Engagement Agents Releases 1st Black Friday Report

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December 7, 2016

A new report by Engagement Agents shows a considerable disconnect between what’s featured on shopping centres’ physical and digital marketing channels, compared to what is actually happening at the stores within shopping centres. The result collectively adds up annually to billions in lost impressions, traffic and sales to retailers and shopping centres, according to the company.

As mentioned in a previous article in Retail Insider, each retailer pays into the shopping centre marketing fund and has at least one campaign to promote at any given time. Despite having already paid into the fund, 90% of retailers, on average, do not engage their centres’ physical & digital marketing channels.

The results, seen in the chart below, show that less than a quarter of retailers in Canada’s top malls are seeing optimal engagement.

To capitalize on the rest of the 2016 shopping season and beyond, Engagement Agents has the following suggestions for retailers:

1. Engage Your Shopping Centres as Part of Your Marketing Strategy: You are already paying for it via your lease agreement. Moreover, you’ve spent the time, energy and money to create a marketing campaign, design the physical and digital assets, print the creative & ship it to the store. Add to that the time and cost associated with your store team changing the signage and any other collateral that goes into ensuring the campaign is visible and enticing to consumers.

As an example, a 100-store retail chain pays over $1 million annually into their collective shopping centres’ marketing funds and not engaging any of their shopping centres’ marketing channels. Why? Because communicating and distributing their marketing campaigns to their shopping centres is a complex, time-consuming and fragmented process.

2. It’s Not Just About the Discounts: The shopping centres want your content. They are asking for it but, according to many shopping centres “it’s like pulling teeth to get it”. Promoting your store isn’t just about sales and discounts. It’s also about rich content. It’s about romancing your brand and engaging consumers by showcasing all that your store has to offer, including:

Featured Products & Services
New Arrivals
Seasonal Campaigns
Sales & Discounts
Shopping & Brand-Specific Events
Loyalty & Reward Programs
Contests, etc.

3. Keeping Up with the Trends: Some quick and important stats as to why your shopping centres’ should be a key part of your marketing strategy:

– They account for a huge channel. Some shopping centres are getting upwards of 250,000+ visitors to their mobile/websites every month, that doesn’t include their in-mall digital signage, email subscribers and social media channels which feature retailer campaigns. This represents an untapped opportunity for retailers to maximize their selling abilities and gain a competitive advantage.

– 83% of shoppers own a smartphone, enabling them to seek out promotions through a shopping centres’ marketing channels (mobile/web, social and email) before they visit.

– 79% of consumers surveyed said they would be influenced on what stores to visit based on a website, yet on average only 10% of retailers have their campaigns promoted via their shopping centres’ physical & digital marketing channels.

– 89% of shoppers said that promotions are the key determinant of what stores they will visit for holiday shopping this year

4. Take the Workload off Your Individual Store Managers: Your store managers are already busy enough doing what they do best – managing their stores, their teams and making sure the customer experience is top notch! This is one less ‘to do’ they need to worry about, plus it’s a huge time and cost saver for your company. Imagine 100 store managers all having the same conversation 100 times with 100 shopping centre marketing managers. That’s a lot of inefficient use of time and money that is better spent elsewhere.

5. Automate AND Simplify the Manual Process: The more locations you have, the harder it is and the more potential sales that are being lost. Why? Because each shopping centre has their own requirements, image sizes, ways of accepting retailer marketing campaign content, etc. The Engagement Agents platform solves all of these problems for both the retailer AND shopping centres, along with creating many additional opportunities & benefits.

Engagement Agents enables you to publish once and promote to many malls; simplifying the process, automating the distribution & tracking the success of your campaigns within your malls’ physical & digital marketing channels all while ensuring they are current, consistent, correct and compliant with your brand.

With the Engagement Agency platform you can be up and running in as little as 24 hours. To receive future copies of the Retailer Engagement Report and for more informaton on the company, please visit www.EngagementAgents.com.

If you would like the Retailer & Shopping Centre Engagement Report based on the Top 10 shopping centres in the USA please email sean@engagementagents.com.

