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Nobis Opens North American Flagship in Canada

By
Craig Patterson
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Queen Street Nobis Storefront (Image: NOBIS)

Popular Toronto-based outerwear brand nobis (Latin for “us”, spelled with a lower-case “n”) has opened its first North American flagship in Toronto, and it has plans to further expand its already successful wholesale operations. We spoke with Vice President Robin Yates to learn more about the company’s plans for Canada, as well as its intentions to open free-standing stores internationally.

Mr. Yates founded nobis in 2007, and it quickly grew to become a lifestyle brand. The company is primarily known for its technical, functional and fashionable outerwear as well as headwear, knitwear and footwear. Remarkably, unlike competitors, its down-filled jackets are machine-washable. The company says that it embraces “the conviction that trends may come and go, but style, function and quality remain timeless”. The brand is carried in various retailers in Canada including Holt Renfrew, Sport Chek, Boys’Co and Mendocino. American luxury retailer Neiman Marcus recently picked up the line for its U.S. stores, and nobis is now carried in about 40 countries. 

The company’s first North American flagship just opened at 360 Queen Street West in Toronto’s popular Queen Street West area. The 3,000 square foot retail space was formerly occupied by French Connection, which has closed most of its Canadian stores.

Having a dedicated storefront is strategic for the brand, according to HRC Advisory President Farla Efros. She explained how dedicated mono-brand boutiques allow owner/operators to create a unique customer experience through a more ‘hands-on’ approach, while controlling the brand message. She explained these boutiques create a strong testing mechanism to help understand what works and what doesn’t, while allowing the brand to build ‘street credibility’ before moving into the mainstream, which requires more diligence. 

Image Nobis
NOBIS
INSIDE THE NEW TORONTO STORE. PHOTO: NOBIS

Prior to its Toronto store opening, nobis’ only free-standing location was in Paris, France. Mr. Yates explained the company’s ambitious international expansion plans, including how the brand intends to open free-standing stores in Milan, New York City, and in Stockholm, Sweden, as well as replace its current Paris flagship.

The company will also expand its collection of shops-in-stores as well as its international wholesale accounts, as nobis is now available in over 40 countries. Mr. Yates explained that at the moment, the Toronto store is its only planned location for Canada, as nobis continues to foster careful and meaningful relationships with its Canadian wholesale accounts. 

OMEGA to Open at Sherway Gardens

By
Craig Patterson
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OMEGA Sherway Gardens Rendering - SUPPLIED

A retail presence for luxury Swiss timepiece brand OMEGA will open at Toronto’s Sherway Gardens this fall. The 400 square foot retail environment will be adjacent to and operated by upscale jeweller L’Oro, which will also operate the mall’s Chopard boutique. All stores are scheduled to open this fall in Sherway Gardens’ $550 million, 210,000 square foot expansion. 

Over 200 OMGEA timepieces will be featured, including four main watch lines – Seamaster, Contellation, De Ville and Speedmater. Some of the brand’s most luxurious timepieces will be featured, including the James Bond Limited Edition Aqua Terra, the new Moonwatch “Silver Snoopy Award” Chronograph, the De Ville Prestige Butterfly Collection and, coming soon, the new Constellation Globemaster, the world’s first Master Chronometer. 

Sherway Gardens’ OMEGA will feature the brand’s global design concept, with a façade conceived around the themes of the sun, water, earth and (fittingly) time. OMEGA’s retail presence will have its own mall entrance, and will feature a dedicated seating space where customers may enjoy expert one-on-one consultation. 

PHOTO: OMEGA

L’Oro will also open a 400 square foot Chopard boutique at Sherway Gardens, a first for Canada. L’Oro will operate its 2,500 square foot multi-brand flagship between OMEGA and Chopard, addressing the trend towards jewellers opening free-standing and shop-in-store locations for its luxury brands. 

By the spring of 2017, Sherway Gardens will feature new Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom stores, joining existing anchor Hudson’s Bay. Other large mall stores will include replacement locations for Sporting Life and Harry Rosen, both relocating this fall as part of the mall’s overhaul. 

