Home Blog Page 1327

Nordstrom Hiring 400 Employees for 2nd Canadian Location

By
Craig Patterson
-
Nordstrom at CF Rideau Centre (Rendering via Cadillac Fairview)

Nordstrom will hire 400 staff for its new Ottawa location, which opens in March of 2015. Staff are sought for all departments, as well as related store activities and services. Nordstrom staff receive benefits including a store discount, health benefits, and RRSP matching. 

Positions will be posted to careers.nordstrom.com next Thursday, November 20th, and hiring will begin in January of 2015. Nordstrom is looking to fill sales positions in all areas of operations including women’s, men’s, and children’s apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, as well as various support positions in alterations, building services, and loss prevention. Additional positions are also available in the store’s restaurant and coffee bar.

Once sales staff have been hired, they’ll participate in a local training program focused on product knowledge, selling, and customer service. Nordstrom employees receive a competitive benefits package, which includes dental, medical and vision options, an RRSP matching program and a 20% retail discount (managers receive a 33% discount).

RENDERING: NORDSTROM (WITH MODIFICATIONS BY RETAIL INSIDER)

“We’re looking for goal-oriented people who love fashion and want to deliver an exceptional shopping experience to every customer who visits our store – they don’t necessarily need retail experience,” said John Banks, store manager for Nordstrom Rideau Centre. “Nordstrom is a great place to build a career. With this being only our second store in Canada, it’s a great time to get in on the ground floor with our company as we begin our growth across the nation.”

Nordstrom hired 28 department managers from Canada in October, and they are currently in Seattle being trained. In the United States, Nordstrom usually picks ‘proven leaders’ from its stores to become department and store managers. For its Canadian stores, however, Nordstrom has taken a slightly different approach. Instead of promoting existing staff, Nordstrom is seeking out Canadian talent. For about three months, new hires are temporarily moved to Seattle to be immersed in Nordstrom’s corporate culture. Housing, food and transportation are provided by Nordstrom. Once trained, department managers may begin recruiting staff for their Canadian store locations. Training for Ottawa’s managers ends on December 20th. 

Nordstrom’s 157,000 square foot Rideau Centre location opens on Friday, March 6, 2015. The 157,000 square foot store is currently under construction. Occupying the second and third levels of a former 240,000 square foot Sears store, Ottawa’s Nordstrom will anchor the increasingly upscale Rideau Centre. Rideau’s second anchor will be La Maison Simons, which will occupy 105,000 square feet in a northeastern mall expansion. Simons will open in August of 2016.

Agent Provocateur Opens 2 New Canadian Locations

By
Craig Patterson
-
RENDERING: WWW.REFINERY29.COM

Premium British lingerie brand Agent Provocateur has opened two new Canadian locations, bringing its total store count to six. It’s an impressive number, considering there are only 17 Agent Provocateur locations in the United States — a country with nearly 10 times Canada’s population. 

Both new Agent Provocateur shops measure just over 180 square feet, and both are concessions within Holt Renfrew. One is in Calgary, while the other is at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Yorkdale is the third Toronto location for Agent Provocateur and, remarkably, Toronto is now one of only six cities in the world to feature three or more Agent Provocateur locations. Other cities include London, New York City, Berlin, Paris and Moscow. 

Both Canadian shops feature built-in 1970’s-inspired lingerie display fixtures of black bevelled glass, mirror, brass, and lacquer. The boutiques are finished with the brand’s classic baby pink and black colour palette, with grey and black lace carpets. Both shops house Agent Provocateur’s namesake Agent Provocateur Collection as well as the company’s Classics, Bridal, Swim, Hosiery and Accessories ranges.

PHOTO: WWW.QUAINTRELLE.CA

In September, Agent Provocateur’s Canadian flagship opened in The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West in Toronto. The 1,260 square foot store neighbours luxury brands including Escada, Cartier, Prada, Mulberry and Chanel. 

Agent Provocateur’s first Holt Renfrew concession opened in March of 2012 in Vancouver, followed by Montreal in October of 2012, and Toronto (50 Bloor Street West) in November of 2013. Vancouver was once home to Canada’s first and only free-standing Agent Provocateur store, but the franchised location closed in the summer of 2011. 

  • ENTRANCE TO HOLT RENFREW, YORKDALE. PHOTO: JANSON GOLDSTEIN.
  • HOLT RENFREW AT THE CORE, CALGARY. PHOTO: DARRELL BATEMAN.

