*****UPDATE: Mulberry’s Yorkdale store opened August 8th, 2013*****
In February we announced Mulberry’s first Canadian store will open at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. We have updates. The store will open some time in the Fall of 2013. It will be in a re-configured mall space as per the lease plan above.
Mulberry will open a second Toronto location at The Colonnade, 131 Bloor Street West. This store will replace a Lacoste store and will be discussed further in the article above.
Image adapted from Yorkdale Shopping Centre website mall floorplan
We will update readers on Mulberry’s Canada-wide store epansion.
A source at Hudson’s Bay tells us the company will open Canada-wide outlet stores, not unlike Nordstrom Rack. These will operate as clearance centres for Hudson’s Bay merchandise. The first store will open in the Greater Toronto Area, to be followed by other Canadian locations. We are awaiting information on tentative opening dates and locations.Â
Hudson’s Bay is renowned for its sales and we question if Hudson’s Bay will continue this in-store trend or if it will move sale merchandise to its outlet stores, not unlike Nordstrom with its Nordstrom Rack stores. It is uncertain, however, if Hudson’s Bay outlets would include merchandise purchased specifically for the outlet like Nordstrom Rack.
These Hudson’s Bay Outlet locations could be carved out of existing Hudson’s Bay stores and could possibly even replace smaller, less productive Bay locations. Former Zellers stores not taken by Target or Walmart could be utilized. This is just speculation for now. Hudson’s Bay is eventually looking to close lesser-productive store locations and clearance outlets may be a way to optimize currently under-performing store real estate.Â
Nordstrom Rack is also actively searching for Canadian retail space for as many as 20 or more stores, according to Nordstrom spokesperson Colin Johnson. Executives at RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, owners of several outlet malls, confirm Nordstrom Rack’s current search for locations. We can expect Nordstrom Rack store announcements in the near future according to our Nordstrom Insider in Seattle.Â
We’ll continue to keep you updated on Hudson’s Bay Outlet news.Â
We at Retail Insider are very sad to receive updates about almost 400 factory workers in Bangladesh having died in the collapse of an illegally built clothing factory. Several well-known inexpensive fashion labels used this factory, including more than one Canadian company. Instead of mentioning companies and names, we are pausing to reflect on the importance of working conditions, humanity and the proliferation of inexpensive items mass-produced in factories with limited safety standards.
We are taking pause this Monday to reflect on this tragic loss of life. We’re hoping for a future with better factory working conditions. This author is willing to pay more for clothing and goods to prevent future workplace tragedies such as the one last week in Bangladesh.
In the past few years Hudson’s Bay has spent a fortune renovating several of its stores. A source at Hudson’s Bay headquarters tells us the company will spend close to $200 million/year to continue store renovations. But is Hudson’s Bay’s rejuvenation strategy working, and is it the best strategy?
While we’ve been posting daily Canadian retail-related news articles, we’ve also been quietly researching and analysing department store retailers in Europe, Australia and the United States. We’ve been examining successful and less successful strategies to elevate department store revenues and customer shopping experiences. Our research has found many successful department stores are using different strategies than Hudson’s Bay.Â
Hudson’s Bay has decidedly gone ‘mid-scale’ with a twist – it has introduced high-priced womenswear at two (soon to be three) of its stores and has attempted to innovate somewhat with housewares and expanded men’s designerwear. Yet it has somewhat neglected luxury accessories and potential designer shoe concessions in an era where expensive handbags and designer shoes have become the norm. Above is a chart showing the company’s positioning goals – to be somewhat ‘unique’ and ‘mid-value’. One might consider this positioning to be somewhere between Sears and Holt Renfrew.
