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Opening of Sherway Gardens Nordstrom delayed until spring 2017

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Retail Insider
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Nordstrom Sherway Gardens Rendering

The opening of Nordstrom at Toronto’s Sherway Gardens has been delayed until the spring of 2017. It was originally scheduled to open in the fall of 2016. Some may be disappointed with the delay, especially since the Sherway Gardens Nordstrom was the first Nordstrom to be announced for the Toronto area when the company made the original Canadian store announcement in July, 2012.

Nordstrom spokesperson Brooke White says that the Sherway store’s delay is due to the considerable construction activity required to build Toronto’s two other Nordstrom stores. Nordstrom’s Yorkdale and Toronto Eaton Centre stores are both now scheduled to open in the fall of 2016. Nordstrom announced the opening of its 188,000 square foot Yorkdale store in April of 2013, which will be built as part of a mall expansion. This week Nordstrom also announced that it would build a 213,000 square foot flagship store at the Toronto Eaton Centre, replacing part of a current Sears store.

Nordstrom Sherway Exterior Rendering

Nordstrom’s Sherway Gardens store will be a newly-built 138,000 square foot space which will replace retailer Sporting Life at the south end of the mall. Sporting Life will relocate to a newly built store in a northward mall expansion, possibly alongside an expanded Holt Renfrew store.

Images above are renderings of Nordstrom’s Sherway Gardens store, courtesy of Nordstrom Canada’s Media Kit. 

[Sherway Gardens website]

[Nordstrom website]

Sears Canada is ready to sell its 27 Quebec store leases

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Retail Insider
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Photo: Sears

Sears Canada is reportedly interested in selling its 27 store leases in the province of Quebec. Sources say that these stores could be sold if Sears receives advantageous offers from landlords, similar to deals made in English Canada. Although Nordstrom entered the Canadian market through Sears lease purchases, we don’t believe Nordstrom will take any of the Quebec leases.

Company spokesperson Vincent Power says that Sears will consider selling leases back to mall landlords if the lease sale prices are in excess of the estimated profitability of a Sears store over 20 years. Sources tell us that talks are already under way for several of these Sears stores, and that La Maison Simons could be close to securing one of the Sears store locations.

Since April 2012, Sears Canada has sold back 11 of its store leases to mall landlords for a total of about $762 million. The sale of the first four Sears stores paved the way for Nordstrom’s entry into the Canadian market. Sears has since sold back more leases paving the way for even more Nordstrom stores, as well as a La Maison Simons store in suburban Toronto.

A source familiar with the company tells us that Nordstrom currently has no plans to expand by opening stores in the Province of Quebec, at least for now. Nordstrom turned down our request to interview its Canadian President, Karen McKibbin, on this subject.

Industry sources say that talks are already in place between landlords and Sears Canada to sell off more store leases. We’ll keep you updated as Sears Canada continues to liquidate its assets.

RELATED: 

[Article Source]

[Sears Canada website]

Nordstrom reveals its new Calgary store manager for its September 19th store opening

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Retail Insider
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Photo: Shelia Wooldridge

Nordstrom has revealed the identity of its first Canadian store manager: Shelia Wooldridge. Ms. Woodridge joined Nordstrom in 1996, working as a salesperson at its Dallas Galleria store. She has since held a variety of management and regional positions in the store’s women’s apparel division. 

Nordstrom will open its first Canadian store at Calgary’s Chinook Centre on September 19th, 2014. We’ll follow up this article with a description of what’s in store for Calgary. 

RELATED: 

Photo: Nordstrom

[Nordstrom Canada website]

Mountain Equipment Coop expected to open 2nd Toronto store

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Retail Insider
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Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) is one step closer to opening a 44,000 square foot store at 784 Sheppard Street East in suburban Toronto. North York Community Council* has supported a rezoning application that will go to vote at Toronto City Council on February 19th. If built, this will be Toronto’s second MEC store. For those unfamiliar, MEC is a Vancouver-based consumers’ cooperative which carries outdoor recreation gear and clothing and sells merchandise exclusively to its members. A lifetime membership costs $5, and the company has over 3.5 million members. It is considered to be Canada’s largest supplier of outdoor equipment. It was founded in 1971 and has 17 stores in 16 Canadian cities.

