Canadian jewelry brand Mejuri has launched its app as well as the Mejuri+ membership program which it says is a first in the fine jewelry industry.
Mejuri’s aggressive retail expansion strategy will continue in tandem with the launch of the app and membership program, as five more stores are expected to open in the second half of this year – Miami, a second store in San Francisco, Nashville, a third store in Los Angeles, and a third store in London, England.
Majed Masad
“It’s simple to turn a website into an app, but we didn’t want to do that,” said Majed Masad, Co-Founder and President of Mejuri. “Instead, we created a personalized app that provides product curations and recommendations and ultimately feels native to you and your phone.”
Mejuri Ossington (Image: Mejuri)
Mejuri was founded in 2015 by Masad and Noura Sakkijha. It has expanded to become a global brand with over 560 employees and 24 stores, two million customers, and celebrity fans, including Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Oprah Winfrey, and Billie Eilish.
“We’ve always really believed in the importance of an enhanced experience mobile app. With mobile, you can do a lot more. We wanted it to be really focused on the customer, personalization and things like that. Some elements of that you can bring into the web but I think mobile enables you to do a bit more than what you would want to do in web,” said Masad.
“It’s been on the roadmap for I would say we’ve talked about it for three years now. It never got prioritized because there were a lot of initiatives that we wanted to move forward from a web perspective first and then we felt when we’re ready we’re going to launch the app. Fifty per cent of our revenue comes from repeat customers which is a substantial percentage of revenue.
“So when you think of mobile and making it really focused on the customer and personalization and emphasis on lifetime value and how can we really guide the customer through the buying journey . . . and how can we help the customer grow within the brand, the mobile app was the perfect place for that.”
Mejuri Ossington (Image: Mejuri)
Masad said the retailer has always talked about traditional loyalty programs but it’s never been sold on it from a discount perspective.
“We wanted to make something that really resonates with our customer. We did a lot of customer research. We spoke to our customers. Really wanted to do a program that enables perks and get closer to our customer, know their birthday, we can send them a gift. We launched with free shipping on Tuesdays. Things like that,” he said. “We’ve really pushed the envelope on what membership can look like. It’s free. We want to make fine jewelry accessible and part of everyday wear. The membership program is really meant to complement that and keep us closer to our customers and even our prospects and bring them along the journey.
“So as you join as you become a member we also ask for your styling profile, what metal you’re most interested in, why, etc. so we can really accommodate the experience to your liking.”
Masad said the retailer is currently strategizing its next expansion moves.
“It’s premature to say exactly how many stores or where at this moment but we are still bullish on retail expansion. Our doors perform. As jewelry, ultimately our customers and community want to engage in it, see it, try it on. A lot of what we’re doing is also experiential jewelry like our piercing studios, styling appointments and things like that. And we do events in our stores,” he said.
“So we want to get closer to our customers, our community. It’s definitely a part of our strategy. We’re going to our third store in the UK. We’re talking about what potential could there be for international expansion beyond the UK. Canada and the U.S. are our primary markets. We’ll continue to expand in those markets first but potentially expanding beyond that.”
Mejuri+Mejuri+
Since 2015, the brand said it has garnered a loyal community of two million customers and 1.2 million Instagram followers. Research has found that 25 per cent of those repeat customers return to buy in that same year.
The membership program will be free to join and members will receive exclusive perks such as priority sale access, exclusive product access, free shipping on certain days, a birthday treat and more. The first perk for members is a gift with purchase – a limited edition pair of Green Agate Hoop Earrings on their first order – while supplies last.
The Mejuri App will empower customers with a world of style at their fingertips. The app will provide access to latest collections, trends, and exclusive releases, providing a tailor-made shopping journey that is both convenient and delightful. In development, the Mejuri team conducted extensive research to evaluate the best in-class and luxury apps.
The retailer said 80 per cent of the brand’s site traffic comes from mobile, resulting in a 40 per cent increase in click-through rate YoY. In addition, since launching SMS in 2019, the brand has garnered 350,000 SMS subscribers.
Mejuri+
To sign up for Mejuri+, customers can visit https://mejuri.com/member. The Mejuri App is available to download at The App Store, and will be launching on Android in the near future.
Masad said there are macro economic challenges currently impacting retailers with inflation having an impact on consumer confidence.
“Having said that, we still believe in what we’re doing in bringing value to the customer and bringing fine jewelry and making it part of everyday wear and ensuring that there’s a value to the customer ultimately,” he said. “We feel that segment of the market is pretty resilient and so we continue to focus on creating value for our customer in every product that we launch.”
MightyBird Union Station in Toronto (Image: MightyBird)
MightyBird, a new, fast-casual crispy chicken restaurant, launched September 25 in Canada with the opening of a location in the Foodie Aisle at Toronto’s Union Station with the ambition of rolling out the concept across the country.
“We know there’s a fried chicken revolution happening, and people are loving this southern classic,” said Dan Kennedy, Partner at Open Concept Hospitality. “Our mission at MightyBird is to provide a chicken experience like no other, where flavour and quality take centre stage.”
“We couldn’t think of a better place to reach Torontonians, visitors, sports fans and concert goers than Union Station,” said George Heos, Co-Founder of Eat Up Canada. “Located in the Foodie Aisle on the lower retail level by the underground entrance to Scotiabank Arena, MightyBird offers elevated grab-and-go counter-service in Toronto’s busiest transportation hub.”
