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BRIEF: Toys R Us Canada Could be Saved, New Luxury Retail Concept Coming to Canada

By
Helen Siwak
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Luxury Gift Boutique ‘Cocoàge’ to Enter Canada with Multiple Locations

Unique luxury gift boutique concept Cocoàge plans to open between three and five boutiques in Canada, and it’s partnered with brokerage Think Retail for the expansion. 

Cocoàge is a very unique concept that is sure to be a hit amongst affluent gift-givers. The company retails preserved flowers in luxurious paper boxes as well as clear acrylic square boxes, which are ideal for displaying. Flowers are packed ‘by the dozen’ with selections ranging from 12 to 48 — prices for a dried bouquet range between $200 and $500. 

The preserved flowers can be paired with Cocoàge’s exclusive collection of exquisite products including gold-infused Belgian milk chocolate bars, toffees, truffles, chocolate covered nuts, gourmet popcorn, and more.

Designs for the store interiors reflect warmth, with colours and lighting to set a calm, romantic mood. Shoppers will be greeted by concierge-style staff, sat in comfortable armchairs and be presented flowers, treats, gift options, and offered taste tests.

With the initial focus being Toronto, ideal spaces are in the 700 to 1,000-square-foot range in super regional shopping centres. Interested landlords may contact broker Tony Flanz at Think Retail.

Sugarfina Sweetens Up on Oakridge Centre for 2nd Canadian Store

Think Retail’s Tony Flanz has been busy in Vancouver – Los Angeles-based luxury ‘grownup’ candy retailer Sugarfina, which opened its first Canadian store at Metropolis at Metrotown east of Vancouver in November of 2017, will open its second Lower Mainland boutique at Oakridge Centre in the spring. 

The 450-square-foot boutique will be located next to Swarovski and across from the mall’s Aritzia and Gap stores, near the mall’s food court. Oakridge Centre, which is Canada’s second-most productive mall in terms of sales per-square-foot, is about to undergo a spectacular overhaul that will see it become the heart of a new mixed-use community in Vancouver, unlike anything seen in Canada to date.

Sugarfina confirms that the company intends on operating standalone stores in Vancouver as well as in the Toronto market, with as many as 10 locations in Canada in the coming years. According to Think Retail’s website, Sugarfina is seeking retail space in major malls, ideally in the 600-square-foot to 1,000-square -foot range.

Sugarfina stores feature premium items made from high-quality ingredients, sourced directly from artisan candy makers around the globe. Products include gourmet chocolates, caramels, gummies, malt balls, licorice and other delicious confections. Champagne-infused gummies and maple bourbon caramels have been popular, with celebrity endorsements helping grow brand awareness. The Sugarfina concept has grown rapidly, now boasting over 30 boutiques in the United States with three of those being located in Nordstrom stores.

Miele Announces New Flagship in Yorkdale

Miele has announced that it will open a new flagship in the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. Slated to open in summer 2018, the 2,200-square-foot location will be the first for the brand in a highly frequented premium shopping mall which attracts 18 million visitors per year.

Besides having their headquarters in Vaughn, Ontario, since 1989, this new endeavour also demonstrates the commitment of Miele to the Canadian market where demand for its world-leading, premium appliances continues to grow.

Since 2004, the brand has opened four Miele Experience Centers – located in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. The new Yorkdale location will reinforce the Miele brand image characterized by quality, design, innovation and sustainability.

Yorkdale Shopping Centre is Canada’s leading shopping destination and most successful shopping centre with a diverse mix of more than 270 shops and services.

Luxury Home & Design Show Ready to Transform BC Place

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Vancouver’s Luxury Home & Design Show is back June 21st-24th, with its largest four-day presentation which will see BC Place transformed by exhibitors into an 80,000-square-foot “Italian piazza.”

With ticket prices ranging from $50 for a Professional Day pass to $1,000 Tea Pavilion experience, visitors to LHDS will be able to shop the latest in luxury and elegance through artwork, home décor, and other bespoke items.

This edition will showcase many international designers, artisans and exhibitors plus many locally available luxury lifestyle brands such as Bentley Home, Fendi Casa, Versace Home, Paramount Home & Design, Roche Bobois, and M. Zanatta Homes & Design.