The two-level MEC store would be part of a mixed-use development that would also feature 50 units of stacked townhouses behind the new store, on the north portion of the 0.786 hectare site. 

Parking would be provided underground through two separate garages that are connected by a common access ramp. The store garage would hold 125 car stalls; another 93 would be available for residents of the townhomes. Vehicle access to the site would be provided from Sheppard Avenue. Thirty-six bike parking stalls are also proposed for the store.

If approved, construction of MEC’s North York store and the townhouses will begin in March. The store is expected to open in the spring of 2015. It would be MEC’s second store in the Greater Toronto Area, complementing the retailer’s downtown location on King Street West.

“We are extremely pleased to have received the support of North York Municipal Council,” said MEC CFO Sandy Treagus. “MEC firmly believes that our proposal aligns with the city’s planning objectives for the site, and we are optimistic that Toronto City Council will also see its merit and approve the rezoning.”


Of MEC’s more than 3.5 million members across Canada, over 620,000 reside in the Greater Toronto Aarea, notes Sandy Treagus. “Ontarians are among the most active in this country, and more than 100,000 MEC members actually reside in the North York
area. We are looking forward to supporting these members – and anyone interested in joining MEC – to help them gear up for any manner of recreation in the city, nearby parks or adventures further afield.” 

* Thank you, Skeezix, for noting our previous error of referring to ‘North York Community Council’ as ‘North York Municipal Council’. 

Sears Canada lays off over 1600 employees & outsources tech jobs to IBM

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Retail Insider
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Photo: Sears Canada

Sears Canada has laid off over 1,600 employees, representing more than 7% of its entire workforce. Included in these layoffs are 283 warehouse jobs across Canada as well as 1,345 associate jobs at three customer call Centres in Montreal, Belleville Ont. and Toronto. Call centre jobs will be eliminated over the next nine months, and will be outsourced to IBM. 

Sears spokesperson Dan Madge says Sears warehouses affected by the most immediate layoffs are in Calgary, Montreal, Belleville and Vaughan (both in Ontario) and in a Vancouver suburb. 

The following is their press release: 

TORONTO, Jan. 15, 2014 /CNW/ – Sears Canada Inc. (TSX: SCC) announced today that the Company has entered into an agreement with third party vendor IBM to externally reassign the work currently performed at three internal Sears Customer Contact Centres.  The move to a third party will enable Sears to realize significant capability upgrades which will result in better processes, controls and tracking and an overall improvement in the customer experience. The transfer of responsibility, designed to be seamless to customers, will take place over the next nine months and affect 1,345 associates.

“The changes we are making to our Customer Contact Centres will allow us to streamline the support structure of our organization while enhancing the overall customer experience,” said Doug Campbell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sears Canada Inc. “Our partner will bring tools and technologies that will allow us to operate more effectively without the ongoing investment in and maintenance of legacy proprietary systems. This will provide our customers with the benefits of up-to-date technology and enable us to focus on our core retail business, the area where we believe we have the greatest opportunity to maximize the value of the Company.

“For those who are leaving Sears, career transition support will be provided to assist in preparing for and obtaining their next role outside of Sears.

The Company is also initiating a reorganization and simplification of its logistics organization intended to drive optimal performance by leveraging tools and technology that will streamline business processes, which will result in an additional staff reduction of 283 associates effective immediately.

“These types of decisions are not made without considerable thought and deliberation,” added Mr. Campbell.  “We are planning for the future of Sears Canada and taking steps now that will allow us to continue serving customers as a viable national retailer coast to coast in stores and through our Direct channel now and in the future.  In this case, we firmly believe that these changes are necessary and will allow us to better serve our customers.  I thank those leaving Sears for their contribution to the Company and wish them all the best in the future.

“Sears Canada is a multi-channel retailer with a network that includes 181 corporate stores, 241 Hometown stores, over 1,400 catalogue and online merchandise pick-up locations, 101 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide repair and service network. The Company also publishes Canada’s most extensive general merchandise catalogue and offers shopping online at www.sears.ca.

