandise will be deployed.
The store will be slightly smaller than Sport Chek’s 80,000-square-foot West Edmonton Mall flagship, which is Canada’s largest sports store. The current Quartier DIX Sports Experts store (the new one will replace it) employs about 60 people, and that number will double with the opening of the new store. About 120 people also work at the downtown Montreal Sports Experts store — Mr. Goblet invested more than $10-million in that store in 2017, and reportedly with great success.
Looking at the video below, it already looks like Sports Experts has taken a page from Sporting Life, at least in terms of store design aesthetic.
Canada’s Top-Selling Mattress-in-a-Box Brand Endy Partners with Urban Barn and Launches 37 Showrooms across Canada: Toronto-based Endy has teamed-up with Canadian retailer Urban Barn in launching showrooms in 37 Urban Barn locations across Canada.
Shoppers are invited to test out the Endy Mattress and the Endy Pillow in the showrooms across Canada where on-hand staff will answer questions, offer a consistent customer experience and allow them to visualize the products in their own homes.
After the Endy in-store experience, customers will receive a unique promotional code to use while ordering online at endy.com. All purchases come with free shipping to their door, and the opportunity to try the mattress in the comfort of their home for more than three months, risk-free, with Endy’s 100 Night Trial.
The Endy Mattress launched online with its e-commerce portal in 2015. The Canadian-made product ships in a box the size of a hockey bag and is available in six standard sizes from Twin to California King.
K-SWISS Collab Creates Limited Edition Classic 88 for Black History Month: Heritage American footwear brand K-Swiss and DJ Clark Kent (producer, musician, hip hop historian) have teamed up to launch a limited-edition Classic 88 shoe in celebration of Black History Month and as part of their mission to outfit and inspire young entrepreneurs.
On February 20th, 24 pairs of the limited-edition Classic 88 shoe will be available at Footlocker’s downtown Toronto store (247 Yonge St.) from 6:00 – 7:30 pm on Wednesday for $140. DJ Clark Kent will be on-site to meet and greet fans in celebration of the sneaker launch.
K-Swiss is also supporting entrepreneurs through a new partnership with Yellowbrick, an educational platform that inspires the next generation to pursue careers in creative industries. Yellowbrick provides in-person and online courses across various industries taught by university faculty, experts and influencers.
As part of their partnership with Yellowbrick, K-Swiss will provide 20 scholarships to Yellowbrick’s Sneaker Essentials online course, giving access to young, black entrepreneurs in Canada to help them develop the necessary skills to pursue careers in the sneaker business.
Fast Time Watch & Jewellery Repairs Expands in Ontario with First In-Line Location: The closure of 62 Sears Canada locations in 2017 saw family-business Fast Time Watch & Jewellery Repair in a position to throw in the towel, or to regroup and rebuild. In 2018, the company launched 10 upscale boutique kiosks throughout Ontario, and recently opened a full-sized inline location in Ottawa’s Carlingwood Shopping Centre, a first for Fast Time.
As one of Sears’ best licensees, the company had a large dedicated clientele in each community that needed in-person services. Watch and jewellery repair does not easily translate to an online business, and the company is seeking to re-enter the markets across Canada that they were forced to abandon.
The Carlingwood location is located next to high-traffic Tim Hortons and is open seven days a week. More inline locations are expected to follow as Fast Time continues to expand its operations.
Canadian Brands Addition Elle and Aldo Collaborate on Footwear Collection: Quebec-based fashion houses ADDITION ELLE and ALDO Product Services (APS) have collaborated on a footwear collection designed exclusively for the plus-size market, which launches this month. This marks the first time these two Canadian retail giants work together.
Unique to this collection are features that provide the wearer with comfort and support via a wide –width, breathable inserts, and padded memory foam. Available in suede and leather, the collection also includes a line of signature handbags with the strap lengths and width adjustable to fit a plus-size silhouette.
With manageable price points, the footwear ranges from $45 for a ballerina flat to $100 for a suede boot, with most styles falling between an average price point of $55-$80. The handbag collection ranges from $35-$60. Footwear sizes include sizes 6-12 and half sizes.