L’Éclair de Génie to Open 1st North American Retail Location

By

Craig Patterson

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December 7, 2016

attachment-5846f7136b8f5bb337e87350 — exc-5846f7136b8f5bb337e87350

Meta: A Canadian city will become home to the first North American location for the rapidly growing Paris-based bakery and sweets retailer.

Paris-based bakery and sweets maker L’Éclair de Génie will open its first North American retail location early next year at 1210 Robson Street in downtown Vancouver. It could be the first of multiple locations, as the French bakery chain is quickly expanding internationally.

Founded in 2012 by British pastry chef Christophe Adam, L’Éclair de Génie is known for its wide variety of éclairs and sweet treats. Flavours of the bakery’s signature éclair include caramel salted butter, lemon yuzu, raspberry vanilla, passion fruit cream, and various seasonal offerings. The shop also sells an assortment of candies, caramels, jams, and spreads to complement their éclair offerings.

The majority of L’Éclair de Génie shops are located in France, and the company has also expanded into Italy, China, and Japan. Two new shops, in Milan, Italy and Moscow, Russia, are also set to open next year.

L’Éclair de Génie shop interiors are minimalist. Guests are greeted by a large yellow counter that displays the colourful and delicious array of éclairs. Each éclair is a piece of art, accented with vibrant colours and carefully crafted toppings. The price for each éclair averages around five euros – which converts to nearly seven Canadian dollars. Guests are encouraged to stay in the shop to enjoy their pastry, along with a selection of espresso and tea beverages.

French pastry shops in Canada have been seeing a huge resurgence over the past few years. Toronto-based Nadège Patisserie has recently opened a fourth location at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, after opening three successful locations in central Toronto.

French luxury bakery and sweets maker Ladurée has also expanded into the Canadian market, with a Vancouver location just up the street from L’Éclair de Génie on Robson Street.

Mario Negris and George Richmond of CBRE in Vancouver negotiated the deal on behalf of the landlord. The shop, located at 1210 Robson Street, has an anticipated opening date of spring of 2017.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: December 7, 2016

BUILD IT By Design Expanding into High-End Retail

By

Craig Patterson

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December 6, 2016

Condo towers continue to rise around the Toronto downtown area, especially in the popular King West and Queen West neighbourhoods. With the downtown population expected to almost double by 2041, the city will see even more rapid growth in density — and its residents are now searching for more authentic local experiences.

That’s why GTA-based BUILD IT, an award-winning construction firm launched in 2008, is expanding into building retail spaces after perfecting its craft in the world of restaurants, many of which reflect an increased demand for quality design and finishes. Founded by partners Simon Shahin and Alburt Lefebvre, the company is working on several projects in the King West and Queen West corridors, considered to be among Toronto’s hippest areas. The firm is now applying its industry leading expertise to retailers looking to create memorable and successful retail environments that fit the unique needs of their neighbourhood’s demographics.

BUILD IT recently finished the Kupfert & Kim restaurant space at Spadina and Richmond Streets, which provides the area’s hip young professionals with ‘wheatless and meatless’ meals. The restaurant features unique design elements, including an angled ceiling that proved a unique challenge to complete. BUILD IT’s Managing Partner Alburt Lefebvre explained that there was a tremendous level of complexity to getting the space ‘just right’ while working with the restaurant owners and designers to ensure that their vision was brought to life in its truest form. The result is stunning, and draws customers into the busy space.

BUILD IT By Design has worked with some of the leading restaurant brands in Canada, including stand-alone and individual franchises, and most recently, two prominent food retailers. Basil Box has just been completed at the southeast corner of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue in Toronto, as has Paramount Fine Foods at the corner of Spadina and Richmond Streets.

The area around BUILT IT’s latest projects is burgeoning, with Queen Street West and King Street West seeing major changes. King Street will become home to the Waterworks facility, a food hall and retail space modeled after those found in Spain and Amsterdam — a nod to the fact that the area has come of age as a retail innovator. Queen Street has recently seen the opening of several new, interesting retailers as well, including Icebreaker Merino Wool with its moss wall, Shoes.com (a first brick-and-mortar store in the world for the Vancouver-based online footwear brand), and a massive 10,000 square foot Lululemon store, which opened to much fanfare over the summer.

