Links of London to Open 2 Freestanding Canadian Locations this Spring

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March 9, 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Craig Patterson

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March 8, 2016

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

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

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

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

See below for photos.

Saks Fifth Avenue Food Hall at CF Sherway Gardens

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

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

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

Inside Harry Rosen’s New Square One Flagship [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

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March 7, 2016

Last week, iconic Toronto-based menswear retailer Harry Rosen opened a large replacement location at Mississauga’s Square One. The store is located in the mall’s new ‘luxury wing’ which boasts a number of upscale retailers.

The new store replaces a former 10,000 square foot Harry Rosen location that opened at Square One about 30 years ago. Lease plans provided by landlord Oxford Properties show the new Harry Rosen store occupying a primary retail floor of 15,075 square feet, plus an additional 4,660 square foot mezzanine, for a total of about 19,735 square feet.

The store’s interior is bright, and features an expanded selection of designers such as John Varvatos, Armani Collezioni, Versace Collection, Burberry, Munro Tailoring, Moncler, Paul Smith, Canali and Hugo Boss, among others. The store features a custom installation of dress shirts and furnishings, prominently featuring items from Eton on Sweden, and also features cufflinks and other accessories from popular designer Robert Tateossian.

The store also features an expansive shoe selection, featuring footwear designers Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, To Boot New York, Hugo Boss, Cole Haan and others. The store also features a fully staffed, state-of-the-art tailor shop, as well as a private, club-like made-to-measure consultation area.

“Our new flagship store represents our most modern thinking in terms of store design,” said CEO Larry Rosen. “We’re thrilled to reveal this state-of-the-art store here. This new store is a testament to how well we understand the needs and wants of Canadian men. Our buyers are based here in Toronto and curate the world’s finest menswear collections with a uniquely Canadian perspective – specifically tailored to every unique market we operate in.” Mr. Rosen went on to say: “We set out to build the best shopping experiences for men. Everything was designed with the delivery of our legendary customer service in mind.”

See more photos below, all via Harry Rosen.

Black Goat Cashmere to Open Unique Governmenet Street Location

By

Craig Patterson

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March 6, 2016

Luxurious Vancouver-based cashmere brand Black Goat Cashmere is continuing its store expansion with a new location in Victoria, British Columbia. The store will be at the heart of the city’s tourist zone in a remarkable heritage building, and is scheduled to open in May of this year.

Located at 1008 Government Street, Black Goat Cashmere will occupy 1,175 square feet of space in the Promis Block, an historical building constructed in 1905. The building is regarded as one of the most detailed examples of Edwardian renaissance architecture in downtown Victoria. It was designed by Hooper and Watkins Architects for Oscar Promis of San Jose, California, featuring a Government Street frontage of glazed bricks, molded terracotta decorative elements, recessed upper bay windows and cast iron columns.

One of the most distinctive elements of the Promis Block is the continuation of the building through the entire block with facades on both Government Street and Langley Street, allowing for a unique retail floor plate with dual frontages. The building went through a comprehensive renovation which included a full seismic upgrade, according to Black Goat.

Oberfeld Snowcap acted on behalf of Black Goat Cashmere in the deal, and Colliers International represented the landlord.

Black Goat’s products are designed in Vancouver and manufactured in Mongolia with the highest-quality cashmere. The company is vertically integrated, and sells a variety of cashmere products for men, women and children. Some garments have accents such as mother of pearl buttons and leather trim. The Mongolian cashmere used is from long strands, which are known for durability and high quality.

Black Goat Cashmere currently has three store locations: a downtown Vancouver store at 925 West Georgia Street in the city’s ‘Luxury Zone’, a second Vancouver location on Vancouver’s tony South Granville strip (the company’s first, which opened in 2011), and a Toronto store which opened in the winter of 2015 at The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West.

MAC Cosmetics to Open Saint Catherine Street Flagship

By

Craig Patterson

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March 6, 2016

attachment-56d8a29527d4bd052da24959 — exc-56d8a29527d4bd052da24959

MAC Cosmetics will open a prominent corner location this summer in the heart of Montreal’s busiest shopping area. MAC will replace footwear retailer Spring, which closed last week.

