eTail Canada Conference: May 16-19 in Toronto

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March 16, 2016

eTail Canada, the “one stop shop”conference for ecommerce and multi-channel best practices, networking and technology evaluation for Canadian retailers, is hosting a conference on May 16-19, 2016 at Toronto’s Hyatt Regency. Top omnichannel thought leaders will be attending and speaking at the event.

There is a 25% registration discount for subscribers (retailers only) using code EC16RI.

Two notable speakers are Jeremy Pee and Nicolas Gaudreau. Their speaking panels will cover everything from digital innovation across various channels to utilizing customer experiences using data. Here’s a brief summary of their presentations:

Jeremy Pee – SVP of eCommerce and Omni-Channel, Loblaw Digital, speaking about Digital Innovation At Loblaw: Covering Wins And Challenges:

Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s food and pharmacy leader, is working to create seamless end-to-end customer experiences across retail and digital. Over the past 3 years, it has launched three successful e-commerce businesses and continues to introduce new innovation in the Canadian landscape. These achievements are made possible by building an entrepreneurial and innovative culture within the Loblaw Digital business.

Nicolas Gaudreau – CMO, Group Dynamite, speaking at: CMO Panel Discussion: Evolving The Role To Build Cross-Channel Collaboration:

With technology shaping brands’ marketing plan, the world of the CMO has been drastically effected. There is now a need to understand and adapt to eCommerce/digital strategies so it may boost business growth. The CMOs on this panel are doing just this, and leading their brands to engage with customers in a more connective way.

If you want to see who else is speaking, .

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Trudeau Airport to Expand Retail

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Craig Patterson

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March 15, 2016

Montréal’s Pierre Trudeau International Airport is expanding its international wing, with plans to enlarge its duty free retail component. It’s the second retail expansion for the terminal in less than a year.

Aer Rianta International North America (ARINA) runs the Loop Duty Free store at the airport, which expanded from 12,000 square feet to 13,130 square feet in September of 2015. The latest expansion will add a further 3,550 square feet of retail space to the store, adding brands such as Desigual, Lacoste, Longchamp, Pandora, Tumi and Victoria’s Secret to the mix.

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The store is ARINA’s largest location, and it also operates Canadian locations at international airports in Halifax, Ottawa and Winnipeg.

ECCO Shoes Plans Multi-Year Canadian Expansion

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Craig Patterson

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March 15, 2016

Danish shoe brand ECCO will continue to open multiple Canadian locations over the next several years. We spoke with the company’s Canadian President for details.

ECCO was founded in Bredebro, Denmark, in 1963. It is sold in 88 countries worldwide in over 3,000 ECCO shops and shop-in-stores, at more than 14,000 sales points around the world. The brand has since expanded into accessories and small leather goods. ECCO opened its first Canadian store in 1997.

According to ECCO Shoes Canada Inc. President, Jordan Searle, ECCO is looking to open approximately three to four Canadian stores each year over the next five years. This would eventually take its Canadian store count from 27 locations to about 40. The company is seeing exceptional growth in Canada, with sales up 9% in 2015 over the year prior.

ECCO Advertising at First Canadian Place

Mr. Searle said that ECCO is particularly interested in opening more store locations in the B.C. Lower Mainland, Greater Toronto Area, and in Montreal and Quebec City. The company is looking for both enclosed mall and strong high-street locations, ideally in the 1,000 to 1,200 square foot range. It is also looking to open in outlet centres, ideally in the 2,000 to 2,500 square foot range. Northwest Atlantic represents ECCO in Canada.

Mr. Searle also said that ECCO would consider opening shop-in-store concessions within department stores if opportunities presented, though nothing is currently in the works.

ECCO has seen tremendous international sales growth as well. Net sales in 2015 increased 7.4%, reaching EUR 1.3 billion with before-tax profit of EUR 183 million.

Home Furnishings Retailer ‘Provide’ Relocates Storefront [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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March 15, 2016

Vancouver-based home furnishings retailer Provide has relocated to Vancouver’s Fairview area from a previous downtown location.

