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Brunswick House Rexall Opens with Exceptional Heritage Preservation [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Toronto’s iconic 141-year-old Brunswick House, formerly a boisterous bar popular with university students, has been transformed into a flagship Rexall drug store. Many of the building’s heritage elements have been preserved, both inside and out. The 7,469 square foot store is located at 481 Bloor Street West in the Annex neighbourhood. 

The new Rexall’s interiors include many fixtures from its predecessor, including a number of lovely crystal chandeliers and antique tin ceilings. The former keg barrel bar has been modified to create the store’s new checkout counter. The ‘Ye Olde Brunswick House’ sign is now featured prominently on a wall in the store’s food section. The building’s exterior has also been completely restored, including the careful cleaning of exterior brick and limestone. 

According to Derek Tupling, a spokesperson for Rexall, the retailer worked closely with the city’s heritage division, Bloor Annex BIA and the Harbord Village Residents Association throughout the renovation process.

The story of how The Brunswick became a drug store is somewhat unique. Attila Schwarze, sales representative with The Behar Group, was walking past the building in the summer of 2013 when he spotted the building’s landlord. Mr. Schwarze asked why the large space was closed mid-afternoon during the week. After a brief conversation, the landlord told Mr. Schwarze that the existing tenant’s term was ending in December of 2016, and from that point on The Behar Group worked with Northwest Atlantic’s Michael Calderone to bring in Rexall as a replacement tenant. 

A group of family physicians will also be opening a 2,600 square foot medical clinic with a walk-in and other medical services on the second level of the historical building. 

While some may lament the loss of a popular social space, many local residents were happy to see “The Brunny” come to an end. Late night noise, drunken scuffles and crime were all attributed to the former bar. Patrons of the building’s new tenant are likely to be better behaved — though the loss of another social space is of concern to some. 

Converting heritage buildings to drug stores isn’t unprecedented. In Toronto, the former Runnymede Theatre on Bloor Street West is now a Shoppers Drug Mart, with various heritage elements preserved as part of the store’s design. In Chicago, one of the most magnificent looking drug stores in the world is a Walgreens flagship on Milwaukee Avenue, which opened in late 2012 in a former historic bank building. 

Last week, we reported that Toronto’s current Hard Rock Cafe on Yonge Street will become a Shoppers Drug Mart towards the end of this year. While the new drug store will serve locals and tourists, many are lamenting the loss of a restaurant and patio that has been in operation for close to 40 years. 

The Brunswick House Rexall store is now open to the public, and is hosting its grand opening on April 28. 

ECCO Opens Largest Canadian Store to Date

By
Craig Patterson
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Danish footwear brand ECCO has opened its largest Canadian location at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton. The store, which spans about 1,525 square feet, features the brand’s updated store design, with modern and minimalist interiors that feature natural oak, slate, stone, stainless steel and yak leather finishes, as well as a nod to Scandinavian with various design accents. 

The West Edmonton Mall store is the company’s 31st Canadian location, as it continues to expand its operations in this country. The new store is located in a high traffic location on the mall’s second level, between retailers Express and RW & CO., as per the mall map below. 

Edmonton’s first and only other ECCO store is at the Southgate Centre. Both Southgate and West Edmonton Mall are considered to be among the top malls in Canada, according to Retail Council of Canada’s Shopping Centre Study, which noted Southgate to be Canada’s fifth most productive mall in terms of sales per square foot, while West Edmonton Mall ranked as the largest as well as one of the busiest malls on the continent. 

ECCO was founded in Bredebro, Denmark, in 1963. It’s products are sold in 88 countries worldwide in over 3,000 ECCO shops and shop-in-stores, at more than 14,000 sales points around the world. The brand has since expanded into accessories and small leather goods. ECCO Canada was founded in 1996 and its representative brokerage is Northwest Atlantic. 

eTail Canada Launches eCommerce Benchmark Report

By
Retail Insider
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has released an important , as well as an infographic, ahead of its conference to be held in Toronto on May 16-18 of this year. The report finds that Canadian retailers who invest in omnichannel are seeing increased success, while those that aren’t are being left behind. 

