BRIEF: Sephora Partners with Celebrity Make-up Artist, Nordstrom Rack Opens 4th Canadian Store

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September 11, 2018

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Sephora Partners with Charlotte Tilbury Makeup Brand in Canada: Popular makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury, known as the ‘makeup artist to the stars,’ has partnered with beauty behemoth Sephora on an expansion that will see 40 Sephora stores in North America carry the brand, as well as on Sephora’s e-commerce site (Sephora.ca). The line will launch on the e-commerce site on Thursday, September 13 and in stores a day later on Friday.

Prior to the Sephora partnership, the Charlotte Tilbury brand was carried exclusively in Canada at Holt Renfrew and Nordstrom.

The four Canadian Sephora stores to carry Charlotte Tilbury include CF Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, 1045 Robson Street in Vancouver, West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton and at CF Chinook Centre in Calgary. The 36 US stores are spread out coast-to-coast.

For the month of September, select Charlotte Tilbury looks will be offered as a complimentary service at the Sephora Beauty Studio in stores that carry Charlotte Tilbury products, according to the company. As well, until October 11, Tilbury’s new ‘Bar of Gold Palette’ line will be featured only at Sephora before it is distributed elsewhere.

Charlotte Tilbury’s ‘Pro Artist’ team will be traveling across North America in September and Toronto is the first stop — the CF Toronto Eaton Centre store will see the activation on September 15.

Sephora is being aggressive in terms of its brand partnerships as it expands its business in the face of increasing competition. Last month we reported that Sephora had partnered with US skin care brand Kiehl’s for the first time, with the brand now being carried in several Sephora stores.

UK-based makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury has been active for more than 25 years and has a substantial following globally. She founded her line in 2013, and it has won more than 150 awards to date. Her first product to knock it out of the park was ‘Charlotte’s Magic Cream’ and her latest collections and products include the likes of Filmstar Bronze & Glow and Pillow Talk Lip Cheat and Matte Revolution Lipstick. The company says, perhaps ironically, that “through the transformative power of makeup every woman can enhance her natural beauty, boost her confidence and change her life.”

Sephora is said to be wildly popular in Toronto, with several stores exceeding $20-million annually in sales. In 2016 Sephora launched a ‘takeover’ initiative where it added new stores and expanded other locations. The CF Toronto Eaton Centre is one of its highest-selling stores, according to the company.

Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants represents Sephora as broker in Canada.

LVMH-owned Sephora, which operates stores globally, continues to open stores in Canada. Most recently, it opened its 70th Canadian store in Kamloops, BC. Until recently, Calvin McDonald was the company’s CEO but he recently left to run Vancouver-based Lululemon.

Opening Soon! Mary Brown’s Announces 19 New Locations across Canada: Mary Brown’s Inc., since opening its first St. John’s location in 1969, has been and is continuing to implement an aggressive growth strategy and brand refresh. Recently announced is the signing of 19 new locations in 2018, which are set to be opened over the next 18 months. This is the next phase as Mary Brown’s applies its corporate and franchisee growth strategy across Canada.

The ‘chicken and taters’ fast food purveyor is moving into the last quarter of 2018 with the aim to identify ideal drive through, end cap, and inline locations within high performing centres, in addition to stand-alone sites on busy thoroughfares, ranging from 1,500 to 2,500-square-feet.

Director of Franchising and Leasing is Sean Sarrami, who can be reached at: sean.sarrami@marybrowns.com.

Real Estate Contacts:

Ontario – David Steinhouse – Paracom Realty Corporation – david@paracom.ca – 416-915-1347

Western Canada:

Connor Eden – Avison Young – connor.eden@avisonyoung.com – 604-757-5105
Hani Abdelkader – Avison Young – hani.abdelkader@avisonyoung.com – 403-232-4321

West Edmonton Mall Now Accepting AliPay and WeChat Pay: North America’s largest shopping centre and entertainment complex, West Edmonton Mall, is catering to Chinese visitors by accepting Alipay and WeChat Pay at Galaxyland amusement park, World Waterpark, Guest Services, Fantasyland Hotel, and WEM Inn.

Alipay and WeChat Pay are mobile-based payment platforms that are widely used by the Chinese populace. West Edmonton Mall has teamed up with Alpha Pay, an Alipay and WeChat pay service provider, to allow consumers to purchase admission to parks, pay for their stay at Fantasyland Hotel, or purchase WEM gift cards at Guest Services which can be used to make purchases within the Mall.

Several merchants in West Edmonton Mall have also begun using Alipay and WeChat pay at their point-of-sale. All retailers should consider it — Alipay has a “discover” function which allows travellers to locate merchants in the Mall that accept this form of payment. This solution also enables merchants to reduce friction in the check-out process, offer seamless payment experiences anywhere in the store, and engage consumers in new and innovative ways. The “Outbound Chinese Tourism and Consumption Trend: 2017 Survey” found that Chinese tourists use mobile payment overseas far more frequently than their non-Chinese counterparts, and over 90% Chinese tourists would use mobile payment overseas given the option.

Chinese tourists are big spenders, and good for business. The number of Chinese citizens traveling overseas has been steadily increasing year by year. According to statistics from the China National Tourism Administration, Chinese tourists travelled overseas on 131 million occasions in 2017, an increase of 7% from the previous year. Statistics from the International Tourism Association shows that the overseas spending by Chinese tourists last year was as high as $341 billion (CAD) in 2016, increasing 4.5% over the same period (year-on-year) and was ranked first among all tourists worldwide. With this growing trend, West Edmonton Mall believes that offering Chinese specific mobile payment options will deliver a superior customer experience for the changing behavior of today’s Chinese consumers.

As well, we’re told that several luxury retailers are expected to be moving into West Edmonton Mall in 2019, stay tuned for some big announcements.

Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncake Popup Pairs Holt’s Colette and Soirette: A delicious new collaboration between French-inspired Colette Grand Café Vancouver and local specialty bakery Soirette will have shoppers craving the exclusive creations at the mooncake pop-up in Holt Renfrew in celebration of Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

Each delectable mooncake is delicately crafted with a macaron in the centre in place of the traditional egg yolk. Mooncakes are not only beautiful but an integral part of celebrations, as they are gifted to family and friends as a symbol of reunion and unity.

