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Nobis Opens Corporate Flagship in Yorkville

By
Craig Patterson
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Nobis at 20 Hazelton Avenue in Toronto (PHOTO: NOBIS)

Popular Toronto-based outerwear brand nobis (Latin for “us”) has opened its second Canadian Flagship in Toronto. The multi-level retail experience is located at 20 Hazelton Avenue, adjacent to an entrance to the Yorkville Village shopping centre. 

The 3,000 square foot boutique is contained in a building that was once a private residence in Toronto’s prestigious Yorkville area. The modern showroom –style interior of this Nobis location was inspired by upscale galleries, and it displays a selection of men’s, women’s, and children’s signature jackets and accessories, as well as a selection of styles that are exclusive to the Yorkville flagship. 

The nobis brand was co-founded in 2007 by Robin Yates, and it quickly became a globally renowned brand in the fashion lifestyle industry. The company is primarily known for its technical, fashion-meets-function outerwear, as well as headwear, knitwear, and footwear. Remarkably, unlike many competitors, its down-filled jackets are not only windproof, waterproof, and breathable, but also machine-washable.

Nobis at 20 Hazelton Ave (Image: Nobis)

The company’s first standalone store in North America opened in September of 2015 at 360 Queen Street West in Toronto — the new Hazelton Avenue boutique is the second for the brand in its hometown of Toronto. Nobis also has 23 seasonal shops in South Korea (one is year-round) as well as a seasonal location in Paris, France.

Moving forward, the company says that its current focus is to expand its wholesale operations, though nobis could consider opening selected locations in Canada and the United States, with nothing confirmed at this time.

Toronto’s Yorkville is seeing a luxury retail resurgence, with much of it just steps away from the new Hazelton Avenue nobis flagship. Last month, Chanel opened an 8,550 square foot flagship on Yorkville Avenue, across from Canada’s flagship Christian Louboutin store. Jimmy Choo and Brunello Cucinelli are on the way, with more luxury brands in negotiation for the immediate area. High-density Yorkville, which also boasts an affluent resident population, is considered to be Canada’s answer to London’s Mayfair or New York City’s Upper East Side. 

*See below for more photos of the new Hazelton Avenue flagship, which were provided by nobis. 

Back entrance to the store as seen from steps leading from the Hazelton Avenue Entrance of Yorkville Village.
Nobis at 20 Hazelton Ave (Image: Nobis)
Nobis at 20 Hazelton Ave (Image: Nobis)
Nobis at 20 Hazelton Ave (Image: Nobis)
Nobis at 20 Hazelton Ave (Image: Nobis)
Nobis at 20 Hazelton Ave (Image: Nobis)
Nobis at 20 Hazelton Ave (Image: Nobis)
Nobis at 20 Hazelton Ave (Image: Nobis)

Woolrich Launches Canadian Expansion with 1st Store [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Woolrich, America’s oldest outdoor clothing company, has entered the Canadian retail scene with its first store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre — and it’s impressive. The company’s president says he expects to open at least three stores in Canada by the year 2019, targeting Montreal and Vancouver for standalone Woolrich store locations. 

The Yorkdale store occupies a 2,875 square foot retail space in Yorkdale’s Nordstrom Wing, between Warby Parker and Mendocino. Woolrich’s facade features the trademark red-and-black ‘Woolrich Buffalo Check™ similar to its Tokyo flagship, as well as a video screen above the storefront. 

The Toronto store’s design was inspired by Japanese architecture firm Wonderwall‘s Tokyo flagship, with an impressive interior that includes a mix of contemporary elements and distressed wood fixtures, in a brightly-lit space. The store includes men’s and women’s fashions, outerwear, accessories and footwear. 

Aurora Realty Consultants is acting on behalf of Woolrich for its Canadian expansion, and Jeff Berkowitz and Ashley Lebofsky acted on behalf of the retailer in the Yorkdale deal. According to Aurora Realty Consultants’ website, Woolrich stores ideally occupy retail spaces in the 2,500 square foot range, either in enclosed malls or on urban high streets. 

In an interview at the store’s grand opening last week, Woolrich President Nicholas P. Brayton said that he expects at least two more Woolrich stores to open in Canada — a Montreal store would likely open in 2018, and Vancouver would follow in 2019. He said that he expects Montreal and Vancouver locations to be on urban street-fronts, as opposed to in an enclosed mall like the Yorkdale store. He noted that Yorkdale is the company’s first mall store. 