Although the Company believes that the forward-looking information presented with respect to the outsourcing initiative is reasonable, such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information.  The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof.  The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

[Source: Press release]

[Sears Canada website]

Nordstrom to replace Sears at the Toronto Eaton Centre

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Retail Insider
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Future Nordstrom Location at Toronto Eaton Centre

As many of us expected, Nordstrom has announced that it will replace Sears at the Toronto Eaton Centre. It will open a 213,000 square foot, three-level store. Construction begins in March and the store is scheduled to open in the fall of 2016, around the same time as its Yorkdale Shopping Centre location. 

Although Sears will vacate the Toronto Eaton Centre space next month, it will continue to occupy approximately 460,000 square feet of office space over four floors above Nordstrom for Sears Canada’s headquarters. The office space was formerly retail space. 

In total, the Toronto Eaton Centre Sears is about 816,000 square feet. Besides the square footage to be occupied by Nordstrom and Sears Canada’s office space, an additional 140,000 square feet of retail space will become available for other retailers. Tenant(s) are expected to be announced in the near future. 

Dundas/Yonge Street, Street level (Level 3) Lease Plan: Cadillac Fairview

Despite the fact that it will be the company’s Canadian flagship, the Toronto Eaton Centre Nordstrom will be its second-largest Canadian store location. Its Vancouver store will be larger at almost 230,000 square feet.

Sears sold its Toronto Eaton Centre lease back to landlord Cadillac Fairview in October. Sears’ Canadian entry was made possible after it sold back store leases in Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary. It subsequently sold two other leases, paving the way for a Nordstrom store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. 

“Our properties were the first to welcome Nordstrom to Canada, and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Nordstrom in the opening of five of six of its locations in Canada,” said John Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cadillac Fairview.

Wayne Barwise, Executive Vice President of Development at Cadillac Fairview said that over the past three years the corporation has spent $120 million in enhancements to Toronto Eaton Centre.“This second phase of redevelopment will include an additional $400 million. We are delighted to have Nordstrom be part of this exciting venture as we continue to bring a premier urban retail shopping experience to the city,” he said in a release.

Nordstrom Toronto Eaton Centre joins five previously announced Canadian stores. Nordstrom plans to open additional full-line stores and Nordstrom Rack stores as the company continues to expand into the Canadian market.

[Source: Newswire]

[Nordstrom website]

13 things that will be less expensive in 2014

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Retail Insider
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[Image Source]

By Louis Ramirez at Deal News:


Although you might have been disappointed to see that things like wine and milk are destined to be more expensive this year, there’s still good financial news on the horizon. Analysts predict certain products will see significant price cuts in the coming months. From 4K TVs to used cars, we’ve rounded up a list of items you can expect to spend less on this year.

1. 3D Printers
2014 will be the year 3D printing goes mainstream. Key patents on the technology are set to expire in February, which will open the market to competition. As a result, these once-prohibitively expensive machines will see significant price drops. We’ve already seen a fully-funded KickStarter for a $100 3D printer, so there’s no telling how cheap devices can get, but more competition, expired patents, and widespread acceptance of the technology all mean that it’s time to give the third dimension a try.

2. 4K HDTVs
CES is officially over, but for 4K TVs (aka, Ultra HD TVs), the ride is just beginning. Unlike 3D TVs, which took forever to drop in price and had little to no content at launch, manufacturers are making an aggressive push for 4K TVs. Seiki led the price-cutting charge in 2013 and other off-brand manufacturers will soon join the party. Even Netflix has announced plans to stream its Emmy-winning show House of Cards in 4K (on select 4K TVs). The average household may not be able to afford (or want) a 4K TV, but for early adopters, expect the prices to tumble as the year progresses.

3. Gold
Though the precious metal soared in the wake of the financial crisis, gold will suffer a “significant decline” in the new year, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. The global investment bank predicts bullion will fall at least 15% bringing the cost of gold down to $1,057 an ounce. An upbeat global economy and bullish stock market mean otherwise safe investments, such as gold, will suffer in the new year.

