Lightspeed Commerce Inc., a leading provider of unified point-of-sale (POS) and payments solutions, has unveiled its latest features that include Time Clock, Shipment History, and Automated Ordering. These features are designed to streamline merchant operations and boost efficiency, helping businesses thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
The Challenges of the Current Economic Climate
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, retailers face unprecedented challenges in managing day-to-day operations efficiently. With mounting responsibilities and limited resources, entrepreneurs require innovative tools to simplify processes and optimize performance.
Lightspeed Commerce Steps Up to the Plate
Lightspeed Commerce, the all-in-one POS and payments platform, continues to lead the way in empowering ambitious entrepreneurs. With the launch of Time Clock, Shipment History, and Automated Ordering, the company redefines how merchants handle critical aspects of their businesses, providing them with the time and focus they need to engage with customers and drive growth.
Introducing Time Clock While Saying Goodbye to Manual Timesheets
Time Clock marks a significant milestone for Lightspeed Retail. This integrated feature eliminates the need for outdated time tracking systems or juggling multiple unintegrated apps, thereby reducing training and compliance costs.
Key Features of Time Clock:
Punch in and out: Time Clock enables employees to record their start and end times accurately, ensuring a transparent attendance record.
Efficient tracking: Traditional paper timesheets and Excel spreadsheets often lead to errors and consume valuable time. Time Clock streamlines time tracking with a single, precise solution.
Seamless integration: Time Clock’s integration within Lightspeed Retail eliminates the need for employees to switch between different systems, allowing retailers to keep their payroll systems up-to-date effortlessly.
“Time Clock is a game-changer for retail businesses,” says Ana Wight, GM of Retail at Lightspeed. “By simplifying time tracking and payroll processing, merchants can focus on what truly matters: connecting with their customers.”
Enhanced Inventory Management with Shipment History
Shipment History addresses a common pain point for merchants: tracking shipments received against placed purchase orders. Manual reconciliation becomes a thing of the past with this powerful new feature.
Key Advantages of Shipment History:
A single source of truth: Retailers can now effortlessly track received orders, whether they arrive in one shipment or multiple packages.
Building an archive: Each purchase order maintains a clear shipment history, offering retailers valuable insights into their inventory management.
Streamlined processes: Shipment History saves time and reduces the risk of errors during invoice reconciliation.
Automated Ordering: The End of Guesswork in Inventory Management
Powered by Lightspeed Analytics, Automated Ordering revolutionizes the way merchants handle inventory replenishment. By analyzing data and forecasting sales patterns, this feature suggests what, when, and in what quantities to order, eliminating guesswork and maximizing efficiency.
Staying Ahead with Lightspeed Commerce
Time Clock, Shipment History, and Automated Ordering are the latest additions to Lightspeed’s impressive suite of innovations. These updates further strengthen the company’s commitment to empowering businesses, complementing recent releases such as NuORDER Assortments, Unified Payments, B2B Catalog, Scanner App, Price Management, Advanced Marketing, Enhanced eCom, and User Permissions.
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 48 hours
As we progress through the summer – or the third quarter as its known throughout much of the industry – retailers begin shifting into new purchasing seasons, ramp up planning for the final quarter’s lucrative periods, and look to capitalize on the spend of a resilient Canadian consumer. And, while droves of sun-seekers soak it up at the local beach, bathing in the more enjoyable climes of the Canada summertide, the temperature is not the only thing warming. In fact, there is a whole host of hot topics that currently pose impacts to retail operations, presenting both challenges to overcome and opportunities that can be realized. Within Retail Insider the magazine, Volume II Issue II, publishing the week of August 7, we dig into some of the more significant trends that are helping to shape the future of retail, sparking creativity and innovation from leading brands across the country in their attempt to continue satisfying the needs of their customers.
A level playing field?
Corinne Pohlmann, Vice-President of National Affairs and Partnerships, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, begins by taking a look at some of the inequities that exist between small businesses and their larger corporate competitors when it comes to online retailing, calling on government to act in order to level the e-commerce playing field and ensure the competitiveness of small businesses across the country.
Moment of Truth
Contributing the first of a series of bi-monthly columns, author and the Founder and CEO of Inception Retail Group, George Minakakis, highlights the idea of the retail ‘Moment of Truth’, how businesses can recognize and seize upon them for more positive business outcomes, and how a deep understanding of the concept can help retailers remain relevant, differentiating themselves within a crowded market.
