The Running Room Sees Ballooning Ecommerce Growth

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August 31, 2017

THE RUNNING ROOM, BAY STREET IN TORONTO. (PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON)

Two or three years ago e-commerce was barely 1.5 per cent of the Running Room’s overall business.

After a significant investment that percentage has ballooned to near 10 per cent for the Edmonton-based retailer, which has stores across the country and into the United States.

“I really hope we’re going to hit that number by the end of the year. We’ve got an aggressive program. We want to have it 20 per cent in the next two years. That’s our goal,” says Jason Stanton, a partner and CMO of the company.

Stanton’s father, John, founded the family business in 1984 with its first store in a small room of an old house in Edmonton. Today, the retailer has 107 stores in Canada and nine in the United States.

“We started to take a look at our competitors,” explains Stanton of the company’s e-commerce push. “Certainly because of the landscape, borders aren’t as relevant. We started to look at some of our U.S. counterparts and what was going on and just realized that we needed to up our game and we made a really good investment a couple of years ago just to get our shopping platform more friendly and certainly catching up to what the consumers’ expectations were with it.”

That resulted in a much smoother process in how customers buy and pick up their merchandise.

“In the last six months, we’ve been seeing such a strong growth rate that we decided to really kind of double down and make sure that we are where our consumers want to purchase and how they want to purchase,” adds Stanton. “What we’re finding is they love shopping online but they really still love visiting retail. So we’re sitting at about 53 per cent of our online purchases are picked up at our retail stores which is quite unique.”

Six months ago the Running Room decided to add on another 5,500 square feet of dedicated dot.com space for its customer service group which is continuing to grow. Right now, it’s growing at a 25 to 32 per cent rate in the last six months and the company is really happy about that.

“Having a facility and a dedicated inventory for the dot.com has been a really big investment that’s been going on for us over the last six months,” says Stanton.

While there is joy in being and growing in the dot.com space, there’s no question the Running Room remains a very customer service-oriented company for products it sells.

“Overall we still feel there are opportunities (for expansion),” says Stanton. “We just had a store move in Victoria which we feel there’s lots of those type of opportunities, of stores that have done well for us.”

They will be strategic moves for existing stores but also the company will keep its eyes open for expansion as well.

“If there’s any oddities we see come up . . . then we’re for sure looking for that,” says Stanton. “We’re still committed to the U.S. as well but they have some pretty strong headwinds there with sporting goods and the run specialty (retail industry). So we’re letting those waters kind of calm down and making sure our stores are up to standard. And for sure the U.S. is a place we’re going to look to expand. We’re talking a bit of a 10-year plan.”

According to Statistics Canada, Canadian retail sales in June rose for the fourth consecutive month, edging up 0.1 per cent to $49 billion. That’s also a 7.3 per cent hike from a year ago.

Stanton says there have been some pretty strong headwinds for the business in the last couple of years but it is somewhat insulated because of what it does and what it offers. The Running Room is more than just a retail operation because it has running clubs and clinics and it is involved in many different events.

John Stanton Jr., John Stanton Sr.[founder], Jason Stanton

“Despite some economic ups and downs in retail that go on we still have our run clubs and clinics that are thriving and doing quite well . . . On the retail side, though, we’ve been fighting that plus minus two, three per cent for the last couple of years. We’re excited because the last six months we’ve seen some really positive numbers. Certainly out of Ontario. And Alberta has actually really weathered the storm quite well and is starting to breathe again quite nicely.”

Breitling Opens 1st Canadian Boutique [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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August 30, 2017

Breitling+Boutique+Toronto_01 — Breitling Yorkdale (Image: Provided)

Swiss watch manufacturer and chronograph specialist Breitling has opened its first Canadian boutique at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 500 square foot space carries Breitling’s full assortment of watches, including Breitling for Bentley.

The boutique’s interior features pop art paintings by renowned American artist Kevin T. Kelly, and it is decorated with American walnut floors and quadrille wood paneling. Also included is a VIP seating area. Yorkdale’s Breitling is operated in partnership with local watch and jewellery retailer European Boutique, located in the western part of the mall with an entrance facing towards another luxury brand, Jaeger LeCoultre, which opened across the hall last year.

Breitling Boutiques are quite rare and in the United States, there are currently six freestanding Breitling locations. Its first American boutique opened in Manhattan in 2010, where it currently operates units on Madison Avenue as well as at Westfield World Trade Center. Other locations include Las Vegas (Forum Shops at Caesars Palace), Orlando (Mall at Millenia), Miami (Aventura Mall) as well as at Denver’s Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Breitling watches can also be found at various prestigious retailers globally.

