Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M is preparing to re-open one of its largest locations in the world this week. The CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship will feature an expanded assortment of product categories, spanning three levels and about 52,500 square feet.
Although parts of the expanded store have been open for days, the store’s second level, 3,200 square foot Home Collection department will open along with the formal store re-opening on Thursday, February 25. The store will be the second in Canada to feature H&M’s Home Collection, following the summer of 2014 Canadian debut at H&M in West Edmonton Mall.
Eaton Centre’s H&M opened in the fall of 2004 and at the time, measured about 33,000 square feet over three floors.
LEASE PLAN: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
H&M anchors the north end of CF Toronto Eaton Centre, featuring a prominent presence at the busy corner of Yonge Street and Dundas Street. In the fall of 2016, the store will be joined by Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo, which will open a 28,000 square foot store between H&M and Nordstrom. The 220,000 square foot Nordstrom flagship is set to open its Eaton Centre store on September 16, with a charity gala to be held two days prior. Rumours continue to persist that an Apple Store flagship store will open nearby, and sources say that a recent increase in hiring indicates that possibility.
Nordstrom has revealed new details and an exterior rendering of its CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship, ahead of the store’s September 16, 2016 grand opening.
The three level, 220,000 square foot Nordstrom will be located at the northern end of the busy downtown Toronto shopping centre. When it opens, Nordstrom CF Toronto Eaton Centre will be one of only five flagships for the Seattle-based retailer, along with locations in Vancouver, San Francisco, downtown Seattle and Chicago. A 363,000 square foot Manhattan flagship will join in 2019.
The store will employ 850 and according to Nordstrom, will feature many of the same amenities and services as the Vancouver flagship which opened in September of 2015. Toronto Eaton Centre’s Nordstrom will feature three restaurant concepts — Bistro Verde restaurant, Habitant lounge, and coffee concept Ebar. The store will also feature the following:
Personal Stylist
Concierge
Alterations/Tailor Shop
Service Bar
Pop-In@Nordstrom
Beauty Concierge
Beauty Stylist
Mobile Checkout
Studio Services
Shoe Shine Stand
Certified Shoe Fitters
Certified Bra Fitters
Family Restrooms
Mother’s Lounge
Complimentary Gift Boxes
Nordstrom Gift Cards
Debut Rewards
Free Wi-Fi
The store will also feature Nordstrom’s new SPACE department, developed by former Opening Ceremony VP Olivia Kim, featuring emerging and otherwise unrepresented international designers.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s Nordstrom will be the first of three for Toronto. A 196,000 square foot Yorkdale Shopping Centre location is set to open on October 21 of this year, and a 138,000 square foot CF Sherway Gardens store will open some time in the fall of 2017.
Nordstrom will be the latest addition to CF Toronto Eaton Centre, which last week saw the opening of Canada’s first Saks Fifth Avenue store. According to retail experts, the opening of both stores could help transform Yonge Street, as the area continues to see new retailers.
This week, we toured Saks Fifth Avenue‘s first Canadian store, located within the Hudson’s Bay building on Queen Street at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. This article features photos from a media tour, as well as an evening cocktail event hosted by the National Ballet of Canada. The store opens to the public with a ribbon cutting at 9:30 am on Thursday February 18.
The Queen Street Saks store is bright and luxurious, spanning 169,000 square feet over four floors. The store was designed by Saks Fifth Avenue Store Design and Planning, in partnership with design firm FRCH Design Worldwide.
The store’s ground level features a handbags hall with several boutiques, a large jewellery area, and a beauty hall. Several shop-in-stores add to the luxury offering. In handbags, there are boutiques for Céline, Saint Laurent Paris, Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, Chloé, Valentino, and a 1,200 square foot Louis Vuitton concession at the store’s Yonge and Queen Street corner. Prada and Dior accessory concessions will open soon. A number of luxury brands are also featured in the department.
The store’s cosmetics department includes a number of premium brands. Saks provided the following vendor list: Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Parfums Christian Dior, Clive Christian, EX NIHILO, MEMO Paris, SERGE LUTENS, Guerlain, Carre Hermès Perfumer, Acqua di Parma, Le Labo, House of Creed, Byredo, Diptyque, Kilian, Jo Malone London, Trish McEvoy, Laura Mercier, By Terry, Decortè, Cellcosmet, Apothecary, Tom Ford, La Prairie, La Mer, Chantecaille, Cle De Peau, Aesop and Valmont.
