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The Rec Room Announces Canadian Shopping Centre Expansion

By
Craig Patterson
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Rendering: The Rec Room

Cineplex-owned “eats & entertainment destination” The Rec Room has announced two more Canadian shopping centre locations, addressing the trend of providing added attractions to retail centres. The Rec Room opened its very first location at Edmonton’s South Edmonton Common in the fall of 2016. 

In its most recent announcement, Cineplex confirms that The Rec Room will open a 50,000 square foot space at West Edmonton Mall in the summer of 2017, with construction ongoing. It will become another destination for the already entertainment-focused shopping centre. “On behalf of all of us at West Edmonton Mall, I would like to extend a warm welcome to The Rec Room,” said David Ghermezian, CEO, West Edmonton Mall. “With so much to offer both our local guests and tourists, The Rec Room will be right at home at the most comprehensive retail, hospitality and entertainment complex in the world. It’s another great reason for people to shop, play and stay at West Edmonton Mall.”

In 2018, The Rec Room will open a 36,000 square foot space at London’s CF Masonville Place, which will be part of Cadillac Fairview‘s multimillion dollar expansion and redevelopment project for the shopping centre — which also recently debuted an impressive expansion and renovation that saw the addition of several popular retailers. CF Masonville is one of Canada’s most productive shopping centres, with annual sales per square foot approaching $1,000. 

Rendering: The Rec Room

Canada’s top shopping centres are now in the ‘entertainment industry’, adding non-retail amenities to attract and keep shoppers on site. It’s a trend discussed in a new Retail Council of Canada shopping centre study which has just been released, and will be a topic of further discussion here on Retail Insider this month as we delve further in the shopping centre industry. 

Both the Edmonton and London Rec Room locations will include the following: 

  • Wood-fired, Canadian-inspired cuisine in a casual dining restaurant as well as ‘eatertainment-style’ dining in the games area,
  • A bar area where sports fans can grab a drink and catch the game on huge HD screens,
  • A large attractions area where guests can play over 100 amusement games. Credits earned are tracked on RFID wristbands and can be redeemed at a redemption store for a variety of prizes
  • Classic favourites like air hockey, pool and ping pong as well as large feature attractions,
  • A performance space that’s ideal for hosting live entertainment such as musical and comedy acts, and 
  • Multiple private dining rooms appropriate for celebrations, corporate events and parties

Last year, Cineplex also announced future The Rec Room locations for Toronto’s Roundhouse and at Calgary’s Deerfoot City. The Rec Room is an entertainment centre concept that brings together multiple dining environments, amusement gaming, technology (featuring state-of-the-art simulation) and live entertainment experiences in an auditorium-style space, all under one roof. Cineplex plans to open between 10-15 new locations of The Rec Room over the coming years, each ranging in size from 30,000 to 60,000 square feet and customized to the individual community. The massive, often two-storey entertainment complexes will see half of the space being devoted to dining and live entertainment and the other half being devoted to amusement games and feature attractions. 

*Images supplied by Cineplex.

Cadillac Fairview Announces CF Masonville Target Space Redevelopment

By
Craig Patterson
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London’s CF Masonville Place will see a $28.6 million redevelopment of its former Target retail space, which has been vacant since the U.S. retailer exited Canada in the spring of 2015. Construction is underway on the new retail spaces, with openings expected for the summer of 2017. The announcement marks completion of the shopping centre’s $106 million redevelopment program, which includes a recently unveiled $77 million redevelopment and expansion. 

Two new retailers will locate in the former Target space — TJX Companies-owned off price retailers Marshalls and HomeSense — along with Cineplex-owned entertainment centre The Rec Room, which we reported on today in a separate article. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Cineplex and TJX to officially complete our cumulative $106 million investment in CF Masonville Place,” said Finley McEwen, Senior Vice President, Development at Cadillac Fairview. “Our goal is to provide our guests with a vibrant destination that offers the best shopping, dining and entertainment in the region, and these partnerships reflect our commitment.”

Many of the Target spaces in Canada’s ‘stronger’ malls have secured tenants since the retailer exited Canada in the spring of 2015, though a number still remain vacant. Landlords continue to seek out tenants that include both retail and non-retail, including fitness centres and entertainment venues such as The Rec Room. 

