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Holt Renfrew Delays Montreal Ogilvy Merger

By
Craig Patterson
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In November of 2013, Holt Renfrew announced that in 2017 it would be merging its Montreal operations with Ogilvy — a partnership which would result in Ogilvy expanding while the nearby Sherbrooke Street Holt Renfrew store would close. Holt Renfrew has now announced that the expanded flagship will open in 2020, and has revealed some of what will be contained within what will become the company’s largest store. 

Holt Renfrew’s 84,000 square foot store at 1300 Sherbrooke St. W. will close in 2020 when Holt’s merges with Ogilvy, two blocks south

‘Holt Renfrew Ogilvy’ will become the name of the new 250,000 square foot luxury retail superstore — the largest of its kind in Canada, by far. An expansion is currently underway at the 1307 Sainte-Catherine Street West Ogilvy flagship in anticipation of the opening, will include an adjacent Four Seasons Hotel and private residences on the site of the former Hotel de la Montagne. The new Four Seasons Hotel will include 163 hotel rooms priced from $600 per night, as well as 18 of the city’s most expensive condominium apartments, priced between $4 million and $20 million, averaging about $1,500 per square foot. 

Holt Renfrew has revealed some of what will be in store for the new Hot Renfrew Ogilvy, and luxury will be key. Personal shopping will be an important component to the store, with the addition of ‘The Apartment’ private shopping suite, as well as extensive personal shopping services. There will be a concierge, valet parking, and a Holt’s Café — services will be “tailored to the Montreal market,” according to Holt’s. 

The current Ogilvy building will see a reconfiguration of its departments as part of the expansion. The store’s beauty hall will be moved into the basement into a 23,000 square foot space — Holt’s recently did this with its Vancouver flagship, and sources say that the Toronto Bloor Street Holt’s will also see its beauty department relocated downstairs, as Holt’s devotes ample space on the ground floor of its downtown flagships to leased departments for the world’s most popular and expensive luxury brands. 

The Holt Renfrew Ogilvy ground floor will be anchored by several significant luxury brand boutiques, including Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Chanel will relocate from Holt Renfrew’s current store at 1300 Sherbrooke Street West, and Louis Vuitton has been an existing tenant inside of Ogilvy for more than two decades. 

Other ground floor luxury concession boutiques will include Christian Dior (in a 2,000 square foot boutique), Fendi (700 square feet), Hermès (3,000 square feet, or about three times the size of its current Holt’s space), Prada (2,300 square feet) and jeweller Tiffany & Co., spanning about 2,500 square feet.  

Women’s shoe floor at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver.

Interestingly, Tiffany & Co. also currently operates a boutique at the base of the Ritz Carlton Hotel across the street from Holt Renfrew on Sherbrooke Street West — in a space that is only about 2,000 square feet, which means that the Ogilvy shop-in-store will be larger than Tiffany’s existing freestanding unit. 

In total, about 20,000 square feet of Holt Renfrew Ogilvy’s ground floor will be devoted to luxury handbags and small leather goods. While impressive in size, it might be noted that the Vancouver Holt’s flagship’s accessory department spans in excess of 30,000 square feet — sales at Vancouver’s Holt’s are considerably higher than in Holt’s Montreal store, buoyed by Asian shoppers who are spending a fortune on luxury brands on Canada’s West Coast. 

Holt Renfrew Ogilvy’s women’s footwear salon will span about 8,000 square feet, which is about the same size as its recently unveiled Vancouver footwear hall. The Vancouver space includes an 500 square foot Ladurée café.

The expanded Montreal Holt Renfrew Ogilvy will be Holt Renfrew’s largest store, by far. The Vancouver flagship at CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver, which is one of the most productive department stores on the continent, has almost 188,000 square feet of space over four levels. The Toronto 50 Bloor Street West flagship is a bit smaller, with about 182,400 square feet over four levels, as well as a double-mezzanine with a restaurant, shoes/apparel, salon and storage — the store recently lost about 3,800 square feet of ground level space when it vacated part of adjacent 60 Bloor Street West. Holt’s also operates a 16,500 square foot standalone men’s store at 100 Bloor Street West which, remarkably, contains the entire men’s offerings for Holt Renfrew in the downtown core — contrasting with Harry Rosen’s more than 50,000 square feet of space directly across the street. 

Montreal’s Holt Renfrew Ogilvy will have some competition when it opens. Last year, Saks Fifth Avenue announced that it would open a 200,000 square foot flagship at the back end of Hudson’s Bay’s 650,000 square foot store on Sainte Catherine Street West, though sources in the company are no longer providing a definitive timeline as to its anticipated opening date, which was supposed to be several months from now. La Maison Simons, which carries some luxury brands in its downtown Montreal store, is set to see a renovation over the next couple of years. And menswear retailer Harry Rosen, which is still the undisputed king of luxury menswear in Canada, operates a recently renovated flagship store at downtown Montreal’s Les Cours Mont Royal. There are also several independent multi-brand retailers that carry luxury brands — though sources say that luxury sales are considerably less in Montreal than they are in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, making one question if the market will become oversaturated with the expanded Holt Renfrew Ogilvy, as well as the possibility of Saks Fifth Avenue moving downtown in a big way. 

