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Miami-Based ‘Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming’ Entering Canada with 1st Store and Plans for Many More [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Woof Gang

Miami-based Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, a leading pet service franchise brand in the U.S., is expanding into Canada with its first store opening in the coming months in the Greater Toronto Area. 

The company plans to eventually open 200 locations across the country. It currently has 200 locations open or under development in the U.S. offering luxury spa services, gourmet nutrition and premium pet nutrition. Its mission is to be the world’s largest network of neighbourhood pet stores.

The brand was founded in 2007 in Florida originally as a bakery.

Alex Macedo

“The Canadian culture aligns perfectly with Woof Gang’s values of community, quality and great customer service and we look forward to growing our brand here to meet the demand of the pet ownership industry in the country,” said Alex Macedo, previous Global Brand President for Tim Hortons and current Chairman of Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming.

Image: Woof Gang

Ricardo Azevedo, the company’s CEO and former Regional President of Tim Hortons U.S., said the company opened 25 locations last year with 50 stores in the pipeline to open this year.

Ricardo Azevedo

He said the first Canadian store will open in the Mississauga area. A franchise agreement has been signed. It will open within six months. The company was at the recent Franchise Show in Toronto and the response was overwhelming for the amount of interest in the brand. 

“We opened as a bakery and the business started growing and growing and at some point throughout the evolution of the brand (the founder) started doing grooming as well and we became the largest grooming operator in the U.S.,” he said. “So today we have around 170 stores, plus 60 under development and we’re the largest grooming brand in the United States.

“The business today has become very unique. Today, we don’t bake anything in the store anymore. The bakery is still part of our brand, it’s still very much of our name . . . but the reality is that most of our business is really focused on a very spa experience in the grooming area and now in our retail we’re still kind of a pet shop, very, very unique. A feature of our stores is a very boutique experience.”

  • Image: Woof Gang
  • Image: Woof Gang
Image: Woof Gang

According to the retailer, from 2020-2022, the pet ownership market in Canada has seen an increase due to the pandemic, with 60 per cent of Canadian households reporting ownership of at least one dog or cat and an increase in the dog population from 7.7 million to 7.9 million dogs (Canadian Animal Health Institute 2022 Pet Population Survey).

Azevedo said the growth of the pet industry in the past couple of years took place both in Canada and the U.S. and across the globe. The trend was happening prior to COVID but the global pandemic really accelerated it. Pet ownership is on the increase. The growth in the industry is driven by the fact that more people have pets and the way people are treating their pets today has changed dramatically, spending more money on them. 

He said it’s also an industry that is very resilient through tough economic times.

“Our plan is to expand really fast (in Canada),” said Azevedo. “We’re starting in Ontario. We also see a lot of potential in Vancouver and the West Coast . . . We’re really excited about Canada.

“I think in the beginning we really want to make sure we open at the right locations. Our plan here is to open probably around five to 10 stores this year and then next year grow from 10 to 20 and start growing in the 20-30 stores and in the next four or five years be close to 100 stores. We have a very aggressive plan. We believe we could be close to 200 stores if not more in Canada.”

Image: Woof Gang

Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming has been recognized as a top 10 retailer by Pet Business Media and one of the nation’s fastest-growing pet chains by Pet Insight magazine. The franchise also received the Retailer of the Year Franchise Award from Pet Product News, Franchise Times Top 500, and Best Overall Multi-Unit Retailer and Multi-service Excellence Award from Pet Business Media. Woof Gang has become a household name in the more than $124 billion pet industry due to its mission to provide professional pet grooming and high-quality products that enhance the well-being, health, and happiness of beloved animal companions. 

Video Interview: What’s The State Of The Franchising Industry In Canada Today?

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Video Interview: What's The State Of The Franchising Industry In Canada Today?

Gary Prenevost, a board member of the Canadian Franchise Association and working with FranNet, discusses the state of the franchise industry in the country.

Prenevost talks about where the interest in franchising comes from, the top categories, and other trends in the industry.

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.

Interviewed this episode:

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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.

