Judith & Charles Opens at Yorkville Village [Photos]

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November 30, 2015

Montreal-based women’s fashion brand Judith & Charles has opened a location at Toronto’s Yorkville Village, in the shopping centre formerly known as Hazelton Lanes. The beautiful new store features a bright, modern design with marble flooring and stone and wood accents. Judith Richardson and Charles Le Pierrès, founders of Judith & Charles, worked closely with architect firm Architem to develop the concept.

Judith & Charles currently operates 13 free-standing brick-and-mortar locations in Canada and the United States. In Canada, the brand has two locations in Montreal, two in Calgary, four in Toronto, three in Vancouver, and one in Ottawa, and in the United States, one location in New York City. The brand also recently re-launched its website, featuring expanded e-commerce and enhanced usability.

Judith & Charles is represented in Canada by brokerage Aurora Realty Consultants.

Founded in 1975 in Paris, the brand was originally named Teenflo. In 1990, Judith Richardson and Charles Le Pierrès bought the brand, moving its headquarters to Montreal. In 2008, Teenflo was renamed ‘Judith & Charles’. Priced as a ‘contemporary’ brand, it is best known for its Italian yarns, exceptional fit and minimalistic styling, and locally-based craftsmanship.

All photos in this article are of the new Yorkville Village location, provided by Judith & Charles. As well, the brand recently opened a store at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens.

List of Retailers Opening and Expanding in Canada: Part 1

By

Craig Patterson

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November 30, 2015

attachment-565b77cae4b02fbb0a496637 — exc-565b77cae4b02fbb0a496637

Despite reports that Canada’s economy faces challenges, homegrown and international retailers continue to expand in Canada. There is so much movement, in fact, that it can be difficult to keep track of everything that is happening. We have identified dozens of retailers growing their operations nationally and below is the first of a series with our latest updates. Many of these have not been revealed until now.

The following is a list of 35 retailers that are either entering the Canadian market or are expanding their operations. The list is sponsored by Vancouver-based Peregrine, which custom designs and fabricates retail, display, furniture and architectural features for some of the country’s top retailers.

STORE NAME	LOCATIONS TO OPEN IN CANADA	NEW OR EXPANDING?	ESTIMATED # OF LOCATIONS POST-EXPANSION
Aesop	Vancouver (2-3 more), Toronto (at least one more freestanding, at least one Saks Fifth Avenue concession), Montreal	Expanding	8+
AllSaints	Toronto (CF Toronto Eaton Centre opening soon), more to follow	Expanding	3+
Bailey Nelson Eyewear	About 45 more stores coast-to-coast	Expanding	About 50
Bass Pro Shops	Tsawwassen BC (spring 2016)	Expanding	5+
BESTSELLER	Winnipeg CF Polo Park (Spring 2016), more to follow	Expanding	About 12
Chocolates X Brandon	Toronto	New	Unknown
David’s Tea	Approximately 110 more Canadian locations across the country	Expanding	~250
DSW Designer Shoes	Oakville, Ottawa, Halifax, Regina, Calgary under negotiation	Expanding	40-50 Nationally
Eileen Fisher	Toronto (2016, details TBA), more to follow	Explanding	Unknown
Fendi	Vancouver (2016, details TBA), more re: Toronto to follow	TBA	TBA
Holt Renfrew	Mississauga Square One (spring 2016), possible 2nd Vancouver-area store	Expanding	7+
Hyba by Reitmans	Nationwide	New/Expanding	20+
Ikea	Pick-up Centres: Quebec City (opening Dec 2), all rest Ontario: London (opening Dec 2), 2016: St. Catherines, Windsor, Whitby, Kitchener, more to come nationally	Expanding	Unknown (conflicting information)
Illbury + Goose	Toronto, Vancouver (retailer based in London, ON)	Expanding	3+
Jeff de Brugges	50-60 Nationally, franchised	Expanding	50-60
Jennifer Tattanelli	Toronto (Yorkville site selection underway), Vancouver anticipated	New	Unknown
Jermyn Street 1664	Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal (Calgary CORE opened August, 2015)	Expanding	Unknown
K-Way	TBA	New	TBA
Kate Spade	Calgary (now open at CF Chinook Centre), Mississauga Square One (spring 2016)	Expanding	10+
Kit and Ace	Oakville ON (Dec 2015), Toronto (Briar Hill, spring 2016), Port Carling ON (summer 2016)	Expanding	15+
La Cure Gourmande	Quebec (6-7 before 2018), Ontario (12-15 eventually), national	Expanding	30-35
Ladurée	Vancouver (early 2016), more TBA	New	Unknown
Le Creuset	Montreal, Halifax site search	Expanding	10+
Louis Vuitton	Toronto: Saks CF Toronto Eaton Centre, February 2016	Expanding	9+
M0851	Toronto (seeking Bloor Street, Queen Street, Yonge & Eglinton retail spaces)	Expanding	15+
Meinhardt Fine Foods	Vancouver (Burrard Place, 2016)	Expanding	3+
Nations Fresh Foods	Toronto	Expanding	3+
NYX Cosmetics	Mississauga ON (Now open), Toronto (opening soon), more to follow nationally	New	Unknown
Piaget	Toronto: Saks CF Toronto Eaton Centre, February 2016	New	Unknown
Saks OFF 5TH	Ottawa (2), Niagara-on-the-Lake ON, Vaughan ON, Halton Hills ON, Mirabel QC, Calgary. Edmonton & Vancouver TBA	New	~25
Sephora	Toronto (major expansion to be revealed, new locations and existing location expansion/relocation)	Expansion	Unknown
Shumaker	National Expansion, details TBA	New	~150 across Canada
Sporting Life	Calgary Southcentre (fall 2016) Richmond Hill ON Hillcrest Mall (2016), Toronto 2019 (TBA), Vancouver TBA, further national expansion)	Expanding	10+
Stefano Ricci	Vancouver (spring 2016), possible Toronto location	New	1+

