BRIEF: Taiwanese Retailer Enters Canada, Rolls Royce Opens 1st Standalone Canadian Showroom

May 24, 2018

Douchanglee Crosses the Ocean to Set-up Shop in Park Royal

Taiwanese fashion brand Douchanglee recently opened its first Canadian location at West Vancouver’s Park Royal. Launched in 1995 by Dou Teng-huang and Zhang Li Yu-jing, the duo presented their first concept store in 2003.

Canadian licensee Jack Wang brought Douchanglee to Canada after encouragement from his wife, who is a fan of the brand. He said that she found it challenging to find clothing from other brands in the Lower Mainland with a similar fit, quality and styling, prompting the entrepreneur to strike a deal with Taiwan’s Douchanglee to enter the Canadian market. It helped that Wang and his family are friends with the husband-wife duo behind the brand Ten-huang and Yu-jing.

The 2,500-square-foot store has elements of avant-garde and retro chic throughout with the use of stainless steel, acrylic, velvet, and leather, as its key visual elements.

Stocking the Spring/Summer 2018 offerings the new location in Park Royal will also have a selection from previous collections; fans of this elegant and unique line enjoy the versatility of the pieces for day/night wear.

Douchanglee currently operates several stores throughout Taiwan (5 boutiques, 9 department store ‘corners’ and 4 franchises), and will soon open in Paris, France.

Marquess Jewellers Unveils Impressive New Retail Space

Family-owned Marquess Jewellers in Toronto, known for its custom jewellery designs as well as exceptional repairs, has renovated its retail space at 12 St. Clair Street East on the lower level of the St. Clair Centre, just off of Yonge Street.

Third-generation Marquess Jewellers has been in business since 1983 and it carries a wides selection of affordably-priced gold and silver earrings and necklaces that are sources from Italy, New York City, Los Angels and Montreal. The retailer also appraises jewellery and can do custom engraving, and it also offers on-site watch battery replacement, watch repair, and metal and leather watch bands are available.

The store is located in one of the best locations in Toronto, with some of the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods close by — Rosedale, Forest Hill, South Hill and Moore Park are within walking distance.

Mississauga-based BUILD IT by Design overhauled the space with an extensive renovation that has created an essentially new store. Custom light fixtures were imported from California and LED lights were custom made to match the colour temperature of the light fixtures throughout the space. Custom imported wall tiles, measuring 48” x 48” were installed in the space. BUILD IT by Design also created intricate display cases that were made in-house using three mixed elements — glass, metal, and wood, featuring custom hardwood turned legs.

Be sure to check out the newly reopened store when you’re in the area, which is part of the St. Clair Centre which is also seeing some exciting changes to coincide with the rebirth of the entire area.

*Photos above are via Candace May Photography for BUILD IT by Design.

Judith & Charles Splits from the Mall and Hits Granville Street

Montreal-based women’s fashion brand Judith & Charles brought its unique client experience to a new and exciting downtown setting when they recently opened a new store at 640 Granville Street in Vancouver.

Laid out over 2293-square-feet, the location opened with a low-key event for style bloggers on May 1st. Embodying Judith & Charles’ upscale experience, this new store promotes fashion and art in a gallery-like setting. The interior adheres to the brand’s ‘less is more’ aesthetic and showcases clean lines, natural materials, and a neutral palette.

The latest collections are displayed next to Jane Carr scarves, exclusive to Judith & Charles, as well as the artwork of Montreal-based sculpture artist David Umemoto. His minimalist sculptures are influenced by geology, the repercussions of time and weather, and made out of concrete.

The exhibition of Umemoto’s work will be held until August 2018. Fifty percent of each sale will go towards Charlie’s Foundation, an initiative launched in 2015 by the Le Pierrès. The foundation is a non-profit organization that teaches Dominican youth the English language, connecting them with the wider world and improving their future career prospects.

CBRE broker Michael Mylett acted on behalf of the landlord in the Granville Street lease deal.

OpenRoad Auto Group Pops Its Cork at New Rolls Royce Showroom

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Vancouver, part of OpenRoad Auto Group, marked the official grand opening of the brand’s new Vancouver showroom on West 5th Avenue, with two Moet drenched events. The first Champagne tower was poured for media and the second later in the evening for VIPs and over 200 Rolls Royce owners. The new location is also Canada’s first stand-alone Rolls-Royce retail facility. The evening was doubly exciting for luxury car fanatics as the company also revealed the highly anticipated Cullinan SUV, marking the first time the luxury automaker has held a new model debut in Canada.

The 4,500-square foot, two level luxury automotive retail centre offers an elegant showroom featuring high-end finishes, premium architectural details, a snow machine, and space for up to six Rolls-Royce models. All other Canadian stores combine Rolls-Royce with other luxury car brands like Karma or Lamborghini.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Vancouver is currently the top Canadian volume dealer and one of the top-selling Rolls-Royce dealerships in the world. OpenRoad Auto Group acquired the Vancouver Rolls-Royce retail store in 2014.

After 15 Years of Service to Beauty, Victoria Radford Opens Radford

Beloved Toronto-based make-up artist and aesthetician, Victoria Radford has launched her first salon aptly named Radford, in Toronto’s premier lifestyle shopping destination Yorkville Village.

