Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)
Sporting Life has reopened its flagship store and along with additional space, the store includes a new bike and tennis shop.
The retailer is known for its ski and snowboard products as well as apparel for women, men, and children.
“It is a store that has a new look, newly renovated – it is bigger and better, and we continue to be a proud part of the community. You can expect to experience the same great service you have had throughout the years, but just a new look and feel, a great sense of energy and a great centre for our great community hub for the neighbourhood as well,” says Ian Jacobson, the Store Manager of the Sporting Life Flagship location.
“Day and Night from What it Used to Be”
Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)
Located at 2665 Yonge Street, Sporting Life has added just over 5,000 square feet of retail space. The additional space includes a brand new 3,200 square feet bike shop, a premium sneaker shop, and an expanded tennis shop.
“We want to be a true sports and lifestyle destination, we are very proud of the store and what it represents to the brand and to the community and we are that hub, we are a part of the community that people associate with outside of just a retail store. We wanted to welcome the community into our store in a special way, I think it is what separates sporting life from a lot of other retailers is the community connection.”
The location, along with its other locations, has premium brands including North Face, Patagonia, Nike, Arc’teryx, and more. Jacobson said as the company is continuing to expand to meet consumer needs, customers can expect more brands at Sporting Life this year that they have never seen before.
“Right now, we have state of the art ski and snowboard machines, we have world class technicians, and tennis stringers. If you want to come and experience the best of the best, then come to Sporting Life because that is the reason why a lot of people come and visit.”
“Not Just Another Retailer”
Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)
Sporting Life also serves as a community hub as it is “the go to ski and snowboard destination and we are Toronto’s most iconic sports store.”
“We are not just another retailer, we like to look at ourselves as another member of the community, a neighbour, and a friend. We have a lot of customers that just come in just to say hi and I think it speaks to the connection we have with the customers that we are the sports community, we are sporting life, we are a national level partner with Alpine Canada, and I think people really gravitate because it creates a great destination where you can get amazing service and see a lot of amazing premium brand products.
In addition to the reopening of the Yonge Street location, Sporting Life will also be opening three new stores this year which will be in Burlington, Laval (Quebec), and in Edmonton. “Right now, we are focused on welcoming our customers to connect with our amazing staff in store now, who knows what tomorrow will bring.“
Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)Sporting Life at 2665 Yonge Street in Toronto (Image: Sporting Life)
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.
Saks Fifth Avenue at 176 Yonge St. in Toronto. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Saks Fifth Avenue has partially renovated its Canadian flagship store in downtown Toronto. Some departments have been moved around after several luxury brands exited the store earlier this year, including four concessions.
The downtown Toronto Saks Fifth Avenue store opened in February 2016. The three-floor store was made possible by carving out about 125,000 square feet of the eastern portion of the Hudson’s Bay flagship store at the southwest corner of Yonge and Queen Streets. Both stores are technically part of the CF Toronto Eaton Centre complex after Cadillac Fairview acquired the building and adjacent office tower in 2014. Toronto-based Pusateri’s Fine Foods also operates a 24,000 square foot branded ‘Saks Food Hall’ in the basement below the Saks fashion store.
When Saks opened in 2016 it housed concession boutique spaces for Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent on the street level, as well as Dior which had a street level accessories concession and a women’s fashion boutique on the third floor. All brands shut their concessions earlier in the year and now the Saks store functions a bit differently.
Queen Street facade of the combined Saks/Hudson’s Bay in downtown Toronto. From the late 1800s until 1991 it was a Simpsons store. Photo: Dustin FuhsShared marble-clad lobby on the street level of the Hudson’s Bay building — a concierge desk was recently removed. Saks is on the left and Hudson’s Bay is on the right. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
The differences begin in the marble-clad Queen Street entry foyer which is shared by Hudson’s Bay and Saks. A long concierge desk was recently removed from the joint lobby area. Walking into the Saks store on the left, one enters a new street level women’s shoe department that is located where women’s handbags and accessories were until a few weeks ago. A sales associate explained that women’s shoes were moved downstairs from a former home on the second floor (branded 10022-SHOES) to be closer to handbags.
The former street-level 1,200 square foot Louis Vuitton boutique, which had a corner presence with windows facing both Yonge and Queen Street, has been converted to a sunglass and accessories shop for women. Accessories such as fur hats and scarves were formerly housed on the second level. Fur is one category that Saks still sells after competitor Holt Renfrew dropped fur from its stores, including for its concession partners, at the beginning of the year. However by the end of this year, Saks has also mandated the end of selling fur in it stores.
The former Dior bag and accessory shop on the main floor of Saks was downsized and is now branded Alexander McQueen, featuring handbags and accessories. Next to it is a new small Versace handbag shop in part of a space formerly occupied by a larger Celine handbag boutique. Space behind the smaller McQueen and Versace shops is being used for shoe storage.