ADDITION ELLE is a division of Reitmans (Canada) Limited, which employs 10,000 people nationally and operates 677 stores across Canada through its six banners including Reitmans, Penningtons, RW&Co., Thyme Maternity and Hyba.
The ALDO Group has 3,000 points of sale in over 100 countries operating under two signature brands, Aldo and Call It Spring, and a multi-brand retail concept, GLOBO.
Calgary Welcomes Largest Cadillac Dealership in North America: Cadillac opened the first dealership in North America in Calgary under the company’s new brand architecture. Carter Cadillac sets a new benchmark for the brand worldwide, as Cadillac seeks to offer a heightened level of luxury to upscale consumers.
The dealership is a three-story, 50,000-square-foot dual-showroom facility built which includes a virtual reality showroom, and solar-powered electric vehicle fast-charging stations keeping pace with Cadillac’s move toward an all-electric future. An upper showroom showcases Cadillac’s V-Series high-performance vehicles and a rotation of vintage Cadillac cars.
Sales at Cadillac have been growing significantly in Canada and internationally, with 2018 posting the best worldwide sales figures in the brand’s entire 116-year history. Calgary is the highest volume market for Cadillac in Western Canada.
The dealership is creating up to 30 new full-time positions in the Calgary market, with expected growth of up to 40 positions by the end of 2019.
Ripndip Skate Brand to Flip Its Way Up the West Coast: Known for its playful approach to both streetwear and skateboarding, highlighted by their a-meow-sing Lord Nermal the Cat as its symbolic leader, LA-based brand RIPNDIP will launch a West Coast Pop-up Tour which will see its unique styles hitting San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. Landing in a new city each weekend in March and concluding in Hong Kong, the brand is sussing out expansion strategy which will add to its already 1,000+ stores selling product including Zumiez and Active Ride Shop.
Should Saks Fifth Avenue renovate it’s Toronto flagship like in NYC? This month, Saks Fifth Avenue unveiled the renovated 53,000-square-foot ground floor accessory hall at its flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The store now looks unlike any other in the chain. Included is a colourful central escalator designed by Rem Koolhaas, and a bright aesthetic with grey terrazzo flooring, and a collection of luxury accessory boutiques that would make any fashionista swoon, in one of the largest departments of its kind in the world.
The new floor is stunning, and is quite different from the appearance of Saks Fifth Avenue‘s first Canadian store, which opened in February 2016 at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre. While the Toronto store is lovely looking, we wonder if a renovation like the one in New York City might even create more foot traffic into that location. Have a peek at the slideshow above, it looks like Selfridges’ renovated accessories hall in London with a rainbow coloured escalator that leads up to the store’s beauty floor.
Speaking of beauty floors, Bloomberg reports that Saks’ Toronto flagship WILL see at least a minor renovation to its cosmetics department. Retail Insider will report as it learns more!
Have an excellent long weekend, Retail Insider will be back with more Canadian retail news on Tuesday.
This year’s will be held May 7-9, 2019 in Toronto, and it has just released its as well as its informative which provides an overview of the industry. The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Toronto, located at 370 King Street West in the heart of Toronto’s vibrant Entertainment District. []
eTail Canada has been in operation since 1999, and this year more than 500 senior-level retail executives will meet to benchmark, network, and discuss the future of the industry. If you are seeking to develop a cutting-edge retail tech strategy or benefit from disruptive content and focused peer-to-peer networking, eTail Canada is an event you can’t miss.
This year’s roster of speakers at eTail Canada includes some dynamic names working with companies such as Alibaba, Amazon, Best Buy, Canadian Tire, Loblaw, McDonald’s Metro, Staples Canada, Starbucks Canada, Walmart and several others.