With 15 years of expertise in beauty and holistic medicine, Radford wants to create a new approach to make-up and skincare. The opening of the salon is the first step in sharing her philosophy with a wider market.

The new Radford salon, located in the Upper Oval, offers a wide selection of luxury services to make guests look and feel glamorous. Radford offers in-studio make-up applications, hair styling, cutting and colouring, in addition to customized skin treatments to target any skin type effectively.

In addition to an array of principal services, Victoria Radford’s personal beauty line is available for purchase at the salon.

Interesting note – Yorkville Village is currently undergoing Phase 2 of the redevelopment, continuing through 2018 and will welcome prime new retailers, including several first-to-market luxury brand introductions to the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood. We cannot wait to announce more retail launches as they happen.

Perverted Ice Cream Bringing Dairy Deviance to Vancouver

Tinted windows and black walled interiors have replaced the pretty pink décor of Cupcakes on Thurlow Street. Perverted Ice Cream opened on May 16th and encouraged patrons to play it up with the hashtag #everytimeicomeicecream.

The soft-serve ice cream is made with organic milk and no artificial stabilizers. Black charcoal waffle cones are handmade every day, and embellishments include bacon bits, gold leaf, pink roxy dust, salt & vinegar crumble, toasted French fries, and torched cheese curd.

Perverted is not the only irreverent ice company to launch in Vancouver. Toronto’s Sweet Jesus is bringing their finger-licking to Metropolis at Metrotown in July, and if controversy is good for business, both these companies should do very well.

Incredibly, in our no-fun city, Perverted ice cream lovers will be able to enjoy a cone during a Robson Street stroll until 2 am on weekends! (Photos above are from Perverted Ice Cream’s Instagram account).

Rocky Mountain Soap Company to Lather-up Toronto with 3 Summer Pop-ups

Rocky Mountain Soap Company, the Alberta based nature-sourced bath and beauty brand, brings three new pop-up shops to Toronto this summer to serve up their toxin-free products to the people, and to test out the east coast market for future expansion.

The retail locations will pop-up in July at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, with PATH and Yorkdale Shopping Centre in August. The storefronts will be stocked with Rocky’s full product range for the whole family and invite customer interaction, allowing shoppers to lather up with soaps and scrubs at wash stations, test face and body lotions and learn more about the brand’s more than 200 natural products.

As a female-led and values-based enterprise, Rocky Mountain Soap has maintained its growth and loyal following by focusing on natural, simple ingredients, environmentally-conscious processes, and community.

Did you know that natural beauty products are the fastest-growing segment of the beauty industry? Rocky Mountain Soap Company is fortunate enough to have benefited from this trend as is everyone who is switching to natural products!

Is Railtown the Future of Retail in Space Challenged Vancouver?

With the relatively recent ‘Creative Products Manufacturing I-4’ zoning in Railtown, the 400 block of Railway Street will be redeveloped by architects OMB (Office of Mcfarlane Biggar Architects + Designers) on behalf of client Niels Bendtsen. Affected by the redevelopment will be Bendtsen’s companies Inform Interiors and Bensen, both long established in this area.

The new mixed-use development will be six-stories in height, just under 112,000-square-feet and consist of recessed storefronts, a restaurant, a glassed-in central atrium with open walkways, two rooftop terraces, and three levels of underground parking.

This development will bring sorely needed retail, restaurant, parking, and residential units to an area of the city that is desperately lacking in amenities. [Download PDF Plan]

Hype City 3 Sneaker Convention is Kicking into the Harbour Convention Centre

The call has gone out for all ‘sneakerheads’ to get ready for what is going to be the calendar event of the year – Hype City 3.

Two Facebook groups – Vancouver Sneakerheads Group and Vancouver Streetwear Community are bringing the third incarnation of Canada’s largest sneaker and streetwear event to the Harbour Convention Centre on June 3rd. This new location allows for much-needed growth and accessibility for both vendors and attendees.

Hype City 3 will bring in some of the world’s highest streetwear and fashion commodities for sneakerheads to shop. Passes will get attendees access to over 75 tables of rare vintage, luxury (including the largest Supreme collection in Canada) including Yeezy, limited edition hype pairs, art, and collectibles all with the sneaker theme.

You can also take part in interactive activities and learn about the history of sneakers like the Air Force 1 at Hype City. Attendees will have the chance to win prizes with raffles and give-aways happening throughout the event.

Recently announced vendors include Dipt (who will be showcasing the largest Air Force 1 collection in the country), The Liminal Grooming Lounge, and entertainment by Prime Quality Pro.

Costco Thorncliffe Park Confirmed and Ready to Roll Out the Cart

American membership-only warehouse club Costco is about to open its fourth location in Toronto at the former Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada head office and bottling plant located at 42 and 46 Overlea Boulevard.

Initially slated for a February launch, apparent weather-related construction delays have kept Thorncliffe Park behind schedule, but Costco has officially confirmed the location opening in June. Eager bulk shoppers have been purchasing their new Costco memberships from a white trailer in the parking lot.

The massive 165,800-square-foot warehouse store will also offer an incredible 18-pump vehicle fuel station.