The store’s second floor features the 25,000 square foot menswear department, as well as an 8,500 square foot women’s shoe department called ‘10022-SHOE’. The menswear department features a number of premium brands such as Balmain, Dior Homme, Martin Margela, Givenchy Dunhill, Isaia, Zegna, Helmut Lang, Kenzo, Rag & Bone and others.
The women’s shoe department carries a number of premium designers, including Valentino, Prada, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Givenchy, Aquazurra, Balenciaga, Céline, Chloé and others.
The store’s third floor features women’s ready to wear, lingerie, and personal shopping suites at Fifth Avenue Club, Saks’ personal shopping and styling service that includes a private suite with refreshments.
Third floor women’s boutiques include Azzedine Alaia, Céline, Saint Laurent Paris, Givenchy, Valentino, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen. A Dior women’s ready-to-wear concession, a first for a Canada department store, will open soon.
A 25,000 square foot upscale food hall operated by Pusateri’s Fine Foods will open some time in April on the store’s concourse level. As well, a three-level, 11,000 square foot restaurant/bar operated by Oliver & Bonacini, called Leña, will open in May of 2016. It will be operated Chef Anthony Walsh, will showcase “the vibrant essence of South American cooking and dining with unique Spanish influences”, according to Saks.
Saks’ second Canadian location opens at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens on Thursday, February 25.
More photos below:
SAKS FIFTH AVENUE CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE 10022-SHOE SALON (PRNewsFoto/Saks Fifth Avenue)
The 38,600-square-foot store is scheduled to open in 2018 at the southeast corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets in Toronto, in the retail podium of ‘One Bloor East’. About 10,000 square feet will be on the ground level, with the remainder on the second floor, according to sources.
The store will be about a mile north of Nordstrom’s full-line store, scheduled to open in CF Toronto Eaton Centre on September 16, 2016.
“We’re excited to announce our first Nordstrom Rack in Canada in such a wonderful location and provide Canadian customers another way to shop their favorite Nordstrom brands at great prices,” said Karen McKibbin, president of Nordstrom Canada. “We want to be a part of compelling locations across the country and this is a great first step. We look forward to getting our doors open to serve customers in Toronto.”
“We are delighted to welcome Nordstrom Rack to One Bloor, the perfect retailer for such a dynamic location. Anchoring the mink mile at the Yonge/Bloor intersection, One Bloor represents one of Toronto’s signature architectural landmarks and is a symbol of excellence in design, technology and experience,” said Christopher Wein, President of Great Gulf. “With a culmination of residential, retail and transit at this amazing intersection and the vibrant pedestrian activity, Nordstrom Rack will be well positioned for success and future growth.”
Nordstrom plans to open about 20 Nordstrom Rack stores in Canada over the next several years.
Danish men’s fashion brand Lindbergh plans to open between 20 and 25 Canadian stores over the next several years. It has retained Oakmont Real Estate Services to spearhead its real estate search.
The Lindbergh brand is owned by parent company PWT Brands, and is headquartered in Aalborg, Denmark. Lindbergh operates over 300 retail locations worldwide, primarily in Europe and in the United States. Its collections are primarily of natural fibres such as wool, linen and cotton. Designs are simple and minimalistic and where prints are used, they are discrete. The Canadian Lindbergh stores will carry the brand’s three men’s collections, described as follows:
1) Lindbergh White: A formal fashion collection featuring shirts, suits, jackets and knits, 2) Lindbergh Black: A formal, preppy and classic line featuring shirts, suits, jackets and knits as well as accessories from socks to shoes to scarves, and 3) Lindbergh Blue: A rugged casual line, inspired by Americana and aviator Charles Lindbergh, with designs that are sporty and army-influenced. Products include causal shirts, t-shirts and jackets.
PHOTO: RETAILDESIGNBLOG.NET
Lindbergh is looking to open between 20 and 25 Canadian stores over the next three to five years, according to Oakmont Real Estate Services. Locations will ideally be in enclosed shopping centres, high streets and outlet centres. For enclosed malls and high streets, Lindbergh seeks space in the 1,500 to 2,000 square foot range. In outlet centres, Lindbergh stores will typically be in the 3,000 to 3,500 square foot range.
Italian luxury brand Prada has revealed renderings of its 8,200 square foot Vancouver flagship, which opens on March 11. The impressive new store will occupy the southeast corner of Alberni Street and Thurlow Street (1098 Alberni Street) in the city’s ‘Luxury Zone’, and was designed by Studio Baciocchi, Italian-registered architect.
The store will feature two retail selling levels. Sources say that the ground floor (which will have two entrances) will feature leather goods, bags, women’s shoes and women’s travel collection, and that the second floor will feature men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, men’s shoes, and men’s travel collection.
