The Body Shop Launches ‘Shop-in-Shop’ Spaces at Shoppers Drug Mart, Expanding Retail Presence [Interview]

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December 13, 2023

The Body Shop x Shoppers Drug Mart (Image: The Body Shop)

Global beauty brand The Body Shop is growing its retail presence in Canada with shop-in-shop locations at Shoppers Drug Mart stores.

Jordan Searle, President of The Body Shop North America, said currently the brand is in 53 locations with the concept.

“Firstly we’ve had quite a history I think over the last couple of years of talking with Shoppers on and off and finally the timing was right to work with them,” said Searle. “As you know, they’re an awesome retailer. Very present in Canada not only physically but in the consumer’s mind as well.

The Body Shop x Shoppers Drug Mart (Image: The Body Shop)

“For us, we’re very penetrated in terms of D2C in Canada. We have ecommerce that compliments the 108-store network and those stores are a huge part of our business. Hence continued investment to upgrade them.

“But over the COVID period there was quite a lot of changes in the ways consumers were shopping. Because grocery and pharmacy were kind of still trading through that period and they were often only the most accessible retail for people to shop, it became a common place for consumers to shop in all the different categories within those different environments. And that trend still has persisted as we’ve moved away from COVID.

“For us, in order to bring The Body Shop to more consumers and to make it more convenient for people to shop The Body Shop, we felt that a relationship with Shoppers was a great idea. That’s primarily why we expanded with them.”

The Body Shop has 108 stores across Canada. The Body Shop operates about 3,000 retail locations in more than 70 countries.

Searle said the brand has not opened any new locations in Canada in the past year but it has been undergoing renovations of existing locations.

“Obviously with 108 stores, we’re fairly well penetrated across Canada. So it’s really been a question of us upgrading our stores to our new workshop concept. The most notable of those would be our Yorkdale store which was back in August,” he said, adding that about nine stores have gone through the process.

“And more to come.”

Searle described The Body Shop as a democratic beauty brand with quite a unique place in the market being an activist brand and focusing on sustainability.

The shop-in-shop concept is nationwide. And The Body Shop is branded within those Shoppers stores.

“We’ve been super happy with the results that we’ve been achieving with Shoppers and certainly we’ve proven that we have a place within the Shoppers merchandising mix. So right now we are discussing future great plans with them. But obviously not totally at liberty to say what that looks like but for sure we’re looking to grow,” said Searle.

This move marks The Body Shop’s first expansion beyond its standalone brick-and-mortar retail locations in Canada.

The shop-in-shop locations carry a select assortment of the brand’s ethically sourced and sustainably made products including bath, body, hair, and skin care from some of its most popular ranges like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Edelweiss, Tea Tree, and Hemp. Customers will also find the brand’s most well-known body care favorite, Body Butter.

“We are so proud to be partnering with Shoppers Drug Mart, one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing, to make shopping for our products as convenient as possible,” said Hilary Lloyd, VP of Brand & Activism, The Body Shop North America. “As a leader in changemaking beauty, we prioritize positive change for the planet and the communities we source our ingredients from. We’re thrilled this expansion will allow us to further grow our mission and impact by making our products more accessible to Canadians.”

Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand and a certified B Corp. The Body Shop seeks to make positive change in the world by offering high-quality, naturally inspired skincare, body care, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. Having pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good, this ethos is still the brand’s driving force. Along with Avon and Natura, The Body Shop is part of Natura & Co, a global, multi-channel and multi-brand cosmetics group that is committed to generating positive economic, social, and environmental impact.

“Customers trust us to have the best beauty assortment in the country and we continue to launch new brands to ensure we always have something for everyone,” said Gwennaëlle Varnier, Vice President, Prestige Beauty, Shoppers Drug Mart. “We’re noticing a trending increase in body care purchases in Canada, and we are intentionally welcoming The Body Shop products to our lineup because we know it’s what our customers are looking for. Plus, this brand is taking steps towards a more beautiful planet, which is important to us as a purpose-led retailer.”

Shoppers Drug Mart (Pharmaprix in Québec) has almost 1,350 stores.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For December 13th, 2023

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Retail Insider

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December 12, 2023

News at a Glance

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.

