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.
As the unique New Horizon Mall approaches its fifth anniversary this spring, the shopping centre, just outside of Calgary city limits in Balzac, continues to increase its occupancy.
The mall, which was developed by Toronto-based Torgan Group, with its partner MPI Property Group, is about 320,000 square feet and is unique as it was Alberta’s first condo mall where space in the centre was initially sold to people and businesses as opposed to being leased. Many units were purchased then leased out to other businesses.
“It’s been active. It’s been interesting coming out of COVID, all of those fun things that everyone’s been dealing with,” said Bob Parsons, the GM of New Horizon Mall.
New Horizon Mall
“What’s been interesting over the past year at New Horizon, we’ve continued to add additional stores, additional tenant operators, additional unit owned operators. Over the last year, the architectural control committee has approved over 100 new stores. In the Calgary marketplace, we’re probably the most economical, feasible option for entrepreneurs, business incubators in terms of retail. I doubt you could find a more economical rental rate in the marketplace for retailers wanting to shop their wares so to speak to the consumers of this marketplace.
“We’re about a year and half into Sky Castle operating in the shopping centre, which has been a strong addition to the product and to the services offered here. They’ve done very well and understand their marketplace and understand who their customer is and the families I think have reacted and are pretty appreciative. So they’re doing well.”
Sky Castle, a massive entertainment centre and children’s indoor playground, is the shopping centre’s largest anchor tenant at about 34,000 square feet.
Sky Castle at New Horizon Mall (Image: Sky Castle)
“We’re continuing to whittle away at both the numbers in terms of raw store counts as well as occupancy based on square footage,” said Parsons. “It’s been good that way for sure.
“We’ve got over 200 stores that are fully fixtured and open on a regular basis. On a square foot basis, right now we’re about 60 per cent occupied. Both those numbers are up dramatically over the numbers as we headed into COVID and now as we’ve come out of COVID things are still moving in a positive direction.
“As every month goes by, we continue to add stores. As every month goes by, we hopefully become a little more predictable in terms of how our consumer perceives us. And hopefully we’re providing unique retail experiences for our consumer.”
Other major anchor tenants in the mall include Best Shop and Prairie Horizon Fresh Market.
C & L Collectables at New Horizon Mall (Image: New Horizon)Elegance Mezon at New Horizon Mall
Construction of New Horizon Mall was completed by Ledcor Construction in 2018.
A condominium board was set up to run New Horizon Mall and to represent all unit owners. An onsite management team is employed by this board to manage day to day operations and headed by General Manager Bob Parsons.
“I think in general we’re seeing our traffic numbers increasing month over month. People are responding to events. There was the timeframe through COVID for sure people weren’t as positive about venturing out, but I think there’s certainly a portion of the population that’s been starved for the things we just took for granted – opportunities, craft fairs, events in the mall whether it be car displays different activities, Stampede events, that happen on a regular basis in this market,” said Parsons.
Image: New Horizon Mall
“I think for sure our traffic numbers are showing month over month increases and we’re seeing specific events for sure are generating more traffic than what they would have in the past. I wouldn’t want to say we’re back to normal. I think COVID has changed a lot of experiences in everyday life but for the most part there’s more of an appreciation for things that go on that we took for granted and now people are accepting of them.
“One of the things with Sky Castle is we can track and predict strong traffic patterns and increases in the mall based on school holidays and stat holidays.”
Morgan de toi, a Parisian women’s wear brand, has set its sights on expanding into the Canadian market.
Marcel Rinaldy
Marcel Rinaldy, President of Groupe 3M, who will be the Canadian partner/developer of the brand, said Canada is recognized for entrepreneurship, world-class cultural talent, safe cities, excellent quality of life, which perfectly corresponds to the values of the Morgan brand, sincerity, requirement, proximity, audacity, agility, coworking.
Rinaldy and his team are working with Montreal-based real estate firm Think Retail to expand the Morgan brand into Canada.
“For several decades, Morgan has been dressing women to make them feel attractive and powerful. The French brand was built from an identity fashion signature, without ever ceasing to evolve. Capturing the spirit of the times and creating novelty: these are Morgan’s values for expressing its wardrobe. Morgan fashion accompanies the daily life of all city dwellers, by betting on cuts that sublimate the silhouette and accessories that boost the look,” said Rinaldy.
