Sleep Country Canada Takes on Casper

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May 9, 2017

Sleep Country Canada Website — (SCREEN CAPTURE FROM SLEEP COUNTRY CANADA'S WEBSITE)

Sleep Country Canada is taking a page from online mattress brand Casper, by launching its own mattress-in-a box that can be ordered online for home delivery. Similar to Casper, as well, Sleep Country has launched a line of pillows designed for enhanced restfulness.

Sleep Country’s new mattress-in-a-box is called Bloom™ Mattress, and it’s described as featuring advanced gel memory and latex foam that conforms to one’s body and as well, it was designed with air channels and mesh sides to help regulate one’s body temperature. The mattress is finished and wrapped in a natural organic cotton fabric, that is both removable and machine washable.

The Sleep Country mattress comes with a guarantee as well as a 10 year warranty. “If your Bloom™ doesn’t bloom your mind within 100 nights, you can exchange it at any Sleep Country location for one of our other 50 mattresses. We’ll even pick up your Bloom™ and deliver your new bed,” says its website. Prices range from $695 for a twin mattress to $1,195 for a king-sized version.

(SCREEN CAPTURE FROM SLEEP COUNTRY CANADA’S WEBSITE)

Casper, in a similar fashion, sells memory foam mattresses that are delivered to consumers in a similar-sized box. Launched in New York City 2014 and financially backed by Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Adam Levine and Ashton Kutcher, Casper is a direct-to-consumer online mattress retailer, with its product delivered in a “how did they do that?” sized box. Casper’s memory foam mattress comes in a variety of sizes, ranging in price between $725 and $1275 (Canadian), depending on size. Recently, the company has expanded its product assortment to include a “perfect pillow” pillow-in-a-pillow and soft, breathable sheets, and even dog beds.

Casper also offers free shipping, and a 100 night guarantee. Unlike Sleep Country, however, Casper will refund the purchase price instead of offering a substitute.

Casper is growing extremely rapidly, and its phenomenal growth saw it being declared one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies in the World” and in 2015, Casper won the title of TIME Magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2015”, with sales in excess of US $100 million in its first year.

Sleep Country Canada has a brick-and-mortar/brand awarenss advantage over Casper — Sleep Country continues to open physical stores nationwide and as of December 31, 2016, it had 235 Canadian retail locations coast-to-coast, as well as 17 distribution centres. A new Calgary distribution centre opened last week. While Casper lacks physical retail stores in Canada, it recently partnered with West Elm in Toronto to offer consumers Casper products in a cash-and-carry model — the first time that Casper has done so, anywhere.

Sleep Country Canada and Casper have a third significant competitor in Canada, Endy Sleep, which is based out of Toronto and was founded in 2014. Endy Sleep, which manufactures in Canada, features memory foam mattresses and pillows that can be purchased online. As with Sleep Country and Casper, Endy’s mattresses ship to consumers in boxes, feature a 100 day home trial, and have a 10 year warranty. Endy’s twin-sized mattresses retail for $675, with prices going up to $950 for king and ‘California king’ sized versions.

(ENDY ADVERTISING ON TTC SUBWAY CAR IN TORONTO: PHOTO: ENDY VIA TWITTER)

It remains to be seen if Sleep Country Canada will advertise its new mattress on public transit, as have Casper and Endy Sleep. TTC Subway riders in Toronto, for example, have become accustomed to significant marketing by both Casper and Endy in subway stations, as well as on and in transit vehicles themselves. Both companies have been known to occupy all available ad space on some subway cars, in order to gain maximum exposure to consumers.

MCM to Open 1st Freestanding Canadian Store this Fall

By

Craig Patterson

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May 9, 2017

German-founded luxury brand MCM will open its first Canadian store on Toronto’s Mink Mile this fall, and it likely won’t be the country’s last. MCM is said to be doing robust wholesale business in Canada at retailers such as Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, helping prompt a Canadian store expansion.

Founded in Munich in 1976, MCM is known for accessories and other products in its signature logo-printed material (called Cognac Visetos), similar to Louis Vuitton‘s monogram canvas. MCM (which originally stood for Michael Cromer München) was especially popular in the 1980’s for its flashy, logo-printed accessories. South Korean fashion conglomerate Sungjoo Group acquired the brand in 1995, and the brand is having a major resurgence.