Exclusive Retail Executive Roundtable discussion
We bring some of the leading minds within the industry together for another exclusive Retail Executive Roundtable discussion. Featuring Lesley Hawkins (VP Retail, adidas); Samir Kulkarni (CEO; Showcase), Eric Ouaknine (Vice President of Retail, Browns Shoes Inc.); Ilana Santone (Senior Vice-President of Digital/Connected Retail, Canadian Tire); and Stewart Schaefer (President and CEO, Sleep Country Canada), the group discussed the virtues of a unified approach to the retail experience and the ways in which they’re keeping up with the ever-changing habits of today’s savvy digital consumer.
Futureproofing the retail brand
When it comes to maintaining pace with today’s evolving consumer, and satisfying their needs, many within the industry are assessing the experiences they offer in order to identify necessary improvements. However, as Lisa Hutcheson, Managing Partner, JC Williams Group, points out, there are some considerations that need to be made first. The veteran retail analyst shares her views concerning today’s fast-paced retail landscape and the steps that organizations can take to futureproof their brands for continued growth and success.
Luxury’s going to the burbs
In another of the issue’s must-read articles, Founder and Publisher of Retail Insider Media Ltd., Craig Patterson, dives deep into the world of luxury retail, exploring the simultaneous exit of top luxury brands from major urban centres and entrance into suburban malls across the country. He examines the reasons that are contributing to this phenomenon while proffering what might lay on the horizon for the luxury sector in Canada.
State of ecommerce
We also sit down with the Food Professor, Sylvain Charlebois, to get his take on the current state of grocery and the continued rise in adoption of online food purchases among Canadians. And, we chat with David Nagy, Founder of eCommerce Canada, about the trends impacting online sales holistically, some of the challenges that retailers face in growing their online business, and where the opportunities might be to realize greater success in the digital world.
Delivering on its promise
And, we profile one of the hottest and fastest-growing service providers within the industry, PenguinPickUp, about the company’s approach to delivery and fulfillment and how they’re helping retailers across the country increase efficiencies, decrease costs, and improve their environmental impact.
Best issue yet
Retail Insider the magazine would like to thank all of our incredible retail experts, content contributors, and industry partners who have helped to make this issue of the magazine the best yet. And, we’ll look forward to receiving feedback from you, our readers, concerning the topics that we’re covering and content we’re developing to help you and your teams navigate the challenges and recognize the opportunities for growth within your retail journey.
Look out for Retail Insider the magazine, Volume II Issue II, publishing the week of August 7, 2023.
We have just learned that major Canadian food companies, namely Loblaw, Metro, Maple Leaf Foods, Walmart, and Weston Bakeries, find themselves entangled in a class-action lawsuit filed in Quebec. It seems inevitable that we may soon witness a similar class-action lawsuit affecting the rest of Canada.
The lawsuit alleges that these industry giants colluded to unlawfully manipulate the price of meat, resulting in households allegedly paying more than $4 billion in unjustified excess. At the center of the case lies a critical piece of evidence – an email dating back to March 2007, wherein the former president of Maple Leaf Foods, Michael McCain, outlines a concerning discussion with Paul Del Duca, a former Senior Vice President at Metro in Ontario.
While some may view this as just another class-action lawsuit, involving one single email, seemingly perfect for an ambulance-chasing law firm seeking work, there is truth in that perspective. However, the implications of this lawsuit are profound, casting a shadow of doubt on the integrity of these corporate behemoths and raising serious concerns about consumer justice in the Canadian market. The gravity of these allegations cannot be understated, as they potentially represent a betrayal of trust and a breach of ethical business practices, impacting countless Canadian families.
For many years, observers have speculated that the price-fixing culture in the food industry might extend beyond just bread and also impact other sections of the grocery store, including meat. In 2017, when Loblaw and Weston Bakeries admitted guilt for fixing bread prices for 14 years, they also implicated Empire/Sobeys, Metro, Giant Tiger, Walmart, and Canada Bread. Initially, all companies denied involvement, but Canada Bread, under new ownership, recently admitted their role and paid a $50 million fine, revealing a link between bread and meat price-fixing.
Canada Bread was owned by Maple Leaf Foods during most of the 14 years when the alleged bread price-fixing scheme was ongoing. The email from 2007, likely written by Michael McCain himself, suggested that a “new pricing strategy” could be considered for other food categories, including meat. Our data shows that the average household spends over $2,000 on buying meat trifecta components, which include beef, chicken, and pork, making it more than double the amount Canadian households spend on bakery goods. The financial implications for each and every one of us are significant.
Interestingly, the Quebec-based lawsuit mentions the same companies involved in the alleged bread price-fixing scheme, except for two companies, Empire/Sobeys and Giant Tiger. Although both carry Maple Leaf Foods branded products, no rationale was provided for their exclusion.