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Herschel Supply Co. to Open Several New Stores This Year Amid Expansion [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Herschel Supply Co at CF Chinook Centre (Image: Herschel)

Vancouver-based global travel lifestyle and accessories brand Herschel Supply Co. continues to expand its retail footprint with several new stores planned for this year.

The popular brand, founded in 2009 by brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack, currently has seven stores in North America with 50 partner stores in Asia.

The most recent store opened January 11 at CF Chinook Centre in Calgary.

“We opened up initially in North America four stores in Vancouver and four diverse stores. We have a Robson Street store that obviously serves the fashion channel and the high street shopper,” said Lyndon Cormack, Co-Founder & Managing Director. “We have Gastown which serves tourists and locals alike. We have a store in Metropolis in Burnaby which is our biggest mall in British Columbia and one of the most successful malls in Canada. And then we also have a McArthurGlen outlet store.

“As we look to expand to the other geographies we look to replicate clustering of stores in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Calgary and then as we build into the future other epicentres and other zones we’ll do cluster stores in as well.”

Herschel Supply Co at CF Chinook Centre (Image: Herschel)
Herschel Supply Co at CF Chinook Centre (Image: Herschel)

Niko George, Director of Global Retail, said the brand is focusing on the Vancouver, Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles markets.

“We have five more stores opening in those markets this year,” he said. “One more in Toronto, two more in New York, one in L.A and one in Banff.”

The company opened in December a store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and plans to open an additional Toronto store at CF Sherway Gardens in late spring. 

There will also be a store coming to resort town Banff, Alberta.

  • Herschel Supply Co at CF Chinook Centre (Image: Herschel)
  • Herschel Supply Co at CF Chinook Centre (Image: Herschel)

“We tend to look for locations that tourists and locals unite. It’s very similar to building up the success we’ve seen in Gastown. And even when you look to a place like Soho in New York although it’s certainly a much different zone than a Banff or a Gastown but it also sort of builds off that energy. I grew up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and spent a lot of time living in that region as well.

“Banff’s obviously beyond just being an epic town, and epic scenery and a great place to visit, it’s also pretty close to home. I’ve spent thousands of days there over my life and that’s going to be a fun one for us as well.”

Cormack said a store in Banff is expected to open for the summer season.

“We don’t quite have possession of the space yet but the landlord’s doing some work. We’re moving into a location where it had the same tenant for over 40 years so there’s some improvements that need to be made from a landlord’s side and then we’re going in there and opening the store. Looks like everything’s on track. We should be all open and humming for summer,” said Cormack. 

Herschel Supply Co at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Herschel)
Herschel Supply Co at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Herschel)

Herschel Supply is named after the small Canadian town in Saskatchewan where three generations of their family grew up. The retailer’s first store opened in Gastown in 2018. 

“When we look at bags in general, it’s certainly our backbone. We looked at the outdoor industry. We looked at the luxury industry and how much bags were celebrated in those areas. We didn’t feel there was a heartbeat in the lifestyle category,” said Cormack. “So how do we take these very meaningful, utility products that people can take to school, to work, on trips, around the world, etc., just on many adventures and bigger adventures, and how do we really put a heart beat and a storytelling aspect into the category that will allow people not only to buy a product of utility but create a brand that people could fall in love with the design ethos and storytelling and classic, yet modern design.

“We’re not trying to be something to everybody on purpose. We’re trying to be classic with a modern twist and it seems to appeal to a ton of people who just love that aesthetic and that design ethos.”

George said there is a timeliness of the product.

“It has this quality that it could be from any generation. It’s not on trend which I really like. I think in addition it’s a really inclusive brand. The access to our product can be the mall or be the high-end boutique at Saks. So it’s really inclusive to all types of people. That’s a big appeal for the brand right now,” said George.

Career opportunities at Herschel Supply Co. are available at this link.

John Moss, Senior VP at CBRE, is working with Herschel Supply Co. on its expansion in the Alberta market.

