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Christian Louboutin to Open 1st Freestanding Canadian Store

By
Craig Patterson
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French luxury footwear brand Christian Louboutin will bring more of its trademark red soles to this country when it opens its first freestanding Canadian location in Toronto’s Yorkville shopping district in a few months. The store joins two existing Canadian Louboutin concessions, which sources say are doing gangbuster business. 

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. 

Louboutin’s freestanding Toronto flagship will open in the former La Presse Internationale space at 97 Yorkville Avenue in Toronto’s upscale Yorkville area. The store will feature about 2,625 square feet of retail space over two floors, as well as a 1,230 square foot basement level that will be used for stock/back of house operations. The store will be directly across the street from Chanel, which will open an 8,700 square foot store in early 2017 in space currently occupied by Teatro Verde. Other luxury brands are in talks for retail space in the immediate area, which has become increasingly upscale with the addition of Spanish luxury jeweller Carrera y Carrera last month, and a Kiton location that opened last spring. 

The new store will open in the spring/summer of 2016, according to Jordan Karp of Paracom Realty, who 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”, according to Mr. Karp. 

Christian Louboutin’s first Canadian concession opened in Toronto late 2013 inside Yorkdale Shopping Centre‘s Holt Renfrew. In September of 2015, Louboutin opened its second Canadian concession within Vancouver’s new Nordstrom flagship. Sources say that both locations are among Louboutin’s highest-selling locations. 

Rolex Store to Replace Hotel Lounge

By
Craig Patterson
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PHOTO: GOOGLE STREET VIEW SCREEN CAPTURE.

A 2,500 square foot licensed Rolex store will replace the Xi Shi Lounge at Vancouver’s Shangri-La Hotel. Rolex will feature an Alberni-Street frontage, and is the latest major store announcement for Vancouver’s burgeoning ‘Luxury Zone’.

Xi Shi Lounge opened within the Shangri-La Hotel in 2008, at the base of Vancouver’s tallest building. The lounge closed over the weekend. During the day, the venue served afternoon tea on Blue Willow china, and featured classical piano music on weekends. In the evenings, the space featured live music, snacks and cocktails, and was sometimes rented out to third parties to host events.

Last week, a local event planner who regularly hosted events in the space posted on Facebook that the lounge was closing, revealing that Rolex would take the space. Other sources confirm that the condominium corporation was the original source for revealing that Rolex would replace Xi Shi Lounge. 

CLICK MAP FOR INTERACTIVE VERSION, VIA GOOGLE

Rolex will join several other luxury retailers that have recently opened nearby. In December of 2015, Brunello Cucinelli, Versace and Strellson opened across the street at the base of the 745 Thurlow Street office tower. Italian brand Moncler also opened in December across from Brunello Cucinelli on Thurlow Street, and a three-level Prada flagship is under construction at the southeast corner of Alberni Street and Thurlow Street. Pricey luxury brand Stefano Ricci will open next to the Trump Tower on nearby West Georgia Street and according to franchisee Manuel Bernaschek, Ricci will open in the summer. 

Luxury brands that have recently opened in the area include North America’s largest Christian Dior store (12,000 square feet) as well as Jaeger-LeCoultre and Lao Feng Xiang. Established luxury brands in the area include Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, St. John, Omega, Wolford, Burberry, Montblanc, and others.

Hazelton Lanes is Officially Rebranded

By
Craig Patterson
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Yorkville Village (RENDERING: FIRST CAPITAL REALTY)

Toronto’s Hazelton Lanes Shopping Centre is officially a thing of the past. Earlier this week, landlord First Capital Realty officially changed the shopping centre’s name to Yorkville Village, as it integrates the renovated mall into the adjacent neighbourhood. 

Hazelton Lanes’ first phase, at 55 Avenue Road, was built in 1976 and measured only 60,000 square feet. Because it opened before CF Toronto Eaton Centre, it managed to secure more upscale retailers than it may otherwise would have. Hazelton Lanes almost tripled in size in 1988 by adding address 87 Avenue Road to its north portion, hosting even more luxury retailers such as Hermes, Gianni Versace, Valentino, Fogal of Switzerland, Emanuel Ungaro, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, and others. The recession which hit Toronto a couple of years later resulted in many luxury stores eventually closing at Hazelton Lanes. The mall’s awkward configuration, low ceilings and inconveniently-located entrances further contributed to the mall’s downfall. Hazelton Lanes eventually became more of a neighbourhood shopping centre (albeit an upscale one) of almost 237,000 square feet. 