MCM’s first Canadian store will open this fall at 93 Bloor Street West in Toronto, in a retail space formerly occupied by Nine West Shoes. The 2,150 square foot store will be directly across the street from Harry Rosen’s flagship, as well as Holt Renfrew Men and a new Hermes Maison at 100 Bloor Street West.

The CBRE Toronto Urban Retail Team negotiated on behalf of the landlord in the deal, under the direction of Arlin Markowitz, Alex Edmison and Jackson Turner.

MCM’s moving into 93 Bloor Street West could be a signal for more luxury brands to open nearby — on the south side of Bloor, luxury retailers typically locate to the west of St. Thomas Street (except for Hugo Boss, currently at 83 Bloor Street West).

Approximately 60% of MCM’s sales come from Asia, with the remaining 40% coming from Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Given the brand’s penetration in Asia, Vancouver is a likely target city for at least one freestanding MCM store.

In the United States, MCM has seven stores: in New York City (x2) Garden City NY, Atlanta, Houston, San Jose CA, and Las Vegas. It also has an outlet in Orlando FL.

Last year, the company saw revenue in excess of US $700 million, with a goal of US $2 billion in sales globally by the year 2019. The brand has surpassed Versace in terms of overall sales and in the South Korean duty free market, which is the largest in the world, MCM is second only to Louis Vuitton in terms of sales.

While the new Toronto store will be the first corporate MCM location in Canada, MCM had two free-standing licensed Canadian boutiques in the early-to-mid 1990’s, both in the resort town of Banff, Alberta. One was located at the Banff Springs Hotel and the other was downtown at Cascade Plaza, alongside Polo Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton. All have since shuttered as retail in the Alberta town has become less upscale. At the height of its popularity in 1993, MCM boasted 250 stores worldwide with sales in excess of $250 million. After flooding the market with product while at the same time becoming subject to counterfeiters, the brand folded in 1995, followed by a restructuring in 1997.

Nordstrom Prepares to Open CF Sherway Gardens Store

By

Craig Patterson

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May 9, 2017

Nordstrom is preparing to debut its third Toronto location, spanning 140,000 square feet at CF Sherway Gardens. The store will open to the public on the morning of Friday, September 15, with an opening charity gala to be held two days prior. Jobs will be posted on the company’s careers site next week (there will be about 400 positions available), and the company has also just announced the new store manager, as well as other details relating to the new store.

Sales and support positions will be posted on Monday, May 15 and interested applicants are invited to apply for jobs online at about.nordstrom.com/careers. Sales positions at the CF Sherway Gardens store will be available in departments including footwear, accessories, beauty and women’s, men’s, and children’s apparel. Nordstrom says that retail experience is not required for sales positions.

Hiring will also take place for various support positions in alterations, building services, housekeeping, loss prevention as well as at its new restaurant (confirmed to be Bazille) and at coffee bar ‘eBar’.

Nordstrom offers employees a competitive benefits package including a 20% retail discount (managers receive a 33% discount), dental, medical and vision options, and an RRSP matching program.

Most of the store’s 24 sales and support managers will be promoted from the current pool of Nordstrom Canada employees. For its first two Toronto stores, Nordstrom’s new manager training was provided with experienced managers at stores in Canada and the United States. Nordstrom confirms that a similar training program will take place for management positions filled from outside of the company. As well, salespeople will also participate in a training program based in Toronto, prior to the opening of the Sherway store.

Nordstrom just announced that Jennifer Gross will be the new store manager at the CF Sherway Gardens store. Ms. Gross began her Nordstrom career in 2006 as an intern in the Hurst, Texas Nordstrom store, where she was promoted three times before moving to the Dallas Galleria store as the Personal Stylist Manager. In May of 2012, Ms. Gross took on the Store Manager role for Nordstrom Rack in Austin, Texas. She then relocated to Buford, Georgia as the Store Manager at the Mall of Georgia and most recently held the position of Store Manager at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, until her recent move to Toronto.

As with all Nordstrom store openings, a charity gala will be held for the CF Sherway store two days prior to the store opening to the public (the evening of Wednesday, September 13). The gala’s charitable recipients have yet to be disclosed. Nordstrom’s galas have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities since the retailer entered Canada almost three years ago.

The new CF Sherway Gardens store is Nordstrom’s sixth in Canada, as well as its third in Toronto. Nordstrom opened its first Canadian store in September of 2014, with a 140,000 square foot unit at Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre. In March of 2015, Nordstrom opened a 157,000 square foot store at Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre. In September of 2015, a 230,000 square foot Nordstrom flagship opened at Vancouver’s CF Pacific Centre, followed by the fall 2016 opening of two Toronto stores — a CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship in September, as well as a 200,000 square foot Yorkdale store about a month later.