Rockport Financial Struggles

Rockport Blocker and Rockport Canada et al . (collectively the “Rockport Group”), subsidiaries of Rockport, based in West Newton, Massachusetts, is a global designer, distributor and retailer of comfort footwear in more than 50 markets worldwide. This month, the company brought a motion under the CCAA to recognize in Canada the US Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings that the Rockport Group filed on May 14, according to Insolvency Insider. The company partially blamed the separation from its previous owner, Reebok, which sold the company in 2015, for its financial difficulties.

The Rockport Group currently owes approximately $53.4 million (USD) under its revolving credit agreement. If the lenders were to require repayment in full of the amounts owed by Rockport Canada, as a co-borrower and under its guarantee of the US debtors’ obligations under the agreement, it would be unable to repay the full amount owed. Rockport Canada itself has 64 unsecured creditors that are owed approximately $760 million (CAD).

The company has entered into an asset purchase agreement to sell substantially all of its assets to CB Marathon Opco, an affiliate of Charlesbank – a private equity group. To facilitate the cooperation between the US and Canadian Court, Rockport Blocker requested that it be recognized to act as foreign representative. Richter was appointed Information Officer. Canadian counsel is BLG for the Rockport Group, Stikeman Elliot for Richter, Gowling WLG for Charlesbank and Goodmans for the senior secured noteholders. [Subscribe to Insolvency Insider]

Church-Wellesley Village Launches Toronto’s 1st BIA Pop-Up Initiative

Craig Patterson

May 24, 2018

attachment-5b05de448a922d4f79f2f61a — exc-5b05de448a922d4f79f2f61a

Toronto’s Church-Wellesley Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) is looking to fill some available spaces with pop-up stores, in an effort to fill area vacancies while adding to a sense of community. Several temporary retail spaces are available and businesses are being sought to market to the local community.

The goal is to add more vibrancy, excitement and a sense of community to the diverse area, eliminating empty storefronts that may lead to undesirable results such as vandalism.

It’s the first time that a Toronto BIA has taken on such a unique initiative in an effort to reduce area vacancies, if even just temporarily. The BIA is specifically looking to fill some of the spaces with affordable, non-permanent entrepreneurial or small business endeavours.

The BIA conducted a survey with the surrounding community, and 93% of respondents said that they take pride in supporting local businesses, restaurants and services at least twice a week. Respondents from the survey were also asked for ideas on what to fill the empty spaces with and some of the key findings were: bakeries, LGBTQ/women friendly spaces, clothing stores, independent retail and cafes/coffee shops.

In the Church-Wellesley Village, an unprecedented amount of residential development will see thousands of new residents added to the area that spans a few blocks around the intersection of Church Street and Wellesley Street. With all of the new residents, increased density will also lead to increased foot traffic for local businesses.

Pop-ups are a great way for retailers to test concepts, as well as build buzz. Pop-up retail is a significant trend amongst retailers in Canada, with many mainstream retailers now adopting the idea as part of their overall strategy.

Applications for the Church Street Pop-Up Initiatives are being accepted until June 1st, with the expectation that spaces be filled in the weeks to come. Interested parties are encouraged to act quickly — June is Pride Month in Toronto, with the 2018 Pride Parade taking place on June 24.[Apply here]

Mediocre Canadian Retail Sales in Q1 2018

Ed Strapagiel

May 24, 2018

Mediocre Canadian Retail Sales in Q1 2018

The latest data from Statistics Canada show that total Canadian retail sales gained 3.9% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2018 on an unadjusted basis. In the big scheme of things, this is on the low side but not a complete disaster. Nevertheless, Q1 2018 is the lowest growth quarter in about a year and a half, and the same thing seems to be happening in most retail sectors and retail business types. Retailers who planned on 2018 being as good as last year may be in for a rude awakening.

As the above chart shows, the 3 month growth trend (orange line) has fallen to a lower point than at any time last year. The underlying 12 month growth trend (green line) is softening and is likely to decline further.

Easter Sunday in 2018 was on April 1 (versus April 16 last year). Much of the shopping for it would have occurred in March, which should have given the Q1 numbers a bit of a boost. Apparently that didn’t happen.

Retail sales in the Food & Drug sector gained only 1.8% year-over-year in Q1 2018. Growth is hovering around a 4 year low. As a result, the underlying 12 month trend is also weakening, and is likely to get even softer in the next several months.

Retail sales at supermarkets & other grocery stores were up by a scant 0.04% year-over-year in Q1 2018, which accounts for most of the poor results for the sector overall. The small specialty food stores group however was a major exception, with retail sales increasing a whopping 17.0% in the quarter.

Health & personal care stores were another disappointment, with retail sales increasing just 0.9% in Q1 2018 versus a year ago. This retail group at one time was the main retail sales growth driver of the overall Food & Drug sector.

In Q1 2018, Store Merchandise emerged as the sales growth leader versus the other retail sectors. Year-over-year retail sales were up 5.8%. On the other hand, this was lower than the 6.9% gain posted for last year, and momentum appears to be softening. After a meteoric rise in 2017, the underlying 12 month growth trend (green line in the above chart) now appears to be peaking out.

The top Q1 performers in the sector were electronics & appliance stores with retail sales up 14.9%, and building material & garden equipment/supplies dealers gaining 7.5%.

At the other end of the scale, retail sales at shoe stores declined 2.3% in Q1, while furniture stores were up only 1.0%.

