European Boutique to Open Unique Multi-Brand Luxury Jewellery Space

October 4, 2017

attachment-59cc042412abd9e0c522b39c — exc-59cc042412abd9e0c522b39c

Toronto-based multi-brand jewellery retailer European Boutique is expanding its CF Sherway Gardens store, which will include a full renovation as well as the addition of three luxury-branded boutiques. Montblanc will unveil its third official Toronto location as part of the expansion, and luxury brands Gucci and TAG Heuer will also see shop-in-store storefronts that will extend more than 30 feet in the mall’s newly-opened, Nordstrom-anchored expansion wing. All are expected to open in November of this year.

European Boutique, which has occupied a strategically-located retail space in the mall for several years, will expand as part of the renovation to about 2,100 square feet. The existing space will be renovated to reflect the aesthetic of recently renovated European Boutiques at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, including ample use of marble flooring and gold metal fixtures.

Three new luxury branded boutiques will also be added as part of European Boutique’s renovation. Swiss luxury brand Montblanc will open a 600 square foot space featuring a dramatic 30+ foot tall branded Montblanc facade, with entrances from the mall as well as from within European Boutique. Montblanc’s interior will reflect the brand’s most recent concept, which was unveiled in Montblanc’s Westfield World Trade Center store that opened last year. CF Sherway will become Montblanc’s third boutique in Toronto — other locations include at 151 Bloor Street West and at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Montblanc’s other Canadian boutiques are in Montreal (downtown and at CF Carrefour Laval) and on Burrard Street in downtown Vancouver.

A Gucci shop-in-store at European Boutique will be the first of its kind in Canada, featuring a storefront presence devoted exclusively to the brand’s watch and jewellery lines. Accessed from within European Boutique, Gucci will also have a dramatic soaring facade, reflecting Gucci’s most updated store design. A TAG Heuer watch boutique will be similar — it will be accessed from within European Boutique but will have a 30+ foot mall-facing facade, and it will be the first of its kind in Canada to feature such a dedicated presence in the brand’s newest retail concept.

European Boutique’s corner location at CF Sherway Gardens is strategic, especially now that Nordstrom has opened its 140,000 square foot store at the end of the hall. European Boutique has a corner space at the entrance to the newly unveiled Nordstrom wing, which also includes new locations for Zara, Loding, Squish Candies, Nike, BonLook, Saje Natural Wellness, L’Intervalle shoes, and the Danish Pastry House. In early 2018, Canadian brands Matt & Nat and B2 by Browns Shoes will join them. CF Sherway Gardens is one of Canada’s most productive malls in terms of sales per square foot, according to Retail Council of Canada’s Shopping Centre Study. The mall has also seen over $500 million in investment in recent years, including an impressive north expansion with a food hall, as well as the redevelopment of the former Sears space that now houses Sport Chek and a large Saks Fifth Avenue location (one of two in Canada, for now).

European Boutique operates four stores in the Greater Toronto area — at CF Sherway Gardens, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and at Square One in Mississauga. The company also recently unveiled (in a partnership) Canada’s first Breitling watch boutique at Yorkdale, which is adjacent to European Boutique’s existing store in the mall. European Boutique also recently unveiled a corner retail space for luxury watch brand OMEGA that connects to its Yorkdale store.

Jeweller Hillberg & Berk Embarks on National Expansion

October 3, 2017

Screen+Shot+2017-09-29+at+12.39.22+PM — Hillberg & Berk store at The Centre Mall in Saskatoon

Saskatchewan-based jewellery company Hillberg & Berk will be opening two new pop-up locations in the coming weeks, as the company prepares to embark on a cross-country expansion.

Hillberg & Berk, which currently operates five locations in Saskatchewan and Alberta, opened a location in The Centre Mall in Saskatoon last week, and a location in CF Market Mall in Calgary will open on Oct. 15th.

“We’ve been quietly building over the past decade in Saskatchewan,” says Rachel Mielke, CEO and founder of Hillberg & Berk. “We’re hitting critical mass right now, and we’re at the point where we’re prepared to start expanding across the country.”

Hillberg & Berk specializes in luxury jewellery, with styles ranging from bold statement pieces to elegant engagement rings and sparkly bridal collections. The merchandise is geared towards women between the ages of 25 and 40, however the brand tends to appeal to a broad demographic, according to Mielke.

Hillberg & Berk store at The Centre Mall in Saskatoon

“It’s very feminine and bold and classic,” she says. “We’re really trying to create pieces that are timeless and on trend, but they still have a longevity to them; they’ll still be relevant and beautiful in the future.”

