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RioCan Commences Leasing Yonge-Eglinton E-Condos Retail Podium

By
Craig Patterson
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RioCan’s newest commercial development at the northeast corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue is now leasing space to retailers. The retail podium is at the base of the ‘E-Condos’ development, where RioCan has partnered with developers Bazis and Metropia on the 850-unit, twin-tower residential project. 

The high-traffic location is exceptional and will only get busier, according to RioCan leasing manager Oren Rubin. The Yonge and Eglinton intersection has the second-highest pedestrian footfall of any in the city, as well as considerable motor vehicle and subway traffic. Subway riders, in particular, are expected to increase with the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, according to Mr. Rubin, which is expected to be operational in about five years. 

The commercial component of E-Condos includes three levels. The ground level, accessed off of both Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue East, features three retail spaces anchored by a large TD Bank – the podium’s first confirmed retail tenant. Other retail spaces include an 850 square foot space with lobby and Eglinton Avenue frontage, as well as a smaller 338 square foot space with Eglinton Avenue access as well as frontage to an office lobby (see plan below). Both spaces will see considerable visibility as well as pedestrian traffic via escalators leading down to the TTC subway station below. 

The concourse retail level features spaces for about seven retailers (space is customizable), which will see considerable pedestrian traffic from those accessing the subway, office tower, and the residential towers above. Hordes of people are expected to access this level on the way to-and-from the subway once the new entrances and escalators are operational. 

A second-level retail component is also available with multiple spaces, which will be accessed from ground-floor elevators. Both retailers and office tenants are being considered for these spaces, which will feature considerable natural light from large south and west-facing windows. 

For more information on leasing at E-Condos in Toronto, contact Oren Rubin at: orubin@riocan.com or by phone:  647.258.5124

Study Reveals Canadian Consumer Habits and Retail Landscape

By
Craig Patterson
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Photo: ShutterstockPhoto: Shutterstock

Photo: Shutterstock

RedFlagDeals.com has released survey results from June of 2016, where it surveyed over 1,000 consumers on their shopping preferences. The good news is that because of the low Canadian dollar and costs related to international e-commerce, many consumers plan on shopping in Canada over the US. The bad news for some Canadian retailers is that in the survey, respondents overwhelmingly expressed the desire to shop at discount outlets over full-priced stores and independent retailers. For reference, RedFlagDeals.com has over 775,000 registered users and sees over four million monthly visitors to its site.   

First, the good news. Over 85% of participants responded “yes” to the question: “With the current state of the Canadian dollar, are you planning to focus more of your spending locally instead of going across the border?” The remainder said that they’d continue shopping cross-border, primarily for goods not available in this country: 


For those who shop online at U.S. retailers, the respondents said that their biggest deterrent was shipping charges (33.96%), followed by exchange rates (31.9%), duty fees (29.94%) and customs delays (4.2%). 

Now for some potentially bad news for many Canadian retailers. Over 73% of respondents said that they prefer shopping at discount outlets, while 15.65% said that they prefer luxury retailers for the quality. The RedFlagDeals.com study also revealed that 10.87% of respondents shop at local independent retailers for unique products, as well as to support local merchants:  



Almost 71% of respondents said that they frequently use forums and deal sites to look for the best deals, and only 1.21% said that they don’t seek out deals. These numbers are likely skewed, however, given that RedFlagDeals.com solicited respondents from its site, which publishes thousands of deals over 70 categories: 


The study also asked respondents where they do the majority of their in-store shopping, with 53.12% of respondents saying that they shop in large chain stores. Of the same set of respondents, 34.48% shop primarily at discount outlets, 6.43% at high-end retailers, and only 5.96% said that they shop at local, independent retailers. 

The study examined online versus in-store shopping, with just over half of respondents saying that they shop both in-store and online, while 32.62% prefer shopping online only, and only 16.87% of respondents saying they shop exclusively in-store. This should be particularly concerning to retailers lacking e-commerce sites, which are more likely to be smaller independent retailers. The City of Toronto is hoping to get more local retailers online, for example, with its Digital Main Street initiative. 