MAC will locate in the Confederation Building at 1253 McGill College Avenue, at Saint Catherine Street West. Other tenants in the building include skincare brand Keihl’s, Les 3 Brasseurs restaurant, and Google.

MAC currently operates four freestanding locations in Montreal (4157 Rue Saint-Denis, Rockland Centre, CF Fairview Pointe Claire, CF Carrefour Laval) as well as concessions in Ogilvy and several Hudson’s Bay stores. The brand was founded in Toronto in 1984, though it is now headquartered in New York City under the Estée Lauder ownership umbrella. MAC is one of the world’s top three makeup brands, with annual turnover of over $1 billion US annually and over 500 independent stores in 79 countries internationally.

Thank you Maxime Frechette for being the source of this article.

Prominent ‘Mink Mile’ Building Sold to Amsterdam-Based Investors

By

Craig Patterson

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March 4, 2016

The 1200 Bay Street office/retail block has been sold to European investors. The building includes flagship locations for footwear retailers David’s Footwear and Capezio Shoes, and is at the northwest corner of Bloor Street West and Bay Street in the heart of Toronto’s ‘Mink Mile’.

The 100,000 square foot 12-story mixed-use building was built in 1966, and its sellers were the original group that developed the building. Jordan Karp, Senior Vice President of Paracom Realty, along with Vice President Ryan Morein, acted in the capacity of both exclusive listing and selling broker for the deal. The successful bid was made by ProWinko Canada Inc. and Kroonenberg Groep, who closed the transaction on March 2, 2016. Prowinko and Kroonenberg Groep are both privately owned real estate companies based in Amsterdam.

Mr. Karp said: “Arguably one of the most coveted corners in Canada, it was the first time in 50 years the property was available. The sale process we implemented resulted in an overwhelming number of bids, from both private and institutional investors, Canadian and Foreign based that recognized the value of this iconic corner.”

ProWinko is no stranger to the area. In 2008, it bought the commercial podium of 110 Bloor Street West, which features retailers J. Crew, Brooks Brothers, Browns Shoes, Winners/HomeSense, Calvin Klein Underwear and Guerlain. The 1200 Bay Street deal is the first Canadian real estate investment for Kroonenberg Groep.

Frank & Oak Partners with Cadillac Fairview For New Concept Stores

By

Craig Patterson

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March 3, 2016

Innovative Montreal-based omni-channel men’s apparel brand Frank & Oak has partnered with landlord Cadillac Fairview for multiple store locations. The brand recently opened a store at Toronto’s CF Shops at Don Mills, and will open two concept stores within Cadillac Fairview mall properties this spring.

Stores will feature innovative storefronts and according to co-founder and CEO Ethan Song, “Frank & Oak’s concept stores are spaces that promote engagement between customers and the brand that goes well beyond a simple transaction. We’re offering an experience that connects the digital and physical experience seamlessly and in ways that actually solve customer challenges.”

The first ‘enhanced concept’ Frank & Oak store, measuring 3,200 square feet, will open in mid-May of this year at CF Carrefour Laval, north of Montreal. A second location is planned later this spring at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto, measuring about 2,300 square feet. When both are open, Frank & Oak will operate 10 Canadian stores, as well as three in the United States. The company says that it will also announce another location later this spring.

Moving into shopping malls is relatively new for Frank & Oak, as its real estate strategy has primarily involved operating street-front stores in major cities. The company operates street-front stores in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa, as well as in Boston, Washington DC and Chicago in the United States.

Frank & Oak’s new mall stores will feature dedicated personal styling spaces, apothecary displays, barber services and a café and lounge space.

Update: Frank & Oak also opened a store at Laurier Quebec in Quebec City on March 4, 2016. That mall property is owned and operated by landlord Ivanhoé Cambridge.

Canada’s Top 25 Most Productive Shopping Centres [2016 Edition]

By

Craig Patterson

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March 3, 2016

Almost all of Canada’s top 25 most productive shopping centres saw increases in 2015 over the year prior, despite the economy and Canadian dollar. Brick-and-mortar retail will continue to thrive, according to one retail expert.