The new Centre Mall store is a temporary location that will be open until spring 2018, at which point Hillberg & Berk plans to open a permanent store within the mall. The pop-up store is approximately 700 square feet in size.

The CF Market Mall pop-up store, meanwhile, is committed to a one-year lease, with plans to find a permanent location in the mall at the end of that lease. The temporary location is 939 square feet in size.

Both pop-up stores are designed to resemble a ‘dream closet,’ according to Mielke. The stores feature a styling lounge and a fitting room, so that shoppers can try on outfits and consult in-store jewellery experts for advice on accessorizing.

“It doesn’t feel like walking into a jewellery store,” she says. “It feels like you’re walking into a luxury home – maybe your girlfriend’s closet.”

Hillberg & Berk works with CITE360studio in Regina to design its stores. The stores feature predominantly neutral colours along with mixed metals, and the focal point in each store is the jewellery on display.

“You’ll find that our stores really feel like a gallery,” Mielke says.

As Hillberg & Berk begins to expand its retail footprint, locations for new stores are being determined based on the company’s e-commerce sales patterns.

“We look at the cities that are driving the most online traffic, and we start testing those markets and advertising and seeing what the potential is,” says Mielke. “From there, we plan to roll out into either pop-ups or permanent locations.”

The company selected the CF Market Mall location, for instance, since Calgary has been a strong driver of online sales. Other regions that are generating a high volume of online sales, and which have potential for future Hillberg & Berk locations, Mielke says, include the Greater Toronto Area, Winnipeg, and certain cities in B.C.

Mielke is also considering opening a flagship location in Edmonton – a city where Hillberg & Berk already operates two ‘Sparkle Bar’ kiosks.

Jeri Brodie of Aurora Realty Consultants Inc. is representing Hillberg & Berk.

*All photos are of the new Hillberg & Berk store at The Centre Mall in Saskatoon.

Mr. Pretzels Sees Explosive Growth as it Expands Canada-Wide

Mario Toneguzzi

October 3, 2017

Mr. Pretzels, a pioneering brand of aromatic soft pretzels baked in a variety of flavours, have grown from eight locations in Canada to 40 by Christmas of this year.

And the fast-growing brand expects to keep expanding at a tremendous rate over the next few years.

Carmine Di Fruscia, president of Mr. Pretzels in Canada, told Retail Insider that “there’s no limit” as to how many locations the company will operate in the country.

“We’re open for business,” says Di Fruscia, adding the company can do deals corporately or through franchises as it looks to expand into malls, airports, and sports venues.

“We can do at least another 150 stores within the next two years.”

Currently there are 26 locations open (and an additional 14 to open before Christmas) in Canada with the vast majority in Quebec. Locations are also in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ottawa with expansion plans for Ontario, the Maritimes and across the country in other provinces.

The brand operates, along with franchise partners, in over 300 stores in close to 20 countries in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, the Caribbean and North America. It opened its first location in 1994 in a kiosk in Puerto Rico.

The company’s founder is Luiz Penna.

Canada’s first location was opened in Place Vertu shopping centre in Montreal about three to four years ago after Di Fruscia met the founder of Mr. Pretzels about four years ago.

“I wasn’t convinced myself about pretzels in general for Canada,” he says. But when he tasted the product for the first time, Di Fruscia was extremely impressed with it.

After that, he took a year of doing due diligence, tasting competitor products and was convinced “this guy had the most amazing product that’s around for pretzels.”

“At that time, the pretzels concept hadn’t had a lot of success in Canada. I had a lot of trouble convincing the malls to open a pretzel shop. The only one I went into was Place Vertu,” says Di Fruscia.

“We opened. We had a little bit of success in a quiet mall and we convinced the other mall owners to come on . . . We realized we had a success on our hands.”

Using only the finest quality natural ingredients, the pretzel dough is prepared on the spot, hand-rolled in front of customers.

“Our wheat comes from Halifax. It’s all non-GMO. All natural,” says Di Fruscia.

The pretzels are low in fat and contain no preservatives.

“It’s very rare today where you can see hand-made, made fresh in front of you for under $4 in a mall today – and when it’s made fresh and people can smell it, see it with their own eyes,” says Di Fruscia.

“Our biggest success has been sampling. A lot of people don’t know pretzels in Canada. It isn’t a product we use often. We saw it from the rest of the world but here in Canada it has never taken off, before Mr. Pretzels. We hand-roll in front of our customers, bake on site, and offer samples. Once they try it, they just love the product.”

Carmine Di Fruscia will be at the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) Canada Conference in Toronto this week, noting that there are over 100 potential franchisees waiting to get in. He can be reached at: carmine@ptg.ca or by phone: 514-349-3911.