Note that Statistics Canada is now suppressing the breakdown of general merchandise stores for confidentiality reasons. The figures in the table below are estimates based on previous trends.

The high flying Automotive & Related sector is coming back down to earth. The 3 month trend is now well below where it was at any point in 2017. For Q1 2018, retail sales gained a modest 4.0%, less than half the annual gain last year. The underlying 12 month trend is now weakening as well.

Sales have slowed significantly at new car dealers, which account for over half of the the sector. The year-over-year increase for Q1 2018 was just 1.2%, a fraction of the 9.4% increase recorded for 2017.

Due to rising pump prices, gasoline stations’ retail sales increased 8.7% in Q1, but this only partially offset the weakness in new vehicle sales.

By The Numbers

Special Note: Statistics Canada has made updates to 2017 numbers, and has also moved retail storefronts of telecom companies out of electronics & appliance stores and into a non-retail category, Telecommunications (NAICS 513). Retail trade statistics have been revised back to January 2012.

For definitions of store types, see Statistics Canada NAICS.

Canadian E-Commerce Stats

StatsCan started providing ecommerce retail sales data in January 2016. While the amount of data is limited, some trends appear to be emerging. Here are some results.

Overall, e-commerce represented about 2.7% of total Canadian retail sales for the 12 months ending March 2018, including both pure play operators as well as the online operations of brick & mortar stores. Canadian consumers however also buy online from foreign websites, spending which is not captured in these numbers.

Canadian e-commerce sales were up 14.8% year-over-year in Q1 2018. While this looks like a strong gain, it’s actually down from the 27.4% annual increase recorded for 2017. While it still remains high, it appears that e-commerce retail sales growth may be slowing down.

Note that location based retail is the same as that in the preceding large “By The Numbers” table. It’s what’s normally reported as Canadian retail sales. Except that it isn’t. Location based retail excludes another section called Non-Store Retailers (NAICS code 454), which covers electronic shopping and mail-order houses, which in turn is where (mostly) pure play e-commerce businesses are. For the 12 months ending March 2018, electronic shopping and mail-order houses had an estimated $9.18 billion in e-commerce sales.

But that’s not the only source of e-commerce, as (mostly) bricks & mortar location-based retailers also sell online. For the 12 months ending March 2018, this group had an estimated $6.99 billion in e-commerce sales. With electronic shopping and mail-order houses, there’s a grand total of $16.17 billion in e-commerce sales by Canadian operators over the year. Note that this does not include foreign e-commerce purchases made by Canadian consumers, but it does include purchases made by foreigners at Canadian e-commerce businesses.

For electronic shopping and mail-order houses, an estimated 83.0% of their sales are allocated to e-commerce. For (mostly) bricks & mortar retailers, it can be estimated that just 1.2% of their total sales come from e-commerce.

In the final section of the above table, (mostly) pure play operators (namely, under electronic shopping and mail-order houses) generated an estimated 56.8% of all e-commerce sales in Canada, while (mostly) bricks & mortar location-based retailers’ share of e-commerce is 43.2%.

For more explanation on the e-commerce numbers, see Statistics Canada: Retail E-commerce in Canada.

This analysis is updated monthly as new numbers are published by Statistics Canada. If you would like notification of when an update becomes available (and you’ve read this far), please connect with Ed Strapagiel on LinkedIn.

Canada Remains a Global Leader in Attracting International Retailers: Study

Craig Patterson

May 24, 2018

attachment-5b035b2b03ce64928f55b71e — exc-5b035b2b03ce64928f55b71e

CBRE has released its 11th annual ‘How Global is the Business of Retail?’ report, which identifies the top global markets that international retailers targeted in 2017. Canada, once again, was named as being a significant target for brands opening stores. Toronto in particular was the launch point for many of them, and was the only city in the Americas region to rank in the top 20 cities globally for international brands entering new markets.

The CBRE report examined 47 countries and 123 global cities to provide a comprehensive view of the markets that international retailers entered for the first time last year. Several categories dominated with coffee and restaurants representing about a quarter of new entrants, as landlords looked to diversify their tenant mix. Mid-range fashion was also described as being a significant driver of growth, representing about 18% of new entrants. About 41% of brands identified targeted more than one city.

Retailers based in the United States were the most active in their expansion in 2017, as has been the case for the past several years. CBRE says this is due to their maturity and their need to cross borders in order to gain market share, with US retailers targeting 42 foreign markets in 2017 with significant activity in the Middle East and Japan. As well, Luxury brands from France and Italy have also been actively expanding their international networks, and these were particularly active in Canada in 2017.

Toronto saw 40 new brands open stores in 2017, according to the report, with only six cities in the world surpassing it. Those included Hong Kong (with 86 new international retailers), Dubai (59), Taipei (52), London (49 ), Tokyo (46) and Doha with 43 international retailers having entered the country in 2017. Trailing Toronto were Singapore with 38 retailers, Prague and Shenzhen with 37 retailers, and Moscow with 36.

Of the 40 new brands that opened in Toronto last year, 14 of then debuted at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which has been the primary launch point for many brands coming to Canada over the past several years. The study notes several new luxury brands opened at Yorkdale in 2017, including IWC Schaffhausen, Officine Panerai, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels and Breitling.

YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON

As well, the study notes that more than 30% of Toronto’s new entrants opened on high-streets, with half of those being on trendy ‘West Queen West’ as well as on adjacent Ossington Street. Vogue magazine named West Queen West to be the world’s “second-hippest” district in 2014, and the street has since seen new entrants, and there are more on the way.

The CBRE study states that 2017 was an all-time record for international retailers entering Canada, which echoes our own store count that we did in January when we identified more than 50 international brands that entered Canada last year by opening stores. The CBRE report notes that since 2014, the average number of new retailers in Canada was about 30 each year.

Vancouver ranked second in Canada in the study, seeing 11 international retailers enter the city in 2017. Several of those brands opened on or adjacent to the Alberni Street ‘Luxury Zone’, which continues to see interest from global retailers seeking space in a market that boasts strong numbers of brand-focused Asian locals and tourists.

ALBERNI STREET IN VANCOUVER. PHOTO: LEE RIVETT

Luxury, in fact, represented 34% of new retail entrants to Canada, with most of them hailing from Europe. Following luxury were new coffee and restaurant concepts and eyewear retailers, which each accounted for 12% of all new entrants into Canada last year.

The study notes that in past years, the majority of international retailers entering Canada were from the United States. The Canadian market has reached a level of saturation in some respects and some US retailers are actually expected to pull out of the market between now and the year 2020.

Online shopping continues to gain popularity in Canada, notes the study, and it’s estimated that almost 50% of what Canadians purchase online comes from foreign websites. One of the benefits to this is that international retailers are able to study online consumer shopping patterns to determine if Canada is a viable market to open stores. The study says that retailers from Europe and Asia, particularly within the luxury category, see that “there is a viable market for them in Canada, which is backed by strong consumer demand and the potential to spend”.

While luxury sales continue to boom in parts of Canada, the study notes that the country’s retail is in a state of transition. There’s now an unprecedented number of fast-fashion and value-priced retailers operating in Canada while at the same time, mid-market retailers (both domestic and foreign) are struggling and in some instances, exiting altogether. The study mentions value-priced retailers such as Miniso having entered Canada last year with plans for as many as 500 stores, as well as the successes of Japanese retailers Muji and Uniqlo, which are expected to expand beyond Toronto and Vancouver over the next 12-18 months.

The study notes that the Canadian Consumer Confidence Index ended 2017 at its highest level since 2009, and that this was supported by core retail sales growth, which was up 4.8% over the previous year. That represented the highest annual increase in 11 years. As well, Canada is seeing record low unemployment as well as record-setting tourism numbers, with more than 43-million visitors arriving in Toronto alone.

As a comparison to our neighbour to the south, the CBRE report notes that New York City attracted 15 global entrants in 2017, followed by Miami (10), Philadelphia (8), San Francisco (7) and San Diego (6). Luxury and mid-range fashion retailers targeted Miami and Philadelphia for expansion by tapping into the markets’ potential and affordability, according to CBRE. New York is also the country’s launch point for emerging retailers — examples include Anita Dongre (Indian bridal dresses), John Paul Ataker (Turkish gowns) and Intimissimi (Italian lingerie), which all opened flagship stores at prime locations in Manhattan and could expand to other US cities.

*TORONTO PHOTO: CBRE ‘HOW GLOBAL IS THE BUSINESS OF RETAIL?’ 2018 REPORT*

Canada, and specifically Toronto, has been a signifiant target for international retailers for the past several years. In CBRE’s study last year where it examined 2016 international retailers expanding globally, Toronto ranked ninth globally for cities seeing new retailers. Canada, and specifically Toronto, have scored highly for the past several years, with Vancouver trailing.

The CBRE study predicts that 2018 will continue to be a strong year for international retailers entering Canada, provided that optimism remains elevated. In January of 2019, Retail Insider will provide its tally of international retailers that entered Canada in 2018 as we’ve done for the past several years.

Yorkville Retail Pedestrian Passage to See Impressive Transformation

Craig Patterson

May 24, 2018

Yorkville Lane (Rendering: The Pearl Group)

Toronto’s upscale Yorkville area is known for its north-south pedestrian passages that connect its blocks, and one of these is seeing an overhaul that will be a very welcome addition to the neighbourhood. Already, Canada’s top rated restaurant Alo is confirmed to be opening in the new ‘Yorkville Lane’ that has an address of 162 Cumberland Street, and upscale bag and luggage retailer Betty Hemmings will relocate to a new store across from its existing location, to coincide with its rebranding.

The passageway is located between Cumberland Street and Yorkville Avenue at the base of an upscale condominium building that also features office and retail space at its base. The Pearl Group is a partner in the project that will see the overhauled walkway that will further connect the neighbourhood.

Updates will include new granite sidewalks that will be similar to those on nearby Bloor Street West, and a unique feature of the walkway will be ground lighting that will attract pedestrians to stroll even in the evenings. An updated design on Cumberland Street will welcome shoppers into the new ‘Yorkville Lane’, which will also feature a wider opening at its south end, as well as weather protection along the Cumberland Street frontage of the complex’s commercial base.

