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Herschel Supply Co. to Open 5,000 Square Foot Canadian Flagship

By
Craig Patterson
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Popular Vancouver-based accessories brand Herschel Supply Co. will open its first freestanding Canadian store next year. The 5,000 square foot flagship retail space, located in the city’s trendy and historical Gastown area, is expected to also carry the brand’s new men’s and women’s outerwear lines.  

In an article in Business in Vancouver yesterday, Herschel confirmed that its Vancouver flagship would be opening at 347-349 Water Street, on the ground floor of Gastown’s historic Greenshields Building. Herschel will replace the Oriental Rug Bazaar that has occupied the site for years. The new store will open in 2018, according to Herschel co-founder and principal Jamie Cormack. 

Mr. Cormack told Business in Vancouver that Herschel chose Gastown because that’s where the company was founded. Gastown is becoming one of the hippest and most interesting retail areas in the city — notable stores include quirky luxury retailer Secret Location, Vancouver-based John Fluevog shoes, Aussie skin care brand Aesop, and pricey menswear retailer Roden Gray. H&M sister brand COS opened its first Vancouver location on Water Street last month, and eyewear retailer Bailey Nelson will be opening a corporate store this summer. Canada’s first Filson store also opens this month at 47 Water Street. 

Rapidly growing Herschel is in the process of launching an outerwear collection that will be available in June. According to the company, the outerwear line is meant to “help customers on their journeys”, not unlike the brand’s bags. Outerwear offerings will include designs for wind and rain — the ‘Voyage’ assortment, consisting of three men’s styles and two women’s styles created for the wind, will join its ‘Forecast’ collection of two men’s styles and two women’s styles designed for the rain. 

While the Vancouver flagship will be Herschel’s first freestanding store, it’s not the first globally. The brand currently operates 42 stores, all owned by third party distributors, in cities including Singapore, Mexico City and Milan. Store locations in New York City and Los Angeles are also in the pipeline, according to a report in WWD.com. 

Herschel Supply Co. was founded in Vancouver in 2009 by brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack, with its name adopted from the town of Herschel, Saskatchewan, where three generations of their family grew up. The company produces and retails accessories ranging from wallets to larger bags, all at reasonable price points. While the brand may appear ‘localized’, Herschel’s bags are mass produced in China, and are carried in over 10,000 points of sale in 72 countries. The company reported growth in excess of 30% last year, with no end in sight. 

Last Call for Participants for Annual Retail Stores Compensation Benchmark Survey

By
Retail Insider
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This is the last call to participate in the 2017 Korn Ferry Hay Group Retail Stores and Distribution Centre Compensation Survey. Korn Ferry Hay Group is seeking additional participants to benchmark store, corporate and distribution/fulfillment centre roles. Participants are sought from all retail organizations who have operations in Canada.
 
Over the past few years, an increasing number of international retail organizations have moved into the Canadian landscape, and we have experienced growth within our very own Canadian retailers. Consumer trends are moving towards online purchasing and it is growing increasingly important to stay competitive and benchmark these vital roles. As your talent needs evolve, so do compensation strategies and incentives. Korn Ferry Hay Group works directly with Human Resource and Compensation teams in the data collection process ensuring reliable and robust data.
 
Store associates are the largest group of employees in a retail organization, and their compensation costs can dramatically impact your bottom-line. Knowing the market rates and what to pay your hourly and salaried employees are crucial to attracting and retaining the talent you need while managing your organization’s costs. This survey will allow you to benchmark your hourly and salaried positions at a local, provincial and national level.
 
The deadline for participation is fast approaching and we welcome all participants with retail operations. For further information and participation please e-mail the retail account manager, Morgan Frese at morgan.frese@kornferry.com or call 416-815-6353.
 
* Korn Ferry is the preeminent global people and organizational advisory firm. We help leaders, organizations, and societies succeed by releasing the full power and potential of people. Our nearly 7,000 colleagues deliver services through our Executive Search, Hay Group, and Futurestep divisions.

Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, contact Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com.

ECCO to Open 1st North American ‘Prime’ Flagship Concept Store

By
Craig Patterson
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Danish footwear and accessory brand ECCO will launch its first ‘prime concept’ store in North America this spring, which will be the third of its kind in the world. The company is also confirmed to be opening at least three other Canadian stores, including a replacement location that will become the country’s largest. 

ECCO’s ‘prime concept’ store format features interiors that reference the heritage of the brand, including wall treatments profiling shoe styles and other historical elements. Premium flooring is featured throughout, and a selection of product is featured that is unavailable in most locations. There are currently two ‘prime concept’ ECCO stores in the world — in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany, according to ECCO Canada president Jordan Searle.  

North America’s first ECCO ‘prime concept’ will open in May of this year at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 1,550 square foot store will replace Jean Machine in a central area of the mall, as per the floor plan below. The new Yorkdale ECCO will replace an existing location in the mall, which is closer to Nordstrom and across from the recently opened Saint Laurent. 

The new Yorkdale store will also feature a separate leather goods and accessories shop-in-store — the second of its kind in Canada, following the opening of an ECCO accessory store in Vancouver last year. 

ECCO is also in the process of relocating its existing downtown Montreal store at 1329 Ste-Catherine Street West to a larger space within the same building. The new location will measure about 1,700 square feet, according to Mr. Searle, making it the company’s largest unit in Canada when it opens. The new Montreal flagship will also feature a dedicated leather goods and accessory shop-in-store. 

In 2018, as well, ECCO will open two more Canadian stores. An Edmonton store will open at the Premium Outlet Collection at Edmonton International Airport in the spring of 2018, and a location at Quebec City’s Galeries de la Capitale will also open next year. 

ECCO currently has 31 stores in Canada, after the recent opening of a store at West Edmonton Mall. Mr. Searle revealed that the company plans to eventually operate about 45 Canadian stores as it continues to open a handful of locations each year in this country. 

Founded in Denmark in 1963, ECCO is unique in how it manages every aspect of the value chain from tanneries and shoe manufacturing to wholesale and retail activities. ECCO’s products are sold in 88 countries from over 2,000 ECCO shops and more than 14,000 sales points. The company is doing exceptionally well — in 2016, it saw the number of shoes sold increased by 5% over the year prior, with currency-adjusted sales through brick-and-mortar boutiques increase 10%, and online sales growth of 46%. ECCO opened about 100 new concept shops (including partner stores) last year. 

Jimmy Choo to Open Freestanding Vancouver Store

By
Craig Patterson
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UK-based luxury footwear and accessory brand Jimmy Choo will open its first freestanding Vancouver store in early 2018. It is the latest luxury brand to be announced for the city’s burgeoning ‘Luxury Zone’. 

Vancouver’s Jimmy Choo will be located at 1035 Alberni Street and will measure 1,549 square feet on one level. When it opens, it will technically be Canada’s second freestanding Jimmy Choo store, following the August 2014 opening of a 2,250 square foot location at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. We also recently confirmed that Jimmy Choo will be opening a second Toronto store that will span about 2,400 square feet over two levels, though the newly constructed 102 Yorkville Avenue space won’t be ready for occupancy until towards the end of 2018. 

David Wedemire and Stan Vyriotes of DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc. acted on behalf of Jimmy Choo in the Vancouver deal, while Mario Negris and Martin Moriarty of CBRE Vancouver negotiated on behalf of the landlord. 

Jimmy Choo will replace Montreal-based leather goods and fashion retailer m0851, which has operated its Alberni Street location since the spring of 2008. M0851 has already secured a replacement location at CF Pacific Centre, and it also will continue to operate a unit on Water Street in the nearby historical Gastown area.