Image: Morgan de Toi
He said the brand specializes in women’s clothing 25 to 45 years old, chic for every day and occasion.
There are 180 stores in France and 327 internationally.
“Morgan writes her love story with fashion by collaborating with influential women: Caroline Receveur, Georgia May Jagger and Iris Mittenaere have joined the adventure to make femininity shine throughout the world,” said Rinaldy.
“For several years, (Morgan has been) committed to structuring and developing its responsible business approach. Our desire is to offer a healthy and dynamic work environment to our employees, and to develop the best products while respecting our partners and the environment. Our social responsibility approach is based on four structuring commitments for the development and sustainability of our activities: offering responsible products and services that meet customer expectations; ensuring employees a fair and motivating working universe’ building and developing ethical partnerships; and controlling the environmental footprint.”
Image: Morgan de Toi
Tony Flanz, President of Think Retail, says the plan is to start with several stores in Quebec. Ideal spaces are 1,500 to 2,000 square feet in enclosed smalls and along high streets. The goal is to open several boutiques in Quebec in the next couple of years.
Tony Flanz
“Chic, playful, sensual—fashionistas will be excited to welcome Morgan de toi, a Parisian women’s wear brand to Canada,” says Think Retail in a post on its website. “Founded in 1968, the mid-price brand was acquired in 2019 and has since grown into a powerhouse with a strong global presence that includes a network of more than 1,000 points of sale—branded stores and shops-in-shops, both in France and around the globe.
“The versatile retail brand targets urban women ages 25 to 45, with everyday chic that spans casual to work and dressy. The well-priced range includes t-shirts and sweaters, as well as dresses, trousers, skirts, outerwear, shoes and accessories. The concept is perfectly captured by brand ambassador Iris Mittenaere, former Miss France and Miss Universe, who encapsulates French beauty and style. Her strong following and influence help keep the brand in the spotlight.
Image: Morgan de Toi
Image: Morgan de Toi
“In addition to great style, Morgan has substance, touting its commitments to sustainability, including a goal to use 100 per cent more sustainable cotton for its products. ‘More sustainable’ cotton includes cotton from farms, which are part of the Better Cotton Initiative, recycled cotton and organic cotton. This fits nicely with the values of its target demographic.
Over the years, Morgan has developed an international cult following for its French elegance with a modern twist. This is an ideal tenant, with a successful history and strong brand awareness.”
Rue Sainte-Catherine at Rue de la Montagne (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Like most major markets in Canada, Montreal’s retail sector has experienced some challenging times over the past few years because of the COVID pandemic.
But the sector has rebounded somewhat with the end of lockdowns and the easing of public health measures. More people are out shopping. Post-secondary students are back in classrooms in the downtown area. More tourists are visiting Montreal.
And as in most Canadian cities, downtown retail still has some obstacles to overcome as office vacancy is not yet back to normal pre-pandemic levels – in fact it may never be back to normal as more companies adopt flexible and hybrid working environments.
Rocco Matteo
Rocco Matteo, Managing Partner of E3 Consulting in Montreal and a former Vice President at RONA, said there has been a slow down in retail sales in the Montreal area recently.
“I don’t think it’s any different from any other city in Canada but particularly from Montreal, what I’ve seen is definitely the (elevated) interest rates have been having a huge impact on the high produced goods,” he said.
“When you look at the shopping malls, and I visited several in the last few weeks, unfortunately I do see still a trend of some empty locals in the malls. I do see some down trend in the traffic.”
Check out the full video interview below with Matteo who talks about some of the trends in the retail sector in Montreal, the challenges of the downtown market and what the city can expect for the rest of the year.
The Video Interview Series by Retail Insider is available on YouTube.
Connect with Mario Toneguzzi, a veteran of the media industry for more than 40 years and named in 2021 a Top Ten Business Journalist in the world and the only Canadian – to learn how you can tell your story, share your message and amplify it to a wide audience. He is Senior News Editor with Retail Insider and owner of Mario Toneguzzi Communications Inc. and can be reached at mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.
Also check out the other series offered by Retail Insider, including The Weekly podcast and The Interview Series, which are both available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Simplecast and other podcast players.
