Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 24 hours.
Future Walmart store at Lime Ridge Mall in Hamilton. Image: Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada is preparing to make one of its most significant investments in Hamilton with plans to open a 140,000 square foot Supercentre at Lime Ridge Mall by early 2027. The Walmart Lime Ridge Mall Supercentre will occupy the site once anchored by Sears Canada, which closed its doors in 2017 during the chain’s final national liquidation. For Hamilton, a fast-growing city whose retail landscape has been in transition, the addition of Walmart marks a substantial shift and signals renewed confidence in the region’s largest mall.
The new store will include a full grocery department, expanded home, apparel and electronics sections, a pharmacy and complete online order pickup and delivery integration, with fulfillment offered in as fast as two hours. Walmart said the store is designed to serve both traditional in-person shoppers and the rising number of consumers relying on e-commerce for household staples and general merchandise.
“This addition reflects our commitment to providing our community with a diverse mix of retailers and an exceptional shopping experience,” said Andy Traynor, general manager of Lime Ridge Mall. His comments underscore the significance of the announcement for a property that has spent much of the past decade realigning its tenant mix after the departure of two major department store anchors.
An Anchor Announcement Aligned With Walmart’s National Strategy
The Walmart Lime Ridge Mall Supercentre is one component of a sweeping $6.5 billion Canadian expansion plan that the retailer announced earlier this year. Described by the company as its most ambitious investment in Canada since entering the market in 1994, the program includes dozens of new stores, major upgrades to more than 180 existing locations and deep structural investment in supply chain and distribution networks across the country.
“As the City of Hamilton continues to grow, this new Supercentre will help us to better serve our local customers through a convenient store location and expanded ability to serve the area through our delivery service,” said Shawn Fujiki, Senior Director of Real Estate at Walmart Canada. His comments reflect a national strategy that responds to demographic growth, intensifying competition with Costco and Amazon, and heightened demand for fast, reliable online fulfillment.
In recent months, Walmart Canada has opened Supercentres in Port Credit and Oakville and launched a highly automated distribution centre in Vaughan. Additional stores are planned for Fort McMurray, Sherbrooke, the Tsuut’ina Nation development outside Calgary and several markets across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. With more than 400 stores nationwide, including six existing locations in Hamilton, Walmart views the new Supercentre as a critical east-mountain node in its omnichannel network.
Lime Ridge Mall Floor Plan
A Changing Anchor Landscape at Lime Ridge Mall
The redevelopment of the former Sears site has become particularly significant as Lime Ridge Mall continues to navigate the loss of two major department store anchors. Sears Canada, a core tenant since the 1980s, closed at the mall in 2017, leaving a large footprint at the north end of the property. On the opposite side, Hudson’s Bay also exited its Lime Ridge location after years of declining performance for the banner in secondary markets, creating another major vacancy of roughly 125,000 square feet.
The future of the former Bay space briefly drew national attention earlier this year when investor Ruby Liu sought court approval to acquire 25 Hudson’s Bay leases across Canada, including Lime Ridge Mall, as part of a plan to launch a new namesake department store chain. The proposal would have repurposed the Lime Ridge Bay box under Liu’s new banner. The court ultimately rejected the bid, leaving the large space unclaimed and highlighting the broader uncertainty surrounding legacy department store footprints in Canadian enclosed malls.
With both former anchors gone, Lime Ridge Mall has faced structural challenges familiar to many regional shopping centres. Traditional department stores that once shaped their retail ecosystems have largely disappeared. In this environment, Walmart’s arrival on the former Sears footprint provides immediate stability on one side of the mall and becomes a cornerstone for the property’s next phase under new ownership.
Image of a proposed Ruby Liu store in the former Hudson’s Bay space at Lime Ridge Mall in Hamilton. Ruby Liu lost her bid to acquire 25 HBC leases from landlords in Oct. 2025. Image: Central Walk/Ruby Liu Investment Corp.
Ownership Shift and Repositioning Under Primaris
Lime Ridge Mall has undergone a notable transition over the past year. In June 2025, Cadillac Fairview sold the property to Primaris REIT in a $416 million cash-and-equity deal. Primaris promptly retired the “CF” branding and positioned Lime Ridge as a core enclosed-mall asset with strong long-term potential, particularly given Hamilton’s population growth and the expanding role of the mountain corridor as a regional commercial hub.