Mighty Poutine (Image: MightyBird)
MightyBird’s chef-curated menu features signature chicken marinated in rich buttermilk and cooked to crispy, golden perfection. The menu is much more closely compared to what people would find in a sit-down restaurant environment. It’s more of a full-service restaurant versus a quick service one in terms of the offering but MightyBird is about convenience, speed and being reasonably priced.
“The launch of MightyBird at Union Station is just the beginning,” said Alex Gerzon, Co-Founder of Eat Up Canada. “Plans are underway to expand the MightyBird brand across Ontario, including a traditional fast-casual restaurant with an expanded menu opening in Burlington later this fall.”
It all started with the perfect crispy chicken sandwich
The Mighty O.G. Sandwich (Image: MightyBird)
Open Concept Hospitality has been active since 2017 in the full-service, casual dining space with a number of restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area. The biggest and most successful concept has been Union Chicken. Other brands include Amano Italian Kitchen and Mikey’s Smash Burgers.
Kennedy said the company’s Union Chicken concept was the brainchild of several business partners who thought there was an opportunity for a premium rotisserie chicken concept to open in Union Station. A fried chicken sandwich was added to that menu. It was almost an afterthought at first and it quickly became its most popular item to the point where they started to build more and more menu items around it. The recipe was fine-tuned over the years.
“It’s really become the item that everybody knows us for,” said Kennedy. “We decided as a company that there was a real opportunity in fast casual dining for a great crispy chicken concept to be developed. Unfortunately, our background was in full-service casual dining and we didn’t really have any experience in franchising but I did know a couple of former colleagues who I had a lot of great admiration and respect for.”
A recipe for a perfect partnership
MightyBird Owners (Left to Right) Chef Ian Calvert, George Heos, Alex Gerzon and Dan Kennedy
“George, Alex and I worked together at Boston Pizza. We stayed in touch over the years as our paths had gone in different directions. I reached out to them and asked for some advice on how we could build a scalable fast, casual brand based around our hero item that we felt we wanted to bring to the masses.”
“The more we spoke about it, the more we realized that rather than us trying to do this on our own (with a little consulting from Alex and George), that this could be a real opportunity for us to partner and bring together our operations and culinary expertise on the Open Concept Hospitality side with Alex and George’s depth of experience in franchising, in real estate, and developing great brands.”
The first location for MightyBird is a scaled down version of the concept because it’s going into an area called the Foodie Aisle at Union Station. It’s counter-service only with limited family-style seating. It will have a smaller menu, but it gives the concept an opportunity to introduce the brand to Toronto and beyond for the people who travel to the city.
Crispy Chicken Bomb Box (Image: MightyBird)
The full-service Union Chicken location will remain at its current Union Station location. MightyBird has taken over the Union Chicken satellite location which was operating in the Foodie Aisle.
“We bring a certain skill set. We’re very good at developing concepts and building restaurants and taking franchising brands that have already been developed to the next level,” said Gerzon.
“Culinary is not our strength and that’s where Dan and his partners really came to the table with that area of expertise. So when you look at both groups together there’s some tremendous synergies there because of all the different skill sets involved. We’ve always loved Union Chicken as guests ourselves and always thought they had probably the best chicken sandwich out there,” added Gerzon.
A brand positioned to spread its wings
Heos said sometimes people forget that it’s about the food when they’re creating a brand.
“And we just loved the food,” he said. “We felt there was an opportunity to create a brand that was in tune with what people are looking for. Obviously the crispy chicken space has always been popular in the restaurant industry. Some people might say it is saturated or there are too many. We believe that there’s always room for a great concept that has great food and great service. That’s why we have created MightyBird.”
The trio believes there’s tremendous potential for the brand. They believe Canada represents an opportunity to build more than 150. The goal would be to open 10 to 15 restaurants a year.
Eat Up Canada: Bringing New Fast Casual Brands to Canada
Bombay Frankies owners from L to R – Alex Gerzon, Chef Vikram Vij, George HeosImage: Bombay Frankies
Eat Up Canada was formed in 2021 by experienced restaurant developers Heos and Gerzon after the two sold their Firehouse Subs business after building it up to 50 restaurants in just six years. The goal at the time of Eat Up Canada was to build or develop new, exciting fast casual brands in Canada.
“Alex and I have been in partnership for a long, long time. In 2021, we started talking about developing our own brand, and shortly after created Bombay Frankies with celebrity Chef Vikram Vij,” said Heos.
The first Bombay Frankies restaurant opened last October in Newmarket, and the brand now has locations in Kanata and Ajax. Alex and George will be opening five to seven restaurants this year all in Ontario. The plan is to expand to other parts of the country, probably starting in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland in the next 12 months.
The second brand Eat Up Canada has is American-based Pokeworks, a leader in the premium poke segment. The company has a master franchise agreement to develop all of Canada. The first one opens in November and it will also serve as the brand’s training restaurant and located in the same building as Bombay Frankies in Etobicoke. Its second location will open in late-November in the massive mixed-use The Well development in downtown Toronto.
“Having three new exciting brands gives us opportunities that other companies wouldn’t have,” said Heos. “We secured three sites this year where we are opening multiple restaurants. Two are over 4,000 square feet and we’re putting in three concepts. Three very distinct concepts. It’s not a food court concept. We’re not sharing kitchens or washrooms or seating. The first location that we’re doing for MightyBird was a 4,500-square-foot gym in Burlington. We’re taking that location and dividing it into three units – MightyBird, Pokeworks and Bombay Frankies.”