The founder of the LHDS and Editor-in-Chief of Taste of Life magazine, Wendy Guo, has put together a luxury home event which has gathered unique and artisanal crafted items from the far corners of the globe that will be available for sale, and showcases the latest in technology and innovations, trends in luxury home and design, and sustainable and healthy living.

Charitable partners – Arts Umbrella and BC Cancer Foundation – will benefit from the Opening Night Debut & Charity Fundraiser sponsored by the Italian Chamber of Commerce.

Fairfax Could Acquire Toys R Us Canada

The Globe & Mail [paywall] reports that Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. has entered into a confidentiality agreement with the Canadian unit of Toys R Us Inc. which could result in a $300 million deal that would allow Toys R Us to separate from its US-based parent and exit bankruptcy protection. 

The Globe & Mail also reports that other interested investors will have until Monday to bid on the Canadian arm of Toys R Us, which has 82 stores, 22 of which are owned and are appraised at about $220 million. 

Toys R Us Canada is said to be profitable, representing about 7% of the company’s worldwide sales and operating relatively independently with its own purchasing systems and merchandising. 

There’s more to come with this story, so stay tuned. The original Globe & Mail article that we are referencing has more information and background on the topic, and can be read here — but it’s only available behind a paywall to ‘Unlimited’ subscribers. 

*As an extra teaser, next week we’ll be ‘briefly’ discussing SSENSE‘s new five-level Montreal flagship, scheduled to open in May. 

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How Loblaw Can Improve Customer Experience of its New PC Optimum Program

By
Retail Insider
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Loblaw Companies Limited (“Loblaw”) purchased Shoppers Drug Mart in a deal worth $CDN 12.4-billion back in July 2015. Both companies had strong loyalty programs under the PC Plus (8 million members) and Shoppers Optimum (11 million members) branding. Loblaw decided to merge these two popular programs into a one called PC Optimum on February 1, 2018. Once all the members fully enroll into this new program, it is expected that membership total would exceed 11 million.

In anticipation, Loblaw increased the loyalty liability (the estimated liability from the outstanding points available for redemption under the new program) by CDN $189 million to CDN $413 million as at December 31, 2017.

Account Merge Challenges

From the start, it was widely reported that both existing program members encountered many challenges with the merger process. Instead of using the PC Plus or Shoppers Optimum platform as the foundation, members from both programs were invited to supply new information and sync up all their loyalty points data separately into the new PC Optimum platform. All the new account creation and data transfer overwhelmed the systems and resulted in system outages.  There are other reported cases where customers noted their loyalty point data was inaccurately merged and had to frustratingly contact the helplines to resolve their issues.

Two Months In

While the majority of account merger related issues are largely behind the new loyalty program, there is a new set of challenges on how promotions are communicated and managed. Previously, PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum operated under two different principles when it comes to earning points:

PC Plus – Points can be earned from purchasing targeted items at Loblaw and its affiliates and through the use of PC Financial MasterCard.  

Shoppers Optimum – All purchased transactions (except for selective items such as bus tickets, lottery tickets, prescriptions and gift cards) will earn base points. Additional bonuses could be collected by purchasing specially marked products or promoted products found in the mobile application.

With PC Optimum, both methods of earning points are employed. While there is a Frequently Asked Question section available in the PC Optimum’s website, many members of the new program are very confused as to when and how they can earn and redeem points.  For example, while you can still earn base points at Shoppers Drug Mart, you cannot do so at any Loblaw branded supermarkets.

On a weekly basis, members are asked to check their inbox for an email from the program with the new promotions. As the add all button does not always work, members would have to spend time to individually add product or points promotions online or in the mobile application. They also have to check regularly for other random daily promotions. It can be a tedious process over a longer period of time. Additionally, affiliates like Joe Fresh are not included in any weekly promotions thus reducing potential online or foot traffic to the store.

The program makes it difficult for the members to track and use all the promotions added to their accounts. They do not receive timely notifications to remind them which promotional items are about to expire or ones that have been redeemed.

In a recent informal Twitter survey conducted by Retail Insider at the end of March 2018, a majority of the responders (61%) polled found that it was too time consuming to individually add promotional items onto their profile, while 32% wanted a money spent method of earning points and 7% did not mind loading only the items they wanted. 

