“We don’t see that trend diminishing. So we’re going to see more athleisure players coming into the market,” said Schmidt.
“I think the other thing you’re going to see with the closures of Nordstrom is that anybody who had a shop-in-shop, or had a strong wholesale business within those doors, they now have to replace those stores with bricks-and-mortar.”
Grand Opening Ceremony at Uniqlo CF Chinook Centre (Image: CF Chinook Centre)
The retail market in Calgary is currently quite strong. He said fast fashion at a low price point is one sector which is resonating with consumers.
“We opened Uniqlo (at CF Chinook Centre) at the end of August. They’re absolutely on fire. If sales trend the way they are right now, they could top $30 million in Year 1,” he said.
“I don’t know if they’ll hold, but it’s been phenomenal . . . Zara the same thing. They’re in the midst of doubling in size, going to a flagship size at Chinook.
“On the high end, Louis Vuitton had an all-time sales high within Chinook. We’ve got lots of demands from luxury brands because of their sales and because they’ve seen how much is getting transacted in the market. . . . So I think it’s safe to say you’re going to see more luxury coming into the city.
“There’s lots of new brands coming into the market. . . . I’ve been doing this for 35 years and I don’t think the market’s been this strong in at least 12 years and maybe going back to 30 years.”
In this video interview, Schmidt talks about the current leasing environment across the Cadillac Fairview portfolio, what retailers are looking for when they want to expand, trends in the market, what big names have entered the market and will be in the near future and the evolution of shopping centre space.
The Video Interview Series by Retail Insider is available on YouTube.
Connect with Mario Toneguzzi, a veteran of the media industry for more than 40 years and named in 2021 a Top Ten Business Journalist in the world and the only Canadian – to learn how you can tell your story, share your message and amplify it to a wide audience. He is Senior News Editor with Retail Insider and owner of Mario Toneguzzi Communications Inc. and can be reached at mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.
Also check out the other series offered by Retail Insider, including The Weekly podcast and The Interview Series, which are both available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Simplecast and other podcast players.
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.
Outdoor clothing store Trespass, with Scottish roots, made its debut in Canada in the fall with the opening of three stores and there are plans to expand across the country.
Robert Tucci
Stores are now open in Vaughan Mills, Niagara Falls (Outlet Collection at Niagara) and Tanger Outlets Cookstown in Ontario.
Robert Tucci, the lead for retail operations in Canada for Trespass, said the plan is to build over 30 stores across Canada in the next two to three years.
“Trespass comes from its original parent company which started in 1938 in Glasgow, Scotland and basically it was a company that was built that made handmade outerwear products. A lot of it was made for the local police departments and local individuals who were going to be outdoors, in the weather, in the elements, for extended periods of time,” said Tucci.
“You could say they built an expertise around protecting people from the elements and that’s basically where their heritage comes from. Here in Canada or North America we hear about Gore-Tex and everything but there’s a lot of companies that have specialized in that very same technology just all going about it in different ways.”
Trespass Canada at Outlet Collection at Niagara (Image: Trespass)Trespass Canada at Outlet Collection at Niagara (Image: Trespass)
Tucci said the word trespass is kind of a slang term in the Scottish highlands for going on an adventure.
“For them, it’s like trespassing on nature when you’re going out and you’re going on an adventure . . . The brand now has over 300 stores across Europe. And the compamy decided before COVID to enter Canada. They just thought Canada would be a great market. We have all the seasons. Some more extreme than others. They just felt we were a good fit,” said Tucci.
“Mountain Warehouse is also from the UK and Trespass saw Mountain Warehouse make the run to North America sooner and beat them to the destination. So COVID happened which put a hold on the plans and they just didn’t want to come in at a time when so much was going on. So Trespass waited for the market to begin to turn around and be more friendly to the retail environment. The plan was to get here this year and it was a big endeavour. We put the plans together for the three stores and we just hammered them out. One by one we built a store a week in the month of October.”