“We’re able get great real estate deals done and offer franchisees an opportunity to grow. In the example of Burlington, one franchisee is doing both the Bombay Frankies and Pokeworks and in fact they wanted to do the MightyBird as well except that’s going to be our corporate training restaurant.”
“We think we represent a tremendous value to franchisees and a tremendous opportunity for landlords who have either now or will have a lot of vacancy in that kind of four, five, six thousand square foot range spaces to basically go to one company and lease the whole thing.”
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 three days.
Future KIT + ACE at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Retailer KIT + ACE, under new ownership and leadership, has ventured into Taobao, a Chinese online shopping platform owned by Alibaba, as the brand continues to make plans for expanding its physical footprint in Canada.
The brand was purchased this year by Unity Brands Inc., owned by well-known Canadian entrepreneur Joe Mimran, David Lui and Frank Rocchetti.
David Lui
“Our customers online are telling us we are top of mind,” said Lui, KIT + ACE’s CEO. “Our store year-over-year sales are double digit comps. So very, very positive top line. Our customers love our product and love our brand.
“Our online is telling us that customers from the country – even from the UK and Australia and the U.S. – are definitely buying our product and repeating and returning.”
KIT + ACE at CF Market Mall in Calgary (Image: Kit and Ace)
KIT + ACE currently has four locations – Gastown in Vancouver; Mount Royal Village in Calgary; Oakville, Ontario; and Queen St in downtown Toronto. The stores range in size from 2,500 square feet to 4,000 square feet.
“We just introduced about two months ago live streaming to China on the Taobao app,” said Lui. “It’s performing really well. The Chinese guests and consumers are embracing our product. We broadcast five days a week right now. We do live selling.
“We have a Key Opinion Leader (KOL). They’re based here in Vancouver and once a week they broadcast live in our store and then other days they broadcast live in their showroom in their office. She basically talks for a good five hours a day on camera, live streamed directly into China. Just selling and trying on product in front of the camera. Selling through camera. It’s an interesting process because there’s two people helping her on live and behind the scenes in China there’s a customer service team going through customer service, questions, processing of orders and answering questions. So it does take a cast. It takes a team to orchestrate this live selling session. It’s pretty amazing.”
Lui said the use of the shopping platform is intended to expand its brand presence to China where live stream shopping is very popular.
As former CEO of Korite, a brand that focused on ammolite gemstones and jewelry, he had experience bringing that brand to live streaming in the past.
“It’s also a good way to test a new market. Use their mechanism of shopping, use their preference of shopping, and try out a new market without opening physical stores,” said Lui. “So online capability, live streaming capability has allowed us to test a new market which we now know China is receptive to our product,” he said.
Future KIT + ACE at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
By November 1, KIT + ACE will be opening a pop-up at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and then around the same time it’s going to open another pop-up for the holiday season in CF Market Mall in Calgary, which will be then closed for renovation to open as a permanent store.
“At Eaton Centre, we’re doing the same thing. We’re opening it initially as a pop-up with a view for a long-term lease there,” explained Lui.
He said the retailer has plans to open on West 4th Avenue in Vancouver in Spring 2024 as a permanent and flagship location.
“We aim to finish 2024 with up to ten stores – an additional six stores to our current portfolio,” added Lui.
For its real estate needs, KIT + ACE is working with Oberfeld Snowcap. It is also working with BURDIFILEK on the design of the new stores.
When Unity Brands announced it had acquired KIT + ACE, Mimran said:
“KIT + ACE has first of all really, really strong top of mind awareness which was built up over the years. Even though the brand has only been in the market eight years. But I think the brand has a much bigger image than it has footprint, certainly.
“I loved that it was direct to consumer which I’m obviously familiar with a direct to consumer model. And I still believe in the direct to consumer model and it had a very strong consumer franchise. A franchise of consumers that are very homogeneous, particularly on the men’s side, and because of that I believe that the positioning is very, very clear for the brand.
“And it’s not too often that you can get a brand, buy a business, where the customer is clear as to who that customer profile is and what the ethos of the brand is all about. To me, and to Frank and to David, we felt that with a little bit of tweaking we could really continue to grow this brand. That’s what we found exciting.”
Casual steakhouse restaurant MR MIKES is in expansion mode.
Recently, the brand opened its 47th location in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.
Tony Zidar, Senior Vice-President of Operations for MR MIKES, said the brand has done well since COVID.
Tony Zidar
“In the world of not much has happened since March 2020, we opened Merritt, Stoney Plain, Sylvan Lake and a couple of months ago Fort Saskatchewan,” he said.
“It was a tough time for everyone but we were able to keep our engine rolling and continue to recruit franchisees and find sites. We’re continuing to move forward which is fantastic.”
MR MIKES Sylvan Lake
Zidar said the company is done opening new locations for this year as it typically does not like to target any openings beyond the middle of October.
More locations are planned to open next year – three in Western Canada and one in Ontario and there are ongoing talks for another one.
“It looks like a pretty good year next year,” he said.
“Our concept is yes we are a steakhouse but we’re steakhouse casual, stressing the word casual. Our marketing objectives and initiatives this year are all about the word casual. We’re embracing the markets that we’re in. We’re in bigger markets but we’re in smaller to quite small markets that act as hubs for bigger geographical areas and those stores do really well.
“They’re local ownership. They’re locally-owned and operated for the most part. That’s really part of our success. Where we open, the operators live in the market, they know most of the people in the market. A lot of companies, not that they won’t touch, they don’t look at the market we look at. A town of 12 to 14,000 people in northern Alberta is perfect for us because they have a trade area that’s probably 30 to 35,000 people and those are people who really know each other. The franchisee is able to network with the existing networks that they have and really turn the restaurant into a hub for the community which is really important for us.”