There are retail opportunities in Yorkville Lane — several previous tenants vacated prior to its now in-progress overhaul, leaving behind retail spaces that are being redesigned for new, contemporary tenants. Anchoring the courtyard of Yorkville Lane will be restaurant Alo, which also operates on Toronto’s Queen Street West. Alo, which will feature a patio in the courtyard, was ranked as being #1 in Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants of 2017 and 2018.

Yorkville Lane (Rendering: The Pearl Group)

Upscale Toronto-based bag and luggage retailer Betty Hemmings will be relocating to a fresh new space across from its existing store. It’s part of a transformation for the storied retailer, which will be rebranding as part of its move while also celebrating 40 years in business. We’ll be profiling the new ‘B. Hemmings & Co.’ store when it opens later this year — the retailer has an incredible story to tell, with its expansive offerings that include bespoke bags carried by some of Canada’s most prominent residents.

Yorkville Lane’s location is tremendous — the entrance to the Yorkville Village shopping centre is located across the street from the lane’s north entrance, which is anchored by upscale streetwear retailer CNTRBND to the west and CIBO Wine Bar to the east. Immediately west of the Cumberland Street entrance to Yorkville Lane is the nearly completed Cumberland Tower and Private Residences, which will feature some of Canada’s most expensive condominium apartments upon completion. Several of the building’s top floors will feature full-floor apartments exceeding 7,000 square feet each, with prices reported to be up to $25-million per home.

The entire Yorkville area is, in fact, home to some of Canada’s wealthiest residents — the rapidly growing downtown neighbourhood is becoming one of the most prestigious of its kind globally, similar in concept to Mayfair in London or New York City’s Upper East Side. Yorkville’s retail reflects its affluence — a few steps from Yorkville Lane on Yorkville Avenue are retail locations for names such as Richard Mille, Chanel, Christian Louboutin and Off-White and coming soon will be stores for Jimmy Choo, Brunello Cucinello and other luxury brands that will be announced as leases are executed.

Yorkville Lane is being marketed by brokerage CBRE in downtown Toronto, under the direction of Arlin Markowitz and his team that includes Alex Edmison and Jackson Turner. According to CBRE, units range in size between 394 square feet and more than 6,000 square feet. Yorkville Lane is part of the Yorkville neighbourhood transformation and for retailers that are interested in being part of it, contact Arlin Markowitz at: 416 669 5382 or email: Arlin.Markowitz@cbre.com.

Last Chance to Register for Canada’s Biggest Retail Event, STORE 2018

Retail Insider

May 23, 2018

Last Chance to Register for Canada’s Biggest Retail Event, STORE 2018

There’s still time to register for Canada’s biggest retail conference, STORE 2018, taking place May 29-30 at the Toronto Congress Centre in Toronto. The annual conference is hosted by Retail Council of Canada.

Join over 2,500 retail leaders from across North America for two days of discussions and learning at STORE 2018. There will also be ample networking opportunities, as well as two awards dinners, with more details to follow.

Packed with more than 85 speakers – representing the “who’s who” of retail in North America – this year’s two-day conference will identify critical trends and shifts in retail and provide retailers and their partners with information, contacts, strategies and tactics for ongoing success.

The conference has been structured to provide retailers with the choice of attending both provocative keynote presentations that cover matters affecting all retailers, as well as concurrent sessions that focus on store operations, marketing, merchant and supply chain, and digital and mobile. Content at STORE 2018 is also developed so regardless of a retailer’s size or type, whether large, medium or independent, mass merchant, apparel or grocery, there is a stream with relevant topics.

Several of the ‘Top 100 Retail Influencers of 2018’, as featured in Vend’s Top 100 Retail Influencers for 2018, will speak at STORE 2018 including:

Deborah Weinswig, Managing Director, Fund Global Retail & Technology
Rachel Shechtman, Founder & CEO, STORY
Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, Founder, RetailMinded.com
Kevin Graff, President, Graff Retail
Eric Morris, Director Retail, Google Canada
Doug Stephens, Founder, Retail Prophet
Harley Finkelstein, COO Shopify

As well, tickets are available for the Excellence in Retailing Awards taking place on the evening of Tuesday May 29, as well as the Grand Prix Gala that takes place the evening of Wednesday, May 30.

The full listing of STORE 2018 speakers is available at StoreConference.ca/speakers, and you can view the entire agenda at: StoreConference.ca/agenda.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit StoreConference.ca/tickets.

As well, on Monday, May 28, Retail Insider’s editor-in-chief Craig Patterson and Retail Council of Canada’s Michael Leblanc will be hosting a tour for retailers in Toronto that begins at CF Toronto Eaton Centre at 1:00 pm and ends at Yorkdale Shopping Centre several hours later. The tour is only available to retailers and interested parties can sign up here.

We look forward to seeing everyone at STORE 2018.

‘SOIA & KYO’ to Open First-Ever Retail Location

Craig Patterson

May 22, 2018

Screen+Shot+2018-05-22+at+7.18.38+PM — CONSTRUCTION SIGNAGE AT SQUARE ONE. PHOTO SUPPLIED.

Popular Canadian outerwear company SOIA & KYO is the latest brand to announce that it is opening its own retail stores, with its first location set to open in August at Mississauga’s Square One shopping centre.

