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Online Resale Marketplace StockX Reports Record-Breaking Cyber Weekend

By
Sean Tarry
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StockX store interior. Photo: StockX
StockX store interior. Photo: StockX

The online resale market is booming. Represented by one of the fastest growing consumer segments, one whose collective tastes and preferences are epitomized by a penchant for exclusive, hard-to-find, limited-run products, the space is rife with opportunities for those within the industry that are savvy enough to develop an offering that satisfies their unique interests. Combining the growth of the segment with the current pandemic-induced acceleration of e-commerce activity around the globe has resulted in increased demand within the category and a plentiful bounty available for merchants that can meet it.

It might help explain why StockX, the global leader in the online secondary resale market, experienced a record-breaking Cyber Weekend. That and, according to Scott Cutler, StockX CEO, the enthusiasm shown by StockX buyers, sellers and frontline employees.

“As in-person shopping has become increasingly difficult this year, consumers have turned to online retailers like StockX to meet their needs,” he says. “Despite lockdowns that continue around the world, our platform has remained open, stable and strong. Thanks to the diversity and liquidity of our global marketplace and the incredible work of our frontline team members, we’ve managed to continue growing at an incredible rate during this time. Our recent Cyber Weekend performance is the most recent indication of our growth.”

Record-Breaking Growth

Scott Cutler (LinkedIn)

The company, headquartered in Detroit and operating multiple authentication and distribution centres throughout North America and Europe, including one in Toronto, specializes in facilitating the resale of authentic product across categories that include sneakers, apparel, electronics, accessories, and collectibles. Its powerful platform connects buyers and sellers of high-demand consumer goods from brands that include Jordan Brand, adidas, Nike, Supreme, BAPE, Off-White, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and many others. Leveraging dynamic stock market pricing mechanics, StockX provides its users with unparalleled access and transparency powered by real-time data that empowers buyers and sellers to determine and transact based on fair market value.

It’s an approach that users of the site seem to trust and appreciate. And it’s also one that’s reaping benefits for the online marketplace which recently surpassed $2.5 billion in lifetime gross merchandise value. It’s an incredible achievement for an operation that hasn’t even celebrated four years of business. And it seems as though the wave of growth StockX is experiencing has yet to crest, averaging a record 25 million monthly global visitors to its website during its third quarter, and recently wrapping up an astonishing Cyber Weekend, with a 100 per cent increase in average daily gross merchandise value during the four-day period compared to Cyber Weekend 2019.

An Ever-Expanding Segment

The astounding success, which included ten million visitors to the StockX site between Friday, November 27 and Monday, November 30, is significant for the burgeoning company. But what’s more is the fact that nearly 100,000 of those visitors were new buyers transacting on StockX for the very first time. It represents a manifestation of the ever-increasing opportunities that exist within the space. And, as Cutler points out, it’s also representative of a continued shift in consumer behaviour, one that is benefitting the company exponentially.

“Resale is a rapidly expanding segment of the market,” he asserts. “As consumer preferences shift, people in Canada and around the world are increasingly choosing to shop on secondary platforms. While the global shift in consumer behavior is undoubtedly linked to Gen Z, we’re also seeing a halo effect on older generations. This growing group of next gen consumers, who seek limited-edition products over fast fashion and demand unparalleled access and complete transparency from brands, are helping to rewrite the rules of commerce.

While change is afoot for traditional retail, StockX is one of the companies that is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of a consumer that is ever-evolving.”

Breadth of Product

In addition to the impressive sales posted by the company over the recent Cyber Weekend, the breadth of product sought by its visitors located in all corners of the world is another clear indication of the expansion of the segment that continues unabated. Over the four-day shopping event, more than 20,000 different types of product were sold through StockX to buyers from more than 140 different countries.

Among the top selling products, there were lots of sneakers – the first product category offered by the company when it originated in 2017 – including the Air Jordan 4 Retro Fire Red 2020, Air Jordan 1 Retro High Black Metallic Gold 2020 and the adidas Yeezy 500 Utility Black, among an array of others. Next-gen gaming consoles were another big hit with visitors looking to scoop up the recently released Microsoft Xbox Series X and Sony PlayStation 5 Blu Ray Edition consoles just before the holidays.

The company estimates that more than one of these consoles were sold every minute on the site.

Apace With the Consumer

Experiencing such rapid growth since its inception, the pace that the leader in the online resale space has set for itself is extraordinary. But, according to Cutler, it’s a pace that’s required in order to keep up with the ever-expanding and evolving segment of willing and enthusiastic customers that it serves. And if the company can continue to do that – to satisfy the unique needs, tastes and preferences of its visitors – he believes that there remains untapped potential for StockX to grow its operation even further.

“The resale market, and the StockX platform, are growing faster than ever before, and we’re very optimistic about the future. Right now, we’re hyper-focused on global growth and category expansion while we continue to strengthen the core of our business and introduce StockX to new consumers. As we plan for 2021 and beyond, ensuring we scale the platform in a way that authentically connects with customers across the globe remains paramount.”

Q&A Interview with Jest Dempsey Sidloski, VP of Marketing, Customer Experience & eCommerce at Peavey Mart

By
Retail Insider
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Avenue Code Spotlight Series - Jest Dempsey Sidloski

By Avenue Code

Jest Dempsey Sidloski, VP of Marketing, Customer Experience & eCommerce at Peavey Industries LP/Peavey Mart, discusses how his company is emphasizing community care as it adapts to COVID-19 and merges its brands. The interview was conducted by Avenue Code.

Avenue Code: Tell us about your personal career path. How did you get to where you are today?

Jest Dempsey Sidloski: I started working at Peavey Mart during high school, which means I’ve spent more than half of my life working for Peavey Industries LP. Interestingly, I went to college for Emergency Medical Services but accepted an invitation to join Peavey’s Manager trainee program during the recession of 2008. At 21, I had 16 staff members and was running a multi-million dollar a year store. I successfully grew sales, improved employee culture, and was able to help impact my community with my team’s support. I was then promoted into the Home Office as the company’s first corporate Training & Development Manager, where I created an LMS system, and developed a program for finding and training new talent within the company. I also accepted an interim role as District Manager for 10 stores, including our flagship home office store in Red Deer, Alberta. After this, I was promoted to Director of Customer Experience, where I helped define customer journey maps, improve customer experience, manage the complaints call center, and update customer-facing policies. From there, I was promoted to Director of Marketing, which incorporated our customer experience department. In 2020, I was promoted to Vice President of Marketing, Customer Experience in eCommerce. My current role includes flyer, eCommerce, social media, videography, magazines, community sponsorships, partnerships, branding & public relations, customer service, and call centres.

