ELXR Juice Lab, which provides healthy alternatives to conventional food products, continues to see a growing market in what it sells and that’s leading to expansion plans for the company.
It has opened three permanent retail locations in Toronto in the past few months with more opening by the end of this year.
Dan Gelshteyn, founder of ELXR, said more permanent retail locations are in the company’s long-term plans.
“Because of the format of our business, everything is grab and go a lot of it is made off-site. It’s kind of quick service. So we’re looking really for high traffic areas that work with our demographic. All of our stores are under 500 square feet. That’s kind of what we’re looking for throughout the city,” he said.
“We’re trying to open up at least a few more by fall and then continuing from there.”
Gelshteyn said the company is hoping to open three more permanent locations this year. It will also have a few pop-up locations.
“Here and there, wherever there’s opportunities and we feel it’s a good fit for our brand. I really like the idea of pop-ups because they give us a lot of knowledge on who our target customer is,” he added.
The company says it believes in going back to its roots to promote longevity and reliance on simple, unadulterated wholesome nutrition for whole body nourishment.
It sells cold-pressed juices, protein-dense plant-based milks, waters booster shots and cleanse packages.
“There’s a huge health movement going on . . . It’s a really convenient way for people to access their daily nutrients especially for a city like Toronto where people are on the go. Moving, moving, moving. And sometimes they forget to get a healthy lunch or don’t have time to fully sit down. So it’s a really great solution for people on the go,” said Gelshteyn.
“And with juices, effectively they’re absorbed into your bloodstream within 10 to 15 minutes so you instantly feel a lot better after consuming such a product with so many live enzymes and nutrients.”
The company launched at the beginning of 2015.
“The first year we just did strictly wholesale. We set up a lot of partners within Toronto where we supplied different cafes, grocery stores, with our cold-pressed juices. In the second year of business we started with our pop-up approach,” said Gelshteyn.
“We just wanted to test retail. We’ve always been really passionate about the retail side of the business and being able to communicate with our customers and being able to understand from a product development standpoint and to create more of an experience instead of just sending it to different stores and hoping that people understand our products. The pop-ups were a really big success.”
YORKVILLE VILLAGE ELXR LOCATION.
A location in Yorkville Village opened last October. It was the company’s first permanent location. The second permanent location at King and Spadina opened towards the end of November. And the third permanent location at Bayview Village opened in mid-March.
Brokerage RKF represented ELXR under the direction of Ali Fieder and Steven Alikakos, and are working with the company on future deals.
ELXR products can also be found in several other stores throughout Toronto.
ELXR at BAYVIEW VILLAGE
Gelshteyn said the company hopes to eventually expand to about 10 locations in Toronto with the possibility the brand could grow in the future outside the city.
“We work with different offices in downtown Toronto where we have different solutions depending on the amount of employees and the type of office it is. We do everything from setting up mini fridges in offices and replenishing daily juices for anyone working in the office to grab,” he said.
The company name derives from the word elixir which is a magical or medicinal potion, a substance believed to cure ills and maintain a healthy life.
TJX Canada continued in 2017 to expand its dominance of the Canadian Apparel Market thanks to the increase in its apparel sales coupled with the disappointing performance of Walmart Canada, the country’s second largest apparel retailer. Trendex estimates that TJX’s apparel sales totaled C$2,942 million in 2017, an 11% increase over its 2016 sales. Winners, the country’s largest apparel retailer, recorded a 6.2% sales increase last year. (So, who said you have to sell online to be successful?)
In total, TJX Canada’s sales during 2017 increased 14.9% to US$3.6 billion. Undoubtedly part of the conglomerates increase was due to its adding 36 new stores. Winners store count increased by 9 to 264, while Marshalls added 16 stores and ended the year with 73 stores. (Note, Trendex is now officially admitting that it was wrong when it forecasted three years ago that Marshalls would eventually never come close to operating 100 stores in Canada.) Whether the opening of Nordstrom’s Rack in Canada this year will effect TJX Canada in the short-term is questionable as it seemed that Off Fifth had minimal effect on TJX’s 2017 apparel sales. Undoubtedly TJX has, and will continue to benefit from Sears Canada’s demise. However, in the long-term the question, asked but not answered, is to what degree will Canada’s love affair with off-price apparel retailing continue?
