Future Shake Shack at The Tenor in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Iconic burger brand Shake Shack from the U.S. is making its Canadian debut in Toronto.
The company has announced it is opening a 5,500-square-foot restaurant on the northeast corner of Yonge and Dundas – one of Canada’s busiest intersections.
In a news release, the company said “Shake Shack Canada’s ambitious vision includes opening Shacks nationwide.”
Billy Richmond
“We are thrilled to confirm the rumours and open our doors at Yonge and Dundas, marking the beginning of a delicious journey for Canadians,” said Billy Richmond, Business Director at Shake Shack Canada, in a statement. “We’re excited to serve up our signature Shack classics along with some Canadian exclusives that we’ve developed with our local culinary partners to be enjoyed amongst Toronto’s dynamic cityscape.”
Shake Shack will be opening its first Canadian location at The Tenor in downtown Toronto, joining The Ballroom Bowl and Hard Rock Cafe which will both also open upstairs in the iconic building at Yonge and Dundas Streets.
Future Shake Shack at The Tenor in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)ShakeShack.ca
Canadian retail expert Lisa Hutcheson, Managing Partner of J.C. Williams Group, who has an office kitty corner to the new Shake Shack location, said pedestrian traffic in the area has died down since COVID but it remains “a really robust corner.”
Lisa Hutcheson
“Across the street from it is Yonge-Dundas Square which is a bit of a take on New York City’s Times Square. There’s events. It’s quite animated throughout the year with different festivals and events,” she said.
“The corner where Shake Shake is going has a TTC subway station. So it’s a really busy intersection and surrounded by Toronto Metropolitan University (the former Ryerson). And of course CF Toronto Eaton Centre is kitty corner. We are in the tower above Eaton Centre.
Hutcheson said it’s also a very high tourist area.
“It’s estimated that around 50 million people visit Yonge-Dundas Square every year. It’s high traffic. High visibility. I think the last TTC numbers I saw were around 26 million people come through that subway station. Some riders will come and get off right in the CF Toronto Eaton Centre because you can go either way. But a lot of the university students would be coming out of that station. It’s just really busy. It’s an interesting intersection because it’s called a scrambled intersection . . . to keep people moving at that corner.”
Future Shake Shack at The Tenor in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Future Shake Shack at The Tenor in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
There’s a ton of burger joints in the market right now. And there’s a Five Guys restaurant just a couple of doors down from where Shake Shack will open.
“(Shake Shack) has really been doing a strong job of building brand awareness. They’ve built this brand in the U.S. So people that travel to the U.S. are familiar with it. They tested back in 2017, they did a pop-up over on University Avenue here . . . It was sort of a test and it had huge lineups. It was a real success,” said Hutcheson.
“COVID maybe delayed their plans but with such a great successful pop-up you can see that it would be a way for them to test to see how Canadians knew them and how they would react and they had a very, very positive response.”
Shake Shack Canada is a partnership between Osmington Inc. and Harlo Entertainment Inc. – Toronto-based private investment companies.
Shake Shack is known for its made-to-order Angus beef burgers, crispy chicken, hand-spun milkshakes, house-made lemonades, beer, wine, and more.
Since the original Shack opened in 2004 in NYC’s Madison Square Park, the company has expanded to over 520 locations, including over 320 in 33 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and over 175 international locations across London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Mexico City, Istanbul, Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul and more.
Shake Shack in Madison Square Park in NYC (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Shake Shack in New York City’s Garment District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Shake Shack at the New York New York Casino Resort in Las Vegas (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Shake Shack at Millennium Park in Chicago (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“When Shake Shack started as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park, their mission was simple: raise funds for a public art project. Over the years, Shake Shack has prioritized high-quality food at a great value, warm hospitality and its commitment to Stand For Something Good®,” said the company.
“The Yonge and Dundas location will uphold these values, featuring a thoughtfully designed space that reflects the city’s spirit while staying true to Shake Shack’s distinct aesthetic. Shake Shack has partnered with local Toronto artist, Briony Douglas, who has created an art installation to launch the brand in Toronto and bring a burst of creativity to the heart of the city. The art installation can be viewed starting today at the Yonge and Dundas location.”
“I’ve been a big fan of the Shake Shack brand for a long time and I’m thrilled to be working on this project to help give back to those in need,” said Douglas, in a statement. “It’s an exciting opportunity to blend my artistic vision with the infectious energy and community that both Shake Shack and the city of Toronto embodies.”
The brand said it will release one-of-a-kind menu items, including the Maple Salted Pretzel Shake.