Prominent speakers include:
Mike Gettis, Founder and CEO of Canadian mattress-in-a-box brand Endy,
Carl Boutet, Lead for the Bensadoun Retail School of Management Lab at McGill University in Montreal,
Lee McCabe, VP of Alibaba Group North America,
Krista Collinson, VP of E-Commerce Merchandising at Walmart Canada,
Simon Rodrigue, SVP and CDO of Staples Canada,
Nancy Modrcin, VP of Marketing at Metro,
Chris Tarrant, VP, Store Development & Design at Starbucks Canada,
Matthew Cebulski, Head of Discovery and Partner Success at Loblaw Digital,
Alan Gertner, Managing Director of Hiku Brands and CRO of Canopy Growth Corporation,
There will be plenty of other speakers from some of the most recognized companies in retail []
Various presentations will also be engaging and interactive, including a ‘Tonight Show’ style panel titled ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green’ — the topic involves the cannabis industry, a hot topic with legalization in Canada. There will also be several problem-solving workshops and case studies, as well as roundtable discussions.
There will also be ‘fireside chats’ with a variety of topics, and even an ‘Ecomm Tech Dragons’ Den’ on May 9.
There will be plenty of networking opportunities as well — eTail Canada notes that there is value from the face-to-face opportunities at the conference.
eTail Canada also recently published its , which discusses Canadian e-commerce in depth with fascinating facts and statistics, including project growth for the industry in this country. The report is a must read for those seeking an update on the industry, and .
eTail Canada is offering 20% off the current price for retailers when you register with code ETC19RI
In summary, and for more information on this year’s eTail Canada conference:
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We look forward to seeing you there!
*Partner Content. To work with Retail Insider, contact Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com.
Managing and engaging the workforce is one of the best ways for retailers to reduce costs and boost profitability. That’s the message delivered by a new white paper from Kronos, which provides six tips to unlock the value of workforce management technology.
The retail industry has never been more competitive in Canada as international brands enter the market and behemoths like Amazon continue to make inroads. The white paper discusses how the workforce is, in many respects, a company’s greatest asset and an avenue to improve profitability and gain real competitive advantage.
The study provides six tips that retailers can use to manage and encourage their workforce to more effectively control costs, maintain margins and deliver exceptional customer experience. The latter is more critical than ever as consumers increasingly seek out new experiences fuelled by social media.
The Kronos white paper calls workforce optimization “the next great opportunity” because, at a time when margins are becoming increasingly tight for retailers, identifying efficiencies and driving improved performance are key to improving profitability and the customer experience.
Some of the tips are intuitive – employees should be paid accurately, fairly and on time. Without sufficient controls, a retailer runs the risk of paying workers incorrectly, or late. That can lead to disengagement and staff turnover, not to mention risks of litigation. Automation is the key, according to Kronos.
Another key issue is absenteeism. With the annual estimated direct cost of absenteeism to the Canadian economy a staggering $16.6-billion annually, retailers that minimize it stand to gain a real cost benefit.
The white paper goes on to discuss other important topics such as reducing payroll inflation by eliminating fraudulent or inaccurate time recording by employees; and shrinking administrative overhead using augmented intelligence and employee self-service.
Download the white paper to learn more about how workforce management solutions can help retailers reduce costs and boost productivity.
For more information on Kronos workforce management solutions, visit www.kronos.ca.
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Upscale Toronto-based lifestyle and giftware retailer Hopson Grace has expanded its Rosedale storefront by adding a unique ‘shoppable apartment’ to its second level. The retailer is looking to revolutionize the wedding and gift registry business in Canada with a curated selection of products in the bricks-and-mortar space, as well as a website with product delivery available to customers across North America.
Hopson Grace was launched in April of 2015 in a ground-floor retail space at 1120 Yonge Street in Toronto. Two seasoned professionals launched the brand — Andrea Hopson (former vice president of Tiffany & Co. Canada) and business partner Martha Grace McKimm (a seasoned public relations executive) who both were seeking career changes and had worked together in the past. Their passion for finer things led to a business partnership and when a strategically located corner retail space at the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Macpherson Avenue became available, they jumped on the opportunity.
