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TARGET’S NEXT DESIGNER COLLABORATION: 3.1 PHILLIP LIM

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Retail Insider
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Target Canada

Today Target announced its next designer collaboration will be with designer Phillip Lim. Other collaborations have included Mulberry, Missoni, Kate Young and Prabal Gurung and others.  The 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection will launch September 15th at Target stores across Canada.

For those unfamiliar, Phillip Lim is a NYC-based fashion designer with prices in the ‘contemporary‘ price range. He designs for both men and women. The 3.1 Phillip Lim collection is available across Canada at Holt Renfrew stores.

The collaboration will include over 100 pieces for men and women including clothing and accessories that will include bags and travel pieces. Prices will range from $19.99 to $299.99 for clothes and $19.99 to $59.99 for accessories.

[Press Release]

Target Canada website: www.Target.ca

Phillip Lim website: www.31philliplim.com

PAUL SMITH TO OPEN ITS FIRST CANADIAN STORE IN TORONTO

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Retail Insider
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Paul Smith Yorkdale

*****UPDATE: The Paul Smith shop at Holt Renfrew, Yorkdale, opened Tuesday August 6th 2013*****

Upscale menswear designer Paul Smith will open its first Canadian boutique inside of Holt Renfrew in Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre this summer. It will be a men’s-only shop even though Paul Smith’s also designing womenswear. This will be the sixth Paul Smith store in North America. Paul Smith has stores in New York City (two locations), Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Paul Smith men’s clothing and accessories are already carried in Canada at most Holt Renfrew stores. This will be the first dedicated Paul Smith shop-in-store at Holts.

We were first alerted to the Toronto Paul Smith store by our Toronto Retail Insider ACT7 of Urban Toronto. ACT7 found it via the City of Toronto Building Application website.

In April we reported on Holt Renfrew’s Yorkdale expansion. Included will be a roster of designer boutiques including Chanel, Prada, Gucci and Burberry, among others. We’ll update readers on opening dates for these shops as well as Paul Smith.

Paul Smith website: www.paulsmith.co.uk

Holt Renfrew website: www.HoltRenfrew.com

Yorkdale Shopping Centre website: www.Yorkdale.com

BRETTON’S: A REQUEST TO READERS

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Retail Insider
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This sketch of an un-built Bretton's store is the only image we could find [Image Source]

Do you remember Bretton’s, the upscale Canadian department store? It was started in 1985 and became an upscale national retailer with 11 locations. The chain unfortunately closed in 1996.

We want your pictures and stories of Bretton’s for a retrospective we’re doing on the store, since it was one of our favourite stores when it was open. 

Bretton’s was, at the time, Canada’s answer to Nordstrom. Customer service was excellent and the merchandise was relatively upscale. Bretton’s lacked Nordstrom’s shoe selection, however, and store sizes were generally between 30,000 and 60,000 square feet (the largest being the Toronto flagship store at the Manulife Centre, now Indigo Books).

Polo Park Shopping Centre, Winnipeg, 1986. Image: Winnipeg Skyscraper Forum, trebor204

Bretton’s first store was in Ottawa and it was expected to open as many as 50 Canadian stores. According to its Wikipedia page, existing mall anchors blocked many potential Bretton’s stores via restrictive clauses.

According to Wikipedia, the 11 Canadian Bretton’s locations included:

We have fond memories of purchasing merchandise at the West Edmonton Mall Bretton’s store. Sales staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. This was in contrast to Eaton’s, Sears and The Bay (Now called ‘Hudson’s Bay’), all of which had minimal customer service at the time. We were disappointed when Bretton’s closed and we look forward to Nordstrom’s Canadian stores and their remarkable customer service.

If you have information and/or photos of Bretton’s, please email us at: insider@retail-insider.com. We’ll reference you if you like, and we’d be grateful for your contribution.