The CF Sherway Gardens store is also the company’s last confirmed location for its full-line Canadian store expansion.

Nordstrom also plans on opening between 15 and 20 off-price Nordstrom Rack stores over the next several years, and it has already disclosed six of those locations. The first will be a 40,000 square foot downtown Toronto flagship at 1 Bloor Street East, followed by units at Vaughan Mills near Toronto, Deerfoot Meadows in Calgary, South Edmonton Common in Edmonton, Ottawa Train Yards in Ottawa, and at Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga.

Tiffany & Co. Unveils Expanded Vancouver Flagship

By

Craig Patterson

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May 8, 2017

image-asset - 2021-01-06T224334.871 — Tiffany & Co Storefront

Iconic New York City-based jewellery and accessory brand Tiffany & Co. has unveiled a second-level expansion of its freestanding downtown Vancouver location, tripling its retail space. The store is now about the same size of Tiffany’s Toronto Bloor street flagship.

Tiffany & Co. opened at 723 Burrard Street (corner Alberni Street) in the fall of 2006. The one-level 4,700 square foot store included 3,322 square feet of retail space. Last year, Tiffany leased a second-level space formerly occupied by Japanese restaurant Kamei Royale, allowing for a significant expansion. Tiffany & Co.’s Vancouver flagship now spans an impressive 9,762 square feet of selling space, which is about the same as the 9,800 square feet of selling space at Toronto’s Tiffany flagship at 150 Bloor Street West.

The Vancouver store’s granite facade is inspired by Tiffany’s iconic Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City (including an Atlas figure holding a clock), with a nod to American Deco skyscrapers and luxury high-rises of the 1930s and 1940s. Tiffany Blue features prominently on the store’s new branded awnings, as well as its halo-lit signage. The store’s new curved exterior is an “architectural feat” according to the company — the previous facade can be seen in the photo below.

(FACADE PRIOR TO THE EXPANSION/RENOVATION. PHOTO: PCI-GROUP.COM)

A rendering of the renovated and expanded Tiffany & Co. location in Vancouver at 723 Burrard Street. Handout: Tiffany & Co. [PNG Merlin Archive]

New soaring double-height ceilings off the store’s front entrance were created by blasting through the concrete floor above — not a simple task, and no doubt costly. A metal balustrade punctuates the new second floor mezzanine above, with hand-leafed and hand-forged Tiffany Magnolia chandeliers (by New York-based artist Michele Oka Doner) hanging overhead. Interior accents in the store also include marble, cerused walnut paneling, velvet drapery and upholstered walls.

The expanded Vancouver store allows Tiffany & Co. to showcase a broader range of product. The store features a Fine Jewellery Salon, as well as Fashion, Bridal, Gift and Private Sales Salons. Private shopping areas were expanded in the new space, and the Burrard Street store also features the new Tiffany HardWear collection which officially launched this month.

CBRE’s Vancouver office facilitated negotiations for the store’s second-level space acquisition, under the direction of Mario Negris and Martin Moriarty.

(IMAGE: TIFFANY & CO.)

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Tiffany & Co. entered the Vancouver market as a licensed shop-in-store within Holt Renfrew in 1994. Tiffany continues to operate a shop at Vancouver’s Holt’s as a concession. Tiffany has three free-standing stores in Toronto, two in Vancouver, and one each in Edmonton, Calgary and Montreal. Three smaller Tiffany & Co. concessions also operate within Holt Renfrew locations in Calgary, Montreal (at Ogilvy) and as mentioned, in Vancouver. Tiffany’s first Canadian store opened at 85 Bloor Street West in 1991, in a building spanning 13,450 square feet over four floors.

Inside Filson’s 1st Canadian Store [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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May 8, 2017

Seattle-based heritage fashion brand Filson has opened its first Canadian store in Vancouver, and a second location will follow later this spring, in Toronto.

The 2,800 square foot Vancouver store, located at 47 Water Street in the city’s hip and historical Gastown area, features custom furniture built from local salvaged wood, iron beams, wooden floors and imagery of Filson dating back to the late 1800’s. Street level windows will showcase apparel, bags, and accessories for both men and women.