The Montreal Holt Renfrew Ogilvy project will cost in excess of $100 million when all is said and done, with developer Carbonleo being involved with the development. The store is being designed by interior designer Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates, with support from Montreal-based Lemay. Interiors will be “bright and modern, with a palette that layers luxurious textures of stone, glass, metal and fabric,” that “will create an opulent shopping environment”. The ‘Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences’ expansion facade is being designed by Gensler, which will maintain heritage elements as well as refurbish the historic fifth-floor Tudor Hall music/meeting space inside of Ogilvy. 

Mario Grauso, President of Holt Renfrew, said: “This is a dynamic city with a rich history, and a renowned fashion legacy that we are honoured to be a part of. Inspired by the best of both Holt Renfrew and Ogilvy, we have designed this store to offer our customers the very best luxury products and an unparalleled shopping experience in what promises to be one of the most beautiful stores in the world.” 

Links of London Announces Canada-Wide Standalone Boutique Expansion in 2018

By
Craig Patterson
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Links of London (Image: Mauricio Calero)

UK-based luxury jewellery brand Links of London has announced plans to open more standalone stores nationally in 2018, perhaps a signal that Links of London is parting ways with Holt Renfrew. 

“This expansion is not only a symbol of our brand’s vitality in the Canadian market, but also a testament to the power of storytelling and personalization to create memorable and engaging experiences for customers,” said Leela Petrakis, President of FF Group North America, the parent company of Links of London. “We are incredibly proud and excited to invite customers across the country to discover an unparalleled retail environment, which highlights our British heritage, sartorial elegance and exceptional bespoke service.” 
 
To kick-off the expansion, Links of London will unveil a ‘Holiday Shoppe’ at Vancouver’s CF Pacific Centre on November 15, in an 800 square foot space located between Browns Shoes and the mall’s Zegna boutique. The retail space will then become Vancouver’s first permanent standalone Links of London store, and likely not its last, according to Ms. Petrakis. 

Links of London opened its first two standalone Canadian stores in the summer of 2016 in Toronto — an 860 square foot CF Toronto Eaton Centre boutique launched in June, followed by a 1,200 square foot location at CF Sherway Gardens about a month later. A 615 square foot Yorkdale boutique, Toronto’s third, opened in the summer of 2017. The Yorkdale boutique has seen tremendous success, as it has provided Links of London access to a wider customer audience outside of Holt Renfrew, with its new placement and larger presence in the mall. The fourth Greater Toronto store will open in the first half of 2018, and the location will be revealed by the company later this month. 
 
Location scouting is now under way in major cities across Canada for more Links of London stores while at the same time, the company continues to invest in its online business, reporting high double-digit growth last year. Targeted cities include Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, as well as potentially more stores for both Toronto and Vancouver.

Links of London (Image: Mauricio Calero)

Links of London’s new standalone boutiques will feature interactive touch-points that will be incorporated into each design. For instance, an “Engraving & Customization Bar”, which was first unveiled at Yorkdale, will invite customers to participate in the design process by customizing a bespoke piece of jewellery. On-site engraving services will allow customers to add personalized messages on the spot, further heightening the Made-To-Order experience.  

Freestanding retail concepts allow Links of London to showcase its expanded offerings, while also providing an intimate one-on-one experience between customers and jewellery stylists. Links also has a VIP program, with promotions held throughout the year. 
 
Links of London currently operates five freestanding U.S. locations, with four stores in New York City and a store at Forum Shops in Las Vegas. The brand also has a successful partnership with Bloomingdale’s, operating concession shops at select locations across the country. The Links of London brand 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’ originated from the brand’s first product — the iconic salmon cufflinks, which became the springboard for its unique jewellery, timepieces and gifts for both genders. 

*Photos are by Mauricio Calero. 

Brunello Cucinelli to Open Yorkville Flagship

By
Craig Patterson
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Italian luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli will open a multi-level flagship in Toronto in late 2018. It will be the brand’s second freestanding location in Canada, as Brunello Cucinelli expands its presence with retail stores as well as concessions and shop-in-stores. 

Towards the end of 2018, Brunello Cucinelli will open in an almost 8,200 square foot space at 108 Yorkville Avenue, in a new retail development being built by First Capital Realty. The Brunello Cucinelli store will feature three levels of above-ground space — the ground floor will be 2,506 square feet according to lease plans, and the second floor will span 2,569 square feet. A third level will include 1,427 square feet of interior space as well as an adjacent, south-facing outdoor patio that will be 768 square feet. Plans also show a 686 square foot basement level that will likely be used for storage/back of house activities. 

Stan Vyriotes and David Wedemire of DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc. acted on behalf of retailer Brunello Cucinelli in the deal with landlord First Capital Realty. 

Construction is now underway for First Capital Realty’s 102-108 Yorkville Avenue building that will include three street-front retail spaces, as well as a third floor tenant. UK-based footwear brand Jimmy Choo will open a 2,250 square foot two-level space at 102 Yorkville Avenue in late 2018, and innovative social concept Her Majesty’s Pleasure will open on the third floor of the new building, accessed from a side laneway. The two-level 3,000 square foot middle retail space between Jimmy Choo and Brunello Cucinelli is currently available for lease, and sources confirm that luxury brands have been showing interest. 

