One Bloor East Retail Podium Acquired

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August 8, 2016

First Capital Realty has entered into a binding agreement to purchase the 85,000 square foot One Bloor Street East retail podium in Toronto for $189.2 million in cash. The deal also includes 52 commercial parking spaces on-site.

The property features three levels of retail space with 220 feet of frontage along Bloor Street East, and 270 feet of frontage along Yonge Street towards Hayden Street. The retail podium is located at the base of Great Gulf‘s 844 foot, 76-storey One Bloor East residential tower, which will contain about 760 units when finished. The tower is expected to see its first residential tenants in the fall of 2016, while the retail podium will see its first tenants towards the end of 2017.

The retail podium will house Canada’s first Nordstrom Rack store, which will measure about 38,600 square feet over two floors. About 10,000 square feet will be on street level, with the remainder to be on the second level. Neither Great Gulf nor First Capital Realty have released details on tenants in the remaining 46,000 square feet of retail space.

The retail podium will also boast a direct connection to the busy Bloor-Yonge subway station which is utilized by over 400,000 passengers daily.

Directly across the street is Sam Mizrahi’s proposed ‘The One‘ at 1 Bloor Street West, on the site of the former Stollery’s store and several smaller adjacent retailers. The One could see a tower soar to almost 1,000 feet in height with over 500 residential units, as well as a multi-level commercial podium with soaring ceiling heights.

First Capital Realty is a major landlord in the Yorkville area, owning the Yorkville Village shopping centre (formerly called ‘Hazelton Lanes’) as well as several freestanding buildings on nearby Yorkville Avenue. Chanel will relocate to First Capital Realty-owned 100 Yorkville Avenue from Bloor Street in early 2017, and will be one of several luxury retailers to open on the street over the next several years. First Capital Realty also recently purchased 50% of 101 Yorkville Avenue (with a non-managing partner) which houses a number of retailers including iconic denim retailer Over The Rainbow. The half-acre site is expected to be redeveloped in the future.

FIRST CAPITAL REALTY NOW OWNS 50% OF 101 YORKVILLE AVENUE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO EVENTUALLY BE REDEVELOPED.

First Capital Realty has also entered into an agreement to purchase a property in midtown Toronto featuring Pusateri’s Fine Foods’ flagship, which will re-open after a devastating fire last year. First Capital Realty paid about $63.2 million for a 2.2 acre property assembly which includes Pusateri’s. Pusateri’s will reopen “bigger and better” after a major renovation that will see the addition of new departments and services, including a full-service restaurant.

Montreal Friday : Off The Hook Opens 2nd Location at William Gray Hotel in Old Montreal

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Maxime Frechette

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August 5, 2016

image-asset - 2021-03-11T220220.988 — Olimpico: Photo Maxime Frechette

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 two discoveries of the week. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for previews and as well, let’s engage on Twitter with hashtag: #FRIDAYMTL.

OTH (Off The Hook) Opens 2nd Location, and Café Olimpico

OTH (Off The Hook) PHOTO: MAXIME FRECHETTE

One of the most iconic stores on Ste-Catherine Street West in downtown Montreal, OTH (Off The Hook), has opened ‘a little brother’ in old Montreal within the updated William Gray Hotel. The 1,200 square foot OTH store is very modern, and the look of the store is well integrated into the decor of the hotel in which the store is contained. The product selection at OTH focuses on showcasing mostly Canadian or Quebec-based brands and products. OTH developed an exclusive clothing brand for the store called William Gray Collection, as well as other articles of clothing that are streetwear inspired. OTH offers a selection of more than 30 brands, as well as accessories and shoes.

Since 1999, The OTH shop on Ste-Catherine Street West has developed partnerships with brands such as Vans, Adidas, Impact and others. OTH also now boasts the biggest selection of Vans in Canada.

The store is connected with another Montreal institution, Cafe Olimpico, located in the historic Maison Cherrier. The Original Café Olimpico has been on St-Viateur street in the trendy Mile End neighbourhood since 1970, and is said to offer the best coffee in the city.

Both are exciting expansions and terrific additions to the city.

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Instagram : @OTHboutique Web : offthehook.ca
Instacram : @cafeolimpico Web : www.cafeolimpico.com

William Gray Hotel

Last week, I received an invitation to discover the Maggie Oakes restaurant at the William Gray Hotel. What resulted was the perfect lunch.