We toured the new Lululemon store with Mr. Lefebvre and the company’s CEO Simon Shahin, who have become experts in retail construction and related quality. Mr. Shahin noted that the concept shop is elevating the consumer shopping experience in the neighbourhood. Its modern design and interior are all tailored to the hip professionals frequenting the area, while the architecture still pays homage to Queen West’s storied history. With a health food café, a coffee shop and even a dedicated workspace, the Lululemon store has created a lifestyle via its welcoming space for neighbouring residents. This particular retail location also highlights the work of local young entrepreneurs and artists – something that Mr. Shahin deems as being incredibly important when big brands seek to incorporate themselves into a neighbourhood that may be experiencing gentrification.

According to Mr. Shahin, BUILD IT has perfected restaurant construction, which can be particularly challenging given the unique and high end finishes, intricate millwork, and complex mechanical systems, including the configuration and ventilation required for commercial kitchens. Being high-traffic environments, restaurants require high-quality build-outs, as there’s the potential for considerable wear-and-tear. BUILT IT is using lessons learned creating customized restaurant concepts as it expands into the world of retail stores, he noted.

Whether taking on a new development or a retrofit, BUILD IT is a value conscious building partner that stays accountable to clients’ vision, budget and timeline and pays particular attention to detail. Interestingly, the company also offers after-build maintenance services — an added bonus for a restaurant or retailer needing a custom fixture/installation to be maintained.

For more information on BUILD IT By Design, contact: Alburt Lefebvre, Managing Partner at alburt@builditbydesign.ca or by phone at 905 696 0486. Visit the BUILD IT By Design website at www.builditbydesign.ca.

*BUILD IT By Design is a partner sponsor of Retail Insider. To work with Retail Insider, email craig@retail-insider.com.

How Square One Became One of Canada’s Top Malls

By

Craig Patterson

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December 6, 2016

Square One Shopping Mall Exterior — Square One Shopping Mall (Image: Square One)

Mississauga’s Square One shopping mall has seen major changes over the past several years. Formerly a mid-market centre catering primarily to locals, the expanded mall is now a luxury destination that continues to add new retailers at a variety of price points, with a level of productivity that places it among the top malls on the continent.

Investing in the customer experience has been key to Square One’s success, according to mall manager Greg Taylor. Landlord Oxford Properties has spent a fortune since 2013 overhauling the mall, including renovating common areas as well as expanding and adding new retailers. Improvements will be ongoing, according to Mr. Taylor, as Oxford Properties continues to invest in its top centres in light of increasing competition. The overall goal is to create positive experiences for consumers who patronize the mall, recognizing that shoppers have taken their valuable time and resources to visit the centre.

(CLICK ABOVE FOR INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP)

(CLICK ABOVE FOR LARGE SQUARE ONE MALL MAP)

Improving the centre is paying off, in terms of productivity as well as increased footfall. A Retail Council of Canada study, which will be released shortly, ranks Square One highly in terms of productivity, footfall and overall size. Square One is one of Canada’s most productive malls, with sales in excess of $1,000 per square foot, according to Mr. Taylor. The mall is also one of Canada’s busiest, with an estimated 24 million annual visitors in its 2 million + square feet of retail space.

In 2013, Oxford Properties began renovating the existing mall’s flooring and ceilings, as well as upgrading lighting throughout. One of the first new components to Square One was a food court overhaul. In 2013, it relaunched under the name ‘Food Central’, featuring scullery service, flatware and plates. It’s been so successful that sales have surpassed an impressive $3,000 per square foot at Food Central, according to Mr. Taylor. Food and beverage continues to be an important component to Square One, with the addition of several full-service restaurants. A large Moxie’s Bar & Grill opened in the mall’s $60 million north wing in 2014 and Jamie’s Italian, a restaurant concept by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, opened over the summer in the mall’s south ‘luxury wing’.

The mall’s 2014 north expansion included the addition of Ontario’s largest Forever 21 store, measuring in excess of 35,000 square feet. In March of 2016, the mall’s north end continued to see new retail with the opening of Quebec City-based large format fashion retailer La Maison Simons — its first store in Ontario. The 109,400 square foot Simons is next to Sport Chek, which opened its 73,350 square foot Square One flagship in November of 2015.

