Upscale Toronto-based multi-brand womenswear retailer Andrews is expanding, as well as enhancing its existing operations. Andrews will open its third location this fall, featuring innovative interiors, curated fashion collections, and exceptional customer service. We spoke with President and co-owner Darren Mason about what’s in store for the retailer.

Andrews was founded as a ‘mini-department store’ for women at Toronto’s Hazelton Lanes shopping centre (rebranding as ‘Yorkville Village’) in 1991. In 1999, a second location, measuring about 6,000 square feet, opened at Toronto’s Bayview Village shopping centre. This fall, a third Andrews store will open in the expansion wing of Toronto’s Sherway Gardens and similar to Bayview Village, it will measure about 6,000 square feet. Stores feature a variety of American and European designer and contemporary brands, including ready-to-wear, accessories, and handbags.

Mr. Mason explained that although Andrews is focused on Toronto, it could move into other Canadian markets if opportunities present. The retailer is currently containing its growth to Toronto, however, especially as it focuses on customer service — an advantage it has over many competitors. Andrews endeavours to create an ’emotionally rewarding’ experience for its shoppers, featuring a concierge-like one-on-one personalized experience for its visitors. Intimacy distinguishes Andrews from larger stores, while its scope of designer brands and product exceeds that of most specialty retailers. Mr. Mason explained how Andrews is positioning itself as a destination retailer and how its collections are curated for its target market — the modern woman who is polished, confident, current, and a bit edgy with her fashion choices.

The new Sherway Gardens store will feature innovative store interiors, mixing woods, leather, marble and metal. Architecture will be dynamic and modern, distinguishing it from the previous interiors of its Hazelton Lanes store which Toronto Life once described as being similar to a suburban Lord & Taylor location in Florida.

Mr. Mason, himself, spends a considerable amount of time on the sales floor. He explained how he is constantly learning and, as well, how business benefits from knowing its customer. In this time of significant retail expansion in Canada, personalization and uniqueness will distinguish retailers like Andrews from the competition.

Upscale French biscuit, confectionery and chocolate shop La Cure Gourmande is looking to eventually open as many as 35 stores across Canada, after opening its first North American location in Montreal late last year. We spoke with the company’s Montreal-based franchisee Nazar Najarian, to gain insight into plans to expand the delicious retailer into various locations. 

Founded in Balaruc-Les-Bains, France, in 1989, La Cure Gourmande uses traditional techniques to create a variety of edible sweet and savoury traditional biscuits, Berlandises (fruit pulp candies) Choupettes (old fashioned lollipops), chocolates, caramels, calissons, nougats mixed with strawberry paste or candied orange zest, and chocolate ‘olives’ (roasted almonds covered in dark chocolate). According to its website, “La Cure Gourmande will bring you back to childhood – you’ll feel like you stepped into Hansel and Gretel’s candy house”. Customers can fill tins and pay by weight, or purchase pre-packaged items. 

La Cure Gourmande currently operates almost 50 locations around the world, including two in North America. Its first North American store opened in November of 2014 at Montreal’s Place Montreal Trust and last spring, a New York City location became its second. The company is in the process of setting up a distribution centre in the province of Quebec to serve its expanding Canadian operations. 

Mr. Najarian explained how Montreal acted as the brand’s North American gateway, and how the company is already seeing tremendous success. As part of the brand’s Canadian expansion plans, La Cure Gourmande will first focus on opening more stores in the province of Quebec, then Ontario. A couple of store locations are planned for 2016, according to Mr. Najarian, with six or seven stores planned for Quebec before 2018. Ontario could eventually see 12 to 15 locations, he said, with as many as 30 to 35 Canadian locations planned for the long-term. 

La Cure Gourmande’s store interiors reflect its native Provence, France. Its Montreal store was designed and fixtures supplied from France — to ensure proper design, colour and quality. Store interiors are rustic, featuring ample ochre coloured wood throughout. 

Mr. Najarian explained how the brand is looking to occupy retail space in the 600 square foot to 1,500 square foot range, with an average size of about 1,000 square feet. Smaller locations would typically locate in shopping centres, while larger stores would generally be streetfront. Busy tourist-heavy areas are particularly attractive to the brand, as shoppers tend to “take their time” and “seek new experiences”, according to Mr. Najarian. 

La Cure Gourmande plans to become a world leader in sweets and confectionery within the next 10 to 15 years, according to Mr. Najarian. Many more stores are planned, with a big push into the United States as well as in the Middle-East and Asia.