CF Masonville’s redevelopment began in 2015, marking the first major renovation and expansion the shopping centre has seen since opening in 1985. Interiors have been renovated, adding porcelain floor tile and wall finishes, as well as new glass and stainless steel handrails throughout the shopping centre. Over the past 12 months, the centre welcomed 13 new retailers and services including London’s first ZARA, H&M, Hot Topic, NYX Cosmetics, Michael Kors, Browns Shoes, Lindt, Saje, Lush, Ivivva, Kiehl’s, Sephora, Freshii, the Disney Store, as well as Sport Chek/Atmosphere (opening early 2017). New restaurants include The Keg Steakhouse + Bar (opening early 2017), aroma espresso bar and Nando’s. 

The centre boasts sales in excess of $900 per square foot, making it one of Canada’s most productive shopping centres. The Retail Council of Canada has just released a study ranking Canada’s top malls by metrics including sales per square foot, which we’ll be discussing further in a separate article this month. 

Saks OFF 5TH Announces 1st Montreal Store Opening

By
Craig Patterson
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Hudson’s Bay Company-owned Saks Fifth Avenue has announced that it will open a 30,000 square foot Saks OFF 5TH store at Montreal’s CF Galeries d’Anjou in the summer of 2017. It is the third OFF 5TH location to be announced for the Montreal region, and it will be the first of the three to open its doors to the public. 

CF Galeries d’Anjou is managed by Cadillac Fairview, and jointly owned by Cadillac Fairview and Ivanhoé Cambridge. It is considered to be one of the region’s top malls, with over a million square feet of retail space and anchors including Hudson’s Bay, Sears, The Brick, Sports Experts/Atmosphere, as well as La Maison Simons’ second-largest store in existence. 

Last year, Saks also announced two Saks OFF 5TH stores, both opening at future dates. In the fall of 2018, Saks OFF 5TH will open a 44,840 square foot store downtown at the Montreal Eaton Centre — a busy and productive retail complex that will merge with adjacent Complexe Les Ailes to form a new shopping centre. As well, a location at Premium Outlets Montreal will open at a date to be determined, likely replacing the existing Hudson’s Bay outlet anchor retail space. 

Saks OFF 5TH has announced five new Canadian stores that will open in full-priced, traditional shopping centres. This is different from its U.S. locations, which are primarily in outlet malls or freestanding. In December of 2016, Saks announced that it would open an OFF 5TH location at West Vancouver’s Park Royal, and in October of 2016 it announced openings at Pickering Town Centre and at Bramalea City Centre — both of which are traditional malls in suburban Toronto. All three are scheduled to open in the summer of 2017. Saks OFF 5TH’s choice for retail space in Canada varies, ranging from power centres (such as Edmonton’s South Edmonton Common) to department store shop-in-stores, such as within Hudson’s Bay’s downtown Ottawa location. The shop-in-shop is unique to Canada as well, though at one time Saks OFF 5TH shared space with full-priced Saks Fifth Avenue stores in downtown Minneapolis and suburban Detroit (Fairlane Town Centre) — with both full-priced Saks stores having since closed. 

The CF Galeries d’Anjou store is the 18th confirmed Saks OFF 5TH location in Canada, with nine of those stores already being open. The Hudson’s Bay Company plans to open/operate 25 Canadian Saks OFF 5TH locations by 2018 — the same year that Nordstrom Rack will enter Canada. The two concepts will compete for Canadian’s value-priced dollars, with Nordstrom Rack expecting to open between 15 and 20 Canadian locations over the next several years. Competitor TJX, operating Winners and Marshalls in Canada, also continues to rapidly open stores nationwide. 

Saks Fifth Avenue also recently announced that it would open a 200,000 square foot full-priced Saks store in Montreal in early 2018, located within the existing downtown Montreal Hudson’s Bay store. It will include an 80,000 square foot ‘Quebec themed’ food hall as well as 120,000 square feet of fashion retail. 

Chanel Closes Mink Mile Flagship Ahead of Relocation [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Paris-based luxury brand Chanel officially closed its 131 Bloor Street West flagship in Toronto, with a new location set to open in a few months. In the meantime, Chanel has opened a large ‘pop-up’ store on the second level of Holt Renfrew at 50 Bloor Street West to serve its loyal clientele. 