The new store, located at 1805 Fir Street, measures 1,693 square feet. That’s slightly larger than the company’s former space at 529 Beatty Street in downtown Vancouver. Provide relocated partly because East India Carpets owner Ravi Sidhoo suggested to Provide’s owners that they relocate to compliment other businesses in the area, which includes designer’s offices, cafes, and other like-minded interiors showrooms such as Brougham Interiors, Ann Sacks, Living Space, and Mr. Sidhoo’s East India Carpets.

Provide was founded by David Keeler and Robert Quinnell in 2007. Their company quickly gained attention in the press for its highly edited collections that feature unique items from artists and designers working in ceramics, glass, wood, metal and textiles, as well as contemporary design from smaller boutique brands sourced from within Canada and around the globe. The collections are “distinctively modern, yet warm and welcoming”, according to the founders.

All photos were taken by Tanya Goehring, and were provided by Provide.

Surmesur Continues Expansion, Goes International

By

Craig Patterson

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March 15, 2016

Quebec City-based custom menswear retailer Surmesur will soon open its sixth Canadian location in Mississauga, and a seventh location this spring in the United States. According to the company, more American stores are planned as Surmesur expands its operations internationally.

Founded by brothers Vincent and Frank Thériault in 2010, Surmesur manufactures and retails men’s made-to-measure clothing which includes custom suits, shirts, blazers, trousers and other garments. It combines body-scanning and manufacturing technologies with traditional methods, boasting a catalog of over 8000 fabrics with a wide assortment of collars, buttons, and sleeves. Surmesur endeavours to keep its costs down to keep prices reasonable and as a result, custom shirts are priced from $65 and suits start at $450. After measurements and fabric/button/design choices are made, suits are ready in four-to-six weeks. To keep costs down, the company chooses to operate free-standing locations as ‘destinations’ rather than locating in malls, partly due to the often high rents within Canadian shopping centres. Cost savings are passed on to customers and as a result, Surmesur’s prices are usually lower than competing made-to-measure menswear retailers.

INSIDE THE TORONTO SURMESUR STORE, LOCATED AT 108 QUEEN STREET EAST NEAR JARVIS STREET.

Surmesur will open a location in Mississauga in mid-April of this year. It will be the second GTA location for the company, following the opening of its downtown Toronto store on Queen Street East, which opened last year. The Mississauga store will be about 2,000 square feet and will be located at 255 Lakeshore Road East.

Surmesur will then kick-off its American expansion with a unit in Chicago. The store will be located in the city’s central business district (The Loop) and will measure about 2,000 square feet. The location keeps with the company’s strategy to open boutiques close to where its clients work.

“We opened five boutiques in our first five years of operations,” said co-founder Vincent Thériault. “Our vision has always been to globalize the brand over time, so our entry into the U.S. market is the logical next step in our growth. Today, we are proud to introduce our brand to the United States. We’ll follow the same formula in several other cities in the months to come, both in Canada and the U.S.,” said Mr. Thériault. “We want to make it easy for our clients to visit us. Men, especially businessmen with limited free time, appreciate that kind of accessibility.”

Surmesur has planned its foray into the U.S. for more than a year, according to the company, taking the time to acquire the necessary capital, work out logistics, train staff, and implement procedures to ensure a smooth rollout and long-term success.

Surmesur currently operates stores in Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Laval and Toronto. Last year, its 1,200 square foot Quebec City unit, the company’s first, expanded to 2,700 square feet in order to accommodate new business. Its Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto locations are all centrally located near central business districts, capturing business from men who typically wear dressier attire. Surmesur stores are ideally in the 2,200 square foot to 3,000 square foot range, according to Mr. Thériault, featuring clean white facades and interiors.

Prada Opens Vancouver Flagship [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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March 14, 2016

Italian luxury brand Prada has opened its 8,200 square foot Vancouver flagship at 1098 Alberni Street. It’s the latest luxury brand to open in the city’s burgeoning ‘Luxury Zone’.