Promotions and Loyalty Strategies that Win During Difficult Economic Times [Op-ed]

By
Matt Crowell
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Eddie Bauer Adventure Rewards (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

2022 was an exceptionally tumultuous year for local brick and mortar businesses, largely driven by the last wave of COVID lockdowns and towards the end of the year, rising interest rates pressuring consumer spending.  Businesses that survived the pandemic are now looking for the most effective ways to keep their businesses growing while fighting against the pressure consumers are feeling economically.

In times of economic strain, consumers typically look for ways to save money. This was the case during the recession in 2009-2012 when discount platforms such as Groupon and LivingSocial saw tremendous success due to shoppers searching for bargains.

Today’s consumer is no different: they still harbour a desire to find savings wherever possible, and is back en vogue. For businesses looking towards promotions or discounts there should be two main focuses – enticing customers into taking action while also making sure it correlates with their brand values and bottom line margins are met.

Ren’s Pets Rewards Program (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Businesses all over Canada are turning to time-tested strategies when it comes to engaging customers and rewarding their customers. Here are the top 3 growth strategies we see implemented on our platform:

  1. Customer loyalty: I suggest focusing on common purchases that customers are heavily incentivized to return for and make sure your staff is driving this strategy forward with a smooth enrollment process at the till. By providing rewarding experiences when individuals come back again and again, not only will their loyalty increase but so too your profits!
  2. Increasing number of orders placed directly: The cost of delivery services can add up quickly. To help savvy customers save money, many businesses now offer discounts when direct pick up or delivery orders are placed with them instead of third party apps like Uber or Skip The Dishes. A trend we’re seeing more often is promotions offering 10% to 15% off for ordering directly from the restaurant – which helps reduce costs for both you and the customer!
  3. Attracting new customers: Drawing in new customers is essential for business growth. To be successful, your promotion needs to stand out from the crowd and offer something that truly disrupts existing habits. Consider offering a substantial discount or freebie—up to 30% off their total bill! For less aggressive customer acquisition tactics, loyalty rewards are more likely to result in returning clients while still providing an incentive they won’t find elsewhere.

As we enter 2023, businesses looking to excel must navigate the complex seas of digital commerce and shifting economic conditions. With perceptive marketing strategies that strike the right balance between promotion and profit coupled with intelligent innovation, local merchants can take advantage of this season’s opportunities amidst its many challenges – unlocking success for their business along the way!

By Matt Crowell, Founder & CEO GetintheLoop

Canadian Travel Lifestyle Brand Monos to Open 1st Permanent Store this Spring with More Planned [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Monos at Stackt Market (Image: Monos)

After a very successful launch as a pop-up in Toronto, Monos, a Canadian direct-to-consumer travel lifestyle retailer, is planning to open its first permanent bricks and mortar store in Vancouver later this spring. 

Aqsa Mian, Senior Director of Strategy for Monos, said the brand was only available online prior to setting up a physical location as a temporary site at North America’s largest shipping container market – Stackt.  

“We were primarily focused in the U.S. and Canada and we have one wholesale partner in Nordstrom,” said Mian. “We try to be very particular in who we work with. So Nordstrom was a really great brand fit for us.” 

Monos at Stackt Market (Image: GH+A Design)
Aqsa Mian

The pop-up location was launched in November in 585 square feet at the stackt market at 28 Bathurst St. The market, designed entirely out of shipping containers, is an ever-evolving cultural marketplace featuring a mix of shops, a microbrewery, top chefs, killer city views and lots of ongoing community programming. It was established in April 2019. 

The pop-up will be in operation until the end of January.  

Mian said the purpose of the pop-up was to see how the brand could be brought to life ahead of its flagship store to open in Vancouver, which could be by the end of May. 

“We wanted to have a little test in the Toronto market since this is our most popular market. The opportunity with stackt came up which was really fantastic. The demographics fit really well,” she said. 

“We actually are currently in conversations with various landlords in Toronto. We are hopeful in having something solidified soon and ready to announce.”   

Monos at Stackt Market (Image: Monos)

The 2000 square foot Vancouver flagship will be the very first permanent location  at West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano. 

“Toronto is going to be a fast follow,” said Mian, adding that store will open either later this year or early 2024.