Independent Pharmacy Reimagines Traditional Store Layout

Mario Toneguzzi

October 3, 2017

A Toronto pharmacy and clinic has reimagined and restructured the traditional drug store layout.

The newly-opened Wellth Pharmacy and Clinic, at 85 Church Street, was transformed into a state-of-the-art compounding lab, with private consultation rooms, viewing windows and an open-concept lab that allows clients to watch, through a looking glass, their prescription being prepared.

Ben McKenzie, a co-founder of the concept with Stacey D’Angelo, who is also a pharmacist, says the company name is a merging together of the words health and wellness.

“It’s a good representation of our brand and of what we’re trying to create. Our tagline is where your wealth is measured in health and wellness,” says McKenzie.

<br />

Wellth opened recently in 2,416 square feet of space. Wellth asks how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual. Its goal is to be its patients’ “best self partner” by optimizing their vitality with holistic solutions designed for them. It intends to inspire each client’s unique wellness pursuit through innovative product discovery, easy-to-understand advice and connection to the community.

D’Angelo says Wellth is a traditional pharmacy but it also does specialty compounding with medications made in its in-house state-of-the-art lab.

“That was an important part of the design as we wanted to showcase the compounding lab,” says D’Angelo.

The retail space focus is on health and wellness. The location also has a naturopathic doctor, a holistic nutritionist and a nurse practitioner. There are four consultation rooms in the clinic.

McKenzie says the company is independent and the owners’ goal is to grow to another location. Whether that will be another pharmacy or just a clinic is not certain at this time.

Reuben Barkin, director of operations for BUILD IT By Design which constructed the new pharmacy and clinic, says several years back the building was actually a parking garage that was retro-fitted to condo apartments above with some retail on the ground floor.

“One of the unique features of the place was because it was a parking garage, the concrete slab itself was really rough concrete with still some staining of oil . . . We needed to grind the entire slab down to the existing re-bar and then pour a new slab,” says Barkin.

“It was integral that the slab be perfect because the floor finish is an extremely, high gloss, white, epoxy finish. The best way I can describe the floor is that it’s almost like a skating rink.”

Because noise transfer was a huge concern, the contractors insulated the entire ceiling with soundproofing. The millwork is also extremely intricate and high end.

“We wanted to ensure that it wasn’t your textbook pharmacy . . . There’s a lot of round curves, solid surfaces, wood details to kind of soften the mood . . . Because they’re a multi-disciplinary clinic focusing on preventative health, they wanted to really create a family atmosphere,” explains Barkin.

“Yes, it’s a pharmacy but it’s done with a much stronger hands-on approach. They wanted people from the community to come in and feel very relaxed . . . They really wanted it to be more of a community sort of health destination than just come in, grab your prescriptions and leave. Everything from the lighting, the colours that were selected . . . is soothing and calm.”

BUILD IT, with its head office in Mississauga, has 70 employees and has been in operation since 2008. The general contractors do about 120-150 projects a year.

Recognizing Wellth Pharmacy and Clinic as a thought-leader in the industry, BUILD IT also constructed custom, moveable merchandise displays to allow for educational seminars, workshops and private events.

Retail West Conference in Vancouver on October 12

Craig Patterson

October 3, 2017

attachment-59d2cc3ef9a61e4e99f5028e — exc-59d2cc3ef9a61e4e99f5028e

Retail Council of Canada’s Retail West conference is taking place on October 12 of this year, and it is being held at the Pinnacle Marriott hotel in the city’s downtown core. [Register Online Here]

Retail West is Western Canada’s largest retail conference, and it will be attended by more than 300 mid-to-senior level executives. The event brings together retailers ranging in size from independent merchants to Canada’s largest retailers operating on the West Coast, as well as retail industry vendors and suppliers.

This year’s conference explores the most pressing concerns and opportunities facing retailers in today’s unpredictable commerce landscape, while sharing innovative ideas, real-life case studies and trends, and providing tools and resources specific to the Western Canadian retail market.

Retail Council of Canada’s President and CEO, Diane J. Brisebois, will kick-off Retail West 2017 with a special address to retailers in Canada on the potential impact of the proposed import duties being lobbied for in the upcoming NAFTA negotiations.

“The stress retailers in Canada are experiencing now is nothing close to the magnitude of the challenge ahead if the $800 de minimis recommendation is passed,” said Ms. Brisebois, adding, “As an industry, it may very well be the biggest fight we’ve ever had to ensure retailers of all sizes can continue to thrive and effectively compete for Canadian consumers’ business. It is therefore vital retailers are clearly informed of the potential devastating impact this change could have on their business so we can together take proper action, NOW.”