Lack of Redemption Opportunities

PC Plus had a straight forward policy for points redemption.  Each 10,000 points can be redeemed for CDN $10 off with a minimum redemption of 20,000 points. Shoppers Optimum used a tier scale which reward members saving their points for mega redemption events (e.g. 95,000 points for CDN $200).

The new program uses the older PC Plus method but eliminated the 20,000 points minimum requirement. While it seems like the straight forward method is easier to manage, this type of  redemption only equals to a 0.1% return per point instead of up to 0.21% under the Shoppers Optimum method.  While Loblaw allows members to earn points with PC Travel, they are not able to redeem points for their vacation.

Five Quick Improvements to Maximize Potential of PC Optimum Program

Retail Insider came up with five quick improvements for the program to improve customers satisfaction and loyalty:

1.    Create a video to show how members can earn and redeem points. Instead of reading the complicated frequently asked questions, the PC Optimum team can create a video on the ways and how easily any member can earn and redeem points. This would reduce time required for customer service agents at the store, on the phone and online to respond to questions.

2.    Allow members to earn points everywhere without having to use the PC Financial Mastercard. As of right now, there is less to no incentive for a former Shoppers Optimum member to make all their purchases in Loblaw and its brand of supermarkets because they can double dip on earning points at Shoppers Drug Mart (including groceries and household goods).

3.    Improve delivery of promotions – Not everyone will find the weekly email or want to check the mobile application regularly for promotions. Any promotional items added to the member’s profile should be tracked and communication (email or notification) should be sent reminding members of start or expiry dates. The latter is important so that members can plan their purchases accordingly.

4.    Introduce a “select all” button inside the mobile application and on the desktop version of PC Optimum’s website. Point collectors have a “fear of missing out” mentality. They would always want an option to add all available promotions to their profile to maximize earning opportunities.

5.    Introduce promotions for other affiliated brands. This could introduce and drive traffic to stores customers may not know about. The PC Optimum mobile application and website should also highlight these brands to maximize awareness.

While a loyalty program can drive customers into the stores, they can also drive them away if it has not implemented a perceived ease of use and a good value proposition built-in. Loblaw’s new PC Optimum program started its journey two months ago with great fan fare and also challenges. There is room for improvement to make the program more competitive and challenge the leaders LoyaltyOne’s Air Miles or AMIMA’s Aeroplan programs in the lifestyle space.

Pop-ups: The Experiment Zone

By
Retail Insider
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It’s no secret that the temporary nature of pop-ups is what makes them so successful. It’s a tried and true method of leveraging consumers’ FOMO (fear of missing out).

From a strategy perspective, this lack of permanency is what lays the foundation for, what we call, the experiment zone.

When you’ve got an established brand, it can be hard to step outside your business norms. With more permanent endeavours, the goal is usually sustainability, which means there is pressure to play it safe.

With pop-ups, you have more freedom to experiment because impact becomes more important than sustainability. The buzz you build, the curiosity you pique, and the novelties you exploit are what matters most for short-term colossal success.

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Next time you plan a pop-up, lean into the idea that this is your chance to work outside the box. Use the experiment zone to:

Offer a limited time product or service

Do you have a really cool idea that just doesn’t make sense for your business model? Use your pop-up to bring it to life, no strings attached. Chances are, you’ll impress your consumers with something your competitors haven’t even thought of.

Tailor your brand to the local market

Don’t miss out on leveraging local insights, just because it doesn’t perfectly align with your long-term brand goals. Tailor your pop-up to the local market to create an “in” for your brand. It’s only temporary, so you can strategically introduce your brand to the market without losing focus on your long-term goals.

Test new retail design concepts

As you execute your pop-up, assess your sales metrics and feedback daily to see what strategies are working. Maybe your unexpected best seller needs to be moved to the front of the store. Use your experimental mindset and this instantaneous feedback loop to adapt your pop-up in real time. 

The pop-up experiment zone is a powerful tool for brands to test new waters. In a fast-paced industry, using every opportunity to evolve your business could mean the difference between success and failure. So, embrace the provisional.