Woolrich International — a new entity created in fall 2016 after the merger of Woolrich Inc. and Woolrich Europe — plans to open more than 60 Woolrich stores worldwide by the year 2020. Mr. Brayton said that Europe would be a significant expansion market for the brand and as well, the United States is expected to see more Woolrich store locations. There are currently 26 Woolrich stores in the world, including two in the United States — one in Boston at 299 Newbury Street, as well as a store at 125 Wooster Street in New York City’s Soho area. It also operates an outlet in Woolrich, Pennsylvania. 

The company was founded in Pennsylvania in 1830 for the purpose of manufacturing fabric for the wives of hunters, loggers and trappers. Later, the company also outfitted clothing supplies to the American Civil War. It includes two labels: Woolrich Outdoor, distributed in North America, and Woolrich John Rich & Bros., the contemporary high-end outerwear line that is distributed worldwide.

*All photos by Erin Leydon Photography. 

BRIEF: Ladurée Announces Toronto Opening Date, Aussie Shoe Brand Coming to Canada

By
Craig Patterson
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Ladurée Announces Toronto Opening Date

French luxury bakery and sweets maker Ladurée has announced that its first Toronto location will open on Thursday, December 14 at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 1,185 square foot space will include a retail area as well as a 26-seat tea salon — Ladurée’s signature macarons will be available in a variety of flavours, as well as teas, jams, branded honey, Ladurée accessories and other merchandise. The tea salon will feature a variety of tea and other drinks, as well as popular menu items such as French toast and ice cream.

The space, which Ladurée says will be beautiful, was designed by the company’s in-house team — we’ll profile the new location with photos once it opens. Vancouver’s Robson Street tea salon features, for example, Carrara marble-topped cream wooden tables along with lyre back chairs in rose and almond green hues, and small floral benches. Montreal-based Vergo Construction is building the Yorkdale Ladurée — Vergo has been working with some important retailers on their expansions in Canada, and supplied the photo for this article. 

Ladurée entered Canada in March of 2016, when it opened a 1,100 square foot boutique and 23-seat tea salon at 1141 Robson Street in Vancouver. A 500 square foot Ladurée concession (including an 18-seat tea salon) opened in March of this year at Vancouver’s Holt Renfrew’s CF Pacific Centre flagship, adjacent to the store’s recently unveiled 8,500 square foot women’s designer footwear salon. 

Founded in Paris in 1862, Ladurée is best known for its double-decker macarons, selling over 15,000 of them daily. Many Ladurée locations also sell ice cream, sorbets, jams, chocolate and candy, as well as branded accessories. Ladurée was purchased by French business group Groupe Holder in 1993, expanding Ladurée from a handful of locations to dozens of boutiques in 25 countries.

Brick-and-Mortar Retail Alive and Well

Last month, Retail Council of Canada hosted its Leaders in Retail Breakfast Brick and Mortar Forum at Google’s downtown Toronto head office, with several key industry leaders discussing the future of physical stores in Canada. The overwhelming messaging was that if the experience is right, customers will shop in brick-and-mortar stores even as e-commerce continues to gain prominence. 

The message was that despite some negative press, there’s no ‘retail apocalypse’ in Canada. 2018 will be another stellar year for store openings in Canada — panelists from Roots (VP of Real Estate, Alex Jones) and Starbucks Canada (Chris Tarrant, VP, Store Development & Design) discussed how traffic remains strong, while Chris Doulos, VP of Real Estate at Cineplex Entertainment discussed how consumers crave experiences. Rodolphe Barrere, Co-Founder & CEO of Montreal-based POTLOC provided excellent insights into how retail needs to address the needs of locals, and how innovation is making it easier than ever for retailers to pick the right places (including using the brilliant POTLOC platform that gages consumer demand). Retailer Philip Zappacosta spoke to the future of curating the customer while offering exceptional service — he spoke from first hand experience, running multi-brand retailers such as philip and Nanni, as well as Canada’s first standalone Belstaff store. 

Discussion also included how retailers can leverage their digital influence for bricks & mortar purchases — Marc Laurent-Atthalin, Performance Media Manager for Reitmans Canada Ltd. spoke to measuring store traffic. 

Canada’s top malls also continue to see strong traffic, not to mention exceptional productivity. Retail Council of Canada’s 2017 Canadian Shopping Centre Study is about to be released revealing that with the right mix of investment and experiences, physical retail can flourish. 

Aussie Footwear Brand Wittner Shoes Expands Presence Into Canada

Melbourne, Australia-based Wittner Shoes is expanding its presence in Canada this winter. The company has a Canadian e-commerce site which is being run by Richmond, BC-based Global Shoe Connection, which also distributes the brand throughout Canada — including carrying inventory in its warehouse in Richmond to replenish retailers such as Heel Boy, which wholesales Wittner products. 