“Monos is never going to be the sort of brand that has a store in every corner. It’s not who we are and it doesn’t really fit well with our philosophy of minimalism. That being said, the Toronto pop-up has proven our hypothesis that having a retail footprint does a great job of balancing out the entire customer journey. The product is thoughtfully designed and very high quality and stores provide a great opportunity for the customer to get a sense of the truly premium quality.”

“If I had to put a number out, I’d estimate that we could see 10 to 15 stores in North America in the long term, depending on how we find the rollout is going. Really, we are more focused on being in the right locations and with the right partner more than anything else. I could see us being internationally spread out as well in key cities. We are all quite passionate about travel so it would be nice to have a little home away from home in major international cities.”

Monos at Stackt Market (Image: GH+A Design)

Monos, launched in 2019, is a Canadian travel and lifestyle brand offering premium, beautifully designed suitcases, bags, and accessories, and inspiring people to travel in a mindful and present way – to embrace the journey as much as the destination. 

Bess Liscio, Director Retail Strategy for GH+A design studios (recently acquired by global architecture company Benoy), suggested the brand be at stackt when it was looking to launch its pop-up in Toronto. 

Bess Liscio

“It is a shipping container community. It was created  as a temporary pop-up four years ago and it was so successful that it is  now a permanent destination. The popups vary from permanent to temporary, from coffee to cannabis, to apparel, to now luggage and travel from Monos.  

“What makes stackt also very successful, is the planned experiences and activation that is created by The Ancillary Agency. There’s so much going on monthly, weekly bringing people from all over city to explore, participate and get inspired.”  

“We started to brainstorm on what the pop up could be. The container is long, and narrow and only 585 square feet. We initially created three different concepts, presented each to Aqsa and her leadership and once the design was chosen it was fast and furious to get it open for the Holiday Hills Christmas event.” 

Monos at Stackt Market (Image: Monos)

Mian said the chosen design studio translated a concept that Monos created for the Vancouver store “which is aimed at creating a structure through the middle of the store that enables you to travel through different “destinations” as you move through the store, even through you’re in a small space.

“We’re so lucky that our shipping container was a corner unit with two separate doors. So to create a sensory, directional journey, we decided to create an entrance and an exit strategy. Once you enter, you’re greeted at concierge and introduced to the Brand and its values. Then through soft mood lighting, you travel through a tunnel made of suspended sheer fabric arches, where rooms are curated with Monos suitcase collections in colours and patterns, all inspired by travel destinations and the moments made. Clever travel products from smart packing components to self-cleaning water bottles, to easy and stylish travel apparel all compliment the Monos story,” said Liscio “  

“Just outside the Monos container, a 20-foot tall Holiday Tree was erected, all made from Monos suitcases. Working with The Ancillary Agency to create this art installation was a fun, creative collaboration.” 

Monos at Stackt Market (Image: Monos)

According to Monos, the name of the retailer is inspired by the Japanese concept of mono no aware – the profound appreciation of the beauty in fleeting moments. 

“Travel is what you make of it. For some, it’s an escape from everyday life. But for others, it’s a chance to grow and learn. To explore places near and far with wonder and curiosity, with gratitude and graciousness. To greet the world with open eyes and arms, and an open mind and heart. We founded Monos with these travellers in mind, because we are these travellers too,” says the company on its website. 

“Mindfulness – being fully immersed in the here and now – is at the heart of our philosophy on travelling and living well. We believe that when we are present in the moment and mindful in our travels – when we are passionate wanderers – the deeper beauty of the world reveals itself.” 

Halifax ReTales Tallies Number of Store Openings and Closings in 2022 with Surprising Findings [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Downtown Halifax

Despite another challenging year in the retail sector, overall there were positive numbers for the Halifax region when it came to business openings and closures.

Halifax ReTales, a tracker of the goings on of the Halifax Regional Municipality retail and restaurant scene, recorded 175 new openings and 68 closures in 2022.

“However, as I was compiling the data, I noticed a trend and 106 of the openings happened the first half of the year where only 69 were in the second half of the year,” said Arthur Gaudreau who operates the website.