The store will feature marble black-and-white chequered flooring (not unlike Bloomingdale’s). It will also feature Verner Panton-designed Clover Leaf sofas and crystal display counters, according to Prada. The store’s second-level men’s department will feature ostrich leather sofas as well as ebony flooring and walls, as well as metal and crystal display units.
Canada’s first Michael Jordan Brand store is about to open at Toronto’s Atrium. Parent company Nike has provided photos for this article.
The store opens at exactly 6:23 am on Friday, February 12, and will remain open 24 hours a day until Monday, February 15 at 6:23 pm for the NBA All-Star Weekend.
The store occupies 15,000 square feet on the ground and concourse levels of the Atrium. The concourse level features ‘306 Underground’, a ‘VIP area’ offering services such as personal shopping, customization, early product reservations, and even a barber. The store also goes by the name of its street address, ‘306 Yonge’.
“306 YONGE, Canada’s first Jordan only retail location, opening at Atrium, provides consumers with the ultimate Jordan Brand experience in Toronto,” said Mike Parker, President of MPA, on behalf of H&R REIT. “306 YONGE will open during All- Star Weekend and will offer Jordan fans, residents and visitors the most premium assortment of Jordan sneakers in the world.” H&R REIT owns and operates Atrium, which is a mixed-use development directly north of CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
Square One’s Holt Renfrew will be larger than originally anticipated, spanning in excess of 130,000 square feet. When it opens, it will be the company’s fourth-largest store, following Holt’s 185,000 square foot Bloor Street flagship, its 147,000 square foot Calgary store, and its 146,000 square foot Vancouver flagship. Towards the end of the decade, Holt’s will open a combined Ogilvy/Holt Renfrew store in Montreal measuring 220,000 square feet, and its Bloor Street and Vancouver flagships will also see considerable expansions.
The Mississauga store’s two-story facade will feature glass curtain wall interspersed with grey graphite stone and 15 foot wide display windows. Its interior will feature soaring ceilings up to 30 feet in height, atriums, an open staircase, natural light, and unobstructed sight-lines across the store’s 90,000 square foot main floor.
The store will feature a roster of designer brands, including a number of shop-in-stores. Tiffany & Co. is now confirmed to be a concession inside of Holt’s, bringing the New York City-based jewellery brand to Mississauga for the first time. Holt’s has also revealed that its Square One store will feature designers Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu, Valentino, Derek Lam, Akris, Max Mara, Hugo Boss, Stella McCartney, Acne, Kenzo, Moncler, See by Chloe, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Aquazurra, and Stuart Weitzman and others, though it didn’t clarify in what product categories.
The store will also feature some impressive services, including a master tailor, shoeshine and sneaker cleaning, concierge, valet and more. Unique to the Square One store will be a ‘Leather Artisan’ — a resident expert who will “elevate the customer experiences with bespoke embossing details on any leather accessory and offer full-service repair”, according to Holt’s. The store will also feature an impressive jewellery and watch service area, under the guidance of certified watchmakers.
More than 2,500 square feet on the Square One store’s mezzanine level will be dedicated to personal shopping, including Holt Renfrew’s second ‘Apartment‘ — its private luxury shopping suite. Also located on the second level, overlooking the store, will be a 2,000 square foot Holt’s Café.
Toronto-based fashion merchandising firm J2 Merchandising is expanding its operations into all of North America, as the company continues to grow and work with top retailers. Founded by the highly-experienced team of Jodie Wolfe and Jackeline Varela, J2 Merchandising addresses an ever-increasingly important need for bricks-and-mortar retailers.
Shari Waters once said: “Visual merchandising is the art of implementing effective design ideas to increase store traffic and sales volume”. It’s now more important than ever, and J2 Merchandising co-founder Jodie Wolfe explained how strong merchandising can enhance retail sales, while poor merchandising can negatively affect store productivity. In an age of e-commerce and increased competition, retailers need to entertain and inspire consumers, with the in-store experience and enhanced window and other displays being more important now than ever, said co-founder Jackeline Varela.
Ms. Wolfe and Ms. Varela act as a team, developing and building the visual look and feel of fashion retail spaces and products. They each have over 20 years of merchandising experience, and have held executive positions with top design companies in North America. Many retailers they’ve worked with say they won’t go anywhere else — after J2 Merchandising works on stores, sales often increase substantially. The company employs some of the most talented retail and merchandising experts in Canada, led by J2 Merchandising’s experienced founders.