Hopson Grace (the store’s name derives from Andrea’s surname ‘Hopson’ and Martha’s middle name ‘Grace’) features a highly curated merchandise offering with many products that are not only exclusive to Toronto, but in some instances are unavailable elsewhere in North America. The Rosedale location is ideal, being a short distance from some of Toronto’s wealthiest residential areas, including Rosedale, Moore Park, Summerhill, South Hill, and Forest Hill. Customers from those areas continue to frequent the business and as the store’s awareness has grown, customers are now coming in from other parts of southern Ontario and beyond.
PHOTO: HOPSON GRACE
Ms. Grace and Ms. McKimm also leased the roughly 1,200 square foot second level which was originally used for private events. Customers began requesting an expanded range of products which led the duo to decide to convert the second floor to a unique retail space housing an edited assortment of products in a tasteful ‘one bedroom’ apartment that includes a kitchen, living and dining areas, bedroom and washroom.
The upper level showroom is called ‘Hopson Grace Home’. “Our second floor allows both our customers and those setting up a wedding and gift registry the opportunity to shop in an intimate setting with lots of context,” said Ms. Hopson. “We’re offering a highly personal shopping experience, designed to inspire every room in your house.”
Hopson Grace Home’s expanded assortment includes bedding, bath linens and related accessories as well as decorative accessories, dog bowls & beds, cookware, cooks’ tools and kitchen electrics. The space includes new brands and products, such as dog bowls from Brooklyn-based Mr. Dog, monogrammed towels by Matouk, Alpaca throws from Peru, tables by Notre Monde, and lamps by France’s Objet Insolite. Nearly everything in the showroom space is for sale, including artwork throughout.
At the back of the space is a custom kitchen from Scavolini (a contemporary Italian kitchen manufacturer) which acts as a backdrop for the carefully selected kitchen products such as David Mellor’s Rosewood Kitchen Knives, Dualit Toasters, STAUB and Skeppshult cast iron Dutch Ovens and cookware from Mauviel, All-Clad, Zwilling JA Henckels and Cuisinart. The retailer has partnered with local Toronto interior designers on some of the store’s larger pieces.
Customers are also able to purchase furniture and rugs directly from J Gibson Interiors, Kate Thornley-Hall and the McGill Design Group’s Plum Furniture Collection.
“Our store concept is constantly evolving to reflect our commitment to products that speak to us for their beauty, craftsmanship, sustainability and exclusivity – combined with an exceptional customer experience,” said Ms. Grace-McKimm. “With this expansion, we’ll continue to bring value and intimacy to the shopping experience, something our customers have come to expect from us, and at the same time offer couples a one-stop, highly curated wedding and gift registry experience.”
The co-founders explained how the curated concept provides tasteful product suggestions — rather than overwhelm visitors with thousands of items, hand-picked products at a range of price points create a ‘Hopson Grace edit’ that is unique to the retailer. Customers have also been asking for an expanded product assortment for Hopson Grace’s expansive wedding and gift registry business, which is also expanding online with delivery both in Canada and the United States.
Ultimately, the shoppable apartment is meant to create a home-like experience that is different from a typical retail showroom. Such product edits are becoming increasingly common in retailers that may otherwise carry the same brands, but are seeking differentiation. Hopson Grace is unlike any retailer in Canada both because of its new second floor as well as its product offerings, many of which can only be found in Canada or even in some instances in North America.
Hopson Grace’s main floor also continues to sell tableware and other items suitable for elegant entertaining — that includes tableware, serveware, drinkware, flatware, barware and decorative accessories sourced both locally and abroad.
The retail stretch along Yonge Street near the Rosedale TTC subway station is becoming a refined address housing upscale home furnishings, beauty and fashion retailers. Aussie skincare brand Aesop has a store a couple doors south of Hopson Grace, and a block away the highly tasteful Want Apothecary carries a range of fashions and accessories from Montreal (last year it added a second floor). To the north is the popular ‘Five Thieves’ retail building anchored by a Terroni restaurant and Harvest Wagon grocery market, and north of the Summerhill LCBO store and train tracks is a row of shops and restaurants that include unique rug and home furnishings retailer Thirty Six Knots, which we profiled in an article last year.