Canada’s only official OMEGA boutique opened in early 2010 in the lobby of the the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Originally intended to be a four-month pop-up location, the successful boutique became permanent and subsequently has expanded. 

Nordstrom Reveals Luxurious Canadian Flagship Interior Renderings

By
Craig Patterson
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Nordstrom has just provided us with renderings of the ground-floor interior of its 230,000 square foot flagship in Vancouver. It appears that the Pacific Centre store will carry substantially more luxury brands than Nordstrom’s Calgary and Ottawa stores, with dedicated spaces for brands carried at nearby competitor, Holt Renfrew. 

The rendering of Nordstrom’s ground-floor women’s designer handbags department, above, shows shop-in-stores for brands including Céline, Saint Laurent Paris, Valentino and Balenciaga. Retail Insider’s William Connor took the photo, below, showing an in-store Delvaux installation, as well as a display for Chloé bags. For those unfamiliar, Delvaux is a pricey Belgian luxury leathergoods brand with bags costing into the thousands, available in the United States at Barneys New York. 

The rendering of Nordstrom’s ground-floor women’s shoe department, below, shows boutiques for Christian Louboutin and Balenciaga. The Balenciaga shoe shop will be a first for Canada, and Louboutin’s boutique will be a Canadian second, following the opening of the Louboutin boutique at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre Holt Renfrew in December of 2013. 

Holt Renfrew, located a block north of Nordstrom, carries all of the brands mentioned above except for Delvaux. By the end of 2016, Holt Renfrew’s 150,000 square foot store will expand by 40,000 square feet to occupy about 190,000 square feet. Its women’s handbags department will expand to a whopping 30,000 square feet, while women’s footwear will triple in size to about 10,000 square feet. Although Holt Renfrew won’t officially reveal what new brands may come to its expanded store, sources say that Prada-owned Miu Miu could open a shop-in-store leathergoods concession, and that its women’s footwear department could see several new shop-in-store branded boutiques, similar to Holt’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre location in Toronto. Yorkdale’s Holt’s features footwear shops for Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo.

Although Nordstrom’s Calgary and Ottawa stores carry some luxury brands, few of the labels listed above are carried at either (with the exception of Valentino and Chloé). Furthermore, neither of those locations feature handbag and footwear shops-in-stores like those portrayed in the renderings above. On Thursday, Retail Insider’s Helen Siwak will tour the new Vancouver Nordstrom store, and she will report back to us with her findings. 

Rocky Mountain Soap Company Reveals Growth and Renovation Plans

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: Rocky Mountain Soap

Canmore, Alberta-based Rocky Mountain Soap Company continues to open new stores, and it is also renovating some existing units to reflect the retailer’s updated branding. We spoke with its CEO and co-owner, Karina Birch, to gain insight into why the retailer has become so popular, as well as its plans to expand into new markets. 

Founded in Canmore in 1995, Rocky Mountain Soap Company offers a wide variety of 100% natural and toxin-free personal care products. The company uses high-quality essential oils, pure natural beeswax, food-grade vegetable oils, real grains, fresh herbs and fruits and vegetables in its products. Ms. Birch explained to us how she took a small craft business and turned it into an all-natural retailer with a team of in-house chemists, boasting 10 locations in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. Rocky Mountain Soap’s value proposition includes exceptionally informed customer service, promoting a healthy lifestyle free of potentially dangerous chemicals. 

The retailer plans to roughly double its current store count over the next three years and as well, it will renovate some existing locations. Although it sounds ambitious, Ms. Birch explained how Rocky Mountain Soap will focus on quality over quantity, particularly focusing on the in-store experience, as well as growing its e-commerce business which now accounts for approximately 10% of its business. Its West Edmonton Mall location is currently closed for renovations and when it re-opens in October, it will feature the retailer’s updated aesthetic of environmentally-friendly and reclaimed materials. Notably, its recently opened Calgary Market Mall location features recycled marble from a building in Toronto. Photos in this article are of the Market Mall location. 