It’s all part of an international expansion for the Wittner brand, which was founded in 1912, and has 75 stores in Australia. The company’s footwear is known to be of a high quality, and its styling exceptional. 

Interestingly, Wittner Shoes was the first Australian footwear retailer to have a full e-commerce store — that was in the late 90’s, and the company continues to do substantial business online. 

For more information, visit globalshoe.ca and wittner.ca

Copper Branch Continues Rapid Expansion

Montreal-based ‘plant-based power-food’ quick-service restaurant concept Copper Branch plans to open at least 20 locations next year, and it has partnered with brokerage Think Retail for the initiative. 

A location at CF Carrefour Laval, near Montreal, just opened, in a 600 square foot space. It’s the 14th location for Copper Branch — a remarkable feat, considering that it was founded in 2014. 

Other locations confirmed to be opening in 2018 include

  • Place Laurier (Ottawa — first location with Ivanhoé Cambridge)
  • Sherbrooke Street West (Westmount in Montreal)
  • Place Bell (Laval, Quebec)
  • Downtown Markham, Ontario
  • North Barrie Crossing (Barrie, Ontario)
  • Waterloo, Ontario
  • Yonge Green Lane Common (Newmarket, Ontario)
  • Duke Street (Griffintown, Montreal)
  • Côte-Vertu (Saint-Laurent in Montreal)
  • Centre Saint Charles (Kirkland, Quebec)
  • SmartCentres Oakville (Oakville, Ontario)
  • Peterborough, Ontario
  • Bloor West Village (Toronto) and 
  • Boucherville, Quebec.

Copper Branch aims to be “the undisputed leader in healthy fast-casual foods”. Entrepreneur Rio Infantino founded Copper Branch in 2014 after owning several fast-food franchises over a period of about 25 years. The company said that its menu is designed to ‘Empower, Energize and make people feel their Best.” While its dishes are vegetarian, Copper Branch is targeting a wider audience, particularly those seeking clean, healthy meal options.

According to Think Retail, Copper Branch seeks sites to open more restaurants in markets such as Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Ideal spaces are 1,250 to 2,000 sq. ft. in open-air centres and 450 to 1,500 sq. ft. in enclosed malls.

Adore Cosmetics Continues Canadian Store Expansion

Miami Beach-based Adore Cosmetics continues to expand into Canada with new stores — two recently opened, and more are planned. The company has partnered with Think Retail for its Canadian expansion. 

Adore Cosmetics recently opened in Toronto at the Holt Renfrew Centre, and in Winnipeg at the Outlet Collection Winnipeg. The company is interested in expanding further into Canada, seeking space in Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, planning between 10 and 15 stores over the next couple of years. 

According to Think Retail, boutiques are ideally in the 500 square foot to 1,200 square foot range in upscale locations — and for one of its products, being near affluent shoppers will be a necessity. Adore’s 24-karat Golden Touch Magnetic Facial Mask retails at US$995. Not all products are as pricey, fortunately — the company has more than 60 products that are gaining a following among beauty fans, and celebrities. 

Adore Cosmetics launched in 2001 and it is considered to be one of the world’s leading manufacturers of luxury innovative skincare products. The company’s team includes research, manufacturing, wholesaling and retail components. The company has over 70 stores globally, and it’s continuing to expand throughout the United States as well as Mexico, U.S. Virgin Island, Caribbean, the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Yorkville Village Hosts Unique Pop-Ups

Toronto’s Yorkville Village is hosting a unique pop-up space called WISHLIST until December 24, housing seven retail concepts. Interestingly, the majority of the brands are focused on e-commerce, so this is an opportunity for them to interact with shoppers and create face-to-face connections. 

Participating retailers include KOTN, Tokyo Smoke,Four Blocks South, Devlyn van Loon, Uni-Koncept, Tara Rivas, and Poppy’s Collection. 

KOTN and Tokyo Smoke both have retail locations on Toronto’s trendy ‘West Queen West’ — KOTN, known for its ethically source cotton fashions, is planning to expand nationally with stores expected for Montreal and Vancouver. Cannabis-themed Tokyo Smoke has already gone national, including a recent opening in Calgary. Uni-Koncept has a store in Waterloo, Ontario, and this is the company’s intro to Toronto retail — some of these brands could open stores in the city, if they haven’t already. 

Yorkville Village landlord First Capital Realty partnered with pop-up facilitator thisopenspace on the pop-up project. Pop-up retail has exploded onto the scene as a retail strategy, with centres such as Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre hosting permanent pop-up spaces — Yorkdale’s CONCEPT opened to crowds in the spring of 2017. 