Chanel’s former 7,400 square foot flagship closed on the afternoon of December 31. Chanel will move into an 8,700 square foot space at 98 Yorkville Avenue this spring/summer, as there has been some delays with its construction. French luxury brand Christian Dior will replace Chanel at 131 Bloor Street West, with construction set to commence shortly. Dior will span about 10,400 square feet over two levels, technically making it the largest Dior location in North America.

While the ‘pop-up’ is new, Chanel already had a presence at Holt’s Bloor Street. For over a decade, Chanel has operated a 1,850 square foot concession at Holt’s, and the new pop-up space in front of this boutique adds substantially more Chanel to Holt’s women’s designer floor. The pop-up is so large, in fact, that it takes up the entire central floor area on the east end of Holt’s second-level — a floor which also features boutiques for Giorgio Armani, Tom Ford, Prada, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana, as well as a roster of some of the world’s most prestigious brands.

Chanel has had a presence on Toronto’s Bloor Street West since the 1980’s, when it operated a concession in the now defunct retailer, Creeds. In April of 1989, Chanel opened its 131 Bloor Street store as a one-level, 3,100 square foot retail space that was expanded upwards several years later. Chanel subsequently expanded to other Canadian markets including Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, where it maintains a presence to this day as Holt Renfrew-housed concessions. The recently relocated Vancouver Chanel concession is particularly notable, spanning over 5,000 square feet in a new retail space on Holt’s ground floor, facing Dunsmuir Street. 

Filson Announces Canadian Expansion with 1st Store

By
Craig Patterson
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Seattle-based heritage fashion brand Filson will officially launch its Canadian store expansion in March of this year, beginning with a location in Vancouver’s Gastown. Filson has partnered with brokerage Think Retail for its Canadian expansion, which is expected to include multiple Filson store locations. 

Filson (originally named ‘C.C. Filson’s Pioneer Alaska Clothing and Blanket Manufacturers’) was founded in Seattle in 1897, and is known particularly for its clothing and luggage, as well as its guarantee. The company designs, manufactures and distributes its products, which feature rugged designs with prices in the mid to upper-end range. Quality is paramount to the brand, and it guarantees the lifetime of each item against failure or damage of its intended usage, according to Filson’s website. The company is owned by Fossil Group founder Tom Kartsotis, who also owns Detroit-based fashion brand Shinola (which opened its first Canadian store in Toronto over the summer, and was also represented by Think Retail). 

Filson’s first Canadian store will be located at 47 Water Street in Vancouver’s historical and trendy Gastown area. The store will measure 1,545 square feet, and replaces an art gallery. Filson is seeking retail space on commercial high streets, according to Think Retail, with Vancouver and Toronto being targeted cities. Think Retail’s website also states that Filson is interested in space providing “an ancillary café provided as an amenity to its customers, to allow local artisans to display & sell items (complimentary to the Filson brand), as well as the ability to hold marketing, community, and social events within the Premises”. 

Canada will mark the second international market for Filson, which also operates a store in London, UK. Filson operates street-front stores in American cities that include Seattle, New York City, Minneapolis, Portland OR, Dallas, San Francisco, Plano TX, Detroit, Austin and Washington DC, as well as two factory outlets. 

*All photos are courtesy of Filson

Van Cleef & Arpels to open 1st Freestanding Toronto Store

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: Van Cleef & Arpels

Paris-based luxury jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels will open its first freestanding Toronto store this spring at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, according to new construction hoarding signage. The Toronto boutique will join a downtown Vancouver unit opening later this year, which is also currently under construction. 

Toronto’s Van Cleef & Arpels will measure about 1,560 square feet on one level, replacing two smaller retailers — Swarovski on the corner, as well as an adjacent Crabtree & Evelyn store. Van Cleef & Arpels is the fifth Richemont Group-owned luxury brand confirmed to be opening at Yorkdale in 2017 in the mall’s expanding ‘luxury wing’. Across the hall, in retail space formerly occupied by Williams Sonoma, four Richemont brands will open boutiques including Piaget, IWC Schaffhausen, Officine Panerai, and Vacheron Constantine. 

