New York City-based sleep brand Casper has launched a series of pop-up locations to build engagement with consumers, following its runaway online success of sales in excess of $100 million last year.
Casper launched in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer online mattress retailer, with a twist — the award-winning sleep surface is delivered in a “how did they do that?” sized box. Casper’s memory foam mattress comes in a variety of sizes, beginning at $725 (Canadian). Recently, the company has expanded its product assortment to include a “perfect pillow” pillow-in-a-pillow and soft, breathable sheets. Casper keeps its prices reasonable by eliminating commission-driven wholesale channels and related costs, including retail space. The company’s phenomenal growth saw it being declared one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies in the World” and in 2015, Casper won the title of TIME Magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2015”.
Casper (Image: RYAN EMBERLEY)
On Wednesday, August 17, Casper announced that it was launching a line of dog beds, in three sizes, also available for order in Canada.
Canadians have been particularly receptive to the Casper brand, prompting the company to engage consumers face-to-face with a series of pop-up initiatives. In the spring of 2016, Casper launched a “Canadian Nap Tour”, bringing its “Napmobile” to Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto for consumers to try products in-person. This month, Casper is continuing the pop-up trend with the launch of its “Snooze Rooms” in Toronto — last week, Casper touched down at 602 King Street West. Between August 19 and 21, Casper will be present in Liberty Village (80 Lynn Williams Street), followed by two Yorkville pop-ups between August 23 and 25 at the corners of Yonge and Bloor and Bloor and Bay Streets.
CASPER’S ‘NAPMOBILE’ TOURED CANADA IN THE SPRING. PHOTO: CASPER
Casper co-founder and CEO Philip Krim explained how Casper’s pop-ups are marrying its e-commerce business model with experiential marketing, allowing for interaction as well as consumer product testing. Casper is targeting both existing customers and new ones, with face-to-face interaction also providing consumers the opportunity to provide realtime feedback with their product experiences. It’s not about selling at the pop-ups, he explained — Casper is looking more to engage and educate customers while gaining valuable feedback, without high-pressure sales common at some brick-and-mortar retailers.
Casper’s pop-up initiative could also be the first step for the company to eventually open permanent brick-and-mortar locations in Canada as well, Mr. Krim said, though nothing is specifically planned at this time. The brand will continue to engage Canadians with temporary retail spaces, as it continues to expand its online sales channel both in this country, as well as internationally.
It’s less than a month until Nordstrom enters the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with the first of three confirmed store locations. In anticipation of the opening of its first location at CF Toronto Eaton Centre on Friday, September 16, Nordstrom is hosting a number of initiatives, including an event where attendees can see the Eaton Centre flagship a full week before it officially opens to the public.
This week, Nordstrom launched the ‘Nordstrom Traveling Jamvan‘, with timing and locations changing each week. The van features live video on the exterior, a photobooth GIF experience, and local artist Diana Lynn VanderMeulen on site customizing complimentary tote bags. It will be driving throughout the city during the week and will be parked at large-scale, community events on weekends between August 13 and October 1. Follow @NordstromEaton and @NordstromYKD on Twitter, as Nordstrom will be live tweeting on location each weekend.
NORDSTROM’S ‘JAM VAN’
CF Toronto Eaton Centre Opening Events:
On Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10 between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm, Nordstrom will be hosting its ‘Nordstrom BFF (Beauty + Fragrance + Friends)’ event. Attendees will get to see the 220,000 square foot CF Toronto Eaton Centre Nordstrom flagship a full week before the store’s September 16 grand opening. Makeup artists will be on hand, and attendees can take a master class and explore some of the special services the beauty department has to offer, experiencing beauty brands including Dior, Fresh, MAC, Charlotte Tilbury, Estee Lauder, NARS, Trish McEvoy, La Mer and Jo Malone. To schedule an appointment, sign up for a class or for more information, you may call 1 (800) 967-0592.
For those athletically-inclined, Nordstrom is hosting its ‘Camp Nordstrom’ on Saturday, September 10 at Sherbourne Common at 61 Dockside Drive. A 45-minute Nordstrom boot camp class will be hosted by local fitness influencer Sasha Exeter and instructor Mackenzie White. The workout will be both fun and challenging, complete with onsite DJ and dance crew, DLM Entertainment. After the class, you can enjoy refreshments and hop into Nordstrom’s mobile social photo booth. There are two classes: Registration is at 9:00 am and 12:00 pm on September 10, with classes being held at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm that day. The first 50 people to arrive at each class will receive a Nordstrom tote with workout necessities, including a complimentary pair of Nordstrom exclusive Zella leggings (one per customer; while supplies last).