Rocky Mountain Soap Company is working with brokerage Oberfeld Snowcap [Link to representative brokers] for its Canadian expansion. It seeks locations in the 700 square foot to 800 square foot range, both streetfront as well as in busy malls. Ms. Birch revealed that the company is looking to further expand into the Vancouver market where it currently has two locations, and then into the Toronto area within the next two years. 

We spoke with HRC Advisory President Farla Efros, who explained how ‘small is the new big’ when it comes to some retailers. As consumer choices continue to grow, many consumers now seek unique offerings and as a result, we’re seeing more independent and pop-up stores in Canada. Some consumers, she explained, are also seeking out smaller businesses that create ‘community’ and ‘neighbourhood’ feel. Furthermore, these businesses tend to spend more time editing their selections, products and services and as a result, may be more likely to meet individual needs. She then went on to say that clear messaging, strong visuals and professional staff are necessary for any retailer — all of which are present at successful retailers such as Rocky Mountain Soap Company. 

For those who are in Calgary on October 7, Rocky Mountain Soap Company’s Karina Birch will be presenting on the topic of independent retailers at Retail Council of Canada‘s MySTORE MySTORY Roadshow. For more information, visit: www.retailcouncil.org/events/mystore-mystory-fall-roadshow/calgary.

Retailers: Retail Week Sign-Up Ends Friday, September 4

By
Retail Insider
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Retailer registration for University of Alberta’s School of Retailing‘s Retail Week ends Friday. Taking place between October 5 and October 9 in Edmonton, Retail Week is Canada’s largest student-focused industry event.

Retailers will be particularly interested in the Wednesday, October 7 Career Fair, taking place on campus. You’ll meet some of Canada’s brightest retail industry-focused students, eager to secure positions with top companies. Be sure to bring your greatest ideas and your most energetic human capital. For more information and to sign up, contact Emily Salsbury at: salsbury@ualberta.ca

On Monday October 5, Retail Insider’s Craig Patterson will host a lunch for University of Alberta School of Business graduates. He’ll discuss the future of the Canadian retail industry, as well as retail education. To attend, School of Business alumni may reach Craig directly at: clpatter@ualberta.ca.

On the evening of Tuesday, October 6, Retail Council of Canada is hosting a MySTORE MySTORY Roadshow event. The founders of iconic Edmonton-based retailer Audrey’s Books (Sharon and Steve Budnarchuk) will speak on the topic of successfully running a book retailer in the digital age, including related risks and challenges. Networking opportunities exist, and you may sign up here. For those in Calgary on Wednesday, October 7, Rocky Mountain Soap Company co-owner Karina Birch will discuss her company’s phenomenal success at Retail Council of Canada’s MySTORE MySTORY event in that city, and you may sign up and learn more here. 

On Thursday, October 8, School of Retailing’s Consulting Group (SOR|CG) will lunch with School of Retailing’s distinguished Advisory Board. Following the lunch will be a two hour networking session with our retailers who have travelled in from across the country and even the United States.

On Friday, October 9, School of Retailing’s many real estate partners are thrilled to host students to expand their knowledge of commercial real estate, property management and leasing. Details of office and mall tours to follow. 

University of Alberta’s School of Retailing is at the forefront of retail trends, preparing Canada’s brightest retail industry-focused students for careers in the industry. We’re honoured to be part of it, and encourage everyone to get involved.  

Here’s a professional video from last year’s Retail Week and as well, below is a visual of some of the retailers and other entities who attended Retail Week 2014. 

For more information, visit www.RetailWeek.ca

MUJI Announces 2nd Canadian Location

By
Craig Patterson
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Minimalist Japanese retailer Muji has announced its second Canadian location, as it plans an expansion that could see up to eight Muji stores open over the next five years. Its second location will open this fall and according to the company, it will be larger than its downtown Toronto location. 
 