For months now, many Canadians have accused the food industry of gouging consumers, citing “record profits” recorded by many companies. Coping with market conditions and higher operational costs is one thing, but colluding and breaking the law is an entirely different matter. The accusation of price-fixing, if proven true, strikes at the very core of fair competition, stifling the fundamental principles that govern a healthy market. When corporations conspire to manipulate prices, consumers become the ultimate victims, forced to bear the burden of unjustified costs while their trust in the system erodes.
What is particularly alarming in this case is the alleged involvement of high-ranking executives from prominent companies. The email correspondence between McCain and Del Duca serves as a chilling reminder that unethical practices may have reached the upper echelons of corporate leadership, where decisions of far-reaching consequence are made. Such revelations expose the vulnerabilities in our corporate governance and demand immediate scrutiny to ensure that similar breaches of trust do not persist.
In other words, the food industry indeed has a price-fixing problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
The significance of the class-action lawsuit becomes even more pronounced considering the entity spearheading the legal action. The lawyers involved are taking up the mantle for the Competition Bureau, an organization that has faced criticism for its lackluster track record in enforcing fair competition practices. Although Loblaw and Weston Bakeries received immunity when coming forward in 2015, the gift cards and apologies offered to Canadians do not make them feel protected in any way.
In the United States, executives caught colluding go to jail, while in Canada, they receive immunity. The contrasts could not be more significant. Rather than waiting for companies to admit guilt or relying solely on lawyers to do the work for them, the Competition Bureau needs to step up as soon as possible.
OPA! of Greece continues to expand across the country with an emphasis going forward on streetfront locations.
Recently, the brand opened its 13th location in Edmonton and another one in Canmore, Alberta.
Sergio Terrazas
“We’re not opening any more food court or mall locations. Our growth is streetfront locations,” said Sergio Terrazas, Director, Franchise Development & Leasing.
OPA was founded in Calgary in 1998 and is Canada’s largest and fastest-growing Greek food franchise with 109 locations nationwide from British Columbia to Ontario and counting. There’s also one in the U.S.
“About 60 to 65 per cent of all of our stores are streetfront locations. Our natural growth will be streetfront locations in strip malls. The customers’ shopping habits in malls have changed after COVID and we have seen a lot of double-digit sales increases in our streetfront locations. Lots of takeout and delivery from the customers,” said Terrazas.
OPA! Edmonton (Image: OPA! of Greece)OPA! Edmonton (Image: OPA! of Greece)
“I’m not saying that we’re not doing great in food court locations. However, that’s our main growth in the streetfront locations.
“We have opened so far this year five stores between Lower Mainland, BC, Vancouver Island, Canmore, Edmonton and Winnipeg. For the remainder of 2023, perhaps another six to eight locations and those would be again Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Edmonton, Sherwood Park in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan and we’re opening one in London, Ontario as well.”
He said for 2023 the company will open 11 to 13 locations depending on construction and municipal approvals.
“We already have a lineup secured for next year eight to 10 other locations plus whatever else we can accomplish for next year,” said Terrazas. “Our goal from 2024 and on is between 15 to 20 locations.
“Where do we want to be? We want to continue being the largest Greek restaurant chain in North America which we are right now. Our goal and where we see opportunity is to have over 200 locations within the next five to six years in Canada plus our big expected growth in the U.S. market as well.
OPA! Edmonton (Image: OPA! of Greece)
OPA! Edmonton (Image: OPA! of Greece)
OPA! Edmonton (Image: OPA! of Greece)
“Right now, we have big growth coming and continuing to come in the BC area. There’s lots of growth and lots of stores to be opened there. We are filling up some pockets in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba but our main focus right now and big push is in the Ontario market. The Ontario market itself can give us another 80 to 100 locations itself. Streetfront locations. That’s our big push for a little while – the next five or six years. However, it doesn’t mean we’re not going to be exploring and pushing our U.S. market. We have already done a lot of work with legal documents in the U.S. market.
“So hopefully within this year or next year that’s going to be another big push – in the U.S. market. The growth is going to be different. Here we’re looking for single-unit operators that could become multi-unit operators. In the U.S., the approach is different. The U.S. is through groups that already own one or two or more concepts that have the experience, that have financial capability and the experience to grow with us with multi-unit stores.”
The typical size of streetfront stores is anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 square feet. However, in high density areas such as downtown Vancouver or downtown Toronto, OPA can lower the size to 900 square feet with less seating capacity that allows more foot traffic, takeout and delivery.
“OPA is a great concept. It’s very, very unique with healthy options,” said Terrazas.