Frank and Oak to Open Standalone Women’s Pop-up In Vancouver

Montreal-based omnichannel fashion retailer Frank and Oak is testing the waters in Vancouver with its first women’s store. The 700 square foot boutique will open at 1173 Robson Street (a few doors west of the new MUJI) at noon on December 14. On Saturday, December 16 from 12-3pm, Vancouver’s Lindsay Sjoberg of blog Treasures & Travels will welcome guests, and local DJ Niña Mendoza will be performing. 

Frank and Oak launched its women’s line earlier this year and has already opened two dedicated women’s stores — a Montreal location opened in September, and a Toronto location followed a month later. The company was founded as an online men’s fashion retailer in 2012, and opened its first retail stores in 2014. 

INDOCHINO Plans 18 Locations for 2018

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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INDOCHINO West Edmonton Mall (Image: INDOCHINO)

Vancouver-based INDOCHINO is in an aggressive expansion mode as it plans to open as many as 18 showrooms in North America in 2018.

The world’s largest made-to-measure apparel company for men is opening its 19th showroom on December 14 in Mall of America in Minneapolis, the largest shopping centre in the U.S.

This will be the ninth showroom opening in 2017 and the company intends to accelerate growth and almost double the number of retail locations, adding up to 18 new showrooms throughout 2018.

The sites will span North America, with potential locations including Atlanta, Austin, Nashville and San Jose as well as additional showrooms in large markets such as New York and Los Angeles.

INDOCHINO West Edmonton Mall (Image: INDOCHINO)

“It’s been an outstanding year as we continued to expand into new markets and grow the business profitably,” says Drew Green, INDOCHINO’s CEO. “We’ve set up an on-demand retail model so we’re able to operate with no inventory in our showrooms, leveraging a unique model that minimizes costs and maximizes savings for our customers.

“We’re introducing consumers around the world to a newer, smarter way to shop where customizable apparel and affordable luxury are the rule and not the exception.”

In Canada, Green says, INDOCHINO has three stores in Toronto, one in Ottawa, one in Edmonton, one in Calgary and two in Vancouver.

The Vancouver-based retailer opened its first location in Vancouver just under three years ago.

INDOCHINO West Edmonton Mall (Image: INDOCHINO)

“So about three years ago at a time when everybody was retreating from bricks and mortar and retail we actually made retail a core part of our strategy. We felt that to be successful, to truly disrupt the apparel and fitting industries, we really needed to focus on being an experienced-based company and not just sell products,” says Green.

“The showrooms we felt would provide us with the way to connect with customers in a way that would truly provide them a very unique experience – an experience that would lead to a lot of loyalty to the brand. And we’ve seen that. What’s become of the strategy is that retail is now our number one acquisition channel. Retail acts as the starter channel for our customers and most customers that come into retail end up buying again online.”

INDOCHINO showrooms promise a luxurious and highly-engaging experience. Customers are paired with a Style Guide who tailors the appointment based on their needs and helps them to build their one-of-a-kind suit or shirt. Style Guides take measurements, assist with fabric selection, and walk shoppers through endless personalization options, including buttons, pockets, lapels and monograms.

Green says the company model is unique and the cost associated with opening and maintaining a showroom are very different from its competitors, allowing for efficient and profitable expansion.

INDOCHINO West Edmonton Mall (Image: INDOCHINO)

“Men’s apparel is one of the fastest growing categories in the online,” says Green.

The retailer is now also setting a new standard in custom clothing by introducing a three-week delivery promise for all orders.

“INDOCHINO’s goal is to make great fitting, personalized clothing the de facto choice for men across North America and achieving a three-week delivery timeframe marks a major milestone in this bold endeavor,” says Green. “This is the result of months of hard work from my team and our partners across the world and is just the beginning of our plans to reduce the delivery time as we continuously strive to find innovative new ways to provide our customers with a world-class experience, from start to finish.”

INDOCHINO customers take on the role of designer, selecting from millions of possible combinations of fabrics, personalization and customization options to create suits and shirts that are then made to their precise measurements and shipped directly to their door for a perfect fit, hassle free.

Women’s Activewear Brand Lorna Jane Enters Canadian Market

By
Megan Harman
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Photo: Lorna Jane

Australian activewear brand Lorna Jane has quietly entered the Canadian market, with a new store that opened at CF Shops of Don Mills this summer, and a popup shop at Yorkdale Shopping Centre that’s running for the month of December.

The company, which operates more than 220 stores across Australia and 20 stores in the U.S., offers high quality, fashionable activewear for women.

“It’s very fashion-forward and very colourful, as opposed to the greys and blacks of the typical activewear clothing,” says Georgina Jobbagy, brand manager for Toronto with Luxeactivewear, which is the licensee for Lorna Jane in Ontario. “And at the same time, the product also has technical benefits.”