The company is known as being a specialist of technical watches, and has played a crucial role in the development of the wrist chronograph. Founded in 1884 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, Breitling is also one of the rare companies to produce its own mechanical chronograph movements, entirely developed and manufactured in its own workshops. The company produces some of the world’s most recognizable watches, and is considered to be one of the world’s top watch brands. In April of this year, Breitling was acquired by venture capital firm CVC.

*Photos supplied by Breitling via Jane Gill PR.

Michael Hill Jewellers on Track for 100 Canadian Stores

By

Craig Patterson

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August 29, 2017

Brisbane Australia-based jewellery retailer Michael Hill is seeing remarkable success with its Canadian operations. The company currently has 80 stores nationally, and it plans to operate about 100 locations towards the end of the decade.

Michael Hill’s newly released 2017 earnings report shows that its Canadian same store sales increased by 8.8% from last year to $94.2 million, outperforming the company’s overall growth of 1.6% internationally. Including new store openings, Canadian revenue was up 18.1% year-over-year, with 2017 sales of $112.7 million and a gross profit of 61.3%. The company opened nine Canadian stores over the past 12 months. Impressively, its Canadian operating profit was $12.6 million, an increase of 38% on last year.

“The Canadian segment continues to show strong growth as we achieve scale and market share across the country,” says the earnings report. “The Company is confident this trend will continue in the coming year as we open more stores and gain further brand recognition in existing markets.”

Michael Hill plans to open seven Canadian stores in the 2017/18 year, with a further seven for 2018/19, and four stores in 2019/20. Michael Hill’s North American President Brett Halliday confirmed that the company’s next three stores, opening in September and October of this year, will include locations at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo ON, at McAllister Place in Saint John NB, and at Regent Mall in Fredericton NB.

(CLICK IMAGE TO SHOP THE MICHAEL HILL CANADIAN ECOMMERCE WEBSITE)

Michael Hill operates 332 stores: in Australia (166 stores), New Zealand (52 stores), Canada (76 stores) and The United States (9 locations). Sir Michael Hill and his wife, Christine, founded Michael Hill jewellers in New Zealand in 1979, and moved its headquarters to Australia in the late 1980’s. The family continues to maintain a 53% ownership stake in the company. The company’s first Canadian location opened at Lougheed Town Centre in Burnaby, BC in 2002.

Dyson to Open 1st Standalone Canadian Store

By

Craig Patterson

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August 29, 2017

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UK-based household and technology ‘reinvention’ brand Dyson will open its first freestanding Canadian ‘Dyson Demo’ store this fall at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. It’s the latest brand to open its own stores, and Yorkdale is taking the lead when it comes to such retailers.

Dyson’s Demo stores showcase the brand’s reinvented products — Dyson aims to innovate with sleek design and optimum functionality. Products include Dyson’s new supersonic hairdryer, air purifiers, commercial hand dryers and a robot vacuum. Dyson even sells LED lighting which was created by Sir James Dyson’s son, Jake.

Dyson will replace The Diamond Company, which recently vacated its 1700 square foot Yorkdale space in between the mall’s Nespresso and Freedom Mobile locations.

Dyson’s first store in the world opened in Tokyo in the spring of 2015, followed by locations in Paris, Moscow, Jakarta and London. Locations will soon open in Glasgow Scotland (Buchanan Street), San Francisco (Geary Street on Union Square) and at 640 5th Avenue in New York City.

Dyson’s Manhattan store is reportedly paying $3,250/square foot annually to lease its 3,167 square foot space at 640 Fifth Avenue, representing more than 10x the rent per square foot for its new Yorkdale space (which is about half the size of the Manhattan flagship). Dyson was reportedly seeking a heavily trafficked area with “tourists and luxe residents” — something that could also be said for Yorkdale as well as the location of its new San Francisco and Glasgow units.

More brands are launching stores through Yorkdale than any place in Canada. There are numerous examples — Canada Goose opened its first store in the world at Yorkdale in October of 2016, and Richemont Group recently opened five luxury jewellery/watch boutiques at the centre. This fall, Canada’s first standalone locations for brands Hunter, Moose Knuckles and a French aspirational luxury brand (to be announced) will also open at Yorkdale. In fact, there is no single place in Canada that launches more first-to-Canada retailers than Yorkdale, and more retailers will be announced with the unveiling of its latest westward expansion in several months, that will be anchored by RH (Restoration Hardware) and Sporting Life.

