PayPlan by RBC Makes Buy Now, Pay Later Convenient and Flexible for Retailers and Consumers Alike
RBC recently launched PayPlan by RBC, a ‘buy now, pay later’ platform that is already gaining traction with retailers and is the first such digital solution to be offered by a Tier 1 bank in Canada.
“PayPlan enables merchants to provide their customers with a simple and convenient way to pay for purchases, over time, while they get paid upfront and RBC takes all the risk,” said Neill Ashe, Senior Director Payments & Commerce at RBC. “This solution offers more options for shoppers to pay for larger items, increasing overall conversions and reducing cart abandonment.”
The pay-over-time solution is something consumers have been requesting, as it helps them confidently make larger purchases on retailer websites by spreading the cost over equal monthly payments, while knowing upfront how much – and when – they will pay.
Image: Martin Motor Sports
Edmonton-based Martin Motor Sports offers PayPlan to their customers and says it has been good for business. “We are seeing increased sales on larger priced items and overall increased dollar per cart. By having PayPlan by RBC we are seeing positive trends in our e-commerce business,” said Troy Skinner, Parts Asset Manager at Martin Motor Sports.
Skinner said customers are happy with the solution and Martin Motor Sports has received positive feedback on the option to pay in installments with the flexibility of choosing the repayment schedule that works best for them. He says they also appreciate that PayPlan by RBC is backed by a very trusted Canadian bank, which adds a reassuring element to the purchasing process.
Consumers simply add items to their cart and choose PayPlan by RBC in the checkout flow of any participating retailer. After a quick and simple application process, they can choose the repayment terms and monthly payment amounts, without any hidden fees.
“RBC is focused on building stronger relationships through positive experiences. By offering PayPlan, our merchant partners can translate these positive experiences to their customers” adds Ashe. “After seeing the benefits to business and consumers, retailers are quickly signing up.” For more information, visit rbc.com/payplan.
Find out more about PayPlan on Retail Insider’s podcast interview with RBC’s Neill Ashe.
T&T Supermarket is opening its first and largest store in Montreal as it continues to expand its footprint across the country with two more new stores opening in the New Year.
The Montreal store is the company’s Easternmost location in Canada and 31st in the chain.
The store is 70,000 square feet.
T&T Supermarket, under the Loblaw Companies umbrella, is the largest Asian supermarket chain in Canada, operating stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. T&T Supermarket was founded in 1993 by Cindy and Jack Lee, who opened their first Vancouver supermarket at a time when Asian products were hard to come by in grocery stores. They named the store after their two daughters, Tina and Tiffany. It is now led by second generation successor and CEO Tina Lee and headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia.
“We are finally embarking on our adventure in Quebec in order to not only meet the Asian communities here but to offer a unique culinary experience to every Quebecer,” said Lee. “In my many visits to Québec, I have been excited to discover a rich culinary culture that combines creativity and diversity and I look forward to T&T contributing to Quebecers’ growing appetite for new culinary experiences and discoveries.”
“The first time I visited a T&T I was very impressed, and I told Tina, we HAVE to bring T&T to Quebec. Living in Montreal, I know people will love T&T’s unique fresh assortment. Seafood, kitchen and bakery are particularly outstanding and will appeal to a much wider audience. T&T is a growing part of Loblaw’s business and we’re excited to bring them to Quebec,” said Robert Sawyer, Loblaw’s Chief Operating Officer.
T&T Supermarket Montreal (Image: T&T Supermarket)
Lee said the Montreal store is materially bigger than the size of the chain’s average store at about 40,000 square feet.
The store is located in the borough of Saint-Lauren tat 300 Sainte-Croix Ave, near the intersection of Highways 15 and 40, and it will be able to serve all residents of the Greater Montreal area.
The Montreal store offers:
Over 20,000 products including a wide variety of fresh produce, premium fruits and gifts, live seafood, and trendy snacks;
Quality fresh food and products prepared and cooked in-store or sourced from across Asia;
Authentic Asian pastries, custom cakes, sushi bar, self-serve hot food station, barbeque station, and rare find street foods such as Asian-style crepes and pork belly buns;
A variety of imported beers and wines from different parts of Asia, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers sold exclusively at T&T. It’s the first and only T&T in the country to sell alcohol;
T&T’s full line of private label products, up to 400 items, including Asian comfort foods such as scallion pancakes and dumplings, pantry stables such as sauces and noodles, healthy snacks and kitchen accessories;
Health and beauty products and cosmetics that are only found in Asia and are known for their effectiveness.