Soirette is already well-known in Vancouver for annually creating an elegant collection of mooncakes for the festival. Colette Grand Café is welcoming this tradition to further connect with guests and continue to provide experiential retail to Holt Renfrew clientele with a sophisticated pop-up.

The unique mooncake collection ($68 for a set of 4) will be available exclusively at the Colette x Soirette pop-up at Holt Renfrew Vancouver on the main floor next to Concierge from 12 pm to 5 pm daily.

IKEA Launches 330,000-Square-Foot Distribution Centre in Richmond: Across from Harvest Compost and next to a stream and lush farmland, IKEA has launched its newest Customer Distribution Centre in suburban Vancouver. The 330,000-square-foot location created approximately 100 new IKEA jobs (including 17 former employees of closed Acklands-Grainger facility) and will fulfill orders for the four existing BC and Alberta stores, as well as e-commerce purchases. This will be the third IKEA distribution centre in Canada.

On hand at the opening were CEO and President of IKEA Group Jesper Brodin, IKEA Canada President Marsha Smith, and Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, who welcomed everyone to the shiny new sustainable and eco-friendly location. Following the raucous ribbon cutting ceremony (thanks to high-sugar pastries, coffee, and unlimited access to thundersticks), Retail Insider was treated to a tour of the facility via golf cart. We zipped from the staff basketball court (soon to have foosball and other tabletop games) to the no Styrofoam-peanut packing area to the laser re-boxing area (for damaged packaging), swooshed by aisle after aisle of racking with floor-to-ceiling end fire retardant baffles, and through 73 shipping bays.

Additionally impressive are the energy saving measures incorporated into the massive structure. In the warehouse, all aisles are lit by sensor and if no movement is detected after 5-minutes, the aisle goes dark. This was especially amusing during the launch ceremony as a staff member could be heard driving up and down the aisles ensuring the lighting stayed on while speeches were being given. The staff locker room also has a dual-detector for sound and motion.

The facility also includes a 20-person open office area, resources area for job searches and computer use, a quiet room, and lunchroom with (soon to be subsidized) healthy meals options via vending machines, and a view of the countryside where deer, beaver, eagles, gulls, and numerous other species are visible through windows and from the outdoor seating area which features bright orange Adirondack chairs.

Love them or hate them (for those darned Allen keys!), IKEA has been providing inspirational home solutions, excellent Swedish value, and tasty meals, to customers in Richmond for 39 years, longer than any other IKEA market in Canada.

Montreal’s Startup Fashion Week Expands to Include Toronto: Marking its fifth year cultivating a unique platform to support fashion and tech start-ups by expanding from Toronto into Montreal earlier this year, Startup Fashion Week (SFW) is the first fashion week to run in two of the nation’s most prominent fashion capitals. The three-day sold-out event in Montreal positioned SFW as the leading national platforms for strengthening the Canadian fashion landscape.

The Toronto event runs from October 16th to October 19th and is designed to stimulate networking, professional dialogues and showcase opportunities, which will include great events such as an invite-only Designer Dinner followed by a Media Launch/Opening Party, Business of Fashion Conference, Gender and Fashion Forum, and Runway Show hosted by Toronto’s Television Host & Radio Personality Devo Brown.

SFW is the first of its kind, representing the intersection between fashion, business, and technology created in 2014 by Jodi Goodfellow, a fashion-tech start-up innovator who saw an opportunity to connect early-stage entrepreneurs with industry stakeholders. Since its launch, SFW has brought awareness to 42 designers, 31 fashion-tech start-ups, and more than 160 emerging models.

Fashion entrepreneurs and industry guests can find event and ticket info at https://startupfashionweek.com/tickets/.

Nordstrom Rack Opens at Mississauga’s Heartland: Nordstrom’s Off-price concept Nordstrom Rack opened its fourth Canadian location last week at Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga. It’s the third GTA location for Nordstrom Rack, which also operates stores at Vaughan Mills north of Toronto, at 1 Bloor Street East in downtown Toronto, and at Deerfoot Meadows in Calgary.

Two more Nordstrom Rack stores will be opening in Canada this fall. On October 11, Nordstrom Rack will open at The Ottawa Train Yards in Ottawa. On October 25, Nordstrom Rack will open its Edmonton location at South Edmonton Common in Edmonton, which will become the second Nordstrom Rack location in Alberta.

When the South Edmonton Common store opens, it will be the last announced Nordstrom Rack location to date. Nordstrom has said that it plans to eventually operate 12-15 Nordstrom Rack stores in Canada. Any guesses where the others might open? Feel free to comment in the section at the bottom of this page.

Inside Market & Co., a First-to-Canada Large-Format Mall-Based Food Market Concept [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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September 11, 2018

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A 40,000 square foot food market has opened at Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, just north of Toronto, featuring 20 best-in-class local merchants and first-to-market eateries that enhance the overall shopping centre experience. The food market is called ‘Market & Co.’ and it’s the first of several planned large-format multi-vendor food and beverage centres by landlord Oxford Properties.

It’s also the first such market in a premium shopping centre in Canada, according to Oxford Properties. “Market & Co. at Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, represents Oxford Properties’ ongoing investment and commitment to delivering innovative retail, entertainment and food experiences at our shopping centres,” said Bradley Jones, Head of Retail, Oxford Properties.

The expansive food market’s square footage was made possible by taking some of the former space that was once occupied by Target in the mall (Target exited Canada in 2015). Included is a diverse culinary experience with a mix of food vendors and eateries, including full-service restaurants. Local vendors are part of the mix and some of them have opened their very first retail locations at Market & Co.

*BRI-ANN STUART GENERAL MANAGER AND DIRECTOR UPPER CANADA AT MARKET & CO. GRAND OPENING BREAK BREAD CEREMONY*

The list of vendors include: Bake Three Fifty, FloralEscence, Humble Roots Organic, Ma’s Best Quality Soups, Newmarket Olive Oil, Our Farm Organic Bakery, Pier 87 Fish Market & Grill, Ray Woodey’s Craft Chippery, Seed to Sausage Meatery, Sweet Jesus ice cream, The Wine Shop and Tasting Room, and Village Juicery.