The former Saint Laurent handbag concession now houses Balenciaga bags and accessories in a space that saw a minor renovation that included removing YSL’s trademark marble walls. There were rumours a few months ago that Balenciaga would exit the downtown Saks store after opening two standalone storefronts in the city.
New street level women’s footwear department. Photo: Craig Patterson Former Louis Vuitton concession at Saks Toronto. The space has been painted a lighter colour and Vuitton’s floors remain. Photo: Dustin FuhsThe new main floor McQueen and Versace bag shops. Space behind them is now storage for the new women’s shoe department. Photo: Dustin FuhsNew Balenciaga shop on the main floor of Saks Toronto, replacing a Saint Laurent concession that shut several months ago. Photo: Craig Patterson Women’s main floor footwear with jewellery shops behind. Photo: Craig Patterson
Other main floor boutiques including Bottega Veneta, Chloe, Valentino, Birks, and Chopard remain, as is a concession for Prada bags and accessories. During the pandemic a Piaget jewellery concession was converted to a consignment model. More jewellery brands are available on the main floor near women’s shoes. The store’s street level beauty hall looks essentially the same as it did when the store opened almost seven years ago, though Aesop exited a while ago and a new Byredo counter was added.
Saks’ second floor is now devoted entirely to menswear — from 2016 until recently, women’s footwear was located on the second floor as well as some accessories. Now men’s footwear occupies the entire 8,000 square foot former 10022-SHOE space, becoming the largest men’s luxury shoe floor in Canada. The adjacent former women’s accessories area is now dedicated to men’s accessories such as hats, gloves and scarves.
Moving women’s shoes downstairs disrupts the original planned flow for the combined Saks/Hudson’s Bay building. When Retail Insider toured the store prior to opening in February of 2016, a representative explained how the Saks women’s shoe department on the second floor was strategically located next to Hudson’s Bay’s women’s shoe department to create proximity and facilitate cross-shopping of both stores by consumers. The same was done on the main floor with the Saks and Hudson’s Bay beauty halls being adjacent, as well as the third-floor Saks/Hudson’s Bay women’s contemporary fashion offerings being in adjacent spaces.
New second floor men’s footwear department. Photo: Dustin FuhsSecond floor men’s designer fashions in a rounded space formerly housing shoes. Photo: Dustin FuhsNew second floor men’s accessories area — the space had women’s accessories prior to the department reorganization. Photo: Craig Patterson Second floor entrance into Saks from Hudson’s Bay. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
The former circular men’s footwear space on the second floor of Saks has been converted into an area for men’s designer fashions, with big-name brands including Balmain, Versace and Fendi. The former footwear space had been modelled on a renovation to the Michigan Avenue Saks store in Chicago, and was copied at Saks in Calgary but with a much smaller selection of brands being available. In Toronto, Saks has a surprisingly robust assortment of men’s luxury brands on its second level which spans more than 30,000 square feet.
The women’s third floor at Saks has also seen some changes, though not as drastic as on the other two levels. We reported earlier this fall that Burberry had exited its women’s fashion boutique space on the third floor of Saks after Burberry pulled its wholesale accounts in Canada to instead operate standalone stores and concessions. A Ralph Lauren women’s fashion boutique now occupies the former third floor Burberry space, with the same design and even the same light green carpet that Burberry had been using.
The former Dior women’s fashion concession on the third floor is now home to a Moncler jacket boutique for women, while a women’s Brunello Cucinelli boutique space recently opened next to it. The former Dior space is for the most part unchanged despite being branded Moncler. Most of the third floor remains relatively unchanged otherwise from prior to the pandemic with boutiques for brands including Valentino, Balenciaga, McQueen, Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana. Some shoppers may scratch their heads when they see signage near the escalators on the third floor announcing ‘Barneys at Saks’ — while the signage was added during the pandemic, only two brands occupy the area which feels nothing like the Barneys at Saks which takes up an entire floor at the Saks flagship in Manhattan.
In 2021, a Saint Laurent women’s ready-to-wear boutique space shut on the third floor and was replaced by Balmain. A fur salon also recently shut ahead of Saks removing fur from its stores entirely.
New third floor Ralph Lauren shop where Burberry was located until a few weeks ago, with Burberry’s light green carpet. Ralph Lauren will also be opening standalone stores in Canada starting in 2023. Photo: Craig Patterson New third floor women’s Brunello Cucinelli boutique. Photo: Dustin FuhsNew third floor women’s Moncler boutique in a space formerly occupied by a women’s Dior ready-to-wear concession. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Other changes to the Toronto Saks store include reduced hours — several months ago Saks reduced its hours to the current 11:00am to 6:00pm daily. The adjacent Hudson’s Bay store is still open from 10:00am to 9:00pm daily other than Sundays, creating a somewhat awkward situation for shoppers looking to visit both stores in the evening hours or before 11:00am.