T&T Supermarket Montreal (Image: T&T Supermarket)
On December 1, the company opened a new location in Sage Hill in Calgary.
It plans to open new locations at the CF Fairview Mall in Toronto and in Coquitlam in the New Year. Lee said Fairview is expected to open in a few months with Coquitlam opening in the first quarter of 2023. She said more locations are in the pipeline for the brand.
“We actually are one of the rare retailers where we can flex our store space. We’re fairly agile when it comes to the box we’re looking for. We can go as small as 30,000 square feet and as large as 70,000 square feet. So very flexible that way,” said Lee.
“Of course, we appeal to a core demographic of East Asians and so we look for a demographic pulse and certainly a growing community. We like that as well.”
CEO Tina Lee at T&T Supermarket Montreal’s Grand Opening (Image: T&T Supermarket)
Lee said the company recognizes there is a lot of pent-up demand in the Montreal market for what it offers.
“We know that customers drive three hours to their closest T&T which is in Ottawa. So often we’ll see Quebec license plates in our parking lot,” she said.
“Montreal’s a large city and to have our first store in Montreal, we wanted to make sure that we could service as many people as we could. It’s on Montreal Island which is quite central to pull from all the boroughs around the city of Montreal.
“The other thing is, which I’m quite excited about, Montreal is a very food loving culture. We have such amazing ingredients and fresh selection and we execute really well in the in-store bakery and kitchen. All of that is going to have a wider appeal to Montrealers who really celebrate food and enjoy food, dare I say more than the rest of the country. So we built a bigger store with that in mind and we expect to have a regional draw.”
T&T Supermarket Montreal (Image: T&T Supermarket)
For example, Lee said the company made a huge investment in seafood for the Montreal store with “enough water to fill your backyard swimming pool.” There’s also a huge investment in its in-store bakery and kitchen.
As for future stores, Lee said the company will see how things go with the launch of the Montreal store and Atlantic Canada is a possibility.
“That would be pretty amazing. I think one day I’d like to be there,” said Lee.
Vancouver-based women’s fashion retailer Aritzia has debuted its renovated and expanded storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The impressive retail space is now about double the size of what was there prior.
Aritzia has been a tenant in the shopping centre since 1999 — its original 5,000 square foot store relocated to a 10,000 square foot space on the North Wing of the centre several years ago. Now the store totals nearly 20,000 square feet, making it one of Aritzia’s largest.
The latest expansion comes at a time when a number of retailers at Yorkdale are renovating or relocating. GUESS, which was formerly located beside Aritzia, will be opening a new storefront in part of the former Victoria’s Secret location in the mall. Mango will also be opening in the Victoria’s Secret space, which was vacated last year.
“With every expansion and opening, our goal is to provide our clients with an aspirational environment. Many of the elements and design ideas will be integrated in future boutiques in an organic way,” said Janes in the article.
“When we think about expanding our footprint, we look at premier locations that provide us the runway to connect with both new and existing clients through engaging service, beautiful product and aspirational environments. As we look ahead, we are well-positioned and excited for continued growth through the expansion of our boutiques across both Canada and the US.”
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)
Aritzia Yorkdale features collections from most of the brand’s extensive portfolio of sub-brands, including Wilfred, Babaton, Tna, The Super Puff™ and Sunday Best.
“Aritzia is a vertically integrated design house that delivers Everyday Luxury through engaging service, beautiful product, aspirational environments, and captivating communications. This season, Aritzia is excited to expand its Yorkdale boutique, complete with an A-OK Cafe, the brand’s signature in-house coffee shop,” said the brand.
“Yorkdale clients will also be able to enjoy the newly expanded menu which offers a selection of alcohol including wine, beer and cocktails, and small plates featuring paté, burrata and olives. A-OK Cafe further proves Aritzia’s commitment to an elevated shopping experience and Everyday Luxury.”
The expanded Yorkdale Aritzia store is one of many recent changes to Yorkdale as brands continue to open in the mall. Yorkdale is finding its place as a world-class retail destination now housing many of the world’s biggest brands, with even more said to be on the way.