AC: What are you personally most passionate about in your career?

JS: A passion for client happiness, customer experience, and sales attracted me to retail initially. Today, my passion still starts and ends with good customer experience, whether for external customers (buyers) or internal customers (employees). I try to constantly improve experiences, systems, and software. As a former President of the Suicide Information Center, 100 Men, and The Women’s Outreach, I am very oriented toward charity and service. Peavey Industries allows me to exercise that same passion through company-sponsored philanthropic endeavors while still having time to focus on my family and home life.

AC: You’ve spoken of COVID-19 as a positive force for accelerated change. How have your digital initiatives related to eCommerce and marketing pivoted since COVID-19?

JS: We were one of the first retailers in Canada to pull our flyers from distribution to improve consumer safety. This led to an instant eCommerce growth strategy, which included adding more products and offers online as well as facilitating a seamless curbside pickup experience. We learned that our consumer was eager to explore our business digitally, which allowed us to put more time and energy into creating better workflows, tighter eCommerce timelines, and new rules to make it easier for customers to shop with us according to their preferences. When we felt it was safe, we re-introduced both traditional and digital flyers and launched a new, comprehensive digital strategy. We also launched an education portal for our consumers in just 2 weeks. This was in response to an incredible shift in consumer behavior and purchasing habits as people began growing their own food, raising animals, and enjoying nature in their own backyards. Connectedtotheland.info works with Canadians from coast to coast to develop educational blogs, live stream education, articles, how-to’s, and even a podcast that made it to #3 on the Canadian podcast charts under home and garden. This initiative fits within our marketing strategy, dubbed “doing retail different.”

AC: What are the most important factors in sustaining and growing retail and consumer brands through the pandemic?

JS: My keywords this year are transparency and integrity. These two words speak to everything we’ve done as an organization to sustain and grow through the pandemic. We didn’t have all the answers or all the experience customers were looking for at the onset of the pandemic. We had to transparently tell our customers what we could do today while letting them know what we were working on for tomorrow. We listened to feedback from our staff and our customers and were able to pivot and quickly react to expectations. This was extremely important in letting customers know how we planned to continue to support them and their essential needs. Transparency is at our core – we had daily updates from our president at the onset of the pandemic. With transparency came teamwork I’ve never seen before – we had constant meetings with department stakeholders from Human Resources, Health & Safety, Store Operations, and our supply chain to ensure we were all on the same page. That teamwork allowed marketing to address its aging website infrastructure and sign on to build a new website, which we hope to launch in March of 2021.

AC: Which strategies did Peavey Industries LP implement ahead of its larger competitors, and how was this possible?

JS: The pandemic was declared on March 11, 2020. On March 20, 2020 we launched and marketed our curbside pickup options. Later on we launched drive through pickup and payment options. Peavey Industries LP brands sell a significant amount of growing supplies, including soils for consumer gardens, and we were quickly able to implement a drive through, load up, and pay system for customers to purchase large quantities of these items without ever leaving their vehicles. This was made possible by technology like mobile payment systems.

Peavey Industries LP logos
Peavey Industries LP logos

AC: Peavey Industries LP is recognized for its strong internal culture and brand reputation. How has your leadership style adapted during COVID-19, and what remains constant?

JS: The pressure on every single one of our retail employees was incredible in 2020. From balancing consumer expectations to constantly changing rules to new consumer shopping patterns to trying to keep a smile on our faces, it’s safe to say everyone experienced new levels of stress. COVID-19 did one thing: it brought our culture even closer together. One of the greatest things a business can do is listen, both to its customers and to its employees. We ensured we heard as many voices as possible through the pandemic. While we faced criticism for certain decisions, we also received praise, and that led to ensuring we continued to be transparent with each other and with our employees and customers on what we were doing and why we felt it was best for everyone. During the pandemic, I had to throw the leadership books in the garbage, because they simply weren’t relevant. I had to ensure I was not only a manager, but also an ear of support. My employees were afraid, nervous, eager, and exhausted. So was I. My walls came down, and I had moments of utter joy and utter emotional exhaustion. Empathy remained consistent and should be at the forefront of any challenge. Very few people alive today have experienced a pandemic before, and it’s okay to not know how to feel, to be vulnerable and afraid. Empathy allowed us to react calmly, to do what we felt was best, and to admit when we failed. Through an empathy lens, anything is possible.

AC: Tell us about Peavey Industries LP’s decision to merge its brands this year. What opportunities are in store, what challenges are you facing, and how are you addressing those challenges?

JS: One thing COVID taught us early on was that if we were going to be disruptive, now was the time. Peavey Industries LP purchased TSC Stores in 2016 and operated with two major banners in Canada. Both brands shared a similar history: they both launched only one year apart in the 60’s, both were originally American-owned companies bought by Canadians, and both offered similar segments of consumer products. With our eCommerce growth in 2020, a consumer market share increase, and the merging of our systems and technology, we still had two separate major corporate brands. (We also have a regional MainStreet Hardware brand and a primarily dealer-owned ACE Canada brand.) For Peavey Mart and TSC Stores, it meant one team doing double the work. We had 2 flyer programs, 2 websites, 2 social media accounts for each platform, 2 brand stories, and 2 different logos. But that’s about all that separated the brands since the acquisition.

The company has spent the last 4 years aligning product selection, pricing, customer service, systems, and even rewards programs. So it made absolute sense to continue our path of positive distribution in the Canadian retail landscape and to rename our TSC Stores to Peavey Mart – a brand that has supported rural communities since 1967. With this change comes better marketing strategies, more philanthropic opportunities, better culture alignment, and, most importantly, we can proudly say we work for the same company that’s aligned to create a unique retail experience in Canada.

AC: What is the key to successful strategic partnerships?

JS: For me, it comes down to reputable engagement. Everything we do at Peavey Industries is based on being authentic, real, and transparent with our customers, suppliers, and employees. Successful strategic partnerships are based on alignment in these areas.

AC: How have both COVID-19 and your decision to merge brands driven changes related to in-store experiences?

JS: “We want our customers to love us” is a phrase we use in the executive group and with important strategic pillars in our company. From new policies to the way our consumers shop with us to our employee service training to rewards and promotional programs, we must always ask ourselves: will this make our customers love us? This opens a door to ensure we continue to listen with intention and heart and to make changes to do what people need us to do. We are a retailer, but that doesn’t mean we can’t also be a community builder and a proud Canadian partner trying to do things a little more personally.