“This Toronto-exclusive Shake combines Shake Shack’s signature soft, premium vanilla frozen custard with the rich and unmistakable flavour of pure Canadian maple syrup. This decadent treat pays homage to Canada’s iconic maple syrup industry while adding a local twist to Shake Shack’s classic menu,” it said.
Rendering of the 'luxury run' at Oakridge Park in Vancouver. Image via QuadReal
Ahead of its Spring 2025 opening, Oakridge Park in Vancouver is revealing the names of several luxury watch and jewellery brands that will be opening stores in the retail component of the development. The announcements follow a February 2024 article in Retail Insider where QuadReal released names of several notable luxury brands that will also be opening at Oakridge next year.
The list of luxury watch and jewellery brands set to open standalone stores next year at Oakridge is impressive, and includes the world’s third-largest Rolex storefront as well as two first-to-Canada brands. Oakridge is positioned to be one of the top high-end jewellery nodes in North America, with a roster of brands that are expected to do very high sales numbers.
QuadReal SVP of Leasing for Oakridge Park, Tara Brockelmann, said that the landlord expects jewellery brands to perform very strongly at the new Oakridge Park, given the strength of the jewellery retailers in the former Oakridge Centre that occupied the site until its temporary closure for redevelopment in 2020.
Main floor leasing plan for Oakridge Park, via QuadRealRendering: QuadReal
She noted that seven jewellery brands will cluster at the south end of the mall’s luxury wing, while Tiffany & Co. will be further northward near the mall’s new Hudson’s Bay store.
New York City-based Tiffany & Co. will return to Oakridge in a new 5,000 square foot location. Tiffany also had a store in the former Oakridge Centre on the site, and is said to have had high sales. The new Oakridge store is expected to also be a success, while also operating two stores in Downtown Vancouver (on Burrard Street and a concession at Holt Renfrew). The next 12 or so months will see Tiffany & Co. make record-breaking investments in the Canadian market, with new and renovated stores in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
Rendering of the south atrium at Oakridge Park which will be home to seven luxury jewellery and watch brands. Image: QuadRealOakridge Park north Atrium across from Hudson’s Bay — several luxury brands will operate flagships nearby. Rendering via QuadReal
The seven jewellery brands announced that will open standalone stores at Oakridge, clustered at the south atrium near Harry Rosen, will be discussed individually in detail below.
Swiss watch brand Rolex, via local licensee Global Watch Company, will see a 6,000 square foot storefront open at Oakridge Park next year. The Oakridge Rolex will become the third largest globally for the well-known brand which often has a waiting list for various styles. The largest Rolex store in the world spans almost 10,000 square feet in Dubai, and in 2025 Rolex will open a 7,200 square foot store on Old Bond Street in London via licensee Watches of Switzerland. Global Watch Company also operates a Rolex store at 1119 Alberni Street in downtown Vancouver that opened in 2016 — the 2,000 square foot store is currently the largest Rolex location in North America, and the Oakridge store, being triple the size, will take things to a whole new level.
Global Watch Company will also operate a standalone storefront at Oakridge for pricey Swiss watch brand Tudor, to be located next to Rolex. Global Watch Company also operates a standalone Tudor store on Alberni Street in downtown Vancovuer which opened in the spring of 2021.
LVMH-owned Italian jewellery brand Bulgari will open its largest store in Canada at Oakridge, spanning more than 4,000 square feet. Bulgari is investing heavily into the Canadian market and is currently building a 2,969 square foot store at 131 Bloor Street West, its second in the city (Yorkdale’s opened in 2014). Bulgari will keep its small concession at Holt Renfrew in downtown Vancouver, which opened in 2018.
Prestigious and pricey jewellery and watch brand Jacob & Company will have a standalone store at Oakridge, which will be a first in Canada and be one of only a handful globally. Vancouver-based Lugaro Jewellers, which currently carries the Jacob brand, will operate the new standalone Jacob & Company store at Oakridge.
Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer will open its first store in Vancovuer at Oakridge, and will be operated directly by the brand. TAG Heuer is expanding its corporate store presence in Canada — this August it will open at Royalmount in Montreal, following the opening of a store at Yorkdale in Toronto in 2019.
Oakridge Park interior retail rendering. Image via QuadReal
The first standalone location in North America for jewellery brand Chaumet will open at Oakridge, and will be operated by Montreal-based jeweller Birks. It’s a significant brand to be opening at Oakridge, and will catch the attention of global luxury shoppers. Birks has a unique situation in the Vancouver market, operating a multi-brand flagship store in downtown Vancovuer at the corner of Hastings and Granville Street, as well as two mono-brand boutiques on West Georgia Street (Graff and Patek Philippe).