Independent toy stores face stiff competition (CityNews)

Couche-Tard Exits Canadian Cannabis Partnership (CSP Daily News)

Why ditching fast fashion never goes out of style, and can save money in the long run (CityNews)

You Should Avoid Holiday Shopping In Canada On These 3 December Dates, If You Hate Crowds (MSN)

Tourism recovery not expected until next year, Destination Canada report finds (CTV)

These Are The 7 Best Indian Grocery Stores In Canada (MSN)

Is that Aritzia shirt really worth it? Canadian “de-influencer” helps shoppers make better decisions (Daily Hive)

Beer, wine, ready-to-drink cocktails coming to Ontario corner stores and gas stations in 2026: sources (CBC)

Four designers offer unique apparel options at Saskatoon’s Fashion Collective (Star Phoenix) ********

Mercato Fresh opening third location (CTV Windsor)

‘The heart of our city’: Downtown Winnipeg businesses welcome revitalization, BIZ initiatives (CTV)

Ottawa flower shop reopens after vandals smash windows and ransack the store (Postmedia)

Masked suspects rob downtown Calgary jewellery store (CTV)

Mountain Warehouse Looks to Further Expand in Canada by Opening Dozens of Stores [Interview]

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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December 12, 2023

Dartmouth Crossing Mountain Warehouse (Image: Mountain Warehouse)

Canadians love the outdoors and Mountain Warehouse is growing its presence in the country to meet a growing need in the market.

Mark Neale, CEO and Founder of the outdoor clothing and equipment London-based retailer, said Canada is the second most popular country in the world for the brand behind the UK.

The brand began in 1997 and today it has about 370 stores in eight different countries. There are 45 stores in Canada.

“We carved out this positioning for ourselves where we offer great value for money, every day outwear we call it, for the whole family,” said Neale. “There are loads of what you might call our (competitor) brands and they’ve all got a picture of a guy, and it’s always a guy with an ice axe hanging off the glacier. We instead have pictures of a whole family playing with the dog in the woods.

“So it’s an accessible offer, accessible price points, accessible stores where people are shopping anyway, and accessible advice with friendly people who are pleased to see you when you come into the store.

“You don’t need to be a super technical outdoorsman to shop with us.”

Neale said the brand opened two stores in Canada in 2023 in Whistler, B.C., and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Another Vancouver store in CF Richmond Centre is opening around Christmas this year and a shop in Banff on Banff Avenue will open sometime before Easter.

“We’re also doing a new store next year, spring time, in Kingston, Ontario and we’re looking at a few other things,” said Neale.

When asked how many stores the brand could grow to in Canada, Neale said: “I honestly don’t know but I’d like to think we can get to 70 or 80 stores in due course.”

Stores are typically 3,000 and 6,000 square feet.

“One of the things we are doing is we’re looking for bigger stores at the moment,” added Neale. “In the UK, which is our home market, we’ve been doing a lot bigger stores. We’ve got some now that are 15,000 plus square feet and we found that they’ve been going really well for us. We developed a much wider product range during COVID for the online business because when all the stores were closed the online was really booming.

“Now we’re finding to put that in stores we need bigger stores and that’s working well for us.”

Neale said when the company looks for real estate space in Canada it is now keen to find locations in power centres which it hasn’t done yet.

“Geographically we’re all over the country but we’re in the most populated areas obviously. But we’re also in some smaller markets,” he said.

COVID was a booming time for the retailer, like many others in the industry. During the pandemic, many people were buying outdoor gear who traditionally were not outdoor customers.

“I particularly remember that, particularly in that first year, literally every person in the world wanted a pair of walking boots so they could spend their one hour of exercise a day with their dog or whatever walking,” said Neale.

“But travel gear you could not sell for love or money. As things progressed, things changed and it’s pretty much back to normal now.”

Neale said the newest stores have a much brighter look to them and they are tending to be bigger to showcase the whole range of products.

“And that’s been working well for us,” he said.

Toronto’s ‘The Haifa Room’ Founders Open ‘Bar Haifa’ in Vancouver, Blending Middle Eastern Cultures and Cuisines [Interview]

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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December 12, 2023

The founders of The Haifa Room — a beloved Middle Eastern restaurant/bar located in Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood — have opened their new elevated West Coast concept, Bar Haifa, in Vancouver.