Mississauga is growing rapidly, said Mr. Taylor, with Square One occupying the heart of the city’s burgeoning downtown core. The diverse population is also seeing higher incomes and, with that, an increased desire to purchase high-end goods. Recognizing this, Oxford Properties struck a deal with Holt Renfrew and a number of other upscale retailers and in July of this year, the mall’s new south-end ‘luxury wing’ opened to the public. Holt Renfrew, itself, is an impressive 130,000 square foot Janson Golstein designed space featuring dramatic soaring ceilings, natural light and a remarkable collection of luxury brands. Gucci has just opened a mall-facing concession at Holt’s, and Moncler is on the way soon, according to Holt’s. Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo opened its largest Canadian store across from Holt’s in the mall’s luxury wing over the summer, close to the glamorous relocated location for upscale menswear retailer Harry Rosen. Rolex opened a boutique in the wing last week as well, and we’re told that a number of other brands are in talks to open nearby.

(MALL ENTRANCE TO HOLT RENFREW IN THE MALL’S NEW ‘LUXURY WING’)

(HOLT RENFREW TO THE LEFT, FERRAGAMO TO THE RIGHT)

(FERRAGAMO TO THE LEFT, HARRY ROSEN TO THE RIGHT)

The mall’s 203,500 square foot Hudson’s Bay also addressed Square One’s increasingly upscale demographic, having recently completed a substantial renovation to bring it in line with recently upgraded units in Toronto (CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Yorkdale and CF Sherway stores) and Calgary (Southcentre). Hudson’s Bay’s interiors are now bright and modern, and several new upscale fashion lines have been added.

(CANADA’S 2ND BEN SHERMAN OPENED IN THE SUMMER NEXT TO GERMAN RETAILER MARC CAIN)

To better serve its increasingly affluent clientele with enhanced experiences, Square One introduced valet parking in September of 2014 on its north end. In March of 2016, a second valet parking area opened in the mall’s south end and soon after, Holt Renfrew introduced valet parking along with the opening of its Square One location. A unique feature to the mall’s valet parking is its versatility — if you drop off your car with a valet at one side of the mall, attendants will drop off the vehicle in another location in the centre upon request.

For those wishing to self-park, Square One has introduced an innovative parking feature to the mall as well. At shopsquareone.com/parking, shoppers may view a map showing where there are spaces available, and find strategic parking spaces accordingly. The mall’s south expansion also recently introduced bay-by-bay parking indicators, showing which parking spaces are available.

(ESCALATORS LEADING FROM SOUTH PARKADE TO MALL)

(MASSIMO DUTTI OPENED AT SQUARE ONE LAST WEEK)

(ROLEX OPENED IN THE MALL’S ‘LUXURY WING’ LAST WEEK)

Square One continues to add exciting retailers and within the past week, new store openings have included Canada’s second Urban Decay cosmetics store, as well as an 8,000 square foot Inditex-owned Massimo Dutti location, operating under the same ownership umbrella as Zara. Calgary-based Swimwear retailer Swimco, which we profiled last week, will open its first Ontario store at Square One on December 12. Toronto’s Downtown Porsche will also be opening a showroom in the mall under the name ‘Fascination Porsche’, which will be an added upscale draw to the centre. In 2017, Toronto-based beauty brand Deciem will open in the mall, as will Reds Wine Bar, in a 7,000 square foot space near Simons and Sport Chek.

Mr. Taylor notes that the mall’s landlord will continually make improvements to Square One, including the addition of new retailers, new food and beverage offerings, and new amenities and experiences. More changes will be coming in 2017 as the mall continues to upgrade and expand to serve the burgeoning Mississauga region.