LORNA JANE – CF SHOPS AT DON MILLS STORE

Specifically, Lorna Jane products are comprised of fabrics that are designed to provide benefits such as breathability, moisture wicking, shrink and fade-resistance, anti-pill, durability and increased blood circulation.

The items cater to a range of different types of activities, from high impact sports to everyday activities. “It actually works for any sport,” Jobbagy says.

Unlike most womenswear brands that release new styles each season, Lorna Jane puts new items on its shelves every month. Between 60 and 80 new styles are released each month, which provides shoppers with fresh looks and new limited edition pieces each time they visit a Lorna Jane store, Jobbagy says.

“It is very different from everybody else in the market,” she says.

Lorna Jane’s first permanent location in Canada opened during the summer at Shops at Don Mills. With a renovation of the shopping centre having been recently completed, and several new condominium developments underway surrounding the complex, Jobbagy says the mall was an attractive location for Lorna Jane.

(LORNA JANE OPENING AT YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE – LORNA JANE TORONTO INSTAGRAM)

“It seemed to be a good entry level location for us to test the brand,” she says.

The store is approximately 1,400 square feet in size, and boasts simple design features. “It’s a very modern, minimalistic store,” Jobbagy says. “The products stand out in that minimalistic environment.”

The popup store at Yorkdale, which opened on Dec. 1st, provides an opportunity for the brand to gain more exposure among Toronto-area shoppers during the busy holiday season. The 1,300-square-foot store is located next to Club Monaco Men and across from Coach.

“We think thousands of people will be exposed to Lorna Jane who have never heard about this brand,” says Jobbagy.

(INSIDE THE CF SHOPS AT DON MILLS STORE)

In addition, the popup will help Lorna Jane to test its success within a major shopping centre in Canada.

“We think that will give us an opportunity to make a decision about which direction we go, in terms of expansion,” Jobbagy says. If the popup is successful, she says the brand is likely to explore other permanent locations within shopping malls in Ontario. If sales fail to meet expectations, however, the brand will likely concentrate its growth plans on boutiques within open-air shopping plazas.

“We do have plans to expand,” Jobbagy says, “but we’re at the stage when we want to evaluate how the brand is performing. That’s why we’re doing the popup in Yorkdale.”

Lorna Jane merchandise is also available for purchase online, through Luxeactivewear.ca.

L’Occitane en Provence Unveils First-of-its-Kind Digital Experience Flagship [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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L’Occitane en Provence Yorkdale

Upscale French beauty company L’Occitane en Provence, known for its skincare, body care, and fragrances, chose Canada as its launch point for its first-ever immersive digital experience multi-sensory store. The renovated 1,605 square foot retail space at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre is unlike any for the brand, with some components to be introduced to other L’Occitane store locations globally. 

L’Occitane is taking great pride in the beautiful new space, which occupies a bright, corner location in a busy part of Yorkdale that is only steps away from the mall’s Tesla Motors, and Apple Store locations. With a soaring 22-foot high facade, the updated L’Occitane flagship is already catching the attention of passers-by. 

“Visiting this store will be an experience like no other. Upon entering, guests will feel a sense of wonderment – they will be transported to the lavender fields of Provence, learn about L’Occitane’s expertise in the art of extraction, and visit the land of Corsica, home of the powerful Immortelle flower,” said Paul Blackburn, North American Vice President of Concept Design, Construction & Merchandising.

(CLICK FOR INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP)
(THE BEAUTIFUL NEW SPACE FEATURES FLOWERS HANGING FROM THE CEILINGS, AND YELLOW ARCHES REFERENCING THE ARCHITECTURE OF PROVENCE IN FRANCE)

“Behind the striking external glass façade, a curved video wall immediately attracts the attention of passersby. Below this eye-catching feature is an immersive digital experience inside a pair of suspended capsules.  Within each capsule, a true story unfolds before your eyes combining imagery, scent, light and sound for a truly sensorial experience,” he said. 

The six-foot high by 18-foot wide curved video wall he mentioned was installed this week, and is one of the unique features at the Yorkdale store. Visible from outside the store is a dramatic floor-to-ceiling column displaying hundreds of tubes of hand cream, surrounded with communal seating. L’Occitane commissioned renowned New York City-based brand creative and experience agency School House to design the new store — School House has been involved in creating several L’Occitane boutique locations. 

“Journeying through Provence is a visceral experience that changes something within you. In 1976, Oliver Baussan experienced a connection to Provence’s land and culture, which he distilled from lavender and rosemary into essential oils. In the same way, we approached Yorkdale as an artistic expression of Provence, served through tactile and digital brand experiences that spark a sense of wonderment,” says Christopher Skinner, founder and principal of School House.”