Here are Canada’s top 25 shopping centres, based on annual sales per square foot as of December 31, 2015:

1. Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto, ON: $1,610

2. CF Pacific Centre, Vancouver, BC: $1599

3. Oakridge Centre, Vancouver, BC: $1,537

4. CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Toronto, ON: $1,509

5. Southgate Centre, Edmonton, AB: $1,215

6. CF Chinook Centre, Calgary, AB: $1,119

7. Royal Bank Plaza, Toronto, ON: $1,096

8. CF Rideau Centre, Ottawa, ON: $1,018

9. Metropolis at Metrotown, Burnaby, BC: $1,008

10. Square One Shopping Centre, Mississauga ON: $994

11. CF Sherway Gardens, Toronto, ON: $965

12: CF Market Mall, Calgary, AB: $961

13: CF Richmond Centre, Richmond, BC: $928

14: CF Fairview Mall, Toronto, ON: $913

15: CF Carrefour Laval, Laval QC: $888

16: CF Polo Park, Winnipeg, MB: $886

17: CF Masonville Place, London, ON: $855

18: Toronto Dominion Centre, Toronto, ON: $836

19: Holt Renfrew Centre, Toronto, ON: $828

29: Mapleview Centre, Burlington ON: $823

21: Peter Pond Mall, Ft. McMurray, AB: $804

22: Complex Les Ailes, Montreal QC: $790

23: Scarborough Town Centre, Toronto, ON: $790

24: Conestoga Mall, Waterloo, ON: $786

25: Halifax Shopping Centre, Halifax, NS: $783

Thank you to everyone involved in collecting these numbers.

Last year, we ranked Canada’s top 20 malls by sales per square foot (those numbers are also at the end of this article). Examining this year’s numbers, all malls saw gains except for Ft. McMurray’s Peter Pond Mall. Given the economy in that community, it’s remarkable that sales still surpassed $800 per square foot, down from $887 in 2014.

Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre has surpassed Vancouver’s Pacific Centre to become Canada’s most productive mall. It is also Canada’s top selling, with sales in excess of $1.2 billion annually. According to Marketing Director Lucia Connor, Yorkdale’s success is a result of securing top stores, retail innovation, and constant improvements. She noted that the mall is continuously innovating, be it hosting pop-up retailers or Fashion Santa over the winter holiday shopping season, and that landlord Oxford Properties endeavours to secure the world’s top brands (many are first-to-market) for the centre. For those wondering about parking, Ms. Connor says that there will be more valet parking options in the new Nordstrom wing expansion which opens this fall, and that Yorkdale will eventually boast 8,000 parking spaces.

Although West Edmonton Mall didn’t make the top 25 list at $753 per square foot, representatives say that the mall’s central corridor does sales of about $1,210 per square foot annually.

Breaking the above list down geographically, 11 of the top 25 malls are in the Greater Toronto Area, with four in Vancouver/Lower Mainland, two in the Montreal area, two in Calgary, and one each in Edmonton, Ft. McMurray, London, Waterloo, Ottawa and Halifax.

Farla Efros, President of leading consultancy HRC Advisory, said that it is fully expected that Canada’s top mall properties would continue to experience sales growth, particularly as many of these malls continue to expand, renovate and secure new tenants (possibly at the expense of less productive retailers). Despite gains in online retail sales, Ms. Efros noted that Canadians are still shopping with their feet and wallets and given burgeoning sales numbers, it’s a myth that brick-and-mortar retail is dead. She noted how top malls have been spending a fortune to expand and renovate properties, adding high-end tenants, valet services, and upgrading food offerings.

Ms. Efros mentioned how the low Canadian dollar is keeping Canadians shopping in this country, but said that’s not the only reason Canadians are shopping domestically. She noted that over the past five years, there have been so many U.S. retailers enter Canada that now, American malls are less of a “unique and differentiating experience”. For media sources interested in speaking to Farla Efros further about this study, she can be reached at: fefros@hrcadvisory.com.