*Top photo is of the Tokyo Demo centre, courtesy of Dyson.

Levi’s Expands Customization ‘Tailor’ Concept Stores in Canada

By

Craig Patterson

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August 29, 2017

Iconic denim brand Levi’s is expanding its ‘tailor shop’ concept in Canada, with two additional stores that are both located in Alberta. Levi’s tailor shops offer custom embroidery, tailoring, hemming and a wide selection of pins and patches, addressing the trend towards product customization.

Levi’s describes its tailor shops as having a “team of specialized craftsmen who will help you personalize your favourite denim pieces,” with customization spaces located at the back of each store. Levi’s debuted its first two Canadian locations with tailor shops in November of 2016, at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens and at Square One in Mississauga.

The two new Alberta locations will be at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, and at CF Market Mall in Calgary. The 3,100 square foot West Edmonton Mall store will open to the public on September 7, and the 3,055 square foot CF Market Mall location will open on September 14. Both stores will feature interiors with framed graphics and potted succulent plants native to California (giving a nod to the brand’s rich Northern California roots), as well as bright, white walls, polished concrete floors and graphics that separate the space into distinct areas. Both stores will carry a broad assortment of the Levi’s® Red Tab Collection, with the opportunity to customize.

Levi’s is the latest brand to offer customization in its stores, addressing a trend being recognized among retailers, as well as retail experts. Last week, Roots unveiled its first location that features a customization area where consumers can design their own jacket, at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Multiple studies show that the younger generation, including Millennials and ‘Generation Z’, are seeking personalization when making purchases.

*(LEVI’S TAILOR MARIA CUSTOM DESIGNED THIS JACKET. PHOTO: LEVI’S)*

Levi’s has also just announced that it has partnered with Hudson’s Bay to launch two special edition Trucker Jackets that will be available at the end of August at Hudson’s Bay stores in Canada, thebay.com and select Levi’s® Stores. The collaboration includes the Women’s ‘Ex-Boyfriend Trucker Jacket’ and Men’s ‘Type III Trucker Jacket’, both lined with the iconic stripes of the Hudson’s Bay Company Collection Point Blanket. Both jackets retail for $148.

“Hudson’s Bay and Levi’s are two brands with deep roots,” said Jonathan Cheung, Head of Global Design, Levi’s Brand. “This year, we’re celebrating the 50th Anniversary of our Trucker Jacket and we’ve lined it with the iconic Hudson’s Bay Company stripes. There’s something retro-cool about these jackets. It’s like a creative fist bump between two iconic companies.”

*Product photos above are via Levi’s/Apex Public Relations.

Mackage Secures 1st Standalone Vancouver Location

By

Craig Patterson

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August 29, 2017

attachment-5999e4526f4ca3396031ccf7 — exc-5999e4526f4ca3396031ccf7

Upscale Montreal-based fashion brand Mackage has secured a retail space for its first Vancouver boutique. It will be the fourth standalone store for Mackage, which opened its first location near Montreal in the fall of 2015.

Mackage’s Vancouver store will open in the fall at CF Pacific Centre in a 1,358 square foot retail space most recently occupied by Montreal fashion brand Rudsak. Mackage will be strategically located between the mall’s busy Apple Store and H&M, and across from Harry Rosen, Siba Jewellers, Pomellato and Max Mara. Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants represented Mackage in the deal with landlord Cadillac Fairview.

Mackage opened its first freestanding Canadian store in October of 2015 at CF Carrefour Laval, near Montreal, spanning 2,133 square feet. In the fall of 2016, two Toronto locations opened — a 1,840 square foot unit at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, followed shortly thereafter by a 2,600 square foot store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

Toronto-based Burdifilek designs Mackage’s stores, and it recently won the prestigious International Store of the Year award for its design of Mackage’s Yorkdale location. Mackage boutique interiors are reminiscent of a ski chalet with wood beamed ceilings and wood floors.

Montreal-based Axxys Construction, also a sponsor of Retail Insider, has been involved in building Mackage stores, including the award-winning Yorkdale space.

Mackage is in a growth phase that could see it operate 25 stores in the next five years. The company has reportedly partnered with InterLuxe holdings to facilitate financing for the rapid expansion.