Bretton’s Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton’s

SEARS COULD SUBLEASE CANADIAN STORE SPACE

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Retail Insider
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Forever 21 carved out of Sears, South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa California [Image Source]

May 9, 2013 UPDATE: We’ve received confirmation Sears Canada will actively subleasing space in its stores. We have been informed that Whole Foods’ Canadian expansion plans are already in place and that they will not likely occupy subleased space in Canadian Sears stores.

Sears Canada is looking at ways to utilize its assets, including real estate. An insider at Sears Canada says the company is considering subleasing space inside of existing stores, similar to what is being done with several American locations. 

Sears is actively looking to sublease within its American Sears stores via this website: www.SHCRealty.com. Various options for sublease are included. In our investigating we found, for example, about 40,000 square feet of the 175,000 square-foot Town Centre at Boca Raton is available for sublease. Space could be used for retail, restaurants or both. 

Images used in this article were copied from the www.SHCRealty.com website as examples of possible Sears subleasing options and configurations.

Sears started its American subleasing trend by leasing 43,000 square feet of its South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa, California) store to retailer Forever 21. We are not surprised Sears has continued this trend given that many of their stores have considerable space and lack shoppers. 

The sublease strategy only works when Sears is able to legally control its space. Some malls and landlords prohibit anchor stores from subleasing space, save for some smaller shop-in-store concepts. Sears Canada could capitalize on its massive store square footage through subleasing while maintaining its struggling operations. Sears already outright-sold three of its Canadian leases to landlord Cadillac Fairview for $170 million, paving the way for Nordstrom’s Canadian entry. Subleasing could be a new way to capitalize on real estate without closing Canadian Sears stores. 

Sears has leased space to Whole Foods stores in several American stores in Florida, New York and North Carolina. It has done this by leasing approximately half of the ground-floor of a multi-level Sears store to Whole Foods, with no internal access between the retailers. 

We’ll keep you updated on Sears Canada’s possible subleasing strategy in our country, as well as its efforts to re-brand and pull itself out of its financial difficulties. 

Sears Canada website:www.sears.ca

Sears’ American subleasing website: www.SHCRealty.com

CANADA’S LARGEST OPEN-AIR OUTLET MALL BREAKS GROUND TODAY

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Retail Insider
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The Outlet Collection at Niagara

Canada’s largest open-air outlet mall breaks ground today. We first reported on The Outlet Collection at Niagara in December 2012 and we’ve got updates and renderings.

According to the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the project’s first phase will be about 520,000 square feet and is scheduled to open May 15th, 2014. The second phase will open at an undisclosed time and will be about 720,000 square feet. The entire project is expected to cost close to $200 million.

The mall will include almost 100 retailers. These will be a mix of manufacturer and retailer outlet stores, large format stores, restaurants and a food store/market that will promote local Niagara Region products. Also included will be a gathering place that can be used as an area for a farmer’s market. 

The Outlet Collection at Niagara

Included will be anchors such as a 77,000 square foot Bass Pro Shops and Forever 21. Other stores will include Michael Kors Outlet, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein and Brooks Brothers Outlet, among others. 

The Outlet Collection at Niagara

Landlord Ivanhoe Cambridge expects The Outlet Collection to bring between 6 and 8 million visitors per year, half of which will be from outside the Niagara Region. The mall is expected to reduce cross-border shopping in the region.

Thank you to our Retail Insider Eric Lewis for directing us to this link with the project’s images and information. Further images, subsequently posted, were provided by landlord Ivanhoe Cambridge. Ivanhoe Cambridge also issued this press release on Monday May 6th notifying us of the ground breaking.

LIST OF CANADIAN TARGET STORES OPENING TUESDAY MAY 7TH

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Retail Insider
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Photo: Target

Target opens 22 Western Canadian stores on Tuesday May 7th. Two more will open a week later on May 14th. The 22 stores include 10 in Alberta, 9 in British Columbia and 3 in Manitoba.