The experience began in the main hotel lobby where you will find a small, but cozy bar, just in front the OTH boutique. The room has the prefect balance between modern and classic styles, including massive wood pieces, three-floor marble stairs and a bar with very attentive personnel. The communal space feels alive and warm.

The hotel is composed of two historic buildings: the Maison Cherrier which hosts the Café Olympico, and the Maison William Gray (which will soon boast a luxurious spa and gym) which is located in an eight storey building housing 127 hotel rooms and suites.

On the second and third floor, the spacious 10,000 square foot conference room is perfect for weddings and private parties. On the roof, you will find the panoramic Terrasse William Gray, focused on sea food and featuring a panoramic view of the old Port. It is arguably the best place in Montreal to see the International Feux Loto Quebec fireworks in July.

I’ll discuss the hotel again in late September after it officially opens. An indoor garden, pool, gym and luxury spa will all be part of the hotel.

Maggie Oakes Restaurant

Maggie Oakes was the name of Edward William Gray’s wife, and now it’s also the name of the hotel’s restaurant, offering refinement in an area otherwise characterized by tourist traps and cheap fast food. The new high end grill restaurant offers a breath of fresh air on Place Jaques Cartier in old Montreal, with an ambiance matching that of the hotel, as well as a really tasty menu.

PHOTO: MAXIME FRECHETTE

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The chef is Derreck Bocking, a former contestant on Top Chef Canada in 2011. Inspired by the garden and the green wall in the dining space, Mr. Bocking has created a high end menu featuring fresh vegetables and meat.

Several large pieces of 28-day-aged beef are displayed in a glass room at the back of the restaurant, on the corner of the hallway that leads to the hotel. The restaurant seats 150, excluding the Terrasse in front of Jaques Cartier Place. A spacious bar covers nearly the whole length of the restaurant with efficient, friendly servers, which makes for a very relaxing and comforting space.

During my visit I opted for the Roasted Marrow Bones as an appetizer, which was served with a grilled green tomato and taro chips. I never tasted it before and I was really surprised at how good it was.

For the Main course I chose the Lac Brome Duck breast covered with Montreal style spices (in Maggie Oake’s twist styled) grilled to perfection, with a serving of celery root purée, market vegetables and cassis demi-glace.

For dessert, I couldn’t resist trying the Paris Brest, with light scoops of praline, a home-made Gianduja chocolate ice cream, served with caramelized almonds.

Maggie Oakes is not just a great addition to old Montreal, it’s a wonderful new attraction for the city.

Instagram : @maggieoakesmtl Web : maggieoakes.com

Retail Construction Challenge: Building Eileen Fisher

By

Retail Insider

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August 5, 2016

A considerable amount of work goes into creating a beautiful retail store. Often, there are multiple challenges faced at various stages of construction, which can range from unexpected delays to massive urban floods. Pace Construction‘s owner, Alison Eden, provides a brief overview of her challenges and successes in doing general contracting work on two Canadian Eileen Fisher stores.

Ms Eden explained how Pace Construction’s relationship with Eileen Fisher began a few years ago, when she received a call to tender for the Calgary store at CF Chinook Centre. She recognized how it was a great opportunity for her company, not to mention an honour, to build the retailer’s second Canadian store — and she wanted to do it right. A major incident happened during construction however, unrelated to the companies themselves — the Bow River flooded much of the city, making it almost impossible to get trucks through. Not only that, CF Chinook Centre became a flood ‘command post’ and all the while, time was ticking for Eileen Fisher’s scheduled July 2013 opening date.

Ms. Eden explained how hard work and cooperation, along with some begging of truck drivers and suppliers, allowed her team to complete construction of the store space despite much of Calgary being shut down for two weeks during the initial cleanup. Pace Construction’s goal was to see the project through and to make sure that Eileen Fisher opened as close to its originally intended schedule as possible. Hard work and good people made it happen, she said, with the store opening successfully to much fanfare.

The client was obviously impressed, and again contacted Pace Construction to build Eileen Fisher’s third Canadian store at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens. Although Toronto didn’t experience any floods, the project wasn’t without its challenges, she explained. With a considerable amount of help and support from Eileen Fisher’s New York office, the store was able to open in March of this year. Ms. Eden explained how Eileen Fisher knows its brand, and how each space is individually designed to cater to local shopper demographics. What resulted in Toronto was an airy store (see photos in this article) allowing customers to feel at home while they shop. Ms. Eden thanked her team as well as sub contractors, supers, project managers and others who made this possible, and she said “we can’t wait to sink our teeth into the next venture”.