In its report called ‘Edging Out the Competition in Canadian Retail‘, eTail Canada explores the critical business and technology investments that leading Canadian retailers are making today, while providing insight into the following: 

  • Which retailers are achieving promotions based on store locations and online purchase behaviour, 
  • An aggregated view of customer cross-channel purchase history, and
  • A global view of inventory across brick-and-mortar stores. 

Click the image below to download the entire study, for free. 

As well, the Infographic below describes various aspects of the study, noting that in order to prosper, Canadian businesses must undergo a transformation that enables them to capitalize on online buying trends in a growingly competitive retail market. Canadians are increasingly embracing e-commerce and as a result, retailers need to embrace them, or be left behind. 

As well, to purchase tickets to eTail Canada, taking place at downtown Toronto’s Hyatt Regency Hotel, CLICK HERE. 

*Partner content. For more information, contact Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com

COS Opens 1st Vancouver Store [Photos] 

By
Craig Patterson
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COS Gastown (Image: Jane Gill PR)

H&M‘s upscale fashion brand COS (‘Collection of Style’) has opened its fourth Canadian location in Vancouver’s Gastown area. COS entered the Canadian market about 18 months ago. 

The 3,024 square foot Vancouver store, located at 18 Water Street, is contained within a heritage building that was built in 1911. The store’s interior is clean, modern and minimalist, with neutral colours throughout. Flooring is of locally-sourced Douglas Fir, and a row of original wooden columns in the space have been left exposed for character. 

The brand’s spring/summer 2017 collections are featured within the store. Women’s collections include a “palette of feminine and nature-inspired colours that contrast with utilitarian silhouettes,” while men’s collections are characterized by “simplicity and effortlessness,” that are “coloured with dark blue, indigo, camel and sand, and toying with airy, light fabrics,” according to COS.  

COS Gastown (Image: Jane Gill PR)
COS Gastown (Image: Jane Gill PR)

The Vancouver lease deal was negotiated by Martin Moriarty and Mario Negris of CBRE in Vancouver.

COS launched its first Canadian store in September 2015 in Toronto at 85 Bloor Street West (former Tiffany & Co. space), followed by a second store in October 2015 at 1310 Sainte Catherine Street West in Montreal (formerly occupied by Le Château). A third location opened in October of 2016 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. 

Sources confirm that COS is in talks to open more Canadian stores, indicating that the brand plans to further penetrate the Canadian market with more brick-and-mortar locations. 

Parent company H&M launched the COS store concept on London’s Regent Street in March 2007. The brand has a wide product range that is divided into a number of different concepts, incorporating fashion essentials, reinvented classics and modern trends for men and women. It has over 200 stores in 33 countries in Europe, Asia, the US, North America and the Middle East. In the United States, COS has 12 stores, in metro New York City (x3), Greenwich CT, Los Angeles (x3), Philadelphia (King of Prussia), Miami, Atlanta, Boston and Houston. 

*Photos courtesy of COS/Jane Gill PR.

Uniqlo Launches ‘Local’ Retailer Partnership in Toronto

By
Craig Patterson
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Uniqlo meets Toronto at CF Toronto Eaton Centre

Japanese retailer Uniqlo has partnered with four independently owned retailers with stores in Toronto for its “Uniqlo meets Toronto” shop-in-shop program. 

Selected items from gravitypope, The Beguiling, Soundscapes and BYOB Cocktail Emporium are currently available for sale in the CF Toronto Eaton Centre Uniqlo location. These independently owned retailers “feed the city’s creative desires for comics and graphic novels, music, entertaining and fashion, and share similar values with Uniqlo, including customer centric thinking, unique pieces and a strong sense of community”, according to Uniqlo. Each ‘shop’ features items from these retailers, as well as a curated selection of Uniqlo clothing that is displayed to help further demonstrate the strong fit and collaborative spirit of the partnership.

