Canada’s first Brunello Cucinelli location will open in downtown Vancouver, along with the city’s first free-standing Strellson and Versace stores. All will locate in the retail component at the base of the 745 Thurlow tower, which is currently under construction. All retailers will open either later this year, or in early 2016. 

The main floor retail component of the 745 Thurlow Street development is now 100% leased. 745 Thurlow is a 25 storey office tower encompassing 400,000 square feet at the southwest corner of Thurlow and Alberni Streets. The tower is designed to achieve LEED ‘Core and Shell’ Gold certification – the first office tower in downtown Vancouver to do so. 

All tenants at 745 Thurlow were represented by Stan Vyriotes and David Wedemire of DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Incorporated. Larissa Jacobson (604-661-5066) at Bentall Kennedy (Canada) LP is handling retail leasing at 745 Thurlow. 

Brunello Cucinelli will open in a 2,700 square foot retail space with a Thurlow Street frontage. Referred to as the “King of Cashmere”, the Italian luxury fashion brand was founded in 1978 and sells womenswear, menswear and accessories. Although known for its luxurious cashmere apparel, the brand has expanded to include non-cashmere fashions including leathergoods, bags, shoes, and sportswear. The company is headquartered in a 14th century castle on the top of a hill in the middle of Italy’s Umbria region, and it donates 20% of profits to its charitable foundation, and pays workers wages that are 20% higher than the industry average. According to its website, the brand is “firmly rooted in quality excellence, Italian craftsmanship and creativity”. Brunello Cucinelli currently operates 15 U.S. locations in Aspen CO, Atlanta, Bal Harbour FL, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Costa Mesa CA, Dallas, East Hampton NY, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Manhasset NY, New York City, and San Francisco. All cities have one free-standing Brunello Cucinelli location except for New York City, which has three. 

Upscale Swiss menswear brand Strellson will open in an Alberni Street-facing retail space measuring just over 2,200 square feet. Founded in 1993, Strellson is Switzerland’s largest menswear manufacturer. Owned by Holy Fashion Group, it produces mid-to-high priced menswear (both dressy and casual), accessories and related products, targeting men in the 25 to 40 age range. It retails in about 40 countries. It currently operates two free-standing Canadian locations – a flagship at 170 Bloor Street West, as well as a location at Toronto’s Bayview Village. Strellson confirms that it will open at Yorkdale Shopping Centre next year, and the brand is considering a location in Ottawa. Strellson shops-in-stores are also in a handful of Hudson’s Bay stores. The brand currently has no locations in the United States. 

Versace will open a 1,875 square foot store at 745 Thurlow’s corner retail space. The Italian luxury fashion brand was founded by the late Gianni Versace in 1978, and it is seeing a resurgence as it opens stores around the world. Upscale Vancouver-based fashion retailer Leone currently features a Versace shop-in-store, and Versace Home opened last summer in Vancouver’s Gastown area. Currently, Canada’s only free-standing Versace fashion store is at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which opened late summer of 2014. The brand currently has 16 free-standing locations, and sources at Versace confirm that a number of new U.S. stores are planned, including a 5,000 square foot Chicago flagship. 

745 Thurlow’s three luxury retailers will join other brands in Vancouver’s Luxury Zone such as Prada, Dior, De Beers, Burberry, Escada, Hermes, Tiffany & Co., Jaeger-LeCoultre, Moncler, Montblanc, Omega, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and others. Sources say that a number of premium French and Italian brands continue to negotiate for retail space in the immediate area, including at the Shangri-La Hotel as well as an Alberni Street-facing retail complex to be built at 1040 W. Georgia Street. 

Sources say that Brunello Cucinelli has also been in negotiations to open an outlet store at Vancouver’s McArthurGlen Designer Outlets, scheduled to open this summer. Sources also say that Brunello Cucinelli is seeking retail space in Toronto and that several months ago, it passed up the opportunity to lease Benetton‘s former space at 102 Bloor Street West. Vancouver-based fashion brand Kit and Ace has since secured that space. Cucinelli continues its hunt for Canadian real estate and rumour has it that a Calgary store could also be in the works. 

The following is a list of 37 retailers which are either new to Canada, or expanding their operations nationally. Although some of these retailers have recently been discussed in Retail Insider, many are new and haven’t been mentioned until now.

The list is sponsored by Vancouver-based Peregrine, which custom designs and fabricates retail, display, furniture and architectural features for some of the country’s top retailers.