Here is the list of Target stores opening Tuesday:

ALBERTA

Edmonton Metro:

  • Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre (Edmonton)
  • Mill Woods Town Centre (Edmonton)
  • West Edmonton Mall (Edmonton)
  • Sherwood Park Mall (Sherwood Park)
  • St. Albert Centre (St. Albert)

Calgary Metro:

  • Chinook Centre (Calgary)
  • Forest Lawn Shopping Centre (Calgary)
  • Market Mall (Calgary)

Grande Prairie

  • Prairie Mall 

Red Deer

  • Bower Place

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Vancouver Area:

  • Coquitlam Centre (Coquitlam)
  • Scottsdale Mall (Delta)
  • Willowbrook Shopping Centre (Langley)

Campbell River 

  • Discovery Harbour Shopping Centre 

Cranbrook 

  • Tamarack Mall 

Kamloops

  • Sahali Centre Mall 

Nanaimo 

  • Nanaimo North Town Centre 

Vernon

  • Village Green Mall 

Victoria

  • Tillicum Centre

MANITOBA

Winnipeg: 

  • Kildonan Place Shopping Centre 
  • Southdale Centre

Brandon

  • Shoppers Mall

On Tuesday May 14th Target opens at the Shoppes at Shawnessy in Calgary and in Prince George, BC.

[Article Source]

Target Canada website: http://www.target.ca

NEW OTTAWA RIDEAU CENTRE DETAILS, INCLUDING SIMONS AND NORDSTROM

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Retail Insider
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CF Rideau Centre

We’re posting images and updates of Ottawa’s Rideau Centre. It will be Canada’s first mall to include both Nordstrom and La Maison Simons as anchor stores. Across Rideau Street and connected by second-level pedway is a 335,000 square foot Hudson’s Bay store that will be renovated and will include a TopShop concession. 

Nordstrom Rendering at CF Rideau Centre

Nordstrom will be located on the top two levels of a former Sears store and will be about 157,000 square feet. Space below Nordstrom will become a food court. 

La Maison Simons at CF Rideau Centre

La Maison Simons will be located in the North-East portion of the expanded mall on the site of a former Ogilvy department store. 

This rendering shows an H&M store at Rideau Centre. Though negotiations are underway, we’ve been told that H&M has not yet secured a lease at Rideau Centre. 

A Zara store will be located on a proposed pedestrianized Nicholas Street.

The entire project is expected to cost well in excess of $250 million and will include a condo tower, hotel and movie theatre. 

Holt Renfrew wanted space at Rideau Centre and in the late 1990’s was in talks to open in part of the former Sears space, then Eaton’s. The deal fell through and Holt’s remains in its current space at 240 Sparks Street. The main and second levels of the 240 Sparks Holt Renfrew store total 36,600 square feet, according to lease plans. 

Thank you to our Ottawa Retail Insider Geofrey Hall for directing us to this LaPresse/LeDroit article. 

[All images from LaPresse/LeDroit. Top Image modified from image provided by Nordstrom]

Rideau Centre website: http://www.rideaucentre.com

Holt Renfrew Charity Blankets + Friday Floorplans

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Retail Insider
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Armani Baby

Today Holt Renfrew launches its collaboration with Giorgio Armani to sell baby blankets. Proceeds will be going to Free the Children, a charity dedicated to bettering the lives of third-world youth. The $50 blankets will be available at all Holt Renfrew stores on the morning of Friday, May 3rd. They are expected to sell-out quickly, and the intention is to raise $100,000 for Free the Children.

Holt Renfrew has had yearly charitable collaborations with designers including last year’s collaboration with Tory Burch to sell ‘feed bags’ for her charity.

We applaud Holt Renfrew’s efforts to raise money for charity. We encourage others to do the same.

For fun, Retail Insider will do the occasional ‘Friday Floorplans’ post. In honour of Holt Renfrew’s good work, we’re posting the lease plans for the four levels of the Calgary Holt Renfrew store, courtesy of its landlord 20 Vic Management. The entire Calgary Holt Renfrew store occupies 146,887 square feet over four floors, of which the first three are retail space open to the public. 

It is Holt Renfrew’s second-largest store, surpassed only by the Toronto Bloor Street flagship which is about 185,000 square feet. 