Pickering City Centre
Renderings (Credit: CentreCourt Developments)
Pickering City Centre, a new mixed-use community by CentreCourt Developments, located directly off Highway 401 at the epicentre of Pickering’s emerging downtown core, will become a new thriving urban centre featuring more than 6,000 condo residences across more than 10 mixed-use towers and a revitalized Pickering Town Centre Mall.
The 55-acre acre development will also have a unique collaboration with Cleveland Clinic Canada to bring world-class virtual healthcare to future residents.
“Pickering City Centre is an unparalleled opportunity to transform a cherished community hub into a modern downtown destination,” said Gavin Cheung, Managing Partner, President, CentreCourt.
“As one of the fastest growing submarkets in the Greater Toronto Area, Pickering is on the cusp of an exciting moment. We are proud to be a part of this natural evolution, and to ensure Pickering City Centre becomes a true, complete community that showcases some of the finest residential, retail, commercial and public spaces in the GTA for residents and visitors to enjoy.”
Pickering City Centre
Renderings (Credit: CentreCourt Developments)Media Event at Pickering Town Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Media Event at Pickering Town Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
CentreCourt acquired the property earlier this year from a pension plan. On site is a 700,000-square-foot enclosed, two-level shopping centre as well as 13,000 square feet of office space in a separate building both serviced by a direct bridge connecting to the downtown Pickering GO Station.
“It’s a large community focal point for the City of Pickering. It’s an enormous site,” said Cheung.
“In terms of drawing up the base assets where you would want residential density, having those existing assets in the mix was very compelling.
“A lot of what made it appealing (to acquire) is the city itself had the vision for this site and we knew there was something special that the city from day one would be bought into. Pickering is an amazing community. It has all the sort of amenities that you would want, high density around. It’s got employment growth that would support a lot of densification.
“But what it’s lacked, and this would be something that local politicians will tell you, it’s lacked a true downtown. So what drew us to this – the ambitious vision for this master-planned project – is to create that new downtown, is to create a downtown that complements the incredible growth and evolution of the City of Pickering, what they have in store and what they have planned.”
Pickering City Centre
Renderings (Credit: CentreCourt Developments)Media Event at Pickering Town Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Donald Schmitt at the Media Event (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
New at-grade retail will complement existing uses and connect the community via tree-lined streets, enhanced sidewalks, and active pedestrian walkways.
Globally acclaimed architecture firm Diamond Schmitt designed Pickering City Centre to include an intricate network of large open green spaces and urban plazas, helping build its identity as a place that brings people together.
Donald Schmitt
“The connected series of wide streets, parks, midblock landscaped courts, and urban piazzas are designed to connect people and activate a sense of community,” said Donald Schmitt, CM Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects. “With the tallest high-rise building at 55 storeys, it was important to design a grade related network of amenities that support walkability and community connection. The cornerstone elements of the development include urban squares, which integrate the new community with a transformed retail precinct connected to public transit and other lush public green spaces. These spaces will be places for community gatherings, markets, festivals, and performances where residents and visitors come together for special moments including sporting events and social gatherings.”
Pickering City Centre will offer an unprecedented collection of world-class amenities for future residents, including a 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness centre that will feature yoga rooms, spin rooms, saunas, and high-end fitness equipment. Other amenities in the towers will include a rooftop pool, outdoor lounge areas and grilling stations, co-working and social areas, and a golf simulator lounge. Residents of Pickering City Centre will also enjoy the lush interior courtyards that connect to the network of green spaces, accessed at the doorstep of many of the at-grade amenities.
Pickering City Centre
Renderings (Credit: CentreCourt Developments)Mike Kessel at Media Event (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
CentreCourt is also unveiling plans for a “Virtual Clinic” provided by the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. This marks the first amenity of its kind in Canada to be offered in a condominium master-planned community, allowing all residents at Pickering City Centre to connect with a Cleveland Clinic Canada clinician and receive a diagnosis or referral without needing to leave their building.
Mike Kessel
“We are excited to bring high-quality and convenient healthcare directly to residents and support the innovative lifestyle that the Pickering City Centre offers,” said Michael Kessel, President and CEO, Cleveland Clinic Canada.
Cheung said Pickering has had an incredible growth profile in recent years for both population and employment. The City has also been growing the infrastructure for that at the doorstep of the master-planned community at Pickering City Centre.