There will also be some common themes to this year’s conference, including discussions around the critical importance of brand in today’s digital world, understanding the ever-evolving wants and needs of the consumer, and staying competitive through constantly changing new and emerging technology. Each presenter has been carefully selected because of both the novel and highly successful strategies his or her company has explored and applied in their business or retail practice.

Some of the companies and speakers presenting at Retail West 2017 include:

–Mountain Equipment Co-Op, David Labistour
–Google, Kritina Elkhazin
–Arc’Teryx, Jon Hoerauf
–Best Buy, Phil Arrata
–BuildDirect, Jim Hourigan
–Reckless Bike Stores, Paul Dragan
–Sage Natural Wellness, Kate Ross LeBlanc
–Spud.ca, Peter van Stolk
–Top Drawer Creative, Howard Chang
–Facebook, Vik Kambli
–HUBBA, Phil Chang
–PwC, Kate Furber
–JAK’s Beer, Wine & Spirits, Tim Dumas
–Dig 360, David Ian Grey
–Retail Insider, Craig Patterson

To add further insight and perspective for conference participants, Retail West 2017 will also present just-released findings from leading retail research consultancies:

-Deloitte – Future of Next Generation Retail
-KPMG – Fifth Annual Global Consumers Study
-Leger360’s – Future of the Department Store.

The day will otherwise be packed with speakers and presentations, as well as dedicated networking times, as well as a catered lunch. For more details: [Schedule for October 12]

You can register for the Retail West Conference online or via fax (To register via fax, download the pdf and fax it to 877-790-4271 or mail it to 800-1881 Yonge Street, Toronto Ontario, M3S 3C4).

There’s a reduced rate for those that are already Retail Council of Canada members. To check your status and to become a member, contact membership@retailcouncil.org or call 1-888-373-8245.

Prime New Retail Space on Bloor Street West Across from the ROM

Craig Patterson

October 2, 2017

attachment-59d295aca8b2b08c1ccb722a — exc-59d295aca8b2b08c1ccb722a

About 8,000 square feet of retail space is now available at the base of 202 Bloor Street West, located on the edge of the city’s luxury shopping area dubbed the ‘Mink Mile’. The space is currently a shell that can be built-out for retail and/or restaurant use.

Located at the base of the recently completed ‘Exhibit Residences’, the two-level space is located directly across the street from the Royal Ontario Museum (’The ROM’), with a view of the picturesque entrance to Philosopher’s Walk that extends into the University of Toronto Campus. To the west is the popular Annex area, which includes vibrant retail that serves a mixed population that ranges from students to the affluent who live in the area. To the east is the luxury precinct of Bloor Street West, which includes some of the world’s leading luxury brands with names such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Prada and Hermes.

Immediately east of 200 Bloor Street, as well, is the Park Hyatt Hotel — now owned by Oxford Properties, the historic tower portion of the hotel will soon be converted to luxury rental apartments, with new retail at its base that fronts onto Bloor Street as well as Avenue Road.

The two-level retail space at 202 Bloor Street West is divided into 4,000 square feet on the ground floor, with an additional 4,000 square feet upstairs. Ceilings are remarkably high on both levels, with the second level featuring a wrap-around balcony with bright south-facing views of Bloor Street West, the ROM, and surrounding area.

We toured the space with Sales Representative Hilary Kellar-Parsons of brokerage Avison Young, who is listing the property along with Avison Young Principals Eva Destunis and Ryan Hood, as well as Sales Representative Scott Lyall. She explained how the ground floor could be converted to a variety of uses, with a back area that can house a kitchen, if a restaurant occupies part or all of the space. The entire 8,000 square foot space can be leased to one tenant, or it can be demised for more than one, with a variety of configurations available.

The immediate area is growing in leaps and bounds, with thousands of new condominium units to be built and delivered over the next several years. Yorkville/Annex has the best of both worlds — it’s a walkable, high density area that also boasts considerable affluence. That spending power is prompting luxury brands to move in spaces nearby, as Yorkville finds its place among the world’s great inner-city neighbourhoods, not unlike Mayfair in London, Salamanca in Madrid, and the Upper East Side in New York City.

Directly above, as well, is the Exhibit Residences — a high-quality, 200-unit condominium tower built by Bazis Inc.. The unique 32-storey tower, designed by Toronto’s Rosario Varacalli, rises from Bloor Street as a series of four cubes, each slightly rotates and is veiled with fritted glass balconies. Units for sale are asking in excess of $1,000 per square foot.