The mall, which opened in 1981, spans roughly 793,000 square feet across two levels and houses more than 170 retailers. Its location adjacent to the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway and several major Hamilton Street Railway routes creates broad reach across the city’s mountain and lower-city neighbourhoods. The retail mix includes major national banners such as Aritzia, Sephora, Browns, Lululemon, JD Sports, Urban Planet, Sport Chek and Shoppers Drug Mart, positioning Lime Ridge as Hamilton’s leading fashion and lifestyle destination.
Primaris has described the former Hudson’s Bay space as one of the most significant redevelopment opportunities in its national portfolio. With Walmart committed to the north end of the property, the mall’s next major step will come in determining the long-term reuse of the Bay box, a decision that could introduce a new anchor, a mixed-use concept or a subdivided configuration depending on market conditions.
Walmart’s Omnichannel Strategy Shapes the Lime Ridge Plan
The Walmart Lime Ridge Mall Supercentre reflects the retailer’s broader approach to building stores that serve both as traditional shopping destinations and as key components of its e-commerce network. Full grocery service, household goods, apparel and electronics will coexist with dedicated areas for online order fulfillment and local delivery. Walmart Canada has leaned heavily on its stores as last-mile distribution nodes, using their geographic reach to compete directly with Amazon on speed and convenience.
The Lime Ridge location will play a central role in that strategy on Hamilton Mountain, where rapid residential development is attracting young families and commuters seeking proximity to major highways. The retailer expects high demand for grocery pickup and home delivery, categories that have grown consistently across its Canadian network.
Walmart’s investment also arrives at a time when grocers and big-box retailers are intensifying their presence in large enclosed malls, filling the void left by declining department store banners and reshaping traditional retail footprints. For Lime Ridge Mall, the addition of a full grocery operation introduces a category the centre has not offered in many years, broadening its draw and reinforcing its status as Hamilton’s primary retail hub.
Craig and Bob Arora, President of The Reset Team Corp., discuss how the company evolved from a traditional merchandising operation into a national partner specializing in fixture installations, store resets, and large-scale retail execution. After noticing a major industry gap — work that had to be completed before merchandising could even begin — Arora launched The Reset Team in 2009 to handle specialized tasks like fixture moves, layout changes, and signage installation. The business quickly grew into a coast-to-coast execution partner supporting major retailers including Home Depot, Walmart, Pet Valu, and PetSmart.
Arora outlines how The Reset Team now leads complex remodels, relocations, and nationwide rollouts with precision and speed. Their specialized crews manage every step from pre-merchandising setup to final execution, supported by real-time reporting and consistent communication. He highlights why national retailers increasingly avoid patchwork regional contractors: inconsistency, uneven quality, and unnecessary management headaches. A recent high-stakes smartphone display rollout, completed across 100+ stores with zero deviation, illustrates how precision execution protects brand standards.
Training, specialization, and technology form the backbone of The Reset Team’s consistency. Arora explains how distributed teams are unified through detailed handbooks, video training, field mentorship, and digital tools like photo verification and automated scheduling. He also discusses broader retail trends, noting that merchandising has shifted from basic shelf-stocking to a dynamic strategy driven by brand experience, flexible fixtures, and rapid campaign alignment. Looking ahead, Arora expects The Reset Team to keep expanding as retailers embrace faster rollouts, evolving store formats, and more experiential environments—and he aims for the company to remain the first choice when execution needs to be done right, and at scale.
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Pop Mart at CF Richmond Centre in Vancouver. Photo: Ritchie Po
The Pop Mart expansion in Canada is officially underway with the opening of the company’s first store at CF Richmond Centre near Vancouver. The launch marks the beginning of a multi-phase entry into the market as the Beijing-based collectibles company accelerates its global growth strategy. The Richmond store opened quietly with no advance promotion, attracting steady crowds from the moment the lights came on.
Known for its character-driven blind-box collectibles featuring Labubu, Skullpanda, Molly, Dimoo, Crybaby and other internationally recognized IPs, Pop Mart has scaled quickly across Asia, Europe and the United States. Canada represents the next step in that expansion as the brand moves to increase its presence across North America.