David Yurman Expanding Canadian Operations

By

Craig Patterson

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December 5, 2016

DAVID YURMAN AT YORKDALE. (PHOTO: DAVID YURMAN)

New York City-based jewellery and watch brand David Yurman continues to grow its Canadian operations, as it expands existing concessions and opens new ones. The company recently expanded two Holt Renfrew concessions, and has the opportunity to open new shops as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom continue opening Canadian stores. As well, Yurman has introduced its pricey ‘High Jewelry’ collection to one Canadian location, making it one of only five Yurman stores worldwide to feature the pricey by-appointment only pieces.

Designer David Yurman founded his eponymous company in 1980, and in 1983 introduced his signature bracelet which propelled the brand. The bracelet features a twisted helix adorned with gemstones on its end caps, available at different price points depending on materials. Designs now include pieces for women and men that range from earrings to necklaces to gift items such as pens, as well as a line of timepieces and even engagement rings.

While prices generally average $1,500 for David Yurman pieces, the company recently introduced its ‘High Jewelry’ collection to Canada through its Vancouver Holt Renfrew concession. The 1,226 square foot Yurman shop-in-store, located in Holt Renfrew’s CF Pacific Centre expansion that opened in September, is the largest David Yurman concession in the world. It’s also one of only five Yurman boutiques in the world to include the brand’s ‘High Jewelry’ line, featuring rare gemstones and precious metals with prices that can exceed $100,000 per piece. Other locations featuring the pricey by-appointment collection include freestanding David Yurman stores in New York City and Beverly Hills, as well as Yurman concessions at Harvey Nichols in Dubai and at Printemps in Paris.

David Yurman reveals new Shop-in-Shop Boutique at Holt Renfrew CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver (CNW Group/David Yurman)

*(YURMAN’S CONCESSION AT HOLT RENFREW, 50 BLOOR ST. W. IN TORONTO, RELOCATED WITHIN THE STORE LAST WEEK. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON)*

Besides the recently expanded Vancouver concession (Yurman has had a presence at Holt’s in Vancouver for several years), the brand also operates one freestanding and six shop-in-store concessions in Canada. Yurman’s only freestanding Canadian location is at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which opened in December of 2013 and measures about 1,625 square feet. Toronto also features Yurman concessions at Holt Renfrew in Yorkdale and on Bloor Street West — the latter concession just relocated to a prominent location near Holt’s concierge desk and escalators. Saks Fifth Avenue’s Canadian flagship at CF Toronto Eaton Centre also saw the opening of a Yurman concession in February of this year, coinciding with Saks’ brick-and-mortar Canadian launch.

Yurman concessions can also be found at Holt Renfrew in Calgary and Montreal, as well as at Nordstrom in Vancouver. Montreal’s David Yurman concession is expected to relocate into the expanded/merged Ogilvy/Holt’s when it opens in 2018, coinciding with the closure of Holt’s current Montreal location on Sherbrooke Street West. Yurman, which has a relationship with Saks Fifth Avenue, could also potentially open concessions within Saks stores in Calgary and Montreal, both of which will see Saks store openings in early 2018 (CF Chinook Centre in Calgary, and within the Hudson’s Bay building in downtown Montreal). Nordstrom will open its third Toronto store in September of 2017 at CF Sherway Gardens, and it remains to be seen if Yurman will open a concession there, as it did in Vancouver’s Nordstrom last year.

Canada is seeing an unprecedented amount of luxury brand expansion, both freestanding branded boutiques as well as within upscale department stores. It remains to be seen if the market will continue to support these expansions, and we’ll be analyzing the Canadian luxury market further as we head into 2017.

Looking to Hire? Indeed Provides Employer Job Posting Credit

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Retail Insider

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December 2, 2016

Indeed Jobs is offering a $50 credit to companies looking to post sponsored jobs on its website. Indeed is considered to be the world’s top job site, with over 200 million unique monthly visitors from 60 different countries.

Click this link to create an account and to post a job.

For those seeking jobs, you may search below on this page as well.

*Offer only available for new accounts in Canada that post a job.

Consonant Skincare Eyes Expansion [Feature]

By

Retail Insider

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December 1, 2016

Toronto-based natural skincare brand Consonant Skincare is currently expanding across the Greater Toronto Area, having recently opened a new store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. This marks the company’s third location, following the openings of two successful retail locations at Richmond-Adelaide Centre in Toronto’s Financial District, and at 2479 Yonge Street in the city’s Yonge & Eglinton neighbourhood.

