Danish footwear brand ECCO will open its first accessories boutique in North America this month, and it will also continue to open stores to serve consumers nationwide. The company will operate 30 Canadian locations by the end of 2016, with a goal of eventually operating about 45 nationally.
The new accessories boutique will be contained within the existing ECCO location at 2675 Granville Street in Vancouver, according to ECCO Canada president Jordan Searle. A second ECCO accessories shop will open within ECCO’s new Yorkdale Shopping Centre store in Toronto in the second quarter of 2017, he said.
ECCO’s 29th Canadian store location opened at the end of last month in the new expansion wing of Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre. On October 5, ECCO will open its 30th Canadian store at Tsawwassen Mills, south of Vancouver.
The company is on track to eventually operate about 45 locations nationally, according to Mr. Searle, with three new locations anticipated in Canada for 2017. The company will continue to open between three and four stores yearly for the next several years.
ECCO was founded in Bredebro, Denmark, in 1963. It’s products are sold in 88 countries worldwide in over 3,000 ECCO shops and shop-in-stores, at more than 14,000 sales points around the world. The brand has since expanded into accessories and small leather goods. ECCO Canada was founded in 1996, and is celebrating 20 years of operations in this country. Northwest Atlantic represents ECCO as brokerage in Canada.
French luxury brand Christian Dior will open a massive two-level flagship on Toronto’s ‘Mink Mile’ next year, as it coordinates a substantial expansion in Canada’s largest city.
Last week, Dior also opened a women’s ready-to-wear concession on the third floor of Saks Fifth Avenue‘s CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship. The boutique is inspired by Dior’s Peter Marino-designed Paris flagship, and compliments a Dior accessories boutique that opened on Saks’ ground floor in May of this year.
Dior’s Toronto flagship, set to open later in 2017, will be located in Chanel’s current space at 131 Bloor Street (aka ’The Colonnade’). The Dior store will span about 13,400 square feet, with 3,365 square feet on its ground floor and an additional 10,029 square feet upstairs. Part of the upstairs space leased to Dior was formerly occupied by The Japan Foundation, which vacated The Colonnade last year.
INSIDE DIOR’S NEW SAKS FIFTH AVENUE BOUTIQUE IN TORONTO. PHOTO: SAKS
CLICK ABOVE FOR INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP
CLICK ABOVE FOR PDF FLOORPLAN, VIA LANDLORD MORGUARD.
Chanel will vacate its 131 Bloor Street West retail space in several months, coinciding with the completion of its 8,700 square foot replacement location at 98 Yorkville Avenue. Chanel originally moved into 131 Bloor in the spring of 1989 with a 3,100 square foot one-level unit that it subsequently expanded upward.
DIOR WILL REPLACE CHANEL AT 131 BLOOR STREET WEST. CHANEL IS MOVING 2 BLOCKS NORTH.
The Colonnade is seeing a number of changes, adding to its already exceptional luxury offerings. Italian luxury brand Prada is in the process of substantially expanding its existing 5,889 square foot store to about 13,600 square feet, and Moncler has leased about 2,500 square feet of the complex’s existing Sephora store, which is relocating up the street. Across the street in late 2017, Hermès will open a 12,000 square foot two-level flagship at 100 Bloor Street West, replacing a nearby 4,000 square foot store on the same street.
PHOTO: DIOR.COM
PHOTO: DIOR.COM
Dior has been expanding in Canada over the past couple of years and last summer, opened a 9,500 square foot store in the retail podium of Vancouver’s Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Sources say that the store is doing exceptionally well, seeing traffic from both affluent locals as well as tourists. That Hotel Vancouver store was the first freestanding Canadian location for Dior, having joined the brand’s accessory concessions at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver, Toronto (50 Bloor St. W.), Toronto Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and in Montreal. Dior is expected to relocate its Montreal accessory concession in early 2018 to an expanded/combined Ogilvy/Holt Renfrew on Sainte Catherine Street West, coinciding with the closure of Holt’s Montreal Sherbrooke Street West store. Montreal correspondent Maxime Frechette says that Dior has also confirmed with him that it will open a Dior Homme men’s boutique at Ogilvy/Holt’s in Montreal that year, as well.