Vancouver’s ‘Luxury Zone’, centred around the 1000 block of Alberni Street and extending onto Burrard Street and Thurlow Street, is quickly becoming one of Canada’s most important luxury retail areas. Last week we announced that luxury watch brand Hublot will be opening its first Canadian store nearby at 1076 Alberni Street, and more changes are on the way, as new retail space is built and deals for new retailers are secured.  

Jimmy Choo, which was co-founded by designers Tamara Mellon and Jimmy Choo in 1996, has stores globally, including 33 in the United States. In Canada, the brand can also be found in selected retailers such as Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. 

Cheesecake Factory Announces 1st Canadian Location at Yorkdale

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: Cheesecake Factory

Popular full-service American restaurant chain Cheesecake Factory has announced that it will open its first Canadian location this fall at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. It could be the first of multiple locations for the company in this country. 

The restaurant will span in excess of 10,400 square feet, and will have two covered patios. Interiors will feature imported limestone floors and custom wood columns, hand-painted murals and modern lighting. The restaurant will be located at the north end of the mall as per the floor plan below, to be accessed from the mall’s exterior. It replaces a Milestones restaurant that occupied the site until recently. 

Cheesecake Factory is known for its extensive food offerings, including having a menu with over 50 signature cheesecakes and desserts. Cheesecake factory opened as a bakery in Los Angeles in 1972, and its first restaurant opened in Beverly Hills in 1978. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates 208 full-service, casual dining restaurants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, including 194 restaurants under The Cheesecake Factory® banner; 13 restaurants under the Grand Lux Cafe® banner; and one restaurant under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen® banner. As well, the company has 15 international restaurant locations that operate under licensing agreements in the Middle East, Asia and Mexico. 

“For nearly 40 years, The Cheesecake Factory has been known for creating delicious, memorable experiences for tens of thousands of Canadians visiting the U.S.,” said David Overton, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. “We are now delighted to be expanding into Canada and are looking forward to opening in Yorkdale Shopping Centre in the Fall.”

Yorkdale recently ranked as Canada’s most productive shopping centre in Retail Council of Canada’s first annual Shopping Centre Study. The centre, owned and operated by Oxford Properties Group, boasts sales in excess of $1650 per square foot, and is also the highest grossing mall in Canada. In October of 2016 Yorkdale saw the addition of a new 300,000 square foot Nordstrom-anchored wing, and this year another westward expansion will see RH/Restoration Hardware, Sporting Life, and other retailers. The enclosed mall sees more international retailers launch their first Canadian locations there than any centre in the country. 

Yorkdale’s Cheesecake Factory is addressing an interesting shopping centre trend. Over the past several years, leading malls have increasingly been including full-serve restaurants on their premises, at a variety of price points. Yorkdale, itself, is home to full-service restaurant locations for Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie’s Italian’ as well as The Pickle Barrel, and a large Joey location. 

Last week, as well, Yorkdale expanded its food offerings temporarily with the opening of its pop-up CONCEPT space, featuring six food vendors that will operate there until the end of April. 

*Photos: Cheesecake Factory

Cadillac Fairview Announces Electric Vehicle Charging Station Initiative

By
Craig Patterson
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Shopping centre landlord Cadillac Fairview has partnered with FLO to deploy new fast and standard electric vehicle chargers at 15 Cadillac Fairview shopping centres across Canada starting in 2017, with more planned for 2018. 

A total of 45 networked chargers are slated for initial deployment this year. The chargers will be connected to the FLO charging network, Canada’s largest electric vehicle charging network with more than 3,000 charging stations from coast to coast. 

Cadillac Fairview’s electric vehicle charging sites will be built to support a minimum of three chargers, operating at two different capacities. Each site will accommodate two Level 2 chargers as well as one universal fast charger. Level 2 chargers require approximately three to four hours to replenish 80 per cent of a vehicle’s capacity, while universal fast chargers require approximately 30 minutes to reach the same capacity.  

Cadillac Fairview says that it will ultimately introduce a minimum of 30 Level 2 chargers and 15 universal fast chargers at its properties. With only 150 universal fast chargers currently available in Canada, this addition will significantly improve the urban electric vehicle ecosystem in the country. 