Moving forward, Pace Construction is working on a number of retail construction projects at the moment, including for clients Hallmark, Claire’s, Yankee Candle, South Street Burger, The Children’s Place, Pepper Palace, Hot Topic and a soon-to-open Calvin Klein store in suburban Toronto.

Note: Pace Construction is an ongoing sponsor of Retail Insider. Contact craig@retail-insider.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Report Ranks 2 Canadian Retailers Among World’s Top 9 Shoe Stores

By

Craig Patterson

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August 4, 2016

Footwear News recently reported its picks for the world’s top nine footwear retailers. Remarkably, two of those are located in Canada and as well, a third store has a strong Canadian connection.

The publication sought out “luxury women’s boutiques that have transcended the typical retail experience to create something unprecedented” while setting a high bar for brick-and-mortar retail with “their elevated merchandising and visionary designs”. The two Canadian retailers profiled include Toronto’s 119 Corbo, and Vancouver’s Secret Location. A Los Angeles-based footwear retailer, formerly operating in Montreal, was also included among the nine stores profiled.

119 Corbo, located at 119 Yorkville Avenue, opened in 2007 and carries a variety of fashion and luxury brands within its multi-level heritage premises. Retail veteran Linda Perisa listed the store’s core brands, which include names such as Celine, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens, Haider Ackermann, Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela and Stella McCartney, among others. Ms. Perisa describes the store as being “the rebirth of cool”. The store is located in a heritage building alongside soon-to-open Christian Louboutin and Chanel (which opens in early 2017), as well as a number of other premium retailers that will be announced in the coming months.

Secret Location, at 1 Water Street in Vancouver’s Gastown, was also featured in the Footwear News piece. The 7,500 square foot store was founded by Carey Melnichuk in June of 2012, and it recently opened a second location, called ‘SL’, at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlets beside Vancouver International Airport. The Gastown store will be expanding soon with the recent closure of its adjacent ‘Tasting Room’ restaurant component. “Our space effortlessly blends whimsical and colourful design elements against a white-on-white backdrop,” said Ms. Melnichuk to Footwear News. “Our aesthetic is an exploration of old and new, symmetry and chaos, structure and playfulness. We want people to feel like they’ve escaped into a new world, to live in the moment and be inspired.”

The article also mentions footwear retailer Mona Moore, which operates a store in Venice Beach California. There’s a Canadian connection to the company – between 2002 and 2010, Mona Moore operated a luxury footwear location on prestigious Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal. The Venice Beach store opened in 2009 and the Montreal store was shuttered when Ms. Moore’s family made the decision to relocate from Montreal to Los Angeles.

These Canadian retailers are among some good company – Footwear News also praised Colette in Paris, considered to be one of the world’s most innovative lifestyle retailers. Other top retailers mentioned included London’s LN-CC, Fivestory in New York City, Just One Eye in Los Angeles, Antonia in Milan, Italy, and Miss Louise in Melbourne, Australia.

Warby Parker Opens 1st Canadian Location

By

Craig Patterson

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August 4, 2016

image-asset - 2021-08-08T214735.481 — RENDERING: WARBY PARKER

New York City-based eyewear retailer Warby Parker has opened its first international store location in Toronto. It could be the first of several locations, as the retailer tests out the Canadian market following the launch of its Canadian e-commerce site in 2012.

Located at 684 Queen Street West (on Canada’s ‘coolest street‘), the store’s interior is designed with “classic libraries in mind”, according to the company. The store features terrazzo-tiled floors, custom-made brass library lamps, suspended globe lighting, books displayed in custom shelving (and even more reading materials available for purchase) selected from some of Warby Parker’s favourite Canadian authors. The 1,048 square foot store was designed by Partners & Spade, in conjunction with The Lawrence Group.

Bryce Dymond, Principal/Broker at NorthWest Atlantic co-brokered the Queen Street West deal with Lindsay Bayer from Dallas.

To celebrate the Toronto opening, Warby Parker is releasing an exclusive set of frames for its Canadian customers only, that can be purchased in store and online. These include the ‘Durand‘ in Moss, and ‘Chamberlain‘ in Jet Black. They’re available for a limited time in those hues, both as sunglasses and optical.