Image: Mr Mikes Steakhouse
He said the prototype of the restaurant has changed and been shrunk in size. The first one was in Merritt of about 4,200 square feet.
“The focus going forward is not only the standalones which have been our traditional formula. A lot of retrofits, in-line, stuff like that in different communities where there are opportunities. We’re starting to get out to a boots on the ground campaign to look for opportunities and convert either sites that were restaurants or retail fronts and convert them to a MR MIKES,” said Zidar.
“We have our list of brand standards and must haves to turn something into a MR MIKES and make it not only look and feel like a MR MIKES but be able to execute the brand and deliver the guest experience and the food and beverage that we do.
“So it’s really a secondary approach that we see as key to our growth going forward. We can typically do those in a quicker timeline. We’re not building walls. We’re not pouring slab and putting in HVAC. We’re taking existing space so we can cut the timeline almost in half as well as depending on what that space was the economies are really efficient for the franchisee. Less money up front. They can get going a lot more quickly. It’s a big strategy for us right now. We’re certainly not turning our back on our traditional methods but we’re looking at other things and Fort Saskatchewan is a perfect example.”
Image: MR MIKES – Grande Prairie
The new Fort Saskatchewan location was a retrofit of another concept that ticked all of its boxes. The location was a restaurant that had closed more than a year ago. The franchisee took a look at the space and identified a great opportunity to convert it in a short timeline.
“It’s been an absolute home run,” said Zidar. “You walk in, it’s a MR MIKES. It’s not the absolute cookie-cutter MR MIKES but absolutely looks like it, feels like it and the franchisee is delivering a fantastic experience and we’re excited about it.”
The first MR MIKES was opened by two brothers, Bob and Nick Constabaris. Over the past decade, the restaurant concept has embraced the heritage that was established back then but it also was revitalized by Mike Cordoba, Al Cave, and Robin Chakrabarti with the introduction of the Steakhouse/Casual concept.
“It started off in BC and it was more of a steak and salad bar concept. At its height, we don’t have the exact number of how many units it got to, but it was over 80 and then went through a few incarnations of concepts throughout the years as concepts do,” said Zidar.
“In 2010, it was acquired by the current owners and rebranded as MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual which was kind of a new space in the steakhouse world. Obviously The Keg being the Godfather of classic steakhouses in Canada and that niche is filled. Our strategy was to go into different and smaller markets to fill that in with the need for a steakhouse but not wanting to compete with The Keg.”
Canadian retail sales grew marginally in July 2023 with All Stores up 0.5% YOY and All stores Less Automotive, Food, Pharmacies down -0.6% YOY. Considering June suffered a decrease in sales, and factors such as the port workers strike causing around $10 billion in lost trade, this is a welcome change.
The greater category of health and wellness continues to impress through 2023 with no end in sight. There are many categories, both negatively and positively, affected by this trend, namely:
Health and Personal Care stores are up 5.9% YOY, continuing on a trend of positive growth with YTD in 2023 being up 9%.
Beer Wine and Liquor Stores are down -5.0% YOY as consumers opt for healthier options such as non-alcoholic cocktails.
Cannabis Retailers continue on an upward trajectory of 13.6% YOY as non-inhalant varieties are seen as a much better alternative than alcohol.
Electronics and Appliances Stores, up 10.1% YOY, could be a result of more customers seeking wearables as they exercise more through the summer. Wearables grew 8.5% in Q2 of 2023.
Going against the inflation-related reduction in discretionary spending, Shoe Stores sales were up 10.1% YOY and nearly 17% YTD. With other non-essential categories feeling the impacts of the current day, the fact that shoes are still selling is impressive. Certain brands such as Crocs have continued on their pandemic high, with sales still up over 200% compared to pre-pandemic. Another brand to keep an eye on in the coming months will be Birkenstock, who recorded a 31% annual growth rate from 2020-2022 and is preparing for an IPO. There may also be a linkage to health and wellness, as consumers are purchasing more shoes for running, basketball, tennis, etc..
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Ecommerce sales were up significantly YOY, experiencing a growth of 10.8%, and YTD up 5.9%. With 2023 seeing increased traffic at brick-and-mortar retail locations, this performance is even more impressive. A large piece of this increased revenue is likely thanks to Amazon’s summer prime day which took place July 11-12, 2023. Total sales for Prime Day (i.e., not just in Canada) totalled $12.7 billion over the two days, an increase of 6.1% over 2022. The category that experienced the highest growth was Appliances, up 52% over 2022, with the top selling product overall being the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote.
Canadian Retail Sales by Product Category, Same Month ComparisonCanadian Retail Sales by Store Category, Year to Date ComparisonRetail Trade, Canada, All Stores, by Geographic RegionsCanadian Ecommerce Sales
In the ever-evolving landscape of ecommerce, the intersection of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and online retailing represents a key advancement that warrants scrutiny. Generative AI has already had a profound influence on ecommerce, encapsulating its manifold dimensions from personalization to productivity enhancements. The underpinning contention posits that generative AI constitutes a veritable paradigm shift in the realm of online commerce.