On Wednesday, September 14, Nordstrom will be hosting its CF Toronto Eaton Centre opening charity gala between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm (we’ll be there). The evening will include fashion, shopping, cocktails, gourmet fare and live entertainment. Attendees will see the latest collections from the top designers live during two tented runway shows in Dundas Square at 8 and 9 p.m. Celebrity DJ Jazzy Jeff, along with local DJ Grand Theft, will be spinning tunes, and there will be performances by local supergroup Dwayne Gretzky, featuring members of July Talk, Born Ruffians and more of Toronto’s top bands. Canadian designers, Wing Yau of celebrity-favourite jewelry line WWAKE and 19-year-old fashion wunderkind (and LVMH prize finalist), Vejas Kruszewski, will make special appearances. There will also be a champagne bar, and you may create a shareable GIF in Nordstrom’s social photo booth. Tickets are $150 per person and 100% of tickets proceeds will benefit Covenant House Toronto, Humber River Hospital Foundation, Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), SickKids Foundation, St. Michael’s Foundation and Women’s College Hospital Foundation. Complimentary valet parking will be provided. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit nordstromrsvp.com/Toronto.
On Friday, September 16, between 7:00 am to 10:00 am (prior to the store’s official public grand opening at 10:00 am) Nordstrom will be hosting its Opening Day Beauty Bash where you’ll get the inside scoop on new products from the top names in beauty, learn the latest tips and enjoy free consultations. Plus, the first 2,000 customers to sign up for a beauty consultation will receive an exclusive Nordstrom Beauty Bash tote (one per customer; while supplies last). Nordstrom is proud to partner with Rethink Breast Cancer on this event and to support their work on behalf of young people affected with a $5,000 donation.
YORKDALE STORE RENDERING VIA NORDSTROM
Nordstrom Yorkdale Shopping Centre Opening Events
Nordstrom’s 196,000 square foot Yorkdale Shopping Centre store officially opens to the public on Friday, October 21, and the retailer will be hosting some pre-opening events as with the CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship, as mentioned above.
On Friday, October 14 & Saturday, October 15, Nordstrom will be hosting its Yorkdale ‘BFF (Beauty + Fragrance + Friends)’ event between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. Attendees will get to see Yorkdale’s Nordstrom location a full week before the store opens to the general public. At the beauty and fragrance event, you can get your makeup done by an artist, take a master class and explore some of the special services the beauty department has to offer. To schedule an appointment, sign up for a class or for more information, you may call 1 (800) 967-0592.
On Wednesday, October 19 between 7:00pm and 10:00 pm, Nordstrom is hosting its Yorkdale opening gala (we’ll also be at this event). The gala happens in-store and will feature celebrity DJs Russell Peters, Hannah Bronfman and Brendan Fallis as well as DJs, DJ JazzyJeff and Sophie Jones. Attendees will also be treated to cocktails, gourmet bites, desserts, shopping and a performance by Sean Jones. There will be an immersive in-store fashion show highlighting resort collections from top designers. Canadian designers Aurora James of Brother Vellies and Steven Tai, representing his eponymous line of progressive, luxe sportswear, will also make special appearances. Attendees may also test the latest mixology trends at the store’s drinks lab, or create a mini video GIF in a 360° photo booth. Tickets are $150 per person and 100% of tickets proceeds will benefit Covenant House Toronto, Humber River Hospital Foundation, Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), SickKids Foundation, St. Michael’s Foundation and Women’s College Hospital Foundation. Complimentary valet parking will be provided. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit nordstromrsvp.com/Toronto.
Immediately prior to the 10:00 am public grand opening on Friday, October 21, Nordstrom is hosting an opening Beauty Bash between 8:00 am and 10:00 am. Attendees will get the inside scoop on new products from the top names in beauty, learn the latest tips and enjoy free consultations. The first 2,000 customers to sign up for a beauty consultation will receive an exclusive Nordstrom Beauty Bash tote (one per customer; while supplies last). Nordstrom is proud to partner with Rethink Breast Cancer on this event and to support their work on behalf of young people affected with a $5,000 donation.