Several weeks ago a security guard was positioned near a second-level pedway from CF Toronto Eaton Centre into Saks, and now bronze metal gates block off the Saks store when it shuts at 6:00pm daily. Several weeks ago, as well, three plexiglass security gates were installed in the second-level lobby area shared by Saks and Hudson’s Bay that leads into the pedway to CF Toronto Eaton Centre, as per the photo below.
Closing early – gates shut at Saks Fifth Avenue at 6pm while the adjacent Hudson’s Bay store is still open. The three plexiglass security gates are also new. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Saks Fifth Avenue also operates two other full-priced standalone stores in Canada, in Toronto and Calgary. The second Toronto Saks location opened in March of 2016 at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto, also containing a Pusateri’s-operated Saks-branded grocery store. A menswear department adjacent to Pusateri’s at Sherway has since been relocated upstairs after the store was downsized.
In Calgary, Saks Fifth Avenue operates a 115,000 square foot store at CF Chinook Centre which opened in February of 2018. The store lacks a grocery component. Last month Retail Insider had an opportunity to visit the Calgary Saks store which was surprisingly lacking in product in its men’s and women’s fashion departments.
The opening hours for the CF Sherway Gardens and CF Chinook Centre Saks Fifth Avenue stores are interesting. Both stores are open just six hours a day, from 12 Noon to 6:00pm, seven days a week. The typical mall retail opening hours at both CF Sherway Gardens and CF Chinook Centre are from 10:00am to 9:00pm Monday-Saturday and from 10:00am to 6:00pm Sundays.
Barneys but not really — signage for ‘Barneys at Saks’ which has just two designers, and is nothing like the Barneys at Saks in Manhattan which occupies an entire floor. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
In the United States, Saks Fifth Avenue has found success in some markets while it has struggled in others. As a result, many Saks stores have opened and closed in the United States since the 1990s. Most recently, a location in downtown Cincinnati was announced to be closing by the end of this year. The most recent opening was a 113,000 square foot Saks store at American Dream in New Jersey and in Beverly Hills, CA, Saks will relocate into a former 125,000 square foot Barneys location on Wilshire Boulevard. Saks Fifth Avenue currently operates three stores in Canada and 39 in the US, as well as two partner stores in Bahrain and Kazakhstan. Saks Fifth Avenue was founded in New York City in 1867 and continues to operate a 650,000 square foot flagship store on Fifth Avenue which is said to be responsible for more than 20% of the company’s sales.
Third floor women’s designer department. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Toronto has five full-sized luxury department stores, boasting the highest number of any city in Canada, by far. That includes Holt Renfrew and Saks Fifth Avenue. Downtown Toronto is home to a 190,000 square foot Holt Renfrew’s flagship that is also seeing a partial renovation that will eventually see a new men’s floor and expanded women’s contemporary floor. Holt Renfrew features numerous luxury brand concessions with the world’s top names, and is much busier than the downtown Saks. Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre is home to another 130,000 square foot Holt Renfrew store, housing many luxury brands and with sales in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Another beautiful 140,000 square foot Holt Renfrew store in Mississauga isn’t as busy as the one at Yorkdale, but it still features an expansive range of luxury brands in an impressive marble-clad space. The 143,000 square foot Saks at CF Sherway, located a few kilometres away, competes with Holts and is a very nice looking store.
Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal are the only other cities in Canada with large luxury stores — Calgary has two (Holts and Saks) and Vancouver and Montreal are both home to one large Holt Renfrew store. Vancouver’s Nordstrom store is also seeing success with its expansive offering of luxury brands, including several branded shop-in-stores. Nordstrom’s other Canadian stores are not faring nearly as well. In Toronto, almost all of the luxury brands that opened in the CF Toronto Eaton Centre Nordstrom store in 2016 are no longer there, and five of the six original women’s luxury brand shop-in-stores at Nordstrom Yorkdale have shut since it opened in 2016. Nordstrom also operates smaller luxury-light stores in Calgary, Ottawa and at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens.
Queen Street subway entrance beside Saks Fifth Avenue on October 30, 2022 — cleanliness is a challenge in the area. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
The competition is particularly fierce in Toronto, which has become the centre of luxury retail in Canada with an ever-growing number of standalone luxury stores. Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre is leading the way with new luxury stores opening regularly. Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville is also seeing interest from luxury brands, with more large flagship stores said to be on the way. CF Toronto Eaton Centre has struggled in terms of seeing the same luxury shopping dollars. It lacks valet parking, including at Saks where plans to have valet parking were dashed when the city mandated a bike lane on Richmond Street.
