Canadian-founded luxury fashion brand Ports 1961 has closed its last Canadian boutique, located on the third floor of Montreal’s Ogilvy department store. Its other two Canadian locations closed earlier last year. The storied brand struggled to gain market share in Canada, despite its considerable success around the world, especially in China.

In early 2013, Ports closed its free-standing stores in Vancouver (717 Burrard Street) and in Toronto (at 151 Bloor Street West). The Vancouver location was replaced with luxury brand Montblanc, while its Toronto space is now occupied by upscale footwear designer Stuart Weitzman. Ports’ former Ogilvy space has been replaced by a shop for moderately priced Canadian label, Pink Tartan. 

In the United States, Ports 1961 continues to operate a boutique in New York City, as well as outlet stores in Chicago and in Livermore, California. 

Update: Ports 1961 hasn’t exited Canada entirely, we’ve learned, since we originally publishing this article. Samson Yuen pointed out that it continues to operate an outlet at the Toronto Premium Outlets. The Ports 1961 website, however, doesn’t include this outlet on its list of North American locations. A call to the outlet confirms that it’s business as usual. 

The brand started in Toronto in 1961, and was originally called Newport Canada. In 1988, Canadian twins Dan and Dean Caten started designing for Ports, at that time called Ports International. The brothers are now world-renowned for their Italy-based fashion label, DSquared2. Ports International opened free-standing store locations across Canada (and internationally), as well as shops within department stores such as Eaton’s. In 1994, the label left Canada and became a major fashion label in China. It currently operates over 350 stores in China, was well as in Hong Kong and Macau. In 2004, the label changed its name to Ports 1961 and became headquartered in New York City.

September 4, 2014

Disclaimer: I am not a retail recruiter. I am a professional resume writer for the retail industry. Therefore, this post is simply my opinion on how to market yourself on LinkedIn, and it’s based on my years of experience as a retail hiring manager, job search consultant, employment advisor, retail resume analyst, and retail resume writer. 

Every day I see group discussion posts or status updates like the following:

 “I am a dynamic and multi-talented retail executive with a wealth of knowledge and experience. I am looking for an opportunity to use my unparalleled expertise in retail sales management to lead your company to unprecedented heights. Check out my profile and contact me today!” 

Ads like this don’t attract my attention, nor do they attract the attention of many recruiters, in my experience. Why? Because it doesn’t say anything. There is no concrete information in there. Jeffrey Fox, author of Don’t Send a Resume, calls it cotton candy and I agree. 

Recruiters need to know certain things to establish whether you’re a viable candidate or not. They may be able to find the answers in your profile (although many people don’t even include it there!), but why make them search for it? It’s like putting all the gold in your resume and stuffing your cover letter with fluff – or filling up the first page-and-a-half of your resume with hyperbole and leaving your employment history for the very end. If you bury the gold and leave a trail for it, they may not be inclined to follow the trail (especially when they have hundreds of other candidates vying for their attention). 

At a minimum, retail recruiters want to know whether you have had the desired accountability in past positions. This includes things like:

• Job level: Did you oversee a store, district, region, or country?
• Job function: Store operations, visual, loss prevention, franchise development?
• Stores: Specialty, convenience, big-box, major department? How many under your control?
• Sales volume: Preferably in $ but company ranking can work as well (A++ volume)
• Commodities: Apparel, home improvement, cosmetics, automotive?
• Targeted area: Only available in your home city? Can you relocate?

Obviously I can’t speak for all retail recruiters out there so some of these may not apply in some cases (and others may be more important) but these areas of accountability often serve as minimum qualifications for particular positions. In other words, you may be screened against criteria such as this before the recruiter considers you a potential candidate. So why not make it easy on them and highlight your past accountability in your posting? Here are a few examples: 

“Big-box store manager with 10 years’ experience managing $15M to $20M locations with a staff of 40-60. Experience in sporting goods, office products, and apparel. Seeking a new opportunity in BC or AB. Email joecandidate@email.com.” 

“District manager with 15 years’ experience overseeing 10-14 ladies’ fashion and accessory stores in prominent Southern California malls. Led a national chain in sales volume and key metrics for the past 3 years. Relocating to Seattle in July and seeking a new opportunity in women’s apparel. Email janecandidate@email.com for more information.” 

“Regional loss prevention director with 20+ years’ experience with junior department stores, major department stores, supermarkets, and mass merchants. Oversaw up to 55 locations in 9 states. Seeking a similar opportunity on the west coast. Email janecandidate@email.com or view profile for more information.”

Cheers!

Holt Renfrew has announced that it will close its small Ottawa and Quebec City locations early next year, and we think that more Holt Renfrew store closures could follow. The company will instead concentrate on operating larger locations in just five Canadian cities. This strategy could be in response to expected competition from Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, both opening Canadian locations over the next several years. It appears that Holt Renfrew’s strategy is to build stores in excess of 100,000 square feet, calling into the question the future of two Holt Renfrew locations not discussed in other media sources. 