In the coming weeks we will analyse Hudson’s Bay’s retailing strategies in comparison to successful worldwide department stores. We’ll also evaluate Holt Renfrew and other stores to both learn from their successes and suggest how they may improve their Canadian operations. We also welcome suggestions and comments from readers.Â
Retail Insider will be starting to delve into the world of retail analysis. Thank you for reading, and have an excellent weekend.Â
Stunning interior of Browns' flagship Montreal store [Image Source]
Montreal-based Browns Shoes continues its Canadian expansion of free-standing stores. The most recent of these will be on Vancouver’s Robson Street, and other new locations will follow. Browns currently has 48 free-standing Canadian store locations. In the last few years the company has drastically expanded its Canadian stores after losing concessions at Holt Renfrew and Hudson’s Bay Company stores.
Browns Shoes gained concession rights within Holt Renfrew and Hudson’s Bay Company stores in the early-to-mid 1990’s. Holt Renfrew’s entire shoe operations were run by Browns, while The Bay had Browns concessions within selected existing shoe departments. Holt Renfrew severed ties with Browns in early 2007 and Hudson’s Bay did the same in the summer of 2010. This author found both losses disappointing, but was pleased to see Browns opening several large, free-standing replacement stores.
The Holt Renfrew and Hudson’s Bay Browns concessions allowed the company to expand nation-wide. Western Canadian cities, especially, first experienced Browns Shoes shops in department stores and, more recently, with free-standing Browns boutiques.Â
Browns’ flagship, Montreal
Interestingly, Browns flirted with an international expansion in the 1990’s by opening several concessions within Chicago-area shoe chain Joseph’s of Chicago. Joseph’s, unfortunately, shuttered and Browns stores are now only in Canada.
Browns carries both private-label and designer shoe brands. It also carries selected designer accessories, many of them from Canadian designers. It’s clear Browns is a proudly Canadian company and it has launched a spring advertising campaign with Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha and model Petra Nemcova. These stunning women showcase shoes in images near the top of this article, and directly below.
We’ve got more Browns Shoes news coming soon. Keep checking in for updates.
We did some digging and researched the sizes of Nordstrom’s recently opened American stores, as well as its announced new locations. New locations and sizes include:Â
Glendale, California (replacement location, new-build): 135,000 sq ft (Opening 2013)
Jacksonville, Florida: 124,000 sq ft (Opening 2013)
San Juan, Puerto Rico: 138,000 sq ft (Opening 2014)
Houston (Woodlands Mall), Texas: 138,000 sq ft (Opening 2014)
Milwaukee (Wawasota), Wisconsin: 140,000 sq ft (Opening 2015)
As one can see from the above, Yorkdale‘s Nordstrom will be larger than all of these stores. And compared to the size of future Canadian Nordstrom stores, Yorkdale’s will be second in size only to the 230,000 square foot flagship Downtown Vancouver BC store.Â
Furthermore, we’re providing Nordstrom store sizes for all (Non-Rack) stores opened since 2007. Only one of these (Honolulu, Hawaii) are larger than Yorkdale’s Nordstrom.
Here are the sizes of all Nordstrom stores opened since 2007:Â 2012:
Salt Lake City (Downtown): 125,000 sq ft
2011:
Newark, Delaware: 127,000 sq ft
St. Louis Galleria, Missouri: 149,000 sq ft
Nashville, Tennessee: 145,000 sq ft
2010:
Santa Monica, California: 132,000 sq ft
Newport Beach (Fashion Island), California: 143,000 sq ft
Braintree, Massachusetts: 155,000 sq ft
2009:
Cherry Hill, New Jersey: 143,000 sq ft
Peabody, Massachusetts: 143,000 sq ft
Cincinnati, Ohio: 144,000 sq ft
2008:
Thousand Oaks, California: 145,000 sq ft
Aventura Mall, Florida: 172,000 sq ft
Naples, Florida: 81,000 sq ft (resort store, statistical outlier)
Ala Moana Honolulu, Hawaii: 211,000 sq ft
Indianapolis, Indiana: 134,000 sq ft
Burlington, Massachusetts: 143,000 sq ft
Clinton, Michigan: 122,000 sq ft
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: 143,000 sq ft
2007:
Denver (Cherry Creek Mall), Colorado: 142,000 sq ft
Novi, Michigan: 172,000 sq ft
Natick, Massachusetts: 154,000 sq ft
Most larger Nordstrom stores were either built or enlarged in the 1980’s-1990’s. The company has since built efficiencies allowing for smaller store sizes that carry a similar depth of merchandise as some larger Nordstrom stores.