The retail space will span about 2,300 square feet, according to the company, and will be located across from Square One’s Apple Store near the mall’s impressive Holt Renfrew-anchored ‘luxury wing’. The SOIA & KYO retail space will feature “beautifully crafted wood and metal” and “a warm inviting colour scheme,” with more details to come ahead of its August grand opening. And when it opens, the store will carry SOIA & KYO’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection including knitwear, blazers, wool jackets and coats, leather jackets, transitional pieces, down coats and accessories.

Brokerage Aurora Realty Consultants represents SOIA & KYO under the direction of Jeff Berkowitz, who negotiated the Square One deal on behalf of the retailer.

SOIA & KYO was founded by Quebec-based designer Ilan Elfassy in 2004 when he launched his first women’s outerwear collection. In 2010, he expanded the line by introducing men’s fashions. The line has become quite popular and is known for its made-in-Canada high-quality, warm garments that are priced slightly less than some premium outerwear brands such as Canada Goose, Moose Knuckles and Mackage.

The brand’s styling includes unique elements such as oversized buttons, asymmetrical collars, wide belts and contrast trimmings. Notable items include a range of classic trenches, soft suedes, and leather jackets as well as a variety of wools, downs and rainwear. The company says that its jackets are “designed to be the perfect balance between fashion and comfort”.

SOIA & KYO is a division of The APP Group, which is a family-run company based in Montreal which also owns fashion brand Mackage. The brand is available in an expansive range of multi-brand stores in North America, ranging from small boutiques to larger stores such as Nordstrom.

Brands are now opening their own retail stores at a pace not seen in the past, and several notable outerwear brands have recently gone in this direction. Sister brand Mackage now operates stores in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and New York City — its first store opened in October of 2015 at CF Carrefour Laval, and more are said to be in the works. Canada Goose opened its first-ever permanent storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in the fall of 2016, and the brand continues to open stores globally, with several more to soon be announced for Canada. Edgy Montreal-based Moose Knuckles unveiled its first North American store at Yorkdale in the winter of 2017 in a unique space designed by Canadian firm Burdifilek.

Opening stores often results in higher profit margins than those from wholesale accounts and as such, brands are looking to go direct-to-consumer. Canada Goose, which sources say has secured at least four more spaces in Canada to open stores, says that its own stores have margins of about 60%, compared to 43% from wholesaling.

Brands are also opening stores to showcase their product in a curated environment that best reflects the brand, while offering dedicated customer service as well as the possibility to offer exclusives, hold events, and otherwise engage with consumers in a way that might not be possible in a hosted multi-brand space.

SOIA & KYO wouldn’t say if more stores are in the works just yet, but noted that there is demand for the brand and to “keep an eye out and stay tuned”.

How to Turn Your Subscribers Into Loyal Customers

Retail Insider

May 22, 2018

How to Turn Your Subscribers Into Loyal Customers

By Greg Zakowicz, Senior Commerce Marketing Analyst, Bronto

Consumers are checking their email more often, and on more devices, than ever before. It’s not hard to see that email remains one of the most effective ways to reach customers. For savvy marketers, meeting consumers at this vital touchpoint is an opportunity that can’t be ignored.

But when it comes to consistently growing subscriber databases and maintaining subscriber engagement, the struggle – as they say – is real. Marketers often make the mistake of focusing on acquiring the sign-up, and then reverting to a generic batch-and–blast messaging strategy. But this causes your subscribers to disengage earlier. They expect you to send them relevant, personalized experiences. And if you don’t deliver, you can wave goodbye to those subscribers you worked so hard to acquire.

So, how do you grow your list size in a way that will help you collect the right customers and keep them engaged?

Be Consistent – and Creative

When looking to steadily grow your contact database, you need to take a consistent, multi-pronged approach. There are a few ways you can do this. First, include a sign-up above the fold of your homepage, or even better, on all pages of your site. This gives consumers an easy way to sign up while browsing on your site. This is especially important if they link directly to a product page from the web. Limiting the signup to only the homepage decreases your ability to secure a new subscriber.

You’ll also want to consider popups, dropdowns, and ribbons. These strategies are front and center to new visitors and are routinely the most effective list-growth tactics. Of course, don’t ignore other areas of growth: Include social pages, co-registration partnerships, and brick-and-mortar stores.

Now to address the elephant in the room: Should you offer an incentive for singing up? The answer is – it depends. Be wary of training your customers to wait for discounts to make purchases. You can always get creative when it comes to what to offer: A free gift with their next purchase, a weekly or monthly raffle for a gift card or other prize for new signups, or even partner with a cause that is meaningful to your subscribers – which is another great way to personalize.

For example, if your brand sells men’s underwear, consider supporting a testicular cancer foundation. Promote and communicate this cause on your website, and ask them to sign-up to receive more information on how they can help get involved. You can even provide a “coupon code” to use at checkout that will allow that discount to be donated, rather than taken off the purchase price. This way the consumer becomes emotionally connected, and the brand can track the effectiveness of the campaign.

Get Personal

You’ve acquired new subscribers. Now it’s time to personalize their experience. Regardless of the products you sell – men’s underwear, cookies or car parts – personalization (even on a small scale) can have a deep and lasting effect. It can be the difference between keeping subscribers engaged – or having them hit “unsubscribe.”