Holt Renfrew locations to close at the end of January, 2015:

Holt Renfrew’s 36,000 square foot Ottawa store is located within the CD Howe Building at 240 Sparks Street. The underperforming two-level location lacks many of the typical designers and concessions featured in other Holt Renfrew locations, most notably a Louis Vuitton shop. The store is about a kilometre from bustling Rideau Centre, a downtown mall which is seeing substantial renovations, as well as the addition of three new upscale anchors to be discussed below. 

Holt Renfrew’s 33,000 square foot Quebec City store, located at the Place Ste-Foy shopping centre, also lacks many of the upscale brands featured in Holt Renfrew’s larger, more successful stores. Holt Renfrew was founded in Quebec City in 1837, and was originally a hat shop. At one time, Holt Renfrew had three smaller Quebec City stores, including a downtown location on Rue Baude and a store within the iconic Chateau Frontenac Hotel. 

Holt Renfrew locations with an uncertain future: 

We already know that Holt Renfrew’s current 84,000 square foot Montreal store, at 1300 Sherbrooke Street West, will close in 2017. It will be replaced with a merged Ogilvy/Holt Renfrew store, measuring about 220,000 square feet. With the closure of its Sherbrooke Street store, only two of the company’s remaining locations will measure less than 120,000 square feet. The lease on its 47,000 square foot downtown Edmonton store, located at Manulife Place, is set to expire in 2017. Sources say that Holt Renfrew may not renew this lease, and may instead choose to open a substantially larger replacement location in a suburban shopping centre.

Holt Renfrew also operates a 33,670 square foot unit at Toronto’s Sherway Gardens and we’re unsure if the store will be expanded or eventually closed. A Holt Renfrew representative confirms that the retailer has a long-term lease on the space and that as far as they’re aware, the store will continue to operate. Given Holt Renfrew’s trend towards operating larger stores, however, we expect it will either substantially expand its Sherway Gardens location, or close it entirely. The company has already announced a 120,000 square foot flagship at Mississauga’s Square One Shopping Centre, which sources say could act as a replacement for its Sherway Gardens store. Holt Renfrew will see substantial competition at Sherway Gardens when a 132,000 square foot Saks Fifth Avenue opens there in 2016, as well as a 138,000 square foot Nordstrom a year later. 

Competition: Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, La Maison Simons, Harry Rosen

Holt Renfrew will see substantial competition from several large retailers, which are either building new stores or expanding their existing locations. As a result, Holt Renfrew appears to be concentrating on expanding and improving its top-performing locations, spending in excess of $300 million to increase its store square footage from about 800,000 to over 1.2 million square feet. We’ll briefly discuss how Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, La Maison Simons and Harry Rosen are all putting pressure on Holt Renfrew’s bottom line. 

Saks Fifth Avenue: Holt Renfrew’s announced store closures may be partly in response to Saks Fifth Avenue’s plans to open as many as seven Canadian stores over the next several years. Saks has already announced two Canadian locations – a 150,000 square foot store occupying part of Toronto’s 850,000 square foot Hudson’s Bay flagship, and a 130,000 square foot location to occupy part of a former Sears store at Toronto’s Sherway Gardens. Sources confirm that Saks is looking to open similarly sized stores in Vancouver and Montreal, as well as possibly in Calgary and Edmonton. 

Nordstrom: The upscale Seattle-based retailer also plans to open as many as seven Canadian stores, including its first Canadian location next month at Calgary’s Chinook Centre. Although less upscale than Holt Renfrew, Nordstrom’s exceptional customer service may pull some clients away from Holt’s. Nordstrom will also carry an assortment of top-priced designers which are also carried at Holt Renfrew, though it also carries more moderately priced items in various product categories. Nordstrom will eventually operate stores in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa, and sources confirm that the retailer is also interested in opening an Edmonton location. 

La Maison Simons: Besides its extensive selection of moderately priced, private-label product, Quebec City-based La Maison Simons carries a considerable amount of women’s and men’s designer ready-to-wear items. Simons’ selection lacks in the designer shoes and cosmetics categories, and has a limited assortment of designer accessories. Simons is currently in a substantial growth phase, with stores planned for Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and possibly Calgary. 

Harry Rosen: Upscale menswear retailer Harry Rosen is expanding and renovating its store base, adding new designers as well as an expanded assortment of footwear and accessories. Harry Rosen’s customer service is exceptional, and it spends more on staff training than any Canadian retailer. Harry Rosen has considerable brand loyalty and appears keen to maintain its status as Canada’s premier menswear retailer.  

Why will Holt Renfrew close its Ottawa and Quebec City stores? 