“We are excited to now be open in Vancouver. Canada has always been a priority for Pop Mart,” said Luis Barrientos, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Pop Mart Americas. He said the brand had seen significant engagement through social media and e-commerce platforms, and the company wanted to meet that demand with in-person experiences shaped around creativity and community.
Labubu dolls. Image: Pop Mart
Metropolis at Metrotown to Follow Within Days
The 1,325 square foot Richmond store will be followed immediately by a second location at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby. According to Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Retail Group, who represents Pop Mart in Canada, the Metrotown store is scheduled to open within days of the Richmond launch.
The Metrotown store sits in one of the highest-traffic shopping centres in the country and will serve as a key anchor for the brand in Greater Vancouver. Both British Columbia locations will offer the full Pop Mart retail experience with interactive displays, blind-box drops and popular character lines stocked for the Canadian market.
A third location at Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills is expected to open later this year. Signage has been installed at the centre, and construction work is underway. The store will introduce the brand to Ontario and will become Pop Mart’s first location east of British Columbia.
The outlet centre is a major regional draw, and the store is expected to attract both local fans and tourists who have followed Pop Mart online. Canada’s collector community has grown significantly in recent years, with dedicated social media groups and resale communities tracking new releases and global restocks.
Pop Mart at CF Richmond Centre. Image: Paul Yeh via Google Maps
At Least Ten More Canadian Stores Planned for 2026
The early openings are part of a wider rollout. Berkowitz said that Pop Mart intends to open a much larger network of stores across the country starting next year.
“In 2026 we would expect at least ten more stores across Canada in major markets,” he said. “The hunt is on in all major markets.”
He said that the company has already committed to several Canadian locations, although some will not become available until spring. The pace of expansion will intensify as more leases are finalized and additional Canadian operations staff are brought on.
Berkowitz added that Pop Mart is already considering larger spaces as part of the future plan. “The demand has been off the charts and even the average store size requirements have grown. We are already looking at a larger footprint before we even open the first stores.”
Pop Mart seeks 2,000-2,500 square feet for stores and has discussed the potential for flagship locations in larger urban markets. While no downtown or street-front stores have been announced, Berkowitz said the option remains open.
Pop Mart at CF Richmond Centre. Photo: Sonnik Channel via Google Maps
Building a Presence in a High-Growth Global Network
Pop Mart’s entry into Canada comes during a period of rapid global expansion. The company now operates more than five hundred stores across thirty countries with approximately two thousand three hundred robotic vending “Robo Shops” and more than five hundred international distributors. Recent openings include flagship stores in Paris, Milan, New York and Sydney, as well as a super-flagship on Australia’s Gold Coast. The company also operates its own theme park in Beijing called Pop Land.
International sales now account for up to thirty percent of the company’s revenue. Executives have stated that the goal is to reach a fifty percent contribution through continued overseas growth. Canada’s demographic profile and strong fandom communities make it a natural part of this strategy.
Strong Fandom Drives Demand for Canadian Stores
Online communities in Canada have played an important role in the early success of the Pop Mart expansion in Canada. Fans have organized through social platforms to share release dates, restock notices and store updates. Labubu, one of the brand’s most recognizable characters, has emerged as a major driver of demand, with resale markets and collector groups pushing the character to mainstream awareness.
Pop Mart’s stores are known for creating high-engagement environments with an emphasis on discovery and frequent product turnover. This retail approach has consistently generated lineups at store openings around the world, and the response in Richmond suggests similar momentum is likely in the Canadian market.
Barrientos said the brand intends to engage Canadian fans directly in the months ahead through influencer campaigns, media projects and experiential activations. Additional announcements are expected next year as Pop Mart increases its retail footprint and grows its Canadian operations team to support the expansion.
The company’s strategy aligns with a shift toward experiential retail and collectible culture, which continues to attract young consumers and crossover audiences ranging from fashion enthusiasts to art collectors.
A new burger concept is joining the Greater Toronto Area’s fast-casual dining landscape as Soul Smash Burgers opens on Friday, December 12, in Mississauga. The streamlined brand enters the market with a tightly focused menu and an emphasis on fresh preparation, marking one of the more disciplined new independent openings in the region this year.