The retail component of 200 Bloor Street West is available immediately. For more information, contact Hilary Kellar-Parsons at: hilary.kellar-parsons@avisonyoung.com, or call: 647.868.1913.

The Future of Retail Requires Innovation and a Focus on Customer Experience

Retail Insider

October 2, 2017

attachment-59d1241eccc5c5f5dcd4bae2 — exc-59d1241eccc5c5f5dcd4bae2

By Stephane Wyper, SVP, New Commerce Partnerships and Commercialization, Mastercard

With everything that’s been happening in the retail industry lately, one would be tempted to think that the brick and mortar store is over. But that’s simply not true. Statistics Canada reported that in 2016, Canadians spent more than $44 billion per month in retail sales, with e-commerce accounting for just about two per cent of that. The physical retail store isn’t dead; it just needs reinvention—and recent store closures and bankruptcies only tell one side of the story.

So what’s the other side? Consider legacy players, like Wal-Mart and its 24hr digital ordering with in-store pick-up and Lowe’s use of robotics to improve employee productivity as prime examples of retailers that are adapting their traditional business models in this digitally connected age. Digital players are also expanding into the physical space, like Amazon’s move into grocery with its purchase of Whole Foods (as well as its experimentation with Amazon Go) and Snapchat’s Spectacles store—suggesting that the future of retail will likely be a seamless blend of bricks and clicks. That’s because people still value the ability to interact in person with the things they want to buy (just look at Bonobos). This ‘discovery’ experience is the first moment of truth in the retail journey.

I’m a big believer in a concept we call ‘looking back to go forward’, or what can be learned from the past to anticipate what the future should offer. Most of us remember walking into a music or video store, spending time to look at all of the titles available and actually listening to or reading the cover of each one before making a final decision. That in-store experience was one of the main reasons why companies like Tower Records and Blockbuster existed. Fast forward that by a few decades, and we can now browse music and movies directly from the phones in our pockets. The physical store experience for these became obsolete as the content itself became digitized. Without being able to adapt their business models or store environments with the move to digital, Tower and Blockbuster unfortunately disappeared. Compare that to innovative companies like B8ta and Samsung whose mission is to show consumers how technology products fit into their life. B8ta and Samsung are changing the retail store and creating high-touch experiences where people discover, try, and learn about new tech products.

In today’s digital age, retail discovery isn’t easy. Consumers are browsing across multiple channels, are inundated with choice, and aren’t always armed with an intuitive way to find exactly what they want with the same emotional engagement as they had in Tower Records. This is why the in-store experience is ready for disruption.

How you pay has always been an integral part of the physical store. Leading retailers are looking at embedding technology within their in-store environment, with an estimated 70% of retailers actively investing in embedding digital into their physical stores. Technologies including beacons, digital signs, tablet based points of sale, and RFID tags are becoming new tools to augment the store infrastructure. At the same time, consumer adoption of mobile apps and devices are being used as a way to give retailers the ‘permission to personalize’ by removing traditional points of friction and ensuring each interaction is unique.

We can accelerate the transformation of retail by moving from the ‘single device, single experience’ approach to a more streamlined and seamless shopping experience that spans multiple connected devices and leverages in-store technology. For example, we are partnering with Oak Labs to transform any in-store surface into a point of engagement, customer service and sales – from the fitting room mirror all the way to the storefront window.

The future of retail isn’t something we have to look forward to, it’s already here.

Stephane Wyper is the Senior Vice President of Internet of Things Partnerships leading the strategic partnerships in the IoT ecosystem. Follow him on Twitter at swyper.

In his role, Stephane and his team are responsible for leading Mastercard’s efforts to commercialize new commerce opportunities covering the Internet of Things, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. This includes identifying key needs in this space that Mastercard can solve for, as well as developing relationships with leading players across specific IoT verticals including connected car, smart home, connected office, and the future of retail.

Grocery Store Retail to Anchor Massive Mixed-Use Development

Mario Toneguzzi

October 1, 2017

Save-On-Foods will be an anchor retailer in the massive University District mixed-use development in Calgary and the grocery store will be part of a building with close to 300 residential units above it.

The 38,000-square-foot grocery store will break ground at the end of this year and is anticipated to open in 2020.

James Robertson, president and CEO of West Campus Development Trust which is spearheading the major residential, commercial, retail and office project on University of Calgary land, says the grocery store is an important anchor for the project.