“Finally, after 120 years, we’re opening retail stores in Canada. We’re excited to share our love for the outdoors and Pacific Northwest roots with all Canadians who share the same values,” said Steve Bock, CEO of Filson. “The tactile experience is the best way for us to show the quality, craftsmanship and durability that’s sewn into every Filson item.”

Filson’s second Canadian store will open in June of this year in Toronto, at 694 Queen Street West.

Filson partnered with broker Tony Flanz of Think Retail for its initial Canadian expansion.

Filson operates street-front stores in American cities that include Seattle, New York City, Minneapolis, Portland OR, Dallas, San Francisco, Plano TX, Detroit, Austin and Washington DC, as well as two factory outlets. Canada is the second international market for Filson, which also operates a store in London, UK.

Filson (originally named ‘C.C. Filson’s Pioneer Alaska Clothing and Blanket Manufacturers’) was founded in Seattle in 1897, and is known particularly for its clothing and luggage, as well as its guarantee. The company designs, manufactures and distributes its products, which feature rugged designs with prices in the mid to upper-end range. Quality is paramount to the brand, and it guarantees the lifetime of each item against failure or damage from its intended usage, according to Filson’s website. The company is owned by Bedrock Manufacturing which is led by Tom Kartsotis, who also owns Detroit-based fashion brand Shinola.

Change of Scandinavia Confirms 3 More Canadian Locations to Open this Year

By

Craig Patterson

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May 8, 2017

Danish lingerie and fashion brand Change of Scandinavia is confirmed to be opening at least three more stores in Canada in 2017, with plans for significantly more over the next several years.

On July 1 of this year, Change will open a 570 square foot boutique at CF Carrefour Laval, north of Montreal. Two more locations will open in the fourth quarter of 2017, including a 600 square foot boutique at CF Richmond Centre near Vancouver, as well as a 680 square foot store at the recently renovated and expanded Oshawa Centre, east of Toronto.

The company continues to seek opportunities, anticipating to open between 8 and 10 Canadian locations in 2018. By the year 2020, Change is looking to operate between 25 and 30 Canadian stores, ideally in the 600 square foot to 1,000 square foot range in busy shopping centres. Targeted regions include British Columbia (Lower Mainland), Ontario (Greater Toronto Area) and Quebec (Montreal and Quebec City CMA’s).

Change of Scandinavia is represented by Tony Flanz of Think Retail for its Canadian real estate negotiations.

Founded in Denmark in 1995, Change of Scandinavia now operates more that 240 corporate and franchised stores globally. Stores are modern and simple, featuring a black and white palette to showcase product. Most of Change’s stores are in Europe and Scandinavia, with the exception of Canada and Singapore. The company still hasn’t entered the potentially lucrative US market.

Change of Scandinavia is particularly unique because of its large bra sizes, which cater to a different niche than other lingerie retailers such as Victoria’s Secret and La Vie En Rose. About 75% of Change’s bras are in the DD to M cup size range, with a wide range of fits and styles. Most other lingerie retailers in Canada sell bras in the B-D range. Change stores offers free bra fitting to ensure that its products meet the needs of its diverse customers — and prices are kept reasonable to attract a broad clientele. As well, approximately 75% of Change’s revenue comes from underwear and bras, with the remainder from loungewear, swimmer, nightwear and stockings.

Change entered the Canadian market with its first store in 2006, and it now operates 15 stores nationally, with five in British Columbia (Vancouver x 2, Burnaby, Coquitlam and West Vancouver), one in Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), five in Ontario (Toronto x 2, Thornhill, Oakville, Burlington), and four in Quebec (Montreal x 3 and in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu).

Recently-opened stores include the March 2016 opening of a 1,200 square foot flagship at Montreal’s Place Montreal Trust, as well as the summer 2016 opening of a 600 square foot store at upscale Park Royal shopping centre in West Vancouver.

Outlet Collection Winnipeg Opens to Huge Crowds [Photos/Floor Plan/Store List]

By

Craig Patterson

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May 5, 2017

Saks Off 5th at Outlet Collection Winnipeg

Ivanhoé Cambridge has officially opened its Outlet Collection Winnipeg outlet centre, and thousands lined up for the opening on Wednesday, May 3.

Outlet Collection Winnipeg features more than 400,000 square feet of retail space and 570,000 square feet of gross leasable area, with space for about 100 retailers. The centre, located at 555 Sterling Lyon Parkway, features six anchors: Saks OFF 5TH, Old Navy, F21 Red by Forever 21, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, Nike and Winners. F21 Red and Winners will open in September.