Redefining Personalization Through Generative AI
The core premise of generative AI in ecommerce is the augmentation of personalized product recommendations. That’s according to Kelly Thacker, SVP, Product Marketing & CMO, Retail & Consumer Goods at Salesforce. Although AI-driven recommendations have historically been integral to the online shopping experience, generative AI transcends convention by instilling a nuanced, bespoke feel, she said. This is achieved by harnessing a confluence of data points encompassing customer purchase history, real-time inventory status, and the meteorological forecasts at the customer’s intended destination.
What distinguishes generative AI is its ability to curate recommendations tailored to individual preferences in terms of size, colour, and product type, according to Thacker, all without necessitating the creation of distinct models for each customer. A salient feature of this paradigm is the iterative refinement of recommendations through user feedback, culminating in heightened conversion rates and elevated customer satisfaction.
Kelly Thacker
Effortless Product Discovery and the Role of Digital Concierges
A critical dimension of generative AI in ecommerce is the facilitation of effortless product discovery, noted Thacker. Analogous to the in-store experience of sales and service agents who adeptly discern customer cues and proffer relevant product suggestions, generative AI manifests this capability in the digital sphere. This is primarily executed through the deployment of digital concierges imbued with natural language processing capabilities, said Thacker in a recent interview at the Salesforce Dreamforce conference in San Francisco.
These digital concierges, she noted, serve as the conduits for customers to organically explore product offerings. Such a user experience is ultimately paramount for fostering customer loyalty, underpinned by the familiarity and comfort associated with natural language interactions.
Generative AI’s Multi-faceted Impact on Ecommerce Productivity
The transformative impact of generative AI is not confined to personalization but extends comprehensively across ecommerce operations. One facet of this impact is the automation of routine tasks, thereby conserving time for merchandisers, marketers, and ecommerce managers. From generating product descriptions to crafting promotions, generative AI obviates manual configurations, fostering agility within teams.
Thacker said in an interview that the advent of generative coding accelerates innovation processes. Through the discernment of actionable insights, AI empowers teams to navigate strategic goals effectively. This includes endeavours such as inventory clearance, abandoned cart optimization, and the augmentation of average order values. These data-driven strategies precipitate increased revenue and heightened customer engagement.
Optimizing Post-Purchase Operations: A Profound Inroad into Inventory Management
Post-purchase operations, conventionally marked by expedited shipping, self-service order tracking, and seamless returns, have entered a phase of optimization through generative AI, notes Thacker. This is exemplified by leveraging returns reports and customer reviews to fine-tune product descriptions, ameliorating return rates.
Furthermore, generative AI lends its prowess to route managers for devising environmentally sustainable delivery routes. Operations teams benefit from data analysis, enabling them to orchestrate sourcing and shipping operations more efficiently and cost-effectively.
The Crucial Role of Generative AI in Fraud Detection
In the intricate tapestry of ecommerce, the perennial challenge of fraud detection is met with a formidable adversary in generative AI. By acquiring an understanding of evolving scammer tactics, AI’s predictive capabilities ascend beyond the capabilities of malicious actors, according to Thacker. Consequently, the discernment of fraudulent activities is augmented without impeding legitimate transactions.
However, the potency of generative AI is inherently tethered to the quality and uniformity of the data it relies upon, she noted. Therefore, achieving data harmonization remains a pivotal prerequisite for the refinement of existing large language models (LLMs) and the unleashing of generative intelligence’s potential.
The Academic Discourse on Generative AI in Ecommerce
Ultimately, the advent of generative AI in ecommerce signifies a transformative epoch marked by personalization, productivity amplification, streamlined operations, and fortified fraud detection. The early adopters of this technology are already reaping the dividends through elevated customer satisfaction and augmented revenue streams, said Thacker. Industry stakeholders are thus poised to traverse a dynamic landscape where the promise of generative AI augurs an era of efficiency and personalized engagement in online shopping.
As the trajectory of this technology continues to unfurl, its profound implications for ecommerce warrant further inquiry and exploration as retailers in Canada and beyond adopt new technologies.
Retail Council of Canada gathers the most influential and passionate change-makers from the retail and CPG industry, manufacturing, technology, and policy landscape for the inaugural Retail Sustainability Conference on October 3, 2023, at the International Center, Mississauga. Beyond a mere event, it signifies a watershed moment in Canada’s push for a more sustainable future.
Why This Conference?
As the world grapples with environmental challenges, Canada takes the lead in North America’s pivot to extended producer responsibility (EPR). This important gathering will serve as a collaborative hub, uniting retailers, manufacturers, suppliers, technology providers, and policy visionaries. Together, they’re sharing sustainable packaging solutions, resilient supply chains options, and actionable paths to zero plastic waste and net-zero emissions.
“The essence of this conference is sparking collective action,” says Diane J. Brisebois, Retail Council of Canada President and CEO. “It’s our unique space where the industry unites, where we learn, engage in vital dialogues, and where visionary concepts seamlessly blend with actionable strategies. Together, we’re setting the stage for a sustainable future for Canadians and the world.”
A Glimpse at the Speaker Line-up:
The 40+ speakers talking on October 3, 2023 include hugely recognized leaders effecting change:
• Fisk Johnson, CEO and Chairman, and Chairman of the Board, SC Johnson
• Galen Weston, President and Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited
Sessions will be on issues like the shift to product and plastics sustainability, navigating EPR, innovative strategies to slash greenhouse gas emissions, reporting, and more will fill the jam-packed agenda.
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 48 hours.
Craig and Lee dive into the dynamic changes taking place on Bloor Street West in downtown Toronto. The episode explores the city’s evolving luxury run, focusing on the influx of luxury brands, extensive renovations, and exciting store openings that are reshaping the retail landscape.