It’s going to be an exciting autumn for Toronto Nordstrom fans. That will continue in the fall of 2017, when Nordstrom opens its third Toronto store at CF Sherway Gardens, measuring about 138,000 square feet.
Tom & Sawyer at 1247 Queen Street East, Toronto (Image: Tom & Sawyer)
Toronto-based fresh prepared pet meals company Tom&Sawyer plans to open locations Canada-wide, after considerable success with its first flagship retail location, online retail store and subscription-based personalized delivery service (available Toronto wide). The company already has its concept and branding in place and given its uniqueness, it plans to expand with locations across Canada and into core US markets, to better meet consumer demand to feed real food to their beloved pets while the pet market evolves to meet human food handling requirements.
Peter Zakarow and Kristin Matthews
The retail concept was founded by husband-wife team Peter Zakarow and Kristin Matthews. When their Yorkie-poo, Sawyer, refused to eat commercially made pet food, Ms. Matthews began preparing home cooked meals for their puppy and envisioned an offering for pet owners that was more professional, transparent and quality-driven than anything else on the market. The idea turned into a business when the couple realized that there were limited opportunities to buy food for dogs and cats that actually included fresh, high-quality ingredients, although most product marketing made people think they were. Ms. Matthews, formerly a forensic accountant, joined Mr. Zakarow in a venture to open a retail concept unlike any other in North America, and created a new product offering called “pet meals” to differentiate from the traditionally sub-par offerings served as dog and cat food.
In May of 2016, they launched both their online retail store www.tomandsawyer.com and the company’s first flagship retail location at 1247 Queen Street East in Toronto’s Leslieville area, following a year of extensive research and development. The retail space was formerly a radiator shop and the co-founders saw the opportunity to turn it into an innovative retail space (with the help of Avison Young‘s Hilary Kellar-Parsons, who was Tom&Sawyer’s commercial real estate representative). After considerable renovations, the modern bricks and mortar store opened, featuring a visually stunning and transparent commercial kitchen at its centre, with a lounge area for people and pets — as well as a variety of carefully curated pet accessories and toys, all unique with a Canadian-made focus. Humans may consume coffee and other food/drinks on the premises, though pets are the stars of the show at Tom&Sawyer.
Tom & Sawyer at 1247 Queen Street East, Toronto (Image: Tom & Sawyer)Tom & Sawyer at 1247 Queen Street East, Toronto (Image: Tom & Sawyer)
Pet meal preparation is done on-site with the kitchen open to view to the public, creating a transparency unavailable with traditional pet food retailers. The co-founders brought in a team of pet experts to ensure optimum quality, including vets, food scientists, animal nutrition consultants, and a culinary team led by accomplished Toronto chef Trish Donnelly. Ingredients used are fresh and healthy, real food ingredients, including quality meats and vegetables, as well as vitamins and healthy oils, to create meals nutritionally balanced for dogs or cats. Everything they sell can be eaten by humans, the founders explained, though it could use a bit of salt for taste and you may not like flavour combinations that dogs love.
Tom & Sawyer at 1247 Queen Street East, Toronto (Image: Tom & Sawyer)Tom & Sawyer at 1247 Queen Street East, Toronto (Image: Tom & Sawyer)
For those too busy to regularly visit the Leslieville store, Tom&Sawyer also offers a personalized subscription-based delivery service all done through their website, where your food is delivered to your home by a delivery specialist and their dog.
Not long after opening, local pet owners raved about the concept and with numerous national media outlets having written about their innovative business, people from all parts of Toronto come to Leslieville specifically to visit Tom&Sawyer. “Pets are increasingly part of the family, and people are finally questioning why we have been feeding dogs and cats by-products, not fit for human consumption, that are even lower quality than fast food” says Ms. Matthews. “We needed a way to compete with large marketing budgets that mislead consumers, so we decided to focus on transparency in how we make our pet meals” says Mr. Zakarow. Recognizing the loyalty to the brand and opportunity, Mr. Zakarow and Ms. Matthews plan to eventually open approximately 20 Tom&Sawyer locations in Canada over the next five years, to further transform the pet lifestyle experience in local communities. As the concept takes off, they say that they will expand into the United States as operations continue to grow, and they are contacted weekly by interested customers across Europe and Asia.