The 1,400-square-foot restaurant sits beside the flagship East Tea Can location, also operated by founder Shakir Al-Qanbar. He says the idea for Soul Smash Burgers grew out of a desire to eliminate the complication he sees across much of the category. “In an industry obsessed with novelty and extravagance, we decided to take a different approach and return to the basics,” he says. “People want a burger they can always rely on to be done right.”
The Mississauga location is deliberately pared back, using a simple counter-service layout and unfussy interior design. The goal is to keep attention on the menu, which Al-Qanbar says was refined through significant testing across dozens of burger variations. Even the soundtrack is part of the brand’s identity, curated to support the restaurant’s atmosphere without overshadowing the food.
Soul Smash Burgers uses AAA prime-grade Ontario beef that is hormone-free and sustainably raised. The beef is delivered twice daily and ground fresh each morning and evening. “We tested nearly 50 different burger iterations and refined every element from sauce recipes and pickle preparations to bun selections and cheese varieties,” says Al-Qanbar. “What we landed on was a menu shaped and approved by friends and family of all ages, making the final result a true labour of love.”
Photo: Soul Smash Burgers
Two Core Burgers and a Rotating Feature
The menu centres on two signature burgers and a single limited-edition feature. The Standard is a double-patty cheeseburger prepared with American cheese, caramelized onions, pickles and the house Soul Sauce on a brioche bun. The Core adds raw onions, crisp lettuce, tomato relish and Soul Aioli, also on brioche.
The rotating feature draws inspiration from album tracklists. The current version, No. 1, is an Oklahoma-style burger built with thinly sliced onions smashed into two patties and finished with white American cheese, pickles and truffle aioli. All beef patties can be swapped for a vegetarian alternative. The children’s option, The Little Boss, was named by Al-Qanbar’s six-year-old son and features a single smashed patty with American cheese.
Shoestring fries are offered plain or as Soul Fries, which include melted cheese, caramelized onions, chopped pickles and both house sauces, with the option to add a chopped patty. Beverages include classic and strawberry lemonade, and desserts feature Lotus Biscoff and Triple Chocolate sundaes.
Photo: Soul Smash Burgers
Designed From the Start for Multi-Unit Growth
Soul Smash Burgers was developed with future expansion in mind. Al-Qanbar says the compact footprint and limited menu allow the brand to fit into a range of urban and suburban locations while controlling quality and cost. “We actually have an aggressive expansion plan for that once we launch and verify everything,” he says. “Because it is a small concept with a small menu, we can fit it in multiple places in the city. We just want to open and see how things go, what the demand is like, and then we will probably have another two or three locations next year.”
He adds that the shared back-of-house infrastructure with East Tea Can, including the central kitchen, helps maintain product consistency and keep pricing in line with broader fast-casual market levels rather than pushing the concept into premium territory. “We were trying to manage to keep it at the lowest price tag possible that is very close to the market prices right now,” he says. “We have our main location and our central kitchen in the same plaza, so we have control over the production.”
Connection to East Tea Can and Broader Brand Development
Al-Qanbar is also the CEO and co-owner of East Tea Can, a contemporary Middle Eastern restaurant concept with locations in Mississauga and at The Well in downtown Toronto. Retail Insider profiled East Tea Can earlier this year, noting the company’s investment in design, hospitality and menu theatre, including bread baked in view of guests and a strong tea program.
While East Tea Can reflects Al-Qanbar’s culinary background, he says Soul Smash Burgers emerges from a personal enthusiasm for the North American burger category. “I like being in the kitchen. I like cooking, and recently I have developed something for burgers,” he says. “In California a few months ago, of course, In-N-Out caught my attention. I thought that there was no such place here that is small and easy to order, where you do not have to think a lot. So we came up with the idea of quick, easy and accessible burgers with high quality.”
He notes that despite the regional influence behind East Tea Can, Soul Smash Burgers has no Middle Eastern angle. It is meant to stand on its own and appeal broadly to GTA diners looking for a straightforward burger option made with consistent standards.
Opening Details and Hours
Soul Smash Burgers opens December 12 at 3115 Winston Churchill Boulevard in Mississauga. The restaurant will operate on a walk-in basis, with hours from Sunday to Thursday between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Dr. Phone Fix is an award-winning, eco-friendly, and customer-centric leader in Canada’s cell phone and electronics repair and pre-owned resale industry. Founded in 2019, Dr. Phone Fix operates 35 corporately owned retail locations across Canada, offering fast and reliable device repairs, certified pre-owned devices, and a wide range of accessories.