Canadians are spending online, but not with Canadian retailers. Remarkably, online sales in Canada are forecasted to almost double between 2014 and 2015. According to Virtual Logistics Inc., Canadians are purchasing from multinationals such as Amazon, Costco and Walmart, with most of the remainder from out-of-country retailers. Canadian businesses are doing “very little” to combat this according to Virtual Logistics, as they are not mobile-friendly, few have websites, and some lack any web presence whatsoever. 

Some of the numbers in the infographic below are staggering. Canadian online retail sales are expected to grow from $22 billion in 2014 to $40 billion in 2015, while only 12-13% of Canadian businesses sell online. Average Canadian online spending is on the rise, and the number of Canadians shopping online continues to grow. In 2014, it’s estimated that 1.5 million Canadian households shopped online for the first time, and that about 76% of all households have shopped online. 

Virtual Logistics estimates that only 46% of Canadian businesses have a website, and that only 41% of small businesses have a website. Only 19% of Canadian retailers have websites optimized for mobile, while 56% of Canadians are smartphone users.

Given that almost 70% of all online purchases made by Canadians were bought from retailers outside of Canada last year, it’s time for Canadian retailers to re-examine or in some cases, examine ecommerce strategies. 

For more on this and other topics, visit Virtual Logistics’ blog:  www.blog.virtuallogistics.ca

Canada’s largest women’s shoe hall has relocated and expanded. Located within Hudson’s Bay’s Toronto Eaton Centre flagship, the expansive footwear department recently re-opened on the store’s second level. 

The original 27,000 square foot shoe hall opened in the summer of 2013, and was located in the western portion of Hudson’s Bay’s ground floor. It has relocated to provide much needed retail space for Hudson’s Bay’s westward expansion, as the store shifts to accommodate Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks will occupy almost 33,300 square feet at the east end of the building’s ground-floor. 

The new 30,000 square foot second-level women’s shoe hall features a similar, modern look to the former ground-floor footwear space. A variety of price points are included, including a section devoted to ‘The Room’ shoes, with prices into the thousands from designers such as Azzedine Alaïa, Gianvito Rossi, Christian Louboutin, Nicholas Kirkwood, Lanvin, Giuseppe Zanotti, Sergio Rossi, Brian Atwood, and others. The footwear department replaces part of Hudson’s Bay’s second-level men’s floor, which has since moved upstairs to occupy the building’s entire 100,000 square foot fifth floor. 

Although substantial, the new footwear department occupies only about a third of the second level of the Toronto Eaton Centre Hudson’s Bay building. The western most section of the floor houses some women’s moderately-priced clothing, and its eastern half is currently under construction to house Saks Fifth Avenue’s new men’s floor. 

Toronto-based luxury firm WINSTON is looking to hire a full-time International Sales Director position. 
 
Client and Position Overview: As a lavish, contemporary fashion label based in Toronto, Ellie Mae‘s focus is on designing beautifully constructed, on-trend women’s jackets and outerwear fashioned from the finest Italian fabrics and yarns in tune with an of the moment client.

The label is searching for a passionate, enthusiastic, and fashion-savvy individual to join it on its journey to success. The brand is currently looking for an International Sales Director to join its team. 
 
The role includes, but is not limited to the following;
•  To build and maintain relationships with the brand’s clients and expand the present client base in both Canadian and U.S. markets, 
•  To manage future sales development in the U.K. and E.U.,
•  To manage future sales teams as well as future procurement and management teams,
•  To manage order placement, including reorders,
•  To oversee invoicing of clients and follow up with payments (previous client relationship required),
•  To manage the showroom, handle appointments, and orders,
•  To represent the brand at international trade shows (travel required),
•  To maintain and provide support for all purchase orderprocessing, from the time of placement, through shipping,
•  To be responsible for monthly sales performance reports, 
•  Proficient with Joor systems, Access, and or other similar systems, 
•  To be the main point of contact for all inquiries about the brand, including to liaise with PR and Editorial,
•  To assist in any ad-hoc requirements.
 
The Ideal International Sales Director is success driven with high-level communication skills. The candidate must have a minimum of 5 years of previous experience and is proficient with all the above requirements. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment and does not require constant direction.
 
In order to be considered for this role candidates must meet the following requirements;
•  Entry requirements for the U.S., U.K. and E.U.,
•  Provide U.S. and Canadian contacts within similar market striation,
•  Tech-savvy, proficient with Microsoft Office, and order systems,
•  Must have the ability to travel and support a growing team.