Upscale Swiss menswear brand Strellson has opened an impressive looking location in Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre. The store is located on the third level of the mall’s recently opened expansion wing, which is anchored by La Maison Simons.
The bright 2,000 square foot store features the full range of Strellson’s fashion collections for the fall season. The Ottawa store is the fourth freestanding Canadian location for Strellson. Next month, a fifth freestanding location will open at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre within the mall’s expansion ‘Nordstrom Wing’, to be anchored by a 199,000 square foot Nordstrom store.
The brand also just launched a new ad campaign called “Unstoppable”, featuring a music video of the famous Queen song ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ in an exclusive cover version by producer MNEK. The campaign launched on September 5 and was timed with what would have been Freddy Mercury’s 70th Birthday.
Strellson’s first Canadian store, measuring about 2,300 square feet, opened in the fall of 2012 at the northwest corner of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road in Toronto. A second location opened a year later at Toronto’s Bayview Village, and a third store opened last spring in downtown Vancouver’s ‘Luxury Zone’.
Retail partner Hudson’s Bay also currently operates over 20 Strellson shop-in-stores, all licensed by the brand. One exception is the Yorkdale Shopping Centre Bay location, where Strellson operates a concession. Strellson is carried at several American Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue locations and in the near future, sources say that it will open its first freestanding US flagship location in New York City.
Founded in 1984 and owned by Holy Fashion Group (the original owner of German brand Hugo Boss), Strellson is Switzerland’s largest menswear manufacturer. It produces mid-to-high priced dressy and casual menswear, as well as accessories and related products. Its target market is men aged 25 to 40, and it retails in about 40 countries worldwide.
The controversial mixed-use tower development known as ‘The One‘, located at the southwest corner of Bloor Street West and Yonge Street in Toronto, has been approved as discussed in the Toronto Star. This paves the way for an ambitious retail podium that will feature column-less 22 foot ceilings for multiple retailers, including a large multi-level retail space that some speculate could be the site of an Apple Store flagship.
The 1 Bloor Street West site was formerly home of iconic retailer Stollery’s, which sold its building to Mizrahi Developments in the fall of 2014. Mizrahi also purchased several adjacent sites, paying in excess of $200 million for 30,600 square feet of prime real estate for a proposed redevelopment that would have included a 1,119 foot tall residential tower above a multi-level retail podium.
The Toronto Star reports that the City of Toronto reached an agreement with Mizrahi for the proposed development, though the settlement must still be approved by Ontario Municipal Board, with a hearing set for November. The updated plans feature as many as 10 levels of commercial space (retail/restaurant/gallery), including a concourse level space that will connect underground to adjacent properties, as well as the busy subway stations at the corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street. The new project would see a 1000 foot, 80-storey tower with over 400 residential units, with prices as high as $30 million for a 9,000 square foot penthouse.
Some have speculated that the corner retail space within The One’s podium could be earmarked for an Apple Store flagship, though neither Mr. Mizrahi nor the retailer will confirm this. Toronto is sorely lacking an Apple flagship in its core, with sources saying that its 4,977 square foot CF Toronto Eaton Centre store does in excess of $100 million in sales annually.
Mizrahi’s ‘The One’ will join other retail redevelopments in the area, including Great Gulf’s 1 Bloor Street East project, currently under construction. First Capital Realty recently purchased the 85,000 square foot retail podium for $189.2 million in cash, and is seeking tenants to join Nordstrom Rack, which will open a 38,600 square foot store on that site in early 2018. Sources also say that a considerable portion of the two blocks bounded by Bloor Street West, Yonge Street, Yorkville Avenue and Bay Street could see redevelopment as well, though this is still in the early design phase.
While the coined expression “pop-up” and the way these spaces are marketed has evolved, temporary concepts have been around for decades. What’s different? The execution, the rationale and, often times, the duration (being finite, that is).