Our next Peregrine-sponsored List of Retailers Opening and Expanding in Canada will be published next week.

Local Independent Retailer Sees Success, Plans National Expansion

By

Craig Patterson

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November 27, 2015

After seeing considerable local success, London, Ontario-based socially conscious, made-in-Canada fashion brand Illbury + Goose is looking to expand nationally. We spoke with co-founder Meghan Kraft about the brand’s concept, the importance of brick-and-mortar to relationship building, and plans to expand Illbury + Goose beyond London.

Founded in 2012 by Ms. Kraft and Daniel Phillips, Illbury + Goose began by selling printed t-shirts at festivals, concerts and parks. Strong sales saw the company expand into a variety of lines, including beaded bracelets, pottery, candles and soap. With the help of the Propel Entrepreneurship program at Western University, the couple opened a pop-up store at Western and sold some product at the Western book store. Next came a booth at London’s Western Fair Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market, which saw success and inspired the couple to further expand its clothing and accessories line as well as home goods, almost entirely sourced in southern Ontario.

The name Illbury + Goose reflects the names of businesses formerly operated by the couple’s grandparents — Mr. Phillips’ grandfather once owned Woodstock, Ontario-based Illbury furs, and Ms. Kraft’s grandmother used to own Strathroy-based floral shop Nielsen’s Flowers & The Country Goose. Prior to changing its name last spring, Illbury + Goose was named dpms. — spelled lowercase, ending with a period.

In September of this year, Illbury + Goose opened its first permanent retail store, measuring about 1,000 square feet on Dundas Street East in London’s up-and-coming Old East neighbourhood. Ms. Kraft likened the retail strip to the rise of Toronto’s West Queen West, now considered to be one of Canada’s trendiest shopping areas. The Illbury + Goose store is seeing tremendous success according to Ms. Kraft, partly due to the quality and uniqueness of its products, and personalized customer service. The brand’s fashions are also more classic than trendy, targeting a wider demographic.

Brick-and-mortar retail is essential to the brand, said Ms. Kraft, especially given its humble pop-up beginnings. Face-to-face interaction initially connected the brand to its consumers, and customer feedback also help to determine new product development strategy. The brand also boasts a robust e-commerce site with exceptional sales, leveraging omni-channel.

Looking beyond London, Ms. Kraft explained that Illbury + Goose will seek to first expand into Vancouver and Toronto, where its online sales have been especially strong. Stores would ideally be in the 1,000 square foot range, and would be streetfront locations in unique retail areas. Ms. Kraft discussed areas such as Gastown in Vancouver and Toronto’s trendy Queen Street West/Ossington Village for possible locations, though they have yet to make any decisions and will more carefully evaluate a retail growth strategy in the coming months.