We’re also noticing that, given recently released renderings, natural light will play a bigger role in Nordstrom’s new Canadian stores. We’ve consulted with our Nordstrom insider and we’ll provide further details on the proposed store interiors at Canadian Nordstroms.Â
We’re updating you on three announced Canadian TopShop locations. Interestingly, some of them will be almost as large as the TopShop/TopMan concession inside of Toronto’s flagship Hudson’s Bay (“Queen Street”) store.
The mall-based TopShop/TopMan stores will be given prominent mall-entrance locations with the intention of drawing more shoppers to their adjacent Hudson’s Bay stores. An example is the image above, showing Canada’s first TopShop/TopMan at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
Chinook Centre, Calgary. Lease plan: Cadillac Fairview.
Calgary’s previously announced TopShop/TopMan will be configured adjacent to the main entrance of Hudson’s Bay. Adjacent mall space, circled in red, has been acquired to give a stronger mall-front presence for TopShop. The Chinook Centre TopShop/TopMan will be about 15,000 square feet according to a source at Hudson’s Bay.
Square One Shopping Centre Lease Plan: Oxford Properties
The TopShop/TopMan concession at Toronto’s downtown Hudson’s Bay flagship (“Queen Street”) is about 19,000 square feet, while the Yorkdale Shopping Centre TopShop/TopMan is just shy of 15,000 square feet. The largest TopShop/TopMan store outside of England is at Vancouver’s Hudson’s Bay store, with about 33,000 square feet of retail space and close to 40,000 square feet in total.
Our Montreal Retail Insider Pat Campione tells us the suburban Montreal (Le Carrefour Laval) TopShop/TopMan is scheduled to open in August. We are awaiting further details of this and the other Montreal TopShop location we announced last week.
The 115 Yorkville Avenue address was used by the City of Toronto’s Application Status website possibly as an “address of convenience”. The Yorkville Avenue Address and 138 Cumberland Street are part of a retail configuration along the eastern portion of neighbouring Old York Lane.
We apologize if staff at Remy’s restaurant at 115 Yorkville Avenue were alarmed by our speculation that it may close in our previous article. We and others expected Remy’s would close for Kate Spade. As far as we are aware, it’s business as usual at Remy’s.
We spoke to a commercial real estate broker who informs us that Kate Spade is seeking other Canadian retail locations. They say we may expect Kate Spade store announcements to be made in Calgary, Vancouver and in suburban Toronto. We lack exact locations at this time but it’s safe to say at least one Toronto location will be either Sherway Gardens or Square One, especially now that Square One has upped its game by scoring a 120,000 square foot Holt Renfrew as an anchor.
We’ll be periodically announcing new Canadian retailers and we sometimes drop hints on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Consider following us at each.
Holt Renfrew will open a 120,000 square foot store at Mississauga’s Square One Shopping Centre. The store will go at the south-end of the mall as part of an ongoing expansion and renovation of Ontario’s largest shopping Centre. We will provide the store’s exact location when we are permitted. The store tentatively opens in the spring of 2016.
This gives Holt Renfrew three large Greater Toronto Area stores. Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street flagship store is about 185,000 square feet and it Yorkdale Shopping Centre store will soon expand to over 121,000 square feet. The Mississauga location will be one of Holt Renfrew’s largest stores when it opens, surpassed only by the Bloor Street (~185,000 sq ft), Calgary (151,000 sq ft) and Vancouver (137,200 sq ft) stores (note: Only about 120,000 sq ft of the Calgary store is currently in use).