Agent Provocateur is considered to be a luxury lingerie company. It was founded in 1994 by the son of British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. It operates 89 stores worldwide, including 17 U.S. stores. Of its American locations, 13 are free-standing while four are operated concessions within Bloomingdale’s stores.

Mastermind Toys Aggressively Expanding Canadian Store Base

By
Craig Patterson
-
Image: Mastermind Toys

Canada’s largest privately-owned specialty toy and book retailer has aggressive expansion plans. Toronto-based Mastermind Toys will more than double its existing store base within three years, and has recently opened several locations in new Canadian markets. 

The company was founded in 1984 by brothers Andy and Jon Levy, who wanted to offer shoppers a classic toy store experience. Its first location measured only 300 square feet, and sold children’s software and home computers. Co-founder Jon Levy says that his store’s curated collection of toys and books differentiates it from mass-market retailers, while offering a greater selection than in independent shops. It carries over 10,000 educational toys, books, games, arts and crafts, puzzles and science kits. 

Mastermind Toys President Humphrey Kadaner says that the retailer plans to grow its current 34 locations to between 70 and 75 stores by the year 2018, if not before. On picking new store locations, Mr. Kadaner says: “We tend to do best where consumers have higher income, high education levels and are interested in quality toys. And the best way to measure that is to look at what the average toy spend is per household based on Statistics Canada data.” Of its current 34 locations, 29 are in Ontario with 19 of them in the Greater Toronto Area. Four stores are in Alberta and soon, three will operate in British Columbia. 

Image: Mastermind Toys

Mastermind Toys recently opened its first Edmonton-area store in Sherwood Park, Alberta. The store measures almost 5,000 square feet and is located in a suburban retail complex called Baseline Village. As many as six Edmonton-area stores are planned, according to Mr. Kadaner. It recently opened a third Calgary location and as many as seven Calgary-area locations are anticipated. This month, Mastermind opens two more locations in British Columbia: one in Abbotsford opens at the end of the month, while its new Coquitlam store opened last week. Its first B.C. location opened last year in Langley. 

The Levy brothers partnered with Birch Hill Equity Partners in 2010, facilitating the company’s national expansion. Since that time, they’ve opened 25 Mastermind Toy locations. Despite numerous franchising requests, the company maintains ownership of all locations. 

Webrooming is Driving Canadian Customers Back to Stores

By
Retail Insider
-

GfK’s FutureBuy® study reveals Canadian shoppers making their final purchasing decision in-store, armed with information gathered online.

By Chris Thorne

This year, while the industry cast a spotlight on showrooming as a major threat to the retail store, it seems a different story has been unfolding on the actual shop floor. 

Results from our FutureBuy® study reveal Canadians are embracing webrooming — the practice of researching products online and completing the purchase in store. Four in ten (40%) Canadian smartphone users reported doing so in the past six months, compared to showrooming behaviour, which only registered at 15%. 

This is the first year we have included Canada in FutureBuy®, one of the largest global studies on shopping attitudes and behaviour, spanning 17 countries and 15 categories. The Canadian results shed light on the evolving consumer behaviour, and come at a time when the local retail industry is forced to re-evaluate its position with increased competition from international players. 

No doubt, the shopping experience has been made even more complex with the availability of information online. Our study has revealed shopping influences have expanded beyond past experience with a brand or retailer (54%) and word-of-mouth from family and friends (30%), to include influencers or what we call “leading edge consumers” (10%). 

Further enabling the webrooming trend is the increased adoption of mobile technology. Consumers now have the power at their fingertips to access information about almost any product, research purchases on the go, and receive the instant gratification of walking out of a store with a purchase. In fact, half the respondents cited being able to get the products sooner as a top reason for making their final purchase in store, after doing their pre-shopping research online. 

The webrooming trend shows shopping will continue to involve a tactile interaction with merchandise in store. Understanding how consumers use the Internet to make those purchasing decisions is critical. Knowing what kind of information your potential customers are searching for on multiple devices, finding the right influencers who can advocate your product, and harnessing the convenience offered by mobile technology, are all important insights for retailers to remain relevant and competitive in the future.

Chris Thorne is Vice President of GfK Canada. (Chris.Thorne@gfk.com)

About GfK: GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices.