“As the Mayor of Pickering, I’m thrilled to help launch this transformative project that will be a major step forward towards reimagining and revitalizing our downtown,” said Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe. “This signature development, located in the heart of our City Centre, will bring the density where it should be. We envision a dynamic, walkable, sustainable, and connected destination that will become a bustling downtown node, welcoming visitors, commuters, and residents alike. We believe that a community cannot be complete without a thriving downtown, and this project will be the key to fulfilling that vision. With our iconic pedestrian bridge seamlessly linking our downtown to the GO station, we aim to attract more visitors and workers to come to Pickering and experience the vibrant energy of our City Centre.”
Kevin Ashe
Cheung said that when you look at a lot of the options in the marketplace where you can build on a shopping centre site, they’re often not nearly as integrated, not nearly as connected, do not have the city support, do not have the civic infrastructure existing and planned, do not have the transit access, do not have the population and employment growth, that Pickering offers.
“The mall itself is critical to the vision of the master plan. It’s been the long-standing heart and soul of Pickering. We’re looking to improve it, to add new tenants, create a modern, urban destination within Durham Region and beyond,” he said.
Cheung said the plan is to open the door to the public for sales of the residential condos in the Fall.
“It is a new form of housing for the region of Pickering in terms of having high density communities. The vision of both CentreCourt and the City of Pickering is to create this new community that delivers a new mode of housing in service of creating that downtown,” he said.
Pickering City Centre
Renderings (Credit: CentreCourt Developments)
“If you look at the Durham Region generally and Pickering specifically it’s an extremely low density area and for an area that has the population growth it’s obviously a topic when it comes to affordability. By bringing new homes online, we’re offering a mode of housing that is significantly more affordable than the low rise options that are currently dominating the discussion.
“There’s an affordability crisis in Ontario and across Canada generally. But we believe it will be most acute in these areas that are growth nodes, that are experiencing the growth profile of the population of Pickering. It’s forecasted to grow over 50 per cent in the next 15 years. That type of growth requires high density housing as part of the solution. And we believe the time is right, the appetite from city leaders is there, the vision is there to support the growth, the right type of assets in the right place with the right civic infrastructure around it and transit accessibility. For all those reasons it felt just like the perfect opportunity at the right time for us and the right time for the province and the city.”
In recent years, the Canary District in downtown Toronto has experienced a tremendous amount of development, transforming the neighbourhood into a commercial and residential hub.
And Dream Unlimited Corp. has played a significant role in the evolution with its completed Canary District mixed-use development and its current Canary Landing project which is under development.
Corrine Dorazio
Corrine Dorazio, Vice President, Leasing with the Dream Office Real Estate Investment Trust, said the master-planned, inclusive, mixed-use neighbourhood is revitalizing Toronto’s Downtown East.
Canary District Retailer (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Distillery District / Canary District (Image: Dream)
“Our focus was always on health and wellness and partnering with tenancies that are a mix of local entrepreneurial types of retailers with a couple of national retailers as well,” said Dorazio. “Health and wellness is a focus that we’re carrying through to Canary Landing as well as we have more retail to lease there.
“We really are rounding out the offering and the programming with respect to what our residents will be able to experience when they’re living there. We’re trying to create a city within a city. That really is our goal here as we build out Canary District and Canary Landing.
“Dream, in partnership with Kilmer Group, realized the potential to create a new 35-acre master planned community, neighbouring the 18-acre Corktown Common Park and Distillery District, that could bring new energy and vitality to an underdeveloped area in Toronto’s downtown east end. The location of the site – close to green spaces, parks, desirable heritage areas and natural features like the waterfront and Don River trails, make it an exciting opportunity for both residential and retail spaces.
“Across the Canary District as a whole, there is 52,475 square feet of retail, of which 91 per cent has been leased. As a company, we are excited to be leading the way in adding housing and retail options to a previously underdeveloped part of the city.”
The Canary District Condos (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The Canary District includes:
82,000-square-foot YMCA (providing Health & Fitness, Camps, and Immigrant Services programs)
18-acre Corktown Commons Park (City of Toronto lands)
Residential demographics:
George Brown College Residences: 500 student residences
Wigwamen Housing: 145 residences
Canary Park Condos: 437 residences
Canary Block Condos: 187 residences
Canary House Condos: 369 residences
Canary Commons Condos: 400 residences
Total retail: 52,475 square feet (retail is 91 per cent leased)
“We’re creating a complete community in a highly accessible location, for residents who live in the Canary District. Our focus has been to activate the neighbourhood with a wide array of amenities including the 82,000-square- foot Cooper Koo Family YMCA, numerous fitness, food and beverage offerings, as well as personal and pet services retailers,” said Dorazio.
“We believe a wide spectrum of retailer programming provides a positive and inclusive experience for all residents to live, work and play.”