Financial Results Summary (CAD)
(all dollar amounts in 000’s)
Three Months Ended Sept 30, 2025
Three Months Ended Sept 30, 2024
Variance (%)
Nine Months Ended Sept 30, 2025
Nine Months Ended Sept 30, 2024
Variance (%)
Revenue
3,265
2,866
+14 %
8,319
7,579
+10 %
Gross Profit
1,747
1,596
+9 %
4,528
4,074
+11 %
Gross Margin
53.50 %
55.70 %
-2.20 %
54.40 %
53.80 %
+0.60 %
Operating Expenses (SG&A)
1,925
1,980
-3 %
6,055
5,702
+6 %
Adjusted EBITDA
418
149
+181 %
700
-72
+1066 %
Cash & Equivalents
772
535
+44 %
772
535
44 %
Piyush Sawhney
“Q3 demonstrated strong same-store sales performance, stable margins, and meaningful positive EBITDA improvement, supported by continued operational discipline and expanding national partnerships,” said Piyush Sawhney, Chief Executive Officer of Dr. Phone Fix. “Year-to-date, Adjusted EBITDA has reached $0.7 million, an improvement of more than 1,000%, highlighting the strength of our operating model as we scale.”
“Looking ahead, our growth playbook combines measured new store openings with a disciplined M&A strategy to accelerate scale. Today, we operate 35 corporately owned stores. Upon closing our acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Geebo Device Repair Inc. over the coming days, our footprint will expand to 41 stores nationwide, and we are on target to open four additional stores before the end of 2025, bringing us to 45 operating locations by year-end.
“Our strategy remains to target high-quality operators, deepen our procurement and refurbishment capabilities, strengthen insurer and OEM program access, and leverage our proven operating playbook to drive cash generation at the unit level. Taken together, we believe this approach will expand our footprint efficiently, deepen our national coverage, and enhance long-term profitability.”
Q3 2025 Financial Highlights
Revenue increased 14% to $3.27 million, compared to $2.87 million in Q3 2024, driven primarily by strong same-store sales growth.
Gross profit increased 9% to $1.75 million. Gross margin of 53.5% reflected normal CPO mix variability due to higher demand for premium devices.
Operating expenses decreased 3%, despite operating an additional store and expanded corporate activity.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 181% to $0.42 million, compared to $0.15 million in Q3 2024, driven by higher gross profit and lower salaries and benefits.
Cash ended at $0.77 million, supported by improved working capital and the March private placement.
Year-to-Date Financial Highlights
Revenue increased 10% to $8.32 million, compared to $7.58 million in Q3 2024 YTD, with 9% growth from existing stores and 1% from the newest location.
Gross profit increased 11% to $4.53 million, compared to $4.07 million last year, with year-to-date gross margin improving to 54.4% from 53.8% due to stronger purchasing power and supplier partnerships.
Operating expenses (SG&A) increased 6% to $6.05 million, compared to $5.70 million in Q3 2024 YTD. Excluding share-based compensation, operating expenses decreased by approximately $0.2 million year-over-year, despite operating an additional store.
Adjusted EBITDA reached $0.70 million, compared to a loss of $0.07 million last year, reflecting improved gross profit and disciplined expense management.
“The results this year reflect a macro environment that remains challenging. Consumer discretionary spend continues to face pressure, and meal-kit demand across North America has not stabilized, yet the business demonstrates ongoing resilience. We maintained a solid gross margin2 of 42% and delivered positive Adjusted EBITDA for both the full year and the fourth quarter, along with $2.2 million in annual adjusted free cash flow. These results reflect the flexibility of our cost structure and the disciplined approach our teams brought to operations throughout the year, in the face of top line headwinds,” said Neil Cuggy, President and Chief Operating Officer of Goodfood.