  • Peavey Mart at Bedford Place (Image: Halifax ReTales)
  • Peavey Mart at Bedford Place (Image: Halifax ReTales)

“So overall positive numbers with 2.5 openings in 2022 to every one closure. Last year it was 2.1 openings and in 2020 it was 1.2 openings.

“The retail market itself is relatively flat but the restaurant industry or food related things are up more-so.”

And Gaudreau attributes that to the city’s population growth.

Inkwell Modern Handmade at 1453 South Park (Image: Halifax ReTales)
Arthur Gaudreau

“We’re growing way faster than we had anticipated. Per capita, I think we’re growing the second fastest in the country and it’s just starting to show. The funny thing about it is the diversification of what’s happening. So probably up until say about 2010 we had an Indian grocery store that was literally called Indian Groceries. And now we probably have a store that represents every different culture and there’s probably around 18 to 20 of them. There’s population growth and in certain sectors that’s really pushing how things change. So there’s a lot of population growth here based on immigration and of course the change in the population base means these things that those people coming to Nova Scotia want.”

Gaudreau said one area of growth was the Esquire Plaza on Bedford Highway. The former motel saw many food businesses open, including Korean rice-dog shop Kon Dog. Bahamian restaurant East Coast Conch. A second location of Turkish spot EFES. The Syrian/Yemeni eatery Tanoor. A new coffee roaster, Beanville. Hanin Mart, a Korean grocer and a motorcycle accessory shop Route 66. A second location of Antionette’s Cheesecake will join in the new year, he said.

“Freehand Hospitality really helped the numbers with their continued growth at the Queen’s Marque on Lower Water Street, Downtown Halifax. The first eatery Drift opened late 2021, but this year Darya, Cafe Lunette, Bar Sofia and Peacock Wine Bar joined it. Next year will see the openings of Salt + Ash, Swanky Burger, Toridori Noodle Bar and coffee and ice cream spot The Fog Company,” he said.

  • Another Shop Boutique at 1715 Lower Water Street (Image: Discover Halifax)
  • Another Shop Boutique at 1715 Lower Water Street (Image: Discover Halifax)

“Some longtime spots like the Art Expo in Park Lane, Fairview eatery Mexico Lindo and dim sum spot Kee Heong all closed this year. Pizza, of course, was involved with the Lakeside and Fairview Alexandra’s becoming Belle Vita Pizza. Alexandra’s opened a new Fairview location a few months later, replacing Coins Pizza a crosswalk away. Pizza Pizza came to Spryfield with another coming to Sackville Drive. Sackville Drive also saw Quebec chain Pizza Salvatore, which has no connection to legendary North End pizza shop Salvatore’s. Downtown Pizza replaced Snappy Tomato in Woodside and Papa John’s opened in Woodlawn.”

Gaudreau expects continued growth in the market because of the population growth in the city. For example, two new locations for Popeye’s and a Home Sense are already in the books for early 2023. A major Asian grocery store is coming as well.

“So if you’re seeing outside companies like that and franchise models coming in you know the numbers are saying the right things to grow,” he said. 

  • Bar Sofia (Image: Downtown Halifax)
  • Drift by Freehand Hospitality (Image: Downtown Halifax)
  • Cafe Lunette by Freehand Hospitality (Image: Downtown Halifax)

Gaudreau said the market is also seeing new construction with about eight major buildings to open in the first half of 2023 and all of them have ground floor retail.

“And those spaces are getting filled . . . It’s really kind of growing in a weird and wonderful way,” he said.

“They also changed the rules in the centre part of Halifax so that you can put retail in certain different places now. Like they’ve rezoned everything. Over the next few years we’ll see how that plays out too.”

Promenade Shopping Centre in Thornhill to be Redeveloped into Vibrant Urban Centre [Renderings/Exclusive Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Promenade Shopping Centre (Concept rendering – subject to change)

The Promenade Shopping Centre, north of Toronto in the heart of Thornhill, will be the centrepiece of a multi-phase development as part of an emerging vibrant urban centre.

Residents will be able to find all their needs at Promenade Shopping Centre including two grocery stores, an LCBO, a health club, a drug store and more. The vision is that the Shopping Centre will provide all the amenities for the residents and workers of the new residential and office towers as well as the surrounding Thornhill community and beyond.