Vagrancy and cleanliness are among the challenges in the area surrounding CF Toronto Eaton Centre, turning off some of the city’s wealthy. The area is still very popular with the millions of people who come down to shop and be entertained, though Rosedale matrons are more likely to venture to nearby Yorkville, or to Yorkdale which offers top brands in a climate-controlled environment.
Henry's CEO Gillian Stein at the New Henry's Flagship (Image: Henry's)
Henry’s, a Canadian specialty technology and camera retailer, has relocated its Toronto flagship to 185 Church Street from a storefront nearby. The new location is a city block away from where the flagship stood for nearly five decades.
Church Street has been the home of the brand since the 1960’s, with an early location at 135 Church, and then relocating to the previous flagship at 119 Church Street.
“I can’t imagine a part of the city we’d rather be in,” says Gillian Stein, CEO of Henry’s. “This area has deep roots in the photographic community. Change is inevitable when you’ve been in business for 113 years, and we’re excited about the new space, but Church Street is still where Henry’s belongs.”
The Flagship is Home
Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Future planning for the flagship’s relocation has been on the table internally for years and the opportunity to relocate came when the lease was coming up for renewal.
“We’ve been eager to find a new location that supports our newer store format for years. We have rolled out our new store concept out across half our chain, which provides a significantly better customer experience. Unfortunately, the new format didn’t physically fit in our quirky older space, We did our best with that store, but it was time to give it the update our customers deserve. The new location is a brand new, big open space – it was a blank canvas for us to work with.”
“The previous location had been surrounded by construction for a few years with a number of real estate development projects underway. It had been increasingly difficult for customers to access the store and find parking. When you factor in that the intersection of Church and Queen Street is subject to the Ontario Line subway construction, and new development proposals on three of the four corners, the future was going to unclear for the coming years.”
Previous Henry’s Flagship (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“Knowing the time to move our flagship was approaching, we had been watching the market closely. When we saw this spot, we jumped. The timing was perfect as it coincided with the end of our lease in our old space.”
185 Church Street
Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Located at 185 Church Street, the new space allowed for the introduction of Henry’s updated store concept to the downtown core while not giving up the neighbourhood.
“I love the fact that it’s only a block away from our previous location. Henry’s was there for 47 years, and we know in retail that moving a customer from an old location to a new location isn’t easy. We also wanted to be central – still close to Yonge, accessible to public transit, close to the downtown core and within a short walk to the CF Toronto Eaton Centre.”
The new location also provides a familiar touch.
“We have a corner with incredible frontage – the exposure is fantastic with high ceilings and high windows and we’re actually closer to the CF Toronto Eaton Centre now than we were before.”
Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
185 Church Street is half the size of the previous Henry’s retail space a block south.
“Because the store is open and in a modern space without all the nooks and crannies of our old space, it’s a much more efficient layout and fits the new format. Even though it’s smaller, it feels bigger. The building also has Green P parking underground and we know that the surrounding buildings can’t be knocked down.
“Three of the four corners of the new location are historical landmarks or completed developments, which means that the store is coming in at the right time instead of being at a corner that will be a construction mess for years to come. Construction affects traffic and people will avoid downtown Toronto construction – but when you say ‘downtown Toronto with parking underground’, it’s very different.”
Henry’s Head Office Relocation
Former Henry’s Flagship and Head Office at 119 Church (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
With the move of the flagship, the brand had a decision to make about the head office and on-site functionality of the long-standing tradition of having the head office at the Flagship.
“We started this conversation long before COVID. Even then, we outlined our criteria for our new retail flagship store it was never contingent on satisfying our office needs. We committed to finding the best retail location for our customers first, and if it happened to have office space, that would be a bonus.
“By the time that we found this location, we were already a year into working remotely and the role of the office was already in flux. We spent a lot of time talking to our home office employees to understand their needs, in terms of work space. We proved that we were very successful working remote, so we made the decision to be ‘remote first’.
“We all agree that it’s important to see each other in person regularly to build relationships, build the culture, work through complex problems, do strategy – but we don’t need a big, permanent office to do that and it doesn’t need to be downtown. We also asked our staff ‘if you’re going to meet, then where?’ We do have warehouse facilities in Vaughan, which has some office and meeting space– everyone preferred to meet there as it’s a much easier commute.
“We are very fortunate to have flexibility and we can always adapt as the work environment changes over time.”
Customer Expectations and Community Development
Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
With a new flagship comes changes, but what will customers experience with the new store?
“The same exceptional Henry’s experience with the best selection of gear that photographers, videographers and content creators have come to expect from us, in a modern space for the modern Henry’s brand.”