In October of this year, Mackage will open a pop-up in downtown Boston’s prestigious Copley Place. Though the lease ends in February of 2018, a report in WWD states that Mackage might look to make it permanent. Mackage is also looking to open in Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is also looking to open a second Montreal location, according to the same report.

Founded in Montreal in 1999 by Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan, Mackage is known for its detailed, tailored outerwear in leather, down and wool for men and women. It also boasts a successful accessories business, including a line of handbags featuring a signature arrow embellishment. The company is part of fashion conglomerate APP Group, which also includes upscale clothing brand SOIA & KYO. In Canada, Mackage sells its products in a number of retailers including Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, Aritzia, La Maison Simons and Mendocino, among others. It is also available in the United States at upscale retailers including Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

Calgary Commercial Landlords Confident About Future

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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August 29, 2017

Investment sales in Calgary’s retail real estate market are slightly down this year with not many listings currently on the market.

A report by Barclay Street Real Estate says Calgary’s retail asset class demonstrated less robustness during the first half of 2016, decreasing to $74 million from $137 million at the mid-point of last year.

The commercial real estate firm says this is due in large part to the absence of big-ticket transactions of $10 million or greater, while two sales took place in this price category by June 30, 2016.

The largest purchase to mid-year 2017 was Roxboro River Shoppes, which was acquired by Suri Holdings, Inc. for $9 million.

“In the retail sector we’re seeing not a lot of listings right now. Most owners want to hold their properties. They see promise in long-term growth. But then we see a lot of off-market offers with people coming in trying to pay a premium to see if they can acquire these assets,” says Nicholas Earl, associate in investment sales for Barclay Street Real Estate.

“I think the transaction volume is a little bit down in Calgary recently just because there is that gap between what the price expectation on the vendor side is and what purchasers are willing to pay. So that’s kind of caused a decrease.”

The Barclay Street report says the majority of activity continued to focus on retail properties priced in the $1 million to $3 million dollar range “though we also observed an increased appetite for higher-priced product in the $5 to $10 million dollar range.”

It says price per square foot continued a multi-year upward trend, sitting at $417 per square foot year-to-date compared to $371 in 2014, $384 in 2015 and $399 in 2016.

Barclay Street says positive market forces in Calgary’s suburban markets have contributed significantly to the increase in price per square foot with retail vacancy rates decreasing.

Earl says there is high interest from investors in highly-coveted assets which have national tenants on long-term leases in good demographic neighbourhoods.

“The quality assets aren’t really available. They’re not particularly for sale but the way people will acquire them is by going with unsolicited offers. It’s a sign of the demand that there is for those properties and the fact that it is a seller’s market,” he says.

“There is optimism. The prices seem to be holding despite where our economy is. We’re trending upwards.”

Retailers are Expanding Their Digital Reach with Retail Maverick

By

Craig Patterson

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August 28, 2017

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“I send a message and hope it gets through” – INXS

Retail Maverick is an innovative marketing agency that has identified and filled a unique need: a centralized, top-down advertising network that disseminates brand name promotions and sales to their brick-and-mortar landlords. Launched in 2016 by industry veteran Mall Maverick, Retail Maverick’s comprehensive network of over 350 retail centres in Canada makes it an ideal conduit between individual retailers and shopping malls.

Retail Maverick boasts an audience of 500,000 shoppers and over 1,000,000 weekly views.

The concept fills a long-dormant gap that needed a long-term solution. When chain retailers have sales, corporate headquarters advise their branches and locations in preparation for the sales events. Although loyal customers are aware of the sales events, the actual malls may not always be privy of upcoming promotions, and marketing departments may not always have the capacity to promote major events happening on their own premises.

Bridging corporate brands with their landlords is what Retail Maverick astutely identified, and created a one of a kind automated solution.

“It is really incredible” says Steve Sorge CEO of Retail Maverick, Mall Maverick, “We are in a special position to get involved in the customer journey for retailers and shopping centres. The reach our network has to qualified shoppers and our ability to drive results has been amazing.”

The mission is simple: get the word of sales out from merchants to their landlords through every digital mean possible. By directly publishing the promotions to the malls, Retail Maverick reach extends to every shopping center websites and social media, all designed to leverage SEO and maximize consumer awareness, thereby diverting and driving traffic to the brick-and-mortar stores themselves.