If you feel you meet the above requirements, please send your resume and cover letter to: info@winstoncollective.com

By Randy Selzer

On a recent visit to Square One Shopping Centre, in Mississauga, Ontario, we stopped by to check out the ongoing construction for the new Holt Renfrew outlet on the south side of the mall. Although Square One has been undergoing massive renovations and expansion over the last several years, which has resulted in new food courts, new store areas, and a large expansion on the north side (soon to host Quebec City-based department store La Maison Simons), it is the south side where some of the most anticipated construction is taking place.

On the extreme southwest end of the mall, an approximate 120,000 square foot addition is being built to house a new Holt Renfrew location. Architects for this Square One Holt Renfrew expansion are Janson Goldstein LLP, who are based out of New York. You can see from the renderings and today’s construction photos, that there will be an interesting “scalloped” effect on the glass facade, a nice added touch in keeping with the luxury branding of Holts.

The new Holt Renfrew is expected to open in the spring of 2016, and will undoubtedly be a flagship for the luxury Canadian retailer, being part of its strategy to counter the entry of Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom, into the Canadian retail scene. Square One itself has been rebranding itself in a big way over the last several years, with luxury retailers gradually squeezing out many of the lower priced stores. The mall itself is looking pretty good these days – brighter, cleaner, and with many new additions. It’s pretty clear that Oxford Properties, the managers of Square One, have spent a lot of time and money doing all the recent renovations, and the results are a definite step towards an “upscale” shopping experience. The addition of Holt Renfrew will be another major addition to this upscale rebranding.

We will keep you posted with updates on the many changes taking place at Square One Shopping Centre. It’s such a central fact of life for those of us living in the city centre area of Mississauga. And for people who love shopping at Holt Renfrew, it looks like you will soon be able to get their Missoni teddy bears, and much more, at Square One.

As mentioned, Oxford Properties manages Square One, and they are overseeing the ongoing development. Municipal address for the mall is 100 City Centre Drive, Mississauga, ON. L5B 2C9. 

Randy Selzer is an award-winning realtor with substantial experience serving customers in Mississauga and Oakville. When not busy selling houses, he enjoys writing about life in Mississauga. Randy can be reached at rselzer@sutton.com or 416-433-3556.

You can also read his blog here: http://randyselzer.wordpress.com

J.C. Williams Group and the Ebeltoft Group have been formally tracking trends in retail innovation around the globe for nearly a decade. Enormous change has occurred within society, consumers, and ultimately, in the retail stores that serve them during this period.  

As a member of the Ebeltoft Group, J.C. Williams Group contributes to Retail Innovations, an annually released publication that includes the latest compilation of leading edge innovation, highlighting individual ideas and the key themes that emerge from studying the whole. 

In this year’s edition, Retail Innovations 10, seven global innovation trends and sixty of the best cases from twenty-one countries are featured.  The seven trends include: curated collections, customization, experiential retailing, “hyper local,” online offline mashup, “retailvention,” and technology intervention. These same global trends were featured at last week’s STORE 2015 conference, June 2–3, in two inspiring sessions presented by J.C. Williams Group’s Senior Advisor Lisa Hutcheson and Ebeltoft partner’s McMillanDoolittle. Let’s take a closer look. 

Innovation Trend #1: Curated Collections

The heart of successful retailing lies in creating a coherent and compelling assortment for customers. It is the job of any retailer to be an effective merchant, selecting the best products they can to create a relevant offer – having the right product in the right place at the right time.

Sample Case (from Retail Innovations 10): Bento Store (BRAZIL – São Paulo)

A contemporary and inspiring design retail store focused on urban mobility, offering a variety of lunchboxes, lunch bags, and bottles. The store reinvents the traditional lunchbox by driving sophistication, life-style, fashion, technology and functionality, while also creating solutions.

Innovation Trend #2: Customization

This trend is reaching critical mass. Customers can now create a product that is truly their own. Retailing and manufacturing was once predicated on scale, and now we are mass producing goods to achieve efficiency.

Sample Case: Birchbox (USA – NYC)

Birchbox, the subscription-based beauty product service model stepped up from online and recently opened a store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. The first bricks-and-mortar location for the brand provides a new way to reach consumers and brings their products and experience to life.

Innovation Trend #3: Experiential Retailing 2.0

With e-commerce growing in sales and popularity on a global basis, retailers are forced to ask more often, “what is the role of the store?” The quick answer is that it can no longer just be an efficient place to buy commoditized products. Stores are social gathering places, centers for knowledge, learning and information, a place for fun, or relaxation. They are the ultimate showcases for merchandise, exciting customers with possibilities. They are motivators to love better, eat better or beautify one’s home. In short, experiential stores are wondrous places that can deliver experiences in a way that a website can’t.