“The updated store format is designed to be more open and welcoming, bringing store associates out from behind a counter and allowing for more personal conversation and interaction with customers. It is a more collaborative and consultative experience. Our cabinets are accessible on all sides, so now you’re able to walk the store together. In the past, you would have sales associates that were trapped behind the sales counter because of the design.”
“It’s a more enjoyable shopping experience. We have so much natural light, inspiring imagery (video and still). It’s a far more inspiring environment.”
@185
@185 at Henry’s Flagship at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The new location has a community space, named @185, operated in partnership with Buffer Festival where photographers, videographers and content creators can work together, collaborate, learn, record, use the equipment and make content.
“We had been playing with the idea of a community space, which started with a podcast studio in our Vancouver store. When we toured the space, we got very excited about one spot in the store that was just perfect for this. It has great visibility from the street, it reminded us of the old Speaker’s Corner booth that had such a fun, contagious vibe.
“The most important goal of the space is to get people in. We want people to use the space. We want people to see the action. I want you to walk by, see someone recording and say WOW, that’s really cool!. The more people use it, the more people will learn how to improve their content and how the right gear is critical.”
More information for the hub will be available on Henrys.com
Investing in Retail
Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“We are investing in physical retail. Today’s retail customers want digital and social channels to work hand in hand with physical spaces to support their needs. Henry’s believes strongly that physical retail has an important role to play in delivering that overall customer experience, and having a dynamic, engaging flagship store is a central part of that strategy.”
“It’s important for customers to have a physical space where they can come in, touch the product, play with the gear. More importantly is to have people that they can connect with, share the same passions and inspire them.”
“Specialty retail plays an important role in Canada’s retail industry. Specialty businesses offer a unique experience that Amazon and other big box retailers can’t, particularly as the digital imaging category moves up market. There is a lot of new, exciting technology and more uses for it. We’re the only national digital imaging retailer, so we are in a unique position where we offer the benefits of specialty with scale and 100+ years of credibility and loyalty.
The Future of Henry’s
Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“We’re making huge investments in technology right now. It’s really important that we ensure we’ve got the infrastructure supporting our stores and our digital growth. Digital is a very important part of our strategy, to align our digital customer experience and with the physical journey.
Henry’s just implemented a new ERP, point of sale system and website. The brand continues to invest heavily into the social strategy.
“Content is critical to our business, and we have to have the best content out there to maintain credibility with our customers.
Henry’s at 185 Church Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The brand is also looking at the physical retail strategy going into 2023.
“The economy continues to be volatile, so we are constantly evaluating the market to identify opportunities to grow and look at where it makes sense to consolidate efforts.
“Our goal is to have a presence in all major markets across Canada and we have a few different models to achieve that. How that happens – it depends. We’ve got stores like our Flagship in urban cores and plaza locations outside the core. We’ve also recently opened our first smaller-format store at CF Limeridge Mall in Hamilton, which has been widely successful. This new format allows us to get into other regional markets which currently don’t have any stores. Of course, the retail network is heavily supported by our online business.”
Danier at First Canadian Place (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Canadian fashion brand Danier, known for its leather clothing and accessories, has recently opened three new locations in the country in key markets.
Stores have opened in First Canadian Place in Toronto, the Halifax Shopping Centre in Halifax and CrossIron Mills just outside of Calgary, bringing the total store count to 13 locations in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Olga Koel
“We plan to expand our brick and mortar locations to 10-20 stores across major cities in Canada in the next one to five years. We do not want to oversaturate the market with redundant locations, rather focus on creating a more exclusive feel, where customers view us as a destination shop. Our brick and mortar stores are critical to the success of our business as there is still no substitute for being able to touch and feel the products before buying,” said Olga Koel, Executive Managing Director at Danier.
“Our products have a sensory element that invokes a strong feeling of richness and satisfaction – nothing beats the experience of getting into that perfect leather jacket and seeing how it transforms your look in an instant or wrapping yourself up in a luxurious wool coat and the confidence that comes with it.
“We expect to continue growing our online business to provide a robust omni channel experience to allow our customers the freedom and flexibility of shopping with us at their convenience. We look to incorporate integrated systems to create a seamless shopping experience that will work hand in hand with our brick and mortar locations.”
Danier at First Canadian Place (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Koel said a critical component of selecting a retail location lies in understanding its target market.
“We want to be easily accessible and have stores that best display our products and the modern, sophisticated feel we want to emulate. We choose spaces with large windows and attractive entrances to draw the eye in and help us stand out in the area. When selecting a location, we thoroughly study our competition and the adjacencies to the retail space to ensure that the environment is complementary to our offerings. Most importantly, we look at the overall experience through the point of view of our customers to ensure the best fit through their eyes,” she said.