Consonant Skincare was founded in Toronto by skincare enthusiast Bill Baker. “A friend turned me on to natural skincare around ten years ago,” says Mr. Baker, who suffered from dry skin himself before discovering natural ingredients were key to solving his skincare needs.

Consonant Skincare uses 100% natural ingredients in its product range. Although ‘all-natural’ is a term thrown around loosely in the skincare industry, Consonant Skincare is one of the few brands that holds true to the meaning. “Our skincare is truly 100% natural, without qualifications,” emphasizes Mr. Baker.

To Consonant, ‘all-natural’ means no added fragrance, no parabens, or synthetics – only ingredients from natural origin aimed to give customers their best skin. “Most natural skincare products on the market contain usually 97-98% natural ingredients. We believe the magic is in the extra 2-3%,” says Mr. Baker.

As Canadians are beginning to care more about what they put in and on their bodies, more consumers continue to search for true all-natural skincare products. Many mainstay retailers in Canada including Kiehl’s, LUSH, and The Body Shop have all explicitly marketed the ‘natural’ aspects of their brands. Consonant Skincare emphasizes that their products contain none of the harsh and irritating ingredients that can be found in other skincare brands. Their use of natural ingredients features prominently at the beginning of their ingredient list. For example, Consonant’s Natural Lip Conditioner contains pure almond oil as its top ingredient, followed by beeswax and jojoba oil – nothing else added.

Consonant Skincare’s product ranges from skin care products (moisturizers, eye creams, cleansers, serums), to body care products (bath bombs, body lotion, exfoliators).

Consonant’s product offerings remain relatively small. For example, only two different types of moisturizers are available – ultra moisturizing organic face cream, and ultra moisturizing organic face cream for “dry skin”. Why not a wider variety of selections of moisturizers like other skincare brands?

“A friend of mine said ‘You don’t need 18 moisturizers, you need one or two good options,” Mr. Baker says. Rather than confusing customers with multiple options, the company focuses on limited selection. Although the company plans to release new products that will complement its core offerings “I don’t see us ever starting to add 3, 4, or 5 moisturizers,” Mr. Baker says.

With no synthetic preservatives added to the products, how do Consonant Skincare’s products stay so fresh? “It was one of our biggest challenges to develop formulations that would stay fresh, and have a meaningful shelf life after purchase”. Consonant Skincare’s products use a combination of Lactose Peroxidase and Glucose Oxidase. This combination allows products stay fresh for 12-18 months, and also means the products don’t have to be refrigerated.

Consonant Skincare opened its first location almost six years ago on Yonge Street in the Yonge & Eglinton shopping area. A second location followed in the spring of 2015 at Richmond-Adelaide Centre in Toronto’s PATH System. Consonant’s latest location opened in October of 2016 at Yorkdale Shopping Centre — although Mr. Baker says this location will be a temporary location and that the company is searching for another space inside the mall.

Although a very new company with low brand recognition to the general shopper, Mr. Baker says the company is 100% interested in future expansion. “It has been a great year for us,” mentioning the company is accelerating at a fast rate. Consonant has begun to sell their products at Sephora in the U.S. and Canada, giving the company further brand recognition among skincare enthusiasts. The company’s products are also featured heavily in beauty magazines and lifestyle television shows as ‘top skincare picks’.

As for Consonant branded retail stores, the company plans to expand their store count. Mr. Baker says the choice for Consonant to open its own stores was to gain a closer relationship with their customers.”You’re not really hearing honest feedback from customers [without a retail store]. You’re not able to identify the current trends from customers as quickly”, says Mr. Baker, discussing the benefits of companies having their own retail spaces.

In terms of expansion, the company remains quiet on specific locations. A mall store, a street-fronting store, a store in Toronto’s PATH gives Consonant a chance to see how their store concept works in a variety of different retail spaces. “What’s interesting about our array of stores, it gives us a chance on how best to go forward”.