Although international retailers continue to enter Canada, it’s important to support local, independent retailers. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) recently launched its ‘ShopIn‘ initiative, celebrating independent retailers in Canada. On Saturday, November 28 (following tomorrow’s Black Friday), you’re encouraged to visit your local merchants, take a picture and tag it with hashtag #ShopIn. Retailers can also get involved, and RCC has created a retailer tool kit. For more information, visit www.rccshopin.ca.

*All photos via facebook.com/illburyandgoose.

Canada’s Top Malls Continue to See Increased Productivity

By

Craig Patterson

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November 27, 2015

Despite ongoing reports that the softening Canadian economy and strong growth of e-commerce are negatively impacting Canadian brick and mortar retailing, the country’s top malls continue to experience increasing productivity. This article precedes our annual study of Canada’s top 20 most productive shopping centres, to be released early next year.

Canada’s top mall landlords are investing heavily in their properties and in some instances, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to attract shoppers. This is evident coast-to-coast as landlords such as Oxford Properties, Cadillac Fairview, Ivanhoé Cambridge and others invest to maximize returns on their already highly productive retail spaces. Malls are also investing heavily in marketing and promotion, which includes marketing campaigns ranging from pop-up shops on streetcars to Fashion Santa at Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

According to Antony Karabus, CEO of HRC Advisory, “the divide between the winners and the others is increasing. ‘A’ malls continue to attract a well-curated assortment of leading Canadian and international retailers following the substantial increases in investment in these malls as they upgrade the malls and food court. As a result, they are able to sharply increase the rents they charge retailers to be in these malls, often up to $300 per square foot annually. The massive increase in capital investments made by landlords in Yorkdale, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, CF Rideau Centre, CF Chinook Centre, West Edmonton Mall, CF Pacific Centre and others are ‘raising the bar’—they are ‘encouraging’ their retail tenants to remodel and upgrade their store designs upon lease renewal, at the same time they are adding much higher occupancy charges to their tenants,” said Mr. Karabus.

“These landlords are also spending heavily to add new food experiences, upgrade restrooms and common areas, to create a more luxurious experience to attract the kind of customers that will spend heavily at their tenants”, said Mr. Karabus.

Last spring, we conducted a study where we ranked Canada’s top 20 malls by annual sales per square foot. We’ll be releasing new numbers in early 2016 and already, several landlords tell us that their numbers will be considerably higher than last year.

We spoke with Greg Taylor, General Manager of Oxford Properties-managed Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, to gain insight into a shopping centre that is seeing phenomenal sales productivity growth while it continues to expand and renovate. Annual sales at Square One are projected to hit $1,000 per square foot by the end of the year and recently, the mall has seen increases of 10% monthly. Last spring when we released our top 20 malls study, Square One had sales of $910 per square foot, as confirmed by landlord Oxford Properties.

Mr. Taylor described how Square One has recently added several new innovative retailers, including Urban Outfitters, Muji and Canada’s first NYX cosmetics store. Last week, Canada’s fourth technology-savvy Sport Chek flagship opened in the centre. He revealed that retailers Sephora and Zara are particularly strong at the moment, and more high-performing retailers are expected to be added as the centre continues to add new retail space, and improve existing square footage. Since 2013, Oxford Properties has endeavoured to invest $480 million in what will become a 2.2 million square foot shopping centre, second in size only to West Edmonton Mall.

The mall’s food component, called ‘Food Central’, expanded by 40% in the summer of 2013 and is now seeing sales averaging $2,800 per square foot. Food Central features scullery service to cut down on waste, and the mix of improved seating, better restrooms and enhanced food tenants have all led to its success.

In the spring of 2016, the mall will see a 113,000 square foot La Maison Simons open in its new north expansion, while a 122,000 square foot Holt Renfrew and a 19,000 square foot Harry Rosen will anchor a new southwest expansion ‘luxury wing’ that will feature upscale retailers such as Kate Spade, Ben Sherman, Marc Cain, Stuart Weitzman, Jamie’s Italian Restaurant, and Wolford, among others.

Stay tuned for our annual list of Canada’s top 20 most productive shopping centres, to be released in January of 2016.

*All photos in this article are of Square One in Mississauga, via Oxford Properties.