Landlord Cadillac Fairview has revealed the new four-level expansion of CF Rideau Centre in downtown Ottawa, part of a $360 million mall overhaul which began in 2013. The 230,000 square foot expansion adds over 25 new retailers to the Ottawa market, including 104,000 square foot anchor La Maison Simons.
The expansion is the third phase of CF Rideau Centre’s multi-year mall overhaul. The first phase was completed in August of 2014 with the opening of the mall’s new enhanced ‘food hall’, in a lower-level space formerly part of a 240,000 square foot Sears store. Phase two involved the opening of a 157,000 square foot Nordstrom store above the food hall in March of 2014, which was Nordstrom’s second Canadian location, following the opening of Nordstrom’s Calgary CF Chinook Centre store in September of 2014. The Ottawa centre has since seen new interior improvements, as well as the addition of new upscale retailers such as Tiffany & Co., Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman, Ted Baker, and an impressive replacement store for luxury menswear retailer Harry Rosen.
RIBBON CUTTING. PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW.CF Rideau Centre (PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW)Rudsak at CF Rideau Centre (PHOTO: @FUTUREOFOTTAWA VIA INSTAGRAM (PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION)
The third phase occupies the northeast corner of the property, once occupied by an Ogilvy department store. For years the site remained under-utilized until Cadillac Fairview initiated an ambitious expansion to grow the centre to nearly a million square feet of retail space. CF Rideau Centre is considered to be one of Cadillac Fairview’s flagship properties, being located in downtown Ottawa on busy Rideau Street. The centre sees traffic from tourists, university students and locals, and is strategically located adjacent to the city’s popular ByWard Market.
CF Rideau Centre (PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW)CF Rideau Centre (PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW)CF Rideau Centre (PHOTO: @FUTUREOFOTTAWA VIA INSTAGRAM (PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION)
Quebec City-based large-format retailer La Maison Simons occupies almost 104,000 square feet on levels three and four in the new expansion wing. The new Simons store is the second in Ontario (following the opening of a Mississauga store in the spring of this year) and is Simons’ 13th Canadian store. Ottawa’s Simons features an in-store cafe called Eve (as with several other locations) and also boasts substantial designer offerings for both men and women, as well as Simons’ expansive collection of value-priced in-house labels (video directly below).
LOOKING EAST FROM SIMONS’ IN-STORE CAFE. PHOTO: @FUTUREOFOTTAWA VIA INSTAGRAM (PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION)
CF RIDEAU CENTRE (PHOTO: CHRIS LALONDE OF PHOTOLUX STUDIOS FOR CADILLAC FAIRVIEW)CORNER OF ST. NICHOLAS AND RIDEAU STREETS, WITH A RESTORED HERITAGE FACADE OF THE FORMER OGILVY STORE. PHOTO: CHRIS LALONDE OF PHOTOLUX STUDIOS FOR CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
JOEY RESTAURANT WILL OPEN NEXT SPRING. PHOTO: @FUTUREOFOTTAWA VIA INSTAGRAM (PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION)
Not all retailers/restaurants opened this month, however — in the spring of 2017, a Joey restaurant will open on the ground level of the expansion at the corner of Rideau and Nicholas Streets.
Nicholas Street has been made a pedestrian-only thoroughfare, with the city naming it ‘Ogilvy Square’ — reflecting the name of the department store that once stood on the expansion site. The facade of the former Ogilvy building was carefully cleaned/restored and integrated into the new CF Rideau Centre expansion wing.
CF RIDEAU CENTRE (PHOTO: CHRIS LALONDE OF PHOTOLUX STUDIOS FOR CADILLAC FAIRVIEW)
The expansion’s exterior features an 11,000 square foot digital art piece by Catherine Widgery, representing the changing seasons (see photo above).
CF Rideau Centre is expected to become even busier when the new Confederation Line LRT opens in 2018, with direct access to a station. CF Rideau Centre sees an estimated 19.5 million annual visitors, making it one of Canada’s busiest shopping centres. The mall is also one of Canada’s most productive, with sales in excess of $1,000 per square foot annually.
Nordstrom has announced that it will open a 35,000 square foot off-price Nordstrom Rack location at Edmonton’s South Edmonton Common in the fall of 2018. It’s the fourth location announced for Nordstrom Rack in Canada, as the retailer plans to open approximately 20 locations across the country.