Yorkville Avenue is rapidly becoming one of Canada’s most prestigious retail addresses. French luxury footwear brand Christian Louboutin opened its two-level Canadian 2,625 square foot flagship at 99 Yorkville Avenue in the summer of 2016, and a Richard Mille boutique opened at the base of the Hazelton Hotel in the spring of 2017. Designer Virgil Abloh opened North America’s first standalone Off-White location at 83 Yorkville Avenue in the spring of this year, as well, bringing pricey streetwear to the neighbourhood. Luxury brand Chanel will open an 8,700 square foot flagship this week at 100 Yorkville Avenue, replacing a Bloor Street store that closed at the end of 2016. Mr. Vyriotes and Mr. Wedemire also negotiated the Chanel and Jimmy Choo deals on the street, as well as upscale streetwear brand CNTRBND that opened several months ago at 135 Yorkville Avenue, across from the Yorkville Avenue entrance to the Yorkville Village shopping centre. 

Brunello Cucinelli opened its first standalone Canadian store at 765 Thurlow Street in Vancouver in October of 2015. The one-level boutique spans about 2,700 square feet, and is located at the base of the 745 Thurlow Street office building that also houses an adjacent Versace store. Both retailers were also represented by Stan Vyriotes and David Wedemire of DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc.

Brunello Cucinelli, which sources confirm is doing exceptionally high sales in Canada across its various distribution channels, has also been expanding its Canadian operations by opening shop-in-store concessions, while at the same time growing its wholesale business. Cucinelli recently struck a deal with Holt Renfrew to open leased women’s departments in several of Holt’s stores, in attractive large retail spaces similar in aesthetic to Cucinelli’s standalone locations. Cucinelli also has a presence in retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue for men and women in Canada, as well as at Harry Rosen for men — a large Cucinelli shop-in-store recently debuted on Harry Rosen’s renovated second level at its 82 Bloor St. W. store in Toronto, and we’ll be profiling the store’s renovations soon in a separate article. 

Founded in 1978, ‘King of Cashmere’ Brunello Cucinelli sells womenswear, menswear and accessories. Although known for its luxurious cashmere apparel, the brand has expanded to include non-cashmere fashions including leather goods, bags, shoes, and sportswear. The company is headquartered in a 14th century castle on the top of a hill in the middle of Italy’s Umbria region, and it donates 20% of profits to its charitable foundation, and pays workers wages that are 20% higher than the industry average. According to its website, the brand is “firmly rooted in quality excellence, Italian craftsmanship and creativity”.

Burton Snowboards Launches Canadian Retail Store Expansion

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Burton Snowboards

A world-renowned snowboard brand has opened for business in Toronto with its first flagship Canadian store and it’s poised for future expansion across the country.

Cody Sturge, marketing lead with Burton Snowboards, says the brand’s first Canadian store, in 1,400 square feet of space at 98 Ossington Avenue, opened in early October.

“Primarily, our main thing is snowboards, snowboard boots, snowboard bindings. We also sell winter jackets. We’re starting to get more and more into the outerwear side of things,” says Sturge. “Basically, anything you need to prepare for the great outdoors to keep you warm especially for the winter season. We have it all. Everything to get you on the snowboard riding and then everything to outfit you as well.”

“And in the summer, we’ll start to carry things like tents and outerwear accessories.”

Everything Burton does started in the mountains. From getting the most out of every journey to chasing snow around the globe, “we’ve charged ahead to innovate and change the way people enjoy the outdoors since day one,” says the company on its website.

Jake Burton founded Burton Snowboards out of his Vermont barn in 1977, dedicating his life to snowboarding. He’s been instrumental in growing snowboarding from a backyard hobby to a global world-class sport.

The company has its headquarters in Vermont but offices are also in Australia, Austria, Canada, California, China, and Japan.

Retail shops are located in various cities including major ones such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Helsinki, Innsbruck, Milan, Tokyo, Orlando, and Las Vegas.

“Snowboarding has been a growing winter sport. Burton’s has always made sure to try and keep the sport growing as much as they can,” says Sturge. “It’s a big company. It’s international all across the world but it’s still run kind of in a mom and pop sort of way. Actually, our owner Jake Burton started making snowboards by hand in his garage back in the day and it’s evolved into what it is today.”

“Everything that happens with this company goes through them in Vermont. It’s still very small in a sense but very big.”

He says stores are starting to pop up everywhere in places like Spain, Australia, France and Germany.

“Anywhere they can see someone snowboarding or wanting to snowboard they look at opening up a flagship location,” says Sturge, adding that all walks of life are interested in the activity.

“You have like your young skater kids but you also have your 70-year-old businessman who has been snowboarding all his life and still wants the best and latest gear. There’s not really a specific demographic.”

The CBRE Toronto Urban Retail Team acted on behalf of the landlord and retailer, under the direction of Jackson Turner, Arlin Markowitz, and Alex Edmison. 

Brief: Loro Piana Opens Boutiques, Moose Knuckles Goes Retail, Dior Delayed

By
Craig Patterson
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Loro Piana Expands Canadian Presence with Concessions: Italian luxury brand Loro Piana has launched a retail expansion into Canada that includes concessions and as well as an upgraded wholesale presence. 