The port city of Haifa, Israel, has been home to Arabs and Jews living and working alongside each other for centuries. In this spirit of co-existence, close friends and seasoned restaurateurs from both Palestinian-Muslim and Israeli-Jewish backgrounds Waseem Dabdoub, Fadi Hakim, Yossi Misrahi Eastwood, Daniel Suss, and Mark Kupfert came together to open their Toronto take-away window in June 2021 during the pandemic and felt the name captured the essence of their endeavour.

Soon, The Haifa Room grew beyond mouth-watering take-out falafel and sabich pita sandwiches. Later that year, with the addition of Chef Jason Hemi (formerly of Fat Pasha and Rose and Sons), it became a hyper-casual 28-seat restaurant, with accolades and a loyal following for its Fennel and Apricot Labneh, Kofta, Boneless Lamb Shoulder, and Signature Fresh-made Hummus.

L-R: Daniel Suss, Chef Jason Hemi, Fadi Hakim, Waseem Dabdoub, Mark Kupfert

“We all have different gigs but we all came together for this project and Waseem connected us all. And it’s been like a really special project. It kind of got us through COVID. It was a dark time,” Kupfert said. “For all of us, I think it’s a breath of fresh air compared to our regular (work). We all have different things.

“During COVID I was approached to open up another location of my current business. I have a bunch of vegetarian restaurants and I was in COVID and just kind of feeling closed in and the idea of doing something very far-placed, full of nature, beauty, a beautiful new building. And I thought ya this is what I should be doing. I took the leap. Then COVID just continued, continued and continued. There were delays, and delays and delays. By the time I got our building permit and we were ready for construction, I lost my passion for that use whereas I was still very passionate about the Haifa Room and what it was doing just in terms of the narrative, the food, the experience. It just seemed a lot more exciting.

“So I approached my partners and told them we have this opportunity. We already have a lease, we already have a building permit. We just have to redesign it and I think it would be a really good location because it has good lunch and dinner trade and it’s in a super cool building and there’s a patio and doors that open.”

The Vancouver restaurant was originally scheduled to open in July of this year, but because of construction delays it was pushed to mid-November, placing the opening in the midst of the tragic conflict in Gaza and Israel.

“At first, words failed us. We’re devastated. We all have family members living in Palestine and Israel,” said Hakim. “As we grapple with the situation, we grieve for all the civilians, our helplessness. For now, our focus is connecting people through shared experience and finding a commonality between people through food.”

Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver on the ground floor of the Deloitte Summit building on Georgia at Homer, Bar Haifa contains 55 indoor seats, including a cocktail bar, chef’s table, banquette seating and an open kitchen, along with a spacious outdoor patio that will double its seating during the summer.

The Vancouver eatery features an expanded menu that showcases the terroir of its new location, with lots of fresh seafood and local ingredients, along with a dedicated take-out only street-food menu. Bar Haifa will have a bigger focus on service than in the Toronto location, and an extensive wine and cocktail list.

The partners believe the concept could be successful in other Canadian cities.

“Right now we’re just relieved that this one opened because it’s been so delayed,” said Kupfert.

Upscale Toronto Fashion Retailer ‘Carriage Trade’ Marks 60 Years with Expansion Plans [Interview]

By

Shelby Hautala

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December 12, 2023

Carriage Trade, an upscale women’s retailer in Toronto, is celebrating its 60th anniversary, is planning to expand, updating its existing store, and enhancing its social media presence.

Nori Mirza

“Being in business for 60 years gives us a lot of credibility. We are definitely expanding and growing, which is very exciting for us. We are always looking for new brands and we are constantly pivoting, almost monthly, and we are just really listening to our customers’ needs. People can shop anywhere, there is a lot of merchandise out there, but I think they come to us because of our credibility and they trust us,” says Nora Mirza, the owner of Carriage Trade since 1994.

Going into 2024, Carriage Trade is looking at expanding and renovating its existing store location in Toronto and is hoping to double its square footage, allowing more room for showcasing new brands and inventory.

“It is getting really tight right now, so hopefully in 2024 we will be able to expand and double our space. We are also working on a new website and rebranding – but still maintaining the Carriage Trade name, because to find a name that has been around and has such a long legacy is not easy.”