How Becoming Eco-Friendly Can Benefit Canadian Retailers [Infographic]

By
Craig Patterson
-

The following infographic by Quebec-based SMS Store Traffic (www.storetraffic.com) describes the benefits to making retail more eco-friendly, including increased profitability. 

How Becoming Eco-Friendly Can Benefit Canadian Retailers [Infographic]
How Becoming Eco-Friendly Can Benefit Canadian Retailers [Infographic]

Macy’s Won’t Come to Canada, Despite Recent Press [With Video]

By
Craig Patterson
-
Macy's (PHOTO: PATRICKSMERCY, FLICKR)

The founder of a prominent commercial real estate company says that Macy‘s is likely coming to Canada, and that Nordstrom could open in downtown Edmonton. This gained considerable media attention and as a result, we received numerous emails and phone calls. The following is our comment and analysis, including a video clip from CTV news featuring Retail Insider’s Editor-in-Chief, Craig Patterson. 

On Wednesday morning, Chuck Clubine, founding partner of Edmonton-based The Trikon Group, appeared on CTV Morning Live. During that broadcast, Mr. Clubine revealed that he believes Macy’s will open its first Canadian store at West Edmonton Mall, and that Nordstrom would open in downtown Edmonton. Specifically, he said that he had heard from “pretty good sources” that “luxury retailer” Macy’s would open in West Edmonton Mall, in an expansion wing beside the mall’s popular World Waterpark. Mr. Clubine then went on to say that Nordstrom could open in downtown Edmonton, either in the new Arena District, or in the retail podium of the new Kelly Ramsey Building. 

Last month, West Edmonton Mall owner David Ghermezian told the Edmonton Journal that the mall is planning an expansion wing that will extend from entrance 50 southward towards 87th Avenue. Mr. Ghermezian said that he wants a luxury department store to anchor this expansion and as far as we’re aware, no anchor tenant has signed a lease for this proposed space. 

Last year, Macy’s CEO Terry J. Lundgren said that Macy’s didn’t have plans to open in Canada. Following Mr. Clubine’s comments on Wednesday, Macy’s told CTV news that it has no plans to open in Canada, and that “Canada is not part of our thought process“. This shouldn’t come as a surprise – Canadian department store Hudson’s Bay is considered to be quite similar to Macy’s, serving the Canadian market with about 90 stores. Macy’s would face considerable competition from Hudson’s Bay, and the Canadian retailer has significant advantages including established distribution networks, exceptional store locations, and agreements with many of the same brands carried at Macy’s. Macy’s would also face an uphill battle securing appropriate Canadian retail space – even if it were to buy Sears Canada, for example, most of Sears’ best stores have already been divested. Watching the challenges and resultant losses experienced by Target‘s entry into Canada, Macy’s may be best to hold off on any potential Canadian expansion plans.

EDMONTON’S ARENA DISTRICT WILL FEATURE SOME RETAIL, THOUGH LIKELY NOT ENOUGH TO ATTRACT NORDSTROM. PHOTO: EDMONTON JOURNAL.

Mr. Clubine’s assertion that Nordstrom could open in downtown Edmonton is generally misguided. His speculation that Nordstrom could locate in the city’s Arena District is an interesting theory, especially as its retail component is expected to only occupy approximately 215,000 square feet. Given that even a smaller Nordstrom location would measure at least 125,000 square feet, there would be little room for the necessary complimentary tenant mix to warrant Nordstrom locating downtown. Not to mention, pedestrian traffic downtown is limited and despite redevelopment efforts in Edmonton’s core, Nordstrom is likely to choose a successful suburban shopping centre when it enters the Edmonton market. 

Online Retailer Frank & Oak to Open Brick-and-Mortar Canadian Flagships

By
Craig Patterson
-

Popular online menswear retailer Frank & Oak will open brick-and-mortar stores across Canada, according to sources familiar with the company. Its second store will open next week in a trendy Toronto shopping area, and other locations are also said to be in the works. Until now, the Montreal-based retailer has sold online, in pop-up shops, and in its Montreal bricks-and-mortar location.  

Frank & Oak’s Canadian flagship will located at 735 Queen Street West in Toronto, according to a press release, and is scheduled to open on November 13th. The store will measure about 2,600 square feet, and will carry Frank & Oak’s monthly menswear collections and special capsule collections, as well as host a variety of community-oriented events. Besides clothing, the Toronto location will also boast an in-house café (featuring Portland-based Stumptown Coffee Roasters) and a full service barbershop. 