4. Smartwatches
Wearable technology made strides in 2013 thanks in part to products like Google Glass and the Samsung Galaxy Gear, which helped push wearable tech into the limelight. But despite Google and Samsung’s best efforts, wearable tech still hasn’t gone mainstream. This year that will change as analysts predict that Apple will enter the arena, as the company has already hired Nike’s Jay Blahnik, the man behind the FuelBand. With Apple onboard, wearable tech will get the push it needs while competitors will seek to compete with the popular brand on price.

5. Crude Oil

Oil production is growing so rapidly that the Energy Information Administration predicts output to approach an all-time high by 2016. As a result, there will be a cutback on oil imports, leaving previous suppliers with overproduction. Moreover greater usage of natural gas and fuel-efficient cars will lessen the demand for oil. As a result, Deutsche Bank expects oil prices to drop to $88.75 (US$) a barrel, and the global benchmark of Brent crude to fall to $97.50 (US$) a barrel this year.

6. Off-Contract Smartphones
It’s already easy to find deals on smartphones, but it might get even easier in 2014. According to an IDC forecast, the average selling price of an unsubsidized smartphone is expected to decline about 13% from $387 to $337. By 2017, the average price is predicted to be just $265. While there will always be free subsidized phones available to shoppers who are willing to be locked into a 2-year contract, the option to pay upfront (and use cheaper phone plans) may become increasingly appealing this year as prices fall. Moreover, this overall trend may yield lower starting prices for subsidized phones, and models may become free much faster as well.

7. Touchscreen Laptops
Facing stiff competition from tablets and smartphones, manufacturers have attempted to reinvent the laptop in order to keep it relevant. As a result, features that once cost a premium, such as touchscreen displays, will become standard in 2014. Since September, the best price on a 15″ touchscreen laptop has fallen by 17%; the lowest price for an ultraportable with a touchscreen dropped a more impressive 33%. As a result, $200 touchscreen laptops may be the norm rather than the exception this year.

8. 1080p Laptops
In general, 2014 notebook sales are predicted to drop, with no significant recovery expected. Even Intel is looking to shed its PC image by doubling down on Android and tablets. For consumers, this means premium laptops at not-so-premium prices. So while that QHD+ laptop may still be out of your budget, 1080p models will swiftly drop in price. In fact, the lowest price we saw for a 15.6″ 1080p Haswell laptop in 2013 was $499 — a 33% price drop from the best deal we saw for a similarly-equipped 1080p laptop at the start of 2013.

9. Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were among the biggest tech stories of 2013. Equally big were their respective price tags of $499 and $399. But not all hope is lost for budget gamers, as both Microsoft and Sony announced they would continue to support their respective previous-generation systems for the coming years. That means we can expect to see rock-bottom pricing on these systems, games, and accessories — especially as the next-gen consoles start to become less difficult to obtain.

10. Microsoft Surface Tablets
Although the holidays bought some good news for Surface sales, Redmond’s tablet is still trailing behind the competition. And with rumors of a Surface mini debut this spring, you can expect more price cuts on the original Surface RT tablets. To date, we’ve seen the Microsoft Surface 10.6″ 32GB Windows RT Tablet for as low as $199, a far cry from the $499 price tag it debuted with back in October of 2012.

11. Coffee
Your morning cup of coffee is about to get sweeter, too. Brazil produced a record crop of everyone’s favorite coffee bean in 2012 and another big crop is expected for mid-2014. That will help drive the cost of coffee down significantly. Unfortunately, Starbucks fans won’t see a difference at their local cafe as the retail chain isn’t lowering prices (at least not significantly).

12. iMac
Apple’s all-in-one iMac shed a lot of weight in 2013. Unfortunately, so did sales, as Apple sold fewer than expected units in the worldwide market, according to KGI Securities. As a result, analysts predict Apple will debut a budget iMac in 2014. For naysayers who don’t think it’s possible, Apple already has a strong line of “budget” devices starting with the iPhone 5C, iPad mini, and 11″ MacBook Air.