Tucci said the brand likes to run stores at about 3,000 square feet of space.
“In the UK, in popular destinations, we can run the stores up to a 5,000-square-foot model but right now we’re taking it easy with the Canadian market. We want to allow Canadians to touch the product, feel the product and see the difference for themselves,” said Tucci.
“Trespass has always believed word of mouth is the number one form of advertising. So they feel that the more people that have the product, own the product because in Europe they have a very, very loyal fan base. Just in Vaughan Mills the other day I had a customer come in that knows the product from Europe and they went on a shopping spree in Vaughan Mills. We didn’t need to convince them of anything. They just knew what they wanted. That’s the level of trust they have with their customers and the fan base over there.
“I believe it’s just going to take time for Canadians to discover us.”
Casdin Parr of JLL is representing Trespass for its expansion.
Trespass Canada at Tanger Cookstown Outlet MallTrespass Canada at Tanger Cookstown Outlet Mall
Tucci said the brand has big plans for the Canadian market. The question is just how long it takes for Canadians to adapt and respond to the product.
“The goal is to build just as many of our stores as you would have Mountain Warehouse across the country. We want to go coast to coast with a plan of 30 to 40 stores over the course of the next few years,” he said.
“We have goals to be in Vancouver and goals to be in the East Coast as well. But right now our primary focus is really getting Ontarians into the product and making sure we’re in all of the centres that we feel will have the most impact.”
The company was established in 1938 under the name Jacobs & Turner Ltd situated in the heart of Glasgow Scotland.
“In the beginning, we had just 12 machinists working profusely in a 1200 sqft warehouse where we provided uniforms and other items of clothing to large organisations including the local police. As our success grew, we started to manufacture anoraks and waterproof jackets that shaped the future of our business,” says the company on its website.
“With in-house designers and product experts, our team are highly talented creative individuals who explore the possibilities and constantly push the boundaries of innovation. We have also developed our own technology and technical materials including Tres-Tex, Tres-Shield and Tres-Tex 3 layer fabric. Today, Trespass is one of the UK’s most successful outdoor clothing retailers providing a wide range of products from walking boots to outdoor furniture, selling internationally and exporting to over 60 countries.
We currently have over 300 stores worldwide and a network of wholesale clients across the world as well as a thriving e-commerce website which we are constantly updating and improving.”
Global sporting retailer Decathlon has opened a pop-up location at Metropolis at Metrotown – its first store of more to come in British Columbia and other parts of Canada.
Stéphane Marchioni, Vice President of Operations & Real Estate Development for Decathlon Canada, said the pop-up will turn into a permanent location in a bigger store next year.
“We have already defined the plan for next year and the year after because as you can imagine we start negotiations with malls two years before the opening of stores,” he said.
Decathlon Pop-up Metropolis at Metrotown (Image: Decathlon Canada)
“Next year we plan to open Vancouver Metrotown, the big one, for the first of May and the second one will be Chicoutimi in Quebec which is a smaller city in Quebec because we have already addressed the big cities in Quebec. We have stores in Montreal, we have in Quebec (City).
“In 2025, we will open in Trois Rivieres, the city between Quebec and Montreal, and we will open Sherbrooke also.” And in Edmonton.
Marchioni said there is more room for stores in the country.
“There are provinces we still do not address like Manitoba, Saskatchewan. Winnipeg is probably on the run map for the coming years. Our plan is also to open more stores in Vancouver because we probably need more than three stores as a minimum to be able to correctly address all the Vancouver market,” he said.
“But today we still don’t have any concrete plans but that’s in the run map.”
Decathlon at Metropolis at Metrotown (Image: Geetanjali Sharma) Decathlon in CF Market Mall (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)
Currently, the brand operates 19 locations in Canada. Openings this fall have included CF Market Mall in Calgary and Scarborough Town Centre.