Traditional pop-ups have included anything from seasonal boutiques such as Halloween, calendar and Holiday stores to sales of event tickets and paraphernalia. While these remain viable options, today’s specialty leasing professionals (those who lease temporary spaces) need to be far more creative to meet their foot traffic goals. And because pop-ups don’t necessarily have to be in traditional brick and mortar settings, anyone with a space that can possibly be leased should consider how they can leverage this movement in a mutually beneficial way. Think shipping containers or temporary build-outs in vacant spaces. At the end of the day, it’s about the experience, telling the brand story and creating a connection with target customers.
While pop-ups are not new, their current modus operandi has been disruptive.
The recent resurgence of pop-ups can be attributed to 2008, a time of economic collapse, creating an abundance of empty spaces. While the economy has improved considerably, shopping patterns and desires have changed. Shopping centres, for one, are grappling with this and looking to adjust their approach to temporary space usage. The pop-up revolution has created an anomaly in their world—the often very temporary nature of a pop-up (generally a pop-up should have a lifespan of three months or less with shorter considered most effective) coupled with the fact that some are intended for experiential purposes only thereby generating little or no sales. The first necessitates a flow of prospects to ensure minimal vacancies (more work, all the time) while the latter means the likelihood of reduced revenues.
Street locations and other solutions for pop-ups have given shopping centres a run for their money. With millennials (seemingly everyone’s target customer) looking for experiences in non-traditional settings, they’re looking beyond the old environments that their parents enjoyed and don’t want sameness. This group, who Accenture predicts will account for nearly $1.4 trillion in spending power by 2020, is adventurous and their insatiable use of mobile and social shopping has completely toppled historic shopping patterns. They came of age in a post-recession era and are always looking for the best value. They are leading the change in purchasing trends and as such it’s important to understand how to reach them. While not all pop-ups are targeting millennials exclusively, appealing to this group is essential and will almost certainly lead to brand ambassadors.
Don’t forget the ultimate purpose of a pop-up
Everyone loves the element of surprise with unique offers, unique environments and unique experiences and that’s what pop-ups deliver if executed properly. They help test ideas, create a brand connection and leave memorable impressions to drive loyalty and an ongoing following. And this is not exclusively for startups. Companies like pop-up go are an industry resource providing both space seekers and space owners with a platform where they can post, view and inquire about relevant short-term commercial spaces. The space owner and the space seeker can negotiate terms and then finalize their deal offline. pop-up go provides additional support to companies launching a pop-up with their Make It Pop consulting services that includes developing the overall look and feel of the store, go to market strategies, as well turnkey online/offline marketing and communications support specifically designed for pop-ups.
Here are a few winning pop-up examples:
– OREJEN, a global marketplace and showroom built on the brands of emerging and developing designers by hosting an innovative ‘Fashion Lab’ pop-up shop in Toronto in March of this year.
– Ikea has been changing up the pop-up game, and the global big box brand also popped up in downtown Toronto in May with a unique, culinary pop-up experience. Playing up to one of their defining brand features – wallet-friendly Swedish dishes – Ikea still offered 50 products for purchase in the space, but many were interactive recipe books or green displays enticing people to grow food from home.
– Kate Spade launched their new home line, Kate Spade Home, by way of an exclusive pop-up shop open from March until May this year. Cropping-up in Lower Manhattan, the space was made to look like someone’s personal New York City apartment. Instead of using standard furniture exhibits, Kate Spade filled their space with little rooms including a living area, kitchen and bedroom to inspire customer for their dream home.
– To celebrate the NFL Draft taking place in Chicago, the city simultaneously hosts a “Draft Town” event, a 3-day festival in Grant Park. The NFL strategically hosted a pop-up to build a buzz for the draft, selling more than 250 items that represented all 32 NFL teams, attracting both Chicago and national citizens alike. They also brought in a slew of NFL players to sign autographs at the shop, and fans were able to add team logos & player names to custom clothing bought at the store.
– Magnum ice cream’s SoHo, NYC dipping bar hosted this April-August was an interactive pop-up experience that gave customers the opportunity to personalize everything from their ice cream base flavour and chocolate dip, to their toppings. This glamorous pop-up space was covered in jewels, with Magnum “baristas” catering to all customer requests.