Chargers deployed at Cadillac Fairview properties will be networked and connected to the FLO network mobile app, allowing users to easily identify available charging stations, follow the progress of their charging session in real time, make payments and reload credit to their FLO account, and access direct customer service support.

Cadillac Fairview currently has over 60 chargers across the Company’s office and retail portfolio, some of which have already been converted to the FLO network, with the balance being converted to FLO in the coming months. This will result in a total deployment with FLO in excess of 100 chargers.

New Cadillac Fairview electric vehicle charging sites will include the following malls: 
 
•    CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Toronto
•    CF Fairview Mall, Toronto
•    CF Fairview Park, Kitchener
•    CF Lime Ridge, Hamilton
•    CF Markville, Markham
•    CF Rideau Centre, Ottawa
•    CF Sherway Gardens, Toronto
•    CF Shops at Don Mills, Toronto
•    CF Polo Park, Winnipeg
•    CF Champlain, Dieppe  
•    CF Galeries d’Anjou, Montreal
•    CF Promenades St-Bruno, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
•    CF Fairview Pointe Claire, Pointe-Claire
•    CF Carrefour Laval, Laval
•    CF Masonville, London  

 Existing Cadillac Fairview electric vehicle charging sites include the following buildings/malls: 

•    Toronto-Dominion Centre, Toronto
•    CF Galeries d’Anjou, Montreal
•    Deloitte Tower, Montreal
•    CF Chinook Centre, Calgary
•    CF Market Mall, Calgary
•    Calgary City Centre, Calgary
•    CF Pacific Centre, Vancouver
•    Pender Place, Vancouver
•    HSBC Building, Vancouver
•    Granville Square, Vancouver

“At Cadillac Fairview, we are dedicated to making strategic investments that drive growth, innovation, and corporate responsibility,” commented Sal Iacono, Executive Vice President, Operations, Cadillac Fairview. “Not only are we are proud to continually introduce new and highly relevant amenities that provide a unique experience for our guests and clients, but more importantly, we’re also proud to support the transition to a low carbon future in Canada.”

UNIQLO Announces 1st Vancouver Store

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: UNIQLO

Popular Japanese retailer UNIQLO has announced that it will open its first location in British Columbia at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby. The store is scheduled to open this fall. 

The 20,630 square foot store will occupy two levels within the mall. The upper level will include a corner retail space formerly occupied by Ben Moss jewellers, as well as two adjacent spaces. UNIQLO’s lower level will be in part of the space formerly occupied by Home Outfitters (see floor plan below). 

Metropolis at Metrotown will be UNIQLO’s third Canadian store, following the opening of two stores last year in Toronto. In September of 2016, UNIQLO opened its first Canadian flagship, spanning 33,400 square feet,  at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. A 30,000+ square foot Yorkdale Shopping Centre UNIQLO store subsequently opened in October of 2016, in the mall’s new Nordstrom-anchored expansion wing. Both stores carry Uniqlo’s expansive array of colourful basics for men, women and children, in bright and friendly retail environments. 

The Metropolis at Metrotown, owned and operated by Ivanhoé Cambridge, is the largest mall in British Columbia/third largest in Canada, and also one of Canada’s most productive centres, according to a recently released Retail Council of Canada Shopping Centre study. 

“The launch of UNIQLO in British Columbia represents another major milestone for us, as Canada continues to be an important focus for the company globally. This country’s cultural and climatic diversity represents the perfect platform for UNIQLO and our philosophy of LifeWear,” said Yasuhiro Hayashi, Chief Operating Officer of UNIQLO Canada. “We are extremely excited to share UNIQLO with the people of Vancouver and surrounding areas and introduce them to how our high quality, comfortable and functional clothing can help improve their everyday lives. With the opportunity for outdoor adventures to world-class amenities, we hope that Vancouverites will embrace UNIQLO’s versatile and stylish everyday clothes that cater to their active lifestyle.”

Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants represents UNIQLO for its Canadian real estate negotiations. He also coordinated the first two Toronto lease deals. 

Uniqlo now has approximately 1,800 stores in 18 countries worldwide, including Japan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, U.K. and the United States.

Foot Locker Launches Footaction Retail Banner in Canada [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Footaction at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Retail Insider)

New York City-based Foot Locker has launched the first International location for its Footaction banner. Located at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, the new space is unique in how it includes a number of its brands in separate shop-in-stores.

The three shop-in-stores include Nike Kicks Lounge at Footaction, adidas Originals Collective at Footaction, and Puma Select at Footaction. As well, Footaction is launching “elevated event and retail storytelling spaces” in key North American cities called ‘Capsule’. Toronto’s is called Capsule|416 by Footaction and according to the company, it takes cues from local street style.

Other featured brands in Toronto’s Footaction include three Canadian brands — Peace Collective, Herschel, and Naked & Famous Denim — as well as Jordan, Nike, adidas, PUMA, Levi’s, Champion and other popular brands.

Footaction at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Retail Insider)
CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE MALL FLOOR PLAN
NIKE KICKS LOUNGE AT FOOTACTION, PHOTOS SUPPLIED
ADIDAS ORIGINALS COLLECTIVE, PHOTO SUPPLIED
(PUMA SELECT AT FOOTACTION, PHOTO SUPPLIED)
(CAPSULE|416 BY FOOTACTION, PHOTO SUPPLIED)

The 6,500 square foot store is located on ‘Level 1’ of the mall, featuring two TTC subway stations on its north and south sides. Level 1 also features a number of busy retail spaces, including Richtree Natural Market, Forever 21 and Old Navy. CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s Level 3 pedway, linking Hudson’s Bay/Saks Fifth Avenue to the mall over Queen Street West, will also close this month, temporarily, to construct a replacement walkway — shoppers will be encouraged to use Level 1’s underground passageway to access both buildings.

“We are thrilled to bring the Footaction brand into Canada. With this first store in Toronto Eaton Centre, we’re delivering an elevated retail experience to our customers and establishing ourselves as the go-to partner for the world’s leading athletic-inspired and lifestyle brands,” said Frank Bracken, vice president and general manager of Footaction Canada. “Footaction is best defined where streetwear and sneaker culture intersect – a space we’re confident will translate well for our Canadian consumer.”

Footaction has over 265 stores in the United States, as well as an eCommerce site. Footaction is part of specialty athletic retailer Foot Locker Inc., which operates over 3,360 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Cadillac Fairview Unveils CF Toronto Eaton Centre Skybridge Details [Renderings/Plans] 

By
Craig Patterson
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CF Toronto Eaton Centre SkyBridge (Image: Cadillac Fairview)

Cadillac Fairview has unveiled its plans for a stunning new pedestrian bridge that will link CF Toronto Eaton Centre to the Hudson’s Bay/Saks Fifth Avenue flagship, over busy Queen Street West. Construction begins this month and is expected to be completed by September of this year. 

Cadillac Fairview held an international design competition, and London UK-based design firm WilkinsonEyre was selected to design the walkway that will feature glass and etched bronze cladding panels that will span the walkway. The bronze cladding widens at the south end toward the Hudson’s Bay/Saks building. 

“We designed the bridge’s form to connect together the two inherent geometries of each building, transforming from the historical, circular arches of the Hudson’s Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue building to the modern rectangular geometry of CF Toronto Eaton Centre. This union of the two buildings is further reinforced by the use of bronze and glass cladding, inspired by the materials used on both buildings, which flow, wave-like in opposite directions across the bridge,” said Dominic Bettison, designer of the bridge and Director at WilkinsonEyre. “This meeting and blending of the two building’s form and materials becomes a beautiful and metaphorical ‘handshake’ extending out over Queen Street.”