Sample Case: Selfridges Fragrance Lab (UK – London)

Selfridges’ Fragrance Lab is an immersive fragrance experience showcasing retail at its most indulgent and hedonistic best. From May 1st to June 27th 2014, customers of the prestigious Selfridges flagship department store in London paid £65 to go on ‘a journey to explore the outer reaches of scent, to discover the essence of one’s self’—as described by its creators. Participants began by completing a personality test conducted on an iPad to determine their tastes and habits, and were then given headphones and an audio guide to begin their journey through a series of ‘sensorial chambers’.

Innovation Trend #4: Hyper Local

There is real power in truly being local. Having the right products sourced from the community speaks to powerful macro trends around freshness, sustainability, and supporting the local community, while attempting to keep prices low. It also compellingly speaks to safety, and the consumer’s desire to become better educated and more demanding about the products they are consuming. 

Sample Case: Begendik Cayyolu Store (TURKEY – Ankara)

Begendik created the new Cayyolu Store in Turkey’s Capitol, Ankara. The main drivers of the new store concept are the focus on freshness and customer experience. The Cayyolu Store produces their products right before serving them to customers and are sold right away. The store offerings include, but are not limited to, noodles, pastries, chocolates, fresh yogurt and cheeses. Furthermore, the store’s indoor greenhouse grows vegetables and fruits that are cultivated through soilless agriculture and freshly served to customers.

Innovation Trend #5: Online Offline Mashup

A new retail era is emerging. It will seamlessly blend the online and offline retail experience together, allowing customers to shop where and how they want, at any time. Online tools are being adopted for in-store use to bring the immediacy of online into the brick and mortar world. We are at our infancy in truly seeing the impact of these efforts.

Sample Case: JeansOnline, Easy Fit & Return (THE NETHERLANDS)

JeansOnline introduced a new fitting service, Easy Fit & Return—a service that lets you try-on online purchases, without having to leave home. An express courier will announce its arrival with a text message an hour to half an hour in advance and will return after fifteen minutes of fitting time to take all the unwanted items back.

Innovation Trend #6: Retailvention

Cases in retailvention break new ground creating new business models. From savvy start-ups to some of the world’s largest companies, these new models force one to rethink the very nature of what retailing can be.

Sample Case: Bilder & de Clercq (THE NETHERLANDS – Amsterdam)

Instead of being an ordinary supermarket, Bilder & de Clercq differentiates itself by offering meal solutions. The idea behind this concept is simple: a store, arranged by dishes, where all of the ingredients for that particular dish are offered in the exact amount required for either one or two people—think of the store as a 3D cookbook. Visitors can choose between 14 different dishes, divided over seven presentation tables. Recipes are tasty and healthy and developed by professional chefs with an emphasis on easy, fresh, and homemade meals.

For demonstrating outstanding innovation, Bilder & de Clercq was the winner of the 2014 Ebeltoft Retail Innovations Award.  

Innovation Trend #7: Technology Intervention

Technology itself is not an innovation; it is what the technology enables customers to do that provides a glimpse of true innovation. Retailers are integrating the use of technology to provide consumers with more choice, more access, and more information than ever before. 

Sample Case: Sport Chek–West Edmonton Mall Flagship Store (CANADA)

The rise of e-commerce is causing retailers to push the boundaries of in-store experiences and provide next-level customer service. As a result, Sport Chek opened its first flagship store that offers a tremendous, digitally immersive retail experience. With more than 180 stores nationwide, Sport Chek is Canada’s #1 sporting goods retailer.

Want to see more exciting examples of retail innovation around the world? DOWNLOAD your copy of Retail Innovations 10 today.  

About J.C. Williams Group

J.C. Williams Group is a well-known, full-service retail and marketing consulting firm. It offers clients practical, creative, and in-depth knowledge of retailing and marketing, including up-to-date know-how and techniques to make retail operations better and more profitable. www.jcwg.com

About Ebeltoft Group

Ebeltoft Group is a global alliance of 23 consulting companies with a common high level of expertise and focus on retail. Since 1990, Ebeltoft Group has helped retailers, as well as suppliers to the retail sector, remain competitive by blending global retail expertise with each member’s local insight. www.ebeltoftgroup.com

About Retail Innovations 10th Edition

Retail lnnovations 10 is Ebeltoft Group’s latest compilation of leading-edge retail innovation, highlighting individual ideas and the key themes that emerge from studying the whole.  This year’s edition includes 7 global innovation trends and 60 of the best innovation cases from 21 countries.