The retailer experience with Retail Maverick does not end when the sale item has been published. In order to better serve their clients, Retail Maverick also performs post-operational research by producing detailed reports. These documents are intended to itemize and evidence the breakdown in digital reach, the main means a client’s message was sent and received by the consumer, and how service may be improved for the next promotion or retail event

“Our ROI is really exciting. Marketers need to know that their Marketing dollar is going a long way for them. Our Retail Maverick service is achieving better ROI than comparable Google AdWords and Facebook Ads campaigns. Furthermore, we are a full-service solution where we do everything for our clients. We feel this is something every retailer needs.”

Retail Maverick acts as the perfect conduit, connecting and sending retailers ultimate message.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive in the retail industry. As Calvin Klein states it, “Previously, we were manually posting our weekly specials and promotions with outdated marketing contacts. Now, they have been able to update our list and send out our weekly promotions with over 95% accuracy from week to week. The follow up and reporting features are huge wins for us as well.” Similarly, Sports Chek stated, “The Retail Maverick team is knowledgeable, easy to work with, and have helped us make all the connections we needed. They are consistently following up and keeping our contacts up to date, which saves us hours of work every week!”

In addition to advertising, Retail Maverick has since expanded their digital reach into staffing and human resources for the retail sector, as the service is also used to advertise jobs within shopping malls.

The remarkable success of Retail Maverick in such a short period of time – a year from its launch – is a confluence of technology and networking into an innovative whole.

Retail Maverick is making it easy for every retailer to try them with a Free 30 day trial. Check out more at www.retailmaverick.com.

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

Icebreaker Announces Fall 2017 Canadian Expansion [Photos]

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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August 27, 2017

New Zealand-based Icebreaker is planning to open another TouchLab location in Canada in September, with Edmonton’s West Edmonton Mall being the next new home for the merino clothing retailer.

It will be the 10th store in Canada.

The company opened a location in Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre in May which it says is representative of the next generation of stores it plans to roll out across the country.

“The same look will be used in West Edmonton Mall and future rollouts,” Justin Walford, the company’s general manager for North America, told Retail-Insider.

Walford says the company is looking for spaces between 1,100 and 1,300 square feet to provide the retailer with an opportunity to connect with “what we deem are our urban adventurers.”

“We are looking at the possibility of opening (more stores). It comes down to the right lease, the right timing, location. Opening one to two stores per year as we move forward,” he says.

“Our primary goal is to open between August and September when we can kind of launch with our fall season and have a good run-up to Christmas.”

The company has more than 60 “shop-in-shops” in Canada, smaller locations within other stores, that drive a really healthy core business for Icebreaker, he says.

“They’re across the country. A really broad distribution . . . They give us the opportunity to actually connect with our core consumer. An outdoor, oriented consumer and some of them also fringe into more of an urban space,” explains Walford.

“But what we’re trying to do at our stores is open complementary locations that provide really the absolute best experience of Icebreaker. That’s why we call them TouchLabs. It’s about touching, feeling, experiencing the brand and the product that we make. And we’re doing it increasingly across the country.”

The first store in Canada was established about 7 ½ years ago in Montreal.

Recently, the New Zealand-based retailer announced Greg Smith as the company’s new Global CEO. Also, Josh Vaughan took the helm as Head of Wholesale in North America and Trudie Abel was appointed the new Head of Marketing North America.

The company, founded in 1995, now operates 32 owned and 15 partner North America retail storefronts in four countries and is sold in nearly 900 retail locations in the U.S. and Canada.

“International sales now account for 86 per cent of Icebreaker’s overall revenue, and Icebreaker’s North American business is one of our two largest global regions,” says Walford.

“The quality and experience that Trudie, Josh, and the new marketing appointments bring reflect our focus on winning in North America, and the importance of the North American business to our future growth.”

Icebreaker merino clothing for the outdoors, technical sports and lifestyle includes underwear, mid layer garments, outerwear, socks and accessories for men, women and children. Icebreaker is based in Auckland, New Zealand, and is sold in more than 5,000 stores in 50 countries; at Icebreaker retail stores in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States and online at icebreaker.com.

*Photos in this article are of the new Ottawa Icebreaker, and were provided by the company.

MUJI Opens 1st Vancouver Store [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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August 27, 2017

Minimalist Japanese retailer MUJI has opened its first location in western Canada, at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, east of Vancouver. It is currently the largest MUJI location in Canada, though that will change towards the end of the year when it unveils its largest store in North America on Robson Street.

Press were invited to a preview of the store on Friday, August 25. Susanne Milner, who took photos for this article, described the scene — a tea ceremony to kick-off the opening complimented a poetry reading, and there was even a keg of sake on hand (as has been tradition with other MUJI store openings). Dignitaries were on hand, including executives from MUJI and even the Consulate General of Japan. Metrotown is MUJI’s fifth Canadian location, with four stores already open in the Greater Toronto Area.