The good news is that difference is entirely up to you. Even if you are using a batch-and-blast email strategy, look for areas where you can maximize personalization and create a bond with your customer. This could be acquisition source (on-site), email or purchase behavior. If you know your subscriber signed up to receive emails while viewing men’s shoes, your welcome message or series should have a high focus on men’s shoes. Include intuitive product recommendations in your batch-and-blast messages – making them immediately more relevant. If users click on a maternity link inside of your emails, they should be sent emails focused on maternity items. If they are a recent purchaser, helpful tips on how to care for a newly purchased product is a great way to build trust and provide value to a customer.

The best part of all of this is that this can all be automated, taking a large burden off your team.

Make Them Believers

Commerce marketing isn’t about acquisition versus retention – it’s a combined strategy. You want to acquire the right customer and then engage them effectively along the way by showing that your brand understands them.

Focusing on your overall strategy will help get the right message, to the right customer, at the right time. This is where using segmentation, automation, send frequency and personalization can help.

Remember: One-size-fits-all might work for concert t-shirts, but it rarely – if ever – works for email.

Oracle + Bronto arms high-growth retailers with sophisticated marketing automation to maximize revenue opportunities. The Bronto Marketing Platform powers personalized multichannel content that generates the higher engagement needed for retail success. Keenly focused on the commerce marketer, Bronto continues its longstanding tradition as a leading email marketing provider to the global Internet Retailer Top 1000 and boasts a client roster of leading brands, including Rebecca Minkoff, Timex, Lucky Brand, Theory, Brooks Sports, Ashley Homestore and Christopher & Banks. For more information, visit bronto.com.

*****

*Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, contact Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com.

Kix Mobile to Enter Canada with Aggressive Expansion

Mario Toneguzzi

May 20, 2018

Florida-based Kix Mobile has launched an aggressive expansion into the Canadian market starting with the Greater Toronto Area.

The company buys, sells, trades mobile devices, provides replacement Xchange-Repair™, sells accessories and offers prepaid phone plans.

John Goodish, vice-president of Mississauga-based Franchise 360, which is spearheading the expansion into the Canadian market, said Kix Mobile plans to open 20 new stores in the GTA in the near future.

It also has plans to expand up to about 300 locations throughout Canada. He said there’s no time frame on that expansion.

The company’s appeal is that if someone breaks or damages their cellphone Kix Mobile will be able to sell them a refurbished phone with a warranty at a much lower cost than repairing a damaged phone and within a few minutes of purchase.

“What we do is exchange SIM cards, transfer over data and away you go,” said Goodish.

He said the company plans to open its first location in the Toronto area in June.

“We’re actively dealing with the real estate proponent of it now. Securing leases. We expect to have at least one unit open, hopefully more than one, in June of this year,” said Goodish.

“We think we can have 20 locations in the GTA in probably 12 to 18 months.”

Goodish said Kix Mobile locations would be in shopping malls, in strip plazas and a store within a larger store. Stores could be in set store units in a larger shopping mall or as a kiosk.

“It’s massively convenient for the consumer and it’s cost effective. It’s much more efficient,” said Goodish of why consumers are attracted to the company.

“Ninety per cent of adults in urban centres have cellphones. If our cellphone goes down, we’ve all got a problem right. I actually say there goes my brain. You can’t be without them in this day and age. This is just a unique opportunity to keep consumers on the go and keep them in touch.”

Goodish said Franchise 360 has been researching new concepts to bring to its local market and realized that Kix Mobile was something the Canadian market was missing.

In a news release Paul Wolbert, CEO of Kix Mobile, said: “Canada is a wide-open market opportunity for Kix Mobile and we are extremely excited to be expanding our brand there. This is the first step of our goal in developing approximately 300 stores or more throughout the country. John and his team have a wealth of franchising knowledge and we are confident of the team’s ability to grow the brand throughout the GTA and beyond.”

Kix Mobile was founded in 2016.

LAUNCH Ecommerce Event in Vancouver: Saturday, May 26

Retail Insider

May 18, 2018

LAUNCH Ecommerce Event in Vancouver: Saturday, May 26

Some of the best minds in e-commerce will be at this year’s LAUNCH event, taking place on Saturday, May 26 in Vancouver. In collaboration with Shopify, LAUNCH will include talks by industry leaders, informative breakout sessions, and networking. Tickets are already very affordable and Retail Insider readers can get a 50% discount when using promo code RETAILINSIDER50. [Buy Tickets Here]

The one day event, which runs from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm, takes place at the Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre at 162 W. 1st Avenue in the Olympic Village area just outside of the downtown core.

An impressive roster of speakers come from companies such as Shopify, Aritzia, ColourPop, Noelle Floyd, Fame House and Satel Creative, among others. The talks and workshops are from those who are not only experts in their fields, but are also hands-on, industry-leading professionals. Included as well are in-depth panel discussions as well as a networking lunch (lunch provided) where attendees can speak to other industry professionals — it’s a great way to connect. To top it off, at the end of the day, there will be cocktails and live music.

The day consists of talks, panels and networking. The full schedule can be viewed here.

There’s still time to register and as mentioned above, we’re providing a 50% off discount code if you use RETAILINSIDER50. [Register Here]

For more information:

[Speakers]

[Schedule]

[Highlights]

[Tickets]

[Getting to the Location]

[FAQ]

<br />