Popular Japanese retailer Uniqlo is on track to open its first two Canadian store locations this fall in Toronto. Representatives were in Toronto yesterday to present a preview of Uniqlo’s fall collections, as well as provide details about the new Canadian stores. According to Uniqlo’s Canadian COO as well as its Canadian broker, the Japanese brand will eventually expand throughout Canada. 

Uniqlo Canada Chief Operating Officer Yasuhiro Hayashi met with the press to discuss the new stores, as well as to profile the fall collection which, because of its technology, will provide warmth in cold Canadian winters. The brand’s ‘Heattech‘ innerwear line features moisture-wicking fabric that retains heat, and also features anti-odor properties. Women’s and men’s collections range from casual to dressy, including a variety of very soft cashmere sweaters as well as light-weight down jackets and vests. Uniqlo’s fashions are known for being simple, affordable, and of high quality, and we predict that the company will do extremely well with its stores in Canada. 

Uniqlo’s first Canadian store location will open in late September or early October at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. An exact date hasn’t been set yet, according to Mr. Hayashi, as store construction can sometimes be unpredictable. The store will be located at the north end of the shopping centre between Nordstrom (opening September 16) and H&M, which recently saw a major expansion. Uniqlo will measure about 28,000 square feet over two levels, with access to the 10,000 square foot ground level being accessed from within CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s Yonge and Dundas Street entrance, as per the floor plan below. 

Uniqlo’s second Canadian store will open at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in October of this year, along with other retailers in the mall’s new $331 million 300,000 square foot wing that will be anchored by Nordstrom. Mr. Hayashi said he expects that location to open just before Nordstrom, which opens to the public on October 21. Uniqlo will occupy about 24,000 square feet over two levels at Yorkdale and will be a neighbour with another Japanese retailer, Muji. 

Mr. Hayashi explained that Uniqlo’s Canadian store expansion will be gradual, and that the company will look to create brand recognition before moving into new markets. Toronto is a terrific test market, he explained, given its size, influence and diverse population. 

Uniqlo’s Canadian broker, Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants, said that he’s thrilled that Uniqlo is opening in Canada this year. He also explained that Toronto was picked as the introductory market for Uniqlo in Canada, and that he’s now looking at Western Canadian real estate opportunities as the brand looks to expand Canada-wide at a controlled pace. He explained that every major Canadian market could be a great market for the brand, and that as customers get to know it, Uniqlo will become a staple in Canadian wardrobes. 

Farla Efros, President of leading retail consultancy HRC Advisory, thinks that Uniqlo will be a big success in Canada. She described Uniqlo as being “fun, relevant and uplifting”, praising its product quality as well as its overall shopping experience and pricing strategy. She explained how Uniqlo’s value proposition fills a void in the retail landscape by bridging the gap between upscale boutiques and fast-fashion, describing the brand positioning as being distinct, with its brand values being “ageless and gender-neutral”. At a time when mid-priced retailers in Canada are being ‘squeezed’, Uniqlo’s fashion-forward, quality, price and newness will resonate not only with teens/tweens/Millennials/Generation Z, but also with modern working women and men seeking staple fashions at reasonable price points, she said. 

Italian luxury brand Moncler will open its third freestanding Canadian store at 131 Bloor Street West (The Colonnade) in Toronto, according to plans released by Colonnade landlord Morguard. Toronto will join Las Vegas as the only North American cities to feature two freestanding Moncler stores.

The Bloor Street Moncler store will measure about 2,500 square feet, according to the Morguard lease plan, taking part of Sephora’s current 6,100 square foot space. The floor plan shows the remaining 3,842 square feet as still available for lease.

This summer, Sephora will relocate to a one-level, 8,900 square foot location at nearby 77 Bloor Street West. Construction on the new Moncler store is expected to commence shortly thereafter.

Moncler’s first freestanding Canadian store opened in the summer of 2014 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, measuring about 2,525 square feet. A second Canadian Moncler location opened at 742 Thurlow Street in the city’s ‘Luxury Zone’ in December of 2015.

The Bloor Street Moncler deal was co-brokered by Northwest Atlantic Principal/Broker Dianne Lemm and Hanna Struever of Retail Portfolio Solutions in Los Angeles. Ms. Lemm also negotiated the Yorkdale Moncler deal with its landlord Oxford Properties.