Black Friday 2015 Predictions Revealed

By

Craig Patterson

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November 25, 2015

Vancouver-based retail industry think tank DIG360 has released its projections for Black Friday 2015. The team has been tracking the shopping phenomenon since 2010, and last year we reported its findings (with the assistance of Ipsos) that showed about a quarter of all adult Canadians made Black Friday purchases in 2014. DIG360’s 2015 findings will be released the week of December 7, according to founder David Ian Gray.

DIG360’s 2015 projections include the following:

Most large and small retailers in Canada have planned well in advance for Black Friday (and weekend) to kick off Holiday selling in 2015; and we have noted the pre-emptive Black Friday promotions beginning earlier in the week.
Retailers continue to teach us to wait; more than 1/4 of adult Canadians are expected to postpone Holiday shopping until this weekend, based on an expected increase over 2014 behaviour.
The proportion of Canadians 18 and older actively shopping Black Friday plateaued at 51% browsing or buying in 2014, according to the DIG360 – Ipsos Black Friday Canada Tracker,
The average Black Friday weekend spend in 2014 was $296 (52% of Canadians spent between $101 and $500) — will those who shop in 2015 spend more? DIG360 expects a 5-8% gain.
It remains to be seen which retail chain will now “own” Black Friday and Boxing Day; with Future Shop no longer on the scene, can Best Buy take that position?
Shoppers will continue to be underwhelmed by the breadth and depth of the deals; retailers will continue to protect margins and sell close to regular price as far into the Season as possible.
Boxing Day will continue to be our core clearance day (and some American retailers will continue to explore Boxing Day as a new promotion in the U.S.).
The low Canadian dollar will mean a drop in cross-border Black Friday shopping (online and offline), and
From a consumer perspective, Cyber Monday is fast becoming meaningless since the extended Black Friday is now firmly online as much as offline.

Last year’s joint DIG360/Ipsos study found a remarkable 98% Black Friday awareness, up from 97% the year before and considerably less in 2010. Despite this, the majority of respondents didn’t shop Black Friday.

“Tracking since 2010 we see 2014 as a plateau in Canadian Black Friday”, said Mr. Gray last year, “and this should hold in 2015, barring an economic upturn. Furthermore, I’m not anticipating any shift to broader and deeper discounting by retailers in future years, which in fact would be bad for business this early in the Holiday Season”. The data complements anecdotal reports that shoppers are not seeing the deals expected given the pre-Black Friday ‘hype’ in 2014. Even so, Mr. Gray points out that even this minority buying means Black Friday is entrenched here as one of the most significant shopping weekends in Canadian retail.

“One of the more interesting changes in our data was that more Canadians are shopping from online Canadian websites for Black Friday sales”, explained Ipsos Executive Vice President Michael Rodenburgh. Last year 38% of Canadian Black Friday shoppers shopped at an online Canadian website for Black Friday deals while this year it increased to 42%. Mr. Gray explained that “the increase may be inline with the continued growth in online shopping in Canada”.

In terms of its impact on other purchasing over the November-December period, the study found 26% of those participating in Black Friday had postponed purchases until they could see what Black Friday offered. That should increase in 2015, as retail continues to train the shopper to wait. Furthermore, 41% of Canadians browsing or buying Black Friday weekend were mostly shopping for themselves, suggesting there is plenty of Holiday shopping still to come in December.

For more on last year’s study, visit DIG360.com, and stay tuned for its 2015 findings.

New Sports Superstore Concept Launches 1st Locations

By

Craig Patterson

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November 24, 2015

Quebec-based SAIL Plein Air inc. is launching the province’s largest sports superstores, called Sportium. Each location is over 70,000 square feet in size over two levels.

Both locations open today — one in Saint-Hubert, just south of Montreal, and the other in suburban Quebec City. Both stores are two levels, with their main floors being dedicated to clothing and training accessories geared to running, yoga, and tennis, as well as casual wear collections, including a wall of shoes with over 700 models. Second levels in each store feature gear for team sports such as hockey, soccer, football, basketball, and volleyball. Sportium says that its athletic shoe selection is the widest in the province of Quebec.

Photo Patrice Laroche, Le Soleil – Québec – Prendre une photo de la devanture du nouveau magasin de sports Sportium avec la nouvelle enseigne et quelques photos du magasin à l’intérieur. – 18/11/2015 – Le 18 novembre 2015 – # 789737 – Général -30- Photo le Soleil, Patrice Laroche

Stores have a ‘modern and urban feel’ according to Sportium, featuring concrete walls and white lacquer displays. The store entrance faces a wall of 16 screens depicting promotional videos, interviews with athletes, and various sporting events.