(INSIDE THE NEW STORE, WHICH INCLUDES THE ‘SUN’ IN THE CENTRE, SEVERAL SINKS FOR CUSTOMERS INCLUDING THE ONE SEEN THE FOREGROUND, AS WELL AS THE COLUMN TO THE RIGHT WHICH CONTAINS HUNDREDS OF TUBES OF SKIN CREAM)
(RENDERING SHOWING THE FACADE VIDEO SCREEN, NOT VISIBLE IN OUR TOP PHOTO)
(GIFT WRAPPING AREA, AND MEN’S ITEMS)

The store’s architecture is inspired by the Provence region of France, with a contemporary twist. Arched ceilings reference the historic region with yellow glass archways, creating a series of ‘rooms’ that is really just one open retail space. Inside, the Provence references continue with suspended “sensorial capsule pods” with visuals that can be modified with hand movements. The unique design is unlike any other in the brand’s portfolio and will set a new standard for L’Occitane’s in-store experience in North America.  

The inspiration for the store’s interior are the elements of earth, fire, air and water. These are represented as follows: 

-‘Earth’ is represented with a flooring of natural stone and a botanical ceiling installation of a ‘land reversed,’ 
-‘Water’ is referenced with automated rain shower sinks, encouraging test-and-play with products beneath showers from hanging illuminated arched domes,
-‘Fire’ is channeled through a radiating sun installation set within the ceiling plane above, and
-‘Air’ is cultivated into fragrance clouds, creating a unique testing experience for fragrances.  

The interactive nature of the retail space includes a ‘skincare bistro’ — customers are encouraged to try different products and experiment. Last week, the store was busy with customers trying — and buying. 

(LOOKING INSIDE OF ONE OF THE PODS — THE IMAGE CAN BE MODIFIED WITH THE SWIPE OF A HAND. MUCH OF THE STORE IS EXPERIENTIAL, AND ENCOURAGES EXPLORATION)
(TABLE, TOWELS AND PRODUCTS TO TRY)
(L’OCCITANE PARTNERED WITH STERICYCLE — CUSTOMERS CAN BRING IN EMPTY BOTTLES TO RECEIVE A DISCOUNT ON NEW PURCHASES)

L’Occitane and School House considered the environment when it built the new store — lighting is 100% LED and for the first time in North America, the store offers an in-store bottle recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle. 

As well, the store’s stone flooring and countertops are made of recycled natural stone aggregates and contain pre-consumer recycled content. The yellow arches described above are made from specially-formulated co-polyester resin, incorporating 40% pre-consumer recycled content, compatible with one of the largest post-consumer recycle streams, according to L’Occitane.  

The Yorkdale flagship is the first of several similar experiential stores for the brand. This month, L’Occitaine will unveil two more of these flagships — one at 86 Champs Elysées in Paris, as well as a 6,450 square foot flagship on London’s Regent Street (largest L’Occitane in the world). The Paris store partnered with French pastry chef Pierre Hermé, merging beauty with food. 

L’Occitane en Provence was founded in France’s Provence region in 1976 by Olivier Baussan, and it now boasts stores around the world, with over 40 locations in Canada. 

How to Turn Your Subscribers Into Loyal Customers

By
Retail Insider
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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.

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

BRIEF: Holts Renos Near Completion, Children’s Retailer Files for Creditor Protection

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Retail Insider
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BRIEF: Holts Renos Near Completion, Children's Retailer Files for Creditor Protection

Holt Renfrew Continues CF Pacific Centre Store Overhaul

Luxury retailer Holt Renfrew continues to renovate its CF Pacific Centre store in Vancouver — millions have been poured into the multi-level space over the past couple of years, including an interior renovation as well as the addition of 40,000 square feet of retail space, bringing the store to almost 188,000 square feet. 

The store’s ground floor recently added new leather goods boutiques for brands such as Bottega Veneta, Loro Piana and Azzedine Alaia, in an area adjacent to the store’s 5,000 square foot Chanel concession. On the same floor, Bulgari and Hermes watch boutiques will be opening soon. 

On the second level in the women’s designer area, boutiques for Céline and Moncler were recently unveiled — Holt Renfrew has a partnership with both brands for shop-in-store rollouts across Canada. Moncler boutiques can be found in many of Holt’s stores and Céline will be amplifying its presence further in 2018. 

The new men’s department at Holt’s in Vancouver will soon see Louis Vuitton open a men’s concession, next to Holt’s Howe Street entrance, and next to the Tom Ford shop-in-store. More is on the way, according to staff in the store. 