Muji’s second Canadian store will open in November at Square One in Mississauga. The store will measure 5,226 square feet, according to company representative Takashi Matsumoto. Muji’s first Canadian store, measuring 4,400 square feet, opened in November of 2014 at Toronto’s Atrium on Bay. Square One’s Muji will feature food items and children’s clothing for the first time and as well, its furniture display area will be about four times larger with more selection than its Atrium unit. 
 
In Canada, Muji is represented by a prominent Toronto broker and according to landlords we’ve spoken with, talks with Muji continue for properties nationwide. Although Muji has indicated that Vancouver is the next market outside of Toronto, sources tell us that the company has been in talks to open in other Canadian cities as well. 

Toru Tsunoda, president of Muji Canada, told Reuters that Muji’s plans to open seven or eight stores across Canada is part of a broader plan for the retailer to operate more stores overseas than in Japan within the next two years. Muji currently operates 401 stores in Japan and 301 stores outside of Japan.
 
“I hope to open seven to eight (Canadian) stores in the next five years,” said Mr. Tsunoda (in a Japanese language interview). “But opening one store a year may be a realistic goal because we want to open (each) new location carefully.”
 
Muji currently offers about 2,800 items in Canada, versus 3,500 in the United States and more than 7,000 in Japan. 
 
Known for being innovative and its products being affordable and unbranded, Muji carries various household items, furniture, appliances, stationery and apparel. With hundreds of stores worldwide, it saves money by avoiding locating stores in high-rent areas and spends little to nothing on market research and advertising. Muji is short for Mujirushi Ryohin, or no-brand superior items, and was founded in 1980 as the private-label brand of a major supermarket chain (not unlike Canada’s Joe Fresh). Muji currently operates 10 American stores. Five are in New York City, and five are in California (San Francisco, Palo Alto, San Jose, Hollywood, and Santa Monica).

 

Plus-Sized Retailer Torrid Plans Up to 50 Canadian Locations

By
Craig Patterson
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TORONTO EATON CENTRE OPENING, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015. PHOTO VIA TORRID

Popular plus-sized U.S. retailer Torrid plans to open a substantial number of retail locations in Canada, following the recent opening of its first international location in Toronto. We spoke with CEO Lisa Harper to gain insight into Torrid’s plans to dominate Canada’s plus-sized womenswear market, and how recent changes to the company have led to increased success.

Torrid was founded by retailer Hot Topic in suburban Los Angeles in 2001. Torrid quickly grew to become a lifestyle brand, now carrying a wide variety of ready-to-wear (sizes 12-26), footwear, undergarments, beauty products and accessories. The company is particularly known for following the latest fashion trends, head-to-toe. Torrid boasts over 320 stores in the United States and by the end of 2015, it will have opened 80 locations, including five in Canada.

We asked Ms. Harper why she chose Canada to launch Torrid’s international expansion and she explained that about half of all of Torrid’s international e-commerce business was already in Canada. Furthermore, Canadians overwhelmingly requested that Torrid open here and given the success of its stores close to the Canadian border, the company felt it was time to expand beyond the United States.

TORONTO OPENING. PHOTO: BRUCE WINDER.

Torrid’s first Canadian location opened September 1 at Toronto Eaton Centre. Ms. Harper revealed that in October, locations will open at Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, Ontario, as well as at Vaughan Mills, just north of Toronto. She said that two more Ontario locations will be revealed shortly, both to open this year.

Ms. Harper then went on to say that Torrid will open about 10 Canadian locations in 2016, targeting British Columbia, Calgary and Edmonton. She said that, ultimately, Torrid will look to operate between 40 and 50 locations in Canada, ideally in the 3,000 square foot to 3,500 square foot range. She noted that space in Canadian malls is a bit tighter than in the U.S., so some Canadian locations may be slightly smaller than the typical American Torrid store. Furthermore, markets where Hot Topic is located will generally be first to see Torrid locations, given pre-existing knowledge of those markets. Hot Topic currently operates nine stores in Southern Ontario and Alberta, and about 700 locations in the United States. 