Yorkdale launches more first-to-Canada international retailers than any single location, with recent additions including Diptique, Acne Studios, Ganni and the fist standalone Fendi. Luxury brands are an important part of the mix with Bulgari and Cartier having both recently expanded storefronts. Anchor Holt Renfrew, which spans about 130,000 square feet, is said to have sales in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Walmart Canada Health & Beauty (Image: Walmart Canada)
Walmart Canada is expanding its beauty offering with additional inclusive beauty brands.
Rosslyn Barbuzzi, Senior Category Manager, Cosmetics for the retailer, said that as one of the country’s largest retailers Walmart felt it was a priority to make sure that its customers were seeing themselves in the beauty assortment.
“We felt we had a gap versus our customers in terms of our offering. What we did in order to seek out new brands is we hosted a Beauty Summit earlier this year. It was a chance for us to meet all sorts of beauty brands. Some of them were big. Some of them were small,” she said.
“We met them virtually over the course of two days to see what else was out there that we could possibly look at to add to our assortment. And really the goal of the beauty summit was to make it easier for new, emerging and smaller beauty and skin care brands to find their products on our shelves at Walmart.
“So we looked at brands that would have a unique product offering but that were also truly inclusive at their core in terms of the actual company themselves. That led us to be able to launch several exciting new brands in-store and online. And we’ve got more coming in the New Year as well.”
Image: Walmart Canada
That will include the launch of more than 300 new products. A number of the products are women, IBPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ owned and founded.
“The products will be available in select stores just as any product that we carry today often isn’t necessarily in every store,” she said, but they will be represented in various stores across the chain and online.
“We’re constantly renovating our stores so we’re always looking to optimize our total cosmetics department and that actually has allowed us some space in order to bring in some of these new brands and products.
“When our customers are shopping at Walmart, and they’re shopping in beauty, we want them to be able to choose from some of our existing assortment which is legacy brands they know and love already but also to be surprised and delighted with some emerging brands and new offerings that maybe they can’t get anywhere else. Things that are exclusive to the market or unique product offerings that we don’t currently offer today.
“So we really wanted to make sure as we were looking for new brands and new assortments that they were truly items and brands that would create a more diverse assortment for our customers.
“Through this Beauty Summit we’re partnering with smaller brands that we historically haven’t been able to work with and that’s in part because Walmart is a large retailer, a complex retailer, to work with. So I’m really proud that we’ve actually been able to partner and work hand in hand with these smaller suppliers and in some cases this is the first time that they’re actually working with a retailer . . . We’ve collaborated with each and every one of these vendors to ensure that they’re getting the best start with us. We’re working hand in hand with them to make sure that they’re truly set up for success when working with Walmart and seeing their products come to life in stores and online with us.”
Image: Uoma by Sharon C on Walmart.ca
Some of the new products include:
UOMA by Sharon C. proudly Black-owned, this brand focuses on inclusive beauty beyond shade range, delivering quality to all humans. With 30 foundation shades available, the offering encompasses a variety of skin tones and undertones. The colour cosmetics, complexion and skin care products are vegan, cruelty-free and eco-friendly. Walmart is the exclusive Canadian retailer for this brand;
Prideful creates products that are gender non-specific, catering to the individual with pride and purpose all year long. It will be launching in-store and online at Walmart Canada with a selection of bath and colour cosmetics. Prideful will be available exclusively at Walmart Canada;
Lottie London offers the latest in beauty innovation with products that are inclusive, affordable and cruelty-free. Founded by industry veteran Charlotte Knight, beauty buffs can expect trend-focused cosmetics, nail products and brushes from the line. Lottie London is another Walmart Canada exclusive brand;
Bubble is a tea-based bath and beauty brand inspired by the bubble tea phenomenon. This women-owned cruelty-free brand launched in 2014 and is exclusively available at Walmart Canada;
[re]fresh Skin Therapy is a vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free brand of skin care products created by Joanna Shu and made in the USA. Founded in 2013, [re]fresh Skin Therapy focuses on creating products that work on even the most sensitive skin types with natural and environmentally friendly ingredients;
Apothecary by Dr. Botanicals brings vegan skin care with formulations that harness nature’s goodness, energy and vitamins to Walmart. This ethically-made line does not test on animals and focuses on creating problem-solving natural products for everyone, based in science and research. Apothecary by Dr. Botanicals is proudly LGBT and minority-owned and celebrates diversity and inclusion.
Now, the shopping centre, in the northeast part of the city, is eagerly looking forward to the introduction of a No Frills grocery store to boost traffic and fill a void.