“Looking ahead, we remain realistic about the growth outlook for traditional meal kits, as the category continues to contract across North America and globally, and we remain realistic about cost pressures remaining elevated. With that in mind, we are positioning the business to operate profitably without relying on a macro recovery. Both our Heat & Eat products recently launched and Genuine Tea are helping improve our product mix, and we are working to strengthen this foundation as we move forward. While we are approaching the future with prudence, we continue to pursue select acquisitions that strengthen our platform and improve our cost and margin structure.”
Selim Bassoul
“We do not expect meaningful near-term improvement in food input inflation, labour costs, packaging, logistics or compliance expenses and we expect these pressures will persist through Fiscal 2026. Our operational review is focused on building an even more disciplined, flexible and margin-resilient business. We are refining our product lineup, tightening costs, and strengthening the customer experience with a clear eye on sustainable profitability and cash flow stability. Goodfood has strong assets and a committed team, and this ongoing operational review will guide sharper, more focused execution going forward,” said Selim Bassoul, Chair of the Board of Goodfood.
Key financial results: ● Net sales were $25 million in the fourth quarter, with gross profit of $10 million and gross margin of 40.3% ● Net loss of $4 million, adjusted EBITDA margin of 2% and adjusted EBITDA1 of $0.4 million for the fourth quarter ● Cash flows provided by operating activities of $0.3 million and adjusted free cash flow1 was $2 million for the fourth quarter ● Cash and marketable securities at $16 million, with Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (BTC) at $3.4 million at quarter-end on initial investment of $3.0 million ● Strengthening product mix driven by the launch of Heat & Eat meal solutions and Genuine Tea which continues to exceed expectations ● Leadership transition accompanied by an operational review focused on product evolution and customer experience nearing completion
The decrease in net sales is driven by the decrease in active customer and order rates, driving lower orders partially offset by an increase in average order value. The decrease in active customers can be explained mainly by a decrease in marketing spend and incentive offerings, uncertainties regarding economic outlook and consumer spending driving customers towards spending more carefully and trading down, as well as a more pronounced seasonality in Fiscal 2025. The decrease in net sales was partially offset by Genuine Tea’s net sales in Fiscal 2025, explained the company.
The decrease in gross profit is driven by lower net sales and higher shipping and packaging costs driven by lower orders compared to the same period last year. This was partially offset by improved average order value as well as decreased credits and incentives as a percentage of net sales. Gross margin increased slightly by 0.5 percentage points mainly driven by higher average order value and lower labour costs partially offset by higher shipping costs, it said.
“The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses is primarily due to lower marketing spend, wages and salaries as well as other general and administrative expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales increased by 1.6 percentage points from 35.9% to 37.5% primarily driven by lower net sales,” explained Goodfood.
“The reorganization and other related net costs in Fiscal 2025 relate to severance related costs compared to net gains in Fiscal 2024 mainly due to reversal of impairment resulting from a sublease agreement.
“The decrease in depreciation and amortization is mainly driven by derecognition of right-of-use assets due to sublease agreements.
“The increase in net loss is primarily driven by lower profitability as a result of lower net sales as well as restructuring activities partially offset by lower selling, general and administrative expenses and improved gross margin.”
Bottega Venetta at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver. Photo: Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta has expanded its Canadian footprint with the opening of a new boutique at Holt Renfrew’s downtown Vancouver flagship. It replaces a Bottega Veneta concession that opened in 2018, introducing a fully updated design language to the West Coast market at a time when the brand is reasserting its identity worldwide.
Spanning 765 square feet on the main floor luxury hall of Holt Renfrew CF Pacific Centre, the Bottega Veneta Vancouver boutique brings the brand’s newest global store concept to Canada for the first time. It offers a broader selection of categories than previously available in Vancouver, including women’s ready-to-wear and fragrance. These additions signal a more complete presentation of the house in a city where the brand has steadily strengthened its retail presence over the past decade.
An Immersive Interpretation of Italian Craft
The new boutique relies heavily on materiality to express Bottega Veneta’s roots. The floors are clad in terrazzo, the traditional Italian tiling technique closely associated with Venetian homes and palazzi. Here, the surface is designed to evoke the gradient of the Venetian lagoon, with movement in the stone that subtly evokes the sensation of walking above water.
Throughout the space, shelving and display units are sculpted from Italian walnut wood, a nod to Villa Necchi in Milan, the modernist icon designed by Piero Portaluppi. The deep tone and distinctive veining of the walnut add warmth to a boutique defined by curved walls and bright natural lighting. The combination creates a setting that positions luxury not as spectacle but as quiet, intentional design — a through line in Bottega Veneta’s history.