CF Toronto Eaton Centre SkyBridge (Image: Cadillac Fairview)

For minimal disruption, the bridge will be pre-assembled adjacent to CF Toronto Eaton Centre on James Street, and will be lifted into place once complete. At the same time, the City of Toronto is laying down new streetcar tracks along Queen Street West. 

“CF Toronto Eaton Centre is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year and with approximately 2 million people using the bridge annually, it was time to enhance both its aesthetics and functionality for our shoppers and the public by creating a sculptural urban feature, as well as a unique identifier for the city,” said Wayne Barwise, Executive Vice President, Development at Cadillac Fairview. 

The Hudson’s Bay building, which now has over a million square feet of retail space, houses flagship locations for Hudson’s Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue. The building became Hudson’s Bay’s flagship in 1991 when The Hudson’s Bay company discontinued the Simpson’s department store nameplate — the building had been the Robert Simpson & Co. flagship since 1896. Saks Fifth Avenue opened its Canadian flagship in February of 2016, occupying about 170,000 square feet over four levels at the eastern end of the building.

The Hudson’s Bay ‘Queen Street’ building officially became part of CF Toronto Eaton Centre in February of 2014, when Cadillac Fairview acquired the building and adjacent office tower as part of a $650 million deal. Part of the agreement involved opening Saks Fifth Avenue’s Canadian flagship within the building and as a result, CF Toronto Eaton Centre gained another major anchor. The new bridge represents a significant milestone in CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s redevelopment, which has been ongoing for the past several years.

La Vie en Rose Continues to See Exceptional Growth

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: La Vie en Rose

Montreal-based lingerie retailer La Vie en Rose has been growing its operations domestically by opening several stores each year. The company has revealed that it will open five more stores before the end of June of this year, as its store count in Canada approaches 200 units. The company is also expanding operations internationally, as well as online.

Founded in 1984, La Vie En Rose sells a range of undergarments, sleepwear and swimwear, aimed at women aged 25-55. It also offers a range of men’s underwear, sleepwear and loungewear. The company has over 275 stores in 17 different countries worldwide, with close to 190 of those in Canada. Its first international location opened in 2004 in Saudi Arabia, where it now operates about 40 stores.

Marie-Noel Gervais, vice president of eCommerce and Marketing Strategy at La Vie en Rose, discussed the company’s exceptional growth that is being seen both in stores as well as online. This spring, La Vie en Rose will open six stores in Canada. Five of those are in Ontario — a location opened earlier this month at CF Fairview Park in Kitchener and at the end of May, stores will open at Dufferin Mall in Toronto, as well as at CF Lime Ridge in Hamilton. In early June of this year, La Vie en Rose will open at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens and towards the end of June, Mississauga’s Erin Mills Town Centre will see a location.

Image: La Vie en Rose
Image: La Vie en Rose

La Vie en Rose will also open on May 3 of this year at the Outlet Collection Winnipeg and, later this year, at Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre. Some existing stores will also be renovated this year.

A number of franchised international locations will be opening over the next few months as well. La Vie en Rose’s website says that its goal is “to be present on every continent, including Asia, Latin America and Africa,” going on to say that it aims to expands its “core division abroad by building close relationships with passionate licensees who have extensive fashion retail experience”.

La Vie En Rose also has extensive eCommerce offerings in Canada, noted Ms. Gervais, and in November of 2016, the company began shipping online purchases to the United States.

Image: La Vie en Rose

A new ad campaign with the tagline “Confidence Through Comfort” focuses on what women want from their clothing — a deviation from traditional lingerie marketing. Ms. Gervais noted that the campaign is an evolution of its positioning after listening to its consumers, reflecting “empowerment” and “confidence”.

La Vie En Rose works with brokerage Oberfeld Snowcap for its Canadian real estate negotiations. Ms.Gervais noted that future La Vie en Rose locations will be in the 3,000 to 3,500 square foot range, for the most part within shopping malls.

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