Cineplex Announces Significant Entertainment Centres Expansion

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Cineplex, one of Canada’s leading entertainment and media companies, is launching a theatre concept expansion in the country and will continue to add to its national footprint including the potential of moving into vacant shopping mall space.

Sarah Van Lange, director of communications of Cineplex, said diversification is one of the company’s key strategies in building growth across the country.

“We’re starting to look at our real estate portfolio and we’ll assess whether we need to look at new locations but as our leases come up as well we’ll be looking at the demographics of the community,” she said, adding that the company would then determine what concept best suits a particular community’s needs.

Cineplex, which has 164 theatres in Canada, has diversified its portfolio in recent years to include concepts such as The Rec Room, Playdium and Topgolf.

“The retail landscape is changing. Absolutely. The anchor tenants like department stores, and particular fashion outlets, many from a real estate perspective or from a retail perspective they’ve had some more challenging times. So landlords, we’re finding, are looking for ways to increase dwell times in their complexes and they’re turning a lot to look at food options as well as entertainment options,” says Van Lange.

“I think they’re looking for ways to get guests to stay longer. Entertainment is definitely one of the ways that they’re doing that. On the Cineplex side, we’re finding that Canadians are also looking for more options in that way as well . . . People are looking for a place to congregate and there’s definitely a business opportunity through that.”

Cineplex is opening a new Playdium location in Brampton, Ontario. Converting and reimagining the space currently being utilized by Cineplex Odeon Orion Gate Cinemas, the 45,000-square-foot entertainment complex will be specially designed for teens, their friends and family who are looking for an affordable entertainment choice for everyday play, casual dining or to celebrate special occasions.

Playdium is a tech-infused place to play that offers the best games and attractions for everyone.  The new Brampton location will feature a selection of classic and new-to-market video and redemption games, as well as unique interactive experiences like virtual reality, bowling, rope courses and laser tag.  Young movie-lovers in the area will also be able to look forward to watching films at Playdium, as Cineplex plans to retain one of the existing auditoriums from Cineplex Odeon Orion Gate Cinemas at the new space.

Van Lange said the company will open 10 to 15 Playdium locations in the coming years.

The Rec Room concept is a large entertainment destination.

“They’re social playgrounds for adults,” said Van Lange. “The locations of The Rec Room really leverage the expertise that we’ve built through Cineplex in things like food service, operations. Entertaining people is what we do best at Cineplex and that skill is really transferred over to The Rec Room.”

Currently, there are four Rec Room locations – one in South Edmonton, one in West Edmonton Mall, one in Deerfoot City in Calgary and one in downtown Toronto. Another location is opening at the end of April in London. It has also announced plans for complexes in Mississauga, Vancouver and St. John’s.  

“We’ll be opening 10 to 15 over the coming years,” said Van Lange.

The Rec Room is typically between 35,000 to 60,000 square feet and half of that space is dedicated to live entertainment and food with the other half dedicated to gaming and fun. It’s targeted to a Millennial audience as well as Boomers with children.

Cineplex has also entered into an exclusive partnership with global sports entertainment leader Topgolf which will bring Topgolf’s sports entertainment experience to Canada. The joint venture will see the opening of multiple Topgolf venues in markets across the country during the next several years.

Structube Launches National ‘Megastore’ Expansion

By
Craig Patterson
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[HAMILTON/ANCASTER STORE. PHOTO: STRUCTUBE VIA BICOM]

Montreal-based, affordably-priced contemporary/modern home furnishings/ accessory retailer Structube is expanding its ‘megastore’ concept nationwide after seeing success with its first location in suburban Montreal last fall. Structube has opened a second large-format store in suburban Hamilton, Ontario, and more are in the works, according to Matthew Fischel, Director of Product Development and Sourcing at Structube. 

The new Hamilton store spans 18,000 square feet and is located at the Meadowlands Power Centre at 14 Martindale Crescent in Ancaster. The suburban complex houses several other big-box stores. In the fall of 2017, Structube unveiled a 50,000 square foot megastore in suburban Montreal, which is considerably larger than the retailer’s typical 3,000 to 10,000 square foot locations. 