13. Used Cars
In the market for a new set of wheels? According to Moody’s Analytics, you have until mid 2014 to act. Analysts at the firm expect prices of used cars to dip 3% to 4% lower than where they stand now, due to rising new vehicle sales, which have increased the inventory of used vehicles from trade-ins. Price-wise, Edmunds.com states the average used car sold for $15,617 during Q3 of 2013, down 2.8% from the previous quarter. Brands to look for include Volvo, GMC, and Chevrolet, which sat the longest in used car lots according to Edmunds.com.

Readers, which price cuts are you most excited about? What other items do you think might get cheaper in 2014? Feel free to comment below, to Retail Insider’s Facebook Page or Tweet us your response. 

Related DealNews Features:
With over a decade of experience covering technology, Louis Ramirez has written for CNET, Laptop, Gizmodo, and various other publications. Follow him on Twitter at @louisramirez.

Follow @dealnews on Twitter for the latest roundups, price trend info, and stories. You can also sign up for an email alert for all DealNews features.

Mountain Warehouse to further expand into Canada

By
Retail Insider
-
Mountain Warehouse

British travel and outdoor retailer Mountain Warehouse intends to open stores and further expand into Canada. It has already secured a brokerage to acquire Canadian retail space, and has opened its first Canadian location at the Toronto Premium Outlets. The company sells equipment for hiking, camping, running and skiing.

Mountain Warehouse now has over 150 stores. Most of them are in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. The company was founded in 1997 and is known for designing its own products, which are considered to be both well priced and high in quality. It is seeking store space in the 3,500 to 4,500 square foot range, with a desired 40 foot minimum retail frontage for each store location.

Mountain Warehouse’s expansion across Canada will be exclusively represented by Brokerage Northwest Atlantic Inc. There’s no word yet on how many Canadian store locations Mountain Warehouse intends on opening.

[Mountain Warehouse website]

Prada opens at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre

By
Retail Insider
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Photo: Darrell Bateman

Prada has opened a boutique at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping CentreHolt Renfrew store. The Prada concession features accessories as well as women’s ready-to-wear and footwear. The shop is about 3,000 square feet and can be accessed both from within Holt Renfrew as well as from an entrance facing the mall. The photo above is the mall entrance to the new Prada store. 

The Yorkdale Prada is the latest concession for Prada in Canada. Prada has taken to opening and operating leased concessions around the world and currently operates concessions at Holt Renfrew’s Toronto (Bloor Street), Calgary and Vancouver stores. 
Prada joins neighbouring designer concessions including Chanel (which recently opened next to Prada), Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton. 

Prada also has a 5,889 square foot free-standing flagship at 131 Bloor Street West in Toronto. It features menswear, womenswear, accessories, footwear and fragrances.

Yorkdale Map

We’ve been told that Saks Fifth Avenue intends on opening Prada concessions within its new Canadian stores. In fact, Prada will be one of several key designer concessions that Saks and Holt Renfrew will compete to operate. Nordstrom also has Prada concessions at several of its American stores and may also try to open Canadian Prada concessions. 

We’ll keep you updated on Prada’s Canadian store expansion, especially given Saks Fifth Avenue’s intentions to carry the designer in Canada. 

Thank you Darrell Bateman for the photo at the top of this article.

[Holt Renfrew website]
[Prada website]

Hugo Boss to open at Richmond Centre in suburban Vancouver

By
Retail Insider
-
Photo: Hugo Boss

A 3,000 Square foot Hugo Boss store will open soon at Richmond Centre in Richmond BC, just south of Vancouver. The store is expected to carry menswear only, though we’ve been told by Hugo Boss management that the product selection could be amended to include some womenswear.

The store will be operated by Hugo Boss Canada. 

The mall’s landlord, Cadillac Fairview, has recently added other upscale retailers including Kiehl’s, Michael Kors and Thomas Sabo. TopShop/TopMan has secured almost 15,000 square feet of space adjacent to the mall’s Hudson’s Bay and it is expected to open in the spring.

RELATED:

[Richmond Centre website]

[Hugo Boss website]

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