Look out for a growth in “permanent” pop-up store locations in shopping centres intended to attract monthly pop-up features (think STORY in Manhattan) and an ongoing use of unused leasable space for physical brand interaction. While pop-ups may be for temporary use, the phenomenon is here to stay and become the norm and pop-up go is a great resource to follow for a handle on the industry’s evolution.
MyPlace Building Services Ltd. is a Canadian industry leader, providing one-stop comprehensive facilities maintenance, tenant improvements, building repairs and renovation services to buildings and complexes of all sizes. MyPlace works with corporate clients across Canada, including those operating in the retail, hospitality and entertainment sectors, among others. Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, MyPlace is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and ContractorCheck.
MyPlace brings years of experience in project and facility maintenance, and offers a unique perspective on maintenance and sustainable building practices. You’ll benefit from MyPlace’s comprehensive service program and will always know who to call for a small fix or a major emergency. Moreover, their clients typically own or lease multiple commercial properties and retail locations throughout Canada. This means they understand the importance of maintaining design criteria and branding, and can create a maintenance program that is right for you, with services that are always on time and on budget.
For more information on MyPlace Building Services, visit their website: www.myplacebuilding.com and to book a meeting at ICSC, feel free to email COO Maarten Koorn at: maartenk@myplacebuilding.com or call him at 604.250.0212
*MyPlace Building Services is Retail Insider partner sponsor. To partner with Retail Insider, contact Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com*
Los Angeles-based fast fashion retailer Forever 21 has launched its newest concept store in Canada this month, Called Forever 21 Under $15. Two locations opened last week — a 4,100 square foot store at the Dixie Outlet Mall in Mississauga, Ontario, as well as a store at Brentwood Town Centre in Burnaby, BC.
As per its name, the new store carries fashions priced at or under $15, as well as clearance items carried over from existing Forever 21 locations, including men’s, women’s, kid’s apparel and accessories.
Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants represents Forever 21 in Canada, and coordinated the deal with the landlords. He’s also working with Forever 21 and its other new concept, F21 Red, on their Canadian expansion plans. F21 Red opened its first Canadian stores in the fall of 2014 in Ontario, subsequently expanding into British Columbia and Quebec.
Founded in Los Angeles in 1984, Forever 21’s first location measured only 900 square feet. It has grown substantially with sales in excess of US$4.4 billion (US), employing over 30,000. Forever 21 has over 500 U.S. stores and operates 44 Canadian locations coast-to-coast. Its first Canadian store opened at West Edmonton Mall in 2002.
MALL ENTRANCE ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2016. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
Nordstrom held a press tour of its CF Toronto Eaton Centre store on Wednesday, September 7, in anticipation of its public grand opening on Friday, September 16. We took photos of the beautiful new space which, similar to the Vancouver flagship, features a considerable variety of amenities as well as several luxury shop-in-stores. In this article, we’ve also provided a list of designers carried in the store’s various departments.
The 220,000 square foot store is located at the north end of CF Toronto Eaton Centre, in retail space once occupied by Eaton’s flagship and, most recently, Sears Canada. Nordstrom’s street-level entrance is technically on the mall’s third level, given its configuration.
The store’s ground floor features women’s footwear (three departments) a beauty hall, jewellery, handbags, accessories, and coffee concept ‘Ebar’. The store’s second level features men’s and children’s fashions and footwear as well as the Habitant bar within the men’s department. The store’s third level is devoted to women’s fashions, as well as the restaurant called Bar Verde.
GROUND FLOOR WOMEN’S FOOTWEAR DEPARTMENTS AND THE CENTRAL ATRIUM. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
We’ll describe the new store and provide photos, floor-by-floor. We normally provide outbound links for brands mentioned on Retail Insider but due to the number discussed below, we will instead mark them in italics.
Ground Floor
The store’s ground floor features five luxury shop-in-stores for leather goods, including Loewe, Stella McCartney, Miu Miu, Gucci and Burberry. Other handbag brands include names such as Alexander Wang, MCM, Moschino, Coach 1941, Kate Spade New York, Mackage, Marc Jacobs, Rebecca Minkoff, Tory Burch, and Ted Baker.