The survey listed several stores set to open in Canada within the next couple of years. Almost 42% of respondents said they’d shop at none of these, which isn’t’ surprising considering that the top three retailers are confirmed to only be opening in Toronto at this time. Nordstrom Rack (opening its first Canadian location at 1 Bloor Street East in early 2018) got 28.91% of votes, while Uniqlo (opening this fall at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Shopping Centre) got 27.02% and Saks Fifth Avenue (which opened two Toronto stores in February of this year) got 16.29% of votes. Almost 9% of respondents said they’d travel to shop at these stores, which is great for Toronto’s tourism numbers. 


Referring to the new retailers discussed above, 46.96% of respondents said that they wouldn’t increase their spending with the new openings, while 22.17% said they’d shop more during the hype of these store openings, and over 20% saying that they prefer to shop online, generally.  

The survey also asked respondents which retailers they’d like to see open in Canada, and which retailers they were most disappointed to see exit Canada in 2015. Regarding which stores respondents would most like to see open in Canada, 57.53% said they’d like to see Macy’s open here while 24.4% want JC Penney, 9.92% would like Barneys New York, and 8.51% would like Neiman Marcus to enter the Canadian market. Of the retailers which recently exited Canada, 46.87% of respondents were most disappointed to see Target leave, while 40.06% mourn the loss of Future Shop, 9.24% for Mexx and 3.83% for Grand & Toy (which continues to maintain an online retail presence). 

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: July 27, 2016




5 Ways Retail Funding Can Support Canadian Businesses

By
Retail Insider
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By Jess Harris

There is nothing more satisfying than operating a successful retail business. Very few things can beat the feeling of making customers happy by offering the right mix of products at the right price.

At the same time, the retail business is one of the toughest endeavours you will ever undertake. As a retail business owner, you are always forced to juggle multiple tasks. Everything from dealing with disgruntled customers and handling suppliers to negotiating leases and managing employees all quickly become part of your expertise.

Perhaps the most critical task for a retail business owner is cash management. Being able to adeptly control the inflow and outflow of money is what separates thriving businesses from those that are just surviving. Retail is notorious for not providing a smooth inflow of capital though. This unsteady cash flow makes having a source of retail funding a must for every retailer.

Here are five ways retail funding can support your business:

1) Buying inventory

Having the capital available to purchase inventory at a moment’s notice is crucial for a retailer’s success. It is very easy to misjudge your customer’s appetite for a particular product, but not being able to restock your shelves with hot-selling items can significantly stifle your growth. While you can do your best to project future sales, it is a very inexact science. 

Also, your suppliers will likely have bargain deals available from time to time. Having the ability to jump on the deal instantly will enable you to get the best price possible.

2) Expansion

The old saying that if your business is not growing, it is dying, rings true in the retail world. Having a reliable and consistent source of retail funding can allow your business to expand quickly. Everything from locking down a location lease to outfitting the space with your design requires capital. Remember, the hot areas are always in demand. Being able to access the must-have capital when needed will enable you to stay one step ahead of your competition.

3) Making payroll

As a retail business owner, others may depend on you for their livelihood. Your hard-working employees rely on your business to support their families and lifestyle. The ability to never miss a payday is what builds trust and loyalty among your employees. 

Unfortunately, the unsteady cash flow of most retail businesses can make it difficult to meet payroll on a consistent basis. The smartest way to overcome this issue is to have a reliable source of retail funding always available.

4) Marketing

Retail business owners are entirely reliant upon their marketing efforts to attract new business. Even in today’s internet-connected age, marketing and advertising cost money. Sometimes this can be a substantial sum that may be beyond the company’s current capital. 

Right now, social media is where the smart retailers are spending their marketing dollars. Setting up and maintaining an online newsletter, targeted Google ads, Twitter accounts and Facebook profiles all require an outlay of capital, not to mention the inherent cost of hiring an expert to deal with this realm while you are operating the store.