Danier relaunched its operations in the fall of 2016 under new ownership and a new strategy, dropping ‘Leather’ from its name and focusing on a variety of men’s and women’s fashion categories. It has expanded its product assortment from what the former Danier had.
The previous Danier Leather brand sought creditor protection in February 2016 and closed all of its stores. New owners came in during the summer of that year.
Danier at First Canadian Place (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Koel said the Danier store today “evokes trend and modern possibilities.”
“Clean lines and light colours create a canvas where our products are displayed with pride. While all stores have their own unique character, we keep a certain consistency through single bag display and no overcrowding to ensure that our customers feel comfortable, relaxed and welcome in our stores. We enhance the mood with selected playlists and trendy mannequin displays to complete the look,” she said.
“We strive to provide a top-level, in-store experience to match the high quality of our products. We have full service teams ready to help our customers achieve their style goals through trend and fit. These professionals work to make the Danier experience complete with the knowledge and attention to detail one could only expect from the best.
“It’s our leather that differentiates us from everybody else. It’s the history, our heritage of leather.”
Danier at First Canadian Place (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Image: Danier
Koel said the retailer is always looking at new locations.
“We still believe definitely in the retail market and being in more locations. We’re actively looking at expanding all the time in all the different areas, especially in BC, in Alberta . . . We are looking in BC more actively and that’s the area we’d really like to develop more there,” she said.
“We definitely want to look in key market areas. We want to be more in all of the upscale malls. So right now we’re actively looking at all of the top malls in BC and we want to get the right space wherever it is. It has to be the right space in the right area. If you don’t get the right space, you’re not going to get the right foot traffic and you’re not going to get the right recognition if you’re not in those areas.”
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.
Former ASICS at 364 Queen St W (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Japanese athletic fashion and footwear brand ASICS has shut its only full-priced Canadian storefront in Toronto. The brand continues to operate a network of outlet stores in this country.
ASICS opened its Canadian flagship store in a space spanning 4,400 square feet in March of 2018 at 364 Queen Street West. The two-level store featured a range of footwear and fashions. The retail space was occupied by retailer Guess before ASICS leased the space which is neighboured by a MAC cosmetics store on one side and a Nobis flagship store on the other.
A CIBC bank is now under construction to replace ASICS. CIBC is relocating from a nearby corner retail space at Queen and Spadina streets for subway construction. A new subway station at the corner will be part of the Ontario Line.
Richard Sullivan, who in 2018 was head of ASIC Canada and is now CEO of North America, said when the store opened, “The flagship store represents the new direction of the brand, offering consumers a brand experience aimed at celebrating movement, while offering them the best of our products across both performance and lifestyle, better catering to their needs.”
Click image for interactive Google Map The Queen Street ASICS prior to closing. Photo: JLL
ASICS was expected to open full-priced standalone stores in major Canadian markets following the opening of the Queen Street flagship in Toronto. ASICS was also in expansion mode in the United States at the time. A flagship store opened in New York City at 579 5th Avenue in December of 2017, and the store closed in early 2021. The company was struggling financially after losses related to the pandemic and its lockdowns.
“Amid the uncertainties regarding when the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic will end, the company will further improve the profitability of the North American business by closing this store, considering the business risk of continuing to operate the store and other factors,” ASICS said at the time of closing.
The brand continues to operate seven outlet stores in Canada. Four are in Ontario including at the Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, Vaughan Mills, Outlet Collection at Niagara, and Tanger Outlets Ottawa. There are also outlet stores at the McArthurGlen Outlets near Vancouver, CrossIron Mills near Calgary and at the Outlet Collection Winnipeg. The brand is also available wholesale in some multi-brand retailers.
ASICS was founded by Kihachiro Onitsuka in 1949 in Kobe. The brand rose to international prominence over the decades for its unique and innovative designs. A vintage range of ASICS shoes are produced and sold under the Onitsuka Tiger label.
Current CIBC at Queen and Spadina (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Former ASICS at 364 Queen St W (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Former ASICS at 364 Queen St W (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Ren’s Pets is expanding by eight new stores in 2023 and are planning to continue to expand and fill in gaps throughout Canada, one of these stores is going to be opening in Newfoundland – a province Ren’s Pets have not been in yet.
“It is an Ontarian and Maritimes expansion, and at this point we are filling in the gaps,” says Scott Arsenault, the CEO of Ren’s Pets. “I have been with Ren’s Pets for eleven years and the one thing that keeps coming back to me is we need more stores. Every market we have gone into we haven’t had one Ren’s Pets that was unsuccessful, which is exciting as we have never needed to close a store in 47 years. It is just about opportunities and how we will make sure we live up to each one.”