The first two condominium towers are currently under construction with occupancy expected in 2024. With direct access to the existing shopping centre, these 35 and 30-storey towers contain more than 750 residential condominiums and approximately 80,000 square feet of new retail space.

Molly Westbrook

“This type of transformational, mixed-use development is a perfect example of how visionary investors and retailers are reimagining large-format mall and shopping centre sites in the GTA and across Canada. It’s also emblematic of a trend we’re seeing across cities in Canada and the USA as well,” said Molly Westbrook, Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield Asset Services.

“Retail redevelopment and the addition of high-end, vertical residential and office components can build on traditional malls’ and shopping centres’ history as both business and social hubs, reinvigorating, adding density and creating more vibrant neighborhoods and complete communities.”

The approximately 540,000 square-foot Promenade, sits on more than 50 acres of land at Bathurst and Centre streets, near Highway 407.

Promenade Shopping Centre (Concept rendering – subject to change)

Promenade Shopping Centre opened in 1986 and underwent a $45-million upgrade in 2009, that included the redevelopment of the food court and common areas. Promenade Limited Partnership, a partnership between Serruya Private Equity and a Liberty Development managed corporation, purchased the Promenade Shopping Centre in 2017.

Liberty Development Corporation is a full-service real estate development company. It is a leading development manager of commercial, office, and residential buildings in the Greater Toronto Area. The principals of Liberty have over 40 years of hands-on experience in the development and construction industries.

Serruya Private Equity is a global private equity firm focused on transforming companies by collaborating with management to develop and implement strategies which leverage SPE’s existing operational and financial resources. SPE invests capital in a broad range of asset classes with an emphasis on franchising, retail, and real estate. SPE’s real estate portfolio is currently comprised of ownership interests in more than 50 properties; a collection of office, retail, residential and industrial assets, located in Canada and the U.S., with a combined gross leasable area of over two million square feet.

Promenade is under new management with Cushman & Wakefield Asset Services, a leading global real estate services firm.

Image: Promenade Mall

The City of Vaughan’s Promenade Centre Secondary plan said the area around the shopping centre, known as the Promenade Centre, will be home to many, a place to shop, gather and grow.

“As Vaughan’s population continues to grow, there is a need for housing and transportation options, business and retail enhancements to accommodate people who want to live in a city that has the best to offer,” it says.

“The City is undertaking a secondary plan study for the Promenade Centre that will establish a vision, key principles and a complete land-use plan to guide the community’s future evolution and development. The study will include an extensive transportation review to help move people through Promenade Centre by all modes of travel – walking, cycling, transit and driving. It will also determine the plan for achieving a complete community featuring a mix of uses and attractive, functional and pedestrian-friendly spaces.

“Promenade Centre is identified as a place for growth and will evolve over time as a distinct urban centre. Promenade Centre will maintain and enhance its role as an important place for people to gather, socialize, shop, work, learn and live. The Centre will be planned for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists, providing a network of complete streets and ease of access to high quality local and rapid transit services. These streets, in concert with a network of parks, indoor and outdoor open spaces and gathering places, will be vibrant, safe and accessible for the needs of a multi-generational community. New development within Promenade Centre will be sustainable and provide for a mix of retail, entertainment, community and office uses, as well as a variety of housing types. The evolution of Promenade Centre will respect the surrounding neighbourhoods.”

Rapidly Growing Canadian Outerwear Brand FREED Opening Multiple Pop-Ups as Business Expands

By
Shelby Hautala
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Image: FREED

FREED, a Canadian Vegan outerwear company, is going to be opening multiple pop up locations in Canada and internationally. 

Opening in 1921, the international company is a fourth generational garment manufacturer based in Winnipeg Manitoba. The brand originally started out as a pant factory; however is now known as a luxurious outerwear brand focusing on sustainability and vegan products. 