1990 HAZELTON LANES AD VIA SKEEZIX, OF URBAN TORONTO.

First Capital Realty bought Hazelton Lanes in 2011. Anchored by Canada’s first (and sources say, most productive) Whole Foods location, the centre’s landlord retained design firm Kasian to redesign the complex, and earmarked over $100 million to transform the centre into a bright, upscale ‘neighbourhood centre’. 

RENDERING: FIRST CAPITAL REALTY
RENDERING: FIRST CAPITAL REALTY

First Capital Realty also has big plans for the surrounding neighbourhood, including adding more luxury retail to the mix. Last year, it purchased several neighbouring retail properties, including 80-100, 102-104, 106-108, and 136-138 Yorkville Avenue. First Capital currently owns about 80% of the north side of Yorkville Avenue between Hazelton Avenue and Bellair Street and last year, we reported that the landlord would like to eventually own much of the commercial space on both Yorkville Avenue and Cumberland Street. So far, Chanel is a confirmed tenant in 2017 for an 8,400 square foot retail space currently occupied by Teatro Verde at 98 Yorkville Avenue (Teatro Verde will move into the former Hazelton Lanes mall) and several other luxury brands have shown interest in adjacent street-front properties. 

Barbie Museum to Open in Prestigious Downtown Montreal Mall

By
Craig Patterson
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Barbie will launch a permanent 5,000 square foot museum at Montreal’s Les Cours Mont-Royal early next month. The exhibition will feature over 1,000 one-of-a-kind dolls on display, wearing fashions from some of the world’s most prestigious designers. Admission is free of charge, and donations are encouraged to be made to Make a Wish Quebec. 

Barbies on display will be inspired by three themes: couture fashion, the entertainment industry, and style icons. Couture Barbies will be dressed in fashions from top designers such as Christian Dior, Versace, Givenchy, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Louboutin, Zac Posen, Carolina Herrera, Herve Leger and others. Entertainment industry Barbies will include Barbies of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, ElizabethTaylor, Beyonce, Cher, Jennifer Lopez, Farrah Fawcett, Barbra Streisand and Lucille Ball, to name a few. For film aficionados, there are Barbies inspired by blockbuster hits such as The Hunger Games, The Wizard of Oz, Twilight, Grease, Titanic, My Fair Lady, Gone with the Wind and Legally Blonde. Other notable Barbies include icons of style: Kate Middleton, Marie Antoinette, Coco Chanel, Grace Kelly and Cleopatra.  
 
A by-invitation-only launch event is planned for Wednesday, February 10, and Barbie Expo will open to the public the following day. The museum will be open during normal business hours, seven days a week. As mentioned above, admission is free and donations to Make a Wish Quebec will be accepted. 

MEC to Open Beside Montreal’s Top Mall

By
Craig Patterson
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Vancouver-based large format outdoor consumer cooperative retailer MEC will open its fifth location in the province of Quebec in the fall of 2016. The 23,600 square foot freestanding store will locate next to CF Carrefour Laval in suburban Montreal. 

The store will feature an extensive use of wood and will feature energy-efficient heating, air conditioning, ventilation and lighting. Among its many features will be a full-service equipment rental and bike shop, with technicians specifically trained to service various types of bikes. Since 2012, MEC has expanded its product offerings to include yoga, cycling, running and more recently, downhill skiing. 

MEC CFO Sandy Treagus noted that about 400,000 people live in proximity to the Lanaudière and Laurentians regions, and that the store will serve a population that is active in the outdoors. Impressively, the Montreal area boasts 40,000 MEC members, who each pay a $5 fee to shop at the consumer cooperative. 

Laval will be MEC’s 19th Canadian store, and its fifth for the province of Quebec. The company continues to expand and replace stores, with new locations also planned for Toronto, Edmonton and Kelowna within the next couple of years. MEC has more than 4 million members in Canada, with 700,000 of those in Quebec. 

CF Carrefour Laval is Montreal’s most productive mall. According to landlord Cadillac Fairview, the centre saw sales of $860 per square foot annually for 2015. In February, we’ll release a study ranking Canada’s most productive shopping centres by sales per square foot.