Improving its online presence

Mirza says updating the website will improve consumers’ online shopping experience. Mirza is also planning to grow the brand’s online presence through social media and will look into pop-up shops and events in new regions to test new markets. As the store is located in the West End of Toronto, social media has been a huge factor in attracting new consumers.

“We are not downtown – so it’s a bit trickier for us. Social media has been huge for us, as far as a real marketing tool to reach new clients and influencers. So social media and our website has really given us an advantage to reach more clients.”

The main goal right now is to increase its footprint, enhance its digital presence, and continue introducing clients to new fashion trends and brands.

“As far as having multiple stores, I think growing my online presence and working on pop-ups and events is probably for now where I want to go. All of our staff really flow well together, work as a team, and we are pretty much a family, so to replicate that for the future, I don’t know as it’s not easy.”

With having one store, Carriage Trade is able to build relationships with consumers, know what they are looking for, and know what they bought previously – giving the team the chance to connect with each customer.

“We can reach out and say ‘yes, this blouse is perfect for that skirt you purchased last year,’ so building relationships is really important. We also focus on quality as it is not fast fashion, it is one of a kind. Consumers trust the quality, so we are just continuing to expand and build these long-term relationships.”

Celebrating 60 Years

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A post shared by Carriage Trade (@carriagetradeshop)

To celebrate, Mirza said they gathered women who have been supporting them throughout the decades and did a generational photoshoot.

“We had done photoshoots with the family together to commemorate and then we gifted portraits to them as a thank you. This idea came about because I had one of my really good customers shopping and she brought her mother, her grandmother, and her daughter – it was four generations and I thought it was incredible. It was so nice to see all the different generations together and wearing our clothing.”

Carriage Trade 60th Celebration (Image: Carriage Trade / Blair Ann Studios)

Carriage Trade also partnered with two charities: HART, an anti-trafficking charity where they support survivors, and Rethink Breast Cancer in Toronto. The brand collaborated with two Toronto artists: Nessa Lilly and Sophie Brussaux for exclusive and limited shirts and scarfs.

“During our campaign, we had all these clients wearing these shirts and showcasing the scarf – it was a lot of fun and was a nice way to give back to women who have supported us all these years. 100 percent of the proceeds of the shirts and scarves were donated to these two charities.”

Outside of Carriage Trade, people walking by will also notice huge window displays of generations of women wearing different styles that were relevant back in the day and current trends. “We have a massive decal that covers three quarters of the window, and it is interesting because we have seen customers stop by and just really make comments because it really makes a statement for women and how far we have come; from the 60s to where we are today. It really has resonated with a lot of our female clients.”

Carriage Trade was founded in 1963 by two sisters and opened the same day John F Kennedy was shot. Mirza says when she bought it about 30 years ago, she thought about changing the name. Eventually one of the sisters left and the brand closed and Mirza took the chance and bought it.

“The clientele had aged with the store and I had thought about changing the name, but I was on the phone with Bell Canada and someone would tell me about their story about shopping at Carriage Trade – so it has quite the legacy because it has been around for so long.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For December 12th, 2023

By

Retail Insider

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December 11, 2023

News at a Glance

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.

Grocer profits set to exceed record in 2023, expert says, ahead of committee meeting (CTV)

Trouble in toyland as shoppers seek low prices, retailers say (Global)

All grocers need to sign code of conduct if it is to succeed, Metro CEO tells MPs (Financial Post)

Business owners face ‘tipping point’ for federal pandemic loan repayment cut-off (CBC)

Mastermind deal would keep at least 43 stores open, preserve hundreds of jobs if approved, court filing states (Globe & Mail / subscribers)

Canadians say rising cost of living will impact holiday plans: surveys (CHEK News)

Food Basics union workers reach deal with Metro (Grocery Business)

Longtime Gildan CEO Glenn Chamandy pushed out in boardroom shakeup (Montreal Gazette)

Canada’s Shopify discloses increased stake in automation firm Klaviyo (Reuters)

True North Real Estate, Southern Chiefs’ Organization to work together to redevelop Portage Place, the Bay (CBC Winnipeg)

Calgary Police say requests from retail sector for security assistance are increasing (CBC)

Beauty giant Sephora may be coming to Chilliwack’s Cottonwood Centre (Chilliwack Progress)

The SAQ announces net income of $336.3 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2023-2024 (Newswire)

Ontario wants to change how booze is sold. So let’s talk about restaurants (TVO Today)

New West thrift store pushes sustainability (CityNews)

Uniqlo Announces Canadian Store Expansion Plans for Spring 2024

By

Craig Patterson

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December 11, 2023

-CF-Retail-CF-Fairview-Pointe-Claire-UNI-QLO — Uniqlo at CF Fairview Pte-Clair near Montreal. Photo: Cadillac Fairview

Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo is picking up the pace on its Canadian expansion with four locations announced for spring 2024. It’s part of a bigger growth plan for the company which entered Canada with its first stores in 2016.