The result is an environment calibrated for discovery. While the previous concession relied on more straightforward merchandising, the Bottega Veneta Vancouver boutique emphasizes intimacy and immersion. The space encourages browsing, with categories arranged to form what the house describes as a narrative rather than a product grid.
Bottega Venetta at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver. Photo: Bottega Veneta
A Curated Mix of Collections
The assortment includes women’s bags, leather goods, belts, jewelry, sunglasses, ready-to-wear and fragrance. For Vancouver, the introduction of women’s ready-to-wear and fragrance marks an expansion from what was offered in the earlier concession. The goal is to present a more complete expression of the brand, including pieces that reflect the most current vision of Bottega Veneta as it transitions under new creative leadership.
Ready-to-wear, first introduced by the house in the mid-2000s, has become central to its global boutiques, reflecting an evolution beyond leather goods into a full lifestyle and apparel universe. Fragrance, too, has become increasingly important to the brand’s retail mix, offering customers an entry point into Bottega Veneta’s aesthetic without the commitment of larger luxury purchases.
The variety also aligns the Vancouver shop with the brand’s standalone flagship at Yorkdale in Toronto, which opened in 2018 and remains Bottega Veneta’s most expansive Canadian location. While the new Vancouver space is smaller, its design sophistication and curated mix signal a shift toward high-impact, compact boutiques — a trend visible across luxury retail amid changing consumer patterns and real estate strategies.
Holt Renfrew at CF Pacific Centre in downtown Vancouver. With the closure of Hudson’s Bay and the recent shuttering of Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew is the only large-format store of its kind left in downtown Vancouver. Photo: Cadillac Fairview
Bottega Veneta’s Broader Canadian Footprint
The new boutique at Holt Renfrew Vancouver marks a milestone for the brand’s presence in Western Canada, joining a network of Bottega Veneta locations that has grown steadily over the last decade. The house’s Canadian expansion is defined by a mix of standalone boutiques and concessions, each reflecting the brand’s approach to presenting its collections within different retail environments.
The company’s first major breakthrough came with the opening of its flagship at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in late 2018. That store remains the largest and most comprehensive Bottega Veneta location in the country, occupying more than four thousand square feet and offering an extensive mix of ready-to-wear, accessories, leather goods and footwear. It was the brand’s first full-scale standalone presence in Canada and continues to serve as the benchmark for its Canadian retail ambitions.
Bottega Veneta also maintains a presence at Vancouver International Airport through a boutique that was first introduced before 2018 as part of the duty-free retail mix. The airport location focuses primarily on accessories suited to international travellers and remains a consistent point of contact for visitors entering or leaving the city.
Within Holt Renfrew stores, the brand has prioritized concessions as a strategic way to reach customers in key luxury markets. In addition to the new Vancouver boutique, Bottega Veneta operates a concession at Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street flagship in Toronto, specializing in handbags and small leather goods. These shop-in-shop environments offer curated assortments that align with each store’s regional clientele and remain important entry points for customers discovering the brand.
In Montreal, Bottega Veneta maintains a concession inside Holt Renfrew Ogilvy, the retailer’s downtown flagship that has emerged as a central hub for luxury brands serving the Quebec market. The Ogilvy space features a selection of women’s leather goods, accessories and seasonal collections presented within the store’s broader luxury floor. It extends the brand’s reach into a market where European design and craftsmanship remain highly prized among both local residents and international visitors.
Oakridge Park opens in Vancouver in March 2026. Bottega Veneta is not currently known to be a tenant at the centre.
Reinforcing Bottega Veneta’s Global Strategy
The store arrives at a pivotal time for Bottega Veneta as the brand undergoes creative and leadership changes within its parent company, Kering. Louise Trotter, appointed creative director in late 2024, is expected to guide the next evolution of the brand, balancing a heritage rooted in discreet luxury with a need to resonate in a competitive global market.