New York City-based design firm Janson Goldstein is overseeing the massive project, which is expected to be completed in early 2018. 

*All photos were taken by Retail Insider’s Lee Rivett at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver on December 4, 2017. 

Structube Opens 50,000 square foot superstore

Montreal-based, affordably-priced contemporary/modern home furnishings/accessory retailer Structube is opening its first flagship megastore, today and the idea could be rolled out in other Canadian markets if it proves to be successful. 

The new Montreal store is located at 5620 Boul Métropolitain E, towards the northern end of the Island of Montreal. Loda Design designed the space.  

The new megastore features Structube’s entire product offering on display, and includes 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 an earlier interview.

Currently, most Structube locations measure in the 3,000 to 10,000 square foot range — considerably smaller than the new megastore concept. 

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. 

Marc Cain Opens Ottawa Store

Image: Marc Cain at CF Rideau Centre

Upscale German women’s fashion brand Marc Cain has opened a store at Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre. The 1,184 square foot boutique is located on the mall’s third level, near Nordstrom. 

Marc Cain entered Canada in 2015 and it now has stores coast-to-coast. The Canadian operations are seeing considerable success, according to Marc Cain’s Canadian managing director Stephen Belfer in an interview earlier this year, prompting the company to further expand its base of stores in this country.

Marc Cain works with brokerage Oberfeld Snowcap for its Canadian real estate deals. 

Founded in Bodelshausen, Germany in 1973, Marc Cain operates 210 stores in 34 countries, as well as almost 300 shop-in-shops and 387 franchised units. It also sells in over 1,000 specialty stores in 61 countries. 

Veuve Clicquot Opens Retail Pop-Up Shop in Montreal

Veuve Clicquot Pop-up in Montreal (Photo: Republik)

Veuve Clicquot has opened a pop-up shop, their only store in Canada, inside the beautiful Alton Gray retail space at CF Carrefour Laval. The store offers a wide variety of Veuve Clicquot items ranging from $15 – $390. Items include; champagne flutes, champagne buckets, weekend bags, but also winter boots, rain boots and even umbrellas. The store will remain open until December 31st, 2017. 

Cambridge Mall Fills Target Space

Image: Kingpin Bowlounge

Cambridge Mall in Cambridge, Ontario, will have another reason to visit in the fall of 2018. Kingpin Bowlounge will open in the mall’s former Target space, which has been vacant since early 2015 (coinciding with Target’s dramatic Canadian exit). 

The new facility will include a state-of-the-art laser tag arena, multi-level play structure, expansive Playdium Gaming Centre with prize offerings and cutting edge Virtual Reality experiences. There will also be food as well as craft beer and cocktails.  

Waterloo-based entertainment and hospitality company, Bingemans, owns Kingpin Bowlounge, and Cambridge Mall will be the company’s second. 

Adding entertainment to malls is a trend being seen, as mall landlords look to create experiences to address competition both from other physical retail, as well as e-commerce. 

Swimco Launches Innovative Body-Positive Ad Campaign

Calgary-based swimwear retailer Swimco, which now has stores across Canada, has launched a new omni channel marketing campaign using real people as models. Swimco has selected seven inspiring men and women to represent the brand in this season’s advertising, social media, ecommerce and in-store collateral that redefines “what it means be a swimsuit model”. 

“Our core values have not changed since the brand’s inception in 1975. We are committed to making our customers feel confident in swimwear, so they can be free to enjoy some of the best experiences of their lives. That’s what we are really trying to express with this new campaign.” Says Lori Bacon, Owner & President of Swimco. “A beautiful body doesn’t just mean thin, curvy, or sporty. What makes a body beautiful is that it’s yours, because it allows you to live the life you love. What makes a body beautiful isn’t how it looks, but how it lives. We want to inspire our customers to live their best lives while feeling good half naked.”

“These real people were chosen for this campaign because we feel they embody the qualities of our new brand vision.” Says Krista Kerth, Marketing Director for Swimco. “These men and women have inspiring stories to tell — from career and body changes to finding light in dark times — each have an uplifting message to share. The campaign isn’t about an aspirational image per se but the aspirational lives of the people within the image. All seven of our models are relatable to real people because… they are real people.”

Souris Mini Files for Creditor Protection

Montreal-based children’s clothing retailer Souris Mini has obtained creditor protection under the CCAA, according to publication Insolvency Insider. The company owes almost $18 million to various creditors, according to filed documents (some only in French).

The retailer was founded in 1989 and has 29 stores across Canada. Richter was appointed monitor, and law firm Gowlings is counsel for the company.

According to its website, all 29 stores locations are in Quebec, including some stores in some prominent shopping centres. 