Randy Harris is president and owner of Trendex North America, Inc., one of North America’s largest marketing research and consulting firms specializing in the Canadian and Mexican apparel markets. As owner of this Toledo, Ohio based company; his area of specialization is the NAFTA apparel market. Follow Trendex North America, Inc. on Twitter at @Trendexnainfo
BRIEF: Mastermind Toys Expanding, Avenue Road Comes to Van, Tesla Partners with CF
Mastermind Toys Undergoing Treatment for March Madness
PHOTO: MASTERMIND TOYS FACEBOOK
While another large toy retailer is teetering on a precipice of uncertainty, Mastermind Toys is right on track with the company’s 2018 growth plans. Canada’s largest specialty toy and children’s books retailer has announced three more stores will open in quick succession this month. Joining the Mastermind Toys family is the newly opened St. Albert, AB location which will be followed by Saskatoon South, SK and Hamilton, ON, for a total of 63 Canadian locations.
Since 2011, Mastermind Toys has opened 53 new toy stores, expanding from its origins in the Greater Toronto Area. By the end of 2018, the Canadian-owned and operated company expects to have over 70 stores across eight provinces with 1,300 employees, adding over 45,000-square-feet to its retail footprint.
In 2018, Mastermind Toys will invest in consumer-focused digital initiatives, including plans to introduce a new Click and Collect program which gives shoppers the option to reserve online and pick up their order in-store. The company will also launch an innovative and socially conscious loyalty program that will reward and inspire its customers.
More details will be announced later this year.
Cadillac Fairview Blooms Canada-wide with Annual Flower Market
Image: CF Flower Markets
Now that Spring is here, what better way to celebrate than with large floral displays and the occasional 8-foot tall bunny topiaries (perfect for social media enthusiasts, featuring Pantone’s colour of the year – ultra violet).
The CF Flower Markets began popping up in Cadillac Fairview shopping centres nationwide on March 17th. These immersive and stunning pop-ups are inspired by the open-air markets commonly found in Europe. Each CF Flower Market welcomes a range of local, independent businesses who do not have storefronts within CF properties — including beauty brand Flawless by Friday, profiled in Retail Insider last week. Guests will be able to shop everything from flowers to fashion, accessories, seasonal fare, and more.
While CF Shops at Don Mills will begin hosting from April 29 to May 13, the markets on the west coast at CF Pacific Centre and CF Richmond Centre are already hosting their markets offering a selection of fresh blooms alongside curated fashion-and-lifestyle items until April 1st.
A full list of retailers and hours is available at www.cfshops.com. Video below.
Avenue Road Readies for Traffic in YVR’s Gastown
Image: Avenue Road
At the end of January, Retail-Insider reported on Avenue Road, the upscale Toronto-based furniture store, was preparing for launch in Vancouver’s historic Gastown. Avenue Road is in great company with new neighbour Fendi Casa Bentley Home across West Pender and Versace Home a few blocks north on West Cordova, the west end of Gastown is now a burgeoning luxury furniture and homewares shopping destination.
With savvy Vancouver designers and homeowners always on the search for new shapes and sophisticated pieces, the market is ready for leading design brands that Avenue Road carries. The curated collections include Bruno Moinard, Kvadrat/Raf Simons, and Christophe Delcourt, as well as Canadian designers like Yabu Pushelberg and Moss & Lam. British brand The Rug Company is situated over most of the lower floor with the north corner decorated bright white with fragmented tile-flooring and windows creating an area with a separate Hamilton Street entrance. The pop-up nook is currently occupied by Hanna by Celsia Floral.
Retail Insider’s Helen Siwak did a walk-through and shared the advance images above.
Salami Company urbanibrands Rolls-Out Vegan NOBLE Jerky®
Image: NOBLE Jerky®
With over 50 years and 3 generations of family in the salami business, it would seem the future in the meat business for the Urbani family was clearly laid out. Instead, the Port Moody based business forecast a grim outlook on the sustainability of animal-based agriculture and the meat industry.
Utilizing years of meat drying technical knowledge, along with some new developments in plant proteins, Urbani Foods developed NOBLE jerky® in four flavours: BBQ, chipotle, teriyaki, and original pepper. A plant protein-based jerky that has the taste, and characteristic tear and bite of slowly marinated and dried beef jerky. The products’ base is tempeh and plant protein, is all natural, and non-GMO.
NOBLE jerky® is the newest addition to the company’s vegan food line. Also available is a line of flavoured Kale & Quinoa Bites (Mediterranean, Bombay Coconut Curry, Teriyaki, and Rosemary & Lemon), Super Grain Panko, and a family pleaser FiercePop in sriracha, chipotle, and teriyaki.
ME to WE India Tea Focusing on Clean Water for India
Image: ME to WE and DAVIDsTea
Youth charity WE has announced a new partnership with DAVIDs TEA on a new initiative that will see them extending their unique brand into India with a new product – ME to WE India tea.
