Luxury Retailers Sought to Pilot Customer Relationship Management Software

By

-

December 12, 2017

Bloor+St.+W.+Craig+Patterson — Bloor Street West (Image: Craig Patterson)

A team of experienced web business developers has launched an innovative customer relationship management software program to help retailers, particularly in the luxury space, improve the in-store experience for shoppers.

And Toronto-based Velvet Retail is seeking luxury retailers that are interested in piloting its product.

Velvet Retail integrates with retailers’ existing systems to pull in a wide variety of information including past purchases, email campaigns, loyalty data, and online visitor habits.

Sachin Siby, the company’s co-founder, says the information is used to build a buyer profile about each customer, providing information about their demographics and preferences. Velvet’s algorithms then leverage this data to automatically generate recommendations for other products in the catalog that a customer is likely to be interested in.

Data is used to maximize the quality of the customers’ in-store experience, says Siby.

Bloor Street West (Image: Craig Patterson)

The company started operations in August.

“The long-term strategy of the company is to improve customer experience for any customer that goes in-store,” says Siby. “There’s a lot of data available online and there’s nothing that bridges the gap between an online and offline shopping experience.

“So our idea is to go to retailers and say there’s a bunch of data that you have about the customers . . . that you can use to make the in-store experience for the customer way better.”

Siby says the company’s initial plan is to focus on luxury retailers.

“Our plans are to work with retailers on data most of them already have,” he says.

“Especially in the luxury retail space what happens is people do research online but prefer coming in-store to purchase products.”

Velvet Retail says it believes that customer centricity is the most important pillar of a retail strategy. Using data to proactively understand a customer’s wants when they walk into a store allows a retailer to provide them with the best customer experience.

For retailers, the in-store experience is a key part of their strategy in attracting and retaining customers.

Siby has worked for a few years in the marketing area. It was during this time that he thought about what leads to a good strategy and the idea for Velvet Retail was born.

Research by Boston Consulting Group shows sales growth for retailers implementing personalized shopping experiences has been six to eight per cent and Accenture estimates that this approach to retail will cause a 59 per cent increase in profitability rates by 2035.

An in-store sales representative has no idea what sort of products a customer is potentially interested in, says Siby

“Our plan is to export that data (to better equip sales people with information about the customer),” says Siby.

The founders of Velvet would like to tell you about their exciting upcoming product launch. Reach out to them through www.velvetretail.com or by email.

Nestlé Canada Study Reveals Canadians’ Opinions of Multinationals

By

Craig Patterson

-

December 12, 2017

attachment-5a2f3725e2c48396fefd5565 — exc-5a2f3725e2c48396fefd5565

Ninety-four per cent of Canadians believe it is possible for large, global companies to act in the local interest, and most believe they often do so. However, 64 per cent think that multinationals are too focused on the bottom line, versus only eight per cent who believe this to be true of smaller, local businesses.

These are some of the findings of a first-of-a-kind study from Nestlé Canada, entitled “Glocal: Confronting the Global–Local Dilemma”, that examines Canadians’ perceptions toward multinational organizations.

For Nestlé Canada, being a “glocal” company means having the size, scale and global expertise to offer Canadians the best products and services from around the world, but delivering them with local people, in local factories, with local ingredients, and in a responsible, sustainable manner.

That means “listening to the consumers that are involved in the communities across the country, listening to our employees that we have across the country, and listening for what’s happening in these local areas, particularly where we have offices or factories,” says Shelley Martin, president and CEO, Nestlé Canada, in an exclusive interview with Grocery Business magazine.

Interestingly, Millennials are more likely to support multinationals than their baby-boomer counterparts are, the study revealed. This finding may stem from Millennials’ belief that sometimes bigger companies can produce product at a different value than some of the smaller, local companies, which appeals to that cohort’s often challenging financial situation. Millennials may also be engaging more with global brands on social media, Martin speculates.