The brand has six stores in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and Marchioni said there is still room for one or two more stores there.
Marie-Lou Blais, Leader communication / Communications leader for Decathlon Canada, said the brand has a strategy to test markets and then adapt to those markets with their bigger stores.
“This is the first store we have in BC. It’s our first opening in the province,” she said. “Of course, we wanted to be agile and be able to react quickly to the market and adapt to what Canadians are looking for in that region. There might be some adapting to do compared to people in the (Greater Toronto Area) with consumer habits and so on. That’s why we wanted to open this fall with a plan of opening a big store next year.”
Decathlon Canada is represented by real estate advisory firm Oberfeld Snowcap.
Decathlon Metropolis at Metrotown (Image: Decathlon Canada)
Marchioni said the pop-up strategy was also used in the opening of the Scarborough store as a pop-up was in place 12 months before the opening of the permanent store. The strategy was used as well in the Bramalea Town Centre and in Dartmouth.
“It’s something I always negotiate with the landlord. Can we open a pop-up together in a small location in their mall before opening the big store so that we can first learn the market, understand the customer and also develop the recruitment,” he said.
The Metrotown pop-up store is about 10,000 square feet with the permanent store to be more than 35,000 square feet.
Decathlon has more than 1,700 stores in more than 70 countries.
“Canadians have a very active lifestyle from the get-go,” said Blais. “The four seasons here are really a good playground to be able to enjoy nature, the outdoors, no matter the province. There’s always that culture of movement and being active. That’s a very good playground for Decathlon to succeed in this.
“The access to sports is also something quite expensive in Canada and we feel we can add value to Canadians by opening stores where they are and offering Decathlon products which are high quality products at a fair price.”
Recently, Decathlon was named one of the top 5 Brands of the year by Strategy. It was also a Platinum winner in the Sporting Goods category for CommunityVotes Halifax 2023.
Black Friday Sales at Best Buy (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Canadian retailers face a bleak holiday season unless they can tempt shoppers with price cuts and incentives, according to a new survey by KPMG in Canada.
The survey found that more than eight in 10 consumers plan to tighten their belts as retailers face pressure to improve loyalty programs and customer experience.
Kostya Polyakov
“Our survey shows that this holiday season will be more challenging for retailers,” said Kostya Polyakov, Partner and National Leader for Consumer and Retail, KPMG in Canada. “With so many Canadians navigating a financial tightrope and frustrated by their shopping experience, retailers need to sweeten their offers and provide a better environment. It’s the only way that they will be able to stand out from their competitors and drive sales during what’s typically a make-or-break period for them.”
Holiday Shopping
Key findings from the survey include:
83 per cent of Canadians are more cautious about what they are spending money on this year compared to last year, given high inflation, interest rates and mortgage costs;
62 per cent are frustrated by their online shopping experience with over two-thirds wanting to see retailers think outside the box to replicate online that in-store shopping experience;
70 per cent of Canadians say they don’t plan on spending as much on discretionary items as they did in previous years; and
66 per cent indicated they plan to only spend on essential goods this year.
Polyakov said financial pressures have significantly shifted spending patterns, with most Canadians opting to economize and really prioritize any discretionary purchases to what matters the most to them.
The survey also shows Canadians are frustrated with both their in-store and online shopping experiences. As many as 68 per cent of Canadians say they prefer to shop in-person but find the in-store selection and merchandise “just doesn’t compare” to what they can find online. And 62 per cent are “frustrated by the online shopping experience”, saying either “the product is not what was advertised or returning the merchandise is inconvenient or costs too much.”
“Retailers are increasingly trying to offer the best of both worlds to consumers,” said Polyakov. “They are creating phygital shopping experiences that seamlessly merge the physical and digital realms. While it’s clear Canadians love to go shopping, they expect a superior, personalized online customer experience from their retailer’s website. Retailers need to stay a step ahead through data and technology to improve sales and encourage brand loyalty to keep customers coming back.”