South Edmonton Common is one of North America’s largest open-air retail developments, and is owned and operated by Cameron Development Group and CREIT. The centre is anchored by a number of large retailers, including a massive Ikea store as well as an innovative new format Canadian Tire Store, also the largest in Canada.
“We want to be in compelling locations with a great retail mix, and we feel our new store at South Edmonton Common helps us to achieve that goal,” said Karen McKibbin, president of Nordstrom Canada. “We look forward to introducing ourselves to customers in Edmonton and bringing them great brands at great prices.”
Nordstrom currently operates three full-priced stores in Canada, with two more set to open this fall. A 140,000 square foot location opened at Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre in September of 2014, followed by a 157,000 square foot store at Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre. A 230,000 square foot flagship followed in September of 2015 at CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver. On September 16 of this year, Nordstrom will enter the Toronto market with a 220,000 square foot flagship at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, followed by the October 21 opening of a 196,000 square foot unit at Yorkdale shopping centre. In the fall of 2017, a 138,000 square foot Nordstrom will open at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto.
Welcome to Montreal Friday. Every Friday this summer, I will show you what’s new in Montreal, because Montreal is a fun and wonderful city to discover. Here are my discoveries of the week. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for previews and as well, lets engage on Twitter with hashtag: #FRIDAYMTL.
Steve Madden to Open New Sainte-Catherine Street Store
American footwear brand Steve Madden is increasing its presence in downtown Montreal. Madden recently leased a 2,500 square foot retail space at 1021 Sainte-Catherine Street West.
The space was previously occupied by Watch Station, which closed in 2014. Steve Madden indicates that both their flagship store at 1340 Sainte-Catherine Street West, and their other location at Centre Eaton (it’s the smallest Canadian location at 2,134 square feet) will remain open for the time being.
Sainte Catherine Street West is known for having a number of fashion brands with multiple stores on the same street. These include Foot Locker (1183 Ste-Catherine St. W., 900 Ste-Catherine St. W., Centre Eaton, and 475 Ste-Catherine St. W.) BCBG Max Azria (585 Ste-Catherine St. W, 960 Ste-Catherine St. W., 1300 Ste-Catherine St. W.) Forever 21 (1255 Ste-Catherine St. W., Complexe les Ailes) H&M (1100 Ste-Catherine St. W. and 450 Ste-Catherine St. W.) and Aldo (Centre Eaton, Promenades de la Cathedrale, 1320 Ste-Catherine St. W. and 1009 Ste-Catherine St. W.).
Recently BCBG Max Azria downsized its store at 960 Ste-Catherine Street West, and Foot Locker is looking to close its store on 1183 Ste-Catherine Street West, according to sources.
*top photo by Maxime Frechette
Fierte Montreal (Montreal Pride)
Montreal Pride
This Weekend is Montreal Pride, and I invite you to come if you are in the city!
All activities at Parc Emily Gamelin are free, located at the entrance to Montreal’s Gay Village on Sainte Catherine Street East.
Tonight (Friday, August 12), on the TD stage will be a performance by Lara Fabian, in collaboration with many other artists.
Sunday is the Pride Day Parade, at 1:00 pm on Rene-Levesque Boulevard. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he will be present, as he was in both the Toronto and Vancouver Pride Parades.
Over 450,000 participants will be attending the Montreal pride parade, according to organizer estimates. There are many other activities on the program and for more information, please visit their web site: www.fiertemontrealpride.com.
Landlord Ivanhoé Cambridge has announced 133 new tenants for its 1.2 million square foot Tsawwassen Mills project in South Delta, BC, near Vancouver. We now know of 160 of the roughly 200 retailers that will be operating at the hybrid outlet centre, set to open on October 5 of this year.
Hiring for about 3,000 full and part-time employment positions is ongoing, with a second job fair set to be held on Thursday, August 18 between 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm (Pacific Time) at Tsawwassen Springs, located at 5099 Springs Boulevard in Delta. Job seekers will have an opportunity to discuss openings directly with retailers and are encouraged to bring their résumés.
Ivanhoé Cambridge has also provided a construction update, with final preparations underway and on schedule for the October 5 Grand Opening. Construction is nearing completion on the interior décor of the shopping centre, and work is underway to customize many of the stores. The parking lot is fully paved and the mall’s main entrances are nearly finished.