American luxury jewellery brand David Yurman will open its first standalone Vancouver store at Oakridge, marking a second retail presence in the city. The store will be one of a few locations that house Yurman’s high jewellery collections, with some pieces costing into the six figures. David Yurman opened a concession at the downtown Holt Renfrew store in the fall of 2016. David Yurman will be opening this August at Royalmount in Montreal as well, and the brand has a standalone store in Toronto at Yorkdale and concessions at Holt Renfrew in Toronto, Mississauga and Montreal.
Chinese jewellery Chow Tai Fook will open a storefront at Oakridge, as part of an expansion for the brand which currently has stores in the Vancovuer and Toronto markets.
In February, QuadReal announced its first batch of retailers for Oakridge, which included an impressive roster of luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Brunello Cucinelli, Moncler, Versace, Max Mara, Maison Margiela, Miu Miu, Christian Louboutin, and Alexander Wang. Retail Insider provided an analysis of this brand selection, including its relationship to retail downtown.
Brockelmann said that it’s expected that the Vancouver market can handle at least two locations for some luxury brands, being in the Oakridge and downtown luxury nodes. She noted that Vancouver sees more than 10 million tourists annually, with this year expected to see a record-breaking number of cruise ship visitors (who spend when on land). The clustering of luxury brands, along with the elevated environment that Oakridge Park will provide, is expected to be a draw for global tourists seeking luxury brands. Oakridge will also specifically target visitors to Vancouver with marketing as well, to create awareness to drive visitor traffic.
Oakridge Centre Rendering, via QuadReal
Chrystal Burns, Executive Vice President, Canadian Retail at QuadReal, noted in an interview that about 20% of the retail mix at Oakridge will be luxury brands, and that the centre will target locals with its roster of retailers and amenities ranging from a park to a public library. Oakridge Centre is located on the West Side of Vancouver at 41st Street and Cambie Street — the area is densifying quickly, with the City of Vancouver upzoning the immediate area in order to facilitate population growth along a transit line. Included at Oakridge Park are several high-end residential towers that are being developed in partnership with Westbank.
Time Out food hall at Oakridge Park. Image via QuadReal
More than 100 retailers will be part of the new Oakridge Park retail component, which will span about 650,000 square feet and will include a mix of luxury stores, big-brand retailers, two anchors (including a 140,000 square foot Hudson’s Bay) and various food and beverage options including a Time Out Market food hall.
Flagship-sized luxury stores will be part of the mix, with some big brands said to have secured large spaces near Oakridge’s new 140,000 square foot Hudson’s Bay store. Leasing manager Tara Brockelmann said that brands were asked to bring something a bit ‘extra special’ when designing spaces at Oakridge, given the significance and positioning of the centre as a destination.
In an earlier interview, Chrystal Burns confirmed that a Safeway grocery store would be returning to Oakridge Park, and that Crate & Barrel, which has been open all along with a standalone retail space, will continue to operate. She also noted that the outdoor high street of Oakridge will be completed as part of a second phase in 2028 after the indoor portion of Oakridge Park is unveiled in the spring of next year.
The retail component of Oakridge Park could become the most productive shopping centre in Canada, given its heavy focus on top luxury brands and its potential to pull consumer dollars from the region and beyond. Given sales numbers at downtown stores such as Chanel (said to be about $60mill annually), the region can support major luxury brands.
Former food court at Oakridge Centre in 2018. Photo via WikipediaOakridge Centre in 2018. Photo via Wikipedia
Oakridge Centre closed in 2020 for the transformation of the site into a mixed-use development unlike anything in Canada. QuadReal Property Group partnered with developer Westbank on the Oakridge Park project, which will include upscale residential towers, offices, a public library, park space, indoor and outdoor performance venues, and a ballet school among other uses.
Oakridge Centre was formerly an upscale but rather unremarkable shopping centre surrounded by surface parking lots. The mall was developed by department store retailer Woodward’s and opened in 1959 as an open-air centre. In 1993, the 260,000 square foot Woodward’s store was rebranded by new owner HBC, which divided the store to create separate Hudson’s Bay and Zellers department stores. Over the years, affluent demographics on Vancouver’s West Side also resulted in Oakridge securing upscale retail tenants such as Tiffany & Co., Harry Rosen, and Max Mara among others.