Indigo at The Well in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Other key findings include:
78 per cent of Canadians are opting to shop at retailers that offer loyalty rewards programs, with 55 per cent saying that they are worth giving up their personal information;
70 per cent are not worried about their information being compromised when signing up for rewards programs;
93 per cent think retailers should be more transparent in how they protect and store personal data;
67 per cent prefer to shop in-person, but the in-store selection and merchandise just doesn’t compare to what is available online;
62 per cent are frustrated by the online shopping experience, e.g., either the product is not what was advertised or returning merchandise is inconvenient or costs too much; and
67 per cent think retailers need to think outside the box to replicate online that in-store experience (e.g, virtual reality dressing rooms with augmented reality and artificial intelligence (AI) to see what an outfit looks likes without physically trying it on.
“Holiday shopping season in 2021 was the one where none of us could get anything. That was the one where retailers were coming out of COVID, supply chain issues, demand was high, disposable income was high, nothing was available,” said Polyakov.
“In 2022, retailers worked very hard to get inventory levels up and make sure they had all the things that we wanted for the holiday season. And by then some of the trepidation, the word recession was in the news, potential recession, demand had come off so the sales growth in 2022, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, all of that, was lower than 2021.
“Now we’re in 2023 and things aren’t getting any better. The supply chain issues are in the past. Mostly you can get what you want. But now all the recession talk has turned into we saw interest rates rise, we saw inflation, disposable incomes, all those things that weren’t spent in 2020 and 2021 have now basically been spent. Now we’re seeing retail sales down. E-commerce is growing slower than before. So when I look at this poll, to me the ultimate finding is that 83 per cent of Canadians say they’re more careful about what they spend their money on this year. That is very much in vogue and not surprising.”
Black Friday Signage at DavidsTEA (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Polyakov said the other key point from the survey is that 66 per cent of Canadians say they will only be spending on essential goods this holiday season.
“If I’m a retailer, that’s a pretty scary stat,” he said. “That makes me worry if I’m not the one selling those essential things. So the go forward look is scary.”
Polyakov said when you look at the history of retail in difficult economic environments the suggestion is that consumers tend to switch down in purchases.
“But at the same time, the counter act to that is that during difficult times there are two interesting trends. One is that all of those premium retailers tend to go to new weapons in their arsenal such as loyalty programs and deeper discounts, and things that are meant to keep people going back and maybe buying that nicer T-shirt because it’s now on sale and they view that as value,” he said.
“The second thing . . . if you go back to any times of economic difficulty, people’s emotions actually make them spend more. The really interesting stat on this is if you look at any recession that’s ever happened, cosmetic sales always go up during recessions. It’s just kind of a weird stat because people tend to want to feel better about themselves in difficult financial times and cosmetics is one way to do that.”
Polyakov said e-commerce sales are slowing down. They’re still growing but not at the same pace as they were in recent years. Also in-store sales are coming back after being off during COVID.
“From an in-store perspective, a retailer has to have the right product in-store at the right time. That takes predictive supply chain. You need to know your customer well enough to know what your customer will want ahead of time,” he said.
Holiday Signage at Michaels Canada (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“Creating a shopping experience (is important) whatever that looks like. It might be as simple as serving coffee at bookstores or having tents to climb in at camping stores. Something that can’t be replicated online, is the key. That will attract consumers back.
“For online, it’s increasing trust. There’s an issue with folks trusting online shopping. Are you going to get the thing that you wanted? Is it going to look the same as it did online? If you can, whether it’s through advertising or celebrity endorsements or whatever you’re going to do, increase the level of trust online, you will attract customers. You will be the safe place to go.”
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.
Canadian shopping centre landlord Cadillac Fairview is launching a number of holiday activations across the country to attract shoppers to their properties and enhance customer experiences.