While the study’s data seem to indicate that multinationals are headed in the right direction, much still needs to be done to align perceptions with the reality that these companies are, in fact, contributing in a significant way to their communities, says Martin. “We must be more proactive in our approach, communicating clearly on our purpose and values,” she adds.

[Read the full study]

*This article originally appeared in Grocery Business.

Arc’teryx Continues Aggressive Footprint Expansion

By

Mario Toneguzzi

-

December 12, 2017

Arc’teryx, a Canadian outdoor clothing and sporting goods company founded in North Vancouver, is continuing to aggressively grow its footprint on a global level.

Megan Cheesbrough, Director, Global Retail and In-Store Excellence for the company which was founded in 1989, says it opened stores this year in Palo Alto AC (Stanford Shopping Centre), Los Angeles (La Brea Avenue), Vancouver (Burrard St), Japan, Edmonton (West Edmonton Mall) and Beijing (WF Central).

“Our first ever brand store in Montreal (St. Catherine Street) was renovated and included an expansion with a large community space for local activations, events and seminars,” she adds.

Currently Arc’teryx has six brand stores and two outlets in Canada – Quebec (downtown Montreal), Ontario (two brand stores — Queen Street West and Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, one outlet at Outlet Collection at Niagara), Alberta (West Edmonton Mall), and British Columbia (two brand stores in Vancouver, one outlet).

“We will open a brand store on 17th Ave. S.W. in Calgary in the spring of 2018. We have high brand awareness and a lot of existing customers in Calgary and are really excited to open a store in that market for our community there,” says Cheesbrough.

“Arc’teryx is committed to retail and we will continue to grow our retail footprint globally, with a special focus on the USA and China. As the retail landscape continues to evolve, our physical experiences and retail model will also evolve. With six brand stores in Canada already, and another opening in Calgary next year there won’t necessarily be a lot more room for traditional retail in Canada. There will however be opportunity for evolved physical experiences, unique pop-up experiences, and community connections through Arc’teryx Academy events and programs.”

One exciting project the retailer has embarked upon during this Christmas shopping season is a partnership with Destination BC as it launched a unique virtual reality backcountry ski hut concept in its stores across North America.

Cheesbrough says the storytelling experience allows consumers to connect with the essence of a backcountry ski hut experience.

“Hut Magic is available online and in stores for anyone to try and will no doubt inspire and create stoke to get outside this winter and celebrate wild,” she says.

The virtual reality storytelling experience from the Coast Mountains near Smithers, B.C. is in 17 stores across North America.

“What’s incredible about Hut Magic is that you’re not just watching the action, you’re actually a character in the story,” says George Weetman, Director of Global Consumer Experience and Digital Commerce, Arc’teryx. “It completely embodies the essence of a ski hut experience.”

Hut Magic tells the personal tale of remote backcountry ski huts through alpine footage, inspiring people to get outside this winter. It’s designed to instantly transport users to the Howson Range to experience glacier travel, epic powdered slopes, and soak in the ‘après ski’ surrounded by friends.

“Using Google’s Jump technology, we were able to work closely with Switchback Entertainment to capture the very essence and beauty of a hut experience and share it with Arc’teryx customers through virtual reality,” says Sarah Steele, VR Program Manager, Google.

The company’s products are distributed through more than 3,000 retail locations worldwide, including 32 branded stores globally. Arc’teryx is named for the Archaeopteryx Lithographica, the first reptile to develop the feather for flight.

Deerfoot Meadows Prepares to Open 2 Anchor Retailers in 2018

By

Mario Toneguzzi

-

December 11, 2017

Some big news is in store for one of Canada’s largest open-air urban shopping centres.

Deerfoot Meadows in Calgary will be welcoming the first Nordstrom Rack store in the market in the spring and Ethan Allen will also open a new store there around the same time.

Alan Rivait, director, leasing, retail, for Ivanhoé Cambridge which owns the shopping centre, says the opening of these two retailers will be the largest retail event at Deerfoot Meadows since the centre opened in 2005.

“It’s been a very, very stable project which is why what’s happening right now with Nordstrom and Ethan Allen is kind of big news,” says Rivait. “It is the most amount of space that we’ve rolled in sort of any given period. That’s why it’s such a big year for us”.