LOEWE BOUTIQUE (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) WITH STELLA MCCARNEY NEXT TO IT. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
STELLA MCCARTNEY HANDBAG BOUTIQUE, WITH THE MIU MIU BOUTIQUE NEXT TO IT (BOTH UNDER CONSTRUCTION). GUCCI WILL OPEN A SHOP-IN-STORE TO THE RIGHT OF MIU MIU. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
Jewellery and watch brands include Bony Levy, Kate Spade New York, Kendra Scott, Nadri and Shinola. Sunglasses brands include Celine, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Miu Miu, Ray Ban and Tom Ford.
Beauty and fragrance brands include Chantecaille, Charlotte Tilbury, Chanel, Clé de Peau Beauté, Dior, Diptyque, Guerlain, Hermès Carré, Jo Malone London, Kiehl’s since 1851, *L’Artisan, La Mer, Le Labo, MAC, Nars, *Parfum de Marly, Sisley, *Space NK, Sulwhasoo, Tom Ford Beauty, and YSL. (brands with asterisks are exclusive to Nordstrom)
BEAUTY HALL. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
Women’s footwear includes three separate departments. In ‘Salon Shoes‘ (the store’s priciest footwear department) brands include Alexander Wang, Burberry, Ferragamo, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Miu Miu, Moncler, Prada, Rag & Bone, Robert Clergerie, Tory Burch and Vince. In the store’s ‘Women’s Shoes’ department, brands carried include AGL, Camper, Cole Haan, ED by Ellen DeGeneres, Rebecca Minkoff, Ron White, Sam Edelman, Ted Baker London, UGG Australia, Via Spiga and Vince Camuto. In the store’s ‘BP Shoes’ department, brands include Adidas, Converse, Dolce Vita, Frye, Jeffrey Campbell, Nike, Sorel, Steve Madden and TOMS.
WOMEN’S FOOTWEAR, WITH ‘SALON SHOES’ ON THE BACK WALL. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
WOMEN’S FOOTWEAR. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
Pop-In@Nordstrom is featured on the new store’s ground floor. The concept is a monthly series of themed pop-up shops curated by VP of Creative Projects Olivia Kim, and Alexander Wang is the featured designer for September.
Second Floor
Nordstrom CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s second floor includes a large men’s department, which takes over a considerable portion of the floor. A noted feature is Nordstrom’s very first ‘Men’s Clubhouse’ — a private area overlooking Yonge street, featuring flat screen TV’s, a seating area, and the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a personal stylist.
NORDSTROM’S FIRST ‘MEN’S CLUBHOUSE’ WILL FEATURE WINDOWS OVERLOOKING YONGE STREET. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
MEN’S SUITS. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
Men’s designer brands include names such as Armani Collezioni, Balenciaga, JW Anderson, Lemaire, Marni, Paul Smith Collection, Tim Coppens, Umit Benan, Yohji Yamamoto, Canali, Corneliani, Hugo Boss and Pal Zileri. Men’s Sportswear brands include Burberry, Billy Reid, Hugo Boss, Ted Baker London, Theory and Vince. The more causal ‘The Rail’ department features Adidas Originals, Baldwin, G-Star, Naked & Famous, Scotch & Soda, Nudie and Zanerobe, while ‘Men’s Performance and Activewear’ includes Nike, Under Armour and Zella.
MEN’S FOOTWEAR. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
MEN’S SHOE SHINE. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
‘HABITANT’ BAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEN’S FLOOR. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
Men’s footwear brands include Adidas by Raf Simons, Balenciaga, Common Projects, Ferragamo, Giuseppe Zanotti, Gucci, Magnanni, Nike, Prada, Santoni, To Boot New York, UGG Australia and Vince.