*Update: La Presse also just reported on Souris Mini, in a French language article revealing considerably more details about the situation. 

Best Buy Unveils Overhauled Montreal ‘Experience Store’ [Photos]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Best Buy Storefront

Best Buy Canada has launched its latest new concept store in Montreal as part of a nation-wide strategy to revitalize the way Canadians purchase electronics and appliances.

The two-floor Best Buy ‘Experience Store,’ located at 470 Sainte-Catherine Street West, has been completely renovated to provide consumers with a more immersive and interactive experience, says the company.

It is one of 30 stores that have been renovated recently over the past two years or so.

The store is hosting a grand opening weekend for the public on Dec. 8-10.

“Our unique new store concept is based on feedback from our customers, employees and vendors,” says Ron Wilson, the company’s president and chief operating officer.

“The layout can change and evolve to follow new product or category innovations. This means the new stores can easily keep up with the technology they are designed to showcase.”

Tony Sandhu, senior vice-president of merchandising and in-store design for Best Buy, says there are three generations of stores that have already been renovated. The first involved seven stores which underwent renovations almost two-and-a-half years ago. The company rolled out another eight stores about a year ago. This year it will complete 15 more stores.

“The way consumers shop for product has changed significantly versus when these stores were first put together,” says Sandhu. “We needed to give customers a reason to get out from behind their keyboard and come to the store. We needed to make it interactive and immersive. And quite frankly some of the legacy stores weren’t creating that experience or that motivation for customers to come down to the stores.

“Our ability in legacy stores to really keep up with the rate of innovation was somewhat compromised. And the way we designed the stores we can literally re-purpose space overnight cost-effectively. As this technology continues to evolve we can bring the latest and greatest to our customers very quickly.”

At the new stores, Best Buy says, customers can expect an inspiring, immersive and interactive shopping experience. Cutting-edge tech from leading brands is displayed using live demos and high-impact vendor displays. The energetic modern design is complemented by flexibility-focused features such as raised access flooring.

Interested in smart home technology? Customers will now be able to interact with products via the fully functioning smart home wall. Need new appliances? A visit to the new major appliances showroom allows consumers to get inspiration for their dream kitchens while choosing the functionality that’s best for them.

Sandhu says there are 134 big box Best Buy stores in the country and 51 Best Buy Mobile stores.

He says Best Buy does have plans to do more store renovations in the future. It’s in the process right now of identifying what stores will next face some renovations.

MCM Launches Canadian Expansion with Standalone Canadian Flagship [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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MCM on Bloor Street (Image: MCM)

German-founded luxury brand MCM has opened its standalone Canadian flagship on Toronto’s Mink Mile this fall, and more Canadian stores will follow. 

Located at 93 Bloor Street West, the new 2,150 square foot MCM flagship’s interiors feature trademark gold accent fixtures and bright lighting, housing the country’s most extensive collection of MCM fashions, including accessories, leather goods, ready-to-wear and even footwear. MCM says that the Bloor Street store is at its ‘Diamond Level’, which means it carries a full assortment with a focus on its highest quality product offerings. 

The CBRE Toronto Urban Retail Team negotiated on behalf of the landlord in the deal, under the direction of Arlin Markowitz, Alex Edmison and Jackson Turner. Montreal-based Axxys Construction built-out the new space. 

MCM Confirms that the Bloor Street store will remain its Canadian flagship, though the company intends on opening at least two more stores — one in Vancouver, as well as a second store in Toronto. The Vancouver location would be a street-front store like the Bloor Street West location in Toronto, according to the company — likely in the city’s burgeoning ‘Luxury Zone’ that is located between the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the Shangri-La Hotel along Alberni Street as well as adjacent addresses. 

And unsurprisingly, MCM’s second targeted Toronto location is Yorkdale Shopping Centre — Yorkdale boasts an extensive roster of luxury brand boutiques, and is also Canada’s most productive mall in terms of annual sales per square foot. 

MCM was founded in Munich in 1976, and it’s known for accessories and other products in its signature logo-printed material (called Cognac Visetos) — similar to Louis Vuitton’s monogram canvas. MCM (which originally stood for Michael Cromer München) was especially popular in the 1980’s for its flashy, logo-printed accessories. South Korean fashion conglomerate Sungjoo Group acquired the brand in 1995, and the brand is having a major resurgence. 

In the United States, MCM has ten stores: in New York City (x2) Garden City NY, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, King of Prussia, Los Angeles, San Jose CA, and Las Vegas. It also has an outlet in Orlando FL. In Canada, MCM also wholesales at retailers such as Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. 

*All photos are by photographer Ryan Emberley, except for the top photo.

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