Vanessa Treleaven
Vanessa Treleaven, Londonderry Mall’s Assistant Property Manager and Marketing Manager, said the new grocery store, which will open in the summer of 2023, replaces the Save-On-Foods store which left last year.
“This is so important for us because we are nestled into a residential area. So a lot of people will walk to the mall, get their groceries. It’s definitely a big hole that’s missing for us right now,” she said.
“We’ve had a lot of people asking when we were going to fill that space. When we announced we were getting the No Frills it was really, really exciting for a lot of our customers. They rely on it.”
Image: Londonderry Mall Specsavers at Londonderry Mall (Image: Londonderry)
The mall, which opened in 1972, is 780,000 square feet with about 140 stores.
“We’ve had a lot of movement in the past year. We’ve brought our Specsavers location which was a great addition. As well as that, we have a very strong shop local movement within our mall. So we’ve got quite a few more Specialty Leasing tenants that are just local to Edmonton,” said Treleaven.
The mall has 27 Specialty Leasing tenants with the following ones opened just this year – Sterling Gallery, Calendar Club, Casamia Furniture, Hickory Farms, YEG Exotic Pop, VR Volt, Mali Art Studio, and Lazy One.
Lazy One at Londonderry Mall (Image: Londonderry)
Clothesline at Londonderry Mall (Image: Londonderry)
Calendar Club at Londonderry Mall (Image: Londonderry)
“Our Specialty Leasing program is so strong any vacancies we have are backfilled right away,” added Treleaven.
“We’re getting really close to 2019 numbers especially when we factor in that we don’t have our grocery tenant right now. When we compare the same stores, it’s very close. We’re trending above 2021 for sure and we’re just under those 2019 numbers. That’s really encouraging to see that.
“In terms of spend, we’re taking into consideration that the economy right now isn’t necessarily the best and people don’t have as much disposable income, so we’re not quite at our 2019 numbers for revenue but we’re very close.”
Image: Londonderry Mall
Simons opened a store at Londonderry in 2017 and has been a big customer draw for the mall since then.
“It’s such a wonderful store. They’re an amazing anchor to have. We definitely draw from all over the north side of the city, even central. They’re huge for us. It was definitely a game changer when they came on board. I think it really repositioned us back into the market as a force, as a shopping centre that people want to come visit. It’s definitely been awesome.”
Londonderry Mall is owned by Montez Corporation and managed by Cushman & Wakefield.
Treleaven said the retail sector is experiencing a slow return from the pandemic but it is coming back.
“I think people are more and more comfortable with shopping in-store versus online. They missed that interaction. That being able to actually touch and feel the product. I think that is a huge thing that’s missing for people and now that COVD is becoming more of a thing of the past, although we’re still dealing with it, more people are wanting to go back to the stores,” she said.
“I’m noticing it with Christmas shopping. Last year was definitely in the thick of COVID and we felt that but now we’re seeing people coming in and they want to try on things, they want to actually see things in person and it’s reflecting in our traffic and in our sales and even the events that we run. We do marketing events at the mall and I’m noticing a lot more people are willing to come, they’re willing to bring their families, their kids. And they’re not as scared anymore and I think that’s a super, super positive thing for the brick and mortar style retailers moving forward.”
Image: Londonderry Mall
Image: Londonderry Mall
Recently, the Edmonton Police Service returned to Londonderry Mall this holiday season to provide gifts to deserving youth through the CopShop program, a national initiative from real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield. The program pairs eligible children and teens with police officers to spend a day together shopping using gift cards donated by Londonderry Mall. This is the first time since 2019 that the program has been able to bring the children to the shopping centre to enjoy the day in person, due to COVID-19.
“While our main focus is and will always be to give back to our communities in whatever way possible, there’s something special about the connection that the police officers get to build with these incredibly resilient children, allowing them to build even stronger relationships within the communities they serve,” said Treleaven.
Each year, children are selected to participate in the CopShop program based on need, recognition of academic performance, sports achievements and volunteering efforts. This year, the feel-good community initiative which aims to foster positive relationships between police officers and Canada’s youth, welcomed 20 children and contributed $4,000 in gift cards.
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.
Lagging consumer confidence means retailers and retail landlords will need to prioritize the consumer experience to drive growth in 2023, according to a report by the retail experts at Colliers Real Estate Management Services.