A unique concept called First Batch, which is a collaboration between BRIKA and FoodiePages launched its pop-up collective featuring pantry essentials, table and barware and unique hostess gifts, all crafted by more than 60 emerging and independent makers.

Several brands hailing from York Region include Vince’s Market and Amadeus Patisserie as well as well-known brands including Starbucks (with Reserve offerings) and Sugar King Factory.

Three full-service restaurants, including Canada’s first MidiCi The Neapolitan Pizza Company (based in Los Angeles), Union Chicken (Chef Michael Angeloni’s celebrated Toronto, spit-fired, rotisserie chicken eatery), and Amano Kitchen (a seasonally inspired Italian restaurant also developed by Chef Michael Angeloni).

“The atmosphere at Market & Co. combines the nostalgia of traditional outdoor food markets and the bustling vibe of an inviting, premium shopping centre environment,” said Bri-Ann Stuart, Director & General Manager, Upper Canada. “We invite the community to explore Market & Co. with its 20 premium food brands and merchants.”

Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects designed the innovative new space. Ralph Giannone, Principal at the firm, expressed his enthusiasm for the project which is a cross between restaurant and retail, as the lines blur between the two. Amano Kitchen, for example, also sells pasta while Union Chicken retails some of its own products for visitors to take home. Mr. Giannone said that he thinks food markets like Market & Co. will become an anchor-like component to many of Canada’s leading malls in the future, and Giannone Petricone Associates is already working with Oxford Properties on two other projects, not to mention the highly anticipated Eataly that will be opening at Toronto’s Manulife Centre early next year.

Mississauga-based BUILD IT was responsible for building-out the MidiCi space, which is particularly unique in terms of its overall design and filtering. Gold penny tiles were installed on the Italian pizza ovens, for example, and the colour gold carries throughout the space with expanses of gold wallpaper tile installed around columns (lit with LED lights) as well as a feature wall of gold tiles. A front counter is made of fibreglass featuring an LED baseboard, and there’s a white custom curved stone countertop. One of the most unique features, notes BUILD IT , is a large tree that sits in the centre of the restaurant.

One of Market & Co.’s highlights is ’Kitchen & Co.’, a built-in demonstration kitchen that can host regular events, pop-ups and workshops that will educate visitors as well as inform them about local market merchants.

Upper Canada Mall houses more than 200 stores in an enclosed centre which spans nearly a million square feet. Many popular national and international brands can be found in the mall, which is anchored by Hudson’s Bay. The centre includes nearly 5,000 parking spaces and sees more than eight million visitors annually, and is one of the country’s most productive shopping centres in terms of annual sales per square foot, according to Retail Council of Canada.

Market & Co. is the first of three announced large-format food markets to open its doors in a mall owned by Oxford Properties. In March, the landlord announced that Les Galeries de la Capitale in Quebec City would be adding an innovative food marketplace that will also feature the second location for RICARDO Boutique + Café. As well, Oxford Properties announced that it would be creating a ‘Food District’ at its massive Square One property in Mississauga. Both will open in 2019.

Large-format food markets are being added by other landlords as well. Last week Ivanhoé Cambridge announced that it was opening a new 35,000 square foot ‘gourmet biergarten’ at its Place Ville Marie property in downtown Montreal, which will be a second in the downtown core for the landlord after it announced in the spring that it had partnered to open a Time Out Marketplace that will be part of an overhauled Montreal Eaton Centre. Landlord QuadReal has also announced that it will be opening large-format food concepts at its Oakridge Centre property in Vancouver, as well as at ‘The Post’ in downtown Vancouver which replaces a former Canada Post distribution centre.

Landlords are ultimately using food and beverage offerings to drive traffic to properties — consumers are increasingly seeking-out ‘experiences’ and a diverse food market, with the right tenants (including ‘Instagramable moments’) will keep customers coming back. The theory is that repeat visits to a food destination will also translate into increased foot traffic from visitors that might shop at other retail in the same area as well.

Leaders in Retail Breakfast Series, Friday, September 14: Jeff Kinnaird, President, Home Depot Canada

By

Craig Patterson

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September 11, 2018

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By Retail Insider

Retail Council of Canada is launching its fall 2018 ‘Leaders in Retail Breakfast Series’ this month and on Friday, September 14 the Home Depot Canada’s President, Jeff Kinnaird, will be on hand to speak to attendees. The breakfast is open to retail suppliers only. [Register Here]

The Leaders in Retail Breakfast Series provides an exclusive and unique opportunity for vendors and suppliers of goods and services to hear directly from senior leaders of Canada’s biggest retail brands – with none of their fellow retailer competitors or media in the room.

Jeff Kinnaird is responsible for the sales and operations of 182 stores and approximately 30,000 associates. He joined The Home Depot in 1996 as a lumber associate and has held positions of increasing responsibility, including department supervisor, assistant store manager, store manager, district manager, regional vice president of Canada West, then regional vice president of Canada East, Canadian operations and asset protection.

Most recently, Mr. Kinnaird served as merchandising vice president of Canada where he was responsible for merchandising strategy and operations, the Canadian Merchandising Execution Team organization, global sourcing for the division and growth of private label brands across 182 stores and e-commerce at homedepot.ca. He has over 25 years of Home Improvement retail experience. Prior to joining The Home Depot, he worked at Windsor Plywood. Jeff has an Executive MBA from Queen’s University.

Again, please note, this event is only open to the retail supplier/vendor community.

[Register Here]

Member, Non-Retail $199.00 | Non-Member, Non-Retail $349.00

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As well, Retail Council of Canada will be two more Leaders in Retail Breakfast Series speakers this year. They include

*October 17, 2018: Sarah Davis, President, Loblaw Companies Ltd. (breakfast for suppliers and vendors only), and

*November 21, 2018: Lee Tappenden, President & CEO of Walmart Canada Corp. (breakfast for suppliers and vendors only).