 

Saks Reveals New Restaurant Concept

By
Craig Patterson
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Ahead of next month’s Canadian debut, Saks Fifth Avenue has revealed a new restaurant concept for its CF Sherway Gardens store in Toronto. Called Beaumont Kitchen, the restaurant will span 5,500 square feet and will feature “eclectic West Coast cuisine”. Saks Sherway opens on Thursday, February 25. 

Beaumont Kitchen will be operated by restaurant, events and catering company Oliver & Bonacini (O&B), which operates over a dozen restaurants in Ontario under various names. O&B will also open an 11,000 square foot multi-level restaurant/bar at Saks CF Toronto Eaton Centre on February 18.

Sherway’s Beaumont Kitchen will feature a combination of formal dining and relaxed bar seating, serving lunch and dinner. Its interior will be sleek in design, featuring rich textures and whimsical accents, according to a press release. The restaurant is being spearheaded by O&B district chef Michael Hay, who said “The menu at Beaumont Kitchen is ingredient driven, with a focus on natural flavours. By showcasing whole foods in simple, authentic and unique ways, our dishes will encourage guests to indulge without guilt.” 

Beaumont Kitchen will feature Canadian ingredients, modern Californian influences, and subtle nods to Mexican, Eastern and Italian flavour profiles. Cuisine will be vegetable-centric, with staples including crudités and salads composed of root vegetables; unique shareables, such as black bean dip with warm chorizo, poblano peppers and flatbreads; and hearty mains, such as turkey meatballs with Parmesan brodo, orecchiette and collard greens, and thin crust cauliflower pizza with fior di latte, pancetta, and oregano.

Beverage offerings will include specialty cocktails, craft draft and bottled beers and a well-curated wine list, as well as mocktails, fresh juices, coffees and teas.

Sherway’s Saks will span in excess of 132,000 square feet over three levels, including a basement-level grocery department operated by Toronto-based Pusateri’s Fine Foods. Pusateri’s will also operate the grocery component within the 163,000 square foot CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship Saks. 

Aesop to Open Large Location in Kitsilano

By
Craig Patterson
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Upscale Australian skin care brand Aesop will open its second Vancouver location later this year in Vancouver’s Kitsilano area. It will be Aesop’s fourth freestanding Canadian location, with more expected to follow. 

Located at 2072 West 4 Avenue. The store will measure 1,950 square feet, and will serve as the primary showroom and distribution hub for Aesop’s Vancouver operations, according to CBRE‘s Martin Moriarty. The deal was negotiated by Mario Negris and Mr Moriarty of Vancouver’s CBRE Urban Retail Team. Mr. Moriarty went on to say: “Mario and I were proud to work with Aesop on securing their flagship Vancouver location. We look forward to seeing the final store, which will be in keeping with Aesop’s world class design standards, and continue the search for additional Aesop locations”. 

A temporary Aesop location at 2072 W. 4 Avenue is already operating, and it will be closed for construction once permits are granted. 

Aesop’s first two Canadian locations opened in July of 2015 — a 615 square foot location at 19 Water Street in Vancouver’s Gastown area, and a 990 square foot store at 880 Queen Street West in Toronto. A Montreal location followed in the fall, at 4968 Sherbrooke Street West in Westmount. Last Friday, a second Montreal Aesop location opened in 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.

Grocery Store Proposed for Urban Food Desert

By
Craig Patterson
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A new grocery store is proposed for the base of a condominium development at 88 Queen Street East in Toronto. The new store, if built, will address a lack of grocery store retail in the neighbourhood, and may help facilitate further revitalization of the immediate area, according to a residential real estate expert. 

Toronto-based St. Thomas Developments Inc. is spearheading the development that will span an entire city block. Several buildings will house hundreds of residential units and at the base will be approximately 80,000 square feet of retail space. Its first phase will feature a 29 story tower with 421 residential units, priced from the mid $200,000’s with completion anticipated for September of 2018.

Renderings for the 88 Queen Street East tower show a proposed grocery store at its base. If built as planned, the grocery store will address local needs which, according to a University of Alberta study, are not being met in the immediate area. The study concludes that in dense, walkable urban areas, grocery stores should ideally be within 500 metres of a residence. The area around 88 Queen Street East lacks grocery stores, though pricey Pusateri’s at Saks Fifth Ave will open less than 400 metres away later this spring. For those with more modest incomes, two Metro grocery stores are in the area, though more than 500 metres walking distance to the proposed 88 Queen development. 