Van Cleef & Arpels will also open a freestanding Vancouver boutique this year on the 1000 block of Alberni Street. That store will be two levels and will be more than twice the size of the new Yorkdale unit. Other Richemont brands will soon be announced for retail space adjacent to Vancouver’s Alberni Street Van Cleef & Arpels. 

Van Cleef & Arpels (CONSTRUCTION HOARDING WITH SIGNAGE. PHOTO: NORMAN KATZ, TAG)

Canadian jeweller Maison Birks also houses Van Cleef & Arpels boutiques in its flagship downtown Vancouver and Toronto locations. The Vancouver shop-in-store expanded to 1,435 square feet in early 2016, and the downtown Toronto shop-in-store will be expanded and gain its own storefront entrance with the renovation of Birks’ Manulife Centre flagship, which commences this year. Birks and Van Cleef & Arpels have had boutique partnerships since 2006. 

Founded in 1906 by Alfred Van Cleef and his brothers-in-law Charles and Julien Arpels on the Place Vendome in Paris, Van Cleef & Arpels is considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious jewellery brands. Van Cleef & Arpels currently operates 12 freestanding locations in the United States. Cities include New York City, Bal Harbour FL, Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa CA, Chicago, Las Vegas (x2), Manhasset NY, Houston, Naples FL, Palm Beach FL, and Short Hills NJ. Noticeably absent are large cities with plenty of luxury brands such as San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, and Dallas. All of the latter four metro regions, with the exception of Boston, feature Van Cleef & Arpels shop-in-stores at Neiman Marcus.

Swarovski Launches Canada-Wide Store Expansion

By
Craig Patterson
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Austrian crystal jewellery/collectable/gift retailer Swarovski is launching a Canadian store expansion in 2017, and has partnered with a leading brokerage to secure additional real estate. Swarovski is in the process of expanding its corporately-owned base of stores in Canada, and is examining various markets as it establishes its strategy. 

Swarovski was founded in Austria in 1895, and operates globally through its own stores as well as franchised locations and wholesale accounts. Its products include jewellery, figurines, home decor and various other collectable and gift items, with a focus on integrating cut-glass crystals into its designs. The company’s 2015 revenues were estimated to be 2.6 billion Euros for its operations in about 170 countries, with over 2,680 stores and an estimated 31,000 employees. 

In Canada, Swarovski operates 43 corporately owned stores, and is distributed in about 300 points-of-sale that include franchised boutiques and shop-in-stores in partners such as Hudson’s Bay. For its corporate store expansion, Swarovski has retained Aurora Realty Consultants to coordinate real estate deals, under the direction of Manon Parisien. 

In 2017-2018, Swarovski is expected to open approximately 10-12 freestanding corporately owned stores in Canada. Markets have yet to be determined, as national strategy is still being finalized. Swarovski operates stores both on urban street-fronts as well as within shopping centres. According to Aurora Realty Consultants, Swarovski’s mall-based stores will ideally be in the 800 square foot to 1,000 square foot range, while street-front locations may be slightly larger, between 800 and 1,100 square feet. The company’s largest Canadian store, located at the northwest corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets in Toronto, measures in excess of 2,000 square feet. It’s expected to relocate at some point, however, as a major redevelopment of that corner will be announced some time in 2017. 

Luxury Men’s Footwear Retailer Launches Unique Concept

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: Mehra

Vancouver-based entrepreneur Gaurav Mehra has launched a new luxury men’s footwear retailer that operates both online as well as offers personal one-on-one visits. Called Mehra, the new boutique launched last month, featuring brands otherwise not available in Western Canada but known worldwide as being some of the best shoemakers. 

Brands carried at Mehra include Corthay, Enzo Bonafè, Gaziano & Girling, Stefano Bemer and Vass. Prices start at $695 and can go into the thousands. Mehra only carries ‘shoe specialist’ brands — being those that only make shoes and have their own factories, with no outsourcing. All shoes offered are made with Goodyear Welted or Hand Welted construction — considered the finest methods of shoemaking. The five brands carried also feature made-to-order options, where styles can be customized, including leather, colour and soles. 