Standalone Loro Piana boutiques could be next for Canada, but the brand is first testing the waters with concessions at Holt Renfrew. On Saturday, November 11, Loro Piana opened a women’s boutique on the ground floor of Holt Renfrew at 50 Bloor Street. The week before, Loro Piana opened a concession at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver (which the company confirms is about twice the size of the Bloor Street shop-in-store), and a Yorkdale Shopping Centre Loro Piana concession opened earlier this fall, its first for Canada. Calgary’s Holt Renfrew will be the next to get a Loro Piana boutique when it opens next month. 

The Holt Renfrew concessions carry a range of Loro Piana women’s ready-to-wear and accessories, in attractive branded environments. 

Loro Piana is also growing its wholesale presence in Canada – menswear chain Harry Rosen is one of Loro Piana’s top accounts, according to a representative. Last month, for example, Rosen’s unveiled a men’s Loro Piana boutique on its recently renovated second level, and the brand continues to expand its presence in luxury retailers nationally. 

While there are no immediate plans for standalone Loro Piana boutiques in Canada, sources confirm that the brand has many Canadian clients who buy Loro Piana internationally. Its latest retail expansion might keep some of those dollars at home with an expanded product assortment. Loro Piana has boutiques in many major US cities as well as globally. 

Inside Moose Knuckle’s First Store: Edgy Montreal-based outerwear and fashion brand Moose Knuckles has just opened its first flagship retail space in North America, and it’s unique in its design and offerings. 

The 2,750 square foot retail space, designed by award-winning Burdifilek, aims to capture “the brand’s ethos for community, freedom, authenticity and balls-to-the-wall attitude,” by providing a “concept of a modern rebellion that emerges in this global brand concept”, according to Moose Knuckles. Flooring is real wood tiles, a wall is clad in raw steel, and there’s a deerskin couch covered in vinyl — it was explained that it was a take on ‘grandma’s sofa’. 

“We’re sold in 26 countries at upscale specialty and department stores but we’ve never had a space that exposes both the depth and breadth of the line,” explains Ayal Twik, president of Moose Knuckles. “This store is the full concentration of the brand DNA and incorporates our humor, sexiness, irreverence, and candidness. It gives the customer a chance to breathe it in.” 

Moose Knuckles will be hosting events and product launches in the space, which houses the brand’s fall/winter 2017 collection of outerwear and other fashions such as footwear, bags, feather- weight puffers, the Player’s Light—a new group of non-fur options for warmer climates. 

Burdifilek’s Diego Burdi and Paul Filek explained that the new store was designed to embody the Moose Knuckles brand, in a way not possible in a multi-brand retailer where Moose Knuckles might otherwise have a wholesale presence. As well, the Yorkdale concept is designed with an aesthetic that would fit in if the brand were to open stores in markets such as Paris, Milan or Tokyo, for example. 

The Yorkdale Moose Knuckles lease deal was negotiated by the broker team behind DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc. — ‘DW’ is David Wedemire, and ‘SV’ is Stan Vyriotes, who are working in partnership with some of the world’s top retailers and restaurants.  

Prominent retail consultant Andrea Elliott of r2 retail sources acted as advisor for the store’s retail portfolio — Ms. Elliott has a skillset sought by retailers that are looking at hitting the ground running when they open new retail concepts. “Product is available globally today 24-7 online, so the store better be an incredible and differentiated experience of the brand.  It shouldn’t look like a store but a place that makes you want to spend time, engage with others that love the brand, see the best product and have surprises happen while you are there,” said Ms. Elliott.  

We’ll be featuring Burdifilek’s Diego Burdi and Paul Filek in a separate article this month in Retail Insider. 

First Episode of Upstairs Amy: Walmart Canada has launched its first-ever scripted dramedy series called Upstairs Amy, in partnership with Interac and APEX Public Relations. The branded content series, available on Youtube, is described as “a modern comedy about millennial parents and the gap between who they are and who they want to be. What’s interesting is that some of the products in the series are shopable — for example, Hamilton Beach’s products are featured throughout, with links to Walmart Canada’s website. Episode 1 is above, and it’s about 4 minutes long. 

*****

H&M going bigger in Vancouver: H&M continues to expand its Canadian operations, and last week it opened an expanded store at Park Royal in West Vancouver. The store spans an impressive 23,000 square feet. Vancouver will see even more H&M when its CF Pacific Centre store expands next year — watch for more details to follow. 

Delays at Dior: According to signage on the Mink Mile, Christian Dior’s massive Toronto flagship won’t open until near the end of 2018.

It should be worth the wait though — the two-level Dior store will be the largest in North America when it opens, spanning about 13,300 square feet with 3,117 square feet at street level and an additional 10,194 square feet upstairs. 

Dior opened in Chicago on Friday, and its two-level boutique is about 3,300 square feet over two levels. The Vancouver Dior flagship, which opened in the summer of 2015, is about 9,800 square feet over two levels at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. 

Toronto will be seeing two important luxury flagships open in November — Chanel is preparing to open its 8,700 square foot Yorkville Avenue flagship this week, and Hermes will unveil its 12,000 square foot flagship at 100 Bloor St. West at the end of this month. 

Holiday Happenings

Almost every mall in the country is decking out for the winter holidays. A few examples: 

CF Toronto Eaton Centre will host its official tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 16 with a special performance by Choir!Choir!Choir!. Much like last year, the tree will be a gigantic 100 feet tall — about the same height as a 10-storey building.  