“I took over 13 years ago. My great grandfather started the business and it originally started out as a pant factory and then when my grandfather took over it was still a pant factory – but started leaning into outerwear. When my father took over, he continued onwards with more of a focus on outerwear and structured goods such as blazers. I essentially grew up living and breathing in the garment industry so it really is ingrained in me. We are 100 years old and in our fourth generation – very few companies last like we do,” says Marissa Freed, the CEO of FREED. 

New Pop Ups Coming Soon 

Image: FREED

As FREED focuses on outerwear for the winter months, Freed said the pop up locations will be opening hopefully by the end of October. Before the pandemic, Freed said consumers would typically start looking for their winter clothes in July and purchase in August; however, today she has noticed a difference. 

“We are finding now that people are purchasing more on a needed basis, so more in real time. We are trying to open pop up stores in October when the weather begins to turn and people truly start focusing on outerwear. We are from Winnipeg – nobody knows the cold like we do and we want to make sure that everybody understands that FREED has something really luxurious to keep people warm, to make people feel better, and elevate their look.” 

As for pop up locations, Freed announced there will be a couple opening in Toronto, one opening in Winnipeg, one opening in Montreal, a couple opening in the United Kingdom, and one in New York City. 

  • 2022 FREED Pop-up
  • 2022 FREED x CNTRBND Pop-up

In addition to opening new pop up locations, Freed said she is gearing the company towards focusing on more zero waste initiatives. Freed started thinking more about these initiatives once she started her family. 

“Once you start having kids, you start to look at things differently. Like you start to worry a bit more about the environment than you used to, what the world is going to look like when they are older, what you should or should not be eating and the list goes on – it is endless. So I am being more mindful about the world my kids will grow up in and that leads me to the zero waste initiative that is currently in the Freeds line, to be much more mindful of animal welfare, and we truly believe we can achieve our zero waste goal as possible.” 

Consumers can count on all products at FREED to be made and designed in Canada, be 100 percent vegan, cruelty free, uses eco textiles, slow waste production, and Freed said she is always looking for new ways to be more sustainable and every year she brings on a new sustainability initiative and will in 2023. One way Freed says she reduces waste is she doesn’t do deep discounts because of how that drives overconsumption in stores – which is “not the point of FREEDS mission.” 

FREED also keeps everything local as all of its products are designed and made in Winnipeg Manitoba, where the company first began, as it is important to manufacture in Canada. 

Individuality at FREED 

Image: FREED

Each product at FREED celebrates individuality as the outerwear can be worn in different styles and for different reasons. The FREED product line also consists of matching outerwear for children and their mothers – creating a stylish look for everyone. 

The products at FREED include jackets for adults and kids, accessories, and also collaborations with other companies such as Indigo and Section 35. 

“We celebrate individuality at FREED. We truly believe we have put a collection together that is trendy but it also serves a variety of needs for our target market which is truly between 25 years old to 85 year old customers. By serving those age groups, we are celebrating individuality as our products can be worn in so many different styles, for different reasons, and at the same time be mindful of the changing world and continue our initiatives every year.” 

Image: FREED

To show individuality at FREED, Freed says they recently completed a photoshoot for its new collection in a local Winnipeg grocery store and entered a lot of Manitobah products. The new photoshoot includes every different age group, gender, how customers can have fun with the coats, and how they can use the products. The new lookbook will show how FREED has elevated its products while pulling in the town where it all started. 

In 2023, customers can also expect FREED to expand its vegan leather offerings, accessories, and to have increased its collection. Freed says they have always been known as producing high quality products and because of that she does contract work for a lot of major brands such as the Canadian Olympics athlete uniforms and she even designs for the RCMP. 

“We stand above and beyond any competitor in regards to quality, fabric, and also our zero waste initiatives. There is nobody that knows quality like us, fabric, and I don’t think there is anybody that knows outerwear like us. To still be there, not only as a fourth generation, but after the pandemic, I am grateful. There is so much more to come from us and I truly believe that the sky’s our limit.” 

Quebec-Based Sneaker and Streetwear Retailer Centrall Launches Store Expansion with Plans for New Locations [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Centrall at Les Galeries de la Capitale Mall in Quebec City (Image: Centrall)

The idea of Montreal-based streetwear retailer Centrall really had its roots in the basement of where Lujah Dauphin Rénélique lived.