The property is managed by Ivanhoé Cambridge and is jointly owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, Forster Projects and Harvard Developments. The project broke ground on September 25 of 2015, and it cost over $200 million to build.

(CLICK FOR INTERACTIVE OUTLET COLLECTION WINNIPEG FLOOR PLAN)

About 1,300 full and part-time retail jobs have been created with its construction, and a further 400 construction-related jobs were created for its development.

Outlet Collection Winnipeg boasts some unique sustainability features. It’s LEED® pre-certified, and was designed to be over 20% more energy efficient than the stringent requirements of the Manitoba Energy Code for Buildings. Unique roofing material will reduce the heat island effect, and water-efficient fixtures were installed throughout the centre. Low-emission CO2 materials were selected for the flooring, paint and composite wood products used. And for cyclists, there are 80 bike parking spaces.

For those arriving by car, the centre features about 2,300 parking spaces.

The centre is the only dedicated outlet mall in Manitoba, and is also the first US-styled suburban outlet shopping centre in Western Canada. Currently, Vancouver’s McArthurGlen Designer Outlets is the only other ‘pure’ outlet centre in Western Canada, and it differs from the Winnipeg property in primarily two ways — McArthurGlen lacks larger anchor stores, and it also features upscale architecture that is unlike any other outlet malls. Western Canada is also home to Calgary’s CrossIron Mills and South Delta’s Tsawwassen Mills, though these are considered to be ‘hybrid’ outlet centres with a mix of full-price and off-price retailers.

Outlet Collection Winnipeg

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Below is Outlet Collection Winnipeg’s list of retailers as of now. First-to-market tenants are marked with an asterisk (*)

Anchors

•   DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse*
•   F21 Red* (Opening September 2017)
•   Nike Factory Store*
•   Saks OFF 5TH*
•   Old Navy Outlet
•   Winners (Opening September 2017)

Retailers

•   Adore Cosmetics (Opening September 2017)
•   AJ Sports
•   Aldo Outlet
•   American Eagle Outfitters* (Opening September 2017)
•   Ardene
•   Audi
•   Banana Republic Factory Store*
•   Bell
•   Bench
•   Bentley*
•   Bluenotes
•   Boathouse*
•   Bombay
•   Bowring
•   Browns Outlet*
•   Call it Spring Outlet*
•   Calvin Klein Outlet*
•   Cellicon
•   Chatters Hair| Beauty |Salon
•   Danier Outlet
•   Davids Tea
•   DOVR
•   Dynamite/Garage
•   Ecko Unltd.
•   Famous Footwear Outlet
•   Gap Factory Store*
•   Garage/Dynamite
•   Gateway News
•   GNC
•   Guess Outlet*
•   Justice* (Opening September 2017)
•   Labels
•   Laura/Laura Petites
•   La Vie en Rose Outlet
•   Levi’s Outlet*
•   Lids
•   Lindt Outlet
•   Lolë Outlet*
•   Lucky Brand Jeans Outlet*
•   Lululemon Athletica*
•   Michael Hill*
•   Michael Kors Outlet (Opening September 2017)
•   Mobilinq
•   Mountain Warehouse*
•   Naturalizer Outlet
•   Nine West Shoe Studio*
•   NoMiNoU
•   Peoples
•   Perfumes 4 U*
•   Portia-Ella
•   Pylon
•   Quarks*
•   Rockport Factory Outlet (Opening September 2017)
•   Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (Opening September 2017)
•   Roots*
•   Samsonite Outlet*
•   Skechers*
•   Soft-Moc Shoe Rack*
•   Suzy Shier
•   Telus/Koodo
•   The Body Shop*
•   ThinkKitchen*
•   Tommy Hilfiger Outlet
•   Under Armour*
•   Urban Kids
•   West 49
•   Wireless Wave

Food Concessions

•   A&W
•   Bar Burrito
•   Big Smoke Burger
•   Chachi’s
•   Freshly Squeezed
•   Jimmy the Greek
•   Kernels
•   KFC
•   Kimchi
•   New York Fries
•   Shanghai 360
•   Starbucks
•   Sticky’s Candy
•   Sushi Shop (Opening September 2017)
•   Thai Express

*Photos via Jill Demianiw/Ivanhoé Cambridge.