“Three of the stores are out in the Maritimes which is really exciting,” says Larissa Wasyliw, the VP of E-commerce and Marketing for Ren’s Pets. “We have five stores out there right now and this will be another three and PEI and Newfoundland are brand new provinces for us, so that will be exciting. The whole Eastern Canada seems to be welcoming to Ren’s Pets so it is exciting to be able to build our store network in that area. So the next eight stores that are for 2023 really start to build Ren’s Pets in a way we have not done before.”
Rendering: Ren’s Pets The Junction
Below are the eight new stores that will be opening.
St. John New Brunswick, located at 90 Consumers Drive. This store will be 9889 square feet and will be opening in April.
Brockville, located at 2098 Parkdale Avenue in Ontario. This store will be 8600 square feet and will be opening in April.
St. John’s Newfoundland, located at 56 Aberdeen Avenue. This will be the first Ren’s Pets in Newfoundland. It will be 9996 square feet and will be opening in April.
St. Thomas, located at 1063 Talbot Street in Ontario. This store will be 8100 square feet and will be opening in May.
Cornwall, located at 501 Tollgate Road in Ontario. This store will be 6650 square feet and will be opening in May.
Oakville, located at 270 North Service Road in Ontario. This will be the second store in Oakville, along with its flagship store. It will be 6900 square feet and will be opening in June.
Charlottetown, located at 80 Buchanan Drive in Prince Edward Island. This will be the first store in PEI. It will be 6700 square feet and is opening in July.
Owen Sound, located at 1555-18th Avenue East, Sydenham Heights in Ontario. This will be 9200 square feet and will be opening in August.
Two New Provinces
Ren’s Pets decided to open stores in two new provinces, Newfoundland and PEI, as they continue to look for new opportunities to expand across Canada. And Ren’s Pets has been waiting for these locations for a while. As winter months can be harsh in Newfoundland, Arsenault said with the larger store, 9996 square feet, it can stock more products in case there are issues with shipping.
Scott Arsenault
“That was our A site and our A demographic. Newfoundland has long been on our list, we just wanted to make sure that we move with the full support of the team. One of the things we talk about for your pet’s best life is food as it is the number one requirement for any pet parents and making sure you are not switching or transitioning it. So, we need to make sure that this store is stocked appropriately and that it has enough weeks of supply that if there were any interruptions we would be able to serve the pet community really well so that is going to be an exciting one,” says Arsenault.
Arsenault said they see the maritimes being a 12-15 store market and are looking to opening more in the East Coast soon, and “even Newfoundland could be a multiple store market, it is just a matter of filling out all the gaps.
Second Location in Oakville
Gus in Dieppe (Image provided by Ren’s Pets)
Oakville is where Ren’s Pets opened its first location 47 years ago, and in June – it will be opening its second location there.
Larissa Wasyliw
“Oakville is going to be our second location there. The first one is our flagship store and the first ever Ren’s Pets, so we are excited to be able to build a second location in that area. What is really fun about the other seven stores, is that we have been traditionally a GTA type of company, so this really starts to fill out the rest of Ontario,” says Wasyliw.
As Oakville is growing in size and in population, Arsenault said it is getting tougher for people to travel from the top end of Oakville to the bottom as it can take around thirty minutes.
“Oakville is one of the leading cities in Canada in terms of population, demographics, and in pets spend. We feel like we are undeserving the south, so we are looking to put a store that will be readily available for those consumers and we just wanted to be more localized to the south end of Oakville,” says Arsenault.
Future Expansion Plans
Rendering: Ren’s Pets Sarnia
The eight stores that will be opening in 2023 were the only ones discussed; however, Ren’s Pets will be making its way across Canada. Arsenault said the minimum goal for Ontario would be to have around 100 stores and will expand to go all the way to British Columbia.
“We have a wish list. We see Ontario to be a minimum of around 100 stores, so that is what we have mapped out. We are going to head out West at some point and open more stores in the Maritimes. We have done really well in Ottawa and we have learned a lot through our two Halifax stores, so those lessons are really going to help us now as we look out West, We have been giving out a road map to fill out the rest of Canada, but we just have to do it in a manner that is responsible and aggressive – but not reckless,” says Arsenault.
Wasyliw and Arsenault said Ren’s Pets as a loyalty program, along with other data information, that helps them collect data information from customers and use the information to help find site selections and where their customers are coming from. In the next five years, Arsenault said he can see opening around a 100, but they have to wait for the right opportunity to come to them.
“We are very solid in who we are, we really believe we are here for your pets best life and that is what our employees stand behind. That is one thing that makes Ren’s Pets different is our core values and what we believe in as a company. Our brand is well recognized as it is Canadian owned and operated – which means a lot to people these days. Customers know when they are coming to us, they are getting the best food, the best treats, and the best pet toys they can get. Pets are family, and we are here to support them. The company started 47 years ago and how amazing it is that we now have 44 stores, two more to open, and eight more next year – it is just a great Canadian story.”