The overwhelming success of the suburban Montreal megastore has prompted Structube to launch a national expansion for the large-format concept, which is better able to feature Structube’s entire product offering on display. The stores include a large customer pick-up area, self-serve kiosks and digital signage. “The new store concept will epitomize our recent pivot to low, low prices by creating a new, large and inviting store experience for modern, contemporary furniture at the lowest possible prices,” said Tony Trew, Structube’s Marketing Director, in a previous interview.

The success of the Montreal megastore will hopefully be replicated in suburban Quebec City, where Structube plans to open another large format store, which Mr. Fischelexplained will be larger than the Hamilton location. “The response has been overwhelming,” he said, noting how consumers have been very receptive to the expansive selection in the larger store. New large-format stores may be in the 20,000 to 30,000 square foot range, he noted, depending on location and opportunity. 

Hamilton Structube Mega-Store

Mr. Fischelnoted that the large format Structube stores will likely open in suburban locations, while urban Structube locations will typically be smaller. Urban stores are more likely to carry products geared towards those living in higher-density areas and therefore don’t carry some of the larger furniture items to be carried in suburban locations. 

Structube currently has 62 stores in Canada and it is growing its network of stores rapidly. So far in 2018, the retailer has opened five stores and it plans to open at least six more before the end of the year. The company’s network of stores spans coast-to-coast from British Columbia to the Maritimes, with a mix of downtown and suburban stores depending on the market. 

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Family-owned Structube was founded in 1974. The company originally specialized in tubular retail clothing racks, hence its name ‘Structube’, being derived from an abbreviation of the French term “structures tubulaires”. Its first home furnishings store location opened in Montreal in 1980, expanding into multiple Quebec locations before entering the Ontario market, followed by Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.

Structube’s contemporary style furniture ranges from rustic wood and mid-century to sleek lacquer and glass, with both pre-assembled and easy-to-assemble products. The company caters to young professionals, condominium dwellers and even small businesses.

Inside Atelier Cologne’s 1st Canadian Boutique [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Atelier Cologne Yorkdale

Unique L’Oreal-owned fragrance brand Atelier Cologne has opened its first Canadian store location at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. It could be the first of multiple stores in Canada for the brand, which is growing its base of stores globally. 

We sat down with co-founder Sylvie Ganter, to discuss the new store last week, where she explained her passion for the fragrance brand that is considered to be the first fragrance house entirely dedicated to cologne. Atelier Cologne was founded in Paris in 2009 by the husband-wife team Christophe Cervasel and Ms. Ganter, who met in New York City in 2006 and subsequently founded the business based on their shared passion for fragrance. 

CO-FOUNDER SYLVIE GANTER AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE NEW YORKDALE STORE.

High-quality raw materials are used to make the company’s fragrances, which are also considered to be unisex. More than 140 products are on display, including the Maison de Parfum’s best-selling fragrances such as its recently launched Iris Rebelle. There’s a selection of 32 Colognes Absolues as well as Atelier Cologne’s line of soaps, shower gels, moisturizing body lotions, hand creams and a collection of candles for the home. All are “produced with traditional French craftsmanship”, according to the company, with prices ranging from about $35 to almost $300 for fragrances, depending on sizes. 

A unique feature in the store is two walls of coloured leather cases for fragrance bottles that can be personalized with an on-site engraving machine. A total of 17 colours are available and Atelier Cologne’s candles (priced at $95) include leather tags that can be customized. The store also features a gift wrapping station. Customers are encouraged to buy multiple fragrances in an effort to create a “fragrance wardrobe” depending on mood and activities. 

Ms. Ganter revealed that Yorkdale will be a test store for the brand before it expands to more locations in Canada. The intimately-sized 625 square foot boutique, which is located in a modern shopping centre, has the appearance of being a well-established ‘atelier’ featuring antiques throughout the space, as well as an attractive Venetian blue facade that appears historical. Wood sets off the space that contains industrial furniture, vintage lamps and stools that were obtained by the founders during their global travels. A central island includes small orange tree plants and citrus fruit is displayed in the space — citrus is a base for many of Atelier’s fragrances, hence the reference. The historic-looking facade and interior could see the store easily fit in on a street in Vancouver’s Gastown or in Toronto’s Distillery District. 