Founded in Milan in 1952, Moncler is an apparel and lifestyle brand most known for its down jackets and sportswear. Moncler took its name from the abbreviation of Monestier-de-Clermont, an Alpine town near Grenoble, France. In 2003, the brand was bought by the Italian entrepreneur Remo Ruffini. Although founded in Italy, Moncler’s flagship store is on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. Moncler currently operates 14 free-standing stores in the United States, including locations in Aspen CO, Atlanta, Bal Harbour FL, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, Costa Mesa CA, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas (2 locations), New York City, San Francisco and Seattle.

Thank you to Urban Toronto‘s ‘ACT7’ and decisionSMART‘s Paul Amato for alerting us to Morguard’s updated lease plan, as discovered by Urban Toronto’s ‘pw20’.

Canadian footwear brand Shumaker (pronounced ‘shoe maker’) will expand its base of freestanding stores after seeing success with its first locations. Shumaker has already opened eight locations in just eight months, with more to follow as it seeks space in busy shopping centres. 

The Shumaker brand is known for its contemporary, casual footwear for both men and women, and began in 1948 as a footwear manufacturer and distributor. The company, headquartered in Mississauga, has grown over the years and now boasts wholesale distribution at over 1,600 points of sale across Canada. Prices are considered to be moderate by footwear standards, and can be viewed on Shumaker’s e-commerce site. 

After seeing considerable wholesale success, Shumaker set out to open its own branded freestanding stores. Working with an in-house design team, the company created a store prototype featuring primarily white interiors with strong red accents, as well as contemporary fixtures and eye-catching facades. Images in this article, supplied by Shumaker, show the store design without footwear in order to provide design context. 

Shumaker’s first location opened in August of 2015 at Lansdowne Place in Peterborough, Ontario. Since then, about one store has opened per month, according to Shumaker’s Director of Operations, Ishan Singh. The retailer has opened seven freestanding stores in Southern Ontario, including locations in Barrie (RioCan Georgian Mall), Bellville (Quinte Mall), Hamilton (CF Lime Ridge), Ottawa (two stores: Carlingwood Shopping Centre and Place d’Orleans) as well as two Toronto area stores (Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga and CF Markville in Markham). 

The brand’s physical stores aim to impress and provide top-notch customer service, according to Mr. Singh. Shumaker’s website explains that its product is “quality-centred, value-driven and original” and that “Shumaker is built on the same family values that are found in homes across the country”, going on to say: “Resting on principles of respect, Shumaker provides unmatched customer service and a personalized shopping experience in a distinguished setting”. 

Moving forward, Mr. Singh explained that Shumaker will look to continue its growth momentum into the fall of 2016 and beyond, as it continues to seek out retail spaces for new store locations in Ontario. Shumaker stores are ideally in the 1,400 square foot to 1,800 square foot range and although shopping centre locations are a priority, Mr. Singh said that urban street front stores could be a possibility as well. 

An innovative new concept has launched in several Canadian shopping centres, and it’s driving traffic to malls by being an attraction to kids. Named Zazazoo, the plush animal ride rental company is looking to expand Canada-wide through franchising, after launching its first location near Ottawa in November of 2015. 

Founded by Melanie Lafreniere, Zazazoo rents out large stuffed animals that can be ridden throughout enclosed shopping malls. She explained how the concept is already driving traffic to shopping centres as a new attraction. She came up with the idea after recognizing that some children might not be keen on visiting the local mall, which in turn may limit parent’s shopping capabilities. 

Ms. Lafreniere says that she’d ideally like to be operating in 12 Canadian shopping centres by the end of 2016. Zazazoo launched at Les Promenades Gatineau last November and has since expanded to four locations, including Carlingwood Mall and St. Laurent Centre in Ottawa, and at Galeries de Sources in suburban Montreal. More locations are scheduled to open in the next few months, including at Ottawa’s popular Bayshore Shopping Centre. 

It’s not just children who ride Zazazoo’s stuffed animals, however. Some adults are enjoying the attraction as well and according to Ms. Lafreniere, one only has to be ‘young at heart’. She explained how Zazazoo brings smiles to people’s faces, young and old, adding a new element of positivity and fun to existing Canadian shopping centres — living up to its slogan ‘Made for Kids, Enjoyed by All’. 

*All photos by Zazazoo.