Since launching in 2016, the partnership gave 1 year of clean drinking water to over 47,000 Kenyans, and now ME to WE is focusing on India, the second most populated country in the world. DAVIDs TEA and ME to WE are widening the global commitments and recently held a special preview of the ME to WE India tea on the morning of March 19th at the WE Global Learning Centre.
Representatives (ME to WE’s co-founder Craig Kielburger and DAVIDsTEA’s Head of Marketing Catherine Laporte) were available for interviews and discussion explored the inner workings of this partnership, and the success that it brought to both companies, and why DAVIDsTEA was the retailer of choice for this.
Green explained that in order to do womenswear, the company would “have to do it right” and one of the complexities is that in womenswear, there are dozens of silhouettes. Prior to any women’s expansions, Indochino is looking to expand into casual pants and ‘untuckit’ shirts, with a goal to have more than 100 showrooms in North America. Green explained the brilliance and cost effectiveness of not having to carry inventory in its stores, a differentiating point from most off-the-rack retailers.
Indochino launched and established itself online before opening its first bricks and mortar location in Vancouver’s Gastown in 2014 and is continuing to make strides with its immersive and engaging showrooms and its three-week delivery promise on all orders. The company continues to rapidly open showrooms with plans for 18 more in 2018.
Tesla Partners with Cadillac Fairview on Expansion
Image: TESLA AT CF SHERWAY GARDENS
California-based electric car company Tesla will open its fourth Canadian shopping centre location this summer at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens. Tesla continues to see strong sales in Canada and has partnered with Cadillac Fairview for an expansion with more expected to follow.
Tesla currently operates Canadian stores in Vancouver, Toronto, Oakville ON, Calgary, Montreal and Quebec City. The Montreal store/sales centre is the largest in North America, spanning an impressive 45,000 square feet. The company’s other three mall-based stores are at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Tesla’s first store in Canada), at Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre, and at Park Royal in West Vancouver.
Popular gourmet California ice cream chain Cauldron Ice Cream is set to open its first Canadian location in Toronto this summer.
Toronto-based franchise holding company W&S Canada Corp. has signed a lease at 502 Queen Street West – located in between Bathurst St. and Spadina Ave. – with plans to open the new location this summer. The company intends to eventually open several other locations in Toronto as well.
Cauldron, which launched in 2015, specializes in liquid nitrogen ice cream – a trendy new way of making small batches of ice cream instantaneously. Cauldron offers a variety of unique flavours such as Earl Grey Lavender, Milk and Cereal, S’mores, H20 Rose, Pineapple Express, and Red Velvet.
Image: Cauldron Ice Cream
Cauldron has gained notoriety for the artistic presentation of its ice cream, which is often served in the shape of roses. The chain is also well known for its “OG Puffle Cone”, an egg-based waffle cone that was inspired by a popular Hong Kong street snack.
“We had been following Cauldron for a while and were interested in finding a way to bring the innovative and exciting concept to Canada,” W&S Canada says in a statement emailed to Retail Insider.
The new Queen Street store will be Cauldron Ice Cream’s first location outside of California. The chain currently operates a handful of locations throughout California, including stores in Santa Ana, Artesia, Glendale and Chino Hills. The company has plans to open more than 10 additional locations, including stores in Orange, San Diego and Santa Clara counties.
Since Toronto has become a hotspot for trendy food items, with consumers willing to wait in lengthy lineups for foods ranging from cheesecake and donuts to tacos and burgers, W&S Canada says the city is an ideal location for Cauldron Ice Cream.
CAULDRON WILL REPLACE THE ‘EPICURE CAFE & GRILL’ AT 502 QUEEN STREET WEST. PHOTO: GOOGLE STREET VIEW.
“The first Cauldron store will be located in Toronto, which is a vibrant city that we love,” says the statement from W&S Canada. “We think Cauldron’s unique flavors and presentation will be a welcome addition to Toronto’s budding food community.”
The franchisees expect that Cauldron will become a destination within the city. “Cauldron will bring more than just ice cream to Canada,” W&S Canada says. “It will bring an experience.”
Upscale fragrance brand Atelier Cologne is expanding further into Canada this spring with its first standalone retail space that is set to be unveiled at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre on Saturday, April 14. It’s a major score for the Toronto mall, considering that the retailer only has 14 stores globally, and only three of them in North America. More locations are in the works, however, as parent company L’Oreal embarks on an aggressive international expansion for the unique fragrance brand.
Christophe Cervasel and Sylvie Ganter
Atelier Cologne was founded in Paris in 2009 by husband-wife team Christophe Cervasel and Sylvie Ganter, who met in New York City in 2006 and turned their true love story into a business. The company is considered to be the first fragrance house entirely dedicated to cologne. According to the company, it has “been reinventing the world of perfume with Cologne Absolue, an entirely new olfactive family of natural, unprecedentedly long-wearing scents”.