Edgy Edmonton-based footwear and fashion retailer gravitypope, which has stores in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto, has added a number of items to the Uniqlo pop-up. Owner Louise Dirks said, “We value this aesthetic in Uniqlo product and are honoured to be showcased in their first Canadian shop.” Uniqlo’s first Canadian stores opened in September of 2016 at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, and a second location followed in October at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre. 

Uniqlo meets Toronto at CF Toronto Eaton Centre

The Beguiling is considered to be Toronto’s premier comics and alternative culture shop that offers an overflow with an eclectic mix of the best and most interesting books and art from across the world of comics. Founded in 1987, it has a store location at 319 College Street, and has stocked some unique pieces at Uniqlo. 

Uniqlo meets Toronto at CF Toronto Eaton Centre

Soundscapes Music, considered to be one of Toronto’s iconic independent music shops, offering a unique selection of music ranging from current non-mainstream hits to overlooked artists from the past. It also has a retail store at 572 College Street in the trendy Little Italy area. 

Uniqlo meets Toronto at CF Toronto Eaton Centre
Uniqlo meets Toronto at CF Toronto Eaton Centre

BYOB Cocktail Emporium, located at 972 Queen Street West and at 20 Kensington Avenue, is “Toronto’s one stop shop for everything bar and cocktail related”. The retailer partnered with Uniqlo, noting that one of its most popular collections is its “full line of premium Japanese-made bar tools”, and that it strives ” to keep (its) collection similar with unique wares and ingredients from around the globe that function to keep the fine art of cocktail culture alive in our vibrant city.”  

The shop-in-store collection is now available on the ground level of Uniqlo’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre store. 

Simons Opens Five-Level Downtown Calgary Store [Photos] 

By
Craig Patterson
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La Maison Simons at The CORE in Calgary
Image: La Maison Simons at The CORE in Calgary

Quebec City-based large-format fashion retailer La Maison Simons has opened its first Calgary location in downtown Calgary’s ‘The CORE’ retail complex. 

The 96,000 square foot store occupies five floors of the nine-level Lancaster Building (built in 1919), as well as three levels of the adjacent The CORE shopping complex. The main floor of Simons runs an entire city block on 2 Street SW between Stephen Avenue and 7 Avenue SW. Local design firm McKinley Burkart led Simons’ architectural and design plans, with a vision to integrate the two buildings.

Art plays an important role in the new Calgary location. Simons commissioned local Calgary artist Maya Gohill to install a three-storey painted mural which runs along the escalators in the Lancaster Building, as per the photos below. Several other Calgary artists are also represented in the store, including a large graphic mural by Megan Jentsc, and a portrait (called ‘Poet #2) by internationally recognized artist Chris Cran. 

When entering the store from street-level, “a ribbon-like curved floor-to-ceiling windowscape,” creates “visual continuity around both buildings”, according to Simons. The photo below is by Ryan Massel. 

The store also features the 40-seat Ève café, with a menu of hot and cold, sweet and savoury treats. The café acts as a transition area between women’s departments on levels one and two, and men’s on levels three and four. 

Simons Calgary (TWIK DEPARTMENT FOR YOUNG FEMALE SHOPPERS, DECORATED IN PINKS AND PEACHES WITH DECORATIVE PANELS OF WEAVING AND A LARGE VINTAGE INSPIRED BILLBOARD SIGN,)

The upper level windows of the Lancaster Building are lined with softly lit green drapery (as per the top photo), creating a glowing exterior façade and a dramatic skylight illuminates the asymmetrical multi-floor opening visible from all levels. A set of walnut stairs connects all five floors from Customer Service on the lower level up to men’s departments on the fourth floor. The staircase features a frame of blackened steel chevron rails that creates a dramatic focal point in the store. 

Djab, the young men’s collections department, features a “raw feel with concrete walls, industrial lighting and cityscape graphics.

The Calgary store is Simons’ 14th location in Canada, and is the second for the province — Simons’ first Alberta store opened in October of 2012 at West Edmonton Mall, and a second Edmonton store will open on August 24 of this year at Londonderry Shopping Centre. 