Even traditional forms of marketing, such as window displays, have their costs. Customer-facing displays can draw clients and set you apart from competing stores. Another effective marketing tactic is placing a sidewalk board in front of your store to direct customers inside. An angle on this marketing method that borders on guerilla marketing is paying someone to stand outside of your store wearing a sandwich board marketing message. This method can be highly effective in locations that a regular sidewalk board is not permitted. 

To top it off, as you probably know, every form of marketing has a lag time. What this mean is that it takes a while for your marketing efforts to pay off. In fact, it sometimes takes much longer than you might expect before you see the first dollar returned from marketing efforts. Due to this delay, having a ready-to-use retail line of credit can be the ideal way to pay it forward with marketing.

5) Emergencies

Every retail business is exposed to a variety of potential emergencies. Things like a leaking roof or crashed computer can happen anytime. Having the security of a ready to use a line of credit can help manage any business emergency.

Retail funding can be key when facing a big or small cash flow situation. Since you are basically guaranteed to have slow weeks, or maybe even months, as well as booming periods, having a source of funds at the ready can help your retail business survive the ups and downs of this fast-paced industry.

Sponsored by Kabbage, Inc, which is dedicated to supporting the small business community. Kabbage is trusted by more than 100,000 small business owners and has funded more than $1.6 billion to help businesses grow. [If you are interested in sponsored content, please contact us]

Email: support@kabbage.com, Follow @KabbageInc on Twitter.

Sherwin-Williams Reaches Canadian Store Milestone, Plans Aggressive Expansion

By
Craig Patterson
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Cleveland, Ohio-based paint retailer Sherwin-Williams has just opened its 200th Canadian store location in Whitby, Ontario, and it plans to open many more. The community-focused retailer is seeing tremendous growth in Canada, partially fuelled by a booming property market. 

As part of the Whitby opening, Sherwin-Williams will assist with the renovation of the historic James Rowe House. The company gives back to local communities and recently participated in the Memorial Cup in Red Deer, Alberta, and also recently donated $350,000 worth of cleanup supplies to the Fort McMurray fire relief efforts. 

Sheryl Wood, Vice President of Marketing for the company’s Canadian division, explained that Sherwin Williams will look to open between 20 and 25 stores annually in Canada, with a goal of operating 300 locations by the year 2020. Stores are generally in the 3,000 to 5,000 square foot range in locations ranging from urban to suburban. Stores are designed in-house, and its real estate is handled by an in-house team. 

With store growth comes job growth, and Sherwin-Williams is looking to hire between 100 and 150 management trainees for its Canadian stores. Interested applicants can find more information and apply at: sherwin.com/mtp.

Sherwin-Williams was founded in Cleveland in 1866, and is celebrating its 150th birthday this year. The company is technically a year older than Canada, and has a unique Canadian connection – Sherwin-Williams opened a manufacturing plant in Montreal in 1894, and its second CEO was Canadian. It now operates over 4,000 stores in the United States and has locations globally. 

That’s Italy Enters Growth Phase [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Italian concept store That’s Italy has opened a second location, and it’s looking to continue growing its operations. The relatively new retailer is seeing success by offering unique, hard-to-find brands in an upbeat Italian-themed retail environment. 

The company’s first store opened in March of 2013 at 3590 Rutherford Road (unit 12) in Woodbridge, Ontario, spanning an impressive 14,000 square feet. Looking to reach the Toronto consumer, That’s Italy recently opened a 6,600 square foot, two-level store at 2660 Yonge Street, in an affluent midtown location across from Sporting Life’s flagship. 

The new Toronto store features Italian-made fashions for women, men and children. Some of its brands are well known, such as Moschino, Cesare Paciotti, Blumarine and Trussardi. Others are less known but are luxurious and in some instances, cannot be found elsewhere in Canada. That’s Italy features three lines from Moschino, including Moschino Couture, Love Moschino and Moschino Boutique – with some pieces unavailable elsewhere in Toronto, where Moschino also wholesales at Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson’s Bay. 