AC: Thanks for your time today, Jest! It’s a pleasure to hear how Peavey Industries is caring for its community as it continues to adapt.

Alfredo Moro

Alfredo Moro is a Business Development Specialist at Avenue Code who is passionate about sales and loves to connect with clients all over the world! In his spare time, he enjoys watching the soccer games of his favourite team and cooking Brazilian BBQ in his backyard.   

Ontario Retail Shutdown Extension into January 2021 Will Cause Severe Harm to Industry: Experts

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Shuttered Starbucks location on Toronto's Queen Street East. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Shuttered Starbucks location on Toronto's Queen Street East. Photo: Dustin Fuhs

The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is extending all COVID-19 orders currently in force under the Reopening Ontario Act until January 20, 2021. 

The announcement came the same day (Thursday) that iconic Canadian retailer Hudson’s Bay issued a statement related to its application for a judicial review of the current regulations governing non-essential retail in Toronto and Peel.

Hudson’s Bay Calls for Judicial Review of Ontario COVID-19 Regulations

“The Ontario Government’s health data shows that retail shoppers are not contributing to COVID-19 spread in any significant way. On behalf of thousands of large and small retailers in Toronto and Peel, we have been left with no choice but to ask the Court to recognize the unfairness of the current situation and the need for a fair and evidence-based solution that puts health and safety first and doesn’t jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of retail workers, or the future of many businesses,” said Hudson’s Bay.

“Last week we signed an open letter, along with 46 other retailers of various sizes, to advocate for a 25% capacity limit on all retailers across the province as a means to achieving better public health outcomes with less economic fallout and unfairness. The decision to close some retailers in these regions has not achieved public health objectives. Rather, it has potentially increased health risks by funnelling more shoppers into fewer, increasingly crowded stores. Public health evidence regarding the importance of physical spacing and other health measures supports doing the complete opposite.

“The Government’s approach is unreasonable and unfair, does not support our shared public health objectives and is causing undue stress and hardships to thousands of retail employees and businesses across the region. The situation is dire and untenable for thousands of retailers but it’s not too late for the Government to make a better decision for Ontario, the local economy, public health, and the millions of citizens who live or work in Toronto and Peel.”

In a statement, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said safeguarding the health and well-being of Ontarians remains the government’s top priority at every stage of its COVID-19 response.

Bruce Winder
Bruce Winder

“As we prepare to implement a safe and effective immunization program, extending these orders will ensure tools remain in place to address urgent public health situations until all Ontarians can be vaccinated,” she said.

Bruce Winder, author of RETAIL Before, During & After COVID-19 and President of Bruce Winder Retail, said overall this will have less of an impact as January is a slow retail month.

“Having said that, there are some retailers such as those that sell fitness equipment and gyms that count on January as a prime sales/recruitment month. We could see crowds though at essential retailers as customers return products that were bought for the holidays,” he said.  

“Those non-essential retailers that participate in Boxing Day and Boxing week activities will be disadvantaged as will restaurants that use New Year’s Eve as a major sales driver.”

Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said the organization is supportive of the principle behind the Bay’s lawsuit.

“Our preferred outcome is different than theirs but the principle behind saying Costco and Walmart can open and yet retailers cannot we support what the Bay is saying,” added Kelly. “It makes no sense to prohibit buying clothing at the Bay or Susan’s Ladieswear but to allow it at Costco and at Walmart. So we support the principles behind the Bay’s lawsuit.”

Gary Newbury, a retail supply chain strategist and serial transformation executive, said the alleged court action being mounted by The Bay to the government will be watched by many retailers to see the quality of the argument and any potential success. 
“If they are successful, which is unlikely, there will be a class action which could bankrupt the province. It has been a concern, with various federal schemes to help retailers through this situation, this is simply not adequate with too many retailers having to dip into their own funds and pockets to weather this storm,” he said.

“When the state imposes closure, there has to be some logic, just as when you cause damage to a neighbour’s property, you create a path to be liable for all reasonable consequential losses. If we think of it this way, the government is using emergency powers to “flatten the curve” on the demand for ICU services. One could argue the state should, through it’ pandemic planning protocols in previous years, thave established the requirements, in absolute numbers, for ICU wards for pandemic management and had a fiscal plan over several years to ensure their provision. If the governments in Ontario have chosen not to do this, then the closures, surely could be argued under the tort of negligence in which case, there is a risk of a substantial class action, and other provinces will be watching this situation develop.”

Newbury said any closures which impact any time between Black Friday through to the conclusion of January sales, including Boxing Day sales, will be devastating for any independent or chain retailers, not deemed “essential”. 

Gary Newbury
Gary Newbury

“This is traditionally a very busy time for retailers, in a normal year they would plan to make 80-90 percent of their profit during this short window, and given most were locked down for two to three months during March – May, they would have been looking forward to getting a clear run to try and regain their cash flow during this time,” he said. “For those retailers who have moved their operations to a split of online and in store, they will find the costs of processing returns prohibitive if they have to close their stores, especially if they have been offering free returns via the store channel. All they might be able to negotiate is a longer returns deadline. The challenge with this is consumers may be worried they will not be around to get their money back and be engaging their credit card companies to reverse the transactions due to situations beyond their control.

“After the investment many retailers, especially the independents have made in being COVID-19 secure, they will feel severely let down by the Ontario government. The extra protocols have had to be funded out of their own scant cash flow, but it would have been done on the basis that “at least we can keep trading as we enter the holiday peak”. This extension to 20th January will force many to shut up shop permanently while their “essentially classified” competitors will be seen to gain a free pass to the party. Although COVID-19 is a real risk for community spread, the medium-term consequences to society’s view of public spaces is going to be transformed substantially. Anyone given to a degree of nostalgia will not be wanting to visit main streets, strip plazas and malls full of boarded up store fronts and tumbleweed, worsening the situation for those that struggle through this localized retailing apocalypse.”

Recently an open letter to Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, and Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier of Ontario and Minister of Health said:

Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly

“Dear Premier Ford and Minister Elliott, about 47 retailers, including the Bay, wrote that “Ontario’s policy of segregating ‘non-essential’ retailers from those deemed essential might actually be making things worse” for the economic recovery.”

Current Policies Push Canadian Consumers Towards Big Box Retailers

The letter said the current policy pushes more Canadian consumers to a handful of big box retailers and discount stores, thousands of small, independent and local stores sit shuttered, with their hands tied, even though many sell the very same goods.

Canadian retail businesses are being destroyed and tens of thousands of jobs are being lost. This, despite the fact that only 0.2 percent to 0.9 percent of recent weekly cases related to outbreaks have been associated with retail environments, according to the Government of Ontario’s own statistics, said the letter which was dated December 1. 