Her predecessor, Matthieu Blazy, leaned heavily into craft, emphasizing materials, handwork and subtle experimentation. Before Blazy, Daniel Lee helped modernize Bottega Veneta’s silhouette, generating a wave of renewed attention for the brand between 2018 and 2021. The new boutique’s design, which blends traditional techniques with architectural restraint, reflects an ongoing commitment to refinement rather than reinvention.
Kering, which acquired Bottega Veneta in 2001, has been repositioning several of its brands under the leadership of its new CEO, Luca de Meo. The group is navigating a luxury market that has cooled after years of rapid expansion, prompting deeper focus on brand differentiation, customer loyalty and experiential retail. The Vancouver shop fits squarely into this strategy by offering a tightly defined, high-impact environment that reinforces the brand’s core values.
The Body Shop Canada has opened its newest flagship store at Vancouver’s CF Pacific Centre. This opening marks a significant milestone in the brand’s next chapter as a fully Canadian-owned company, continuing its mission to expand its Canadian retail footprint, reimagine in-store experiences, and deepen connections with Canadian consumers, said the company.
The Pacific Centre flagship showcases the brand’s new store designs, featuring skin consultations, interactive product discovery zones, and community-driven spaces that bring The Body Shop’s heritage and values to life. The space is thoughtfully designed to provide an engaging and welcoming shopping experience for both loyal customers and a new generation of beauty lovers. This opening also reflects The Body Shop Canada’s continued growth in British Columbia with Pacific Centre becoming its 14th location in the province, explained the company.
Michael Roden
“Our Vancouver flagship represents an exciting moment for The Body Shop Canada,” said Michael Roden, President of The Body Shop Canada. “The West Coast has always embraced our values, and this new store allows us to deliver a more engaging, modern, and meaningful experience. We’re proud to continue building a brand that feels both globally inspired and distinctly Canadian.”
This Vancouver opening builds on the momentum of a transformative period for The Body Shop Canada. Since becoming 100% Canadian-owned under Serruya Private Equity, the brand has strengthened its omnichannel strategy, invested in revitalizing stores nationwide, and opened new locations, including Sherway Gardens and Lime Ridge Mall. The Pacific Centre flagship marks the brand’s first major West Coast expansion under its renewed vision, said the company.
Founded in Brighton, England in 1976 by Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop pioneered ethical beauty with cruelty-free formulations, transparent labelling, and fair-trade sourcing long before these values became industry standards. Today, the brand remains a global leader in purpose-led retailing across more than 80 markets, and its commitments to positive social impact and ethical sourcing remain core to its Canadian operations.
The Competition Bureau is warning businesses that it’s illegal to advertise fake discounts by promoting a made-up “regular price”. This type of tactic often pops up during major sale events, like Black Friday, said the federal agency.
“When advertising, businesses cannot invent a higher regular price to make a sale look like a bargain when it’s not. For example, businesses can’t advertise an item as “$100, now $50″, if it never actually sold at $100,” it said in a recent news release.
“Also known as fake ordinary selling price, this practice can mislead consumers and violates the Competition Act.”
What businesses should know according to the Competition Bureau:
When promoting a sale, the regular price must be a price the item is genuinely sold at, and businesses must be able to prove it. To prove that a regular price is valid, it must meet one of two legal tests:
Volume test: More than 50% of sales of the product were at that price or higher within a reasonable period (usually within a year) before or after the promotion; or
Time test: The product was offered for sale, in good faith, at that price or higher for a substantial period of time (usually within a year) immediately before or after the promotion. In good faith means the retailer honestly believes the price is fair and expects that customers will actually pay it.
“If the regular price does not meet either test, discount claims can be considered misleading under the law. Businesses must be honest and transparent in their marketing so Canadians can make informed shopping decisions,” it explained.
To stay on the right side of the law, the Competition Bureau recommends that businesses:
Only advertise a “regular price” if it is genuine and the product was offered at that price for a long enough time, or if many products were sold at that price within a reasonable time.
Keep detailed records of promotions, including dates, discounts and regular prices, and any other offers or savings claims. For example: buy one get one free.
Avoid making ambiguous and unverifiable savings claims even if a promotion doesn’t directly state the regular price. For example: 20% off our regular price!
The Competition Bureau said it investigates deceptive marketing practices. If a business or consumer believes they have come across fake sales, they should report them to the Competition Bureau.
The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. Competition drives lower prices and innovation while fueling economic growth.