The four Canadian locations opening in the spring include three in Ontario and one in Alberta. Two of the Ontario stores will be in Toronto, at CF Fairview Mall and Scarborough Town Centre, and another Ontario location will be at Bayshore Shopping Centre in Ottawa, marking a second Uniqlo location for the Ottawa market. A second Calgary store has also been announced for CF Market Mall in Calgary.

Uniqlo said in a press release that it plans to open more than 20 stores in North America in 2024, and that could include more Canadian stores as well. Uniqlo is still conspicuously absent from the city of Vancouver, and there have been rumours that Uniqlo may have secured a space on popular Robson Street for a store.

Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants has negotiated Uniqlo’s leases since the brand entered the country more than seven years ago. In the fall of 2016, Uniqlo opened two stores in Toronto at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre and at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre, kicking off a national expansion that has seen Uniqlo become an important player in the fast-fashion space in Canada.

Uniqlo at Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs)

The Greater Toronto Area is now home to seven locations — after opening the first two Toronto stores, Uniqlo expanded by opening at CF Markville in Markham, Oshawa Centre in Oshawa, Square One in Mississauga, Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, and Vaughan Mills in Vaughan.

Uniqlo’s first store on the West Coast opened at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby in October of 2017, and the retailer subsequently opened locations at CF Richmond Centre in Richmond, Coquitlam Centre in Coquitlam, and Guildford Town Centre in Surrey.

Uniqlo’s first store in Montreal opened in October of 2020 in the city’s downtown core at the Montreal Eaton Centre. It remains the largest Uniqlo location in Canada with over 40,000 square feet of leased space facing Ste-Catherine Street. In 2021, a Uniqlo store opened at CF Carrefour Laval near Montreal and in 2022, two other units opened at CF Fairview Pointe Claire and CF Promenades St. Bruno.

The retailer entered the Ottawa market in the spring of 2023 with a location at CF Rideau Centre. The announced Bayshore location will mark the second in the Ottawa market.

In Edmonton, Uniqlo opened its first store in the fall of 2019 at West Edmonton Mall, which was followed recently by an opening at the Southgate Centre. Calgary’s first Uniqlo opened several months ago at CF Chinook Centre, with CF Market Mall marking the second location for the brand in the Calgary market.

By the spring of 2024, Uniqlo will have 23 stores in the Canadian market, most spanning in the 15,000 square foot range. It would appear, given the expansion, that Uniqlo is targeting most major shopping centres in major cities. That means that Uniqlo still has room to open more stores in Canada. That includes malls such as CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto. And new markets could open up for Uniqlo such as Winnipeg where CF Polo Park would be the most likely target for a first location, while Halifax could eventually be targeted at the Halifax Shopping Centre or at Mic Mac Mall.

UNIQLO at CF Rideau Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

“We couldn’t be more excited to enter the next phase of our North American expansion plan and serve more customers in the U.S. and Canada,” said Daisuke Tsukagoshi, CEO of Uniqlo North America in a statement. “Stores are the heartbeat of our business, where we can engage with our local communities, hear directly from our customers, and best understand their needs to continue to improve and perfect our products. We’re looking forward to a big year ahead.”

Uniqlo in North America reported significant growth for the fiscal year ending on August 31, 2023, and the company says that it expects the strong results to continue in 2024. The company expects to achieve double-digit sales growth in its existing stores. The brand recently saw viral success with its mini shoulder bag and it has also had some successful designer collaborations.