Department Stores in Canada Adding Pop-Up to Retail Mix [Feature]

By

Craig Patterson

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September 10, 2018

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Department stores in Canada are including pop-up retail as part of the mix like never before, in an effort to keep things fresh in order to increase the frequency of visitors and, thus, overall foot traffic. Quebec City-based large format fashion retailer La Maison Simons, for example, has launched its first designer pop-up initiative ever in three of its stores in a partnership with Finnish fashion design house Marimekko. Experts say that pop-up is the latest trend for department stores and large-format fashion retailers which are looking to create a sense of freshness at a time of unprecedented competition in retail in Canada.

The Marimekko pop-ups are contained at Simons’ stores at Square One in Mississauga, CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa, as well as at the company’s flagship at Place Ste-Foy in Quebec City. The pop-ups will operate until December of this year. Simons is the only major retailer in Canada to carry a wide assortment of Marimekko ready-to-wear and the pop-ups, which launched this month, expands Simons’ Marimekko offering to include accessories, bags and gifts.

Marimekko, which was founded in Helsinki in 1951, is known worldwide for its bold prints and colours. The Simons pop-ups include some of Marimekko’s most iconic prints from the 1950’s and 1960’s including the classic Unikko (poppy) floral pattern on dresses, bags, scarves and shoes, the striped unisex Jokapoika (every man) Piccolo print shirt and other Marimekko designs. The pop-ups also include modern Marimekko furniture and accessories from Canadian retailer EQ3.

The product assortment in each of Simons’ Marimekko pop-ups will transition mostly in order to offer a new shopping experience as well as a selection of new merchandise — the goal is to get customers into the stores repeatedly.

That’s the point of pop-up retail generally, according to retail expert David Ian Gray, consultant and retail strategist/founder of DIG360, who predicts that pop-up retail will become an important component to the future of department stores that want to be successful by constantly creating new experiences. “The phenomenon has been gaining traction over the past several years — pop-ups were originally intended for brands to engage with customers”, he noted, describing how retailers “quickly co-opted the idea, with considerable success”.

Temporary retail installations in award-winning retailers such as Selfridges in the UK demonstrate how creating experiences drive traffic — the store is widely successful and other retailers are taking notice. Bloomingdale’s is about to launch ‘The Carousel@Bloomingdale’s’ which appears to be inspired by The Story, the 2,000-square-foot store on Manhattan’s West Side that changes its merchandise theme every four to eight weeks and was purchased by Macy’s Inc. last May.

As well, The Market@Macys is set to launch in Los Angeles this fall. Jeff Gennette, CEO of Macy’s, told media of this during the retailer’s second quarter earnings call earlier last week.

There are also plenty of examples closer to home.

Last week, Canada’s remaining traditional department store chain Hudson’s Bay launched THE COLLECTIONS, a pop-up shop with 12 Canadian designers. It’s the fourth iteration of its pop-up series which is dedicated to showcasing Canadian design talent. Five locations across the country, including two stores in downtown Toronto (Queen Street, Yorkdale), and one each in Montreal, Vancouver (downtown) and Calgary (CF Chinook Centre) showcase 90 styles including women’s wear, men’s wear, unisex, and jewelry. All stores feature designers Mikhael Kale, Pedram, S.P. Badu, WIL Studios, WRKDEPT, Hilary MacMillan and Sid Neigum, with the Vancouver and Toronto Queen Street locations adding Atelier Guarin, Markoo, and NY-based Daniel Gregory Natale, and accessories by Biko and Cuchara.

Nordstrom, which operates pop-up spaces in its flagships in Vancouver and Toronto, continues to introduce new brands for a temporary period of time with considerable success. The company’s newest pop-up is called ‘¡Viva México!‘ which carries a mix of colourful and quirky items in bright spaces that include ample use of pink and yellow. Last month, mattress-in-a-box concept Casper displayed its wares at Nordstrom’s pop-up spaces and various other brands and concepts have been introduced into the innovative spaces since the CF Pacific Centre Nordstrom store opened in September of 2015. Called Pop-In@Nordstrom, the concept is carried in several US Nordstrom stores and was conceptualized by Olivia Kim, formerly of trendy retailer/brand Opening Ceremony.

Luxury retailer Holt Renfrew is also keeping things fresh by including temporary brand activations in its stores, be it a Stone Island-branded pop-up at its Mississauga Store, or the ‘H-Project’ which is a permanent space in its stores which houses a rotating collection of unique brands, many with an ethical message.

Pop-up retail growth in Canada became explosive, according to Linda Farha, founder and ‘Chief Connector’ at online pop-up retail platform pop-up go. “Demand has never been so great for pop-up space in Canada… landlords are seeing this as a strategy to build buzz, and retailers are utilizing it to further expand distribution and exposure”, said Ms. Farha. She also noted that some brands may pop-up either on their own or within department stores as a way to ‘test the waters’ before taking the risk of permanent stores.

One retail veteran isn’t convinced that pop-up retail in department stores is here to stay. Morris Saffer, founder of Toronto-based Saffer Retail, explained that while pop-up retail in a department store is meant to create buzz, it’s also only a small portion of an otherwise much larger store. “Why not make the entire store an exciting and engaging experience, rather than just one small part,” he said, explaining how department stores need to try harder to impress consumers at a time of unprecedented competition from multi-brand and mono-brand stores in an age of e-commerce, expanding social media and various other distractions. “Consumers are seeking experiences and the more square footage that can be devoted to something interesting, the more successful the retailer will be in its execution.”

FrontRunner Technologies Showcases Innovation with WindowFront Matrix

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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September 10, 2018

Screen+Shot+2018-08-20+at+12.33.49+PM — Image: FrontRunner Technologies

The idea for FrontRunner Technologies came to Nathan Elliott one day while sitting in his vehicle waiting at a red light.

“It started with a literal light bulb moment two years ago sitting at a traffic light in downtown Regina Saskatchewan,” said Elliott. “We had just finished doing a projection mapping demonstration which is offered by a media company that I founded with the FrontRunner founders.”

“We had always been looking for a scaled solution for projection mapping. We realized there is a plague of empty space everywhere, so over the last two years we’ve set forth on a mission to illuminate the world through our Firefly technology,” he said.

Elliott is on the cusp of introducing his dream across North America. He’s taking its first-of-its kind digital media delivery platform for window fronts to the streets in scale. Using innovative technology, FrontRunner is spearheading the new marketing medium on a mass scale that is bringing light to dark spaces. “The concept is simple – we bring window fronts to life with art, film, news, sports, music and advertisements using some of the best real estate in the country as the creative canvas. We believe public space will never be the same,” said Elliott.