“Whenever you’re establishing a community, a grocery store is kind of a central component of day-to-day life. It not only allows residents to maintain their lifestyle within the community without having to leave, it also allows us to kickoff our retail or to start up our retail component of this community in a substantive way,” says Robertson. “And so if you can imagine you have a grocery store, a coffee shop, a bank, a wine store, you have all the basics of everyday life. It was very important for us to do that as close to the beginning of the development of this community as possible.

“We will have residents moving in in 2018 and it should be within a year to a year and a half of them moving in we have a grocery store opened.”

University District, which is on 200 acres of land, will cost an estimated $25 billion to $35 billion to build for the entire project. When full build-out is complete, in 15 to 20 years, the community will have 15,000 to 17,000 people living and working there.

Located at 32nd Avenue N.W. and Shaganappi Trail, the project will include 40 acres of open space, 8.7 million square feet of buildable area, 250,000 square feet of ground floor retail along nine blocks, 1.5 million square feet of office space, and 6,000 to 6,500 residential units.

“Calgary is enjoying a surge of high density urban mixed-use development projects that are at the leading edge of the Canadian real estate industry,” says Michael Kehoe, an Alberta-based retail specialist in Calgary with Fairfield Commercial Real Estate. “Currie Barracks, East Village and the University District are prime examples.

“Often these projects are transit-oriented and feature a combination of residential, retail and office uses. The cornerstone of these projects are the grocery anchor stores tailored for the urban professional consumer that will become focal points for the neighbourhoods. In a high-density mixed-use project, the grocery anchor will provide a multitude of non-retail services and often occupy multiple levels with office and residential above. The major grocery chains have created branded urban concepts that can adapt to a variety of footprints and micro-markets.”

Save-On-Foods is opening its eighth Calgary area store October 6 with its second store in Airdrie.

Company president Darrell Jones says the University District is going to be a “fantastic place” to be for the grocery store.

“It’s an ability for young people to understand our brand which is a modern brand. The store will have everything that young people and families want. Sushi. Wing bar. Hot meals. Hot soup. Starbucks coffee. All the things for modern families that are in a hurry,” says Jones. “E-commerce. They’ll be able to click and collect or have it delivered to their home today.”

“So we think that our offer today which is very modern, very cosmopolitan, is a perfect thing for the university area.”

<br />

Above the grocery store, the mixed-use rental building, built by Gracorp Capital Advisors Ltd. (Gracorp), will feature 288 units of residential space. The units are anticipated to be one-to-three-bedroom floor plans that range in size from 528 square feet up to 1,130 square feet.

“The vision for University District is for it to be one of Calgary’s most livable communities, offering mixed-use residential and retail opportunities, giving residents everything they need in one central location,” says Barry Poffenroth, director of real estate at Gracorp Capital Advisors Ltd. “We are offering housing options with size, space and flexibility in a more compact form with easy accessibility to the grocery store and other retail services along the main street.”

Jones says there is a trend to build residential above retail space because real estate is becoming more expensive and there is a need to maximize what can be developed on land. It is also a concept that is convenient for residents who have amenities right in their building.

West Campus Development Trust says nine additional retailers will be part of the grocery store block, and have been carefully chosen to meet a host of community needs and interests — from neighbourhood coffee shop and specialty restaurant, to pet store and wine merchant. In the coming months, the trust will be announcing some of those retailers, and the newest hotel resident and builder, located across the street from the grocery store.

Kwangyul Choi, a postdoctoral research fellow under the Richard Parker Professorship, jointly appointed in Haskayne School of Business and Faculty of Environment Design at the University of Calgary, says having a grocery store as an anchor in a neighbourhood is a good idea for residents in giving them a number of opportunities for social interaction.

Albert Tonghoon Han, Postdoctoral Research Fellow to the Richard Parker Professorship in Metropolitan Growth and Change, jointly appointed in the Haskayne School of Business and Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary, says mixed-use developments balance the mix of commercial and residential use to take advantage of providing more amenities closer to where people live.

Seafood City Launches Canadian Expansion with 1st Store [Photos]

Craig Patterson

October 1, 2017

attachment-59d0277fb1ffb670473144ca — exc-59d0277fb1ffb670473144ca

California-based Filipino grocery chain Seafood City has opened its first store in Canada. Considered to be ‘more than just a grocery store’, the wildly popular concept is expected to open locations in selected markets nationwide.

Located at Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga, the new 50,000 square foot Seafood City store features fresh seafood as well as meat, fruits and vegetables, and “special spices and ingredients that Filipinos grew up with and have learned to love,” according to the company. Included are “Traditional products that they have missed and remind them of home, but also new products from the different regions of the Philippines”.