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As well, Toronto-based artist, Micah Lexier (recipient of the 2015 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts) has created a series of three newsprint books called Free For the Taking, made in collaboration with fellow Canadian artists Maggie Groat, Mark Laliberte, and artist collective VSVSVS. The books will be on display throughout the store, and are free to take.

Warby Parker is an innovative, value-priced prescription eyewear retailer, which was founded in 2010 as a pure play online retailer with a $2,500 seed investment by students in the Venture Initiation Program of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Shortly after its launch, the company was featured on Vogue.com andGQ, referred to as ‘the Netflix of eyewear’.

The company has grown substantially and now boasts 30 brick-and-mortar stores in the United States. Last year, the company was reportedly valued at US $1.2 billion. Warby Parker designs its glasses in-house and sells directly to customers — prices are therefore generally lower than regular optical stores, which may mark up product substantially.

Canadians Invited to ‘Retail Safaris’ in New York City, London and Berlin

By

Retail Insider

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August 3, 2016

Retail Insider has partnered with UK-based Insider Trends, which is offering tours in some of the world’s top retail destinations. Their next stops are New York City, London and Berlin, Germany.

Insider Trends says: By 2020, 79% of spending will still be processed by offline channels. The future of physical retail is therefore about experience. So, to learn what’s coming next, shouldn’t you get out and experience the best in retail for yourself?

Insider Trends’ bespoke retail trend tours:

Take you straight to the latest and best retail experiences
Use first-hand examples to outline the future of global retail
Give you the lowdown on each concept and how it boosts the brand’s bottom line
Introduce you to the entrepreneurs and trendsetters shaping the future

All of our tours are developed on a bespoke basis and all meetings, store visits, restaurant choices and discussion will be shaped around your business’s interests and challenges. We want to help you make money and save money, by showing you the best examples of innovative practice that can help you to sell more. The tours can be anything from 3 hours to 3 days, and can be combined with presentations, workshops and trend reports.

You’re in good company. Clients include:

“Our retail safari was the most amazing day of the year! It’s left me full of ideas for the year to come. It’s a must have for future innovation.”
– Justine Richard, International Product Manager, Lancôme, Paris

To book, contact Inside Trends and use code ‘Insider Squared’, which will also provide a free trend report with your safari.

Trend Tours & Retail Safaris
Trend Presentations & Reports
www.insider-trends.com
+44 (0) 207 183 3785
contact@insider-trends.com

Saks OFF 5TH Announces Next 3 Canadian Store Opening Dates

By

Craig Patterson

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August 2, 2016

Saks OFF 5th Vaughan Mills (Image: Norman Katz)

Saks Fifth Avenue‘s off-price retail concept Saks OFF 5TH has revealed the opening date of its next three Canadian stores, located in Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton. All three stores will open on September 1 of this year, and each will mark ‘firsts’ in their respective markets. Saks says it plans to operate up to 25 Canadian OFF 5TH locations by the year 2018.

A 27,000 square foot Toronto OFF 5TH will open at 1950 Queensway at The West Mall in Toronto. The property is owned and operated by Fima Developments. Saks OFF 5TH will compliment the nearby full-priced 143,200 Saks Fifth Avenue store at CF Sherway Gardens, which opened in February of this year. The Toronto OFF 5TH will be the first within Toronto’s city boundaries, and the second for the Greater Toronto Area — the region’s first OFF 5TH opened in March of this year at Vaughan Mills. Analysts predict that the GTA will eventually house as many as eight OFF 5TH stores.

A 31,900 square foot Edmonton store will open at South Edmonton Common next month — the first of two confirmed for Alberta’s capital city. South Edmonton Common is one of North America’s largest open-air retail developments, and is owned and operated by Cameron Development Group. 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. Saks OFF 5TH also recently announced a second Edmonton store which will open in the spring of 2017 at Skyview Power Centre.

The Calgary Saks OFF 5TH will be located at Ivanhoé Cambridge‘s CrossIron Mills, and will measure about 30,000 square feet. CrossIron Mills is Calgary’s only outlet concept — the 1.2 million square foot centre sees about 9 million visitors annually and has yearly sales in excess of $300 million. Analysts predict that at least one more OFF 5TH location will open in or near Calgary.

Saks OFF 5TH has also announced plans for fall 2016 store openings at Tsawwassen Mills in South Delta, BC, as well as within the Hudson’s Bay building in downtown Ottawa. Saks OFF 5TH launched in March of this year with four locations in Ontario.