The store features an impressive offering of kids fashions. Clothing brands include Burberry, Canada Goose, Mini Boden and *Tucker & Tate, and kids shoe brands include Hunter, Nike, TOMS, UGG Australia, *Pajar, *AKID and *Converse. (brands with asterisks are exclusive to Nordstrom)
CHILDREN’S FASHIONS. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
Third Floor
The store’s third floor primarily features women’s fashions, as well as the Bar Verde restaurant which boasts windows overlooking the bright interior corridor of CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
The store’s priciest women’s designer department is called ‘Collectors’, and features five individual designer boutiques: Burberry, Lanvin, Loewe, Moncler and Stella McCartney. Other designers carried in Collectors include Adam Lippes, Alexander Wang, Ann Demeulemeester, Burberry, Del Pozo, Kenzo, Marc Jacobs, Missoni, Mary Katrantzou, Rag & Bone, St. John and Zero Maria Cornejo. The adjacent Women’s Designer Evening salon features Badgley Mischka, Marchesa, Rubin Singer, Zac Posen and Zuhair Murad. Marchesa is exclusive to Nordstrom in Toronto.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: STELLA MCCARNEY BOUTIQUE. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: LOEWE WOMEN’S READY-TO-WEAR BOUTIQUE. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
ALMOST FINISHED: MONCLER BOUTIQUE FOR WOMEN. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
Collectors shares space with the store’s SPACE department, which features edgy/harder-to-find brands such as Ashley Williams, Anthony Vacarello, Brother Vellies, Colovos, Ellery, Etienne Deroeux, Faustine Steinmetz, Marques’Almeida, Roksanda, Shrimps, Simone Rocha, Steven Tai, Undercover and Vejas, Wwake. Included are five Canadian designers for the store’s September launch.
THE NEW SPACE DEPARTMENT, ADJACENT TO COLLECTORS. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
The third floor features several other women’s designer departments. ‘Via C’ carries brands such as A.L.C., Frame Denim and Helmut Lang. The ‘Individualist’ department stocks Alice & Olivia, Boss, Eileen Fisher, Joie, Ted Baker London, Theory and Vince. ‘Point of View’ includes brands such as Nic & Zoe, NYDJ and Vince Camuto, while the ‘T.B.D.’ department features Free People, Madewell (exclusive to Nordstrom), Paige and Rag & Bone/Jean.
THE ‘JWN ROOM’ PRIVATE SHOPPING SALON ON 3. PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
The store’s plus-size ‘Encore’ department includes brands such as Caslon, Eileen Fisher, Kut, Nic + Zoe and Vince Camuto. Women’s Coats include brands such as Canada Goose, Mackage, Soia & Kyo, Woolrich and Mooseknuckles. Women’s Dresses include brands such as Eliza J, *Teri Jon, *Chelsea 28 and *Dress the Population, and Lingerie & Sleepwear brands include Natori, La Perla, *Chelsea28, *Halogen and Moschino. Legwear brands include Commando, Spanx, Wolford and *Treasure & Bond, and the third-floor Active and Swim department includes Maaji, Nike, Patagonia, Robin Piccone, Ted Baker London and *Zella. (brands with asterisks are exclusive to Nordstrom)
BAR VERDE RESTAURANT ON 3 (WE SAMPLED FOOD AND IT WAS TERRIFIC). PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
The store features a clean, single-surface floor throughout, giving Nordstrom the flexibility to adjust and evolve departments depending on what Toronto customers want over time. The store also features a grand central escalator with an atrium, featuring a hanging display of movable lights.
The store includes Canada’s fourth Sugarfina concession — a luxury candy shop featuring 150+ sweets from around the world.
PHOTO: DEVON JOHNSON
The store employs about 850 staff and features many of the same amenities and services as the Vancouver flagship which opened in September of 2015, including:
Personal Stylist
Concierge
Alterations/Tailor Shop
Service Bar
Pop-In@Nordstrom
Beauty Concierge
Beauty Stylist
Mobile Checkout
Studio Services
Shoe Shine Stand
Certified Shoe Fitters
Certified Bra Fitters
Family Restrooms
Mother’s Lounge
Complimentary Gift Boxes
Nordstrom Gift Cards
Debut Rewards
Free Wi-Fi
For those interested in seeing CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s Nordstrom flagship prior to its September 16 pubic grand openings, there are two opportunities:
On Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10 between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm, Nordstrom will be hosting its ‘Nordstrom BFF (Beauty + Fragrance + Friends)’ event. Makeup artists will be on hand, and attendees can take a master class and explore some of the special services the beauty department has to offer. To schedule an appointment, sign up for a class or for more information, you may call 1 (800) 967-0592.