The Toronto store also features Italian fragrances, candles, and even coffee. Italian fragrance collection Teatro Fragranze Uniche is exclusive to That’s Italy in Canada, and the retailer will soon be launching a new custom ‘That’s Italy’ scent. It also has its own brand of coffee available in the store, and will soon include a liquor license so that guests may enjoy a drink at the bar on the store’s ground-level. 

Upstairs via elevator, That’s Italy has created Canada’s only Impero Couture boutique, which features formalwear for men, gowns for women, dress clothes for boys and girls, and an impressive collection of bridal gowns, complete with spacious dressing rooms and a ‘twirling station’. The Impero Couture brand was founded by Luigi Auletta in the year 2000, using The Bold and the Beautiful’s Katherine Kelly Lang as one of its spokespersons. 

The concept store looks to “bring the best of Italy to Canada”, according to Manager and Purchasing Officer Manual Grasso. He explained how the store sets out to offer high quality, hard to find Italian fashions to Canadians, in an upbeat, friendly environment. Colours are often bold and designs fashion-forward, differentiating it from many retailers who in many instances, buy “safe” designs. That’s Italy shoppers are embracing colour, he said, and that their loyal following also appreciates the uniqueness of design, as well as hard-to-find pieces that are unlikely to be worn by others at the same event, for example. In-store coffee and video screens showing Italian fashion television create an environment unique in Toronto. 

  • Second floor bridal salon. Photo Tom Sandler
  • Ground floor bar area and cash desks, as well as a video screen playing Italian fashion television. Photo Tom Sandler

Moving forward, Mr. Grasso said that the company is looking to possibly open a third store  in the Greater Toronto Area, though nothing is confirmed as far as location. That’s Italy has also set its sights on Miami, Florida, as it examines the possibility of expanding operations into the United States. 

Shoes.com Launches Brick-and-Mortar Initiative [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Online footwear retailer Shoes.com (operating online as ShoeMe.ca in Canada) has opened its first permanent brick-and-mortar location in the world, in Toronto. The store is located on trendy Queen Street West and is the first of two to open in Canada this year. 

The 3,000 square foot Toronto store, which opened on Friday, is located at 356 Queen Street West. The company says that it moved into brick-and-mortar to introduce new customers to purchasing shoes online, with in-store ‘brand ambassadors’ helping shoppers find shoes in-store or online at the SHOEme.ca website from in-store order stations. The Toronto store was designed by Canadian architecture and interior design firm, Dialog, in the same space where Shoes.com hosted a pop-up in November of 2015.

The Toronto store is divided into three separate spaces. The front space is referred to as its ‘Home Room’, reflecting the products and messaging on the SHOEme.ca website — with mirrored walls creating an optical illusion of an ‘endless selection’ like its online experience. The middle of the store is called the ‘Dressing Room’, hosting between five and six new brands every two months and currently housing brands such as Clarks, Guess, Hardy and socks by Richer Poorer, which Shoes.com purchased in November of 2015. The back portion of the store, called the ‘Editor’s Room’, features an innovative community space for workshops, speaking sessions, and counters with seating for guests to spend time in the store, check out products online, and even have a coffee. The Editor’s Room also features curated collections of local handmade designs, including products from Toronto hat designer Jason Mitchell from Coup de Tete, pieces by Armed Jewelry, and fashions by Joao Paulo Guedes. Furniture in the store is also local and custom-crafted. 

A Vancouver store location will follow this fall, located at 779 Burrard Street in a space formerly occupied by French fashion brand Lacoste. The Vancouver store will be about 2,000 square feet and will be similar in design to the new Toronto location. 

*All photos except for top image were supplied by Shoes.com

Lucrative Health, Fitness and Beauty Industry Rewards App Prepares for Canadian Launch

By
Megan Harman
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A new app launching in Toronto this summer is set to shake up the customer rewards business by bringing the benefits of a large-scale rewards program to small businesses in the health, fitness and beauty industry.