It added that retailers of all sizes are being forced to lay off good people in hundreds of stores closed by an ineffective policy. Rather than hire thousands of temporary workers to handle the holiday rush, so-called non-essential retailers will hire zero. Once lost, many of these jobs won’t return.

“We ask that you move immediately to open all retail in Ontario, and impose a 25 percent capacity limit on ‘non-essential’ retail in lockdown regions, just as several other provinces have done, all with guidance and support from public health officials. This will put fewer people in more stores, increasing safety for all. The current policy does the opposite,” said the letter. “Together with mandatory mask policies, social distancing, hand sanitization and the numerous other safety measures already in place, capacity limits can further reduce the potential for community spread while enabling more businesses to stay open across all regions during a make-or-break season for retail businesses. 

“Large and small retailers need each other to create a vibrant retail ecosystem. Collectively, we are asking that you join with us in common cause and a shared commitment to keeping Ontario families safe and secure through this extraordinarily challenging period. Capacity restrictions backed by strong social distancing and other safety measures already in place will deliver better health outcomes in a way that is effective, fair, saves jobs and supports local businesses and families.

“On behalf of our respective companies, members and all of the various businesses and individuals that depend on the retail sector for their livelihoods, your thoughtful consideration and bold leadership on this matter will be greatly appreciated.”

In a news release, the Ontario government said the extension of all orders currently in force will support the safe delivery of health care and other critical services until COVID-19 vaccines are approved and widely available.

The government said amendments to the ROA, which came into force December 4, permit indoor farmer’s markets that primarily sell groceries, to be open. For post-secondary institutions, the amendments increase the limit on the number of persons permitted in an instructional space at any one time for in-person instruction or in-person exams from 10 to 50 people for certain programs critical to supporting the health care workforce as set out in the order.

The Gap to Close Bloor Street Flagship Store in Toronto in January 2021

By
Craig Patterson
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The Gap store on Toronto's Bloor Street. Photo: Craig Patterson
The Gap store on Toronto's Bloor Street. Photo: Craig Patterson

San Francisco-based fashion retailer The Gap will close its three-level store at 60 Bloor Street West in Toronto at the end of January 2021. The store has anchored the northeast corner of Bloor and Bay Streets since its opening in November of 1999.

A Gap spokesperson provided a statement to Retail Insider: “As part of our company strategy to adapt to the changing needs of our customer and growth of our online business,  we are looking thoughtfully at our real estate to support the best path forward. As a result, we are closing  a number of stores across the Gap Inc.  fleet, including our Gap brand store on Bloor Street at the end of January 2021. We remain committed to making appropriate and timely decisions on stores that  don’t fit our vision for the future of Gap Inc. We are confident these closures will help strengthen the health of our company moving forward.”

The Gap store spans three levels and almost 17,000 square feet. The street level spans more than 7,000 square feet and the second level is nearly the same size. A basement level adds nearly 2,800 square feet to the store. The store recently saw an exterior renovation as part of the overhaul of the 60 Bloor office tower that is owned by Morguard.

50-60 Bloor Street West ground floor lease plan. Image: Morguard
50-60 Bloor Street West ground floor lease plan. Image: Morguard

The corner of Bloor and Bay is considered to be prime property. Last year Birks CEO Jean-Chrisophe Bedos said that the intersection was the “best retail location in all of Canada” —that includes a Birks flagship store with an adjacent Van Cleef & Arpels boutique. For decades David’s Footwear occupied the northwest corner of the intersection at 66 Bloor St. W. until its bankruptcy last year, and Hakim Optical now occupies part of that space. A TD bank has occupied the southwest corner of the intersection at 77 Bloor Street West for decades.

The immediate area has seen some significant investments. Last year Manulife completed the overhaul of the commercial podium of the Manulife Centre at a cost of over $100 million that includes a new 50,000-square-foot Eataly location. Holt Renfrew, which is shut because of the pandemic, recently completed a renovation of its facade as well as the main floor luxury hall. Most of Cumberland Terrace, located to the north of the Gap will be demolished next year for a major redevelopment.

Gap 60 Bloor – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Click for interactive Google Map of 60 Bloor Street

It’s Unclear What Will Replace The Gap Store After its 21-Year Run on Bloor Street

It’s unclear what might replace The Gap at 60 Bloor Street West. One rumour is that CIBC bank could look to occupy the corner, as CIBC’s street-level banking space at 2 Bloor Street West will eventually be incorporated into a larger redevelopment at that corner. A 3,800-square-foot retail space at 60 Bloor St. W. adjacent to Holt Renfrew is also for lease — despite being next to Holts’ street-level “world of” Saint Laurent boutique, the vacant 60 Bloor space may be difficult to lease given that it is not completely at grade.

This week it was also announced that The Gap’s three-level Chicago flagship store at 555 Michigan Avenue will also be closing in January. The Gap is reevaluating its real estate and is looking to close many of its stores in North America amid a strategy to operate out of strip malls and other rent-favourable retail locations.

Gap-owned Intermix at 130 Bloor Street West is also said to be closing in January of 2021, and The Gap has not yet confirmed this information. That space has already secured a new tenant with details to follow.

Bloor Street will struggle with vacancies in the coming months as some retailers have shuttered. Already, retailers J. Crew, Browns Shoes, Guerlain, Calvin Klein, Banana Republic, Mulberry, Michael Kors, Victorinox, MAC Cosmetics, and others have exited the street. Club Monaco at 153 Bloor St. W. and others will join it. At the same time, brokers say interest in leasing is picking up and negotiations for some spaces are ongoing.

Digital Transformation Required to Keep Canada’s Retail Afloat: Expert

By
Retail Insider
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Go Digital Canada
Go Digital Canada

By Dr. Yu Ma, Associate Professor of Marketing and Bensadoun Faculty Scholar at McGill University

As the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic sends Canadians ducking for cover, we are become increasingly aware of a grim reality: COVID is not going anywhere, at least until we have a vaccine.

Dr Yu Ma
Dr Yu Ma

While the Amazons and Costcos of the world have only increased their sales as consumers make their purchases online, Canada’s small businesses are struggling mightily to weather the storm. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB)’s Small Business Recovery Dashboard, only 30 percent of Canada’s small businesses are currently hitting normal sales numbers. One in seven small businesses, particularly those in the arts, recreation, and hospitality sectors, are at risk of closing their doors permanently. In light of the fact that Canada’s small businesses comprise 98 percent of all businesses and employ 8.3 million people, it’s no wonder that the retail sector as a whole experienced significant challenges over the summer.