Black Friday (November 24) at Dixie Outlet Mall: For its third year in a row, Mississauga’s Dixie Outlet Mall’ is bringing back the Cash Cube – a 6ft x 4ft interactive touch screen cube. Each hour, one lucky participant will unlock the Cash Cube to win a Dixie Outlet Mall gift card valued from $100 to $1,000. Total daily giveaway value is $6,000. 

Square One Partners with Swarovski: On Wednesday, November 15th, Swarovski will unveil its holiday tree at Mississauga’s Square One — it will be adorned in over 1,500 crystal ornaments to complement 14 tiers of crystals and as well, Swarovski will debut a globally-exclusive digital Sparkle Pop Up. We’re told it will be amazing, and we’ll follow up with some photos in our next Brief. 

Yorkdale Prepares for the Holidays with Gift and Parking Concierges, Fashion Santa, Ladurée and Dyson: Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which again is going to be Canada’s most productive mall according to Retail Council of Canada’s 2017 Shopping Centre Study, is launching new customer-centric initiatives, not to mention new retailers. 

Personal shoppers from Yorkdale’s Style Concierge are available for 10-minute walk-in consultations beginning on Black Friday (November 24th) and every weekend leading up to Christmas. For those seeking more, a personal shopper can be booked for $150 for a two-hour shopping trip (make an appointment at yorkdalestyle@outlook.com). There’s also a ‘bag valet service’ for those who have used valet parking — beginning November 20, you can bring parcels to the Guest Services kiosk located beside The Face Shop and a Guest Services Representative will have your parcels delivered to your vehicle. 

There’s also a ‘Parking Concierge’ — beginning on Black Friday and every weekend leading up to Christmas, Yorkdale’s Parking Concierges will greet vehicles as they enter the property and direct them to the lots with the greatest availability.

(This year’s Yorkdale ‘Fashion Santa’ will be played by model Jack foley)

Fashion Santa returns this year, played by edgy model Jack Foley — proceeds from donations go to SickKids Foundation. 

Also, December will see the opening of Toronto’s first Ladurée at Yorkdale, and Dyson will also be opening its first Canadian showpiece next month — Yorkdale is shaping up to be unlike any mall in North America with its unique first-to-market concepts. 

Retail Insider will now be regularly including these briefs as part of our expanding reporting mandate. For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com. 

For more of today’s retail news, visit: Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: November 14, 2017

New Canadians More Likely to Embrace Ecommerce

By
Megan Harman
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As the population of newcomers to Canada continues to grow, new research shows that retailers have an opportunity to tap into this market – especially through e-commerce sales and digital advertising.

A recent study by U.S. media company Oath Inc., in partnership with New York-based advertising company GroupM, zeroed in on Canadian newcomers’ media consumption, cultural mindset and shopping attitudes and behaviours. The companies surveyed 935 newcomers from four Canadian provinces, and compared those results with a sample of residents who were born in Canada.

The results reveal that newcomers are far more likely than other Canadians to make purchases online on a regular basis. Specifically, 53% of new Canadians said they make purchases online at least once a week. That compares with 38% of Canada-born respondents.

“Newcomers are significantly more likely to make purchases online,” says Shannon Austin, sales data insights manager at Oath.

When it comes to browsing online shopping sites, however, new Canadians lag behind. Of the newcomers surveyed, 52% said they browse e-commerce websites at least once a week, compared to 61% of other Canadians.

“Newcomers are much more transactional,” Austin says, “as opposed to a leisurely activity of just browsing for a pastime.”

As immigrants settle into life in Canada, many say that buying Canadian products is part of the process of forming a connection to their new country. They are open to trying new brands and products, and they tend to have a positive perception of the brands in Canada, the research suggests.

“New Canadians are significantly more likely to feel that brands in Canada offer better quality,” Austin says. “They are less likely to say that they stick to their favourite brands, and they are less likely to know what brands they want when they go shopping.”

When making purchasing decisions, price is a key factor for immigrants to Canada.

“Across all the categories, we asked what influences their purchase decisions,” Austin says. “We see that price is at top of that list for most things.”

That’s not the case when they’re buying beauty products, however. The research shows that in the beauty category, quality is the top factor influencing the product that newcomers decide to purchase. They’re also interested in brand prestige to a greater extent than Canada-born shoppers.

A vast majority of newcomers try new beauty products when they arrive in Canada, the research shows. That’s partly because not all of the products they used in their home country are available in the Canadian market, and because the Canadian climate can demand different types of products, Austin says.

“We know that they are switching up their beauty routine,” Austin says.

Canadian brands have an opportunity to capture business in this market, Austin says – especially through advertising.  When shopping for beauty products, 80% of newcomers said that advertising was one of the top influencing factors in their purchase decision. That compares to just 28% of Canada-born shoppers.

Advertising tends to resonate with Canadian newcomers in other categories, as well. When shopping for groceries, for example, new Canadians pointed to advertising as the most influential factor when deciding which brands of food to buy.

Advertising also drives newcomers online in search of products, the research shows. Of the newcomers surveyed, 60% said they search for items that they’ve seen advertised at least once a week, compared to 50% of other Canadians.

Since immigrants spend more time on their mobile devices than Canadians born in Canada, on average, mobile advertising could be an effective channel for retailers and brands to reach this market, Austin says. Specifically, 48% of new Canadians said they spend more than three hours on their smartphone every day, compared to 37% of Canada-born respondents.