Atelier Cologne now operates 15 boutiques globally, with three of those being in the United States (two New York City locations as well as a boutique in San Francisco). Other stores are located in Paris, London, Hong Kong, China, and Korea. Boutiques range in size from about 250 square feet to about 1,000 square feet and include a mix of street-front and mall stores. 

The brand launched at Sephora in Canada several years ago, and it continues to partner with retailers such as Nordstrom. Standalone boutiques allow Atelier Cologne to create an enhanced brand awareness while also showcasing its entire wares in a dedicated environment. 

Penguin Random House Canada to Host Unique Event for Specialty Retailers

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Penguin Random House Canada

Penguin Random House Canada has discovered a unique and innovative way to connect specialty retailers to its books.

Following on the success of a gift show last fall, the company is holding another event for retailers this Spring in Toronto.

Mary Giuliano, director of independent retail sales for Penguin Random House Canada, said the company has “fabulous space” at its office at 320 Front Street West where it can host its gift show.

“We have a ginormous room that is actually three rooms that we can make into one very big room. We’ll basically have a showroom setup with different vignettes of different books. So we have space for cookbooks, food and drink, a space for kids books, a space for literature, a space for interior design or art books, for example.”

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The idea is to expose specialty retailers to books associated with their business. It’s a fantastic opportunity for retailers to come to Penguin Random House Canada’s office and see a showcase of its books in relevant categories that they might be interested in adding to their retail assortment.

Retailers have an opportunity to chat with sales reps about titles and the company’s processes, open an account if they don’t have one already, place an order on the spot and enjoy snacks and complimentary swag bags.

The Penguin Random House Spring Gift Show will run Sunday May 27 and Monday May 28 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

“So if you’re a florist for example a really good way to increase the value of your purchase is adding something to it. And one of the easiest things to add is a book. There’s a book for every retailer out there. If you’re a florist, we have flower books,” says Giuliano.

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE OFFICES AT 320 FRONT ST. W. IN TORONTO

“A book is an easy way to add an incremental sale to your main thing that you’re selling.”

If a retailer is interested in a specific topic, Penguin Random House will be able to curate a list electronically for them.

“We want to make it as convenient and simple for anybody to attend who is a specialty retailer, existing account or new account,” adds Giuliano.

“A lot of people look at books and have no idea how the book world works and there’s small stores who don’t have a lot of time to research. How do I open an account? How do I get my hands on those books? So we want them to come out and take a look at what we have to offer and we can open an account with them, explain our terms and really hand hold them while they go through the process and give them the stuff they need to make it really simple to add to their average sale in their store.”

Its first gift show was held in October.

“We know we will continue to attend the regular gift shows that happen across the country. We will still go to the Toronto Gift Show and Alberta and this year we decided to give Vancouver Gift Show another try. But what we realized is that we have this huge space,” explains Giuliano.

[‘PENGUIN SHOP’ ON THE STREET LEVEL AT 320 FRONT ST. W. IN TORONTO]

“We’re very well located in downtown Toronto so why not take advantage of the space and the location that we have and encourage existing accounts as well as new accounts, like small mom and pop stores downtown. We all know there are neighbourhoods in every city where there’s a resurgence of small independent retail, so we have this in house gift show for them to come into the office at a time that may be more convenient for them.”

The gift show is located on one of the three floors the company occupies in the office tower.

“We do however have a shop on the ground level – the Penguin Shop – which is a very small shop. It’s 158 square feet and is a very Instagrammable space and super cool space that features a variety of books as well as Penguin merchandise . . . where we sell to the public,” says Giuliano.

Casper Announces 1st Canadian Retail Stores as well as Manufacturing/Headquarters

By
Craig Patterson
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PHOTO: CASPER

New York City-based sleep brand Casper has announced that it will commence a Canadian retail expansion that will include permanent standalone stores, as well as a new Canadian headquarters and manufacturing facility. The company has seen explosive growth after being founded as an online retailer in 2014. 

Casper says that it will open stores across the country, including in provinces such as Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta. Its first two stores will be in Toronto, one of which will open next month. Casper will also open a new Canadian headquarters in Toronto, and it will also begin manufacturing its products in Canada, creating about 75 jobs. 