Oakridge Centre in 2018. Photo via Wikipedia(‘HIGH TEA’ EVENT AT OAKRIDGE. PHOTO: SUPPLIED)
Ivanhoé Cambridge owned Oakridge Centre until QuadReal acquired the property in early 2017. Ivanhoé Cambridge had already intended to develop the property, which had been through various stages of applications and studies for redevelopment.
Oakridge Centre maintained its position as one of Canada’s most productive shopping centres for years, in terms of sales per square foot, until its temporary closure in 2020. The high sales were due partly to highly productive jewellery retailers as well as an Apple Store. And while Apple hasn’t been technically confirmed in recent public announcements, Retail Insider was told before the pandemic in an on-the-record interview that it would be returning to Oakridge Park as a tenant.
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.
The ICSC recently released a report ranking Canada’s top shopping centres by sales per square foot. Some notable findings include a dominant landlord, a region punching above its weight in mall productivity, productive downtown retail centres, and the fact that Canada’s malls are performing strongly despite the economy.
Numbers for the ICSC study were collected from participating landlords as of the end of 2023. Productivity numbers are for reporting retailers and typically excludes anchor retailers. The study builds on numbers collected by Retail Insider’s Craig Patterson, who was the author of Retail Council of Canada’s Shopping Centre Studies between 2016 and 2019 (studies were halted due to the pandemic and lockdowns impacting sales).
The full 2023 ICSC study ranks 117 shopping centres in Canada by sales per square foot. For the purpose of this article, Retail Insider will primarily discuss the top 25 shopping centres ranked in the study. It should also be noted that not all landlords in Canada participated in the study — that includes Triple Five, which owns West Edmonton Mall. In years past, sales along the centre run in West Edmonton Mall have exceeded $1,200 a square foot, according to the landlord.
Landlords in the 2023 ICSC Study Top 25, by Number of Properties
Luxury retailers at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Craig Patterson
Cadillac Fairview owns more than half of the top 25 shopping centres in the ICSC productivity study, speaking to the strength of the landlord’s overall portfolio in Canada. Cadillac Fairview owns 13 of the top 25 shopping centres in Canada in terms of sales per square foot, including the second, third, fourth and fifth most productive shopping centres in Canada (CF Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver, CF Richmond Centre near Vancouver, and CF Chinook Centre in Calgary).
Yorkdale in Toronto, as reported in Retail Insider last month, blew all of the other malls in Canada out of the water in terms of sales per square feet. Owner Oxford Properties has three of the top 25 most productive malls in Canada, all of which are in the Toronto area. That includes Yorkdale, which shattered Canadian records with sales per square foot of $2,402. The massive Square One shopping complex in Mississauga ranks 6th for Canadian malls and has maintained strong sales, as has the Scarborough Town Centre which recently added Decathlon and Ikea, and ranked 23rd in the ICSC mall study.
Montreal-based Ivanhoé Cambridge owns six of Canada’s top 25 shopping centres in terms of ranked sales per square foot. Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) manages the properties on their behalf. Southgate Centre in Edmonton is the top mall in the portfolio in terms of sales per square foot (ranking 8th for Canadian malls), followed very closely by the massive Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, next to Vancouver, which was the 9th most productive shopping centre in Canada in terms of sales per square foot.
Primaris REIT owns two of the top shopping centres on the ICSC productivity list, after acquiring the Halifax Shopping Centre in Halifax (ranked the 14th most productive mall) and the Conestoga Centre in Waterloo (with a ranking the 24th most productive mall by per square feet). Landlord Morguard made the top 25 list with its Coquitlam Centre asset, which is set for future residential intensification.
Scroll to the bottom of this article to see the list of the top 25 shopping centres in Canada ranked by sales per square foot.
CF Chinook Centre (Image: Cadillac Fairview)
City Regions and the Top 25 Shopping Centres by Sales Per Square Foot
Not surprisingly, the Greater Toronto Area has the most number of the top 25 most productive shopping centres in Canada, with 8 malls making the cut. The Greater Toronto Area is the fastest growing region in North America, and is home to over 7 million people.
The Greater Vancouver area punches above its weight, with 5 of the top 25 most productive malls in the study being there (and a population of less than 3 million). And in 2025, the formerly high-ranking Oakridge Centre will reopen in an overhauled format, rebranded as Oakridge Park — given its luxury offering and overall tenant mix, the centre is expected to become one of the top in the country in terms of sales per square foot. Also, it appears that landlord Larco didn’t participate in the study — its Park Royal Centre in West Vancouver ranked 4th in the Retail Council of Canada study in 2019, with sales per square foot of $1,342.