Deerfoot Meadows (Image: Ivanhoe Cambridge)

“It just gives us an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen our mix.”

Deerfoot Meadows has just over 50 stores in about 321,000 square feet. If you add shadow anchors such as IKEA and Real Canadian Superstore, it’s about one million square feet. IKEA owns its own land but is part of the Deerfoot Meadows site. Superstore is a land lease arrangement. Other retailers nearby such as The Brick and Costco are separately owned.

The shopping centre, which features anchor tenants such as Banana Republic, Best Buy, EQ3, JYSK, Pier 1 Imports and Sport Chek, is located just off the busy Deerfoot Trail major roadway which connects with the Queen Elizabeth II Highway going north to Edmonton and south to the southern part of Alberta. More than 121,000 vehicles on a daily basis pass by the site.

Ivanhoe Cambridge has owned the property since 2008.

“It’s a regional site. Its trade area is the entire city of Calgary. It does not have a typical community power centre draw. It has true regional draw which is why the addition of Nordstrom Rack and Ethan Allen, which will both be the only stores in the market, will again serve to differentiate Deerfoot Meadows from all other power centres in the market,” says Rivait.

He says Nordstrom Rack will be going into previous Future Shop space. It will occupy about 31,000 square feet and will open on April 26, 2018.

The Ethan Allen store will open around June 2018 in about 8,600 square feet.

Rivait says only one unit remains available for lease at the shopping centre. It’s 4,500 square feet and Deerfoot Meadows has a conditional offer on that space.

Also opening in the spring is a flagship Jerusalem Shawarma location as well as a Sole to Soul Footwear store.

Rivait says Nordstrom Rack will be the first and likely only store in the Calgary market for the foreseeable future.

“It’s what they’re telling us,” he says. “According to Nordstrom folks, it will be a while before they look for a second store for the market.”

Nordstrom Rack will be located only a few kilometres away from the regular Nordstrom store in CF Chinook Centre.

“Nordstrom will be the first to tell you that the closer those two stores can be to one another the better . . . This was as close to Chinook as they could get that met their criteria,” says Rivait.

Ivanhoé Cambridge will also be opening a Nordstrom Rack in Vaughan Mills in Toronto on March 22, 2018.

IKEA at Deerfoot Meadows (Image: Ivanhoe Cambridge)

Nobis Opens Corporate Flagship in Yorkville

By

Craig Patterson

-

December 11, 2017

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.

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.

Woolrich Launches Canadian Expansion with 1st Store [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

-

December 11, 2017

attachment-5a2c95a0ec212d8655c41d3a — exc-5a2c95a0ec212d8655c41d3a

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

-

December 8, 2017

attachment-59f520ce0d9297f9ed5a67bb — exc-59f520ce0d9297f9ed5a67bb

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

-

December 7, 2017

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.

“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.

“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

-

December 7, 2017

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

-

December 6, 2017

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.

(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)

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)

(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.

Retail InsiderCanada's Most-Read Online Retail Industry Publication.

Luxury Retailers Sought to Pilot Customer Relationship Management Software

Nestlé Canada Study Reveals Canadians’ Opinions of Multinationals

Arc’teryx Continues Aggressive Footprint Expansion

Deerfoot Meadows Prepares to Open 2 Anchor Retailers in 2018

Nobis Opens Corporate Flagship in Yorkville

Woolrich Launches Canadian Expansion with 1st Store [Photos]

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

Ladurée Announces Toronto Opening Date

Brick-and-Mortar Retail Alive and Well

Aussie Footwear Brand Wittner Shoes Expands Presence Into Canada

Copper Branch Continues Rapid Expansion

Adore Cosmetics Continues Canadian Store Expansion

Yorkville Village Hosts Unique Pop-Ups

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

INDOCHINO Plans 18 Locations for 2018

Women’s Activewear Brand Lorna Jane Enters Canadian Market

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

About

Contact

Media

Follow