Craig highlights the grand arrival of Ferragamo, a renowned Italian luxury brand, on Bloor Street. He shares insights from his interview with Ferragamo’s CEO, shedding light on the brand’s strategic choice to establish a presence on one of the world’s most prestigious luxury retail streets. Alongside Ferragamo, children’s retailer Bonpoint has also set up shop, adding to the diverse mix of offerings on Bloor Street.
The hosts delve into the developments at iconic addresses like 110 Bloor Street West, 100 Bloor Street, and even discuss the closures and future plans for the area. Craig underscores the flurry of construction activity and the promising outlook for Bloor Street’s retail scene, debunking earlier concerns of vacancies and emphasizing the street’s resurgence as a retail powerhouse. With new luxury boutiques, renovations, and intriguing arrivals on the horizon, Bloor Street continues to be a captivating retail destination in Toronto.
The Weekly podcast part of theThe Retail Insider Podcast Network by Retail Insider Canada and is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Transcript
[00:00:00] Announcer: This is a Retail Insider podcast. You’re listening to “The Weekly”.
[00:00:07] Lee Rivett: Welcome to this week’s episode of “The Weekly” by Retail Insider. I’m Lee Rivett and I’m joined with the owner and publisher of Retail Insider Media, Craig Patterson, to discuss this week’s most read articles on retail-insider.com. So thanks for joining me, Craig.
[00:00:22] Craig Patterson: Hello, everyone.
[00:00:23] Lee Rivett: Now for this week, there’s been a number of changes in Craig’s neighborhood in downtown Toronto on Bloor Street. So Craig, let’s go through that but where would you like to start?
Ferragamo Bloor Street (Image: Craig Patterson)
[00:00:34] Craig Patterson: Let’s start with a retailer that just opened – Ferragamo. Or maybe still called Salvador Ferragamo. A luxury brand out of Italy has opened a beautiful store on Bloor Street. It’s in The Colonnade, which is a historical building built in the 50s. It was the first mixed-use building in Canada with retail office and residential all in one building. And Ferragamo has opened almost a 6,000 square foot store there. It looks beautiful. It’s got a wide range of product. I spoke to the CEO, did an interview, and recently we did an article on it as well.
[00:01:08] Lee Rivett: And before we move on… for Ferragamo, was there any strategy for the Bloor location that you got from the brand (as far as why they’re opening there)?
[00:01:17] Craig Patterson: Yes, I spoke to the CEO and she was saying that Bloor Street is one of the most important luxury retail streets in the world and that Ferragamo had wanted to be there for a long time. And was just looking for the right space and I guess eventually this one space made sense for Ferragamo.
It was actually two spaces. It was a combined former “Coach” store (Coach being the brand for its bags and whatnot) and a former location for “Mulberry” (which is a UK based luxury brand) which had pulled out of the Canadian market during the pandemic.
So Jordan Karp being the broker for Ferragamo in this case, representing the tenant negotiated a deal with Morgard, which is the owner and landlord of the Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West. A deal was done to bring Ferragamo to Bloor Street.
Ferragamo has been somewhat of a staple in luxury retail. Many cities have these stores, but downtown Toronto just didn’t have one, but Yorkdale has had one. There’s also one at Square One in Mississauga and one in downtown Vancouver, which is also going to be relocating at some point.
Bonpoint on Bloor (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
[00:02:21] Lee Rivett: Nice. And moving along on Bloor Street, Bonpoint is another retailer that recently opened up on the block, right?
[00:02:28] Craig Patterson: Yeah, it’s a children’s retailer. I haven’t popped in yet as of the time of this recording, but it looks like a beautiful store from the outside. I was just running by to get some lunch nearby and a Bonpoint (a children’s retailer out of France) has opened.
I think it’s probably its first corporate store in Canada. It’s the second location for the brand in Canada. One opened a couple of years ago in Vancouver on South Granville. And this is the second location, so it’s on Bloor Street, and we’re hoping to bring some wealthy parents downtown, and maybe they’ll shop at some other stores as well in the neighborhoods.
It looks lovely. It’s at 151 Bloor Street West, which is at the base of an office tower. It has three other retail tenants. Peloton, Max Mara and Mont Blanc. Two luxury brands and one exercise bike brand. And they’re not cheap, those things.
[00:03:21] Lee Rivett: And moving down the street to Van Cleef & Arpels, I love their “Midnight in Paris” watch. I’ve tried it on and I adore it. I’m super glad to hear that there is some news of that opening up on Bloor Street, right?
[00:03:34] Craig Patterson: Yes, Van Cleef & Arpels is pulling down hoarding getting ready to open its Bloor Street store. Very exciting news – it’s looking beautiful. It’s 100 Bloor Street West, so it’s located next to Hermes and which opened in, I think, 2017 on Bloor Street. Van Cleef & Arpels’ location most recently housed a Zegna store, which was a partnership with Ermenegildo Zegna (the brand) and Harry Rosen (the retailer). That shut down a while ago and now Van Cleef Arpels is the new tenant. Stunning beautiful store with a chandelier inside and the interior reminds me of the Vancouver and Yorkdale locations for Van Cleef & Arpels.
Shuttered Pottery Barn and Soon-to-Open Van Cleef & Arpels Bloor Street (Image: Craig Patterson)
It’s very dark and moody, luxurious. It’s got the silver around the windows the chandeliers. It’s got that very iconic look for the retailer and a great addition to Bloor Street and carrying some apparently very expensive jewelry as well. Which will compliment, of course, Rolex, which is in the process of finalizing its build out for its flagship store across the street.