“Retailers need to keep that in mind when thinking about how to connect with [newcomers],” she says.

Black Goat Cashmere Launches ‘The Coat Room’ Concept Store

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: Black Goat Cashmere

Vancouver-Based cashmere brand Black Goat Cashmere has opened a new standalone store concept called The Coat Room in downtown Vancouver. 

The 1,000 square foot boutique is located at 925 West Georgia Street in Cathedral place, which also houses Black Goat’s downtown Vancouver store. The Coat Room faces onto Hornby Street in suite 135, while Black Goat Cashmere (as well as neighbouring Chopard) face West Georgia Street, directly across from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in the city’s ‘Luxury Zone’. 

The Coat Room boutique carries a curated offering of Black Goat Cashmere’s newly launched coat collection for men and women, along with a personal shopping space for those seeking privacy. 

Black Goat Cashmere stores in Victoria and Toronto also carry the company’s new coat collection. 

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. 

Besides The Coat Room, Black Goat Cashmere has four store locations: the downtown Vancouver store at 925 West Georgia Street, a second Vancouver location on Vancouver’s tony South Granville strip (the company’s first, which opened in 2011), a Toronto store which opened in the winter of 2015 at The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West, and a store in downtown Victoria that opened in a lovey heritage building in the spring of 2016. 

Oberfeld Snowcap represents Black Goat Cashmere as brokerage in Canada. 

How Canadian Retail Has Changed Over the Past 15 Years

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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(PHOTO: RUSCIO STUDIO)

Montreal-based Ruscio Studio, a commercial interior design firm specializing in retail, was founded in 2002 and over the past 15 years it’s seen numerous changes in the sector as well as trends starting to take hold for the future.

Robert Ruscio, President of Ruscio Studio

Robert Ruscio, the company’s president, says the designer’s work is across Canada as well as into the United States and other parts of the world, focusing on all types of individual stores to major renovations for shopping centres.

“The demographic shift continues to influence retail,” says Ruscio, who leads a company of about 15 staff. “The boomers are starting to get matched by the millennials in terms of percentages. And in fact what will happen, as the boomers pass away, we are going to see an increase in millennials who are our consumers. That’s already brought changes but we’re continuing to see some of these changes because of the different shopping habits that this particular generation has.”

HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY AT SPORT CHEK (IMAGE: RUSCIO STUDIO)

“We also have to consider that one in five Canadians is going to be foreign born or immigrants. One of the changes we’re seeing is that millennials interestingly enough, although they are prone to shopping online, do prefer and enjoy shopping in malls . . . It’s the brand experience. This is something very important. This is what currently all retailers are looking for and exploring. This is something we’re going to see more and more of as this shift is taking place. The physical store is the touchpoint for that brand experience.”

Ruscio says more foreign retailers are coming into Canadian shopping centres. Over the past 15 years, this has been a clear trend. Previously, the majority of retailers in malls were based in Canada. But today that has shifted as international retailers have surpassed national retailers especially in the bigger A class malls.

“These are brands that are tried and tested and when they come here to Canada they come also with all the marketing muscle. These are stores that do offer some sort of brand experience,” says Ruscio.

MARKS STORE DESIGN. (PHOTO: RUSCIO STUDIO)

Because of the growing immigrant population, Canada is much more prone now to accepting foreign brands.

“There’s an acceptance, there’s a thirst, for discovering the new brands,” adds Ruscio.

One of the trends he’s seen in recent years is downsizing by retailers of their stores. Rents are rising and online sales are cutting back the amount of inventory needed in bricks and mortar stores.

Pop-up retail is also becoming more popular as stores suddenly start operating in a retail landscape that includes shopping centres, other stores and on the street.

URBAN TRAIL STORE DESIGN. (PHOTO: RUSCIO STUDIO)

“They often have a brand message. New product launch. New brand positioning. New target market,” says Ruscio. “We’re going to see a lot more of it. It’s an opportunity for brands to try a different market. To do marketing launches . . . It draws attention and it makes people curious.”

Ruscio says millennials are all about food and the dining experience and that’s having an impact on shopping centres across the country as they adapt to that dynamic.

“They don’t particularly crave ordinary food court offerings. They would rather experience authenticity or the best of over convenience. That’s the food hall – the market-like setting which has risen in popularity over recent years in Europe and across the world and will be making a greater presence in North America,” says Ruscio.

“The food hall is like a revival of a farmers’ market . . . The whole idea of being able to eat and buy something on the spot as well as purchasing products to bring them home is something that is very appealing to the millennials.”

Expect to see more entertainment in the malls as well. A good example of that is Cineplex’s Rec Room, which is a large centre offering various games and other forms of entertainment.

Ruscio says there’s also a broadening polarity between discount and luxury stores but today’s consumer visits both and also today retailers are not shy about advertising their online shopping alternative at their bricks and mortar locations.

Ruscio has one more interesting trend which shows how much the times have changed in the past 15 years. He remembers how in the past he was often chased out of places because he was not allowed to take pictures in the stores.

“Today, it’s quite the contrary where stores actually have Instagrammable areas that encourage the customer to take pictures of the store and post them as much as they can. And no one ever tells me today to put away the camera,” says Ruscio.