By Devon Johnson

MEC Continues Unprecedented Store Expansion into 2017

By

Craig Patterson

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December 1, 2016

MEC Exterior — (PHOTO: MIDLAND EXTERIORS LIMITED)

Vancouver-based large format outdoor consumer cooperative retailer MEC (aka ‘Mountain Equipment Co-op) has been opening locations at a rapid pace, bringing the number of new stores to five by the year’s end. According to Chief Financial Officer Sandy Treagus, more locations will open in 2017-onward as MEC continues to see considerable success.

This autumn has been particularly busy for MEC. On November 12 the retailer opened its second Edmonton store measuring 35,000 square feet at South Edmonton Common, complementing an existing downtown Edmonton location that will be relocating next year. In October of this year, MEC opened a 24,000 square foot store next to CF Carrefour Laval north of Montreal, as well as a replacement location in London, Ontario, also measuring 24,000 square feet. Earlier this week, MEC opened its second Toronto store, located next to the TTC Bessarion subway station at 784 Sheppard Avenue East. The new freestanding store spans 34,000 square feet and features an assortment of clothing, footwear and gear for outdoor activities — including cycling, running, camping, hiking, climbing, yoga, fitness, paddlesports, snowsports and travel. In-store services include a full-service ski-tech and bike-repair shop as well as bike-and pack-fitting stations and an equipment rental program, which will launch in 2017. The store is powered by renewable energy.

As well, on April 23 of this year, MEC opened its first store in British Columbia’s Okanagan, at Orchard Plaza in Kelowna. The store is about 20,000 square feet and features a massive wood overhead canopy.

(MASSIVE WOOD CANOPY IN THE KELOWNA STORE, BUILT BY VANCOUVER-BASED PEREGRINE.BUILD)

MEC now operates 21 stores in Canada. Of those, five are in British Columbia, three are in Alberta, one is in Manitoba, one in Nova Scotia, five are in Quebec, and six are in Ontario. According to Mr. Treagus, there’s plenty of room for growth in eastern Canada, where MEC’s store penetration is about half that of Western Canada.

Moving forward into 2017, MEC’s expansion will include a new store in Kitchener, Ontario, measuring about 18,000 square feet. MEC will also open two replacement locations next year — the downtown Edmonton unit will be relocated to the city’s downtown Brewery District in a new 38,000 square foot space, while MEC’s downtown Quebec City unit, which has issues with parking, will be relocated to a more suburban space, according to Mr. Treagus.

MEC will continue its store expansion plans into 2018-19 in Calgary, where it currently has only one store. A 30,000 square foot store will open at Seton Urban District in the fall of 2018, followed by the 2019 opening of a store in the new suburban community of Medicine Hill.

MEC’s 2018 plans also include replacing two prominent urban flagships, in Vancouver and Toronto. The company’s Vancouver flagship, currently located on West Broadway Avenue in the city’s Fairview area, will be relocated to a 45,000 square foot space in mid-2018 in the nearby Olympic Village area. As well, the company’s downtown Toronto flagship, located on King Street West near Spadina Avenue, will be relocated to a prominent site at Queen Street West and Soho Street in 2018. That new location will span about 40,000 square feet over two levels.

While Mr. Treagus couldn’t confirm an ultimate Canadian store count for MEC, he expressed that the retailer will continue to seek out retail opportunities as they present. Membership is growing quickly across Canada, with a lifetime membership costing only five dollars.

MEC is seeing considerable success in Canada, with overall sales expected to be close to $400 million in 2016. Formerly known as ‘Mountain Equipment Co-op’, MEC boasts over 4 million Canadian members. The company donates 1% of revenues to Canadian non-profit organizations that help conserve ecologically and recreationally important areas, and has invested over $34 million and counting into non-profit organizations that support outdoor recreation and conservation.

All interior photos above are of the Kelowna store, and are by Robb Thompson Photography.

Rolex Opens 2nd Freestanding Canadian Boutique

By

Craig Patterson

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November 30, 2016

Swiss luxury watch brand Rolex has opened a second freestanding Canadian store at Mississauga’s Square One shopping centre, in partnership with Toronto-based Raffi Jewellers. The Rolex boutique, spanning in excess of 1,700 square feet, boasts a strategic corner location in Square One’s new ‘luxury wing’ across from the mall’s impressive Holt Renfrew.