Here are our numbers from 2014:

1) Pacific Centre, Vancouver, BC: $1,498

2) Toronto Eaton Centre, Toronto, ON: $1,420

3) Oakridge Shopping Centre, Vancouver, BC: $1,395

4) Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto, ON: $1,356

5) Southgate Shopping Centre, Edmonton, AB: $1,117

6) Chinook Centre, Calgary, AB: $1,083

7) Rideau Centre, Ottawa, ON: $1,002

8) Holt Renfrew Centre, Toronto, ON: “over $1,000” says landlord. (Note: see above for more accurate numbers)

9) Market Mall, Calgary, AB: $942

10) Sherway Gardens, Toronto, ON: $935

11) Square One, Mississauga, ON: $910

12) Peter Pond Mall, Ft. McMurray, AB: $887

13) Metropolis at Metrotown, Burnaby, BC: $886

14) Polo Park, Winnipeg, MB: $873

15) Le Carrefour Laval, Laval, QC: $865

16) Fairview Mall, Toronto, ON: $843

17) Richmond Centre, Richmond, BC: $833

18) Royal Bank Plaza, Toronto ON: $820

19) Toronto Dominion Centre, Toronto, ON: $818

20) Bayview Village, Toronto, ON: $810

Simons to Open ‘Next-Generation’ Eco-Store in 2018

By

Craig Patterson

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March 2, 2016

Quebec City-based large format retailer La Maison Simons will open an innovative new store, costing about $50 million, at Quebec City’s Galeries de la Capitale. The store will replace the mall’s Target location which closed last year, and will replace an existing Simons store about half the size in the same mall.

“This is the very first store where the concept of ecology will be ubiquitous”, said company president Peter Simons. The store will occupy about 80,000 square feet and will feature solar panels and recharging stations for electric cars, among other innovations. “The goal is to achieve a zero net footprint”, according to Mr. Simons.

Simons at Galeries de la Capitale (Rendering: LEMAYMICHAUD)

The store will also be a prototype, providing “a unique and improved customer experience through new digital and interactive technologies” that will initially be tested in the new store before being introduced to other Simons locations, according to Mr. Simons. Quebec City-based architectural firm LemayMichaud is designing the store.

Construction on the new $50 million store begins in the second half of 2016, with the store anticipated to open in the spring of 2018. Galeries de la Capitale’s landlord, Oxford Properties, will add a 10,000 square foot concourse to connect the mall’s central courtyard to the future Simons store, creating 23,000 square feet of prime retail space in the process.

Kate Spade Continues Canadian Store Expansion

By

Craig Patterson

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March 2, 2016

Popular American fashion brand Kate Spade will open two west Greater Toronto Area locations this spring, including one which opened yesterday. Kate Spade will soon boast 10 full-priced Canadian stores as well as two outlets.

Yesterday, Kate Spade opened a store at Mississauga’s Square One, in a new south expansion wing anchored by Harry Rosen and a 130,000 square foot Holt Renfrew (opening this summer). A recent City of Toronto application also shows that Kate Spade will open a store at CF Sherway Gardens in a space near Tiffany & Co. and Judith & Charles.

Kate Spade’s first Canadian location opened in October of 2012 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and its second location opened in May of 2013 at 138 Cumberland Street in Toronto’s Yorkville area. It now operates stores in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa. When the Square One and Sherway units open, the brand will boast five GTA stores. Kate Spade also operates outlet locations at the Toronto Premium Outlets, and the Outlet Collection at Niagara.

New York City-based Kate Spade is a popular mid-priced designer label that features handbags and accessories, women’s ready-to-wear, footwear, stationery and address books, fragrances, eyewear and a home collection. Given the company’s variety of offerings, it has become referred to as a ‘lifestyle accessories and fashion brand’. Kate Spade herself left the company in 2006 when she sold her shares of the company to Neiman Marcus, relinquishing creative control. The Kate Spade brand is now owned by Kate Spade & Company.

Retail InsiderCanada's Most-Read Online Retail Industry Publication.

Links of London to Open 2 Freestanding Canadian Locations this Spring

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

See below for photos.

Inside Harry Rosen’s New Square One Flagship [Photos]

Black Goat Cashmere to Open Unique Governmenet Street Location

MAC Cosmetics to Open Saint Catherine Street Flagship

Prominent ‘Mink Mile’ Building Sold to Amsterdam-Based Investors

Frank & Oak Partners with Cadillac Fairview For New Concept Stores

Canada’s Top 25 Most Productive Shopping Centres [2016 Edition]

Simons to Open ‘Next-Generation’ Eco-Store in 2018

Kate Spade Continues Canadian Store Expansion

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