Montreal Eaton Centre (Image: Montreal Eaton Centre)
The Montreal area had 3 of the most productive 25 centres in Canada in the ICSC study. The region has over 4.3 million people and its retail hasn’t generally been quite as productive as the two cities above. Montreal still has some exceptional shopping centres, and will be getting another one on August 15, 2024, with the opening of Royalmount. It remains to be seen how Royalmount will perform with its mix of luxury brand stores, big brand retailers, and food and beverage offerings.
Calgary has 2 of the top 25 shopping centres ranked in the study, not surprisingly being Cadillac Fairview’s CF Chinook Centre (ranked number 5 in the study) and CF Market Mall (ranked 13 on the list). Trailing at number 29 in the study is The CORE in the city’s downtown, speaking to Calgary’s retail strength with its metro population of about 1.665 million.
Several other cities in Canada had one mall that ranked in the top 25 in the ICSC study. Those places included Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Halifax, London, and Waterloo. As mentioned before, West Edmonton Mall could in theory have scored highly if it had participated in the study. Also, another Ottawa Mall, Bayshore Centre, almost made the top 25 which would have given Ottawa 2 of the top 25 most productive malls ranked in the study (see the full list at the end of this article).
Top Shopping Centres in Downtown Cores
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Suburban shopping centres are primarily responsible for decreased retail commercialization in the downtown cores of cities in Canada and the United States. Suburban shopping centres are also partly responsible for the demise of the famed downtown department store in North America. Despite the fact that most downtowns in Canada generally lack the retail significance seen in decades past, 4 of the top 25 most productive shopping centres in Canada are located in downtown cores.
That includes the CF Toronto Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto, which before the pandemic was possibly the busiest mall in the world. Because of its transit connectivity, the shopping centre was seeing more than 50 million visitors annually, which is similar to Times Square in New York City. Foot traffic numbers are still very high, upon observation.
Vancouver’s CF Pacific Centre also made the top 25 list of most productive shopping centres, as it has for years. The shopping centre boasts an impressive roster of big-name tenants, including Holt Renfrew’s top-selling store and a very strong Harry Rosen location. Nordstrom’s exit from Canada means that new tenants will be moving into its former space in the centre — a similar situation for CF Toronto Eaton Centre as well (details to follow). It might be noted that in 2019, sales per square foot productivity at CF Pacific Centre was $1,865, while in 2023 the ICSC number was $1,324.
CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa ranked highly in the study, housing retailers such as Apple, Tiffany & Co., Harry Rosen, and La Maison Simons. Nordstrom vacated the mall last year when it exited Canada, and a new tenant hasn’t been announced.
In downtown Montreal, the Centre Eaton Montreal is often crowded with people, whether they are shopping at the new Nike flagship store or heading up the escalators to the Time Out Food Hall. The Eaton Centre Montreal has seen an overhaul that includes Canada’s largest Uniqlo store, a two-level Decathlon store, a flagship B2 footwear store, and various other retailers. Downtown Montreal will be beautiful in a few years once construction is completed along Ste-Catherine Street, McGill College and Peel Streets — the public real on these streets is expected to be world-class, making Toronto and Vancouver envious.
2023 Top 25 Canadian Malls (Image: ICSC)
The full ICSC Canadian Shopping Centre Productivity List of 117 malls can be downloaded on the ICSC membership page. For non-members, retailers are welcome to join ICSC and receive this study, in addition to more valuable industry insights.
Handmade Saskatchewan started out as a group of like-minded vendors, supporting and helping each other with shows.
Today, the concept has three retail locations – one in Regina and two in Saskatoon – with a fourth one to open in the near future.
Janelle Anderson, who is based in Regina, said the concept basically is an avenue for local makers to sell their products.
“Everything we sell is locally made aside from a couple of items that we order,” she said. “But everything is locally made by Saskatchewan artisans and we just found that they needed a place to sell their items besides just craft shows and trade shows. That’s why we started the store.
“And it actually started right before the pandemic and it came in really handy because nobody could go to trade shows or craft shows during the pandemic. So it allowed all the vendors a place to sell their items, get their names out there and make some money.”
Handmade Saskatchewan (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)Handmade Saskatchewan (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)
The store in Regina is located at Cornwall Centre for the past four years. In Saskatoon, the Midtown Plaza location has been operating for about two and a half years while the other Saskatoon location in the Lawson Heights shopping centre has been around for about a year.
“We’re trying to push the online business. The malls do take a percentage of our sales. So anything that we sell through the website we don’t have to pay a percentage on and it helps our vendors a lot more.”
The first store opened in 2019 in Regina at another location.
Anderson said the concept includes close to 200 vendors.