Prada’s facade features entrances and display windows flanked by slim strips of black Marquinia marble. The store’s ground floor features two entrances — one dedicated to women’s leather goods, and the other for women’s footwear. The flagship was designed by architect Roberto Baciocchi, who has created some of the world’s finest retail spaces.

The store features women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, leather goods, accessories and footwear collections. It also features a Made-to-Measure department, which is the only one of its kind in Canada for Prada. Prices are up to $2,000 for shirts and $28,000 for suits, according to the Vancouver Sun.

The store features departments separated by mirrored and marble portals. Walls are of green fabric. Precious leather goods and jewellery are defined by black Marquinia marble-clad walls.

Signature black-and-white marble checkered flooring characterize much of the store. As well, the store features steel and crystal display counters and “Clover Leaf” sofas, designed by Verner Panton and reproduced exclusively for Prada.

Video screens are located alongside the store’s imposing black marble staircase.

The second-floor women’s ready-to-wear department features large floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as green fabric-clad walls, green velvet sofas, transparent perspex cases, skylights and display tables.

The second-floor men’s section features ‘masculine’ materials and finishes such as ebony floorboards and walls, metal and crystal display units and ostrich leather sofas. Display counters with saffiano leather detailing in bright hues complement the furnishings. A private area is dedicated to Made-to-Measure service (as mentioned above).

Prada is the latest brand to open in Vancouver’s ‘Luxury Zone’, which is located on and around Alberni Street between the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the Shangri-La Hotel. Prada’s space is located at The Carlyle, a complex of retail stores that includes brands such as Moncler, De Beers and Tory Burch. Across the street at 745 Thurlow Street is luxury brands Brunello Cucinelli, Versace and Strellson. At the Shangri-La Hotel itself, Rolex will open a 2,500 square foot location this summer next to Burberry and a block north on West Georgia Street, luxury men’s brand Stefano Ricci will also open this summer. Other brands in the immediate area include the likes of Escada, Tiffany & Co. (which is expanding), Montblanc, Hermes, Wolford, Jaeger Le-Coultre, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, St. John, Omega and others.

Prominent Saint Catherine Street Retail Buildings being Acquired

By

Craig Patterson

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March 9, 2016

image-asset - 2021-03-09T220330.306 — 1325 AND 1327-1333 SAINT CATHERINE STREET WEST. PHOTO: GOOGLE STREET VIEW.

New York City-based Thor Equities is acquiring three prominent retail buildings on Montreal’s Saint Catherine Street West. These include properties at 1325, 1327-1333, and 1391-1397 Saint Catherine Street West, totalling 56,800 square feet of retail space.

The 1327-1333 Saint Catherine Street West property features 11,860 square feet of retail and 18,550 square feet of office space on six levels, at the corner of Rue Crescent. The adjacent 1325 Saint Catherine Street address features a 2,600-square-foot retail property located next door to an Apple Store, as well as the prominent Ogilvy department store.

The 1391-1397 Saint Catherine Street West building, located on the corner of Bishop Street, has approximately 23,800 square feet of retail and residential space over four levels, including 6,900 square feet of retail on the ground and lower levels.

“Saint Catherine Street is a premier shopping corridor that is primed for further growth, as evidenced by the recently opened Aritzia flagship store, planned Holt Renfrew-Ogilvy luxury superstore, and the launch of new high-end hotel and condominium developments,” said Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities.

In 2015, Thor Equities acquired its first property in Montreal at 777 Saint Catherine Street West. The historical building includes 20,000 square feet of prime retail space currently occupied by Banana Republic.

1391-1397 SAINT CATHERINE STREET WEST. PHOTO: GOOGLE STREET VIEW.

The City of Montreal plans to invest millions of dollars to enhance Saint Catherine Street with new pedestrian malls, free Wi-Fi and heated sidewalks, which will likely lead to more deals and increased retail sales in the area.