Parent company SAIL Plein Air Inc. was founded more than 40 years ago in Quebec, and it currently operates 10 stores in Ontario and Quebec. It is considered to be Eastern Canada’s largest network of outdoor, camping, hunting and fishing stores, featuring 20-50 fully assembled models of tents (depending on the season), 40 models of boats (kayaks, canoes), 3500 pairs of snowshoes, 1550 models of fishing rods, 500 models of boots and footwear — over 500,000 items in each of its stores.

Iconic Canadian sports retailer Sport Chek is also opening similarly large stores, with a heavier focus on in-store digital technology. Sport Chek parent company FGL Sports is expanding its Sports Experts flagship concept in Quebec as well.

Hermes to Relocate Mink Mile Flagship

By

Craig Patterson

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November 23, 2015

CURRENT HERMES STORE AT 130 BLOOR STREET WEST. PHOTO: QUADRANGLE

French luxury retailer Hermes will relocate its Toronto flagship to a larger space a few doors east. It’s the latest luxury brand movement on the street, as brands move into larger spaces and grow existing stores, says one luxury retail expert.

Toronto’s current Hermes location measures about 4,000 square feet on one level, and is located at 130 Bloor Street West between Gucci and Intermix. Hermes opened that location in the summer of 2008, relocating from a 2,500 square foot space in The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West. Hermes’ first Toronto location opened in the 1980’s at Hazelton Lanes.

According to Fashion Magazine, Hermes will move into a two-level space at 100 Bloor Street West, in a retail complex currently occupied by Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn. We’re told that the new store will be over 10,000 square feet in size, making it one of North America’s largest Hermes locations. The new store is expected to open in the fall of 2017.

HERMES WILL MOVE INTO 100 BLOOR STREET WEST IN THE FALL OF 2017. PHOTO: 100BLOOR.COM

High end retailers are continuing to invest in the Toronto market, says HRC Advisory President Farla Efros. She explained how other luxury retailers along the Bloor Street strip, particularly towards Avenue Road, are expanding existing locations as well as moving into new ones. Louis Vuitton opened a massive ‘Maison’ at 150 Bloor Street West in the fall of 2012, replacing a considerably smaller location up the street.

Prada will substantially expand its Bloor Street flagship (construction is now underway on a new second-level), and various other luxury brands are seeking flagship retail space in the area. Ms. Efros also noted that Hermes stores, generally, are growing in size as the brand seeks to create unique in-store experiences that can’t be replicated online, and are favourable to tourists — a growing segment, given the low Canadian dollar.

Some industry insiders are speculating that Gucci could take over Hermes’ 130 Bloor Street West space, creating a 10,000 square foot Gucci flagship similar in size to the recently expanded Chicago Michigan Avenue store.

LOUIS VUITTON AND TIFFANY & CO. OPERATE LARGE, RECENTLY OPENED BLOOR STREET REPLACEMENT LOCATIONS. (PHOTO: BLOG.NEWINHOMES.COM)

Hermes currently operates four Canadian locations. Its only other freestanding location, measuring about 2,500 square feet, is located at the southwest corner of Burrard Street and Alberni Street at the 755 Burrard Street building in Vancouver’s ‘Luxury Zone’. Sources say that changes could also be coming to that location. Hermes also operates concession shops-in-stores at Holt Renfrew in Calgary and Montreal. It is expected that Hermes will also relocate its Montreal location in 2017 to the expanded Ogilvy/Holt’s when Holt Renfrew closes its Sherbrooke Street West location as part of the merger.

Saks OFF 5TH Announces Three More Canadian Locations

By

Craig Patterson

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November 23, 2015

attachment-565365b2e4b047a27d058645 — exc-565365b2e4b047a27d058645

Saks Fifth Avenue‘s off-price retail concept, Saks OFF 5TH has revealed three more Canadian locations, adding to four that it announced earlier this year. Located in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, two of the stores will be in outlet malls and one will be downtown. Saks says it plans to operate up to 25 Canadian OFF 5TH locations by the year 2018.

Last spring, Saks announced that it would open locations at Tanger Outlets in Ottawa, Vaughan Mills in Toronto and Outlet Collection at Niagara in Niagara-on-the-lake, ON — all slated to open spring 2016. It subsequently announced the fall 2016 opening of a store at CrossIron Mills in Calgary.