Below is a list of about 160 retail tenants. Retailers with an asterisk (*) beside their name have been previously announced, and first-to-market retailers are marked as such.
Anchor tenants
Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World* (first-to-market)
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse*
Forever 21*
H&M*
Marshalls*
Nike Factory Store*
Old Navy*
Pro Hockey Life*
Saks OFF 5TH*
Sport Chek*
Tommy Hilfiger*
Urban Planet/ West 49*
Winners*
Children’s apparel
Carter’s Osh Kosh Babies and Kids
Gymboree
The Children’s Place Outlet
Triple Flip
Urban Kids
Fashion accessories
Ardene
Claire’s
Vivah Jewelry
Peoples
Michael Hill
Food Hall
A&W
Barcelos Chicken
Bourbon Street Grill
California Thai
Chachi’s
Crepe Delicious
Edo Japan
Freshly Squeezed
KFC
New York Fries
OPA! Souvlaki
Pannizza
Shanghai 360a
Umi Teriyaki &Sushi
Vina Vietnamese
Handbags & shoes
Aldo Outlet
Browns Outlet* (first-to-market)
Ecco
Famous Footwear Outlet
GEOX Outlet
Naturalizer Outlet
Nine West Shoe Studio
Rockport Outlet
Skechers
Soft-Moc Shoe Rack
Call It Spring Outlet
Stance
Health & beauty
Adore Cosmetics
Bath & Body Works (Dec. 2016)
L’Occitane*
Perfumes 4 U (first-to-market)
Q Nails
Saje Natural Wellness
Shoppers Drug Mart
The Body Shop
Thefaceshop
Home décor
Bowring
QE Home
The Bombay Company
Thinkkitchen
Electronics
Bell
Cellicon
Koodo
Lux
Mobile Snap
Rogers
Telus
Virgin Mobile
Wind Mobile
WirelessWave
Media
HMV
Men’s apparel
Epic Menswear
The Outlet by Harry Rosen* (first-to-market)
Tip Top Tailors
Other
Lotto Ticket Centre
Bentley
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Dollarama
Gateway Newstands
GNC
Mastermind Toys
Samsonite Outlet
Things Engraved
Sportswear
Adidas Outlet
Champs Sports
Foot Locker
PUMA
Reebok Outlet
Running Room
Specialty apparel
Bikini Village
La Senza (Feb. 2017)
La Vie En Rose
Lolë
Lululemon athletica
Victoria’s Secret (Feb. 2017)
Zakti
Restaurants
Boston Pizza
Milestones Grill & Bar*
Montana’s BBQ & Bar*
South Street Burger Co.
Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl & Gril (first-to-market)
Services
Chatters Salon & Beauty Supply Outlet
Tommy Gun’s Original Barbershop
Specialty food
Big Orange
DAVIDsTEA
Jugo Juice
Kernels Popcorn and Baskin-Robbins
Lindt Outlet
Manzano Europa Bakery (Nov. 2016)
Mrs. Fields/ Pretzelmaker
Pepper Palace (first-to-market)
popbar
Purdy’s Chocolates
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
St. Jean’s Cannery
Starbucks (Nov. 2017)
Tim Hortons
TOGO Sushi
Yogen Fruz
Unisex apparel
American Eagle Outfitters
Banana Republic Factory Store*
Bench Outlet
Bluenotes
Boathouse
Brooks Brothers Factory Store
International Clothiers
Calvin Klein*
Eddie Bauer
G by Guess (first-to-market)
GAP Factory Store*
Guess? Outlet*
Hot Topic
Journeys
Kixs (first-to-market)
Le Chateau
Levi’s
Lids Outlet
Lucky Brand Jeans Outlet* (first-to-market)
Michael Kors Outlet (first-to-market)
Mountain Warehouse
Roots
RW & Co.
Thread + Copper
WLKN (summer 2017)
Zumiez
Women’s apparel
Aritzia*
Dynamite/Garage
Ever New*
Fairweather
Laura Outlet
Mint Style Lounge
Marc Cain* (first-to-market)
Noel Asmar (first-to-market)
Nygard Fashion Outlet
Suzy Shier
We’ll update this article as the remaining tenants are announced ahead of the centre’s October opening.
Montreal-based leather and fashion brand Rudsak has announced three more Canadian locations, all scheduled to open between now and this fall. The new stores will be in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.