On Friday, October 21, Nordstrom will open its second Toronto location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The store will be 199,000 square feet (larger than first anticipated) and will also host similar opening events as well as a gala prior. We’ll be reporting more on this location and events prior to its opening.
The IoT Big Data Retail Summit takes place at St. Andrew’s Club in Downtown Toronto on November 15-16, 2016. Early bird tickets are still available and can be purchased here. The Summit focuses on how to apply IoT, Big Data technology solutions in retail businesses to increase profitability and brand differentiation.
The two-day conference, organized by IoT Events, brings together retail executives and technology providers to facilitate a space for knowledge exchange and for learning about opportunities and challenges when applying IoT, Big Data solutions to enhance retail businesses. Top retail executives will share their plans as well as experiences when applying IoT, Big Data in their businesses, and solutions providers will share how they can contribute with the latest technologies. The conference will include presentations and networking, with topics ranging from customer experience and gaining a competitive edge to efficiency, profitability, and more, all with respect to leveraging the benefits of IoT, Big Data technologies.
The conference will host C-level speakers from a variety of different retailers as well as technology providers. Below is a sample of some of the speakers that will be present, with many more that can be viewed here.
To register, as well as learn more about the IoT, Big Data Retail Summit Canada, please visit https://iotevents.ca/event/retail. For retail professionals, early bird tickets are available at C$795 if you register by Sept. 15, 2016. For technology solutions providers and other services providers, early bird tickets will save you C$300 if you register by Sept. 15, 2016.
In addition, it is possible to register by completing the form at the back of the brochure which may be downloaded via the conference website and either emailing it to info@iotevents.ca or mailing it to the address printed on the form. Also, registration is available over the phone by calling IoT Events at 647.775.1610.
Kansas City-based gift company Hallmark is celebrating 100 years of operations, and it’s looking to the future with new initiatives. Not only will the company be opening new stores, it is launching a new strategy with a goal to expand its operations.
Hallmark was founded in Kansas City in 1910 by Joyce Hall and in the 1930’s, formed a partnership with Canadian retailer William E. Coutts (founded in 1916). Hallmark bought out the entire Canadian division in 1958. Family-held Hallmark now has about $3.7 billion in annual revenue and owns eight related businesses, including Crayola LLC.
Hallmark currently operates stores Canada-wide, including about 130 corporately-owned and franchised ‘Gold Crown’ stores, as well as distribution through grocery stores and retailers such as Walmart. According to Hallmark Canada President Cindy Mahoney, the company continues to seek out real estate for freestanding stores, as well as various potential shop-in-store opportunities. The company will seek to be close to its consumers Canada-wide, said Ms. Mahoney.
The company continues to expand into new lines, including a new French language line, ‘Voeux du Coeur‘ (‘wishes from the heart’) in anticipation of a further push into Quebec. The company also recently launched Hallmark Studio Ink – a line of cards developed by millennials for millennials. The company also continues to expand its greeting card lines Hallmark Signature, Lotus and Shoebox, as well as giftable items such as Keepsake Ornaments, and innovative products such as Recordable Storybooks and itty bittys plush characters.
Ms. Mahoney said that Hallmark’s Canadian Crown stores will continue to stock a wider variety of products — including home goods, gift wrap and jewellery, for example. She noted a difference between US and Canadian consumers — Canadian consumers tend to gravitate towards buying either high-end or value-priced cards, while US purchasers tend to seek out more mid-range products.
Hallmark will endeavour to make itself relevant for the next 100 years, Ms. Mahoney said, connecting consumers emotionally to the world while serving local communities. The company will continue to innovate and add new product lines with the intention to maintain and gain market share, she said.