And it’s a partnership with its host retailer, Royal De Versailles. Which has a store in the same building that’s located at, I have to get my addresses right here, 101 Bloor Street West, which is the base of an office building. I’ve got to try to remember my addresses now because I’m doing this by memory, but Rolex, again, it’ll be a great retailer to have in the neighborhood.
And then the Royal De Versailles jewellery store, which actually has a little Rolex shop with its own facade onto Bloor Street. I think Royal De Versailles is supposed to do a renovation and that will be interesting to see. I think around 2024 or maybe 2025 is when that’s going to be completed. These are all expensive stores and they’re all clustered in one area.
[00:05:12] Lee Rivett: And moving into some unfortunate news, there’s been some closures on Bloor Street as well, right?
[00:05:17] Craig Patterson: Yes. It was not a surprise, but it finally happened. MCM, a German brand (I think it’s actually Korean owned now) shut its store recently on Bloor Street. So there’s paper or covering over the windows, there’s a sign that says that the store has relocated to the Yorkdale Shopping Centre. It’s a little bit disappointing, but the building that MCM was in on Bloor Street, as well as a few other retailers connected, even Brooks Brothers, and COS …. they’re all on temporary leases now because the plan is to eventually demolish that block and put a very tall residential building there. They’re proposing 70 something floors and it would have retail at the base. So hopefully it’s good retail. I think that’s important. High ceilings, deep, hopefully, wide facade, something that luxury brands might like. So I hope the developer actually does that.
Former MCM on Bloor Street (Image: Craig Patterson)
But again, that’s another big change coming to Bloor. I don’t know exactly what the timeline is. I got something in the mail from a law firm saying that they were holding meetings with residents and are trying to get opinions and what can be built there.
It sounds like that process has not gone through yet. But all kinds of stuff is happening. Another retailer that had shut it was more of a pop up. It was OTW, which was a sneaker store. It was located in The Colonnade. It had been in, I think, a couple of other locations in the neighborhood as well. It’s gone, but I think it’s got some other locations anyways that was not a luxury retailer, I would say.
Another space that’s for lease now is the Kit & Ace space at 102 Bloor Street West. Something good or maybe more than one brand will move in if they can split the space up, but it’s looking good.
[00:06:51] Lee Rivett: Well, there’s a couple things happening at 110 Bloor Street as well, right?
[00:06:54] Craig Patterson: Yeah. So 110 Bloor Street West. That’s an overhaul of that retail podium of that building, which is pretty iconic. That address has had a lot of luxury retailers over the years. I think Canada’s first Louis Vuitton was in there. Marc Laurent, the luxury multi brand retailer, had been in there years ago. Celine had a store in there many years ago.
So there’s been all kinds of retailers, but now it’s being ripped apart, almost finished very exciting development. It’s going to have the largest, at least for now, Saint Laurent store in North America. It’s about 10,000 square feet with a massive two level facade on Bloor street.
110 Bloor Street (Image: Craig Patterson)
I think that’s very exciting. And on the Bloor street side of 110 is also going to be Alexander Wang, which is a New York city based fashion designer who’s got some controversy behind him. You can Google it. I’m not going to get into it here, but it’s not good, and Ann Fontaine known for beautiful white shirts, the French brand and Paris Baguette, which is probably almost finished now. It’s a food service business, which is going to occupy a space at 110 across from Saint Laurent. Probably where I’ll be going because that’s my price point, but it’s exciting stuff that is going to be happening at 110 Bloor. And then in the back, there’s some stuff happening as well.
There’s going to be Othership, which is a they call it a bathhouse. It’s not that type, but it’s a place where people can go and socialize and sweat. And I don’t know what else, but I’m going to go and check it out when it’s open and something else I won’t talk about yet. An exciting development. It’s, I think, the largest construction project on the street in terms of an overhaul of a facade and of the retailers within it currently on Bloor Street.
[00:08:27] Lee Rivett: And what about 100 Bloor Street?
[00:08:28] Craig Patterson: Yes, so 100 Bloor, we don’t know yet, but those who’ve been wondering for years about that Pottery Barn space. With the theater facade part of it’s been leased, so we don’t know to who yet, but we’ll be announcing that at some point here. Exciting stuff, but not the entire space has been leased.
JLL is still leasing some of it we’ll be talking more about that eventually. We’ll also be talking a bit about the corner of Bay and Bloor Street, something big is going to be coming there, but we won’t talk about that yet. Another thing we’ll mention too more on the luxury stretch is the former Club Monaco building, which I really think should have become a Ralph Lauren store. So I believe it’s still for lease.
Basically, the reason I wanted to talk about this Lee is because there’s this flurry of construction activity on Bloor Street right now. And I’m only talking about Bloor Street. I’m not even talking about Bloor-Yorkville or Yorkville Avenue, which we’ve talked about recently.
Former Club Monaco Bloor (Image: Craig Patterson)
But the construction, I guess you’d say it’s been a bit disruptive, but. It’s part of a good news story because I remember during the pandemic, the Toronto Star did an article and basically to sum it up, it was like the ‘woes of Bloor Street’. ‘There’s all kinds of vacancies’. The Hudson Bay story just closed, but the journalist who did the story didn’t know everything that was going on at the time.