The store also houses four fast-food restaurants — Grill City, Noodle Street, CrispyTown, and Jollibee — the latter will open in early 2018. The store also includes locations for Valerio’s Tropical Bakeshop, TFC (The Filipino Channel), Atlas International Courier, and the Philippine National Bank.

The company was founded in San Diego in 1989. Seafood City is considered to be America’s first and leading Filipino Asian supermarket chain, with 24 stores in California, Nevada, Washington, Hawaii, and Chicago. But it’s not just a supermarket. “Our plan is always to be a Filipino town center, a one-stop hub where our beloved customers can go to for their basic needs. So, we bring in with us our allied partners that offer the usual services and products our customers need,” says the company.

Mississauga was chosen for Seafood City’s first Canadian store because of the Greater Toronto Area’s large Filipino community. The Greater Toronto Area is home to about half of the country’s 700,000 Filipinos, with Vancouver and Winnipeg also having significant populations (and therefore likely being targets for Seafood City stores). Winnipeg was the first city in Canada to get a standalone Jolliebee restaurant.

Heartland Town Centre is an outdoor retail power centre, boasting over 2 million square feet of retail space and about 180 stores, including multiple anchor retailers. Nordstrom Rack will join the mix when it opens its second GTA store in the fall of 2018.

“It’s extremely exciting to have Seafood City open their first Canadian store in Mississauga to serve the large and growing Filipino community in the Greater Toronto Area. A new generation of foodies will enjoy the new and diverse options offered by this Filipino-oriented grocery store,” said Louroz Mercader, co-founder of RISE Tribe — a Filipino youth mentorship program based in Mississauga.

Seafood City says that while no other locations have been secured in Canada, the British Columbia Lower Mainland is a target for a location, and the Greater Toronto Area is also likely to see more. Greg Rabin of Paracom Realty represents Seafood City, and negotiated the Heartland Town Centre deal on behalf of the retailer.

The Mississauga store will no doubt be a hit. According to Seafood City, after it was announced that the retailer was coming to Mississauga (we wrote about it first in February of 2016), tens of thousands of Filipinos around the Toronto area have already signed up for Seafood City’s SUKI Card membership program. Retail is alive and well when it’s done right, and offers what consumers want.

<br />

Sears Canada Announces 11 Store Closures

Craig Patterson

September 30, 2017

Sears Canada has announced that it will close 11 of its stores across the country, as the company continues to fight for survival after filing for bankruptcy this summer. Several of the announced locations are in significant shopping centres, providing opportunities for redevelopment. Of the 11 announced locations, 10 are full-line Sears stores, and one is a Sears Home Store. Leases will be returned to their respective landlords.

The company announced the store closures in a press release on the evening of Friday, September 29, also noting that the company has also entered into an agreement of purchase and sale relating to its Garden City Shopping Centre location in Winnipeg, and has entered into a lease transfer agreement relating to the small-parcel fulfillment centre in Calgary. As part of the store closures, an additional 1,200 people will lose their jobs.

The 10 full-line Sears Canada stores announced for closure include the following:

–Nanaimo North Town Centre, Nanaimo, BC
–Brentwood Town Centre, aka ‘The Amazing Brentwood’, Burnaby, BC
–Orchard Park Shopping Centre, Kelowna, BC
–CF Polo Park, Winnipeg, MB
–CF Lime Ridge, Hamilton, ON
–Oakville Place, Oakville ON
–CF Fairview Mall, Toronto, ON
–Scarborough Town Centre, Toronto, ON
–CF Fairview Pointe-Claire, Montreal QC
–Avalon Mall, St. John’s, NL

As well, a separate Sears Home Store will also close at Kelowna’s Orchard Park Mall.

Landlords will need to identify opportunities to fill these locations, at a time when some are still struggling to tenant spaces vacated by Target in 2015 — Target shuttered all 133 of its Canadian stores when it exited Canada after suffering considerable financial losses. Several of the malls announced above are actually very strong centres, according to Retail Council of Canada’s Shopping Centre Study (the 2017 report will be released in November). The following is a discussion of the malls where Sears is closing, including challenges and opportunities.

Nanaimo North Town Centre, Nanaimo: The 600,000 square foot mall will lose its only major fashion anchor with this closure. Other anchors include Lowe’s, London Drugs, and a freestanding Canadian Tire store.

Brentwood Town Centre, Burnaby: Now being overhauled and rebranded as The Amazing Brentwood, it was unclear if Sears would have remained as a tenant here regardless — the centre is being positioned as being more upscale, in partnership with L Catterton group, the private equity firm associated with French luxury conglomerate LVHM. While luxury brands will be added to the expanded centre, landlord SHAPE says that there will be retailers at a variety of price-points.