Profile: Hillcrest Mall

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: Hillcrest Mall

Hillcrest Mall, located in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, is a unique enclosed shopping centre that is undergoing a remarkable modernization. The following is an overview of the centre’s past, present and future. 

And the centre’s future is bright — Landlord Oxford Properties recently announced that Hillcrest Mall will be redeveloping its 133,000 square foot Target space on its north side, by adding a new corridor as well as several new retailers.

In the fall of 2018, Marshalls and HomeSense will open a combined retail store spanning 46,450 square feet, and there’s more on the way. 

The redevelopment will feature an exterior mall entrance with soaring ceilings and bright lights, similar to the mall’s Entrance 2 to the south, which is part of a recent redevelopment that saw the addition of a beautiful Sporting Life store in October of 2016. 

The mall’s interior is also seeing a refresh, including new floors, lighting, washrooms, ceilings, and an upgraded food court. The men’s and women’s washrooms, including the foyer and parents room, have just been revamped.  

It’s all part of a major investment on the part of owners Oxford Properties Group and Montez Holdings Inc., with close to $100 million being spent since late 2015. 

Several retailers have recently opened, and more are on the way. This fall, Rockport and Escents Aromatherapy opened at Hillcrest, and Sleep Country Canada unveiled a 5,000 square foot space in the mall. This fall, children’s retailer Okaïdi will join Browns Shoes and not long after, Chinese variety retailer MINISO will open a 2,600 square foot store. In the spring of 2018, West Coast Kids will open a 13,000 square foot location. 

Hillcrest’s food court is also being completely redesigned, in partnership with MMC Architects. 

In the fall of 2016, Hillcrest Mall opened several world-class retailers, including a 21,000 square foot H&M store, a 6,600 square foot Aritzia, a 4600 square foot Sephora store, as well as jeweller Pandora. Popular Toronto-based Sporting Life, known for merging fashion with sporting goods, opened a 40,600 square foot store which sources confirm is a very strong performer for the chain. 

Hillcrest Mall (Rendering)
Hillcrest Mall (Rendering)

The mall’s Hudson’s Bay store, as well, underwent an overhaul and expansion that involved merging two smaller Bay stores (separate women’s fashion and home/men’s stores) into a bright, modern 136,915 square foot retail space that reflects the design of Hudson’s Bay’s Toronto prototype Queen Street flagship.

What’s interesting is the men’s department at Hillcrest’s Hudson’s Bay store is one of its top selling departments — typically, women’s categories tend to dominate. Hudson’s Bay gained about 48,000 square feet of space in the expansion, including a new glass-enclosed entry facade, fixtures and open sight-lines through the store. New upscale brands such as Coach, Marc Jacobs, Vince Camuto and Ron White were added in various categories.  

The future is also bright for the local community — affluent Richmond Hill is expected to grow to about 209,000 people by the year 2021, according to York Region Planning & Development. The average household income in Hillcrest’s trade area is $122,420, and 47% of households earn over $100,000 annually. The immediate area will also get a boost with an estimated 8,800 condominium units being built around Hillcrest over the next several years. 

HBC - Hillcrest Mall (Rendering)
HBC – Hillcrest Mall (Rendering)

By the numbers: Hillcrest Mall features 503,581 square feet of gross leasable area, with about 120 stores. The mall sees about 6 million annual visitors, with sales of $530 per square foot in September 2017 – a 9% year over year increase. 

Aesthetically, the centre’s exterior feels modern and comfortable — the recently paved parking lot (with 2,631 spaces, with 4 electric car charging stations) features attractive landscaping, and the exteriors of Hudson’s Bay, Sporting Life and other retailers are eye-catching. There’s another exterior element that isn’t as visible, however — on the roof of Hillcrest Mall is a collection of beehives with more than 70,000 honeybees, which have helped pollinate local flowers and vegetable gardens — a bonus for Richmond Hill’s biodiversity. A single hive can produce more than 20 lbs of honey, and in August of this year the mall bottled and branded its ‘Hillcrest Honey’ that was given away at the mall’s pop-up Honey Concept Market in the mall’s Centre Court in September. Additionally, 100 bars of soap, created from Hillcrest honey, were donated to the Yellow Brick House, a local women’s shelter. 

It’s all part of an environmental sustainability initiative on the part of the landlord and, impressively, Hillcrest Mall boasts an 86% waste diversion rate, up from 43% in 2016. Other Hillcrest environmental initiatives include: 

-Having installed a rainwater cistern that captures and stores rainwater for all irrigation,
-Recycling efforts that have been amplified,
-Heating and cooling systems that have been timed to coordinate with mall traffic, cutting energy usage and increasing efficiency,
-An air-conditioning system has been retrofitted and is now energy saving,
-LED lighting has been installed in the common corridors (also making them brighter),
-Newly installed bicycle racks around the mall, and as well,
-Hillcrest has stopped planting annuals and has moved on to native perennials, planting them all around the mall — no doubt, the bees are enjoying this as well. 

History: 

HILLCREST
(EARLIER DAYS AT HILLCREST, NEAR THE MALL’S UPSCALE SIMPSON’S DEPARTMENT STORE)

Hillcrest Mall opened in August of 1974 and at the time, it was considered to be groundbreaking. Cadillac Fairview and the Greater York Group were the developers, while Bregman and Hamann executed the architectural drawings, and Robert Meiklejohn coordinated the interior design. At the time, light pollution was a concern so there was minimal signage, as well as shielded lights in the parking lot that also featured a light-absorbing parking lot surface. 