The fragrances are “one hundred percent handcrafted in France with the highest quality raw materials from around the world,” with the website going on to say, “each pure perfume focuses on a hero ingredient that invites you to unbottle your story”.
The brand has 14 boutiques globally — three of them are in Paris, two are in London, two are in Hong Kong, three are in China (two in Shanghai and one in Cheng Du) one is in Seoul, and three are in the United States. In the US, Atelier Cologne has two boutiques in New York City (one in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn) as well as in San Francisco. Yorkdale will be the brand’s first mall-based store in North America.
Brooklyn Boutique
Hong Kong Storefront
Paris Boutique
New York Storefront
“This first Canadian Atelier Cologne boutique marks a new chapter in the international expansion of the French Maison de Parfum and sets the tone for a true success story in Canada. We are very proud and excited to have this one-of-a-kind concept boutique for the first time in Canada to showcase and convey a unique brand experience to customers”, said Carl D Morisset, General Manager for L’Oréal Designer Brands, Canada.
CARL D MORISSET
The 625 square foot Yorkdale boutique will be located in the mall’s Nordstrom-anchored wing, across from Uniqlo and Muji stores. Atelier Cologne will feature more than 140 products including a focus on the Maison de Parfum’s best-selling fragrances, including the recently launched Iris Rebelle. Shoppers will have the opportunity to choose among 32 Colognes Absolues as well as the company’s line of soaps, body & hair shower gels, moisturizing body lotions, hand creams and a Home Collection of candles – all of which are produced with traditional French craftsmanship, according to the company.
Mr. Morisset explained that the store will have a variety of price points, ranging from about $34 for a rollerball to $295 for a larger bottle of fragrance. The store will also include candles (priced at about $95) as well as hand cream, shower gels and other products.
Customers will be encouraged to try and buy several fragrances — Mr. Morisset explained how the company encourages a “fragrance wardrobe” depending on one’s mood and activity.
Personalization with a customer-centric vision will be key to the new store location. Atelier Cologne Perfume Artists will provide fragrance consultations, and leather cases in 17 colours can then be personalized with a name, initials or a specific message by an engraving machine available on site. Atelier Cologne candles also include leather tags that can be customized, and the store will also feature a gift wrapping station.
The Yorkdale boutique’s Venetian blue storefront will catch the eye of passers-by, and its interior will feature ample use of wood as well as industrial furniture, vintage lamps and stools discovered by the founders during their travels around the world. As well, small orange tree plants will be found throughout — the orange trees reference the citrus base of some of Atelier Cologne’s fragrances, which have proven to be popular.
Mr. Morisset explained that Yorkdale was chosen as Canada’s first because of its exceptional productivity as well as its base of wealthy shoppers. Yorkdale is Canada’s most productive mall in terms of sales per square foot according to a Retail Council of Canada study and as well, the centre continues to add luxury retailers — that clustering has resulted in Yorkdale becoming a destination for affluent shoppers.
Yorkdale will be the first of several locations for Atelier Cologne in Canada, according to Mr. Morisset. Vancouver is a target for at least one store, he said, and Toronto could see a second boutique. Potential storefronts could be on street-fronts, in malls, and even airports in various markets — travel retail is increasingly becoming more important to retailers, with airports featuring some of the most productive retail spaces in the country. It’s too soon to tell just how many boutiques will open in Canada, and Yorkdale will act as an initial test market prior to a wider expansion.
Atelier Cologne locations are generally intimate in size — its largest store spans about 1,000 square feet over two levels at Covent Garden in London, while one of its two Hong Kong boutiques is about 250 square feet.
Saint Florentin Storefront
One of the reasons Atelier Cologne is rolling out standalone stores is so that the company can showcase its entire collection, in an environment that also reflects its branding and customer service expectations. The company will also remain in its numerous partners in Canada that include Sephora and Nordstrom, with the idea that standalone stores will also help enhance brand awareness at the company’s wholesale accounts.
The Yorkdale Atelier Cologne boutique opens at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 14th, and the first 50 people in line will receive a complimentary 30 ml Citron d’Érable fragrance (worth $90) and a passport gift card worth from $10 to $500. As well, every customer will be entered into a contest to win Atelier Cologne’s ultimate basket with 10 of the Maison’s most iconic products.
The opening will also signal the launch of The Atelier Cologne Journal, a 100% Canadian magazine created to discover “all things fragrance and a few of the Maison’s favourite things”. This luxurious print journal will offer information pertaining to the inspiration behind the house’s scents, tips on how best to build one’s fragrance wardrobe, and related photographs and illustrations.