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Through alignments with building agents and owners, FrontRunner gains access to high traffic real estate. And, together with creators (agencies, brands, film studios, art institutes, newsmakers and community organizations) it populates what FrontRunner calls the WindowFront Matrix with dynamic projection-mapped video and interactive content in real time.

The company’s factory is in Regina where design, IT work and technology development takes place. FrontRunner also has team members in Toronto and Vancouver.

“We’ve self-titled ourselves public space pioneers. In so doing we’re exploring new frontiers of content delivery into cities across North America,” he said. “Our focus is on an uplift of social capital. We see the value of driving content into public spaces with the goal of instilling awe and inspiration in passersby.”

Elliott said unique alignments with the world’s largest commercial real estate groups gives FrontRunner unprecedented access to windows in scale. Its proprietary technology and logistics solutions allow the company to grow its WindowFront inventory everywhere from large urban centres to small peripheral markets.

Listing agents improve turnover and monetize empty space. Advertisers take their message directly to the streets. Retail partners grow their sales by adding light, motion and interactivity to their faceless glass, added Elliott.

“We turn the windows of retail spaces both empty and full into dynamic projection mapped content that is delivered in real time,” he said. “We developed the FireFly Illumination System that allows us to drive high definition and interactive content into window fronts. We named it FireFly because there’s literal meaning to bringing light to dark space. The firefly is the most efficient organism on earth turning 100 per cent of the chemical reaction within into light energy. The life cycle of a firefly is about a month which tends to be the duration of a FrontRunner campaign,” Elliott said.

[Below: 1033 Granville Street, Vancouver]

“We’ve delivered a scaled inventory at street level and in malls that didn’t exist previously by leveraging existing real estate. Malls need to be seen as vibrant places to visit, so when a store closes, we can come in and provide an illuminated front, rather than a dark window,” he said. “But we also look at how our projection systems can bring to life the windows of existing retail outlets. In fact, we just obtained a trade mark on Window Shopping, which is interactive integration turning any window into essentially one big iPad. We envision a time in the not-too-distant future where retailers will augment their window fronts by using the interactive technology for promotions, catalogues, points of purchase and more,” he added.

To scale the business, FrontRunner developed two apps powering the WindowFront Matrix.

The Real Estate App is a first-of-its-kind platform that forms a gateway for building owners, landlords, brokers and agents to create, and upload property profiles of vacant spaces from any device.

“The real estate community is driving an important part of this business model by putting their empty spaces into an inventory. In return for granting access we get spaces leased out more quickly by turning them into destinations and driving new revenue streams.” added Elliott.

The Creator App can search, request, and secure the perfect windows for each campaign. Creators can upload content, schedule campaigns, pay for media, and monitor real-time analytics in one central source of truth.

Together, the Real Estate and Creator apps are symbols for changing the face of two important industries. It is clear that FrontRunner is on the move and coming to a window near you.

For more information on FrontRunner Technologies, visit: www.frontrunner-tech.com

U.K. Brand Oasis Fashion Expands into Canada with 1st Store

By

Megan Harman

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September 9, 2018

Oasis-store-at-Trinity-Centre-by-Dalziel-and-Pow-Leeds-UK — LEEDS UK STORE. PHOTO: RETAIL DESIGN BLOG

British women’s fashion brand Oasis Fashion is breaking into the Canadian market, with the first location set to open in Halifax this month.

Launched in 1991 in the U.K., Oasis specializes in trendy, colourful clothing geared towards women between the ages of 18 and 50, with a focus on consumers in their late 20s.

“Oasis Fashion always has colourful, bright and happy clothing. It stands out for its prints and colours,” says Matthildur Baldursdottir, owner of the Oasis Fashion franchise in Canada. “The store will have everything you need, if you are going out dancing, going to a business meeting, just casual or if you want some accessories, shoes, bags or jewellery, we will have everything.”

HALIFAX STORE RENDERING PROVIDED BY OASIS FASHION

Oasis Fashion operates nearly 400 locations around the world, including both standalone stores and concessions within department stores. After having developed a strong presence in regions such as Europe, the Middle East and South America, the brand is now turning its attention to North America.

With international fashion brands such as H&M, Zara and Massimo Dutti having had success in Canada, Baldursdottir says Oasis Fashion saw an opportunity to expand into the Canadian market, in particular.

Halifax was a perfect location for the chain’s first Canadian store, he said, given the city’s young population—thanks to five major universities in close proximity—and the rapid growth and development currently underway in the city.

*LONDON WEST END LOCATION. PHOTOS (ABOVE AND BELOW): RETAIL DESIGN BLOG*

*OASIS FLAGSHIP STORE LONDON. PHOTO: RETAIL DESIGNS*

“Halifax is a great city with the perfect balance of big city flare and small town charm,” Baldursdottir says. “There is no shortage of young people, which means the city is always alive. We think it is a good fit for the first store.”

The new store will be located downtown Halifax on Spring Garden Road, next to Judith and Charles and Lululemon, and across from Halifax Central Library. The store is 1,660 square feet in size and is divided into two sections: the front of the store is designed to be a bright space which showcases casual daytime styles; whereas the back of the store houses dresses and evening wear.

“It is going to be a beautiful store,” Baldursdottir says.

Baldursdottir is already actively looking at expanding the Oasis Fashion franchise into other Canadian markets. Currently, he’s most interested in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, with a focus on locations within shopping centres. Most Oasis stores are between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet in size.

Oasis Fashion is also exploring the possibility of establishing concessions within Hudson’s Bay or Nordstrom stores.

The Halifax store’s grand opening is on September 15.

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Canadian Retailers Lagging Behind U.S. and U.K Counterparts in Innovation: Study

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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September 9, 2018

MagnaPro+Construction+-+Kitchens — PHOTO: MAGNAPRO CONSTRUCTION

In a challenging environment where retail stores are closing around the country, a new report says it’s critical that Canadian retailers innovate and adapt to the changing landscape.

The Retail Trends in Canada 2018 report by BDO Canada has a clear message for small and medium-sized retailers – you need to innovate to survive and thrive.