Canary Landing from The Distillery District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Canary Landing, a partnership between Dream, Kilmer Group and Tricon Residential Inc., includes:
Maple House:
3 buildings, 770 residences
Targeting August 2023 occupancy
Total retail: 3,950 square feet (retail is 90 per cent leased)
Birch House:
1 building, 200 residences
Targeting Q4 2024 Occupancy
Total retail: approximately 27,938 square feet
Cherry House:
3 buildings, 856 residences
Targeting Q3 2025 occupancy
Total retail: approximately 30,910 square feet
Canary District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Canary District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Birch House is the development in Canary Landing where Dream has partnered with Kilmer Group and Anishnawbe Health Toronto. The Indigenous Health Centre by Anishnawbe Health Toronto, will be located within the Birch House block (at the south east corner of Front and Cherry) which will deliver a model of health care based on Indigenous culture and traditions and will care for Indigenous clients with both western and traditional approaches to health care.
Canary District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Here’s the retail footprint Dream has assembled in the neighbourhood:
Canary District (existing retail in the residential buildings already completed):
– Croissanterie/French bakery offering (located in the Maple House rental development – residential occupancy is August 1, 2023, retail deal is approximately 3,500 square feet, TBA, opening June 2024)
Canary Landing (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Canary Landing is located in Toronto’s award-winning Canary District community, a pedestrian scale urban village adjacent to the Distillery District in the Downtown East.
“What we’re trying to create is this really meaningful place to be able to live and visit,” said Dorazio.
“We’re looking to continue to support and complement the development that’s taking place at Canary Landing with retailers whether it’s health and wellness, medical clinic offerings, that help to holistically create an experience for everyone that’s living there or anyone that’s coming to visit.”
She said the type of retail offering is always critical in its pursuit to build a city within a city and create a highly sought after amenity experience for residents of the community.
“We’re committed to ensuring residents’ needs are supported with a retail mix that serves all lifestyles and individuals and families at all stages of life. With Canary District, there is a specific focus on health and wellness — along with pet offerings (including a vet clinic and pet store), a bank, a local coffee shop, and brewery,” said Dorazio.
“The retail experience is what helps drive the value of the residential offering. It’s a key part of the package and vision of what we’re offering prospective tenants and the neighbourhood.
“Our strategy to curating the retail mix in Canary District starts with a holistic approach, grounded in health and wellness. To that end, we seek to partner with local entrepreneurs who offer something unique and special for the Canary community. Tenants like Rock On Climbing, Elite Care and Fuel+ , to name a few, exemplify the type of retail offering we are focused on at Canary.”
Indigenous Hub and Canary House are expected to look when complete, image from submission to City of Toronto (Via UrbanToronto.com)Canary District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
She said the Indigenous Hub is a 2.4-acre purpose-built site that will include a health care centre, an Indigenous training, education and employment centre along with a condominium (Canary House) and rental residence within Canary Landing. It’s currently under construction and slated for Q4 2024 completion.
“We have approximately 28,000 square feet left to lease at the IndigenousHub, including a beautifully revitalized heritage house located on the south-east corner of Front and Cherry, which could include a restaurant,” added Dorazio
“For the rest of Canary House, we’re seeking to secure retailers that complement this offering, in keeping with the overall focus on health and wellness for the Canary community.
“At Maple House, our development in partnership with Kilmer Group and Tricon Residential, we have very recently secured a French bakery offering in approximately 3,500 sf (which makes up the majority of the retail space available at Maple House), slated for a June 2024 opening (with Maple House occupancy beginning at the end of July 2024).”
She said Dream intends to continue its pursuit for local, unique fine-grain retailers in the food & beverage and health care sectors.
Future Body Fit Training at the Canary District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Dark Horse at the Canary District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Future Marché Leo’s at 475 Front Street East in the Canary District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“We’d love to secure a health clinic or pharmaceutical offering to support the Canary District community at large, along with more fitness, food and beverage retailers,” she said.
Will Marché Leo’s be the only grocery store in the immediate area?
“This is still to be determined at this time,” she added.
When it comes to retail loyalty programs – is Canada falling behind? Lia Grimberg, a loyalty expert in Canada and Principle and Consultant at Radicle Loyalty says yes, and discusses the current state of loyalty along with its future.
Lia Grimberg
Programs are everywhere and more brands are getting on board with having their own reward programs – however, the traditional “spend a dollar, earn a point” is causing programs to be the same and consumers are not seeing innovation.
“I would say right now, the biggest problem with loyalty programs is the sea of sameness. There was a study done that was just published that talks about the fact that a whopping 91 percent of consumers think that loyalty programs are all the same – and unfortunately, I could not disagree,” says Grimberg.