Casper’s first Canadian ‘Casper Sleep Shop’ will open next month at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens, which is one of Canada’s top performing shopping centres in terms of annual sales per square foot. Casper’s move into the centre signals that it will be seeking out premium locations for its expansion and according to Senior Director and General Manager of Casper Canada, Nicole Tapscott, Casper’s second Canadian location will open later this year in downtown Toronto. 

Ms. Tapscott said that she wasn’t yet able to provide further details as to the location of Casper’s new Canadian headquarters as well as other store locations, and that more exciting announcements will be made next month to coincide with the CF Sherway Gardens store opening. Details pertaining to that store will be released as well, with Casper launching a Canadian retail expansion that landlords have said has been in negotiations for months. 

“We’ve seen tremendous success in Canada with three years of triple digit growth,” said Philip Krim, co-founder and CEO, Casper. “Investing further in the market and expanding our local presence will enable us to bring better sleep to even more Canadians across the country.”

Casper launched a US pop-up expansion in the fall of 2017, opening 18 locations across the country. Casper’s first permanent US location opened in February of this year, which means Canada wasn’t far behind. Ms. Tapscott noted that Canada is a very strong market for the brand, and that Casper’s pop-up activations were hugely successful here. The first US store, which spans about 3,000 square feet, is located in New York City’s Soho at 627 Broadway. Stores such as its Mall of America pop-up are of a similar size. 

Casper is hugely successful and is backed by celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Adam Levine and Ashton Kutcher, launched in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer online mattress retailer, with its product delivered in a “how did they do that?” sized box. Casper’s memory foam mattress comes in a variety of sizes, and the company has expanded its product assortment to include a “perfect pillow” pillow-in-a-pillow and soft, breathable sheets, frames, and even dog beds and other sleep-related products. 

We first reported on Casper’s Canadian expansion in August of 2016, when the company unveiled temporary “snooze rooms” in selected cities, following a spring 2016 “Napmobile” tour that saw stops in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. Casper found that having a physical presence created consumer engagement and provided feedback not found online — not to mention, consumers enjoyed being able to test the popular memory foam mattresses prior to buying. 

In March of 2017, Casper launched its first retail presence in Canada through a partnership with Williams-Sonoma-owned retailer West Elm, in Toronto. Casper products had only been available online until then, and the West Elm partnership was the first time that Casper offered its products with a retailer on a cash-and-carry basis, anywhere. The partnership has since concluded.

Casper unveiled its ‘Casper Cottage’ pop-up on Toronto’s trendy Ossington Avenue in July of 2017. The unique temporary space was made to look like a home decor store at the front, with a row of beds at the back. The pop-up was a hit and no doubt helped solidify plans for permanent retail stores in Canada. 

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In February of 2018, Casper announced that it has partnered with Canada’s Indigo Books & Music to house shop-in-store ‘nap pods’, as well as offer pillows in about 30 of its stores that can be purchased on a ‘cash-and-carry’ basis. 

Last week, we reported that Sleep Country Canada will be rolling out a mall-based store expansion that will include locations in some of the country’s top shopping centres. The Sleep Country strategy follows the recent closure of Sears Canada, which was Sleep Country’s biggest competitor. Sleep Country Canada also has its own version of the ‘bed-in-a-box’ called ‘Bloom’, and there are other similar memory foam companies such as Toronto-based Endy. 

Next month we’ll be reporting on the new CF Sherway Gardens Casper retail space, as well as providing further details on other locations as well as Casper’s new Canadian headquarters and manufacturing facility as details are provided. 

Canadian Fashion Brand ‘Rudsak’ Expands into the United States

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Rudsak at CF Toronto Eaton Centre

Rudsak, Canada’s upscale outerwear and premium leather goods brand, has launched its direct-to-consumer presence coast-to-coast in the United States with plans as well to open its first American bricks and mortar retail outlet within the next year.

Lambros Piscopos, the company’s Executive Vice President and CFO, said the brand will be available across the U.S. at rudsak.com and includes a curated selection of best-selling and coveted pieces. All orders qualify for free shipping via FedEx Ground.

“We’ve been operating in the U.S. since 1997 on a wholesale basis,” he said. “Having a direct to consumer presence is a natural evolution of the company’s growth.”

Image: Rudsak

Piscopos said about 15 per cent of the company’s online engagement already comes from the U.S. through social media and the existing ecommerce site.