Express to Shutter Stores, Exit Canada

By

Craig Patterson

-

May 4, 2017

American fashion brand Express has announced that it will close all 17 of its Canadian stores, beginning this month, as well as discontinue its Canadian operations through its Canadian subsidiary, Express Fashion Apparel Canada Inc. The retailer will continue to operate 635 stores in the United States.

Express entered the Canadian market in the fall of 2011 amid controversy, when customers complained that prices were considerably higher in its Canadian stores than in the United States. The company’s first Canadian location opened at CF Fairview Mall.

The company said that its decision to exit Canada was part of its ongoing strategy to improve profitability, and manage and optimize its store footprint. Express also said that the “challenging Canadian retail environment” and “unfavorable exchange rates” prevented it from meeting expectations.

Express Canada has reportedly filed an Application for Protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act with an Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

“The challenging Canadian retail environment, coupled with unfavorable exchange rates prevented us from meeting the expectations we had when we entered the market in 2011,” said David Kornberg, president and CEO, Express. “Our overriding focus remains to invest in and direct our resources towards those areas that can generate the greatest return, including growing our e-commerce business, relaunching our customer loyalty program, and continuing to build our omnichannel capabilities to allow our customers to engage with our brand and shop wherever, whenever, and however they want.”

Express Canada currently has 17 stores in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The retailer intends to conduct store closing sales beginning mid-May. Stores are in some of the country’s leading malls, with seven stores in the Greater Toronto Area, two in Ottawa, three in Calgary, Two in Vancouver and one in Edmonton. Express also operates an outlet in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Subsequent to the closings, Canadian customers will continue to be able to make purchases through the Company’s e-commerce website, www.express.com, as well as through the Express mobile app.

For the fiscal year ended January 28, 2017, Express Canada had net sales of approximately $34 million in U.S. dollars ($45 million in Canadian dollars) and contributed a net loss of approximately $6 million in U.S. dollars to the Express, Inc. consolidated financial statements.

Express will incur charges of approximately US $6 million in the first quarter of 2017 and the remaining US $22 million to US $28 million of exit costs in the second quarter of 2017 related to its Canadian exit.

The company anticipates tax benefits from the move in the range of US $14 million to US $16 million, of which approximately US $7 million is expected in the first quarter of 2017 and the remaining US $7 million to US $9 million in the second quarter of 2017.

Express Canada is seeking appointment of Alvarez & Marsal Canada as monitor in CCAA proceedings to oversee liquidation process for Express Canada.

Express was founded in 1980 by Limited Brands as ‘Limited Express’ in Columbus, Ohio. Limited sold 75% of Express to Golden Gate Capital Partners in May of 2007. Express is a specialty apparel and accessories retailer of women’s and men’s merchandise, targeting the 20 to 30- year-old customer.

STORE 2017 Conference Full Agenda now Available

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Retail Insider

-

May 4, 2017

Retail Council of Canada’s (RCC) STORE 2017 Conference takes place on May 30 and May 31st, at the Toronto Congress Centre. RCC has just announced its full agenda, and Retail Insider readers get $50 off by using discount code: RI50, which expires on May 19th.

As well, tickets are available for the Grand Prix Gala as well as for the Excellence in Retailing Awards.

To see the full STORE 2017 Conference agenda, click here.

STORE 2017 is Canada’s biggest retail event of the year, and is the must-attend conference for the retail industry and their partners.

Packed with more than 80 speakers – representing the “who’s who” of retail in North America – this year’s two-day conference will bring together over 2000 delegates, identify critical trends and shifts in retail and provide retailers and their partners with information, contacts, strategies and tactics for ongoing success.

“What’s more prevalent this year is how the global impact of technology, changing consumer shopping preferences and political disruption is directly affecting retailers in Canada”, said Kyle Tomlin, Vice President Education and Events. “This year’s conference topics and speakers will talk to some of the really tough questions and provide a range of unexpected perspectives that retailers can immediately bring to their teams.”

The conference has been structured to provide retailers with the choice of attending both provocative keynote presentations that cover matters affecting all retailers – including a special interview with Matt Shay, President of the National Retail Federation, the largest retail association in the world – as well as concurrent sessions that focus on store operations, marketing, merchant and supply chain, and digital and mobile. Content at STORE 2017 is also developed so regardless of a retailer’s size or type, whether large, medium or and independent, mass merchant, apparel or grocery, there is a stream with relevant topics. For example, the entire afternoon on the second day of the conference dedicated to grocery.