“Consumer confidence is one of the main indicators of the consumer’s willingness to spend, especially on discretionary purchases. According to Nanos Research, this metric has been declining over the past few months and currently resembles the confidence felt in 2008, during the Great Recession,” says the report.
“In order to see continued sales growth in 2023, retailers and retail landlords must prioritize the consumer experience. The type, quality, and ease of service, along with the range of promotions, and entertainment available, must be tailored to each retailer’s customer base. An enhanced consumer experience also includes sophisticated omnichannel retail, whereby there is harmonious service between all potential points of sale, including in-store and online.”
Nordstrom at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Adam Jacobs, Senior National Director, Research, Colliers, said the retail industry is experiencing record high sales for this year.
Adam Jacobs
“You could say okay that’s adjusted for inflation, it’s maybe not as high as it looks. But it’s not going down. We’re still at a point where retail is trending upwards. We had the all-time shock to end all shocks during COVID but you know one of the weird silver linings of COVID was we all ended up saving a lot of money and paying off some of our debt and having a little more cash in the bank and we’re kind of reaping that in retail now,” said Jacobs.
“There’s the big pent-up demand they call it or catch up spending. I think this has still been a year that has beat expectations and it’s hard to remember that we’re still in the first year of recovering from lockdowns. I’m in Ontario and it was only eight or nine months ago that we were actually lifting restrictions.
“When we look at the foot traffic measures there’s still an upward trajectory there for a little while longer.”
Figure 1: Retail sales (Year end 2016-2021, Jan-Sept 2022) and forecasted retail sales (Oct-Dec 2022). Source: StatsCan and ColliersFigure 2: Apparel sales and forecasted apparel sales prior to COVID. Source: StatsCan and Colliers
Jacobs said the e-commerce business was massive during the pandemic but it’s still a little bit behind the US in terms of how built out the sector is.
“E-commerce. There’s still some room to grow there. We’re still a little bit behind some other countries in that area.”
In 2021, total retail sales were the highest on record, reaching $680 billion, said the Colliers report.
“Following what we predict will be a strong holiday season, we expect retail sales to exceed $730 billion in 2022, an increase of seven per cent,” it said.
“E-commerce sales have stabilized at six per cent of total retail sales, falling from the pandemic high of approximately 11 per cent. After a surge in 2020, e-commerce has stabilized at six per cent of total retail sales. This percentage is growing annually, but poses little risk to brick and mortar sales, which are also increasing. E-commerce as a percentage of total retail sales is expected to rise to around 10 per cent by 2025 . . . e-commerce and brick and mortar retail need to be seen as collaborative partners in creating omnichannel retail, where all potential points of sale drive overall growth.”
Figure 3: Overall retail sales growth and inflation adjusted growth, by category. Source: StatsCan and Colliers
Colliers said apparel is currently among the healthiest retail sectors, with sales in 2022 up 27 per cent compared to 2021. It was one of the hardest hit retail categories between 2020 and 2021.
“As in-person work, travel, and social activities have increased, apparel has seen a comeback. Spending on apparel has increased 27 per cent year to date in 2022 compared to 2021 and 52 per cent compared to 2020. This is particularly good news for enclosed mall owners and tenants, where apparel tends to encompass the majority of their merchandise mix,” it said.
“Inflation is not affecting each category of retail equally, with apparel among the least impacted and gas and groceries among the most impacted.
Loblaws Queen Street (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Total retail sales in 2022 are predicted to increase seven per cent compared to 2021, yet only two per cent when adjusted for inflation. That said, inflation is not affecting each category of retail equally. Apparel is among the least impacted, as a 27 per cent increase in sales year to date becomes 25 per cent when adjusted for inflation. Gas and food are among the most impacted. In 2022 year to date, gas sales rose 35 per cent, but only seven per cent when adjusted for inflation. A one per cent increase in food spending is down (seven per cent) when adjusted for inflation.”
Jacobs said debt is increasing, people are borrowing more and they’re not saving as much.
“So far we haven’t seen that affecting retail sales but there is a possible headwind where people get a little tapped out on borrowing, they feel like they need to save. The thing about inflation is that it’s not evenly distributed,” he said.
But increasing food prices, for example, squeezes people’s budgets.
“One thing we’re seeing, everything related to going back to life in public is back in a big way. Clothes, food and beverage, shoes, entertainment. All of that stuff has been going really strong,” explained Jacobs.