Saks has now revealed that a second Ottawa OFF 5TH location, set to open in the fall of 2016, will locate within the downtown Hudson’s Bay flagship. Located at 72 Rideau Street, the Saks OFF 5TH store will measure about 33,000 square feet. The Hudson’s Bay store is also undergoing extensive renovations. It is significant that two Ottawa locations have now been announced, as we can deduce that similarly-sized markets could see more than one Saks OFF 5TH in Canada, including cities such as Edmonton and Calgary.

Saks OFF 5TH will also open in two top Canadian outlet malls — a 25,000 square foot location at Toronto Premium Outlets, and a 26,000 square foot store at Premium Outlets Montreal. Both will involve converting existing Hudson’s Bay Outlets to OFF 5TH outlets. The Toronto location will open in the spring of 2016, and an opening date has yet to be set for Montreal.

Scarborough Town Centre Plans Major Upgrades

By

Craig Patterson

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November 23, 2015

Scarborough Town Centre PHOTO: OXFORD PROPERTIES

Toronto’s Oxford Properties-owned Scarborough Town Centre is planning major improvements, as it looks to be one of the top malls in the region. We spoke with General Manager Robert Horst for details.

The 1.3 million square foot, 250+ store mall saw $62 million in enhancements in 2010, resulting in a remarkable 40% sales productivity increase. Building on this success will be more mall upgrades, with a goal for the centre to be “the best shopping experience between Yonge Street and Montreal”, according to Mr. Horst.

Scarborough Town Centre’s food component is next to see improvements. Mr. Horst explained that Oxford Properties will invest $35-million in a two-phase, two-level space with a variety of quick-service food vendors as well as new premium, fast-casual restaurants. By August of 2016, the first-phase lower level food area will feature increased natural light and a glass-bridge walkway with 22 new quick-service food vendors as well as added seating capacity with dish, cutlery and scullery service for a more upmarket dining experience. The second-phase upper level food area will offer a more upscale, interior patio-style seating beneath the existing mall skylight. Three premium, fast-casual, full service restaurants, two quick-service food vendors and 12 retail units will be introduced. The current access-controlled family and parenting rooms will be expanded and enhanced, and all corridors will be widened. Construction on this level is scheduled to begin in August 2016 and be completed by May of 2017.

SCARBOROUGH TOWN CENTRE FOOD COURT RENDERING, COURTESY OF OXFORD PROPERTIES.

Mr. Horst explained that the mall’s enhanced dining experience is part of a greater effort to improve the mall’s already exceptional and growing productivity, by keeping shoppers satisfied, comfortable and as a result, spending. Oxford Properties is spending millions on its mall portfolio to elevate its food offerings — Yorkdale Shopping Centre saw ‘Dine on 3‘ open in the summer of 2012, and Mississauga’s Square One saw a similar addition a year later. More Oxford malls will continue to see similar improvements including downtown Edmonton City Centre, which will see its food court relocated from the basement to a spacious, sun-flooded top level location.

EDMONTON CITY CENTRE WILL SEE AN ELEVATED FOOD EXPERIENCE OPEN IN ITS THIRD FLOOR. RENDERING: OXFORD PROPERTIES.

Scarborough Town Centre is seeing exceptional productivity growth, according to Mr. Horst. Annual sales per square foot were less than $650 last year and remarkably, the centre is now seeing sales averaging about $770 per square foot. That number is expected to increase to over $800 by the end of this year, he said. New retailers and store renovations are partly responsible — recent store openings have included Michael Kors, Gerry Weber, Fonelab, Geox, iStore, Rockport, Thomas Sabo, Vince Camuto, Torrid, and L’Occitane en Provence and as well, over 20 retailers have recently renovated stores. More retailers are on the way and so far, Flyzone and a 23,000 square foot Zara are confirmed to open in the centre in 2016. Mr. Horst complimented Jay Drexler, Director of Retail Leasing, for securing exceptional tenants for the centre.

Mr. Horst explained how sales continue to grow substantially at the centre. Not only is this a result of a stronger retail mix and other mall improvements, but the mall itself is seeing a more upscale demographic as its catchment area expands. Scarborough is also seeing an increasingly upscale demographic as homebuyers recognize the opportunity to buy reasonably priced (for the area) houses on lots appropriate for tear-downs. Home prices are on the rise and remarkably, some parts of Scarborough, particularly along the waterfront, are seeing double-digit annual appreciation.