The company’s first brick-and-mortar location opened last year 160 Rue Saint Viateur Est #613, in Montréal. Known as the Atelier, the Montreal shop is dubbed a “store and community space”. There’s an on-site Café Névé, and the Atelier also boasts resident barbers.

Sources say that another Frank & Oak location could be in the works for a Powell Street address in Vancouver’s Gastown area, though the company won’t confirm these details. Other Canadian cities are also being considered, and an Ottawa location is already advertising a store manager position. The company’s brick-and-mortar expansion comes partly from a recent $15 million from investors. About 70% of Frank & Oak’s revenue comes from the United States, so free-standing American locations could also follow.

Frank & Oak continues to push to stay original by promoting its brand with its own magazine interface, using online video trailers to announce new products, and personalizing hand written notes in each order. 

“We’re thrilled to be opening our flagship location in the vibrant city of Toronto,” explained Frank & Oak co-founder and CEO Ethan Song. “It’s rooted in everything we stand for—culture, a sense of community, and entrepreneurship—and we are passionate about developing this local approach in the context of the digital world.”

“We’ve always been focused on offering a simple and seamless customer experience,” noted Song, “and this storefront further contributes to our vision of being an advisor to our customers.”

Frank & Oak launched its online business in 2012. It quickly gained notoriety because of its use of vertical integration and technology. By centralizing design, distribution, and the personalization process, Frank & Oak creates a unique shopping experience based on value for quality. The menswear retailer focuses on ‘fast fashion’, and each month offers new basic pieces at a moderate price point of under $50. This affordability allows millennials, the brand’s target market, easier access to the product. As more and more men are utilizing technology in the digital era, so it comes as no surprise that 15% of Frank & Oak’s sales are comprised from their mobile app. About 40% of millennial men are shopping online, spending twice as much on clothing than any other age cohort. This contributes to menswear sales growing 8% over the last year to $8 billion dollars worldwide. 

In 2013, Frank & Oak sold 700,000 items of clothing, placing over 35,000 orders each month. As a result, it added 1.1 million members to its personalized VIP ‘HuntClub’. Members may chose up to three items to be shipped to their door every month and if not satisfied, may ship them back free of charge. 

Harry Rosen Opens Impressive Ottawa Flagship

By
Craig Patterson
-

Upscale menswear retailer Harry Rosen‘s new Rideau Centre flagship is now open, complete with a first for the company — a stand-alone footwear shop with its own entrance. The new store features a unique exterior and modern, bright interiors, showcasing an expanded assortment of luxury designers. The 17,000 square foot store replaces an adjacent location which was about half its size. 

Its storefront features a houndstooth pattern, created by artisans who layered the glass to create a 3-dimensional appearance. It’s lit with more than 2,000 LED lights.

The  stand-alone footwear department, called The Shoe Shop, features a wide variety of upscale footwear designers, including the likes of Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Canali, To Boot New York, Tod’s and others.

The bright new men’s store features an expanded selection of menswear brands including Polo Ralph Lauren, Armani Collezioni, John Varvatos, Etro and others. It features shops-in-stores for Ermenegildo Zegna and men’s jewelry collection, Tateossian. The store’s tailored clothing department features rich and warm colours, housing an impressive selection of suits and sports jackets by Canali, BOSS, the made-in-Canada JP Tilford by Samuelsohn, and more. 

The store also boasts a fully staffed, state-of-the-art tailor shop. A private, club-like setting serves as the destination for made-to-measure consultations.

“We’re thrilled to bring a true flagship store experience to Ottawa,” says Larry Rosen, CEO, Harry Rosen Inc. “It’s a showcase of our latest thinking in store design.”

The expanded Ottawa store is now one of Harry Rosen’s largest locations. Rosen’s Toronto flagship measures a whopping 55,000 square feet, making it one of the world’s largest premium menswear stores. The company is spending over $100 million expanding and renovating its entire fleet of stores. It will completely overhaul its Downtown Montreal and Vancouver locations, for example. Its Montreal store will grow to become the company’s second-largest, rivalling the world’s best men’s stores. Its Vancouver store, the second-highest selling in the chain, will be completely renovated and reconfigured. In total, Harry Rosen has 16 Canadian store locations as well as one outlet store in Mississauga. A second outlet store opens soon at Toronto’s Vaughan Mills. 