Torrid modified its business model about two and a half years ago, according to Ms. Harper, resulting in significantly increased sales. The company became more trend-focused and expanded its offerings, and women were immediately receptive. She explained how fashions are now ‘younger and sexier’, and how the ‘full-wardrobing’ approach had led to increased customer loyalty, prompting the company’s aggressive expansion plans.

Iconic Luxury Retailer Milli Plans Revamp and New Location

By
Craig Patterson
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Milli Toronto Rendering (Image: Milli)

Hamilton Ontario-based luxury multi-brand women’s fashion retailer Milli is revamping its operations, including opening a replacement location in Toronto’s posh Yorkville area. We spoke with Milli’s Vice President to gain insight into how the small, independent retailer is beating competition through exceptional designer product curation and personalized customer service.

Milli Gould

Retail store Milli was founded by Milli Gould in 1964 in Hamilton. Ms. Gould traveled to Europe to get the best brands possible, fostering relationships with some of the world’s top fashion houses. Milli’s taste and brand selection soon caught the attention of affluent Toronto women, who would make the 45-minute drive to Hamilton to shop at Ms. Gould’s store. Lunch would be served in the Hamilton store, and women would spend the afternoon shopping for unique pieces from top international brands. 

As traffic congestion became increasingly worse in Southern Ontario, however, the trip from Toronto to Hamilton became increasingly arduous. In order to better serve her Toronto clients, Ms. Gould opened a boutique in 2002 at 100 Bloor Street West in the city’s upscale Yorkville area. The 100 Bloor space faces north onto Village of Yorkville Park, with exposure onto Cumberland Street. 

Milli Toronto Rendering (Image: Milli)

We spoke with Milli’s Vice President (and son of the founder) Ben Gould, who revealed that Milli has purchased a nearby property to relocate its Toronto operations. Some clients complained that parking and accessibility was a challenge at 100 Bloor, and the new store will feature on-site parking. Located at 231 Avenue Road (corner of Roxborough Street), the new 2,200 square foot two-level Milli location will open this fall. The new store is especially strategic, as it is even closer to affluent clients who live in nearby areas such as South Hill/Casa Loma, Forest Hill and Rosedale. Renderings of the new store in this article are courtesy of STAMP Architecture.  

MILLI HAMILTON STORE. PHOTO: WWW.THELABELFINDER.COM

Mr. Gould revealed that Milli’s 5,000 square foot Hamilton store will see changes by the fall of 2016 as the retailer refreshes its existing operations, though details have yet to be finalized. Some new brands may be added to both locations, though Milli’s roster of designers is already impressive. Labels such as Valentino, Alberta Ferretti, Brunello Cucinelli, Erdem, Etro, Lanvin, Missoni and others are carried, with a selection catering to Milli’s fashionable clients. Adding to this is Milli’s exceptionally personalized customer service, resulting in tremendously loyal customer base. Although expansion outside of Toronto and Hamilton is a possibility at some point in the future, Mr. Gould said that his company will first focus on making Milli’s two locations the best that they can be. 

Revealed: La Maison Simons’ Unusual Configuration at ‘The CORE’

By
Craig Patterson
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The Core Simons (RENDERING: SIMONS)

La Maison Simons is confirmed to be opening its first Calgary location at The CORE shopping centre in spring of 2017. Simons’ somewhat awkward configuration has been revealed on landlord 20 Vic Management‘s leasing website. Plans show a five-level retail space carved out of a heritage office building and existing retail space and as well, Simons will occupy some of the public corridors which currently provide pedway access to neighbouring Scotia Centre and Hudson’s Bay to the east.

We have provided ‘before and after’ floor plans to each of Simons’ floors in this article. You can click on each plan for a PDF lease plan of the entire CORE centre. The first plan of each floor will be of Simons’ new retail space, followed by a recent plan from the fall of 2014 showing what was there prior. The fall 2014 plans are each marked ‘before’, to hopefully avoid any potential confusion. 