Simons was founded in 1840 by John Simons as a dry goods store in Quebec City, and is now led by brothers Peter and Richard Simons. Other locations include: Quebec City (three stores), Montreal (four stores), Sherbrooke, Ottawa (two locations), West Vancouver, Edmonton, and Mississauga, Ontario. 

Image: Simons Calgary
Image: Simons Calgary
Image: Simons Calgary

Jimmy Choo to Open 2nd Freestanding Toronto Store

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: Jimmy Choo

UK-based luxury footwear and accessory brand Jimmy Choo will open its second freestanding Toronto location next year. The store will join a number of top brands on Yorkville Avenue, which is rapidly becoming one of Canada’s top luxury retail destinations. 

Jimmy Choo’s first Toronto store, which is also Canada’s only freestanding location, opened in August of 2014 at the luxury-heavy Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 2,250 one-level store is in the heart of the mall’s Holt Renfrew-anchored ‘luxury wing’, between Tiffany & Co. and Moncler. 

In late 2018, Jimmy Choo’s second Toronto store will open at 102 Yorkville Avenue, in a newly constructed commercial building by First Capital Realty. The two-level Jimmy Choo will be about 2,400 square feet in size, and will be next to a new 8,700 square foot Chanel flagship that will open in a few months. 

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

First Capital Realty owns several properties along Yorkville Avenue, and it plans to redevelop some of them for new retail spaces over the next several years. Demolition of the buildings at 102-108 Yorkville Avenue is expected to commence this spring. These will be replaced with a commercial building that will include three street-facing retail units, and Jimmy Choo will occupy the eastern-most space of the three, closest to Chanel. 

First Capital Realty owns other commercial buildings on the street and, most recently, it acquired a 50% stake in 101 Yorkville Avenue, which it will eventually demolish to construct a 35,000 square foot building for multiple luxury retail tenants. First Capital Realty continues to acquire sites in the area, complementing its Yorkville Village shopping centre complex, formerly called Hazelton Lanes. The landlord is leasing retail space both on urban storefronts as well as within the enclosed shopping centre, which is seeing ongoing renovations costing well in excess of $100 million. 

chanel will move into the former teatro verde retail space at 100 Yorkville avenue this year. the building’s facade is from the former mount SINAI hospital that once occupied the site.
102-108 Yorkville avenue. Jimmy choo will occupy the two level corner space.  

Yorkville Avenue is becoming a luxury shopping destination, with a number of brands opening stores in the area. Luxury footwear and accessories brand Christian Louboutin opened its two-level Canadian flagship at 99 Yorkville Avenue over the summer, in a building directly across the street from the new Chanel and Jimmy Choo. Chanel will open its flagship at 100 Yorkville Avenue sometime this summer, in a deal that was also coordinated by Mr. Vyriotes and Mr. Wedermire. Luxury streetwear brand Off-White ‘softly opened’ its 83 Yorkville location in December of 2016, though the store has yet to officially announce its opening. Luxury timepiece brand Richard Mille (a boutique licensed by Louis-Black) is expected to open at the base of the Hazelton Hotel sometime next week, joining prestigious names such as Kiton (at V Hazelton) and Carrera y Carrera, located nearby. 

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. 

Deciem Opens 1st Mall-Based Store

By
Craig Patterson
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DECIEM
Image: DECIEM

Toronto-based Deciem, the self-proclaimed ‘Abnormal Beauty Company’, has opened its first shopping mall-based store at Square One in Mississauga. The company’s four other Canadian boutiques, all in Toronto, are urban street-front locations. 

Deciem’s first store opened in July of 2016 at 881 Queen Street West, in the heart of the city’s hip ‘West Queen West’ area. Street-front locations followed when Deciem opened stores in Cabbagetown (242 Carlton Street), Kensington Market (285-A Augusta Avenue) and in Yorkville, at 1240 Bay Street, fronting onto Bellair Street. 

Since last summer Deciem has also opened five international stores, including two stores in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne), as well as locations in Seoul, South Korea, Mexico City, and in London, UK, at the Old Spitafields Market. 