The Race to Digitize

With no end to the pandemic in sight, the most significant barrier that many Canadian businesses face is the urgent need for digital transformation. Businesses with an online presence and robust digital operations entered the pandemic with a distinct advantage. They are more efficient in that consumers can buy from them at any time or any place. They are more transparent as customers can easily track their products from the point of sale. They are also safer, allowing for transactions without any personal contact.

In May 2020, retail e-commerce sales in Canada reached a record $3.9 billion, doubling total sales from February. The rapid shift in consumer habits has widened the gap between businesses with an online presence and businesses who are still relying entirely on brick-and-mortar locations. For the brick-and-mortar only group, establishing a strong online presence will be increasingly vital for survival.

On top of the challenge of rapidly digitizing, businesses are also forced to navigate major disruptions in supply chains and plan manufacturing capacity for an uncertain future. Those who fail to overcome these hurdles face mounting losses and inefficiencies. Turnaround management, the process of pulling businesses back from the edge of insolvency, has taken on new relevance in the age of COVID-19.

Help is Here

Canadian business does not have to struggle alone. Partners in the private sector, government, and higher education have the capacity and the interest in making a tangible difference for local retailers. In the private sector, for example, e-commerce giant Shopify has teamed up with the Canadian government to launch a new initiative called Go Digital Canada, which offers courses, resources, and consultants to help small businesses create an online presence.

On the government side, local and provincial governments have stepped up support for struggling retailers as well. In Quebec, the provincial government is directing funds toward organizations like Le Panier Bleu, which actively connects Quebec consumers with local products and businesses.

While government and private sector partners are effectively meeting the needs of retailers in the short term, they are less focused on providing solutions to the long-term challenges that retailers face. The higher education community, on the other hand, is perfectly suited for the task.

Photo of Book City sign advertising alternatives to in-store shopping amid COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Photo of Book City sign advertising alternatives to in-store shopping amid COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Dustin Fuhs

Both now and into the future, Canada’s retailers will continue to face the complexities of digitizing their operations, maintaining an online presence, and building more resilient supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired a renewed commitment to educating the next generation of retail leaders. My colleagues and I recently launched a new Master of Management in Retailing degree that emphasizes digital transformation in order to prepare students to lead in an increasingly complex retail landscape.

Even when COVID-19 is finally a distant memory, the retail sector will face another challenge, and another after that. As they continue to fight to remain competitive at this unique moment in time, Canada’s retailers have a capable and willing partner in the higher education community.

Dr. Yu Ma is Associate Professor of Marketing and Academic Director of the Masters of Management in Retailing at McGill University’s Bensadoun School of Retail Management. He obtained his PhD in management from Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis. His research interest includes food marketing, retailing and big data analytics. He also examines broader marketing issues such as the influence of macro environment on the retail sector and the impact of food marketing on population health.

President of Arc’teryx Urges Apparel Industry: Don’t Save Sinking Supply Chain by Pushing Garment Workers Overboard

By
Retail Insider
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Arc'teryx store in Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Arc'teryx
Arc'teryx store in Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Arc'teryx

By Jon Hoerauf, President and General Manager, Arc’teryx

You probably got the memo by now: 2020 is a reckoning.

We are being called to account. As we each tend to our own emergencies and disrupted lives, larger systemic failures are being disclosed under the enduring pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, in every sphere. In the global apparel sector, we’ve been confronted with the extent of our supply chain’s vulnerability.

In October of this year, the International Labour Organization (ILO), a branch of the United Nations, reported on the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 on “the clothing factory of the world” – the Asia and Pacific region countries that account for 60% of the world’s total apparel exports and employ 65 million garment workers. The global garment trade virtually collapsed in the first half of 2020, with mandatory closures of factories, shortages of raw materials, cancelled orders, and buyers refusing to pay for materials or finished goods. Most workers lost a month of work; two in five workers lost jobs entirely.

Jon Hoerauf
Jon Hoerauf

Mandatory closures continue in some areas – this threat looms everywhere. Among those currently working, earnings have been reduced, wage delays are common, and those remaining positions are vulnerable to declining demand from consumers who are now facing stringent lockdowns. No country has been immune to the shocks, and the ripple effects for garment workers are dire – and far from over.

With second waves emerging in most countries, we all continue to face deep uncertainty and instability.

While this causes many of us sleepless nights, consider the situation for the women who make up 75% of the world’s garment industry workforce. In one of the most affected regions, Bangladesh, they face a whole different level of vulnerability – not being able to meet basic survival needs like affording enough to eat.

Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Preserving the Bottom Line is not Without Consequence

Here’s what I, and every other corporate leader has to reckon with, like it or not: we’re kidding ourselves if we think preserving the bottom line is without consequence. Our ultimate interdependence – which the continuing spread of COVID-19 keeps reiterating – boils down to this: we are vulnerable to each other’s vulnerabilities. To strengthen ourselves, we need to strengthen each other.

There is no downplaying, outsourcing, or off-shoring of risk that won’t circle back on us.

The global apparel ecosystem needs to do better by its workers.

The simple fact of the matter is, we depend on them. They should be able to depend on us.

The right to health, security, and fair wages is universal. At least, it should be. Supply chains need to reflect this – and evolve to become more human-centred. Then, we’ll all be more resilient.

Uncomfortable choices and awkward conversations lie ahead. I don’t have the answers. We’re definitely not the white knights, but we’re committed to leaning in to this opportunity to do better. I hope, by pulling back the curtain on our operations and choices, it might kindle conversation and fuel widespread change.

At Arc’teryx we craft 5% of our product in Canada at our own manufacturing facility, ARC’One. In addition, we have partnered with manufacturing facilities in 10 countries, involving close to 7,000 skilled people. Our technically complex products require us to purposefully source talent around the world. We invest years developing the relationships and systems needed to bring our exacting designs to life. (It can require 67 different operators to perform the 190 steps that craft a single Alpha SV jacket.)

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges to Arc’teryx and our supply chain – as it has across the entire apparel sector. It also revealed, in no uncertain terms, massive global imbalances and reiterated how few, if any, social protections exist for the world’s garment makers.

This is the course we have to chart: How do we protect our business and do right by the skilled craftspeople who make our business possible?

We’ve had to re-evaluate the way we do business to respond to the pandemic and ensuing shocks. I believe we need to re-evaluate the way we do business going forward, to make sure we’re doing better by garment workers who make our products.