Orchard Park Mall, Kelowna: Kelowna’s leading mall will lose one of two fashion anchors — Hudson’s Bay will continue to operate in the centre. Sears operates a fashion store and a separate Sears Home store in the mall, which is also anchored by Sport Chek and Best Buy.

CF Polo Park, Winnipeg: This could be a blessing in disguise — CF Polo Park is one of Canada’s most productive malls, according to Retail Council of Canada’s Shopping Centre Study. Sears’ occupies 263,240 square feet of space in the centre, and its space could be developed to house more productive retailers, as well as to add new retailers currently not available in the Winnipeg market.

CF Lime Ridge Mall, Hamilton: Hamilton’s leading mall is seeing exceptional gains in productivity, and its 143,640 square foot Sears space could provide redevelopment opportunity that could include adding some retailers that are currently not available in Hamilton, such as Zara. Sears occupies a strategic location at the end of the mall adjacent to a large H&M store. Other anchors at CF Lime Ridge include Hudson’s Bay, Home Outfitters, and Sport Chek.

Oakville Place, Oakville: RioCan’s Oakville Place will lose one of two major fashion anchors — Hudson’s Bay will remain in the centre, along with H&M, Sport Chek and an upscale Pusateri’s Fine Foods store that opened in the summer of 2016. Oakville is one of Canada’s wealthiest communities, located between Toronto and Hamilton.

CF Fairview Mall: The Toronto mall is one of Canada’s most productive, with annual sales per square foot close to $1,000. Hudson’s Bay is the mall’s other major anchor, with 152,400 square feet of space over two levels, and the mall also features a large Cineplex Cinema. In the past, rumours circulated that Saks Fifth Avenue would replace Sears’ 149,550 square foot space in the mall, though nothing is confirmed.

Scarborough Town Centre, Toronto: The popular and highly productive mall, located at the heart of Scarborough, is also anchored by Hudson’s Bay and Walmart. Sears occupies a 231,500 square foot space in the busy centre. A couple of years ago, La Maison Simons’ President Peter Simons revealed that he was negotiating to open in the mall, though the retailer has slowed its plans to open new stores, instead focusing on renovating existing locations while opening a new distribution centre. Nordstrom was also said to be a contender to move into the mall as part of its Canadian expansion, though Nordstrom has also halted opening full-line stores in Canada as it begins the rollout of its Nordstrom Rack banner in Canada in early 2018.

CF Fairview Pointe-Claire, Montreal: The suburban Montreal mall will lose its largest anchor when its 181,800 square foot Sears location closes. Hudson’s Bay is the mall’s other main fashion anchor, with smaller anchors including Winners, Déco Découverte (Home Outfitters), Best Buy, and Sports Experts.

Avalon Mall, St. John’s, NL: This is unfortunate news for the mall, and the city — Sears is currently the primary fashion anchor at the mall, with 129,000 square feet of space, with Winners and Cineplex also anchoring the productive centre. St. John’s has a metro population of just over 200,000 people, and it lacks a Hudson’s Bay store — Sears is the only traditional department store left in the city, though smaller retailers and off-price stores will continue to operate when it closes.

Court approval is required prior to store liquidations, and the closures will result in 1,200 job losses. That’s in addition to 2,900 previously announced job losses, when Sears closes 59 smaller stores this weekend. About 12,000 people continue to remain employed with Sears Canada.

Sears Canada filed for bankruptcy protection in June of 2017, following comments that it had “significant doubt” about its future as a retailer. The company is seeking a buyer, though it’s unclear who would purchase the company in its current form. In the press release, it was revealed that S.L.H. Transport Inc. is acquiring part of Sears Canada’s Home Improvement Business, and Sears Canada is otherwise seeking an extension of the stay period of its CCAA protection to November 7, 2017, from October 4.

Sears Canada executive chairman Brandon Branzl reportedly stepped down as head of the company to launch a bid for the insolvent retailer in August, with plans to reduce its store count with a goal to return it to profitability.

For more on this story:

–Sears Canada to ask court for more time to close deal with chairman (Marina Strauss, Globe & Mail)

–Sears Canada to close 10 more stores, including Fairview and Scarborough locations (Francine Kopun, Toronto Star)

–Sears Canada to close 10 more stores, including Lime Ridge Mall location (Hamilton: The Spec)

–Kelowna Sears store closing (Castanet)

–Sears planning to close Polo Park store (Winnipeg Free Press)

– Sears announces it will close Nanaimo North Town Centre store (Nanaimo News Bulletin)

–Sears to surrender lease to Avalon Mall store (The Telegram)