While styles may be ordered online, Mehra also offers home/office visits for Vancouver-area customers who prefer a more private, customized shopping experience. Some of Canada’s most prestigious retailers also offer private visits, dressing some of the country’s most affluent residents. Mr. Mehra is bringing this privilege to his clients as well, offering personalized service to ensure optimum fitting. 
 
Customization and one-on-one retail is a trend among elite retailers, according to Farla Efros, President of HRC Retail Advisory. She noted these personalized visits allow Mehra to differentiate itself in a competitive omni-channel marketplace. Success requires retailers to “drive a line in the sand” in regards to how they are going to differ in order to garner loyalty, which is difficult to do, she noted, and what Mehra is doing is right on-target. 

The product selection at Mehra will expand as business grows, with the potential to expand the geographic reach of personalized visits, as well. For more information, visit www.shopmehra.com or contact Mr. Mehra directly at: (604) 505-8133. 

INGLOT Cosmetics to Expand Canadian Store Count for 2017

By
Craig Patterson
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Polish cosmetics brand INGLOT Cosmetics will open two new Canadian locations early next year as it continues to expand its Canadian operations. In 2017, the company has confirmed two new store locations — at CF Lime Ridge in Hamilton, and CF Masonville Place in London, Ontario. The opening of two more stores will bring INGLOT’s Canadian store count to five, as the brand plans to further expand across Ontario and, eventually, other Canadian markets. 

INGLOT Cosmetics was founded 30 years ago in Przemyśl, Poland. The makeup brand is known for its high-pigment makeup, and its use of high-quality ingredients. Compared to its competitors, INGLOT’s prices remain fair – notably accessible to younger shoppers. 

International expansion of INGLOT Cosmetics began in 2006, with a franchised store in Montreal (now closed). Currently, the brand has grown to over 600 boutique stores, primarily across Europe and the United States. Some of INGLOT’s most prominent locations include New York’s Times Square and Chelsea Market, Dubai’s Dubai Mall, and London’s Westfield London.

New Study Finds ‘Convenience Cravers’ to be a Key Canadian Consumer Demographic

By
Retail Insider
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A new study from Shell finds that for a significant segment of the population, convenience is paramount when making purchases. The subgroup, identified as “Convenience Cravers”, could help boost retailer’s revenues if targeted. Conversely, retailers could lose out if they ignore this group and its demands. 

The study surveyed 1,000 Canadians over the age of 18, finding that 18% of respondents ranked convenient and personalized retail experiences as a “must-have, non-negotiable part of the retail experience”. Convenience Cravers are most likely to be males between the ages of 25 and 44 with a higher-than-average disposable income, working more than 40 hours per week. Above all else, these shoppers said that they’re looking for retailers that offer:

  • Quality interaction — that is, a humanized customer experience;
  • Efficient payment, including a variety of options to speed up check-out;
  • Digital details, including a place where they can go to review a business and compare its products to other retailers online; and
  • Great partnerships — that is, a place that carries more of what they need, so they have to make fewer stops. 

The study goes on to note that for retailers looking to entice this group to spend more in-store, retailers should first focus on humanizing the customer service experience, while also expediting the checkout process. The Shell study further notes that:

  • 14% of Convenience Cravers said that good customer service that led to a convenient experience would drive them to spend more, and
  • 21% of Convenience Cravers said they would be prepared to pay more to check out faster – with a remarkable 38% willing to pay up to 5% more on top of their purchase for speedy service. 

The Shell study also found that retailers not meeting Convenience Cravers’ growing expectations will pay the price. Some respondents saying that they’d switch brands/retailers over an ‘inconvenient experience’, and across four retail segments (fuel, convenience, fashion and technology), Convenience Cravers said: 

Four in 10 Convenience Cravers would share a bad retail experience, according to the study, amplifying its negative impact. Furthermore, a substantial 61% of members of this group would lose trust in a brand after an inconvenient experience, according to the study. That loss of trust means that Convenience Cravers would consider switching to another brand, with a startling 13% of Convenience Cravers saying that they would walk away from a brand forever after an inconvenient experience. 

The infographic above visualizes the Shell Canada study’s findings, which should be of interest to many Canadian retailers. 

*Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, contact craig@retail-insider.com. 

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