SQUARE ONE STORE IN JANUARY OF 2019. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
Fresh off of opening its first store in Canada at the Square One shopping centre in Mississauga, California-based Morphe Cosmetics is launching another location this spring at the West Edmonton Mall with plans for further expansion across the country.
Emine ErSelcuk, Vice President, Global Retail for the brand, which specializes in makeup brushes, brush sets, and eye shadow palettes, said the company is driving a younger generation of customer to malls where it is located.
“We looked at other locations in the Greater Toronto Area. This particular team impressed us and this particular space and location was right for the brand,” she said, adding there is more potential to grow the brand in Canada.
SQUARE ONE STORE IN JANUARY OF 2019. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
“We currently don’t have a store targeted yet but there are absolutely other locations in the Toronto area and there are other areas throughout Canada that we’ll be looking at. We’re fortunate to have a thriving ecommerce business. We were predominantly an ecommerce business even a year and a half, two years ago. We’re able to look at the data and very closely monitor and measure where the customer is today. We have a very enthusiastic customer in Canada.”
ErSelcuk said Morphe was founded in 2008 by brother and sister duo Linda and Chris Tawil in Los Angeles in the Burbank Studio area.
“Which is not by accident. The brand was developed originally to develop professional quality makeup and artistry tools at an acceptable price, really with a focus on brushes. So our heritage is really about brushes originally,” she said.
“Chris and Linda both recognized the brushes had a huge mark up and they both felt very strongly that they wanted anyone and everyone who was passionate about beauty or who wanted to get creative that they would have the ability to participate, meaning they could afford the tools of the trade which is our brushes. Looking to start your own business check out this Informative Article by Nowloan. So they started with the brushes and then they started to expand into other categories and other products.”
RECORD-BREAKING ATTENDANCE: MORE THAN 10,000 FANS DESCENDED ON SQUARE ONE TO SEE MORPHE SPOKESPERSON JAMES CHARLES. HE HAS 14.3 MILLION INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS. PHOTO: SQUARE ONE
The company has two headquarters. One in the Los Angeles area and one in San Francisco. ErSelcuk said having the two offices on the West Coast has allowed it to tap into some of the best talent in the area. If you are a student of the beauty industry, she said, you would notice that many of the brands over the last 10 to 15 years that have really delivered innovation in the business have been West Coast brands.
The company has 26 stores currently which will grow to 29 by the end of June.
ErSelcuk said the thing that makes Morphe so unique is that the Tawils from the beginning recognized the power of social media in the early stages of building their company and they aligned with other beauty makeup artists, aspiring makeup artists, and bloggers who were all figuring out social media at the same time.
“This was a time when people didn’t really know the power of social media and they certainly didn’t know how to commercialize it. But this community really supported one another and consistently shared their love of Morphe products with their own growing fans and followers and that really catapulted the brand to where we are today,” she said.
“There’s an authentic love of Chris and Linda and the brand and the mission to really deliver professional, quality product at very accessible prices. So many of these makeup artists when they were learning the trade and trying to build their tool kits they were all sort of intermingling at various trade shows and nobody was anybody at the time. Chris and Linda gifted them a lot of product, helped them get off their feet. Now where we are we have over 300 affiliates who are makeup artists with large fan followings that advocate for this brand. It’s a huge win for us because they’re like a megaphone.”
ErSelcuk said Morphe products have become the tool of choice for so many influencers in the community who are advocating for the brand which allows for a greater reach for the brand.
The James Charles and the Jaclyn Hill Palettes for example have been hugely successful for Morphe.
“We do influencer collaborations that are true to the vision of that beauty influencer and we give them a lot of creative freedom and we’ve been enormously successful by delivering them the best of product development, the best in supply chain to help manufacture, deliver, develop, launch, execute. And we’ve been very, very successful with this formula. Jaclyn was the first. We did an anniversary collection with her this last year. We’ve had the James Charles Palette. We’ve had others but these are the most successful,” said ErSelcuk.