The boutique features a wide range of Rolex wristwatches, including self-winding, mechanical Oyster Perpetual models. Staying true to the brand, the new boutique’s interior is “inspired by water and the sea,” with a wall of illuminated etched Aqua glass drawing the eye with its gently undulating wave motif. Refined interior finishes include walnut wood cabinets, bronze detailing, and floors in Crema Marfil marble. Rolex’s trademarked gold-effect crown decorates the store’s entrance, walls and display cases. Toronto-based Cumulus Architects oversaw the store’s design and build-out.

The new Square One boutique also facilitates the servicing of all Rolex watches through Toronto-based Rolex Canada Ltd., providing a full range of after sales services.

Square One’s Rolex is the second freestanding location for the Swiss luxury brand, following the October opening of a 2,750 square foot location at the base of Vancouver’s Shangri-La Hotel, facing Alberni Street. According to the Vancouver franchisee, the Alberni Street/’luxury zone’ Rolex is the largest such location in North America.

Upscale Raffi Jewellers also operates boutiques in Toronto and Oakville. The multi-brand Toronto store, located at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, features an adjacent Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique — one of only two in Canada. Raffi’s Oakville boutique, located at Oakville Place, is dedicated to luxurious timepieces.

Swimco Expanding Canadian Operations Eastward

By

Craig Patterson

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November 30, 2016

attachment-583a35588419c204f7224833 — exc-583a35588419c204f7224833

Calgary-based swimwear retailer Swimco is expanding its operations into Ontario, after growing to 22 locations in Western Canada since it began opening stores in 1983. Owner/President/CEO Lori Bacon explained in an interview how the company is seeing success by making customers comfortable buying swimwear.

Swimco carries over 150 brands and 1,000 styles for women, men and children. Women’s swimwear ranges in size from 4 to 24, including specialty fits for various body types. The company’s in-store ‘Fit Experts’ help consumers find what they want, in an environment meant to make consumers comfortable. Ms. Bacon explained that because some consumers may be hesitant to purchase swimwear, Swimco’s aim is to make the experience comfortable as well as positive.

Swimco was founded in 1975 as a mail-order business by Lori’s mother Corinne Forseth, in the basement of the family home in Calgary. The business originally focused on products for swim clubs and lifeguards. Ms. Forseth’s daughter Lori joined the business in 1980 and in 1983, with the help of Lori’s husband and brother, Swimco opened its first retail store in Calgary. Swimco expanded operations further in the 1980’s to include three Calgary stores as well as a Vancouver location, focusing primarily on fashion swimwear.

In the 1990’s, the family opened locations in Alberta and British Columbia, expanding into markets such as Kelowna and Victoria. In the early 2000’s, they opened in Red Deer and in December of 2011, Swimco bought-out competitor Edmonton-based Swimwear Etc.. This expanded Swimco’s store base from 14 locations to 25 in just one month, gaining the retailer a presence in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In 2014, Swimco launched its comprehensive e-commerce site, which is now available to American shoppers as well.

Ms. Bacon said that after focusing on Western Canada, Swimco is now ready to expand eastward, beginning with Ontario. On Monday, December 12, Swimco will open its first Ontario store at Square One in Mississauga, measuring 2,100 square feet. Ms. Bacon further revealed that in early February of 2017, Swimco’s expansion will continue with a store opening at CF Masonville Place in London, ON, followed by an April opening at CF Limeridge in Hamilton.

Looking into the future, Ms. Bacon said that the Greater Toronto Area will be an important focus for Swimco, as the retailer looks to gain further market share in Canada’s most populous region. Enclosed malls are Swimco’s primary location focus, though the brand also has street front locations in Vancouver (Granville Street and on W. 4th Avenue in Kitsilano) and on 17th Avenue SW in Calgary. Ms. Bacon said that Swimco could ultimately see about 32 stores operating in Canada (possibly more depending on opportunity) , and is working with David Bishop at brokerage Northwest Atlantic on the company’s store expansion. New stores will generally be in the 2,000 square foot to 2,400 square foot range, she said.

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