BDO is one of Canada’s largest professional services firms primarily serving mid-market clients with a variety of accounting, tax and advisory services and over 120 offices across the country.

“Retail is constantly evolving. It’s dynamic. For retailers of all sizes, now is the time to innovate to survive and thrive. What got you here is good and worked but it may not be enough for the next five to 10 years,” said Eric Matusiak, partner and national retail leader at BDO Canada.

“The second message that came out of our research was this is not a time for complacency. Retail is on a tear right now. The last two years have been very good for Canadian retailers but this is the time to sort of look at your business model and say ‘what do we have to do to re-invent to continue to be relevant to our customers going forward?’. It’s really organizing around that customer experience because the way people shop is changing. Their expectations of what they get from a physical store are changing and also from a digital store. Not only do you have to have a consistent customer experience across all channels but especially for those retailers who have physical stores you have to have a reason for the customers to visit the store because there’s so many ways that they can shop without visiting you.”

He said Canadian retailers are lagging behind their U.S. and U.K. counterparts on both the implementation of e-commerce and the use of data analytics, adding that even a small retailer can enhance their customer experience and improve their business processes – without spending a lot of money.”

“I still find that a lot of retailers don’t do the customer information thing very well. I find that a lot of them equate customer relationship management with a loyalty program and that’s only one small piece of it. I do think that Canadian retailers need to step it up on the customer relationship side and really start both capturing and then using customer data, market data, even data that’s not even within their organization to better predict what customers want, predict what they’re going to buy and suggest things to them . . . to increase sales, increase loyalty,” said Matusiak.

The report identifies five critical retail trends and focus areas for retailers to future-proof their business:

Technology – automation and artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, beacon technology, mobile pay and data analytics are changing the game in the retail sector;
Experiential retail – retailers need to let customers interact with a product and build communities that will engage current and potential customers;
E-commerce versus bricks and mortar – stores are creating hybrid and omnichannel shopping experiences to reach their customers wherever they are;
Consumer shopping habits – Millennials, the biggest spending cohort for retailers, are influencing the shopping habits of other age demographics; and
Customer relationship – retailers need to develop a customer relationship management program that captures and integrates implicit and explicit customer data.
“From a strategic perspective, retailers have to really reassess their business model. I know that sounds like consultant speak but it’s really taking a hard look at the channels that you use to reach customers,” said Matusiak. “So for example if you say ‘well of course we have stores and we have an ecomm division’. But how integrated are they really from a strategic perspective?

“If I’m an omnichannel buyer, can I buy anything from you in any way in any time? Is that a seamless experience? And do I have the right balance between my channels?”

Retailers also have to look more closely on the technology front to support the business model and make the customer experience more friction-less, more seamless, more rich.

“It doesn’t mean jumping on the bandwagon and buying a shiny object . . . because everyone else is getting it. It’s still investing wisely in technology but also being aware of what trends are coming and selectively picking the ones and saying that’s what I’m going to need in my store or in my digital shopping experience,” added Matusiak.

“It is now business-critical for Canadian retailers to rethink and redesign their strategy. Several of these trends in the industry have had enough traction to be proven, but there’s still time for retailers to adapt to them. A methodical approach is recommended: develop a holistic strategy rather than jumping on the bandwagon.”

Aesop to Open 1st Mall-Based Store in Canada

By

Craig Patterson

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September 6, 2018

AESOP Toronto Eaton Centre — CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

Upscale Australian skin care brand Aesop will open its fist store within a mall in Canada in a 1,000 square foot space at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. When it opens towards the end of this year, the store will be the company’s ninth store in Canada as the brand expands its presence nationwide.

The CF Toronto Eaton Centre Aesop store replaces a Birks jewellery store location which recently closed in the mall. Aesop will occupy one of the most strategic retail spaces in CF Toronto Eaton Centre, being located between AllSaints and BonLook and facing toward’s the mall’s Zara and Nordstrom mall entrances.

The store will be designed by an in-house team at Aesop.

3 TORONTO STORES. CLICK IMAGE FOR INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP

Hilary Kellar-Parsons of brokerage Avison Young acted on behalf of Aesop in negotiations with landlord Cadillac Fairview.

Ms. Kellar-Parsons also represented Aesop in its other two Toronto lease deals which saw Aesop open in the summer of 2015 at 880 Queen Street West, followed by the spring 2016 opening of a store in Toronto’s ‘Rosedale’ area at 1116 Yonge Street. CF Toronto Eaton Centre will become Aesop’s third store in Toronto.

Aesop also operates stores in Montreal and Vancouver. The brand’s first store in Canada opened in Vancouver at 19 Water Street in the Gastown area in the summer of 2015, in a 615 square foot retail space contained within a heritage building. Aesop’s second Vancouver store opened in early 2016, spanning 1,950 square feet, and is located in the Kitsilano area at 2072 West 4 Avenue. Brokerage CBRE in Vancouver represented Aesop under the direction of Martin Moriarty and Mario Negris.

AESOP KITSILANO (VANCOUVER) LOCATION. PHOTO: AESOP WEBSITE

AESOP MILE END (MONTREAL) LOCATION. PHOTO: AESOP WEBSITE

Montreal is currently home to half of all of Aesop’s stores, with all four having opened over the past couple of years. Locations include Old Montreal (239 Rue Saint-Paul W), Mile End (23 Rue Saint Viateur W.), Petite Bourgogne (2493 Rue Notre-Dame W.) and in the affluent community of Westmount (4968 Rue Sherbrooke).

Aesop’s real estate strategy, until now, has been to open standalone retail stores on commercial high streets in Canada as well as in much of the United States. Given Canada’s variable climate as well as the strength of its malls in terms of sales productivity, brands are increasingly looking to open in enclosed centres, including luxury brands which would typically only open on urban street fronts. As a result, shopping centres such as Yorkdale in Toronto are seeing an influx of luxury brands and other retailers which might typically locate in the Bloor-Yorkville area or on trendy Queen Street West. Given Yorkdale’s remarkable productivity, as well, the mall is a likely target for the brand.