Globally Uniqlo has more than 2,400 stores, including 53 locations in the United States and 19 in Canada. Uniqlo’s first store opened in Hiroshima Japan in 1984, and the company is a brand of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese retail holding company with global headquarters in Tokyo. Uniqlo is the largest of eight brands in the Fast Retailing Group, the others being GU, Theory, PLST, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Princesse tam.tam, J Brand and Helmut Lang. With global sales of approximately 2.3 trillion yen for the 2022 fiscal year ending August 31, 2022 (US $16.6 billion, calculated in yen using the end of August 2022 rate of $1 = 138.7 yen), Fast Retailing is one of the world’s largest apparel retail companies, and Uniqlo is Japan’s leading specialty retailer.

Uniqlo Continues Canadian Store Expansion with 2nd Edmonton Location Announced

Calgary-Based Monki Breakfast Club & Bistro Looks to National Expansion Following Local Success [Interview]

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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December 11, 2023

Monki Breakfast Club & Bistro. (Photo: Mario Toneguzzi)

You could say entrepreneur Aditya Dutta is busy with some Monki business these days in Calgary.

As co-owner of Monki Breakfast Club & Bistro, Dutta, a former engineer, has big plans for the brand after recently opening its third location in the city.

The establishment’s mantra is: Do Brunch Differently.

“Monki is essentially an eclectic breakfast place. The breakfast scene in Calgary or in Canada in general was limited to the old breakfast options you would get at home but now you get in the restaurant. So we thought we are going to do some Monki business with the old classics and do something different while keeping the flair of the traditional foods,” said Dutta.

“That’s what we do. We serve breakfast. We serve lunch. That’s how we were founded. We have grown in it and we have served over 200,000 people so far.”

Monki Breakfast Club & Bistro. (Photo: Mario Toneguzzi)

Dutta and his partner Kaushik Sudharsanam took over an existing business in 2016. The establishment was originally founded in 2012.

“We’ve had a strong push from customers and a few investors as well to expand. We’ve put the brakes on it up until now. We wanted to hone in and really see what we do well. We found that. We’ve been validated and now we are looking to open at least two more immediately in Calgary and then go for our national expansion, primarily in Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton,” he said.

“There are not many options in places like Toronto. We think people are trendy. They are looking for great food. They want to feel going for breakfast as they’re going for dinner. That’s why we can give that atmosphere to them, give them the food and give them the service.”

Dutta was born and raised in India. He came to Canada as an international student for an engineering degree at McGill University in Montreal. The city is known for its variety of restaurants and food establishments. Dutta also comes from a family that’s fond of food.

He ended up becoming a business management consultant with Deloitte. But over the years, he realized that after touching so many industries the one industry he never really worked in was food.

“Me and my university buddy we quit our jobs. He was an investment banker. We opened up a food truck and that food truck did super well. It was gourmet street food from Germany that we were serving. In Calgary, we have a strong rooted community from Germany, Poland, Ukraine. So we thought this would resonate well with them and it did,” said Dutta. “We expanded that to two food trucks until the city changed the bylaws and that didn’t stop our interest in food and let alone let it be our professional future as well.

“So we took over Monki. The previous owners wanted to part ways. They wanted to do other things. We thought this is a brand where we go to and others should know about as well. And that’s the journey that took us to Monki’s and we’ve never looked back. It’s been incredible since taking over Monki.”

Today, Dutta is quite content and happy about his entrepreneurial journey.

“The journey has been incredible,” he said.

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Luxury Children’s Retailer Bonpoint Opens Canadian Flagship in Toronto, Plans More Stores [Interview]

By

Shelby Hautala

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December 11, 2023

Bonpoint at 151 Bloor Street in Toronto (Image: Craig Patterson)

Bonpoint, a luxury European brand focusing on children’s wear and skincare, recently opened its first Canadian flagship store at 151 Bloor St West in Toronto. Maria Salazar Levin, the CEO of Bonpoint in the US, discusses the expansion in the Canadian market and what is coming next.

“Our Canadian flagship is not just a store; it is the embodiment of our philosophy – bringing the exquisite Parisian luxury of children’s fashion and clean beauty right to the hearts of Canada. This is just the beginning of a beautiful journey for Bonpoint in the North American luxury Market,” says Levin.

The brand was held off from entering the Canadian market earlier because of the pandemic, but Canada has been its goal for a long time as “there was a big appetite for luxury brands.” Levin says it was also important for the brand to open beside other luxury brands, so Bonpoint is across the street from Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Gucci, Panda, and others: “We are in the company of all luxury brands. We thought it was obviously the right place for us to start our Canadian flagship. We have since taken and bought our franchise in Vancouver, so we now have two stores in Canada, which are both new to the company. Vancouver is about five months old and Toronto is two months.”