Craig Flannagan, VP, Marketing, Cadillac Fairview, said traffic in the company’s shopping centres has been steadily increasing with sales back to pre-pandemic levels.
“So that’s great. What we’re focused on right now is building experiences that are going to make people want to come to the mall and bring people together and feel that magic of the season. We know the importance that experience plays . . . and we’ve got great expectations for the season. We think it’s going to be great,” he said.
Image: cadillacfairview.com/holiday
Cadillac Fairview is inviting customers to experience ‘CF Winterville’ at shopping centres across Canada this season.
To usher in the most wonderful time of the year, all 18 CF retail properties across the country will transform into their own “CF Winterville” destination, featuring iconic holiday décor, enchanting CF Music performances, beloved visits with Santa, and at select properties, festive tree lighting ceremonies, including the much-anticipated return of the 114-foot tall Christmas tree at CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
“Nothing brings people closer together during the holidays than the magic and wonder of traditions old and new, and we’re proud to offer a range of memorable experiences to make a visit to CF extra special this holiday season,” said Flannagan. “We’re focused on delivering unique and entertaining experiences and hope that guests feel inspired and delighted when they come to shop during this festive and busy time of the year.”
“We’re in the business of building experiences. Holidays are no different for us. We’re going to continue to build experiences that create and celebrate traditions and bring people together and engage and inspire. And for this holiday, it’s things like the return of our iconic decor. So we’ve got big, beautiful decor in every property across the country. We’ve got CF Music experiences. I’m not sure many people know but we’ve had hundreds of musical performances in CF properties this year and we’ll continue to have over a hundred different performances in our properties this holiday. So bringing music is such a big part of the experience.”
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Tree lighting ceremonies will be happening at various properties across the country. The biggest one was at CF Toronto Eaton Centre on Wednesday, November 15th.
“Following a successful revitalization of the centre’s glass atrium ceiling, the iconic tree that has been a part of Toronto’s holiday celebrations since 2016 is back and even better than ever. To complement the tallest and most magical indoor tree in North America, the centre will make it snow even more than last year, transforming CF Toronto Eaton Centre into a true wintery wonderland,” said the company.
“The tree is a special part of the CF Toronto Eaton Centre holiday experience, and after a year-long hiatus, we are thrilled to bring it back – bigger and better than ever,” said Sheila Jennings, General Manager, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, of the 114-foot tree.
To learn more about CF’s holiday hours, experiences and services, along with event registration and ticketing info, please visit https://shops.cadillacfairview.com/holiday
Sheila Jennings at CF Toronto Eaton Centre Tree Lighting 2023 (Image: Dustin Fuhs)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Cadillac Fairview (CF) is one of the largest owners, operators, investors and developers of best-in-class office, retail, multi-family residential, industrial and mixed-use properties in North America. Wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, with assets under management of more than $30 billion, CF manages over 35 million square feet of leasable space at 68 landmark properties across Canada, including Toronto-Dominion Centre, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Tour Deloitte, CF Carrefour Laval, CF Chinook Centre and CF Pacific Centre.
Flannagan said hosting activities in shopping centres is incredibly important.
“I think that our spaces are places where people come to connect and engage and we want to build experiences that promote that. Our properties have been gathering places for the community for decades and we want to make sure we can build experiences that promote that behaviour. It’s something that people need, especially post-pandemic we found. That ability to come together with others and feel that connection, that human energy, it’s really important,” he said.
“It’s why you’ll see thousands of people singing together this Wednesday at the Toronto Eaton Centre tree lighting but it’s also why we think important traditions like the social aspect of music and how our decor is something you can bring your family to, walk around and have an experience just in that.
“And furthermore, even beyond a traditional holiday experience we’re looking at other experiences that promote people coming to the property but also just kind of reflecting and hanging out.”
Flannagan said Cadillac Fairview continues to put its best foot forward in giving people reasons to come visit its properties.