Royaltie, a unique new rewards program that enables customers to earn and spend rewards at hundreds of different businesses, has selected Toronto as the first city in which the program will be available. 

The company has launched a beta version of its mobile app on an invitation-only basis, and plans to launch to the public in August 2016.

The most unique aspect of the program is the ability for users to accumulate reward points through health, fitness and beauty transactions of all kinds – not only those made at businesses enrolled in the Royaltie program. 

“We have built it around the consumer, in that as a consumer, there is no restriction around where I can earn my rewards,” says Justin Belobaba, founder and CEO of Royaltie. “Any purchase, anywhere, health, fitness and beauty related, is eligible.”

Users can simply snap a photo of an eligible receipt and submit it through the Royaltie app in order to earn rewards, called ‘Royalties’, which are credited at a rate of 10% of the value of eligible purchases. Royalties can then be used as a form of store credit at participating businesses, up to certain caps set by each individual business. 

The idea, Belobaba says, is that regardless of which specific businesses consumers are frequenting, individuals who earn rewards are the types of consumers who are inclined to spend money on health, fitness and beauty. As a result, they’re considered attractive customers from the perspective of businesses in these industries. 

“What we can guarantee is that every single customer has a proven spending history on health, fitness and beauty – that’s how they accumulated these rewards,” Belobaba says. 

The health, fitness and beauty sector is an untapped segment of the loyalty market, according to Belobaba. Aside from major retailers such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall Pharma Plus and Sephora, he notes that the industry is largely dominated by small businesses such as salons, spas and yoga studios, and fewer than 2% of those types of businesses offer rewards programs. Small service providers such as those represent Royaltie’s primary market. 

“It’s a huge sector,” Belobaba says, “yet the interesting thing about this sector from a retail standpoint is it’s one of the least penetrated sectors by rewards programs.”

As of mid-July, more than 700 Toronto businesses had signed up to participate in the program. The app provides them with a platform for potentially attracting new customers, according to Belobaba, and there is no upfront cost to participate. Instead, businesses pay a flat fee of $4 for each new customer they earn through Royaltie, and they can choose the level of store credit they wish to extend to users redeeming their Royalties. For example, a salon offering haircuts at a cost of $70 might offer users the ability to allocate up to $30 worth of Royalties towards the cost of that service. 

Following the Toronto launch, Royaltie plans to expand the program to New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in the fall of 2016.

Interested readers can download the Royaltie app, currently available for the iPhone, using the code: FWS2T2LR.

How Canadian Brands Can Benefit From Hosting Pop-Ups

By
Retail Insider
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By Camilla Davies

Pop-ups have experienced a rise in popularity since the early 2000s and have proven to be an effective approach for brands to engage with their consumers in a unique, impactful and measurable way. They are a key tactic in approaching today’s insatiable need for newness and providing a unique customer experience. Many brands have already benefited from bringing pop-ups to the Canadian market with recent examples including Ikea, Indochino and Campbell’s. 

Here’s how your brand or business can benefit from a pop-up:

1) Testing a new location: If you are already an active brick and mortar retailer and are looking to expand into a new location, a pop-up is an excellent way to test the waters before committing to a long-term lease. A limited time venture can help with future projected foot traffic, consumer demographics, market interest levels, local spending power and location suitability. In some cases, your test location can actually become a permanent one.

2) Connecting with customers: Based solely online? According to the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC), 78% of consumers prefer to shop in store. Opening a pop-up shop can give e-commerce vendors an opportunity to engage with their clientele outside of the virtual world while simultaneously reaching a new demographic who prefers to shop offline. A pop-up is also an ideal opportunity to evaluate whether a physical store is the right direction to take.

3) Build awareness and buzz: As pop-ups are temporary in nature they offer an element of exclusivity. One that is well-promoted can generate a lot of media coverage, leading to increased sales, not only at that pop-up location but across the brand as a whole. Pop-ups can appeal to both local and national media, depending on the stature of the brand and uniqueness of the concept. Holding an opening night and inviting the media can help increase visibility for the brand in question long after the pop-up has closed its doors. 