Bonpoint Toronto Bloor Street (Image: Alex Lukey)

Stepping into the flagship boutique in Toronto, consumers can find a Rain Cloud glass sculpture by Elsa Blin, paper mache rabbits and rhinoceros by Ela Dray-Farges, and around the store there are light-up sculptures by Zoe Rumeau. The boutique has been created to be modern and has a charming atmosphere with a mix of antiques, vintage pieces, and custom furniture all imported from France.”

The brand started in 1975 with a focus on luxury children’s wear between the newborn stages until the age of 14, and also covers skincare and fragrance collections. Bonpoint has more than 120 stores in over 25 countries and releases new collections for every season. The new flagship store is on Bloor Street West in Toronto and is 1833 square feet and is the second store to open in Canada with its Vancouver location which opened a few months ago.

Expansion Plans

Levin says the brand is looking at opening a third location, but could not indicate a location yet. The goal is to open around five locations in Canada within the next five years.

Starting in January, Bonpoint will also expand into Holt Renfrew starting with four locations: Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver, and Square One in Mississauga Ontario.

Along with future expansion plans, Levin says the brand continues to evolve to meet consumer needs. Including a mini mi collection and a new stroller.

“We continue to have a lot of innovation in the brand. Next year, we are introducing a stroller, which will be our first Bonpoint signature stroller as well as hopefully a few other exciting collaborations in the future.”

Unlike the locations in the US – Bonpoint in Canada does not sell womens’ clothing yet, but are looking at adding it in the future. Levin also says the brand will also be looking at bringing its baby shower program over to the Canadian stores by next year.

Clean Beauty

Bonpoint offers natural skin and fragrance products for the whole family including face cream, moisturizers, hair care, baby cream, baby bath products, and more.

“I was already into clean beauty and skincare before arriving at Bonpoint. Upon arriving here, I came to find out that we have a green beauty brand, Beauty, that is all vegan and 100 percent dermatologically safe, because in France they have really strict regulations so our products are safe and tested. Our products are amazing and feel amazing on your skin.”

Levin says as more parents are using clean products now starting with their newborns, they have included products such as shampoo, laundry detergent, and have products under bath rituals for children and teenagers.

“It is really for the whole family. Even from the scents everything is made from flowers, orange blossoms, cherry blossoms, cotton flowers, and more. So it is something we have really expanded into and it seems to be really growing and more and more people are starting with their kids. It is definitely a trending category for us which we do extremely well in our Canadian stores.”

Levin says the concept of focusing exclusively on luxury brands and beauty products appears to be unique in Canada.

“There are really no brands we compare with, because we are a luxury brand that really starts from the baby stage all through their youth. When you look at other luxury brands that carry children’s clothing – it is almost an afterthought. Where with us, it starts with the baby. We think of the baby from when it’s born at the hospital to in their teens. You can say our pricing is competitive with other luxury brands – but, we are just different.”

Luxury Children’s Brand ‘Bonpoint’ Announces 1st Standalone Canadian Store

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For December 11th, 2023

By

Retail Insider

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December 10, 2023

News at a Glance

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.

Is the customer always right? Some Vancouver businesses say no (CBC)

Deal to lower Visa, Mastercard processing fees will come up short for many retailers, critics say (CBC)

Canada Bread denies price-fixing scheme in court filing, points finger at Maple Leaf (Canadian Press)

Loblaw chair Galen Weston defends record profits, warns Ottawa grocery code will lead to higher food prices (Toronto Star)

Peak Performance’s new Vancouver store seeing brisk sales (BIV)

Hudson’s Bay workers in Kamloops take strike action (USW)

Thefts, violence at Ontario malls a growing concern (Toronto.com)

Ontario to announce plan to allow beer in corner stores (Globe & Mail)

A push to add retail to Toronto’s alleyways (Globe & Mail)

New Sayers Foods in Apsley will be a ‘game-changer’ says North Kawartha mayor (Spectator)

Maxi celebrates grand opening of renovated store in Gaspé (Grocery Business)

‘We really need to support those people’: Market makers ask Winnipeggers to shop local (CTV)