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past three days.
Young happy woman using credit card for online shopping in the evening at home.
This collaboration promises to put power back into the hands of local retail business owners.
TORONTO, ON and BIRMINGHAM, AL– February, 2023 – Zenergy Communications, a leading integrated marketing-communications agency, today announced its exciting new partnership with Retail Strategies, a US-based consulting firm that works with communities across North America on economic development and downtown revitalization. The first of many collaborative projects includes a webinar entitled ‘Retail Through the Lens of Omni-Channel’ supported by sessions guiding small business owners through the process of creating marketing campaigns using relevant channels, platforms, and devices to promote products to customers and prospects.The new module provides an integrated understanding of omni-channel and digital marketing possibilities along with one-on-one sessions for personalized support.
Linda Farha, Founder and President of Zenergy remarked: “Our Retail Through the Lens of Omni-Channel masterclass along with six supporting tailored intensive sessions will help retail owners maximize their business potential and grow their customer base even amidst these uncertain economic times. The landscape of digital marketing is constantly evolving, as are customers’ expectations, and small business owners must now be equipped with a comprehensive understanding of digital marketing strategies. This module was designed to do just that.”
“Small business represents 99% of the national economy and they are more than the heartbeat of communities; they are the economic engine,” explained Jenn Gregory, President of Retail Strategies’ Downtown Strategies division. “Our team is confident that this unique program, developed by Zenergy Communications, will break down barriers for small business owners and make digital marketing strategies more accessible and comprehensible.”
The partnership promises to put power back into the hands of small business owners by giving them the training and resources they need to better grow and engage their customer base and convert that engagement into sales. This relationship between Zenergy and Retail Strategies will continue to deepen as they expand the Omni-Channel for Retail module to communities across North America and work together to develop new sessions across various sectors.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is the national expert in recruiting businesses and strategically developing communities. Their mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality of life amenities.
About Zenergy Communications
Founded in 2003 by multi-disciplined entrepreneur Linda Farha, Zenergy Communications Communications is an award-winning integrated marketing-communications firm that specializes in content production, creative campaigns, and strategies for brands looking to grow their business.
From its offices in Toronto, Montreal, and New York, Zenergy services both national and international clients across a diverse range of industries including Manufacturing, Retail, Healthcare Services, Technology, Entertainment, and Food & Beverage.
From traditional marketing and PR to transformative digital campaigns, Zenergy has been delivering bilingual end-to-end MARCOM and MARTECH solutions that drive impactful results for nearly 20 years.
Zellers 2023 Reboot: Will it be a Success? [Podcast]
Craig and Lee talk about Zeller’s brand reboot in 2023, including the new shop-in-stores currently under construction within Hudson’s Bay stores as well as the introduction of food trucks with some favourites from the past. Will it be a success, or will Canadians be disappointed with what’s to come?
The Weekly podcast by Retail Insider Canada is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Also check out ourThe Interview Seriespodcast where Craig interviews guests from across the Canadian retail landscape as part of theThe Retail Insider Podcast Network.
Drop us a line at Craig@Retail-Insider.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!
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/
Despite continued challenges in the downtown retail market, iconic Canadian brand Holt Renfrew is showing its confidence in Calgary with a long-term lease renewal at the CORE shopping centre in the heart of the city.
“We are very happy to commit long-term to downtown Calgary because this store and people are an important part of our business. The changes are going to be exciting and Calgarians will benefit by being able to choose from even more of the best fashion, beauty and lifestyle products from around the world and right here in Canada,” said Sebastian Picardo, President and CEO, Holt Renfrew, in a statement.
The 149,000-square-foot Calgary store originally opened in 2009 and employs more than 275 people. The four-level store includes a top level not currently used for retail sales space.
Officials did not say how long the renewal of the lease is for.
(Image: Entuitive)Photo: Francine Ma/Google
The CORE, owned by real estate company Ivanhoé Cambridge, is part of a 2.1 million-square-foot mixed-use office and retail complex.
“We enjoy being engaged with our community and have been involved in many initiatives in the city. It’s exciting to be part of the revitalization of our downtown. We built the current store over 14 years ago to last and remaining in the heart of downtown will help to improve the vibrancy of our great city. Our team loves building new relationships and are very grateful for our existing customers who have been so loyal to us over these many years,” said Debra Kerr, Vice-President Retail West, Holt Renfrew.