“These experiences are a very important part of the puzzle but also obviously retail is a big piece as well. We’ve got some exciting new retailers. Canada’s first and only Apple flagship opened at CF Pacific Centre. We have Uniqlo’s that are opening across the country. Alo. Fox Homes, Athleta, food options like Eataly, T&T. Toronto Eaton Centre will have an O&B (Oliver & Bonacini ) Queen’s Cross Food Hall and the Constance Taverne opening shortly. There’s just going to be many more options for people to come and hang out and maybe get a bite to eat while they’re at the mall as well.”
Lush at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Every year, Lush Cosmetics excels in creating a season of vibrant scents and eco-friendly products. This year is no exception as Lush has already released its holiday products, including some new collections. Erica Vega, brand and product expert at Lush, provides insights into what consumers can expect, what new products are available and will unwrap new trends.
Vega says like other retailers, the holiday season at Lush is starting earlier every year. For this season, holiday launched earlier than ever, on September 21, even seeing the launch of our iconic Snow Fairy Shower Gel launching as early as August 24th, to coincide with the Barbie collaboration.
“Christmas is getting earlier and earlier every year. We really want to make sure people have the comfort of knowing they don’t have to rush out at the very last minute to get things, they can take their time and get things done in a stress-free way. This year is probably the first year where people feel a lot more secure about going out, shopping and enjoying the holiday season again. So, we want people to come into the store and just enjoy their time with us,” says Vega.
Lush at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Balancing tradition and innovation
Lush is known for its ready-to-go gift sets, including traditional items like Lush’s advent calendar or its 12 days of Christmas. While consumers can count on Lush for its easy and traditional gifts, Vega says products inside will be different every year – keeping it fresh for consumers and gift receivers.
“You can never really rely on Lush to come out with the same things all the time. So when it comes to traditions – the tradition is giving and receiving Lush, but it might not be the same products every year. The only thing consumers can pretty much count on is Snow Fairy, our best selling product.”
In addition to Snow Fairy, consumers can anticipate new products such as seaweed sheet masks that can be used multiple times, seaweed eye pads, gingerbread lip scrub, strawberry santa shower foam, snowman sheet mask and other bath, shower and skin products.
“Everyone loves lip scrubs as you can just throw it in the stocking, so those are just nice additions to either bath stuff, shower stuff, or skin care products. Our one thing I would say if Lush was known for, it would be for creativity and innovation.”
Image: Lush.com/ca
Vega says inspiration comes from picking up ideas from all over the place such as traveling or “sometimes it is just from a funny Christmas movie that they want to bring out.” Lush is also known to collaborate with the entertainment industry, such as its Barbie collection, and will continue to evolve and collaborate for more ideas.
Lush also provides a variety of products to include and celebrate everyone.
“No matter what holiday you celebrate, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali or maybe you are not celebrating any particular holiday but you just want to be part of the festive season. We have something for everyone that comes into our shops and has a way to feel included and celebrated.”
Lush at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
One product turning into multiple
Besides holiday gift sets, Vega says Lush also evolves with products. For example, Snow Fairy started off as a shower gel in 2009; today it is now included in over a dozen different products for the Christmas season for bath, shower and body lotions.
Lush has also branched out to include new products such as candles and its lush melt.
“Candles are pretty new to us, but we are really exploring all the different ways we can incorporate things not just into the bathroom routine, but also perfume and to celebrate the home as well. We also have something called lush melt which has a double purpose: you can use it as a bath melt and infuse the bath with beautiful oils, or you can melt it in your wax burner and perfume the room with it.”
Self-care trend on the rise
Vega says since the pandemic, emphasis on self-care and relaxation has increased – bringing more people to Lush. As people are becoming more aware of their mental health and the need for self-care, Vega says “more people are wanting to take care of themselves better and incorporating self-care into their daily routines.”
With the increased trend, more shoppers are buying to treat themselves during the holiday season, not just for others. No matter what products consumers are looking for this holiday season, consumers can expect each Lush store to provide the identical experience and products.