For interior images of Calgary’s stunning Holt Renfrew store, check out this link: http://reubenkrabbe.com/wordpress/holt-renfrew-calgary

A link to the full press release for the Holt Renfrew + Armani for Feed The Children collaboration can be found here: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1152383/exclusively-designed-armani-baby-blanket-to-benefit-free-the-children

Next week we’re excited to be presenting plans and renderings of Ottawa’s drastically renovated and expanded Rideau Shopping Centre. It will be Canada’s first mall to include anchors Nordstrom and La Maison Simons. Thank you for reading Retail Insider. Have an excellent weekend!

Holt Renfrew website: www.HoltRenfrew.com

Feed the Children website: www.freethechildren.com

HAPPY 343rd BIRTHDAY, HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY

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Retail Insider
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Canada’s Hudson’s Bay Company (“HBC”) turns 343 years old today. The company was incorporated May 2nd, 1670. It is the oldest commercial corporation in North America. 

The company has a lengthy and significant history. In many ways HBC’s history is Canada’s history. It started as a fur trading business and at one time was the largest landowner in the world. It owned Rupert’s Land, which occupied 15% of North America’s entire landmass. 

When the fur trade declined, the company became a mercantile business for Western Canadian settlers. The first HBC sales store opened in 1857 in Fort Langley, BC. Sales stores subsequently opened in other communities. The first of the original downtown flagship stores was built in Calgary in 1913 with subsequent flagships opening in Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. 

From the 1960’s to the 1990’s, the company absorbed and re-branded several Canadian department stores, not unlike what Macy’s has done across The United States.  These included Morgan’s, Woodward’s and Simpson’s, among others. The company also purchased and opened new store chains such as Zellers and Field’s. 

The company today includes 90 Canadian department store locations under the new name and branding ‘Hudson’s Bay’. It also owns a few remaining Zellers locations, America’s Lord & Taylor department store chain, and Home Outfitters. 

We will be analysing the company’s current modernization strategy. The company is attempting to change what was considered to be a fusty store with uninteresting merchandise and poor customer service. Improvements have been made but the company has far to go. 

For more on The Hudson’s Bay Company’s history, we are providing links to some of today’s article research sources: 

http://www.hbcheritage.ca/hbcheritage/history

http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/about/hbc_history.html

http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_furtrade/fp_furtrade3.html

Mulberry Opening Second Canadian Location On Toronto’s Bloor Street

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Retail Insider
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Image: Modified Google Streetview Screenshot

*****UPDATE: Mulberry’s Bloor Street store is open as of August 6th 2013. The store is one floor and is 2,237 square feet. Thank you ACT7 of Urban Toronto for the update.*****

British luxury retailer Mulberry will open its second Toronto store at 131 Bloor Street West in Toronto. It replaces a Lacoste store in unit 103 of The Colonnade, arguably Canada’s ‘centre ice’ of luxury retail. This will also be Canada’s second Mulberry location.

We announced Canada’s first Mulberry store will open Autumn 2013 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Other Canadian locations are expected to follow.

Toronto is only the second North American city to have more than one Mulberry store, and only the fourth North Amercan city to have free-standing Mulberry shops. New York City has three Mulberry stores and a fourth in Short Hills, New Jersey (a NYC-area suburb). Mulberry also has stores in San Francisco and suburban Washington DC. Exact American Mulberry store locations are available at this link.

Image: Morguard Investments Leaseplan for The Colonnade, 131 Bloor St W Toronto

The Bloor Street Mulberry store will carry the full line of accessories as well as women’s ready-to-wear clothing and shoes. We are waiting to hear back as to whether or not the store will be two floors, taking over part of the Colonnade’s Japan Foundation Library & Museum lease. The ground floor of the former Lacoste store is 2,237 square feet, while the second floor Japan Foundation space is 2,730 square feet.

Mulberry women’s handbags are currently available in Canada at Holt Renfrew stores in Toronto (Bloor Street), Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

Thank you to our Toronto-based Retail Insider ACT7 of Urban Toronto for being this article’s source.

Mulberry website: www.mulberry.com

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