“We carry everything from food items like local honey and jams and spreads and dips and soups. We’ve got Chocolate Moose Fudge Factory. We’ve got their fudge, candy, popcorn. Those are really popular. And we’ve got the freeze dried candies that everybody goes crazy for,” she said.
“We have high end pottery. We’ve got some really cool potterers. I own FLAT Clothing which we sell through the store as well. That’s the bunny hugs where we’ve got the bunnies hugging on the bunny hug. Everything from jewelry to home decor. Anything you can think of.”
Handmade Saskatchewan (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)
Handmade Saskatchewan (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)
Handmade Saskatchewan (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)
When Anderson first moved to Regina from a small town near Saskatoon, as a way to supplement her own income, she started to design jewelry and attended all the craft shows. She met a lot of the other vendors that way.
“We all kind of just formed our little community. We started out with a Facebook group where we could talk about different shows coming up, help each other with displays, and with transporting our items and it kind of just grew from there,” she said.
“We ended up holding a really big Christmas market at Northgate Mall. That would have been in 2018. And the mall asked if we would like to start a store, if we’d like to stay. And that’s what we did.”
Anderson said a fourth location is coming but has not been announced just yet.
“I do have plans for a southeast Regina store and also a southwest Regina store. And then we would move out of the Cornwall Centre and have our two standalones,” she said.
“We’ve tossed around the idea of going into other communities but me managing three or four stores and then also the FLAT Clothing business is a lot and I’m tapped out with that.”
“The Loblaw boycott might have been helpful, but it won’t be. Instead, we are merely witnessing the embarrassing attempts of a group that isn’t even trying to understand how the food industry functions and how it needs to be improved.”
For months now, we have heard rumblings of a Loblaw boycott organized by a clandestine group aiming to penalize grocers for their perceived profiteering. This alleged boycott is set to start on May 1, with participants calling for a reduction in food prices. However, it’s important to note that many food prices have already been declining for weeks, rendering the movement somewhat misguided in achieving its purported goals.
Image: Loblaw
Canadians justifiably feel frustrated, unprotected, and deserve a platform to be heard. While boycotts can be effective in the food sector, successful ones are logically sound and coherent. This boycott targets Loblaw, Canada’s largest grocer, which controls less than a third of the market. Moreover, the boycott overlooks foreign competitors like Costco and Walmart, which are inexplicably exempt from the movement. The arrival of both Walmart and Costco led to the consolidated grocery industry we have today. This selective targeting undermines the boycott’s credibility.
If the goal truly is to enhance food affordability, the boycott should encompass all major box stores, not just focus on one company. Moreover, to truly address the issue at hand, the movement should support independent grocers who compete against these large players without any substantial backing. Independent grocers often promote local foods and innovate across various food categories. Despite their contributions, these smaller entities seldom receive the recognition they deserve and are prevalent in communities nationwide. Contrary to popular belief, smaller does not inherently mean more expensive, and the boycott could have highlighted the value of supporting independently owned and operated stores.
Boycott Loblaws (Image: reddit.com/r/ontario/)
Furthermore, any Canadian who takes two minutes to read and assess the financial reports of top grocers like Loblaw, Empire/Sobeys, and Metro will quickly realize that accusations of profiteering are largely unsubstantiated. Not only have these companies seen same-store food sales growth generally below food inflation rates in recent quarters, but their gross margins also—a true indicator of profiteering—have remained stable for at least five years across all three corporations. These firms are highly diversified, earning significant revenues from cosmetics, clothing, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and real estate, benefiting from their varied market positions.
The boycott also raises concerns regarding its underlying motives. Some members of the group are targeting and threatening experts and academics who disagree with their stance, and have attacked journalists who report dissenting opinions, exhibiting almost cult-like behaviour. This aggressive and confrontational approach is uncharacteristic of Canadian social movements and suggests a politically motivated campaign rather than a genuine grassroots effort. Originally well-intentioned instigators seem to have lost control of the movement.
While Loblaw is not entirely without fault—particularly concerning its intense pressure on suppliers, which can stifle competition and reduce consumer choice—the boycott missed a crucial opportunity to educate Canadians about the real issues within the food industry and the role of major grocers like Loblaw. We need a code of conduct to establish a level playing field for all grocers and food manufacturers in Canada. Instead, it opted for sensationalism and quick publicity, a disappointing and ineffective strategy that ultimately failed to address the systemic issues it purported to confront.
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.