I think, on the surface, it did look like things were really bad on Bloor Street, but what was really happening was a shuffle. Brokers were doing deals with landlords plans were being made and I was told by one broker doing deals on Bloor Street that now there’s an issue of really not enough space left to put tenants that people want.
Shuttered Dolce & Gabbana (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
There was a Dolce Gabbana store on Bloor Street till recently. It relocated up to the Yorkdale Shopping Centre but the building’s been leased. I’m not going to say to who because I’ve agreed not to, but these deals have been done. It’s exciting news. This is all wonderful stuff happening on Bloor Street right now.
[00:10:32] Lee Rivett: I think you were worried about the Bloor-Yorkville area, weren’t you?
[00:10:35] Craig Patterson: I was a bit worried about Bloor-Yorkville in terms of the neighborhood competing against Yorkdale and Yorkdale getting all of these stores. Yorkville and Bloor Street are also getting all kinds of luxury retailers and sometimes they’re bigger than the Yorkdale locations. And so we will see where it goes. But what’s interesting is the brand that’s moving into the old Dolce Gabbana is also opening up at Yorkdale and these will be first to Canada stores.
I’ll be reporting on these things for a while here now. I think I’ll fill in the gaps of what I’ve just talked about here in the coming weeks and months as we continue to report on what’s happening in Bloor, Yorkville and on Bloor Street.
[00:11:20] Lee Rivett: Oh, and before you go you wanted to also talk about the Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street, right?
[00:11:25] Craig Patterson: Yeah, so we’ll talk about the stretch of Bloor Street. It’s not quite as luxurious, I guess you would say, between Yonge Street and Bay Street. It’s got a Fabricland, but, we’ve talked about this in previous podcasts and I wrote about it, the Kimmel family that’s going to be co developing that piece of real estate there at Bloor and Balmuto Streets also owns Fabricland and so therefore put its retail tenant into the former H&M building until it’s demolished.
But nevertheless, that block has two major retail things happening. We’ve already announced one of them that was Arc’teryx doing what I believe would be its largest store in the world to date. That’s located in the Holt Renfrew Centre with a door, it’ll have a door on to Bloor Street. It’ll be almost 10,000 square feet and I think it’s going to have a facade that’s going to look like it’s two floors.
Future Arc’teryx Bloor (Image: Craig Patterson)
The store won’t be two floors inside, but it’s going to have an incredible presence. I’m really excited to see what this Arc’teryx is going to look like when it’s done. Not a luxury brand, but it’s a good quality Vancouver based outdoor lifestyle brand that must have a lot of money behind it right now because I’m seeing all kinds of stores being built.
There’s one being built at Yorkdale as well.
[00:12:31] Lee Rivett: Weren’t you also talking about Brown Shoes coming in as well?
[00:12:34] Craig Patterson: And another tenant coming, which I think people were questioning. It will be between the Alo Yoga store (this is at 60 Bloor Street West, there’s an Alo Yoga right on the corner). And then Holt Renfrew has its big store at 50 Bloor Street West, and it’s got a Saint Laurent concession currently, which I’m assuming is probably moving because I don’t know why Saint Laurent would keep its concession at Holt Renfrew when it’s going to have a 10,000 square foot store within a stone’s throw away, but we never know.
But nevertheless so Brown Shoes is going to take about 4,300 square feet is what Eric Ouaknine was telling us head of retail for Browns and a 60 Bloor Street West located in between Holt Renfrew and Alo Yoga. So this is I think a great tenant, the space actually sat vacant for a few years.
Future Browns Shoes on Bloor (Image: Craig Patterson)
And in fact, I think it’s been vacant since 2018. It had been part of the Holt Renfrew store for a while connected to it. So it was actually a situation where Holt Renfrew had blasted through from 50 Bloor Street West into 60 Bloor Street West to retail to add an extra about 3,800 square feet. Years ago it was part of a men’s store that used to be there, but the men’s store relocated in 2014 over to 100 Bloor Street West it has been vacant for a while, but yeah, so I think it’s terrific. We don’t have enough shoe stores in Bloor- Yorkville.
There’s only a handful there. There’s Ron White and Jean Paul Fortin. And then Holt Renfrew has a footwear department in each of its stores, the men’s and women’s stores. But I think Brown Shoes coming into the neighborhood is a wonderful thing.
I’m a fan. Brown’s has had a presence in Yorkville since I think the 70s when it opened a store in Hazleton Lanes. I don’t remember that. I’m too young, of course.
[00:14:14] Lee Rivett: But thanks for going through a lot of this stuff. There just seems to be so much going on Bloor Street, so it’s really exciting.
[00:14:20] Craig Patterson: So what we’ll do moving forward is we’ll continue to discuss what’s happening on Bloor Street in Toronto. We’ll announce what’s going to be coming where Nordstrom Rack used to be. There’s Yonge and Bloor. Across from what will become an Apple store, there’ll be a Lululemon store on another corner, and then there used to be there’s a Royal Bank on the other corner, but a Hudson Bay department store used to occupy the space in behind.
Yonge and Bloor (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
But lots of stuff again happening even just right at that core iconic corner of Yonge and Bloor and more to come. So I think it’s really exciting. We’ll be reporting on these things here. So everyone keep following us.
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep following us at Retail Insider because we’re going to keep trying to report on these things here as we can. So it’s exciting news and we love retail here.
[00:15:05] Lee Rivett: That sounds like a bumper sticker. But thanks for going through the updates on Bloor Street. We’ll have more of these and otherwise chat with you next week, Craig.
Thank you so much, everyone. Take care and bye for now.
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Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