Ottawa: Despite Ottawa’s large population and high average income, the conservative city has a limited number of consumers who buy luxury goods. Holt Renfrew’s tiny and dated Ottawa store, distanced from busy Rideau Centre, would have seen considerable competition from Rideau Centre’s 157,000 square foot Nordstrom store, set to open in the spring of next year. Additionally, in August of 2016, a 105,000 square foot La Maison Simons will open in the same mall. Both Nordstrom and La Maison Simons will carry a selection of pricey designer labels. Furthermore, in November of this year, Harry Rosen will open an 18,000 square foot flagship at Rideau Centre, replacing a store about half the size. Interestingly, several years ago we were told that Holt Renfrew was in talks to occupy part of the space to be occupied by Nordstrom in Rideau Centre’s former Eaton’s/Sears retail space. It appears that instead of trying to compete with Rideau’s upscale new anchors, Holt Renfrew has chosen to exit a city which lacks upscale designers such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, present in similarly sized cities such as Calgary. 

Quebec City: Quebec City has a limited number of luxury shoppers, due to its relatively small population, modest incomes, and high taxes. La Maison Simons’ flagship store is located in the same mall as Holt Renfrew. Simons’ 100,000 square foot store carries considerably more designer ready-to-wear items than the mall’s Holt Renfrew, though Holt Renfrew beats Simons for designer accessories, footwear and cosmetics. With the closure of Holt’s, affluent Quebec City shoppers will be underserved in these categories. As far as we’re aware, Harry Rosen has no plans for a Quebec City location, possibly further speaking to the city’s modest demand for luxury goods. 

Expansion and Renovation Plans for Holt Renfrew’s Current Stores: 

Holt Renfrew will renovate and expand its top-performing locations, as well as build a free-standing men’s store in Toronto. Here’s a rundown of what is planned: 

Vancouver: We’re told that Holt’s Pacific Centre store, the chain’s top-performer, will be expanded by annexing two adjacent sports retailers. This will grow the current 140,000 square foot unit by as much as 40,000 square feet. Vancouver’s Holt’s will be at least partly renovated to include a restaurant as well as expanded footwear and leather goods departments. It will also update its personal shopping areas, the most productive real estate in the store, as well as add a by-invitation-only luxury shopping ‘Apartment’ for its top clients. The Vancouver store, which replaced a 68,000 square foot location in 2007, has seen sales more than double in the past seven years, according to sources. 

Calgary: Holt Renfrew’s Calgary store, located downtown in The Core shopping centre, will also see an expansion and renovation. The 147,000 square foot store features an unused 25,500 square foot fourth floor, which may be opened up as part of its announced expansion. Calgary’s Holt’s will also see a new restaurant as well as expanded footwear and leather goods departments, as well as enhanced personal shopping suites and the addition of a luxury shopping ‘Apartment’ similar to its Vancouver store. Calgary’s current Holt Renfrew opened in the fall of 2009, replacing a 43,000 square foot unit that reportedly had the highest sales per square foot in the chain. 

Toronto – 50 Bloor Street West: The chain’s flagship (currently measuring in excess of 180,000 square feet) will be expanded and fully renovated, including the addition of a new facade to replace its current banal, aging marble frontage. According to Holt’s, a luxury shopping Apartment will be added to the store, as well as significant enhancements to its beauty, accessories, and footwear areas. 

Toronto – 100 Bloor Street West: This fall, Holt’s will open a free-standing, 14,000 square foot men’s store to compliment its 50 Bloor St. flagship. Interestingly, menswear will continue to be carried at the 50 Bloor St. flagship as well. We’re awaiting further details on the company’s new menswear concept, which will have branding separate from Holt’s main stores. 

Montreal: In 2017, Montreal’s current 84,000 square foot Holt Renfrew store will close, to be replaced with a combined Ogilvy/Holt Renfrew location. To be named Ogilvy, part of the Holt Renfrew & Co. collection, the 220,000 square foot location could become the grandest in the chain, depending on how large its Toronto flagship is expanded. 

Despite the length of this article, we’ve got more to say on the topic. Next week we’ll discuss Holt Renfrew further, including the future of its current Edmonton store. 

Popular Germany-based jeweller Thomas Sabo will continue its Canadian store expansion by opening three new locations this year, as well as at least one more in 2015. Interestingly, the company has only two locations in the United States, while it currently operates eight Canadian stores.

In October, Thomas Sabo will open stores at Mississauga’s Square One Shopping Centre, as well as at Winnipeg’s Polo Park. In November, the brand will open at Calgary’s Market Mall. According to the company’s PR firm, Faulhaber Communications, Thomas Sabo will open at least one more Canadian store next year, and its location will be revealed shortly. 

Thomas Sabo currently has three stores in Vancouver (Oakridge Centre, Metropolis at Metrotown, Richmond Centre), two in Montreal (Carrefour Laval, Place Rosemere), and one each in Edmonton (West Edmonton Mall), Toronto (Yorkdale Shopping Centre), and Calgary (Chinook Centre). The brand is also carried at various other multi-brand Canadian retailers, according to its website. 

Thomas Sabo has only two American retail locations, both in Las Vegas. In 2015, the company will open a flagship store in New York City, possibly spearheading a substantial store expansion south of the border. 

Established in Pegnitz, Germany in 1984, Thomas Sabo retails its own brand of jewellery, watches and beauty products for women and men. It operates 240 stores across all five continents with a total of about 1,500 employees.