“Christmas time is a really interesting time for Lush because I would say that is where people are the least familiar. They might be walking through the mall and come in because they need gifts – and then they discover it. This is the time where people discover Lush a lot and is a time where people start their own Lush traditions.”
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.
Quiet Luxury (This image was generated with the assistance of AI)
Quiet luxury is growing in Canada as consumers are on the hunt for high-quality products they can resonate with, without being overly flashy. Michael Warwick, Partner of B Hemmings & Co.; Ian Rosen, President and Chief Operating Officer at Harry Rosen; and Craig Patterson, Publisher and Owner of Retail Insider discuss the growing trend, challenges and the future of quiet luxury in Canada.
Escape the noise, embrace the elegance
Ian Rosen
Rosen describes quiet luxury as focusing on materials and silhouettes rather than showing off logos. “It is obviously luxurious, but very understated in terms of branding. It is a refined way of the luxury market evolving where the store is more about how the product is made rather than what is on the product,” says Rosen.
Quiet luxury is the essence of luxury without being gaudy and appeals to individuals who prefer a more sophisticated look. Loud luxury receives attention, is bold, is made to impress, is showy and can be a status symbol. Spotting loud luxury is easy as it often shows logos or a brand symbol; quiet luxury is silent on the streets while still creating an impact.
“In many cases, consumers say they have been stopped on the street from people asking what type of bag they have because people are curious. Quiet luxury is focused on craftsmanship, quality and beauty rather than being centred around marketing – embracing the quiet,” says Warwick. “For a lot of our customers, they want something truly exclusive and they have a keen eye recognizing exquisite detail and artisanship. They are looking for something unpretentious, understood and sophisticated: wanting all the benefits of loud luxury, without the logos and markings.”
Brunello Cucinelli at Harry Rosen (Image: Harry Rosen)
The rise of quiet luxury: Unveiling the reasons behind the growing trend
Searching for uniqueness and not needing to project social status are two reasons Warwick says why the trend of quiet luxury is growing within Canada.
Michael Warwick
“People are looking for something special, can customise or even something one of a kind. People are interested in the stories of how things are crafted with quality and beauty without being overly flashy – something rare and exclusive,” says Warwick.
At B Hemmings & Co., Warwick says one benefit is consumers can customise a bag using its monogramming services and each product is made with craftsmanship and attention to detail. Each bag is also made by hand and often has a deep history and story behind it. Products include briefcases, luggage, wallets, bags and accessories – most of them falling under quiet luxury.
B Hemmings & Co. (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Warwick says loud luxury can sometimes mean lack of quality and some brandsoften sell products out of its speciality.
For example, a luxury store selling bags and purses when its specialty is clothing. The craftsmanship of those bags can be poor, even though they are coming from a luxury brand. A quiet luxury brand tends to focus less on expanding into things it does not specialize in and focuses on being great at what they are already making, such as the luggage at B Hemmings & Co.
For instance, when a luxury brand primarily specialises in clothing starts selling bags and purses, the quality of these accessories might suffer. In contrast, a luxury brand like B Hemmings & Co. prioritises excellence in what they already specialise in, its luggage.
Brunello Cucinelli women’s boutique at Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
“Given the logo mania we have seen happening with some luxury brands, some consumers have now decided they want to move to brands like Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana which are really quiet luxury brands for the most part,” says Warwick.
Craig Patterson
Patterson says people leaning towards quiet luxury generally want to avoid showing off how much money they have, want to remain safe on the streets and are looking to stay away from identifiable logos. This trend goes beyond clothing as Patterson is noticing an increase of luxury brands providing logoless bags, providing an extra step to give consumers, who want to keep their wealth status a secret, additional comfort.