Aesop Continues Rapid Expansion With More Canadian Locations

By

Craig Patterson

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March 9, 2016

Upscale Australian skin care brand Aesop will open its second freestanding Toronto location this spring in Toronto’s Rosedale commercial area. Aesop also opened concession within Saks Fifth Avenue‘s CF Toronto Eaton Centre and CF Sherway Gardens locations last month.

The Rosedale Aesop will be located at 1116 Yonge Street, replacing a restaurant. Hilary Kellar-Parsons of Avison Young acted on behalf of Aesop in negotiations with the landlord.

The new store will be designed by Toronto-based architecture firm superkül, which also designed Aesop’s Queen Street West unit which opened last year.

When the Rosedale store opens, Canada will boast five freestanding and two concession Aesop locations. It’s impressive, considering that the brand’s first Canadian locations opened in July of 2015. Aesop’s first stores included a 615 square foot location at 19 Water Street in Vancouver’s Gastown area, and a 990 square foot location at 880 Queen Street West in Toronto. A Montreal location followed in the fall, at 4968 Sherbrooke Street West in Westmount and last month a second Montreal Aesop location opened on St. Viateur Street in Montreal’s ‘Mile End’.

Aesop was founded in 1987 in Melbourne by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis. Product packaging is simple, and its quality is considered to be exceptional. It sources plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients, and uses only those with a proven record of safety and efficacy. It operates free-standing ‘signature stores’ as well as wholesale operations in a variety of retailers, high-end department stores such as Holt Renfrew and Barneys New York. Canadian stocklists include a handful of smaller independents.

Links of London to Open 2 Freestanding Canadian Locations this Spring

By

Craig Patterson

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March 9, 2016

U.K. luxury jewellery brand Links of London will open two free-standing locations in Toronto this spring: one at Toronto’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre, and the other at CF Sherway Gardens.

Toronto will become one of only two North American cities to feature multiple freestanding Links of London stores. New York City features three freestanding Links locations, and Las Vegas and Natick, Massachusetts both have one. The United States currently has only five freestanding Links stores.

The Eaton Centre Links store will measure about 860 square feet according to lease plans, and will be located between retailers Michael Kors and Club Monaco on the mall’s third level. That same mall level has direct access to Canada’s Saks Fifth Avenue flagship at one end, with Nordstrom‘s Toronto flagship set to open at the other end in September of this year.

Last fall, we reported that Links of London would open a freestanding store at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens. That freestanding location would replace a concession within the mall’s Holt Renfrew, which will close some time this year.

Holt Renfrew features six Links of London concessions at all locations except for Holt’s Montreal store, where Links instead operates inside Holts-owned Ogilvy. A source at the company says that Links will also open a concession at Holt Renfrew’s Square One Mississauga location when it opens in the summer of 2016.

Links of London was founded in 1990 and has grown to become a global luxury brand. In July of 2006, the company was sold to Greek conglomerate Folli Follie SA. The name ‘Links’ signifies the brand’s famous men’s cufflinks, though collections include accessories, jewellery, timepieces and gifts for both genders.

World’s 1st Saks Fifth Avenue Food Hall Opens [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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March 8, 2016

Saks Fifth Avenue Food Hall Opens at CF Sherway Gardens (Image: Norman Katz)

Saks Fifth Avenue, in partnership with Toronto-based Pusateri’s Fine Foods, has opened its very first food hall in the world, in Toronto. Located at CF Sherway Gardens, the Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s spans 18,500 square feet and boasts many unique features.

The store features a considerable amount of prepared food items, with only about 30% of product being grocery items. Shoppers are able to consume their purchases right in the store, if desired, in multiple seating areas. The store features ten culinary stations including a prosciutto bar, Champagne and raw bar, sushi bar, cold-pressed juice bar, café, full service hot food counter, rotisserie, and even a Nutella café.

The new food hall is located on the basement level of Saks Sherway Gardens, which is shared by the store’s men’s department.

Pusateri’s will open its second Saks Food Hall later this spring on the concourse level of the flagship Saks Queen Street at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. That food hall will measure about 25,000 square feet, according to Saks.