Crowds lined up on Saturday, August 26, for the store’s grand opening. The first 500 guests received a customized ‘Metropolis at Metrotown’ MUJI tote bag.

(UNIQLO WILL JOIN MUJI AS THE TWO NEWEST JAPANESE RETAILERS TO BURNABY’S METROPOLIS AT METROTOWN)

The 7,770 square foot Metrotown MUJI is located on the mall’s ground level, down the hall from anchor Hudson’s Bay. Three separate retail spaces were joined together to create the new store (see interactive mall floor plan below), and Japanese fashion retailer UNIQLO will open up the hall this fall in a 20,630 square foot retail space.

(CROWDS LINE UP FOR THE OPENING OF THE NEW METROTOWN MUJI ON THE MORNING OF SATURDAY, AUGUST 26. PHOTO: MUJI)

(CROWDS LINE UP OUTSIDE FOR THE OPENING OF THE NEW METROTOWN MUJI ON THE MORNING OF SATURDAY, AUGUST 26. NOTICE TO THE RIGHT, MUJI HAS A GLASS EXTERIOR FACADE. PHOTO: MUJI)

Towards the end of this year, MUJI will open a massive Robson Street flagship in Vancouver, which will span an impressive 16,000 square feet. MUJI will replace the recently closed 10,500 square foot Gap store at 1025 Robson Street, as well as the adjacent 5,500 square foot space that once housed denim retailer Below the Belt. Prior to being occupied by Below the Belt, the rounded glass atrium space was the corridor to the upscale ‘Robson Galleria’ shopping complex, which in the 1990’s, housed retailers such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Pegabo and Alfred Sung. The new MUJI flagship, which will be the largest on the continent, will anchor the revitalization of Robson Street’s 1100 Block.

The Metrotown and Robson Street MUJI lease deals were coordinated/negotiated by Martin Moriarty and Mario Negris of CBRE Vancouver, as well as Arlin Markowitz from CBRE Toronto.

MUJI operates four other Canadian stores, all of which are located in the Greater Toronto Area. MUJI’s first Canadian store opened in November of 2014 at ‘The Atrium’ at 20 Dundas Street West in downtown Toronto, spanning 4,400 square feet on one level. MUJI’s second Canadian store opened in November of 2015 at the Square One shopping centre in Mississauga, measuring 5,225 square feet. In October of this year, MUJI opened a 6,375 square foot unit in Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Last month, the company’s fourth Canadian store debuted at CF Markville in Markham, with more than 6,000 square feet of space as well as the longest storefront of any MUJI store in North America to date, with close to 200 feet of corner frontage.

(THE OPENING OF THE CF MARKVILLE MUJI IN JULY. PHOTO: MUJI)

In an interview with Retail Insider last year, MUJI’s Canadian President Toru Akita revealed that the company plans to operate between 15 and 20 stores in Canada by the year 2020. At the Vancouver press event, MUJI confirmed that it plans to eventually operate four or five Vancouver stores and while it wasn’t stated at the event, sources confirm that a third Vancouver-area MUJI lease was finalized several months ago.

MUJI operates 14 American stores, with more to follow as it expands in the US. Of the locations currently open, seven are in the New York City area, three are in the San Francisco Bay area, one is in Boston, and three are in southern California.

Known for being innovative and its products being affordable and unbranded, MUJI carries various household items, furniture, appliances, stationery and apparel. With hundreds of stores worldwide (with 422 in Japan and about 428 internationally), it saves money by spending little to nothing on market research and advertising. MUJI is short for Mujirushi Ryohin, or no-brand superior items, and was founded in 1980 as the private-label brand of a major supermarket chain.

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

The Running Room Sees Ballooning Ecommerce Growth

Breitling Opens 1st Canadian Boutique [Photos]

Michael Hill Jewellers on Track for 100 Canadian Stores

Dyson to Open 1st Standalone Canadian Store

Levi’s Expands Customization ‘Tailor’ Concept Stores in Canada

Mackage Secures 1st Standalone Vancouver Location

Calgary Commercial Landlords Confident About Future

Retailers are Expanding Their Digital Reach with Retail Maverick

Icebreaker Announces Fall 2017 Canadian Expansion [Photos]

MUJI Opens 1st Vancouver Store [Photos]

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