The Ottawa store is a first for the city, located at CF Rideau Centre. Today, landlord Cadillac Fairview will reveal a $360 million, 230,000 square foot four level expansion of the downtown Ottawa mall, anchored by a 100,000 La Maison Simons location as well as 27 other retailers. The highly productive centre ranks among Canada’s top-10 malls with sales in excess of $1,000 per square foot.
The Toronto Rudsak store, opening at the end of August, will be at Scarborough Town Centre — Rudsak’s eighth store in the region. Landlord Oxford Properties continues to improve Scarborough Town Centre — this morning, for example, it will reveal a new $37 million food court called TASTE MRKT, providing a diverse dining experience complete with dishes and cutlery. The east Toronto mall recently saw sales surpass $800 per square foot, making it one of Canada’s most productive centres.
Rudsak (PHOTO: LABRIEDAIGLE.COM
The new Montreal Rudsak store, opening this fall, will be located at 4879 Sherbrooke Street West in the fashionable Westmount shopping area. The intimate ‘niche boutique’ will feature a premium selection of pieces from the brand’s seasonal collection. That particular stretch of Sherbrooke Street West is becoming increasingly more upscale and diverse, boasting neighbouring retailers that include WANT Apothecary, Sarah Pacini, James Perse, UGG, m0851, and a recently opened Bois & Cuir.
Rudsak currently operates 30 Canadian store locations, with over half of those in the province of Quebec. The brand is expanding nationwide and now has two Vancouver stores and one in Calgary, with more expected to follow. Last year, the company said that it was looking at eventually operating in excess of 50 Canadian locations coast-to-coast. Founded in 1994, Rudsak specializes in outerwear, footwear, bags and accessories, with a focus on products made of leather.
Vancouver-based women’s fashion retailer Aritzia continues to open larger and larger stores, with its newest location set to become the company’s largest location in Ontario. The new 10,400 square foot Aritzia at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre opens August 18, replacing a location for retailer Laura which shuttered that location several months ago.
The Toronto replacement store will become Aritzia’s second-largest Canadian location, following the recent expansion of Aritzia’s Vancouver Robson Street flagship which now spans in excess of 13,000 square feet.
When Aritzia’s Montreal flagship opened in May of 2015, the 9,800 square foot store was considered to be the largest Canadian location in the chain (two New York City stores are larger) and before that, a 7,900 square foot West Edmonton Mall store became the chain’s largest when it opened in December of 2014.
Visitors to the new Yorkdale store will be greeted by a dynamic, large basket-arch storefront. The store will feature an eclectic selection of floor fixtures, curated works of art and sculptures, a reading lounge area, and plants. Materials and finishes will include marble merchandising tables and cash desk, wire-wheeled grey oak tables and architectural wall panels, build-in millwork, custom graphic wall murals, steel & glass interior partitions, custom raked stucco, concrete and marble floors, according to Aritzia.
Northwest Atlantic Principal/Broker Dianne Lemm represented Aritzia in the Yorkdale lease deal, also representing the retailer nationwide.
Aritzia’s popularity and resultant larger stores are of no surprise to retail expert Farla Efros, President of leading retail consultancy HRC Advisory. She explained how Aritzia “bridges the gap between upscale boutique and fast fashion, with the retailer catering “to the highly desirable market of females aged 15 to 45”. With such a broad demographic, Aritzia has been able to grow and open stores “in even the most turbulent of times”, showcasing the importance of building a strong relationship connection with consumers to gain loyalty. While some other retailers are experiencing the “middle squeeze”, Aritzia’s fashion-forward positioning focuses more on quality than price, and its diversity of styles (from casual to dressy) and mixture of private label and designer brands resonates with consumers, differentiating Aritzia from the competition, Ms. Efros noted.
Aritzia is placing a particular focus on the Greater Toronto Area this fall, with the opening of the retailer’s first Babaton location at CF Toronto Eaton Centre later this year. Babaton is one of Aritzia’s in-house labels, and is the latest brand to see its own stores after in-house Aritzia brands TNA and Wilfred saw their own first freestanding locations open several years ago.