Anchors at the time included Simpson’s, Kmart, Sears, and a Loblaws grocery store. The mall was essentially the same size at it is today, spanning about 540,000 square feet. 

Flowers played a role in the 1974 opening — the first 10,000 Simpson’s patrons received a rose, which was a nod to Richmond Hill’s past as being the rose growing capital of Canada.  

In the central square (see photo), four ficus trees imported from Florida were planted under the sunlit vaulted ceilings, while the food court featured picnic seating and gaslight lamps. There was also a 250-seat auditorium with a stage and a kitchen that could be used for local events, including fashion shows — we’re seeing a return of such features in malls, as they become entertainment centres today. 

In 1980, a five-screen, 519-seat Cineplex movie theatre opened in the mall where Goodlife Fitness is now located. 

The Simpson’s store was rebranded as Hudson’s Bay in 1991, coinciding with parent company Hudson’s Bay’s decision to discontinue the Simpson’s nameplate. Zellers opened in the Kmart space in 1998. Oxford Properties purchased the property in the spring of 2011 and when Target vacated its space in the spring of 2015 (coinciding with Target vacating Canada), the lease was acquired for the redevelopment discussed above.  

Looking to the future: There’s still more work to be done on Hillcrest Mall after its Target space is redeveloped, and landlord Oxford Properties will be announcing further changes as things progress. We’ll update this article with news on Hillcrest Mall in our Retail Insider Briefs throughout the year, which will now be a regular feature as part of Retail Insider’s reporting mandate.  

Canadian Retail Industry Sees Strong Gains in 2017: Report

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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The Core (Image: Colliers)

Retail sales growth across the country continues to build on the positive performance of 2016, with national retail sales predicted to grow by seven per cent to reach close to $590 billion by the end of 2017, says a new national report by Colliers International.

“The main drivers of strong retail growth appear to be population growth, employment growth, and consumer confidence. The main drivers for a national retail market are B.C., Ontario, and Alberta. In order for Canadian retailers to do well, we need our thoroughbreds to pace the field and certainly in 2017, the big four (including Quebec) are running hard,” says James Smerdon, vice-president and director of retail consulting for Colliers in Vancouver.

“Looking ahead to the holiday season, Prince Edward Island (9.6 per cent growth), Ontario (9.4 per cent), and B.C. (9.2 per cent) can expect the busiest malls. For 2018, if we look back at the fundamentals, B.C., Ontario and Alberta will continue to outperform. Much of Alberta’s growth could be tempered with an interest rate hike, as auto sales account for so much of their growth. Likewise, a stronger Canadian dollar would result in increased cross-border shopping which could take the wind out of the sales in B.C. and Ontario.”

For 2017, Colliers is projecting B.C. to see the biggest annual increase in sales of 9.5 per cent to $84.2 billion, followed by Prince Edward Island at 8.7 per cent and $2.4 billion, and Alberta at 8.2 per cent and $81.3 billion. Ontario’s retail sales growth rate is forecast to be 6.9 per cent for $216.2 billion. Quebec is expected to see a 6.1 per cent hike this year to $125.7 billion.

“One of the more interesting retail development trends going forward will be the quickening pace of more mixed-use, lifestyle destinations incorporating residential, office, civic, and institutional uses,” says Russell Whitehead, planning consultant with Colliers in the Calgary office. “The exit of Sears will provide regional shopping centres – particularly those located in central and accessible locations near transit – with the opportunity to redevelop this empty space to incorporate higher density uses above a retail podium consisting of smaller footprint, specialty retailers.

“Consumers now more than ever are choosing to shop for unique goods found at smaller boutique retailers rather than from national chains. Some of the fastest growing retail categories are specialty food stores – think butchers, bakeries, olive oils, cheeses, etc. –  health and personal care, high-quality fast casual restaurants, lifestyle brands (H&M, Uniqlo, etc.), and athleisure. We are also seeing more e-retailers opening small bricks-and-mortar stores which has helped to expand their exposure and sales (Indochino, Warby Parker, etc.). Despite the rise of online retailers, there will always still be the need for bricks-and-mortar space. The real question is how much retail space per capita will be needed in the future compared to today.”

The Colliers report says that over the last six years, several intriguing retail sales trends have emerged throughout the country. First, there has been a general decrease in the relative importance of December retail sales, as consumers take advantage of Boxing Day sales that extend through much of January, and an increasing number of Canadian Black Friday sales in late November.

“In terms of total annual retail sales, the ‘Big 4’ provincial markets have consistently dominated, with Ontario leading the pack followed by Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta,” says Colliers.

It says 2017 marks the first year this decade in which positive overall retail sales growth is expected in all provinces. Some of the factors that are positively affecting national sales include:

  • The weak Canadian dollar resulting in less spending out now to the US;

  • The Liberal government’s proposed increase to the Child Benefit Grant;

  • Continued strong residential real estate values in major markets which give homeowners the confidence to leverage property value for home improvements or even to pay off consumer debt; and

  • Rising equities markets leading to feelings of job security and consumer confidence.

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