Ottawa’s Rideau Centre is undertaking a massive expansion which will eventually include new retail anchored by a 105,000 square foot La Maison Simons store and a 157,000 square foot Nordstrom store. Nordstrom is scheduled to open on March 6, 2015, next door to Harry Rosen. Simons will open in August of 2016. 

Although Harry Rosen will see increased competition from the likes of Nordstrom and Simons, Rosen’s exceptional product selection and customer service will set it apart. The company spends more on staff training than any retailer in the country, according to CEO Larry Rosen, and its designer product selection will surpass that of any Ottawa retailer. 

All photos: Harry Rosen Inc.

List of H&M Stores to Carry Alexander Wang Collaboration in Canada

By
Craig Patterson
-
PHOTO: WWW.ELLE.BE

The following is a list of Canadian H&M stores which will carry the Alexander Wang for H&M collaboration. Only four Canadian cities will carry it, in a total of seven stores. The collection launches worldwide on the morning of Thursday, November 6th. 

Alexander Wang is the latest popular designer to collaborate with Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M. Not only does the 30 year old New York City-based designer have his own namesake fashion lines (Alexander Wang and T by Alexander Wang), he’s also the Creative Director for French luxury brand Balenciaga. Wang is the first American fashion designer to collaborate with H&M. 

The Alexander Wang for H&M collection features men’s and women’s fashions (clothing, footwear, accessories) which are mostly black and grey. Prices are considerably lower than those of Wang’s namesake fashion collections. The entire collaboration can be viewed here. 

PHOTO: NITROLICIOUS.COM

The following Canadian H&M locations will carry the Alexander Wang collection: 

Toronto: 

  • Toronto Eaton Centre
  • 15 Bloor Street West  
  • Yorkdale Shopping Centre

Montreal: 

  • 1100 Saint Catherine Street West

Calgary: 

  • The CORE 

Vancouver

  • Pacific Centre
  • Metropolis at Metrotown

We researched which American H&M locations will carry Alexander Wang for H&M. Interestingly, only two Chicago locations will feature the collaboration, both centrally located. The same goes for San Francisco and Boston, while cities such as Dallas, Houston, Honolulu and Las Vegas feature only one H&M collaboration location. Five Los Angeles-area H&M locations will feature the collection, while New York City boasts numerous locations, as would be expected. You can view the collection’s international availability at this link. 

 

Upscale French Menswear Brand Loding Opens 2nd Canadian Location

By
Craig Patterson
-

Upscale French menswear brand Loding has opened its second Canadian location at Toronto’s First Canadian Place. The 800 square foot boutique is the latest location for the brand which, according to a source at the company, could eventually open stores across the continent. 

Loding’s two North American locations are both in Toronto. Its first location opened in February of 2014 at 133 Avenue Road in Toronto’s upscale Yorkville area. The 1,100 square foot boutique’s success prompted its franchisee to open a second Toronto location.  A representative indicates that a Montreal location could be in the works, as well as locations in other Canadian cities as opportunities arise. The franchisee owns Loding’s rights for all of North America, with plans to eventually expand into the United States as well. 

Loding’s First Canadian Place store features the brand’s new, modern black-and-white aesthetic with leather accents. Loding Stores typically feature interiors accented with yellow and green. Located in the heart of Toronto’s Financial District, the new store is located on the mall’s PATH level, next to an entrance to the Exchange Tower.

The store’s grand opening, held last week, was attended by LXRY.ca founder and Editor-in-Chief, Steve Dolson. “It’s really great to see Loding expanding into it’s second store in Toronto. Their shoes  and shirts are each one price, so this is great for young professional men to plan out their budgets and get something of quality,” said Mr. Dolson. “Loding is a perfect way to impress your boss or make a great impression on your future father-in-law.”

Founded in 1998 in Paris, Loding has grown to over 70 stores worldwide. It features men’s shoes, shirts, ties, belts and other accessories, as well as shoe care. The store is unique in how it prices its products: the company doesn’t participate in promotions or sales/discounts, so prices in the store will be the same year-round. The company also practices the idea of ‘one price by type of article’. 

 

1...1,3261,3271,328...1,416Page 1,327 of 1,416