“In the past, and particularly during recessions, we have seen some high-end retailers in Toronto give out non-branded shopping bags to consumers instead of recognizable bags from brands like Hermes or Louis Vuitton. These bags are usually in plain paper bags, so no one would know the consumer went shopping at a luxury store,” says Patterson.
Quiet luxury has been around for decades Patterson says. From the early 1900s into the 1950s, households would spend 12 to 14 per cent of their gross annual income on clothing. Today, Patterson says the average household spends just three per cent of their annual income, and we have about five times the amount of clothing in our closets. Fast fashion is one of the reasons.
“Our closets are bigger. We are spending less – but we have more,” says Patterson. “Back then, they had less clothing and it was of high quality, meant to last. Today we have fast fashion, inexpensive brands and also discounters. So the quiet luxury movement is, at least to a degree, taking things back to where they would have been in the past.”
Who is buying?
B Hemmings & Co. (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“We live in an age where we want to show our social status, believe it or not, but I think some customers are very comfortable in their own skin – they are truly buying something for themselves,” says Warwick. “They are self-assured and want something rare and exclusive. Consumers are again buying for themselves and not for others, and would rather whisper more than they want to scream.”
Rosen says luxury is typically targeting a more exclusive audience of higher net worth individuals. With quiet luxury, Rosen agrees consumers are looking to shop more for themselves than for others and it allows the person to invest in themselves. They want to present themselves professionally, without the flashiness you see in ‘loud luxury’.
“At Harry Rosen, for a lot of men they desire to feel confident in clothing and feel expressive with the quality, but not necessarily be extremely loud with print, colour or a big label which speaks to a relatively sophisticated man. As for me, I think it is definitely something we are going to continue to see catch on, but time will tell,” says Rosen.
Patterson says quiet luxury tends to attract consumers who are looking to increase sustainability as quiet luxury products last longer.
Holt Renfrew Men at 100 Bloor St W, Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“Quiet luxury is being bought by consumers who want to be more sustainable and don’t want to show off how much money they have. They may be looking for high quality items that will last a long time and don’t have visible logos. This is in contrast to loud luxury, which is more focused on the name and not quality and may break down after a couple of years,” says Patterson.
Although anyone can find quiet luxury, loud luxury or a mix of both to their taste, Patterson says there are differences.
Akris boutique at Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
“Some of it is because of old money versus new money. Some people with newer money want to show off. People with older money who have had it for a long time may still be somewhat flashy and showy – it really depends on how crass they are,” says Patterson. “There is also a difference between people who think they know luxury compared to people who do – some people may lack taste.”
“Others who come from ‘old money’ may choose brands of high quality but are not identifiable in terms of logos. This is what some refer to as ‘stealth wealth’, a topic many are discussing with the popularity of the HBC hit series ‘Succession’,” says Patterson.
For some emerging populations such as people from China or India who are wealthy or upwardly mobile, Patterson says they may buy loud luxury to show off their status, such as wearing a Gucci belt or something else noticeably expensive. Patterson is also noticing Asian demographics in Canada leaning more into the loud luxury as they tend to focus more on logos.
“They are going to be a bit more focused on logos than other demographics. With certain demographics and shopping groups, as they evolve and become more sophisticated – they will start to move away from logo brands to find something a bit more subtle. They start to look for quality and not just to show off,” says Patterson. The trend is already taking place in China, he notes.
Delvaux concession at Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
Future of quiet luxury in Canada
Warwick, Rosen and Patterson agree quiet luxury will remain in Canada, but are unable to predict what will happen in the future to the growing trend. Warwick hopes consumers in Canada will start to recognize the beauty, artisanship and craftsmanship of quiet luxury products.
“We hope more people will gather interest in quiet luxury. When we think about artisanship, if it is not embraced – it will be lost and then we will only have loud luxury. People are curious about our brands because certainly with a lot of the loud luxury brands, they are ubiquitous – anything branded is not really going to turn heads. I think people are looking for something more real and down to earth,” says Warwick.