Matthew Slutsky, co-founder and President of leading online real estate database BuzzBuzzHome, said that a grocery store would be a welcome addition to the neighbourhood which is currently lacking a quality supermarket, and that such an amenity could help spearhead the rejuvenation/evolution of the area. He noted that in the area bound by Church Street, Queen Street East, King Street East and Sherborne Street, there is only one residential development selling units — the 88 Queen Condos directly above the proposed grocery store. For comparison, he noted that in the area west of downtown, bound by York Street, Queen Street West, King Street West and Spadina Avenue, there are 20 new condominium developments selling units. He figures that with its proximity to downtown, it’s only a matter of time before the area surrounding 88 Queen Street East becomes a ‘hot’ neighbourhood for developers and purchasers. 

For more information on grocery stores in Canadian urban centres, you may download the entire University of Alberta School of Retailing Applied Research study here.

Lolë Reveals Substantial Pop-Up Retail Initiative

By
Craig Patterson
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Montreal-based activewear brand Lolë (Live Out Loud Everyday) plans to open 10 to 12 pop-up shops this spring, and it is actively seeking space through its representative brokerage Think Retail. Pop-ups will allow Lolë to elevate brand awareness and test markets where the company is interested.

Lolë is initially seeking space with six to eight month terms. It has a unique new store prototype ready, and prefers clean shells in the 900 to 1,500 square foot range in regional and super-regional shopping centres, open-air centres, along high streets, and in outlet malls. Preference will be given to locations with strong fashion and athletic co-tenants, according to Think Retail, and although its scope is national (except for the province of Quebec), Lolë will mostly focus on the Toronto and Vancouver areas for the pop-up initiative. 

Pop-ups will allow Lolë to increase brand awareness and test markets without sinking significant funds into securing real estate during these volatile times, according to Farla Efros, President of leading retail consultancy HRC Advisory. Pop-up stores can provide opportunity to build rapport and grow customer base with little risk prior to opening permanent stores, she said, which is important considering increasing competition from key players such as Lululemon, Lorna Jane, and others. 

Last week we profiled a new online platform, called pop-up go which helps pair retailers seeking short-term space with landlords. brokers can use the tool that can help them more efficiently find space for tenants, according to founder Linda Farha. 

Founded in 2002 in Longueuil, Quebec, Lolë caters to the active urban customer. It specializes in apparel for yoga, running, swimming and other activities, as well as casual fashion apparel. All locations offer free exercise meet-ups twice weekly at a local park, as well as lectures given by yoga/pilates specialists, and nutrition experts. Tea and fruit are served daily at each store location. Lolë is now part of Quebec-based sports and leisurewear manufacturer/ distributor Coalision Incorporated. 

La Maison Simons Secures Former Target Location for New Store

By
Craig Patterson
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Quebec City-based large format fashion retailer La Maison Simons has secured a former Target location, with plans to build a new store. It will replace a Simons location in the same mall about half the size. The new store’s opening date has yet to be revealed. 

Located at Galeries de la Capitale in Quebec City, the new 80,000 square foot Simons will replace the mall’s current 45,000 square foot store which opened in 1981. At the time, Simons stores operated in smaller footprints and over the past few years, new stores have opened in the 80,000 to 100,000 square foot range. 

Target opened in the mall’s former Zellers location in November of 2013, as part of the Minneapolis-based retailer’s expansion into Canada. Target closed its Canadian stores in April of 2015 after declaring bankruptcy. 

Oxford Properties-operated Galeries de la Capitale, the largest mall in the province at 1.496 million square feet, will also soon see a $40 million renovation to its common areas, corridors and mall entrances. This follows last year’s $50 million investment that included a relocation of its food court, Espace Gourmet, the relocation/expansion of book retailer Renaud-Bray, the expansion of H&M, and the opening of Forever 21. 

This spring, Old Navy, BCBG and Dollarama will open in the mall. Galeries de la Capitale features 280 stores and restaurants, and is anchored by Hudson’s Bay, Sears, Simons, Toys R Us, IMAX, Best Buy and Sports Experts. It also features an indoor amusement park called Méga-Parc, with 20 attractions including a Ferris wheel, roller coasters, and a skating rink. 

Simons’ next location will open in mid-March of this year at Mississauga’s Square One. The company plans to eventually operate as many as 30 Canadian stores coast-to-coast, according to CEO Peter Simons.

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