It was initially known as Dolphin Kicks before its incorporation in October 2019 and specializes in selling sneakers and high end streetwear.  Today, the company has five locations with plans to expand the market.

Centrall at 1382 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal (Image: Centrall)
Lujah Dauphin Rénélique

Its flagship is in downtown Montreal at 1382 Sainte-Catherine Street. Other stores are at major suburban shopping centres including CF Carrefour Laval in Laval; Carrefour de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke; CF Promenades St. Bruno in St. Bruno; and Galeries de la Capitale in Quebec City.

The first store opened June 2018 in a little basement 300-square-foot space. The current retail space for stores is about 1,500 square feet.

“What we do specialize on is carrying the biggest selection of sneakers across Quebec and maybe Canada for our clients. So we have all the exclusive sneakers. The rarest sneakers. We have that all under one roof,” said Rénélique, the retailer’s President and CEO. “Whenever we have events like Black Friday or Boxing Day, we have crazy deals and we often have lineups that go up to two, three, four, five hundred people in lineups.”

When he was younger, he had some shoes that he thought were nice from Yellow. But when he got to school other kids told him they were not real sneakers. The real sneakers are brands like Nike and adidas. 

  • Image: Centrall
  • Image: Centrall

Rénélique did some research. He’s a collector at heart. It used to be Pokemon cards, Bakugan, LEGO. At first, he didn’t have the money to buy sneakers because he wasn’t working. 

“So I did my other passion street dancing. I used to dance on the street in downtown Montreal with my friend. I got a bit of money together and I bought my first pair and after that it kind of became an addiction. I bought a second pair, a third pair, a fourth pair. But at that time I was still 13, 14,” he said. “But as the time passed by I grew bigger. So all my other shoes I saved money for a long time for. They didn’t fit me anymore. So I started selling or trading my shoes for a bigger size. I sold one shoe and made a profit and that’s when I realized there was a business behind it.

“After that I kind of grew my brand using a lot of Instagram, YouTube. I was the first person in my town here to start using Instagram to sell sneakers. And then when we went to YouTube we started doing pop-up shops and I think around our third pop-up shop in that space was 300 square feet. We had a crazy turnout and we had over 300 people in line over the whole day of the event. That’s when I realized there was really a business.”

Centrall at 1382 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal (Image: Centrall)

The first pair of sneakers he bought were the Air Jordan 9 Barons.

Rénélique is only 22 years old but has ambitious plans to grow the retail concept. The first location outside of Quebec will be opening in the Halifax Shopping Centre at the beginning of April followed eventually with expansion west of Quebec into the other provinces. 

“I don’t know how many stores we can grow to be honest. The business grew so much in the first few years. It’s hard for me to plan in the long term because there’s so many things happening and things that happen super quickly. But we’re definitely looking to open as far as we can in the future,” he said.

Rénélique said plans are also to introduce an online app to buy and sell sneakers across Canada in a marketplace setting where Rénélique will authenticate the shoe, clean it, collect pay for the seller, and send it to the end user. 

  • Centrall at 1382 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal (Image: Centrall)
  • Centrall at CF Carrefour Laval
  • Centrall at CF Promenades St-Bruno (Image: Centrall)
  • Centrall at Les Galeries de la Capitale Mall in Quebec City (Image: Centrall)

​Ben Labrecque, Managing Partner with Oakmont Real Estate Services Canada, which is spearheading the retailer’s expansion plans, said Rénélique built an empire out of his basement.

Ben Labrecque

“He’s becoming super well known in this sneakerhead community,” said Labrecque. “He graduated from his basement to a basement retail store to on the street and then to a prominent location on Sainte-Catherine, obviously in a very impressive fashion and timeline. And now he’s venturing into permanent stores in shopping centres. It will still remain a combination of street and shopping centre, going after AAA assets.”

Oakmont is looking for select locations across Eastern Canada in enclosed malls and exterior locations of between 1,000 to 2,000 square feet.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For January 20th, 2023

By
Retail Insider
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Canadian Retail News From Around The Web

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.

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