DECIEM
Image: DECIEM

Last week, Deciem opened at Mississauga’s Square One, in a high-traffic area between the mall’s Hudson’s Bay and Walmart stores as per the floor plan below. Climate-controlled shopping centres are proven traffic generators, and Square One is no exception. The busy mall sees about 24 million annual visitors, according to Retail Council of Canada’s most recent shopping centre study. Those numbers translate into strong sales for Square One, which boasts productivity in excess of $1,000 per square foot annually. 

Stan Vyriotes and David Wedermire of DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc. are representing Deciem in its Canadian expansion negotiations, as well as selected international markets. 

Image: DECIEM

A number of other brands that typically locate on urban street fronts are choosing space within shopping centres. Vancouver-based custom suit retailer Indochino, which began its brick-and-mortar expansion with street-front stores, opened its first mall store (also at Square One) in the summer of 2016. In December of 2016, eyewear retailer Warby Parker deviated from its typically street-front real estate strategy when it opened at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, while Vancouver-based Arc’teryx also opened its first mall store at Yorkdale last fall. Sources confirm that Australian skin care brand Aesop is in negotiations for its first Canadian shopping centre store — its current Canadian locations are all on high streets. Luxury brands, as well, are increasingly expanding into Canadian malls, particularly in the Greater Toronto area. 

Deciem was founded by entrepreneur Brandon Truaxe in 2013, and its products are carried at more than 20,000 stores in 18 countries. The United Kingdom is currently Deciem’s largest market (in the summer of 2016, only about 3% of its sales were in Canada), though that will increase as it opens more stores. Deciem features nine beauty brands under its corporate umbrella, ranging in price-point and focus. In an interview last summer, 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 become educated on its products.

Old Navy to Launch 8 Canadian Stores in 2017

By
Craig Patterson
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Photo: Old Navy

Value-priced Gap-owned fashion retailer Old Navy is expanding into Canada in a big way this year, with store openings to continue over the next several years. The retailer currently operates 78 stores in Canada, and there are plans for a further eight this year alone. Sources say that by the year 2020, Old Navy hopes to operate at least 100 stores in this country, if not more.  

It’s an impressive and ambitious goal, at a time when a number of retailers have been closing stores and in some cases, exiting Canada entirely. Old Navy’s wide assortment of value-priced, casual clothing for men, women and children, are apparently a hit. “Business is booming,” says one source at Old Navy, speaking to the company’s plans for an unprecedented Canadian store expansion. Old Navy’s success may by further evidence that Canada’s retail is polarizing — while a number of mid-market retailers are struggling and in some instances shuttering, higher-end and value-priced retailers continue to see success. 

In May of this year, Old Navy will open two stores in Western Canada — at Calgary’s CrossIron Mills, as well as at the new Outlet Collection Winnipeg. CrossIron Mills is classified as a ‘hybrid outlet centre’ (mixing full-price and outlet stores), while the Winnipeg centre, scheduled to open on May 3 of the year, will be Western Canada’s second American-style designer outlet mall. 

Photo: Old Navy

A source at Old Navy confirms that a further six stores are expected to open in Canada over the next nine months or so. In October of this year, Old Navy will open its first store in Sherbrooke, Quebec, at Carrefour de l’Estrie. Other markets set to get new Old Navy stores include the Montreal region (three stores: CF Galeries d’Anjou, Les Avenues Vaudreuil and Carrefour Angrignon), Toronto (Toronto Premium Outlets), as well as a location in suburban Edmonton. 

As Canada continues to embrace Old Navy stores, a source says that the company’s president Sonia Syngal has set a goal of opening 100 locations by the year 2020. If opportunities present, the company could actually end up opening more, according to the source. As of now, Old Navy has 78 stores across Canada.

Photo: Old Navy

Old Navy’s ambitious expansion speaks to a level of optimism, and also may provide evidence that there’s a continued polarization in the Canadian retail industry. Value-priced brands such as Zara, H&M, Forever 21, Uniqlo and others continue to expand, while off-price retailers such as Winners, Marshalls and Saks OFF 5TH also continue to open stores in an aggressive fashion. At the same time, luxury brands are opening mono-brand stores in Canada’s largest cities, as the upper-end of the Canadian population continues to see exceptional income growth. Mid-market retailers — specifically those that fail to establish a value proposition — continue to close as competition increases for a limited piece of Canada’s retail pie.