Holt Renfrew joins Anchors Hudson’s Bay (191,000 sq ft), Sears (145,000 sq ft), Target (164,000 sq ft) and Walmart (almost 245,000 sq ft) at Square One.
Landlord Cadillac Fairview published a tentative leaseplan of its Sherway Gardens showing an expanded Holt Renfrew store. The leaseplan has multiple errors and will have to be significantly modified now that Holt Renfrew will exit Sherway.
Thank you to our Retail Insider Jamie Colden for alerting us to this press release.
More big changes are coming to Mississauga’s Square One Shopping Centre and we’ll be providing updates. Have an excellent weekend and thank you for reading Retail Insider.
Nordstrom Rideau Shopping Centre, Ottawa. Image: Nordstrom
Nordstrom has released more renderings of its Canadian stores, and we’ve got updated information from our Nordstrom insider. The new renderings are of the Ottawa, Calgary and Toronto Sherway Gardens stores. These join previously released renderings of the flagship Vancouver BC store and recently announced Toronto Yorkdale Shopping Centre stores.
Ottawa: Rideau Centre
Birds-eye view of Ottawa’s Nordstrom (in blue). Image: Nordstrom
Ottawa’s Rideau Centre will get a 157,000 square foot, two-level Nordstrom store on the top two floors of the mall’s former Sears store. The exterior rendering of the store is the top image in this article. Our Nordstrom insider informs us the store will include an expanded women’s designer department called ‘Collectors’ that will directly compete with the small designer floor at Ottawa’s Holt Renfrew. Our Nordstrom insider tells us they are also well aware that Hudson’s Bay plans to start renovations on its Rideau Street store and that Hudson’s Bay will attempt to beef-up its designer offerings. Nordstrom will attempt to secure many designer labels Hudson’s Bay would carry including Rachel Roy, Spendid, Diane von Furstenberg, McQ Alexander McQueen and “many others”. Our Nordstrom insider says despite Hudson’s Bay’s renovations (and eventual inclusion of a TopShop concession), Nordstrom will trump Hudson’s Bay especially in the area of shoes and customer service.
Thank you to our Ottawa Retail Insider Geoffrey Hall for directing us to the Ottawa store renderings.
Nordstrom, Calgary Chinook Centre. Image: Nordstrom
Calgary: Chinook Centre
The Calgary Chinook Centre Nordstrom will occupy about 140,000 square feet of Chinook Centre’s former 173,000 square foot Sears store. The store will be two floors and we’ll soon reveal the store’s department layout, as per our Nordstrom insider. The front portion of the former Sears store will be configured to multi-tenant retail, while the back half of the former Sears store will be Nordstrom. See the image below, showing Nordstrom’s partial occupation of the former Sears.
Chinook Centre, Nordstrom in Blue. Note: Only part of Sears will be occupied by Nordstrom. Image: Nordstrom
Nordstrom’s Calgary store will go head-to-head with Hudson’s Bay and (to a lesser extent) Harry Rosen. Our Nordstrom insider says that Nordstrom, again, will excel in areas of designer clothing, shoes and customer service.
Location of Sherway Garden’s new Nordstrom store. Image: Nordstrom
We previously provided images of the recently announced Yorkdale Shopping Centre Nordstrom store, and our Nordstrom insider tells us it will attempt to secure a sufficient designer roster to compete both with Hudson’s Bay, Harry Rosen and Holt Renfrew. Holt’s will still be “by far” the most upscale anchor at Yorkdale, though Nordstrom will attempt to outdo Holt’s in the customer service department. Both will battle for shoes, especially with Holt’s soon-to-open 10,000 square foot shoe department. Our Nordstrom insider also says Harry Rosen should be vigilant since Nordstrom will put great effort into offering quality designer men’s clothing and accessories with exceptional customer service.