4) Develop brand relationships: Opening a pop-up not only allows new potential consumers to learn about your brand, but it also gives you the opportunity to reward existing customers and increase customer loyalty. By giving an exclusive tour or a voucher discount to loyal customers ahead of a general opening, a brand ambassador is born. 

5) Get personal: Encouraging pop-up customers to subscribe to an e-newsletter at point of purchase, or leaving an anonymous survey to be filled out in-store, can also help a company increase their customer data and conduct market research. If this quantitative and/or qualitative data is used effectively, it can lead to improved customer retention and ultimately elevated sales. 

Finding your ideal pop-up location

Once you have decided that opening a pop-up is right for your brand, the next and sometimes most difficult step is finding the right location. Questions you should ask yourself about taking the leap can include: What is the minimum square footage you need? Do you want your pop-up to be in an enclosed mall or street location, on its own or within an existing store? Whatever your defined criteria, sites like pop-up go are a great resource to help you find an appropriate space to meet your requirements. Not only that, pop-up go offers personalized marketing services through Make it Pop to fast-track outreach needs and assist in a successful pop-up launch.

Pop-ups are the perfect way for any company whether large or small to promote their brand, reach new consumers and test a location without a long-term commitment.    

MONTREAL FRIDAY: Innovative Retail Tech at Just For Laughs

By
Maxime Frechette
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Welcome to Montreal Friday. Every Friday this summer, I will show you what’s new in Montreal, because Montreal is a fun and wonderful city to discover. Here are my two discoveries of the week. (Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for previews and as well, lets engage on Twitter with hashtag: #FRIDAYMTL).

Discovery of the Week: 

Juste Pour Rire/Just For Laughs is not really a new discovery, though it is for me as this is the first year that I’ve lived in Montreal. Founded in 1983, Just For Laughs is now the biggest comedy festival in the world. Much like Cirque du Soleil, Juste pour Rire/Just for Laughs has expanded around the world to cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney Australia, London UK, and Lyon in France.
 
Outside of the festival itself, Juste pour Rire/Just for Laughs is a positive experience for both family and friends, and its site at the Quartier des Spectacle is open to all. Most of all the activities on the site are free, including the kid zone Le Lait, and Le Mondial des Jeux Loto-Quebec.

This year, the retail side of the festival is particularly innovative. In partnership with Tangerine Bank, visitors may pay for anything on the site with a free RFID bracelet (provided by Tangerine) called Delirius. Just add cash or register a credit card amount on the RFID bracelet, and you’re ready to spend. The partnership is particularly visible in the Kia/Juste pour Rire store, where you get a discount if you pay with Delirius. You also have discount at most of Bouffons MTL on site, as well. 
 
If you don’t use all the money on the bracelet, Tangerine will refund you on August 1 — but Tangerine will keep a $2 fee for use.

Food of the Week : Bouffons MTL

Looking for the best, but on a small budget? If you’re in Montreal, I invite you to Bouffons MTL. This is the culinary side of Juste Pour Rire/Just for Laughs Festival, and I’ll show you why Bouffons is the best place for food in Montreal right now. 

Whatever you want food-wise, it’s there. At the corner of Clark Street and Sainte Catherine Street West (called ‘Sainte Poutine’ Street during the event). In an undeveloped corner of the Quartier des Spectacle, you will find the ‘biggest food village’ in North America. I’ll share with you my 4 recommendations for a real taste of Quebec: 

1) Mandy’s Salads: Normally if I have the choice between meat or salad, I’d certainly choose something with meat. I don’t know why but when I see the colour and freshness of the salads from Mandy, I could not resist, and I have no regrets. It’s really a must-try! Adress : 5033 Sherbrooke West – 201 Laurier West – 2067 Crescent. Web site: mandys.ca