Saks Flagship Wins International Design Award [Video/Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Saks Fifth Avenue’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship was a winner at this year’s EuroShop RetailDesign Awards, held last week in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Toronto store opened in February of 2016 within the Queen Street Hudson’s Bay building, and was designed by Cincinnati-based FRCH Design Worldwide, in collaboration with Saks Fifth Avenue’s internal design and planning teams.

Saks was one of three winners that were chosen over 80 submissions from 27 countries. According to EuroShop, the winners excelled in appealing “to a specific target group,” with “a clear message about the product range, a consistent store concept and a mix of architecture, materials, lighting, colours and visual merchandising that effectively conveys the establishment’s story to the customer.” The other two winners included Primark in Madrid, as well as Rose Biketown in Bocholt, Germany. 

EuroShop described Toronto’s Saks flagship as combining “exclusive objects of art with natural materials to create an impressive overall picture,” describing the installations and hand-crafted materials as being “inspired by Toronto’s natural environment”. EuroShop went on to describe how the store’s diverse materials, including warm/cold as well as matte and polished, were juxtaposed to give each department an individual look that is matched to the given products on display. 

(Video below) 

Saks occupies portions of the ground floor, second level, and third floor of the massive Hudson’s Bay building, which was once the flagship location for Robert Simpson Company. About 25,000 square feet on the store’s concourse level houses the beautiful GH+A designed Saks Food Hall, which is operated by Toronto-based Pusateri’s Fine Foods. 

According to RCH, the store features three “design stories” — the ripple effect of the rain, the rough texture of the surrounding forest, and the anticipation of movement during a storm. Local and international artists were commissioned to bring the space to life. 

The ground floor, featuring a beauty hall, jewellery, leather goods and accessories, includes an atrium with a dramatic OLED sculpture that was handcrafted by lighting company, Blackbody. Called “iRain”, the installation is meant to evoke the experience of a light spring rain shower, encased in an architecturally enhanced ‘totem’ column that is adorned with textured and mirror-finished bronze panels and encased in vertical framing.

Walls on the ground floor feature ‘ripple effects’, as viewed between luxury boutiques for brands such as Dior, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Chloé, Céline, and Prada. 

The store’s second level features a 25,000 square foot men’s department as well as an 8,500 square foot women’s shoe section. Custom full-length illuminated vitrines and floor-to-ceiling screens help to delineate the space in the men’s areas, while women’s shoes feature the trademark hanging glass balls characteristic of Saks’ popular 10022-SHOE departments. 

Saks’ women’s-focused third level was particularly praised by EuroShop, with its “stylised metal trees and wavy pieces of glass in the shape of icicles that call to mind the surrounding forests”. The ‘forest’ inspired installation, utilizing curved handmade metal tree forms (built by UnitFive Design) creates a “secret gate to Eden.” Rippled glass shards are suspended from the ceiling, along with a custom rug that highlights the store’s luxury designer area, featuring some of the world’s priciest fashion designers. 

EuroShop also praised Saks’ “open floor plan, which allows light to flood in,” along with “services like personal shopping advice offer customers additional luxury and convenience.

The Saks flagship at CF Toronto Eaton Centre is one of two to have opened in Toronto in February of 2016. A beautiful 143,200 square foot Saks also opened at CF Sherway Gardens, featuring fashions as well as an 18,500 square foot Pusateri’s-operated Saks Food Hall. 

Saks is confirmed to be opening at least two more Canadian stores in 2018 — a 115,000 square foot Calgary unit will open early next year, as will a 200,000 square foot downtown Montreal flagship, complete with an 80,000 square foot ‘Quebec-themed- food component. Saks is also expected to announce a Vancouver flagship once details are finalized. It will be interesting to see if these stores will be similar in design to the award-winning Toronto flagship. 

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