Seven locations in Alberta have been transformed into licensed restaurant formats and adult patrons can now enjoy freshly prepared meals from 7-Eleven Canada with chilled beer, wine, seltzers or coolers by dining in, ordering takeout or delivery. (CNW Group/7-Eleven Canada)
The 7-Eleven convenience store brand in Canada is expanding some of its restaurants into licensed locations with dine-in seating areas.
The initiative has been launched in seven Alberta stores where customers can enjoy freshly prepared meals with chilled beer, wine, seltzers or coolers.
Marc Goodman
The company plans to roll out the concept in the near future to more locations including in Ontario.
“7-Eleven really is a restaurant that happens to sell convenience store items,” said Marc Goodman, Vice President & General Manager of 7-Eleven Canada. “We have this rich legacy of being a restaurant model here in Canada. It really comes from our global experience as an operator of over 80,000 locations globally.
“We’re innovators of high quality, fresh food, proprietary beverages in the neighbourhoods that we serve all across the world. The goal is to continue to grow as a restaurant and to grow our licensed restaurant format. It’s a natural extension to what we already do well.”
Its licensed restaurants include:
8210 – 160 Avenue, Edmonton
6975 Ellerslie Rd., SW, Edmonton
1704 Millwoods Rd South, Edmonton
14110 – 127 Street, Edmonton
4602 – 50th Avenue, Rocky Mountain House (dine-in and takeout only; no delivery)
101 West Haven Blvd., Leduc
10002 Franklin Avenue, Fort McMurray
“We’re looking to expand to Ontario as well,” said Goodman.
“It’s quite disruptive to an industry that looks to us as a convenience store. We are a food first organization. So we really are a restaurant first that happens to sell convenience store items. Two markets that we’re looking to obviously grow and continue to change perception are in Ontario and Alberta.”
All 7-Eleven staff at these new licensed restaurant formats are ProServe trained.
There are three convenient ways to enjoy the new 7-Eleven Canada licensed restaurants, says the company:
Dine-in: To experience the new dine-in option, you can drop by the new 7-Eleven licensed restaurants between 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to enjoy a meal paired with a refreshing drink.
Takeout: If you’re on the go and looking for a one-stop shop for hot foods and alcoholic drinks, you can visit any of these locations between 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week.
Delivery: For those that don’t want to leave the comfort of their home and are in the delivery range, you can place a delivery order through UberEats, DoorDash or SkiptheDishes between 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
“Consumers turn to us for value, for meals. We’re trusted in consumers’ minds for food and that is what we do first. We’re a food first organization . . . Consumers are looking for alternative, quick serve, fresh with high value products. And that’s what we offer,” said Goodman. “We’re looking for more ways to provide them convenience. The ability to pair your meals with a beverage . . . that’s something that our consumers have been asking about.”
The company has about 620 total locations in Canada.
Open 24/7, 7-Eleven is located in Terminal 1 International Arrivals (CNW Group/7-Eleven Canada)
Recently, 7-Eleven opened its newest convenience location at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Open 24/7 and located in Terminal 1 International Arrivals, the store will serve travelers and airport employees.
The company currently has five stores in airport locations.
“As a leading retailer, our goal at 7-Eleven Canada is to meet our customers where they are with what they need, and our latest store opening inside Toronto Pearson International Airport will provide both airport employees and travelers with all their on-the-go needs,” said Goodman. “We’re excited to serve the thousands of travelers and airport employees every day as we continue to expand our footprint for the years to come.”
The newly opened store is located as people step off the aircraft. 7-Eleven previously had a smaller location close to its new store which offers an expanded array of fresh food, proprietary beverages and a larger assortment of drinks and snacks.
7-Eleven at Toronto Pearson Airport
Ian Clarke
“Since 2013, 7-Eleven has been a staple at Pearson’s Terminal 1—for arriving passengers, their friends and family and our employees,” said Ian Clarke, Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Commercial and Business Partnerships at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. “We’re delighted to be celebrating the opening of 7-Eleven’s all-new location and the convenience it offers everyone at the airport just in time for the traditionally busy holiday travel season.”
Goodman said the company is constantly looking to innovate and find new ways to provide more convenient ways for customers to shop.
“We always look to continue to expand our footprint in years to come,” he said.
“The number of people that Pearson employs is equivalent to being the 87th largest city in Canada. It’s a large community and it’s a community that needs to have quick and quality service.”