The company is expanding its operations into the United States this month, beginning with a foothold in New York State. J2 Merchandising will subsequently move into various other markets as it acquires new, national clients.
Ms. Varela explained the complexities of brick-and-mortar retailing, and how her company offers personalized services which includes setting/resetting shelving displays, pricing and tagging/re-ticketing products, ordering goods and placing reorders when necessary, training sales staff, conducting inventory of stock, implementing content management systems, negotiating prices with suppliers, producing sales projections, obtaining feedback data from consumers and store staff, analyzing sales information, stockroom sweeps, and even planogram resets for mid-season changes and new production releases. Many retailers struggle because they lack these and other skills.
A recent study by industry trade publication Retail Info Systems News found that only 3.7% of retailers have accurate planograms in place. That can affect the store at every level, though third-party merchandisers such as J2 Merchandising can solve these issues by training staff, creating consistent and informative marketing displays, creating reliable merchandising systems, and initiating accountable audit and problem solving services. Ms. Wolfe noted that with proper planning and implementation retailers can see tremendous financial success and growth, while also engaging with consumers and enhancing brand reputation.
Toronto’s Yonge Street will continue to see an influx of national and international retailers move into the area, according to a brokerage working extensively in the area. Saks Fifth Avenue is about to open its Canadian flagship and in September, Nordstrom will open its Toronto flagship in part of the former Sears space at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. Although much of the existing retail space reflects Yonge Street’s gritty past, the street is set to transform as new retailers and development takes place along the strip.
Next Thursday, February 18, Saks Fifth Avenue will open its Canadian flagship at the southeastern end of CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s Hudson’s Bay building. The 163,000 square foot Saks store will span four levels. The store’s basement level will feature a luxurious grocery store operated by Pusateri’s Fine Foods (opening mid-April), and Saks will occupy three levels above. With windows along Yonge Street, Queen Street West and Richmond Street West, Saks will boast almost 600 feet of street frontage.
Nordstrom will open its Toronto flagship on September 16, 2016 at the north end of CF Toronto Eaton Centre. The 213,000 square foot three-level store will be visible from busy Yonge-Dundas Square, and will feature almost 300 feet of frontage along Yonge Street. The store will no doubt be busy, with some predicting that it will be one of Nordstrom’s top-performers.
According to Ashlar Urban Realty Sales Representative Brandon Gorman, the addition of Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue will elevate Yonge Street, particularly between Queen Street (where Saks is going) and Dundas Street (near Nordstrom). Yonge Street north of Dundas will also evolve greatly in the near future with substantial residential intensification taking place from Gerrard Street north to Bloor Street. Many of these residential development sites will create new, larger format opportunities for retailers to enter the market and service the growing urban population base at a lower cost than CF Toronto Eaton Centre”.
Ashlar Urban has a number of retail properties available in the immediate area, which is increasingly seeing interest from a variety of retailers. The magnificent three-level retail space at 229 Yonge Street, for example, features 16,571 square feet with 200 feet of frontage along Yonge Street and Shuter Streets. That property has seen interest from multiple retailers seeking flagship space in the city.
Mr. Gorman noted that retailers also paying more attention to Yonge Street north of Dundas , as the entire area continues to evolve. Ashlar Urban Realty has a 1,700 square foot retail space available at 512 Yonge Street between Grosvenor Street and Breadalbane Street, a short-term 1,764 square foot opportunity at 480 YongeStreet, and a second-floor 4,542 retail space at 401 Yonge Street (near the corner of Gerrard Street). Click each link for a full PDF package.
Other retail experts are also weighing in on Yonge Street’s latest transformation, particularly with the addition of Nordstrom and Saks. Antony Karabus, CEO of HRC Advisory, said: “I expect CF Toronto Eaton Centre will add new and some more upscale retailers over time as Saks and Nordstrom start operating in 2016 in that area. Retail rental rates have already risen so much in that shopping centre that many traditional mid-priced retailers with lower productivity and lower average unit retail prices are learning that they cannot profitably operate there. The anticipated large number of new residents in the area due to the enormous wave of new condo buildings, both those already built and many others that are in the process of being built between Bloor and Queen, will steadily demand both better restaurants and better shopping in that area over time. We don’t see it happening overnight but rather gradually over time as the area transforms”.
As Yonge Street continues to evolve, retailers will continue to move into the area. Ashlar Urban Realty is continuing to place retail and restaurant tenants along Yonge Street and throughout downtown Toronto, as tourist and residential populations continue to explode. For more information, you may contact Brandon Gorman Directly at: 416-205-9222 x 239 or by email: bgorman@ashlarurban.com.