INLAND Marketplace In Toronto Marks 10 Years With May Event: Interview With Founder Sarah Power [Video Interview]
Craig and Sarah Power, Founder of INLAND, discuss the journey of the INLAND platform that has helped shape the landscape of Canadian fashion by showcasing over 500 designers since its inception in 2014. This year marks the 10th anniversary, and the celebration is set to take place at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre. Power discusses INLAND’s commitment to providing emerging designers with a public platform that transcends traditional online retail, enhancing their visibility and engagement with the community.
Patterson and Power discuss the upcoming event, noting that it will occupy the former Williams Sonoma space on the third level of the mall next to Sephora, an area known for its upscale retail environment. They discuss the strategic partnership with the Creative School of Fashion at Toronto Metropolitan University, allowing recent graduates to display their work alongside seasoned designers. The event promises a diverse range of products, from upcycled fashion to luxury footwear, highlighting the innovative and sustainable practices that define modern Canadian fashion.
They also discuss how INLAND not only showcases products but also fosters direct consumer engagement in a physical retail setting. This interaction is crucial for designers to receive feedback and evolve their offerings. With the high foot traffic expected at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre, this year’s event is poised to introduce a broad audience to unique, high-quality fashion items that might otherwise remain under the radar.
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It also has 13 of the top 25 Canadian shopping centres in the rankings which measure sales per square feet of properties.
“Across the country, Cadillac Fairview and its best-in-class clients offer exceptional service and experiences for visitors to our shopping centres, which are popular gathering places for our communities,” said Sal Iacono, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cadillac Fairview in a statement.
Salvatore (Sal) Iacono
“This announcement affirms the hard work of our teams in creating and cultivating spaces that bring people together and keep them coming back. It is gratifying to see CF shopping centres consistently recognized in ICSC’s annual rankings, which are proof positive of that commitment and dedication.”
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Cadillac Fairview)
Here are the rankings of CF properties overall:
2. CF Toronto Eaton Centre
3. CF Pacific Centre
4. CF Richmond Centre
5. CF Chinook Centre
7. CF Sherway Gardens
10. CF Carrefour Laval
11. CF Masonville
12. CF Rideau Centre
13. CF Market Mall
15. CF Polo Park
17. CF Fairview Mall
19. CF Markville Mall
25. CF Fairview Pointe Claire
Lillian Tummonds, Senior Vice President of Retail Operations with Cadillac Fairview, said the company is a long-standing holder of its assets.
Lillian Tummonds
“This really represents us re-investing in our properties, making sure that they’re relevant and that they’re exciting and fresh for our shoppers but it also tells me that we’re really listening to our customers and making sure that we have the right merchandise mix for these centres that will draw the customers to the malls,” she said.
“Part of the shopping experience is the overall experience of coming to the shopping centre as well. It leads me to believe that we’re doing a good job of listening to what customers are looking for. Even from an entertainment perspective, what we’re trying to influence and inject entertainment into our centres to make sure that people have a lovely shopping experience when they get there.”
CF Chinook Centre (Image: Cadillac Fairview)
The shopping mall experience in Canada has changed dramatically over the years with different tenants popping up in properties that are quite different from what malls traditionally have offered for decades.
“If we look at the retailers, they’re always trying to reinvent themselves and capture the shoppers’ interests. And I think as a landlord for shopping centres, we also want to contribute to that as well to make sure that we have an interesting merchandise mix, to continually draw that interest,” said Tummonds.
“The shoppers’ tastes and expectations change now more quickly than traditionally. That’s what the retailers are working towards to capture the dollars from their customers and that’s what we’re doing on our side when we’re looking at space and leasing space. It’s to make sure that we have those fresh retailers that are coming that are capturing the attention of shoppers and their wallets.”
CF Pacific Centre (Image: Cadillac Fairview)CF Rideau Centre (Image: Cadillac Fairview)
Entertainment concepts and dining have become ever more important in shopping centres across the country. Going to a shopping centre is no longer just to go shopping.
“It’s the whole experience. You’re not just going into the mall to get your stuff and leave. To draw people to the centre, you just have to have all those elements,” added Tummonds.
Mirror Mirror at CF Chinook Centre (Image: Moment Factory)
For example, recently CF Chinook Centre in Calgary had an interactive, immersive visual experience called Mirror Mirror in the former Nordstrom space.
“And that brought in a whole different level of people coming to the Centre experiencing this entertainment piece,” said Tummonds.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre within the past year had the Canadian Chroma immersive experience.
“We’re taking advantage of some of the spaces that we have at our centres to activate and animate them,” she said.
CF Sherway Gardens (Image: Cadillac Fairview)Queen’s Cross Food Hall at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Cadillac Fairview)
Currently, the Eaton Centre has the CAMP Cube, shop/play hybrid experience, attracting people to the mall.