Aritzia was founded in 1984 as a shop-in-store at Vancouver retailer Hill’s of Kerrisdale, and will have 80 North American locations by the end of the year. Aritzia’s target market is women aged 14 to 30. Much of the clothing sold in its stores are its own exclusive brands, including Auxiliary, Babaton, 1-01 Babaton, Community, Wilfred, Le Fou by Wilfred, Wilfred Free, TNA, Golden by TNA, Parklife, and Talula. Stores also carry clothing from brands such as Mackage, J Brand, Citizens of Humanity, A Gold E, Frame, Levi’s, Rag & Bone, Adidas, One Teaspoon, and Herschel.
French luxury footwear brand Christian Louboutin has opened its Canadian flagship in Toronto. Located at 99 Yorkville Avenue, the two-level store features extensive collections for both women and men. Because each store is designed individually, Toronto’s Louboutin is unlike any in the world.
The store’s design concept and fixture design were by London/Los Angeles-based Household, while Toronto-based Quadrangle acted as the local architects in collaboration with Louboutin and Household. The store spans 2,625 square feet with women’s collections downstairs, and men’s upstairs. Drawing from the character of the Victorian building, the store’s design is inspired by an ‘enchanted forest’ with floor-to-ceiling off-white ‘trees’ lining the space on both floors. Silver birch wallpaper sets the woodland scene while arched niches present shoes artistically.
The downstairs space features products on mirrored-top fretwork display plinths, inspired by “fruits of the forest nestled amongst the trees”, according to Louboutin. A central “forest clearing” presents products in illuminated niches, with antique brass ‘branches’ extending to the ceiling. Antique brass fretwork screens encircle the plinths, segmenting the space to create the feeling of a woodland glade. In the back of the store, double-height forest trees reach up through the atrium, wrapping around the stairs to lead upstairs to the men’s floor.
Christian Louboutin (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)
Christian Louboutin (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)
The second-floor men’s space is inspired by “a cabin-in-the-woods” feel, featuring darker colours and casual vintage furniture. Among the white ‘trees’ the product plinths are angled and geometric, with hero plinths in walnut or nickel, and wall panels covered in birch bark wallpaper. A feature wall housing men’s bags is designed to create a canopy effect, with masculine dark walnut wood.
Christian Louboutin (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)
Christian Louboutin (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)
Jordan Karp of Paracom Realty represented Christian Louboutin in partnership with Jeffrey Paisner of Ripco Real Estate in New York City. Louboutin studied the market carefully for over two years before settling on the “truly unique and special freestanding building”, said Mr. Karp.
“The 60,000-square-foot retail/office complex on Yorkville Avenue, located in the heart of the most upscale neighbourhood in Toronto, was the perfect fit for Christian Louboutin. The brand will be the first international luxury fashion retailer to take up space there, right across from the upcoming Chanel store and close to the many residential condos being developed in the area,” said Steven Alikakos, president, Canada at RKF and exclusive leasing agent for the property on behalf of the owner Cumberland Private Wealth Management. “We are working to bring other fashion retailers to the complex ideally situated in the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood which offers a unique blend of design boutiques, fashionable restaurants, five-star hotels and world-class galleries.”
As Mr. Alikakos mentioned above, Louboutin is directly across the street from the future location of Chanel, which will open an 8,700 square foot store in early 2017 in space formerly occupied by Teatro Verde at 100 Yorkville Avenue. Other luxury brands are in talks for retail space in the immediate area.
Christian Louboutin (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)Christian Louboutin (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)
Christian Louboutin also operates three Canadian shop-in-store concessions. Its first Canadian concession for women opened in Toronto late 2013 inside Yorkdale Shopping Centre‘s Holt Renfrew, followed by a separate men’s concession in the same store several months ago. In September of 2015, Louboutin opened a concession within Vancouver’s new Nordstrom flagship.
A source at Louboutin confirms that the brand will further expand its Canadian presence in Vancouver. Two separate Louboutin concessions, one for women and a separate one for men, will open as part of the expansion of Vancouver’s Holt Renfrew flagship at CF Pacific Centre. The existing Nordstrom concession will also remain open.
The Christian Louboutin brand was founded by its namesake designer in 1991 in Paris. Known for its red soled shoes, Louboutin has since expanded to include handbags, men’s footwear, and a range of nail lacquers. The brand operates freestanding stores in nine U.S. regions, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles (Costa Mesa, Santa Monica, West Hollywood), Las Vegas, Miami, New York City and San Francisco.