“We’re really, really happy to be staying downtown and investing in the community here. We want to be part of the revitalization of downtown and we’re proud of our core. Our customers and our employees, they love the store. We want to grow here. It’s a beautiful store. We built it to last. So a renewal makes sense for us. We’re really excited to still be downtown.”
3rd floor mall entrance from the CORE into Holt Renfrew Calgary (Image: Entuitive)Photo: Victor Law
Kerr said the downtown is a draw of any major city.
“We’ve made a presence here. Fourteen years ago when we came here, when we moved to this location, we really made a stance in the market. And I think that being in the heart of any city, the downtown has to have that energy. We keep close to our customers. We’re very connected to the relationship that we have,” said Kerr.
“We have a lot of really personalized relationships and we built them long term. They really think it’s important for us to be downtown. So do our employees. They love working in the core. And I see the downtown revitalization here. I think that we need to be part of that.
“We’re looking at lots of new expansions within the store and lots of new brands. We’re excited about the downtown. We’re excited about the future. When we look at our future here, I think it’s a bright one for Holt Renfrew in Calgary.”
Holt Renfrew Calgary (Image: Entuitive)
As part of the renewal, Holt Renfrew will be making some further upgrades to the store elevating the customer experience for Calgarians, the company said.
“Some of the enhancements include adding over 25 more of the world’s best fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands for customers to enjoy. An expanded World of Gucci boutique and La Prairie beauty shop are among some of the exciting developments that will be happening later this year in the Calgary store,” said the company.
The street level Gucci concession is expected to house ready-to-wear for men and women as well as categories including bags, footwear and accessories. Sources said that this could preclude the rumoured move by Gucci to open a standalone Calgary location at CF Chinook Centre.
“We are thrilled to renew our partnership with Holt Renfrew at the CORE. A relationship that started in 1992 with 30,000 square feet of floor space has grown today to 149,000 square feet. We are proud of our association with Holt Renfrew as it continues to contribute to the distinctive character of the CORE as a unique and vibrant urban community hub in downtown Calgary,” said Ruby Paola, Vice President, Leasing, Canada, Ivanhoé Cambridge, in a news release.
Egg Club’s tagline is “Affordable Happiness” and the Toronto-based eatery wants to bring its unique brand of egg sandwiches to hundreds of markets across the country.
Egg Club, which began in September 2020, currently has four locations in Toronto – Dundas, Wellesley, North York and Liberty Village. Its offering includes the combination of its specialty Japanese Milk Bread called Shokupan and a traditional Western-style egg sandwich.
Jason Yu, President and one of the founders of Egg Club, said the brand is looking at opening up to 300 locations across the country.
Yu said the eatery’s prices are based on the company’s belief that everyone deserves an affordable every day meal. Egg Club was launched to create a space where it can share that belief with everyone.
Egg Club on Dundas in Toronto (Image: Egg Club)
“We specialize in egg sandwiches. So we are a breakfast, lunch and brunch targeted store at an affordable price – affordable happiness as our slogan says,” said Yu.
“We’re the first ones to introduce the bread called Shokupan to Toronto basically.
“We are targeted to open 300 locations nationwide. That’s our dream.”
Yu said with the current challenging economy consumers are looking for cheaper prices.
“We’ve really tried to make it as cheap as much as possible but at the same time the high quality as much as possible,” he said. “That’s our goal at the moment – to serve delicious egg sandwiches and at the same time make it as affordable as much as possible for people to visit us every single day.
“For ourselves, we don’t need as much equipment as well as our space. Therefore, we can kind of go anywhere to be very small. 500 square feet. Even for our third location it’s only 450 square feet actually. We can go anywhere. We can fit anywhere.
“And our product itself is for everyone to be honest. Everyone loves eggs. People have been growing up with eggs. It’s in our history. The egg itself has been around for thousands of years. Everyone is very familiar with eggs and that’s why we really love this concept. Everyone feels welcome. It’s not something that people don’t know about. We’ve revolutionized the old egg sandwich into an affordable and fun sandwich that people can enjoy.”
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.