Ardene Rewards (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
This is a downfall as each reward program that uses a point base metric will end up blending in with other retail brands, and make it hard to stand out.
“This is the format of you spend a dollar, you earn a point and redeem that point for something in the store and repeat and so because consumers are not seeing innovation. Are we actually gaining any loyalty in our programs or are we just giving away points? And if everyone is the same, then it does not really matter what consumers are spending.”
The Shift in Loyalty Programs
Particularly after the pandemic, and with the recession and high inflations, consumers are now looking for programs that provide good value. Because of this, retail brands should start looking at their own loyalty systems and start asking themselves how they can add more value and how they can stand out from others in the market.
“During Covid, consumers started seeing a lot more of which companies were there for them. They are willing to use their wallets to support those organizations, along with brands that are aligned to the same values. Some retailers are starting to recognize the change and MasterCard is saying that 88.5 percent of loyalty members are looking for loyalty programs to help them through this period.”
Rexall x Hallmark (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Grimberg is also seeing an increase in innovative partnerships. One example is the change in Aeroplan, as they have recently added Bell as a partner to provide free messaging. Also mentioned was the recent announcement from Air Miles, adding Dollarama as of August.
These two changes were not contemplated in the old economy and previously, dollar stores were not part of loyalty programs. Dollar stores and discount stores were not previously part of any loyalty programs, as they relied on price as a differentiating factor.
Along with these new partnerships, Grimberg says she is also seeing a shift of long-term partnerships, to a rise of temporary partnerships. This allows banks or other third party providers to put together a temporary partnership, where retailers can join and provide offers to consumers who link their credit card information. With temporary partnerships, brands are able to “attract new customers by providing these kinds of offers.”
Keeping Consumers Happy With AI
“I am seeing a lot more AI in international markets. To be honest, Canada is still lagging behind in both when it comes to loyalty. It is a huge enabler on the playing field in terms of our ability to access data and put it to better use.”
There is so much that can be done with new technologies for loyalty plans, and should be used as loyalty programs are a great support to the overall marketing strategy. By using AI, retailers can create a more personalized experience for consumers. They will be able to retrieve data and put it to better use, and create an experience that is more relevant to our consumers – “so it is a win win.” Grimberg says companies that do not look at personalization or use its collected data effectively will see a decrease of 33 percent of consumers whom will simply walk away.
“There seems to be a lot of questions around how AI will play a role in loyalty in the future, and it has already started as we are already seeing it but on smaller scales. There is a lot of ground and opportunity for more retailers to explore in terms of how AI can be used to personalize rewards, personalize content, and how it can provide a more immersive experience.”
What is Coming Next?
Sephora Rewards (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The loyalty expert says she hopes to see more brands use loyalty plans – but in different ways, such as rewarding services instead of money.
“What I would like to be able to see is more platforms that allow many smaller players to work together to create a network effect that will provide more meaningful value to consumers. So could your dry cleaner work with your local flower shop? Depending on the frequency of the consumer, the customer will be able to earn a reward that is meaningful.”
Bottom line, Grimberg says each loyalty program shouldn’t be the same and should start looking at other unique ways they can support, give value, and provide a rewarding experience to consumers.
“There is a tendency for retailers to look at their competitors for inspiration, and that is when you get into trouble due to lack of differentiation – so I would say stop looking at your competitors. Figure out what your consumer needs, how you can uniquely support them, and look at what you can bring to the table that will be different.”
In the age of accelerated technology adoption, innovation and infinite possibilities, it is crucial that retailers are aligning consumer priorities with new value-based systems.
To help retailers gauge consumer priorities, Mastercard developed The New Retail Relevancy report, looking at how businesses can navigate the exciting future of retail.
Balinder Ahluwalia
Balinder Ahluwalia, Senior Vice President, Market Development and Digital Partnerships at Mastercard in Canada, said the trend recently among consumers is ‘smart spending’.
“This is a clear thing we’ve identified. The COVID impacts are real. Folks didn’t shop, they saved a bunch, had an opportunity to shop, drove up inflation and a bunch of other things that they were shopping, prices went up. It was a tough thing,” he said.
“The other thing we saw during that time, let’s call it the great reset would be one component which is COVID then the great rewire which we’ve sort of called bringing in new technologies, using the chips on our phone, the tapping when you get to the store, the acceleration of one-touch checkout on Amazon. Those two things taken together are really impacting the way consumers are looking at their spending.