As a start we’ve chosen to:

There’s nothing heroic about these actions – they’re belated, small, and ultimately an inadequate response to the vast inequity that pre-existed COVID-19 and is now accelerating into a humanitarian crisis. It’s on us all to understand the human costs of the global apparel supply chain – to not avert our gaze, to not walk away. Fair Trade should be the new minimum. What could we build from there?

Massive global systems aren’t easily remade. Systemic change doesn’t come with a how-to manual, and requires the best efforts of many actors – consumers, brands, regulators, policy-makers – pushing towards a shared vision.

This is the new math of doing business – one small action can ripple outwards. I believe we need to start with the understanding that disposable fashion results in disposable garment workers. The race to the bottom to make things as cheaply and quickly as possible, has officially bottomed out. It’s time to turn the trajectory around. Instead of making more, let’s make better.

As apparel consumers, you have more power than you realize. I can tell you that brands care about what you care about. When you ask what’s behind the price tag – how is this so cheap? why is it so expensive? – when you demonstrate your commitment to paying more, investing in better quality, and demanding transparency into supply chains, you are holding brands to account. You signal that we can evolve beyond Business As Usual. You signal that we can, and must, afford to care.

To our fellow brands and our worldwide community, I challenge you – as I hope you will challenge me and each other – to use our privilege to create positive change, to commit to doing better by our garment workers.

This wrecking ball of a year keeps leading me back to this new bottom line: we will get the future we deserve. We simply must do better, together.

Mass Vaccinations Critical to Save the Canadian Retail Industry: Experts

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Doctor holds COVID-19 vaccine
Doctor holds COVID-19 vaccine

Having a vaccine in place in a timely fashion will be critically important for the future of many retailers across the country, say industry experts.

That alone may be the key to whether thousands of small business owners survive the COVID-19 pandemic or shut their doors permanently.

As the country’s economy continues to struggle during this crisis, business owners across the country are hoping that a vaccine will boost consumer confidence to go out and spend money in the thousands of establishments that have felt the economic pain this year.

Retailers Hope Vaccine Will Boost Consumer Confidence

Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said it is absolutely critical to get the vaccine widely distributed not just to end the incredible health challenge associated with COVID-19 but also the economic challenge associated with it too.

Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly

“There are loads of businesses that have been virtually shut down since March of 2020. You think about businesses in arts and recreation, in cinemas, in bars, many of them have had trickles of income but some have had none,” he said.

“Even with all the precautionary measures and low levels of COVID spread, those businesses have not been able to serve customers, have not been able to draw an income since March of 2020. Many of them are toast now but there are going to be some that will survive but to survive we need to see a vaccine and we need to see it fast.

“Every day that’s delayed more businesses will die, not just people. That’s the cold hard reality.”

Kelly said the lockdown measures are obviously the most public cause of the slowdown of business in a number of different sectors including retail.

“But it’s just not government-imposed restrictions. It is also the restrictions people are putting on themselves,” he said, adding many people have made the choice to stay home rather than venture out into the public.

“For businesses to get back to normal we need COVID to be either a non-issue or a dramatically smaller issue than it’s been. We really need a vaccine. We need this threat taken away otherwise people are going to stay home.”

CFIB Forecasts a Possible 225,000 Small Business Closures Across Canada

Earlier CFIB estimates suggest 160,000 small businesses across Canada may permanently close due to COVID-19, with the potential for the number to rise to 225,000.

Retail specialist Bruce Winder said a vaccine is critical for retailers.

Bruce Winder
Bruce Winder

“If you look at which industries are hurt the most during this, one can argue that it would be hospitality, travel, restaurants and retail. So I think it’s very important for retail that the vaccine makes its way through Canada and the sooner the better,” said Winder, author of RETAIL Before, During & After COVID-19, and President of Bruce Winder Retail.

“There’s businesses that are hanging on by a thread. Someone else coined the phrase but they called them zombie businesses where government subsidies are keeping them alive. There’s a lot of those and the longer we wait without getting the vaccine the more we run the risk of some businesses not making it, of government subsidies running out.

“The big thing too is we’ve got the next big spring season coming up. January and February aren’t the biggest times for retail anyway unless you’re in the fitness business or something of that nature. But the next big wave is the spring. It will be curious to see how much of Canada can get vaccinated before the spring and what that means in terms of spring businesses. Or are we going to have to wait to see things get back to normal in the fall? Or is it even going to be in spring 2022 by the time everyone’s vaccinated? It has a big impact on when some things go back to normal so to speak as much as they will go back to normal.

“The longer we stay like this the more some of these habits become entrenched like the growth in online shopping. The longer we stay in this form the greater some of them have the probability of sticking.”

George Minakakis
George Minakakis

George Minakakis, a global retail executive with over 25 years of experience and CEO of the Inception Retail Group, said recently his company completed a poll asking people how long post vaccine will they go back to normal routines.

“The response was that 47 percent of them will go back to some kind of normal routine six to 12 months after vaccine,” said Minakakis. “I created a timeline. So if we started vaccinating in early 2021 and I’m going by what the government says that by the end of Q3 most of the population should be vaccinated which might be 50 to 70 percent of them, not everybody. Thirty four percent of them won’t come out to market for 12 months and the other 13 percent won’t come out for six months. That’s 2022.

“The timing of the vaccine yes is critical. But how does this parlay in helping businesses? I question just how fast that kind of return or recovery can have because based on my analysis there is no way it’s going to turn around anytime soon.

“Anybody that’s tight on cash, I don’t know how long they can survive on getting let’s call it the stipend that the government’s giving them to carry them through and how much of all their costs does it actually cover. It can’t be putting food on their table, particularly independent businesses. There’s no way that’s putting food on the table of the business owner. It may be covering their costs or their occupancy costs but there’s no way it’s putting food on the table and paying their own income or personal expenses.

“If my analysis is correct and I trust it, I’m in a place that by the middle of next year we should see some significant failures coming our way. Small businesses are just going to go silently in the night.”

Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada, said the impact of COVID’s second wave is devastating in several ways.  The first is obviously economic, given the critical period that this season represents to most retailers, especially having taken body-blows through the spring and early-summer and so being less resilient in their financial capacity.

“It is at its worst in locked-down areas but the other areas are also impacted by the psychological effect on consumers of messaging re the pandemic, both on their sense of economic confidence re their ability to make purchases and in their fraying confidence in the public health environment.  And this psychological impact isn’t only on customers by any means. Mental health is jeopardized for employers and employees, coping with uncertainty re their personal financial circumstances and the stresses and strains of operating in such a difficult environment,” she said.

Diane J Brisebois
Diane J Brisebois

How long can these retailers last under the current environment before they close their shops permanently?