Aesop also operates shop-in-stores within stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Holt Renfrew and Nordstrom in Canada — the Saks locations at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and CF Sherway Gardens locations in Toronto are concessions.

AESOP ROSEDALE (TORONTO) LOCATION. PHOTO: AESOP WEBSITE

Brands are opening standalone physical stores like never before, and various other beauty brands are also doing so in order to expand brand awareness while not relying solely on larger host retailers such as a department store. Beauty brand Deciem, based in Toronto, primarily distributes from a network of standalone stores that are on urban street-fronts as well as in shopping centres, and it also wholesales through retailers such as Hudson’s Bay. Other brands that typically operate in department stores are opening standalone locations as well. Urban Decay, for example, now has standalone stores in suburban Toronto and Vancouver and Clinique recently opened its first standalone location in Canada at CF Richmond Centre in suburban Vancouver. The trend is expected to continue, according to brokers representing brands that are increasingly seeking to branch out by operating their own retail environments.

Aesop was founded in 1987 in Melbourne by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis. Product packaging is simple, and its quality is considered to be exceptional. It sources plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients, and uses only those with a proven record of safety and efficacy. It operates free-standing ‘signature stores’ as well as wholesale operations in a variety of retailers, high-end department stores as well as smaller independents.

Ivanhoé Cambridge Announces Innovative Place Ville Marie Food Hall

By

Craig Patterson

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September 5, 2018

image-asset - 2021-08-26T222214.515 — CENTRAL GARDEN RENDERING. RENDERING: SID LEE ARCHITECTURE/SUPPLIED

Montreal-based landlord Ivanhoé Cambridge has announced that it will be opening a new ‘gourmet biergarten’ at its Place Ville Marie property in downtown Montreal. Scheduled to open in late 2019, it will be the second such large-format culinary destination in an Ivanhoé Cambridge property in the core of the city.

The 35,000 square foot space will be located under a glass pavilion which will be built as part of the updated Place Ville Marie Esplanade, and will be named Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten, according to Ivanhoé Cambridge. It will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 patrons at a time and will have 15 unique restaurant concepts such as resto-bars, bistros and cafés, and will include three restaurants that will have table service.

Several well-known Montreal chefs will be part of the mix, including Antonio Park. Ivanhoé Cambridge notes that the destination will fulfill “a social and cultural vocation” which will also feature a multifunctional space that can host one-of-a-kind events.

As per the ‘biergarten’ name, the premisses will be licensed with a wide variety of wine and cocktails, as well as an expansive selection of local beers. All will be chosen by renowned mixologists and sommeliers. As a nod to the biergarten concept, a lively, bright and spacious interior garden-like environment will welcome guests in a “lively urban square in the heart of a busy district with festive terraces,” that will “echo Montreal’s lively street vibe, acting as a true indoor extension of the city.”

LE CATHCART RESTAURANTS ET BIERGARTEN SEEN FROM THE AIR (NOTE THE HORIZONTAL CEILING IN CENTER OF PHOTO). RENDERING: SID LEE ARCHITECTURE/SUPPLIED

LE CATHCART RESTAURANTS ET BIERGARTEN SEEN FROM STREET LEVEL. RENDERING: SID LEE ARCHITECTURE/SUPPLIED

Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten will be open seven days a week year-round and will cater to a wide variety of visitors that frequent the busy Place Ville Marie complex including locals working and visiting the area, tourists, and those seeking out urban activities. “Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten will quickly become a destination of choice for business lunches, happy hours and festive evenings,” said the landlord.

“We’re delighted to be working with Quebec entrepreneurs to offer a whole new gastronomic experience at Place Ville Marie,” added Bernard Poliquin, Senior Vice President, Office, Quebec, at Ivanhoé Cambridge. “Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten will become a place of choice for business networking in downtown Montreal.”

FAST FOOD AND CASUAL SECTION OF LE CATHCART. RENDERING: SID LEE ARCHITECTURE/SUPPLIED

The food hall will be located in a former food court, and is part of a $200-million revitalization of the massive Place Ville Marie complex which includes a 190,000 square foot retail concourse at the base of four massive office towers above encompassing nearly 2.4-million square feet, housing about 10,000 workers. The retail component sees about 17.2-million annual visitors and houses some significant retail tenants including Browns Shoes, L’Occitane en Provence, Jean-Paul Fortin, Murale and The Keg restaurant. Years ago it housed Holt Renfrew as a tenant when the luxury retailer operated a network of smaller stores.

Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten was created in partnership with Sid Lee Architecture and A5 Hospitality, and executed by Sid Lee Architecture and Menkes Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architects.

“We want to celebrate Place Ville Marie’s central location by creating a unique point of access to the underground city,” said Jean Pelland, Architect and Senior Partner at Sid Lee Architecture. “The glass pavilion is an ideal setting for the interior garden, a space bathed in natural light and filled with greenery, where gourmet and festive gatherings will take place.”

Ivanhoé Cambridge is investing more than $1-billion in downtown Montreal in its various properties, dubbed ‘Projet Nouveau Centre’ which is helping revitalize the core of Canada’s second-largest city. In the spring of this year, as well, Ivanhoé Cambridge announced that as part of the overhaul of its Montreal Eaton Centre property, the landlord partnered with Time Out to open a Time Out Market food concept, which is also scheduled to open in late 2019. The 36,000 square foot Time Out Market Montreal will include a mix of 16 food offerings, two bars, a demonstration kitchen, a cooking academy, a retail shop and a ‘cultural stage’, and will anchor the $200 million redevelopment at Centre Eaton de Montreal, which will involve joining the existing Montreal Eaton Centre property with the adjacent Complexe Les Ailes. More than 30-million people will pass through the combined centre in what will be Canada’s second-busiest centre in terms of annual footfall (surpassed only by CF Toronto Eaton Centre).

Food halls and food markets are being used to drive foot traffic to retail properties, and several landlords in Canada have announced large-format culinary concepts. On Friday of this week, the 40,000 square foot ‘Market & Co.’ food market concept will open at Oxford Properties’ Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, just north of Toronto. When open, a demonstration kitchen as well as 18 best-in-class local merchants and first-to-market eateries will enhance the overall shopping centre experience.