Last week at Toronto’s Venture Out conference, Dax Dasilva, founder and CEO of Lightspeed, gave a keynote presentation about the importance of diversity in the world of business. Venture Out, which was held at the MaRS Discovery District, saw hundreds of attendees who came together to discuss tech and entrepreneurship in the LGBTQA+ community.
Hosted by John Moore, Morning Show host at Newstalk 1010 Radio, the Q and A discussed Lightspeed including the benefits of diversity in the workplace, and how different points of view can enrich business. Mr. Dasilva described how Lightspeed was founded on diversity, and how it continues to see strength from its team members who come from a variety of backgrounds. Inclusiveness was the message of the day, with a message to attendees that success is possible with hard work and perseverance.
Mr. Dasilva would know — he founded Lightspeed more than a decade ago, growing the company that now boasts the most powerful cloud-based commerce solution for independent retail and restaurants, and is one of the fastest-growing tech companies in Canada. Lightspeed has been working with independent retailers and restaurants and the company’s aim is to support these businesses, which are integral to our economy and to communities. The diversity of the retail industry further lends itself to a uniqueness sometimes not found in larger, more ‘mainstream’ retail chains.
The fireside chat also highlighted Mr. Dasilva’s involvement in the community through Never Apart, his not-for-profit organization that aims to ignite positive social change and spiritual awareness through cultural programming
In the discussion, Mr. Dasilva described the benefits to being in Montreal, which is considered to be one of the world’s most progressive and inclusive cities. Montreal is also seeing a tech boom that is providing opportunities to individuals from all walks of life. Lightspeed’s gorgeous new headquarter offices are located in a restored heritage hotel in Old Montreal, featuring a mix of modern design and century-old materials.
Lightspeed supports independent businesses and their respective communities — for every dollar spent at an independent retailer, it’s estimated that between $5 and $14 is created in value to the local community. Supporting the local economy builds confidence in the community while enabling local businesses to prosper and grow, while the site claims that for every dollar spent at a national chain store, about 80% of the money “leaves town immediately”.
PHOTO: VENTURE OUT
“The time is now for independents,” said Mr. Dasilva, going on to describe the advantage to being an independent retailer. “Small and medium-size retailers are more nimble — they have the ability to set up shop almost overnight and can easily navigate a transition from a solo brick-and-mortar presence, to an ecommerce and omnichannel platform. Omnichannel POS solutions like Lightspeed democratize the access for multiple sales channels, and smart independents are often the first to adopt new technology quickly,” he said.
More than 50,000 retailers and restaurateurs processing over $15 billion in transactions annually use Lightspeed to grow and manage their business. Founded in 2005 with offices in Canada, USA, and Europe, Lightspeed is backed by Accel Partners, iNovia Capital, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Investissement Québec (IQ). Lightspeed has evolved from four employees working in a small Montreal apartment to over 500, spread over 8 offices around the world, and according to Mr. Dasilva, it’s preparing for an IPO that is expected for some time next year.
LIGHTSPEED’S IMPRESSIVE OLD MONTREAL HEAD OFFICE
Venture Out is Canada’s first conference for LGBTQA+ students and young professionals interested in careers in tech and entrepreneurship. Every year, they gather together with startups, speakers, and thought leaders from across Canada at MaRS Discovery District for workshops, receptions, panels, and networking opportunities.
Loma Ammar, a clinical geriatric pharmacist, has a passion for helping people lead healthier lifestyles.
It’s that passion that led her to establish CycleBar Windermere in Edmonton – the brand’s first upscale indoor cycling studio in Western Canada.
The Edmonton location, in about 3,000 square feet, will open March 26.
Ammar said the studio will have 51 stationary bikes in the cycle theatre.
“Essentially what we offer is high intensity, interval training on a stationary bike in the environment that is very similar to a nightclub. It’s dark. Loud music. There’s lights in there and it’s essentially a different way to get a workout in,” says Ammar.
“The benefits of cycling is that number one it’s excellent for cardiovascular activity. Very, very low impact . . . And on top of it all, it’s fun. The music. The fact that there’s 50 people in a room sweating it out together, feels like you’re in a concert then you’re done. Essentially it brings together all these different elements that working out in a regular gym or working out on your own you don’t typically get. There’s something about group fitness. You feed off the energy of those around you.”
CycleBar has more than 150 locations in North America.
“They’ve branched out into areas even overseas, Dubai and Great Britain, and we are number two in Canada. The first location was in Toronto and that opened last year,” says Ammar.