“That will vary of course but many retailers are financially depleted by the first wave, so not as robust in dealing with the effects of the second wave.  It will also depend in part on the rest of the season, so finding ways to help retailers open under reasonable conditions is vitally important. There are especially deep vulnerabilities for those whose merchandise is largely seasonal, because where they are closed or deeply constrained by public health order, their merchandise will become stale. That is the group that causes the Retail Council of Canada the greatest concern and especially as we consider those retailers with one or a few stores in the lockdown regions of the country. These merchants are most at risk as they cannot rely on sales from other stores or even online sales, as ecommerce still represents, for most smaller brick-and-mortar retailers, a small portion of their sales,” added Brisebois.

Is a vaccine then a saviour for the industry?

“For those retailers who can make it through into spring it could be important, as it will lead to increased public confidence and presumably lead to fewer public policy restrictions.  But it will take a while to vaccinate a large share of the population and of course, the earliest recipients will be, as they should, in long-term care homes, healthcare workers and first responders, with widespread vaccination being further down the line. The challenge for many will be to get through the immediate period and the vaccination will post-date most of those battles for survival,” explained Brisebois.

“The Retail Council of Canada forcefully and publicly advocated for capacity restrictions versus full lockdowns across Canada as retailers have proven that they can keep employees and customers safe during the pandemic.  Unfortunately, there have and continue to be lockdowns so make no mistake – there will be many retail casualties – with the greater number being at the independent and small regional chain level.”

Jollibee to Open 9 Canadian Stores Amid Aggressive North American Expansion

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Exterior of new Jollibee location on Toronto's Yonge Street. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Exterior of new Jollibee location on Toronto's Yonge Street. Photo: Dustin Fuhs

Popular fast food chain Jollibee plans its biggest ever expansion in North America with the opening of 28 stores across the U.S. and Canada next year.

The expansion will include 19 stores in the U.S. and nine in Canada.

“We have remained nimble and optimistic which has led Jollibee to defy expectations amidst an extremely difficult year and experience double-digit sales growth across North America,” said Maribeth Dela Cruz, President of Jollibee Group North America, Philippine Brands. “Make no mistake though, we would not be weathering these hard times without the support of our customers. They’ve showed up for us and now we want to show up for them. This month we will be opening long-awaited stores across Texas, California, and Ontario, Canada. We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support we’ve received from across these regions and are thrilled to deliver a small spark of joy as we enter the holiday season.

Maribeth Dela Cruz
Maribeth Dela Cruz

“At Jollibee, it is our mission to spread the joy of eating through our great-tasting food. In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have remained agile and optimistic focusing on delivery, pick-up and drive-thru channels to continue to give our customers access to the comfort food they love and give them a spark of joy in their day, while maintaining their and our store team’s safety. We’re also especially proud to have added jobs to the local communities that we’ve opened in during these uncertain times. Even amid an extremely difficult year we’ve experienced double-digit sales growth across North America. Our perseverance coupled with the support of our fans has reinvigorated and encouraged us to continue to reach new heights with our North American expansion goals.

“Looking to the future, by 2024, we’re striving to amass 300 stores across North America. We are confident and excited about our business prospects in Canada and are investing in our expansion across the country. Following our entrance in 2016, we’ve been met with overwhelming enthusiasm from our Canadian fans and our customer base continues to grow. It’s our goal to make Jollibee as accessible as possible to our customers and we are looking to have a presence in all of the major provinces.”

Jollibee currently operates more than 1,600 stores globally across the Philippines, U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Italy, and in the United Kingdom. In the U.S., Jollibee operates 45 stores in the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington, and Virginia. In Canada, Jollibee operates 13 stores across the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

Jollibee has four stores in Alberta, two stores in Manitoba, six stores in Ontario with a location on Yonge Street set to open on December 13, and one store in Saskatchewan.

“Our goal is to make Jollibee as accessible as possible to our customers and we are looking to have a presence in all of the major provinces. Additional areas of focus in the coming year will include Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec. Fans can stay tuned to our Jollibee Canada Instagram and Facebook page for all the latest updates on our upcoming store openings,” said Dela Cruz.

Jollibee said that before year’s end it will open five new stores, led by openings in San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, California in the U.S. and a location on the historic Yonge Street in Toronto. Other stores opening this month include the brand’s third Houston-area store on Westheimer Road and first store in Delano, California. In total, these December openings will bring Jollibee’s count to 17 new stores this year.

Exterior of new Jollibee location on Toronto's Yonge Street. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Exterior of new Jollibee location on Toronto’s Yonge Street. Photo: Dustin Fuhs

Later this month, Jollibee will be opening a store on downtown Toronto’s historic Yonge Street. Located at 334 Yonge Street, Toronto, the area is often referred to as the ‘Times Square of Toronto’ as it is a major retail hub with heavy pedestrian traffic, said the company.

In North America, Jollibee opened its first store in 1998 in Daly City, California.

Jollibee Group is one of the fastest-growing Asian restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 34 countries, with over 5,800 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), United Kingdom, Italy, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and India.

It has eight wholly-owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger), three franchised brands (Burger King and Panda Express in the Philippines, Dunkin’ Donuts in certain territories in China), 80 percent ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and 60 percent ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24 brands. 

Jollibee Group has entered also into a joint venture agreement with the Tim Ho Wan Group to open and operate Tim Ho Wan restaurants in Mainland China.

All-Encompassing Virtual Platform Aims to Disrupt Canada’s Pharmacy Industry

By
Sean Tarry
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Mednow.ca customer on smart device. Photo: Mednow.ca
Mednow.ca customer on smart device. Photo: Mednow.ca

The Canadian healthcare system and the services that it dispenses are often lauded by citizens of other countries around the world. Few other societies are privileged with the same quality of assistance and treatment and availability of critical medicines and prescriptions as Canadians. It has served for many years as one of the country’s foundational pillars and a significant reason scores of people the world over consider Canada as their destination of choice when seeking a higher quality of life for themselves and their families.

The Canadian government’s ongoing commitment to reach as many people as possible across the country in an effort to provide them with the services they require has been evident throughout its history and has set and secured the standards by which we have all become accustomed.

And today, as we continue to advance further into an age of digitization, innovative thinkers like Karim Nassar, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Mednow.ca, are helping to support that commitment, extending the accessibility to, and convenience of, pharmacy care for Canadians.