We’ll follow up this article with a summary of recently announced Canadian Saks OFF 5TH stores.

Nordstrom Rack Announces 2 More Canadian Locations

By

Craig Patterson

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August 2, 2016

Seattle-based Nordstrom has announced two more Canadian off-price Nordstrom Rack locations — one in Calgary, and one in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The Calgary store will be located at Deerfoot Meadows, and the GTA store will be at Vaughan Mills. Both will open in the spring of 2018, along with a recently announced urban Nordstrom Rack location to open at 1 Bloor Street East in downtown Toronto.

The Calgary Nordstrom Rack will measure about 30,500 square feet, while the Vaughan Mills unit will be about 35,000 square feet, according to Nordstrom. The Bloor Street store will be the largest announced to date, at 38,600 square feet over two levels.

Both Deerfoot Meadows and Vaughan Mills are owned and operated by Ivahnoé Cambridge. The Calgary centre is anchored by Ikea, Real Canadian Superstore, Walmart, Best Buy, and other large retailers, while Vaughan Mills includes several anchors including competitor Saks OFF 5TH, which opened at the centre in March of this year. Saks OFF 5TH will also soon have a Calgary presence when it opens this fall at Ivahnoé Cambridge’s CrossIron Mills.

Nordstrom has said in the past that it plans to open approximately 20 Nordstrom Rack stores across Canada.

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.

*Rendering: Hagan Properties Inc.

Salvatore Ferragamo Opens Largest Canadian Store [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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August 2, 2016

Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo has opened its third freestanding Canadian location at Square One in Mississauga, Ontario. The 4,425 square foot store is in the mall’s recently opened ‘Luxury Wing’, which is anchored by a Holt Renfrew location which opened last week.

The Mississauga Ferragamo features bags, accessories and footwear for men and women, as well as ready-to-wear collections for both genders. The store is divided into a series of rooms, providing a luxurious and intimate in-store experience.

Mississauga’s new store joins already existing Ferragamo locations in Vancouver and Toronto. Vancouver’s 3,000 square foot Ferragamo store (918 Robson Street) has operated at that location since the 1980’s and was fully renovated in 2012. In the summer of 2013, Ferragamo’s second freestanding store, spanning 3,830 square feet, opened at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in its ‘luxury wing’ adjacent to Holt Renfrew.

Square One’s luxury wing opened in March of 2016. Harry Rosen was the largest tenant to open in that space, measuring 19,730 square feet (according to lease plans). Other nearby retailers include Michael Kors, Club Monaco, Kate Spade, Ben Sherman and Wolford — which opened its third Canadian store in the centre in the spring. Jamie’s Italian restaurant also recently opened, and Coach will join the mix this fall.

Ferragamo accessories and footwear are also carried at selected Canadian retailers such as Holt Renfrew (for men and women), Harry Rosen (men’s items only), and at Saks Fifth Avenue, which opened its first two Canadian stores in February of this year in Toronto.

Yorkville Village Opens Food Hall

By

Craig Patterson

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July 29, 2016

Toronto’s Yorkville Village shopping centre is continuing with renovations and this month, opened a food hall on its lower level. So far five tenants have opened in the new space, and more will follow as construction continues.

The food hall is located adjacent to the mall’s ‘Oval Square’ – an atrium area providing natural light to the mall below. This fall, a new Yorkville Avenue mall entrance will direct shoppers into the new food hall, drawing traffic to the mall, while adding an attraction to the neighbourhood.

New food hall tenants include Toronto-based health-focused Freshii, Kebaberie (gourmet Lebanese food), Pannizza (quick-serve pizza/Panini), The Fresh Tea Shop, and Corner – a new concept by Toronto-based Spoon & Fork, offering Thai cuisine.

Landlord First Capital Realty is in the process of renovating the 40-year old, 210,000 square foot Yorkville Village mall, which rebranded from its former name ‘Hazelton Lanes’ in December of 2014. The new Yorkville Village is being renovated to reflect a modern, light aesthetic, and it recently saw the addition of new retailers such as Maska Mode and Sarah Pacini, as well as the relocation of luxurious menswear retailer ‘philip’ into a new retail space that some are saying is among the most beautiful in Canada.

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OTH (Off The Hook) Opens 2nd Location, and Café Olimpico

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