And with all the travellers as well, “it’s an amazing number of people that we can serve, and provide food and drinks to those who trust our brand and know our brand globally.”
The Grid, an entertainment business that specializes in immersive experiences through Virtual Reality, E-Sports, interactive learning, all with the goal of improving both physical and mental health, was first launched in Whitby, Ontario but has plans to grow the offering beyond the southern Ontario town.
Geoff Eisfeld, founder of the concept, said The Grid was his creation and the idea just keeps evolving.
“It started out that it was supposed to be a fitness, nightclub kind of a place with video games and exercise equipment and that evolved over the years into more of a mainstream event venue with high tech video games and virtual reality,” he said. “It’s not like I set out to create what it is today. It keeps changing and growing.
“And now we’re at the stage where multiple locations and businesses all over the world want a piece of what I’ve created. But in a nutshell it’s a gaming, physically active entertainment venue. Lots of video games where we encourage physical movement through sports and basketball and even virtual reality.”
The Grid Whitby (Image: The Grid)
The first location opened in September 2017 in south Whitby, just east of Toronto. The Grid is located in an industrial plaza in the town and is in about 4,700 square feet.
“We’re in the process of finalizing a deal to get keys for a new building that’s about 12,000 square feet February 1,” he said. “So we’re moving from an industrial plaza which was the business growing, and learning the ins and outs and kind of figuring where we fit in society. We know where we belong. So we’re moving into regular retail plazas that are in communities next to schools and Walmarts and things like that.
“The issue with a lot of entertainment businesses is they don’t have enough clientele or customers to sustain them and pay high rents in commercial plazas. So they go industrial. That’s away from the customers. So it’s hard for people and families to get to these places regularly enough for it to actually be beneficial to them as a whole. After school kids can ride their bikes over and come and play and learn and grow instead of a Saturday because it’s raining they drive half an hour out of the city to find a trampoline park or things like that that are in cheaper real estate.”
The Grid Whitby (Image: The Grid)
The second and new location will be open seven days a week.
Eisfeld has extensive event industry knowledge and connections throughout North America. All that can now be funneled into this business venture.
“We’ve had interest in Colombia, Australia, UK. US like crazy. Florida, Miami, California. I’m very outspoken in the industry and gravitate towards anyone who is willing to listen and wants to be part of this. I don’t need to sit back and make all this money and raise all that capital,” he said.
“It’s more just the impact of kids and society. So that’s what we’re chasing. We want to be the biggest impact possible at a time when society and kids and families need it. They need an outlet that isn’t just video games. It isn’t just organized sports. It isn’t an after school learning program. They kind of have to put all three together and kids will want to be here every single day. They join us online. We’re actually a full accredited high school in the New Year with our new location. So we get all of our high school credits. Fully licensed. Better education system than the current public system and we use a lot of technology in really connecting with the kids.”
After 15 years in the mainstream event industry, he was in a key leadership role at his company. But he just felt he wasn’t being financially compensated enough for what he was delivering. He left his job and went off on his own for a couple of years as an independent contractor.
Working from home, he had lots of free time and he funneled his free time into exercise, playing with his family, creating a new home dynamic.
“I built a home fitness entertainment room in my house. In about 60 square feet. So you picture the average furnace room. It was black and neon and fog machines and mirrors and TVs. My kids, the three of us, would go in and play while my wife was at work,” said Eisfeld.
“As we started posting content, because we’re all about creating and sharing, the industry and anyone who would see what we were doing were asking when I’m open for business, when could they book time. They were really trying to book play time in my little room at home which was nothing. I wasn’t going to have anyone just come over and play.
The Grid Whitby (Image: The Grid)
“So the fact that everyone thought that my little room was a business kind of got the wheels turning and made us realize what if we actually made this a business and I actually supported my family with video games and fun and activities versus chasing weddings and event planners and things like that. I shifted focus.
“For five years I didn’t have any employees. Every party, every crumb on the floor had to be vacuumed. Every paint. Everything had to be fixed by me. Every child. Serving the pizza. Entertaining the kids. Just by myself. Unless I had large groups and I asked a friend or a family member or my son to come help. I didn’t have actual employees until February of this year. It’s been a fun five years of playing and learning and changing the business.
“I don’t sell products. I sell time and experience and therefore I can charge almost anything and I have very little overhead.”
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