2) Lacrem Maîtres Glaciers: Do you find commercial ice cream boring? I may have found you your new favourite ice cream. Lacrem is the new ice cream, and it’s 100% vegan. I was hesitant at first, because I expected vegan products to taste different from common commercial varieties, including less flavour and possibly lacking sugar. But not Lacrem — it tastes the same and even better then commercial ice cream, and is worth a try. Various restaurants feature Lacreme, including L’Gros Luxe (article soon). Visit the web site and enjoy: lacrem.ca

3) Route 27 par Marché 27 (bar a Tartare) Food Truck: If you look at my Instagram, you know that steak tartare is my weakness — and a great one at that. Route 27 has the best tartare when you are pressed for time — fast and delicious. The food truck is open for the season on Montreal Island. Address: 27 Prince Arthur West, Montreal. Web site: marche27.com

4) Au Pied de Cochon Food Truck: Quebec is recognized for it’s Poutine, but Au Pied de Cochon is recognized for elevating Poutine — particularly its Fois Gras Poutine. Au pied de Cochon is also known for many other specialities, but if I have one choice in all the menu, it is assuredly the Fois Gras Poutine! Adress: 536 Duluth Est, Montréal, H2L 1A9. The food truck is open for the season on Montreal Island. Web site: aupieddecochon.ca.

There are many more choices as well. Bouffon MTL runs until July 30 but if you can’t make it by then, keep your eyes open for some of my favourites on the streets of Montreal. 

Deciem Launches Ambitious Store Expansion Initiative

By
Craig Patterson
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Toronto-based beauty company Deciem has just opened its first store location, and it has ambitious plans to expand the concept globally. The company plans to open about 30 stores worldwide within the span of a year, with even more to follow in 2017. 

Deciem prides itself on being unique, calling itself “The Abnormal Beauty Company”. It features nine beauty brands under its corporate umbrella, ranging in price-point and focus. The company was founded by Brandon Truaxe in 2013 and has seen remarkable success, with its products being carried at more than 20,000 stores in 18 countries. Remarkably, the United Kingdom is currently Deciem’s largest market, despite the company being Canadian. Global revenues are substantial and are more than twice what they were last year — with only about 3% of those sales being in Canada. Canada will soon represent a higher percentage of sales, however, as the company begins opening freestanding stores. 

Deciem recently earmarked about $10 million initially for its global store expansion, after it sold its ‘Grow Gorgeous‘ hair care brand to Britain’s The Hut Group. The company’s first freestanding store location in the world opened this month on Canada’s ‘coolest street‘, at 881 Queen Street West in Toronto. The roughly 1,000 square foot flagship features displays for the company’s nine beauty brands in a bright, friendly environment featuring hardwood flooring, tiled white walls, and simple display racks featuring individual brands. Jackson Turner of CBRE’s Toronto Urban Retail Team represented Deciem in negotiations with the landlord for the Queen Street store. 

Deciem plans to open stores globally, and will soon open locations in Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) as well as in Seoul, South Korea. The company is looking to expand globally into the UK, United States, Spain and Mexico, among other countries. Mr. Truaxe said that he’d like to have multiple locations in each major city it enters. “Toronto and all of Canada are high priorities for us in terms of retail expansion partly because Canada is our home and partly because the Canadian retail landscape in beauty is dysfunctionally behind the times” he said. 

A second Toronto store will open later this year, and more are expected to follow. David Wedermire and Stan Vyriotes of DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc. are representing Deciem in its Canadian expansion negotiations, as well as selected international markets. 

Mr. Truaxe explained that he’s looking to expand the brand “opportunistically”, and that part of the company’s strategy is to gain brand awareness from establishing several store locations in each city, before moving into new markets. He explained that storefronts also act as ‘advertising’ for the brand, as well as providing a comfortable environment for consumers to be educated on products. 

We’ll follow up this topic with another article in a few months as Deciem becomes established with stores in Canada, as well as globally. All photos are of the Toronto Queen Street store. 

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