Recently also, the Eaton Centre opened the Queen’s Cross Food Hall in partnership with Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality (O&B).
Tummonds said Cadillac Fairview still has five Nordstrom boxes to deal with.
“We are working towards re-animating that and we’re pretty excited but we have nothing to really share at this moment. But we’re actively working on that,” she explained.
Sobr Market, which specializes in selling non-alcoholic beverages, has opened its newly-expanded Toronto flagship location.
“Sobr Market began humbly out of our home in Winnipeg with a mission to reduce barriers and make alcohol alternatives more accessible to the community,” said Shane Halliburton, Co-founder & COO, Sobr Market. “We are thrilled to open Canada’s largest non-alcoholic bottle shop in Toronto and fulfill the growing demand for options that promote social connections without sacrifice.”
The 1,600-square-foot store, at 511 Richmond St W, carries more than 500 products from the world’s top brands, making it Canada’s largest non-alcoholic retail destination. The transformed downtown store features two levels with a tasting bar on each floor for customers to sample products before they purchase.
“Education is one of Sobr Market’s fundamental pillars, which is why we designed our Toronto flagship store to be a place where customers can explore the world’s best alcohol-free drinks,” said Taycia Chaplin, CEO, Sobr Market. “Consumers expect non-alcoholic options when they go out, and we are also happy to provide tastings to local bar and restaurant owners who want to add alcohol-free drinks to their menus.”
Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Provided)
Chaplin said the concept began first online in 2022 and opened a brick and mortar store at the beginning of last year in Winnipeg. In November of last year, a pop-up location was opened in Toronto.
“It went really well. So we’ve opened our permanent store here,” she said.
“This whole space used to be a cafe and we opened the pop-up shop in the upstairs section of the cafe. Just a small bottle shop. And then the cafe that was here was actually moving. So the space was free and we took over the whole space and renovated it to be the bottle shop.
“We sell any alcohol free products you can think of from non-alcoholic spirits to wine, beer. We have canned cocktails, sparkling teas.”
Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Provided)
Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Provided)
Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Provided)
Sobr Market offers the country’s most extensive selection of alcohol-free drinks and ships nationally at TheSobrMarket.com
“The market is really growing. I think during the pandemic especially, people started thinking about their alcohol consumption and some people decided to quit drinking altogether or cut back. Dry January. These sorts of things come around every year that people do,” said Chaplin. “During that time you started to see a lot of online stores pop up for non-alcoholic bottle shops. There’s a lot of ecommerce retailers.
“So it really is a strong market for brick and mortar retail where people can come in, they can talk to someone, they can get a recommendation, we offer samples of everything so they can come in and try it before they buy it and really make it a more immersive experience.
“It’s a really strong example of where brick and mortar retail is still so important.”
Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Provided)
Chaplin said the brand will be looking to expand to more stores in the future – as early as within this year.
“Just seeing the great response we’ve gotten in Toronto, (we’re) wanting to serve customers across the country, we do sell online as well. We have our eye on Vancouver next. There’s quite a good alcohol free market out there, lots of our online customers are over there. Calgary as well. We’re looking West next.”
Citing research, Sobr Market said 41 per cent of consumers participated in Dry January in 2024 or reduced their alcohol intake during the month (source: CGA by NIQ). The global market for no-and-low alcohol products grew from $11 billion in 2022 to $13 billion in 2023 (source: International Wine and Spirits Research). As the category’s popularity increases, 40 per cent of non-alcoholic consumers say the main reason they don’t drink more products is because they are hard to find (source: International Wine and Spirits Research)
“The technology and just the craft of non-alcoholic beverages has come so far in recent years. I think when a lot of people think of non-alcoholic wine they think of grocery store grape juice or vinegar tasting kind of stuff. But the tech has come so far. The people producing the wines, the brewers making the beer, are really serious about the craft and you see these big brands like Heineken or Guinness or Peroni, Stella, the big breweries, they wouldn’t put their name on a product if it wasn’t good,” said Chaplin.
“The fact that all of them are coming out with alcohol-free versions just goes to show how far that tech has progressed. And a lot of craft brewers in Toronto and across the country are all developing alcohol-free versions of their products too. There is some confidence when a brand that has created an alcohol containing product creates a non-alcohol one. You have that confidence because they know what it’s supposed to taste like. So they’re not going to put out something that’s not good. It’s all reassuring. They all taste a lot better than they did years ago.”
Additional Photos from Sobr Market at Waterworks
Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Sobr Market Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