In the fall of 2014, we revealed that Simons will occupy five levels (four above ground, one below) within the historical 10-floor Lancaster Building, connected to the CORE on multiple levels. Each of Lancaster’s floorplates are less than 10,000 square feet, hence necessitating annexing adjacent retail space to create the approximately 96,000 square foot Simons store. 

Simons at The Core
Simons at The Core

Level ‘P1′ (basement, plans above) features about 9,700 square feet of retail space for Simons within the Lancaster Building, including some adjacent storage space. Level P1 otherwise primarily includes parking, loading dock and storage space for other centre tenants. Our best guess is that Simons’ P1 space will be for offices/services/storage, as it appears to lack escalator access. 

Simons’ ground floor (plans below) features mall retail space merged with most of the Lancaster Building’s ground floor, with room left for elevators and a lobby to the Lancaster Building upper tower office levels. Simons will occupy mall retail space which, for years, was occupied by TD Canada Trust and some smaller retailers. In total, Simons will occupy about 31,270 square feet at street level, with new escalators to all retail floors above accessed via Simons’ Lancaster Building component. 

Simons’ 22,070 square foot second-level (plans below) features space in the Lancaster Building, mall space, and the public corridor currently used to access neighbouring Scotia Centre and Hudson’s Bay via an above-ground pedway (the +15 as it is called, being about 15 feet above the street). It appears that Harry Rosen‘s retail space has been downsized by about 3,000 square feet for the expansion, as evident in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ plans shown below. 

BELOW IS THE “BEFORE” PLAN

Simons will occupy about 23,000 square feet on its third level (a.k.a +30 Level, plans below), again merging mall retail space with space in the Lancaster Building and public walkway into Scotia Centre/Hudson’s Bay. A substantial portion of the the hallway beside Harry Rosen will be eliminated for Simons’ expansion. Plans indicate that Harry Rosen’s retail space on this level will remain the same. 

Simons’ top floor (Level +45, plans below) will only occupy space in the Lancaster Building, and will measure approximately 9,800 square feet. The adjacent mall level is occupied by the Devonian Gardens. 

Several months ago, La Maison Simons President and CEO Peter Simons said that he was interested in opening a second Calgary location at Southcentre though at the time, nothing was confirmed. Given that Southcentre is under the umbrella of Oxford Properties Group, however, it could almost be expected that Simons would join the Calgary mall. By the year 2019, five of Oxford’s 11 Canadian malls will feature Simons as an anchor, including Galeries de la Capitale (Quebec City), Les Promenades Gatineau (opening this month), Square One in Mississauga (spring of 2016), Scarborough Town Centre (2018) and Yorkdale Shopping Centre (2019). 

German Brand Marc Cain to Enter Canada with 5 Confirmed Locations

By
Craig Patterson
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Marc Cain (PHOTO: MCROESELARE.BE)

Upscale German women’s fashion brand Marc Cain plans to enter the Canadian market with five free-standing locations, beginning with two stores in the Province of Quebec. The company continues to seek real estate across the country, and it has retained a brokerage to coordinate its Canadian expansion. 

Founded in Bodelshausen, Germany in 1973, Marc Cain operates almost 200 stores in 34 countries, as well as over 300 shops-in-stores. The company did sales of 246 million Euros in 2014. Brokerage Oberfeld Snowcap represents Marc Cain in Canada and according to its website, Marc Cain seeks retail space in enclosed malls, outlets/power and lifestyle centres, and urban streetfronts. Stores will ideally be in the 1,500 square foot to 1,800 square foot range, according to Oberfeld Snowcap. 

Marc Cain (PHOTO: WWW.BUEHLER-INNENAUSBAU.DE)

Marc Cain’s first two Canadian locations will open on October 1 at Montreal’s Carrefour Laval and Quebec City’s Place Ste-Foy. On October 15, the company will open at Calgary’s Chinook Centre. In early 2016, two Toronto-area locations are confirmed – one opening March 15, 2016 at Mississauga’s Square One and on April 14, 2016 at Toronto Eaton Centre. 

Thank you Urban Toronto‘s ACT7 for being a source for this article. 

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