Digitization of Pharmacy Care

Karim Nassar
Karim Nassar

Launched in January of this year, Mednow.ca is an online fulfillment and home delivery provider of pharmacy healthcare services. Available online and through a mobile app, or by contacting a national call centre, patients are able to order their prescriptions and medications and other over the counter pharmacy items for fast and secure home delivery. With presence currently in British Columbia and Ontario, which is supported by the online company’s pharmacy centres in Vancouver and Toronto, the concept and service is gaining momentum with customers and helping to revolutionize the way healthcare is provided to Canadian patients. It’s a service that was lacking in the digital space until recently, Nassar points out. And it’s a way by which he believes Mednow.ca can serve to broaden the country’s healthcare reach by making pharmacy needs available through a digital channel.

“For pharmacy care to be effective it has to be accessible,” he asserts. “By leveraging digital technology, we’ve been able to extend the accessibility of pharmacy care for our patients. But we aren’t simply a fulfillment centre or home delivery service. We always put the needs and care of the patient first, understanding that a service-first approach is the underlying principal to everything a great local pharmacy does for its patrons. Mednow is essentially a virtualization of the service-first community pharmacy. And because it’s online, it helps provide even more ease and convenience for the customer and an extremely effective way for many to fulfill their pharmacy care needs.”

Accessing the Mednow service is as easy as visiting its website, or downloading the mobile app, and signing up. Mednow takes care of everything else, including the transferral of current prescriptions and other medical information from your most recently used pharmacy or by contacting your doctor directly, as well as the fast and secure delivery of prescriptions and other pharmacy items. The service saves its users time – a precious commodity for most these days – representing one of its more compelling benefits.

A Holistic Approach and Offering

However, as Nassar points out, the disbursement and home delivery of prescription medications is not the extent of Mednow’s offering. It also provides a range of other services, including its PillSmart™ Medication System – a prescription automation that organizes patients’ pills and vitamins, sorting them by date and time into individual pouches. The System removes a lot of the uncertainty and guesswork that sometimes surrounds one’s need to take multiple medications, ensuring that patients never miss a dose again.

In addition, Mednow’s service also includes professional telemedicine assistance, allowing patients to book appointments online and connect with a doctor from the comfort of their own home. It’s all part of what Nassar refers to as the online pharmacy’s service-first approach, as well as a reflection of its commitment to being ‘about people, not pills’. And, what’s more, Mednow’s services are completely free for its users.

Mednow.ca customer opens medical delivery. Photo: Mednow.ca
Mednow.ca customer opens medical delivery. Photo: Mednow.ca

“We’re taking a holistic approach to online pharmacy care,” he says. “Our objective is to support an already excellent Canadian healthcare system, elevating the standards of service that patients are receiving wherever we’re able to. By providing all of the vital services that are found within a traditional community pharmacy, as well as some that aren’t, we’re able to achieve our objective. It’s all about constantly raising the quality of healthcare that Canadians receive. Mednow offers a digital means by which to do that.”

In a Time of Need

The services that Mednow makes available to its users helps address an already established consumer trend that’s best described as an insatiable need for the on-demand receipt of product and services. It’s a need that Nassar says he and Co-Founder Ali Reyhany recognized when developing the Mednow concept. And it’s a need that has also been exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, lending further to the attractiveness and effectiveness of the online services it provides.

“We set out to bring the same level of convenience and ease of use to the pharmacy industry that exists within other industries,” he states. “We wanted to fill that gap and satisfy these evolving needs of Canadians. The impacts of COVID-19 have really amplified these needs, adding to them a necessity for safety. Although Mednow was developed and launched before the global outbreak of the virus, we feel that the services we offer, providing a safe, convenient, digital channel through which Canadians can meet their healthcare needs, will only become more important and essential as we continue to move forward.”

Mednow.ca customer opens medical delivery. Photo: Mednow.ca
Mednow.ca customer opens medical delivery. Photo: Mednow.ca

Though Mednow was indeed developed and launched ahead of the COVID outbreak, Nassar explains that he and Reyhany scaled up their efforts in order to make their service available to patients in British Columbia and Ontario as soon as they could. And, recognizing the fact that the same pharmacy healthcare needs are required in all other communities across the country, the pair have already set in motion near-term plans to roll out the Mednow offering in all provinces in order to achieve their objective to benefit as many Canadians as possible.

Growth and Innovation

In addition to its services, the online pharmacy recently introduced its latest innovation, ‘Karie’, an automatic medication dispenser that organizes, schedules and dispenses medication to its users at the touch of a button. ‘Karie’ dispenses medication in the same individually marked pouches that the company’s PillSmart Medication System uses. And because the ‘Karie’ devices are connected to a cellphone network, with the permission of the patient, caretakers can be granted access to information related to the disbursement of medications, enabling them to act on that information if necessary. It also provides patients with access to their medication history, resulting in a clearer view into their prescriptions and doses, and a greater understanding of their pill and vitamin regimen. It’s a form of pharmacy technology that poses potentially massive benefits to both patients as well as healthcare providers. And, as Nassar asserts, it’s an innovation that fits nicely into Mednow’s mandate for further growth and reach in the country.

“We want to be able to service Canadians in every community, wherever they live. And we want to continue developing and offering services and innovations that make their lives easier and provide them with their healthcare needs in a convenient and safe way. With an already established network of pharmacies and healthcare professionals across the country, we’re excited to expand our offering and to continue improving on it in order to consistently satisfy the evolving healthcare requirements of today’s customer. Through the means of digital technology and a dedicated service-first mentality, we’ll continue to expand our presence and elevate the quality of healthcare services in Canada.”

Struggling to Find Staff in Rural Areas? Try Swob!

By
Retail Insider
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By Stephanie Florio

It’s that time of year again. Although the holidays are going to feel a little different this year, retailers need to ensure that they are staffed for the last-minute holiday shopper — especially in rural areas. Swob is an award-winning recruiting platform built to help employers find local talent, quickly and easily, using our smart recruiting service.

Most recently, Swob has introduced “Pay as You Post”, giving you the flexibility to post jobs as you need, without any long-term commitments.

Why Choose “Pay as You Post”?

Flexibility

  • Only pay for what you need
  • Post any number of jobs

Freedom

  • No monthly commitments
  • No long-term commitments

Simplicity

  • No bills, no surprises
  • No hidden charges

A member of the Store Operations team at M&M Food Market had this to say about Swob:

“We use Swob to recruit for general temporary help for our 300+ locations across Canada during the pandemic. The initial set up of our ads went very quickly and the admins’ responses to any questions we did have was timely and helpful. The platform is easy to use and we particularly liked the feature that allows us to copy a previous ad. This is very useful when we are recruiting for the same position across the network.”

Spend less time stressing about hiring and more time enjoying the holidays. To learn more, visit www.swobapp.com/pricing.

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

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