Speakers at STORE 2017 will include:

Duncan Fulton, President, FGL Sports who will talk about preparing for the new world of retail.
Sylvain Prud’homme, President & CEO, Lowe’s Canada, will talk publicly for the first time since Lowe’s acquired RONA.
Kamy Scarlett, Senior Vice President, Retail and Chief Human Resources Officer and Thierry Hay-Sabourin Senior Vice President, eCommerce from Best Buy will talk about how they built Best Buy’s “clicks and bricks” strategy by bringing vertical business lines together and the role it plays in driving staff, customers and business strategy forward.
Matt Shay, President, National Retail Federation will discuss global forces, times of change and their influence on retail.
Doug Stephens, Founder of Retail Prophet will explain how the customer journey will need to be re-invented so it is unique, multi-layer, personal and impactful.
Michelle Romanow, CBC’s Dragon’s Den “Dragon” and Co-Founder of Snap by Groupon will talk to three current retail disruptors about their business models, why they work and why disruption will continue in retail for the foreseeable future. Michelle will speak with Nicole Tapscott, General Manager, Casper, Deborah Poole, General Manager, Wayfair Canada, and Ben Zifkin, Founder & CEO, HUBBA.

Record numbers of participants have already registered for STORE 2017, which will be held on May 30 and May 31 at the Toronto Congress Centre. For full information and to register, visit https://www.storeconference.ca

Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, email Craig@retail-insider.com

Over the Rainbow to Relocate Iconic Yorkville Store

By

Craig Patterson

-

May 4, 2017

Toronto’s Iconic denim retailer Over the Rainbow will relocate its Toronto Yorkville store the fall of 2018, into a considerably larger space at an overhauled Manulife Centre.

Over the Rainbow has occupied its current 4,300 square foot location at 101 Yorkville Avenue since 1982. The retailer was founded in 1975 with a store on Bloor Street West.

The new Manulife Centre Over the Rainbow will span about 6,500 square feet, according to co-owner Daniel Carman. It will be located on the ground floor of the complex’s retail podium, occupying part of the retail space formerly occupied by gift retailer William Ashley (which recently relocated) as well as some space currently occupied by BMO. Over the Rainbow will be accessed from within the mall, and it will also feature exterior display windows as per the rendering above.

The New Manulife Over the Rainbow will be designed by Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. , and the current location will remain open while the new store is being constructed.

The 101 Yorkville retail building was jointly acquired last fall by First Capital Realty and Greybrook Realty Partners Inc., with each paying about $17,785,000. The 45,000 square foot commercial building will be demolished and replaced with a more contemporary 35,000 square foot retail building, which will be targeted towards luxury brands.

Manulife Centre will see a $100 million overhaul that will include the addition of Canada’s first Eataly (at an impressive 50,000 square feet) as well as an overhauled Maison Birks jewellery flagship, and a number of other new retailers. Some existing retailers will also renovate as part of the mall’s overhaul. The Manulife Centre overhaul is expected to be completed in 2019, which is also when Eataly expects to open its three-level concept.

Over the Rainbow is considered to be one of the country’s leading premium multi-brand denim retailers, and it was founded by Joel Carman in 1975. Mr. Carman is quoted as saying: “This new store has been in the making for many years! We are so excited to finally reveal our plans and we can’t wait to deliver a bigger, modern space for our customers, in what we view to be a crown jewel of a building in the BLOOR-YORKVILLE area. We believe the dynamic redevelopment plans to MANULIFE CENTRE complement our store’s vision for the future. Not to mention being surrounded by great retailers in the building and having direct access to the subway and underground parking facilities. We believe the new store will be a home run for our customers while allowing us to deliver the same comfortable and friendly experience that comes with shopping at OVER THE RAINBOW! It’s an exciting time for our family business!“.

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

Sleep Country Canada Takes on Casper

MCM to Open 1st Freestanding Canadian Store this Fall

Nordstrom Prepares to Open CF Sherway Gardens Store

Tiffany & Co. Unveils Expanded Vancouver Flagship

Inside Filson’s 1st Canadian Store [Photos]

Change of Scandinavia Confirms 3 More Canadian Locations to Open this Year

Outlet Collection Winnipeg Opens to Huge Crowds [Photos/Floor Plan/Store List]

Express to Shutter Stores, Exit Canada

STORE 2017 Conference Full Agenda now Available

Over the Rainbow to Relocate Iconic Yorkville Store

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