Local vendors and restaurants are the primary tenants. Market & Co. is the third food market announcement that Oxford Properties has made over the past several months. In March, it announced that Les Galeries de la Capitale in Quebec City would be adding an innovative food marketplace that will also feature the second location for RICARDO Boutique + Café. As well, Oxford Properties announced in June that it would be creating a ‘Food District’ at its massive Square One property in Mississauga.

Landlord QuadReal, as well, has announced that it will be opening large-format food concepts at its Oakridge Centre property in Vancouver, as well as at ‘The Post’ in downtown Vancouver which replaces a former Canada Post distribution centre.

Food and beverage is being used by landlords to drive traffic to properties and more large-format food concepts are said to be in the works. Consumers are increasingly seeking-out ‘experiences’ and a diverse food market, with the right tenants (including a healthy dose of ‘Instagramable moments’) will keep customers coming back. And that’s key as well — we as humans tend to dine more than we shop for most other items, and the theory is that repeat visits to a food destination will also translate into increased foot traffic from visitors that might shop at other retail in the same area as well.

Popular Online Grocery Retailer Launches Brick-and-Mortar Expansion

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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September 5, 2018

attachment-5b90641a88251b049e4e03d2 — exc-5b90641a88251b049e4e03d2

By Mario Tonguzzi

Online retailer Fresh City Farms has branched out its operations and is now delivering grocery items in bricks and mortar locations in Toronto.

The popular retailer opened its first physical store earlier this year at 476 Roncesvalles Avenue and has recently opened its second store at 111 Ossington Avenue.

And Ran Goel, the founder and CEO, told Retail Insider more locations are in the company’s plans.

“I started the company in 2011. At the time I was a lawyer on Wall Street (in New York City), practising investment law. I really became obsessed with this idea of urban farming and more importantly the role that urban farming can play in getting people to think about what they’re eating and giving them a positive experience with food,” said Goel.

*renderings of The Ossington store interiors by @thedesignagency. Photos: Fresh City Farms Facebook*

A look inside the @freshcityfarms at 111 Ossington Ave. pic.twitter.com/ClBlZuHIhl

— blogTO (@blogTO) September 5, 2018

“We really believe in this concept especially in a city like Toronto. There’s more and more density and people are looking for convenience and they’re looking for health and they’re looking for authenticity and we think we have all those three trends on the nose. So we see potential of upwards of 10 stores – small format stores – in the central Toronto, downtown core, serving this kind of influx of people seeking a city life, who don’t have a car typically, who are looking for great options within a five-minute walk, 10-minute walk at most, of their homes.”

Goel said he doesn’t have a specific time frame in mind for expansion but will take it one store at a time.

“We really believe in our concept, really believe in our brand, and for us we’re very much a mission and values-based company, meaning how we source and how we treat our people and the kind of agent of change we want to be,” he said. “So from both a business perspective and a mission perspective we’re aligned. We have no interest in being a small player . . . We have very high aspirations but we’re taking it one store at a time to make sure we get the concept right . . . We really see ourselves as a regional player for the foreseeable future both in terms of the deep relationships we have with suppliers and the deep connections we have with our members, our customers.”

*Products available at Fresh City Farms. Photo: Fresh City Farms Facebook*

Goel said the concept is not an easy one to replicate elsewhere so for now it is focusing on serving the GTA market.

A farm of a couple of acres in size was initially created in Toronto and that slowly expanded to what exists today. Fresh City delivers farm fresh, local, organic produce bags and meals along with hundreds of grocery items. Delivery is across Toronto, including Mississauga and GTA. There are also a network of pickup locations.

“Three years ago we made a concerted effort to move into what we call curated and prepared food categories. So anything from meal kits, selling ingredients you need to make a meal, to prepared food where you literally just open the container and it’s ready to go or you can heat it up,” said Goel.

“And all along our philosophy has been rooted in sourcing as locally as possible and for us local means southern Ontario and rooted in sustainable farming and production practices. The majority of what we sell is organic . . . We see ourselves as a curator for the customers so they don’t have to do as much brain work when they’re shopping for foods. They don’t have to be as careful about labels and whether it’s healthy and whether it’s good quality. We really see ourselves as being the easy place to shop for the discerning shopper.”

Goel said the company decided to go into bricks and mortar because it felt its offering had its limitations being just online and it wanted to bring the brand into the omnichannel world.

“Our strategy is really to locate where we know our customers already are by virtue of them ordering online and really re-creating that kind of small format, neighbourhood grocer except with obviously an online capability and a full selection of organic produce, prepared meals and all your grocery staples,” he said.

Depending on the time of year, the farm, on two acres at Downsview Park, produces anywhere from five to 20 per cent of what the Fresh City Farms sells. The company has partnered with dozens of local organic farms who supply the rest of the produce needed to sell to customers. It has also partnered with dozens of other local suppliers of different products.

*Farms at Downsview Park. Photos: Fresh City Farms*

Fresh City Farms also operates a greenhouse off of Highway 427 on property owned by Baka. The greenhouse is fully self-contained and off-grid, boasting a rainwater capture and irrigation system and using solar energy to power the fans.

The company’s first store location was the acquisition of an existing business.

“That was more of an opportunistic thing to get our feet wet in bricks and mortar retail. It’s a very small format store. It’s about 500 to 600 square feet. But before we made that acquisition, we signed a lease for our newest location on Ossington which launched (at the end of August),” said Goel.

“That’s what we really see as the first of our store prototypes. It’s just a notch under 2,000 square feet in a very up and coming street in Toronto where we knew we had a lot of customers.”

The Ossington store has a good supply of prepared foods and produce, good-quality cheeses and deli meats, a small eat-in section, and a herb wall. Goel said the herb wall is the company’s attempt at bringing the farm right into the city.

“The idea is just this friendly neighbourhood grocery store that you know is all sourced as locally as possible and as healthy as possible but at the same time being unpretentious and making sure it’s a great value for the consumer,” he said.

The brand is capitalizing on two trends – people wanting locally-sourced products and people being short on time who are looking for convenience.

Mario Toneguzzi, based in Calgary has 37 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, city and breaking news, and business. For 12 years as a business writer, his main beats were commercial and residential real estate, retail, small business and general economic news. He nows works on his own as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Email: mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com

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