“We found that over the last four years, e-commerce growth, the idea of folks buying stuff online has gone from about 10 per cent to about 18 per cent. That’s a big shift. Folks are buying more stuff, getting more comfortable with the new technologies, more comfortable with what they have to do.”
As a result of all of this, Ahluwalia said 70 per cent of consumers surveyed said they’re changing their patterns of buying due to inflation.
“As prices are driving things up, they have an opportunity here to save a little bit of money. If I understand the algorithms right with Amazon or understand the algorithms with some of the other things, maybe if I buy it at a different time of the day, or if I buy off cycle, or if I start to pay attention to when the stuff goes on sale, I can save a few bucks, which has been a really interesting nuance I would then offset against what we’re calling consumers focusing most on what they want they want to spend money on, discretionary spend – the travel, the restaurants, the apparel.”
The key points from the Mastercard report include:
Smart spending is consumers’ dominant mindset in the current climate. The turbulence of recent years, alongside rapid technological progress, have set the stage for major changes to the retail industry. Seven out of 10 consumers say that high inflation has changed the way they shop and they are most likely to categorize their current spending mindset as “smart.” Rather than cutting back across the board, consumers are dialing into what matters most to them, with many splurging on luxuries while cutting back on basics. This is reflected in retail sales, with growth in joy-driven categories like experiences and jewelry;
Virtual retail levels up style and functionality. Today, “ambient” technologies — like voice commerce and augmented reality — focus on making the retail experience more seamless. Looking ahead, consumers are eager to explore more immersive virtual retail, which provides new opportunities for self-expression, sensory experiences and crossover with the physical world. The adoption of digital currencies will also gamify and accelerate spending in virtual environments;
Retailers must deliver more joyful and convenient experiences. More joyful shopping means an experience that offers more than shopping alone. Immersive exposure to innovation is on consumers’ wish lists as 83 per cent would like to view and test the latest products when they shop. Another 57 per cent of consumers also express interest in accessing immersive virtual experiences while shopping in store that can augment the meaning of the shopping experience. Convenience in the retail experience is the other key lever to dialing up joy. That’s why 59 per cent of shoppers are interested in “on-demand” retail — whereby online orders are delivered at lightning speed;
Regenerative retail is critical to shaping the future. As more consumers seek to leave their communities and the environment better off, support for “regenerative retail” is spreading fast. As part of this transition, consumers are seeking transparent reporting from retailers about their progress toward their social and green commitments. More than half (53 per cent) say they prioritize brands that reveal their carbon footprints. Consumers are also weighing the deeper purpose of their own shopping choices as 82 per cent prefer to support small or local businesses, whenever possible.
The Mastercard report identified five opportunities to drive innovation in retail:
Encourage meta-commerce by creating retail experiences and rewards ecosystems that span virtual and physical worlds and embrace the crossover between them;
Provide alternative-payment solutions that meet consumers in the way they want to pay, such as cryptocurrency, biometrics and buy now, pay later;
Facilitate different shopping mindsets by designing retail environments that can meet multiple needs such as optimizing for joy and convenience with delightful experiences that provides seamless engagement;
Leverage personalization to maximize convenience with technology that enables seamless, digital-first shopping;
Empower consumers with data to support socially and environmentally-conscious shopping.
Other key highlights from the report include:
Spending prevails as retail exceeds pre-pandemic levels: According to Mastercard’s SpendingPulse in Canada, spending on apparel is running at a +11.9 per cent year-over-year pace (Q1 2023 vs. Q1 2022) and spending on restaurants is running at a +24.3 per centYOY pace (Q1 2023 vs. Q1 2022);
Consumers are focusing on intentional spend in the current climate: The current spending mentality amongst most Canadians is a ‘Smart Spender’ with seven in 10 Canadians saying inflation has changed they way they shop;
Retail transitions from omni-channel to metaverse: With six in 10 Canadian consumers having already or are interested in shopping virtually for real-world items, retailers are continually looking for new ways to offer in-store services to their digital customers by expanding sales across a wider range of platforms, including the metaverse. Additionally, 62 per cent of Canadian Gen Z are looking forward to brands offering personalized experiences in the metaverse;
Offloading convenience with on-demand: With the on-demand economy estimated to be worth $335 billion by 2025, a blend of retail elevation with rising innovation will be required to streamline the overall in-store experience;
Carbon conscious shoppers: Regenerative retail is becoming non-negotiable as 54 per cent of Canadian consumers prioritize brands that inform their carbon footprint while making purchases.
Ahluwalia said the Mastercard Economics Institute pays close attention to some key economic factors that influence consumer behaviour. One is unemployment and the rate of unemployment. The other thing is the housing market.
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