Rudsak currently operates over 30 stores in Canada and has quadrupled its store footprint since 2010. Looking ahead through 2018 and into 2019, Rudsak will be available in a curated selection of boutique retailers around the world. The company also plans to open its first U.S. store within 12 months, said Piscopos.

From iconic leather jackets to down-filled coats, the company is renowned or fusing timeless design with seasonal trends for elevated functionality. Handbags crafted from the finest Canadian and European leathers and featuring exclusive hardware also highlight Rudsak’s celebrated reputation.

For the Spring/Summer 2018 collection, Rudsak has introduced fresh patterns and evocative prints. The company says new colours including Desert Rose, Flame, and Moss add a bold touch, while leather accents and signature hardware enhance the line’s urban elegance. Statement-making ensembles come together with Rudsak’s lightweight down jackets, transitional trench coats, leather handbags, clothing, and accessories.

Rudsak, established in 1994, is a privately-owned Canadian luxury fashion company.

As for Canada, Piscopos says there may be opportunities for further expansion. The company recently invested and upgraded its ecommerce site.

“Although we’re always looking at optimizing our retail store footprint, there continues to be growth opportunities in our domestic market,” said Piscopos.

‘Smartwool’ Opens 1st Standalone Canadian Store [Photos]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Smartwool

Colorado-based Smartwool couldn’t have picked a better place to open its first branded Canadian store – Banff, located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies.

Smartwool caters to all sorts of outdoor enthusiasts with its unique Merino wool products as well as a selection of Timberland footwear.

Randy Scriber, store manager of Smartwool Banff, said the store opened March 24 on the busy Banff Avenue.

“It’s a very busy street,” said Scriber. “It’s a branded Smartwool store and Smartwool is like a Merino wool brand that originated in Colorado – in Steamboat Colorado actually which is also another little ski town very similar to Banff.

“And that includes socks, base layer, technical apparel for running, biking, hiking, cross country skiing, ski touring, downhill skiing, camping. The whole gamut. But it also includes the lifestyle line which is also using wool but it’s adding in that kind of mountain lifestyle look. We have an item that’s super Canadian-looking called the Anchor in the red and black plaid. It’s like a big wool sweater that’s got buttons down it and looks very Canadian. Iconic piece. A lot of people know us as a sock and base layer brand but we have actually quite a broad range of apparel as well.”

The store has about 1,000 square feet of retail space.

Other brands in the store include United by Blue and Proof Eyewear

On its website Smartwool says its story started on a rugged Colorado ski slope with the belief that toes didn’t have to be cold.

“One simple pair of Merino socks challenged the conventional wisdom and forever changed the way outdoor enthusiasts looked at their feet. It’s not just about the Merino, though. It’s what we do with it that makes Smartwool different. For over 20 years, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of Merino to create smarter, more capable products from head to toe,” says the company.

Youtube video

Image: Smartwool
Image: Smartwool

“At the heart and soul of every SmartWool product is the amazing fiber we use: nature’s finest Merino wool. Used properly, we think Merino wool is the best fiber available for outdoor apparel — it manages moisture better than cotton, is smarter than synthetics and is more comfortable in any weather condition. In our hands, it becomes extraordinary.”

Scriber said Banff is a great place for Smartwool to open its first Canadian store because it has such a captive audience.

“You have a lot of people walking up and down the street and there’s a lot of people with disposable income because they’re on a vacation in a pretty expensive place. It’s a good place to open a store,” he said. “Obviously you have to carry the right items. You can’t just throw up a store and carry just anything. It’s been great since we opened.

Youtube video

“We built a pretty beautiful space and that’s what we were about. We weren’t just about building a retail space. We wanted to build a space that actually spoke to the area. The idea was to bring the outside inside. We have a little stone path around the store that you’re kind of like still walking on the trail. We have a very large projector doing a screen that Sherpas Cinema created for us. It’s a little six minute and 45 second flyovers of all the local mountains. It’s a very mountain lifestyle feeling in the store and a little like the outside being brought inside. You can kind of get on the trail in the store you’re shopping.”

Scriber said the brands in the store support that as well. Brands fit the mountain lifestyle feel and appeal.

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