CLICK ABOVE FOR INTERACTIVE MALL MAP AND TENANT LIST

More improvements are planned for Scarborough Town Centre, though Oxford Properties is waiting for the City of Toronto to finalize subway plans which could include a new station at the centre. Once finalized, Oxford Properties will determine what’s next for the centre.

Mr. Horst would not comment specifically on reports that La Maison Simons will move into Scarborough Town Centre in 2018, except to say that it would be a desirable tenant. In June, Simons’ CEO Peter Simons said that he was going to open a store in the mall, as well as at Oxford-owned Yorkdale Shopping Centre in 2019.

Sport Chek Maps Out Flagship Expansion

By

Craig Patterson

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November 23, 2015

Square One Shopping Centre Sport Chek — PHOTO: SQUARE ONE SHOPPING CENTRE, VIA TWITTER

FGL Sports-owned Sport Chek is continuing to open innovative flagship stores in Canada. Last week, Sport Chek opened two new flagship locations in the Toronto area, and the company has plans to open several more in selected Canadian markets. We spoke with FGL’s Eric Watt, who’s leading the flagship strategy, about Sport Chek’s flagship store plans over the next several years.

Sport Chek’s flagships are large and, according to the company, reflect the most digitally-savvy store execution anywhere in the world. Flagship stores feature digital installations to improve the customer experience, and it’s paying off — the company’s first two flagships have seen double-digit annual growth.

Sport Chek’s first flagship opened at West Edmonton Mall in early 2014, measuring an impressive 80,000 square feet over two floors. A second flagship opened at suburban Vancouver’s Metropolis at Metrotown in December of 2014, spanning 48,000 square feet.

Last week, two more Sport Chek flagships opened, both in the Greater Toronto Area — at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and at Square One in Mississauga.

The Yorkdale store spans 45,000 square feet and features 257 Samsung screens, a digital portal entrance, 40 in-store tablets and 200 employees. The 75,000 square foot Square One store features 226 Samsung screens, an event space with two curved LED walls, 46 in-store tablets and 225 employees. Both stores feature a network of digital signage, interactive technology and include next-generation features such as:

Interactive ski, snowboard and golf video walls — providing recommended product suggestions based on the individual customer’s needs and abilities,
An RFID shoe wall, allowing customers to scan shoes and pull up detailed product information
eCommerce screens, leveraging the full functionality of SportChek.ca for an expanded product selection,
3D holograms, showcasing the latest sport tech product and accessories,
Interactive kids’ zones, with games mirroring major team sports aimed at engaging children in-store,
State of the art shop-in-shops, from top brands such as Nike, Under Armour, Adidas and The North Face, offering customers an unparalleled assortment of the latest products,
Community Hub, provides a lounge area where sports enthusiasts can have a seat and connect on community events, product advice, sports games and more, and
Tech Shop, for shoppers to engage with the latest and greatest from the leading sport technology brands such as Fitbit, GoPro and Garmin.

FGL Sports’ Eric Watt explained how Sport Chek’s flagships utilize features tested in its ‘lab’ stores, both located in Toronto — one on Yonge Street north of Eglinton Avenue, and another which recently opened at Maple Leaf Square. The latter also features a first-of-its-kind TSN broadcast studio.

AN INTERACTIVE SCREEN DESIGNED TO HELP CUSTOMERS WITH A GOLF PRODUCT JUST BY POINTING ON BOXES ON THE SCREEN.

Mr. Watt explained that Sport Chek’s next flagship will open in April of 2016 on Vancouver’s Robson Street, spanning 53,000 square feet over three levels. The store replaces a former Chapters book store and according to Mr. Watt, will be flooded by natural light from its ample windows. In July of 2016, Sport Chek will open a 75,000 square foot flagship at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens, next to Saks Fifth Avenue, in a retail space formerly occupied by a 225,000 Sears store.

Ultimately, Mr. Watt explained that Sport Chek will look to operate between 10 and 12 flagships in Canada. He then went on to say that the company is ultimately looking to eventually operate approximately five flagships in the Toronto area, four stores in Greater Vancouver, and one flagship location each in Edmonton, Calgary, and possibly Ottawa. Future stores will ideally be located in Canada’s top malls, according to Mr. Watt.

Photos in this article profile Sport Chek’s new Square One flagship, and were supplied by the retailer.