Lauren Gross is a Digital Marketing Lead at Chic Geek, growing the number of women in the tech space through thought leadership and impactful content. She is also Founder of Calgary-based marketing agency Lauren Natalie Designs, working with small businesses and solopreneurs to embrace their brand and find their voice online.
She was recently a guest speaker at the Small Business Summit in Calgary, presented by Square, Interac and Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation. She spoke about the best ways to build a business brand and community
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Retail giant Canadian Tire, celebrating its 100th birthday this year, is launching two new stores under its Remarkable Retail concept.
The stores in Ottawa and Welland are each over 100,000 square feet and part of the company’s Better Connected Strategy – a $3.4 billion, multi-year strategic investment to create better omnichannel customer experiences.
The Carlingwood store in Ottawa, at 135,000 retail square feet and the largest Canadian Tire store in Canada, opened September 15. It was a relocation of an existing Canadian Tire store.
Canadian Tire Carlingwood (Image: Canadian Tire)Canadian Tire Carlingwood (Image: Canadian Tire)
The Welland store, near the downtown core, will be opening later this fall and it’s the largest expansion the retailer has ever done in its history, nearly doubling in size from 64,000 retail square feet to nearly 120,000 retail square feet. It will be the third largest Canadian Tire store across the country.
The second largest Canadian Tire store in Canada is at Edmonton South Commons at about 133,000 square feet which opened in about 2015-2016.
Jason Kane, Vice-President of Store Planning and Design for Canadian Tire and Party City, said Canadian Tire stores today range in size from about 5,000 square feet to the three major ones. An average store is about 60,000 square feet.
Jason Kane
Canadian Tire said it is investing $1.2 billion to better connect its digital and physical channels, modernizing and creating a more contemporary experience for customers and making the Triangle brand a trusted source for the products and services customers need.
“These investments and new stores first and foremost are connected to our overall Better Connected Strategy that we announced earlier this year in our Investor Day and this is a program where Canadian Tire has a multi-year strategic investment program of $3.4 billion that’s really designed to create better omnichannel customer experiences across our entire business and within that $3.4 billion investment plan there’s just over $1.2 billion that’s focused on investing in our store network and that is really all about connecting and modernizing our stores so we have a great modern contemporary experience and that we’re really bringing together the physical and the digital to deliver on the services that customers are looking for us today,” explained Kane.
“Guided by our most advanced analytical insights on demographics, market trends, and loyalty data, the new concept will deliver an enhanced customer experience through an expanded assortment and seamless omni-channel shopping options, including Click & Collect, Curbside Pickup, and deliver to home,” said the company.
Carlingwood Canadian Tire (Image: Canadian Tire)
“These stores are large, with more than 100,000 square foot of retail space, and are focused on delivering a ‘wow’ experience to customers by showcasing the breadth and depth of Canadian Tire’s product assortment and bringing meaningful brand experiences to life.”
According to Canadian Tire, Remarkable Retail store highlights include:
1. A modern, clean store design, with both stores spanning an impressive retail square footage;
2. Enhanced In-Store Technology creating a simplified and seamless customer experience through Scan & Buy and Electronic Shelf Labels;
3. Seamless omnichannel capabilities, with Welland hosting a 12-car, 5,000 square-foot enclosed order pickup drive-thru area, and Carlingwood featuring a six-car covered canopy pickup area;
4. A transformed Seasonal Centre, with world class four-season capabilities that is directly connected to retail that can be used for live goods and other products; and
5. Enhanced Auto Service capabilities using the latest service and diagnostic equipment and an expansion of tire and parts assortment to better service customers’ needs.
Canadian Tire in Welland (Image: Canadian Tire)
The retailer has just over 500 stores across the country.
Kane said the company’s $1.2 billion investment into its store network will update over 200 stores across the country.
“Customers are going to see that investment come to life in a store experience we call Concept Connect and Concept Connect is not only expanding the size of stores and re-merchandising them through these projects, it’s also ensuring that we can evolve our presentation of our assortments to make sure that it’s becoming more localized, more relevant, really leaning in and showcasing our own brands and making sure we’re growing key strategic businesses for us such as pet, garden centre, and also baby and kids, at the end of the day. So those are some of the big drivers of this pipeline to change investment and change the shape of retail for our brand across the country,” said Kane.
Canadian Tire in Welland (Image: Canadian Tire)
Canadian Tire in Welland (Image: Canadian Tire)
The intervention of 200 stores represents more than 50 per cent of the company’s total square footage across the country.
“So it’s a very significant transformation between now and the end of 2025,” added Kane.
“Remarkable Retail, these two stores (Ottawa and Welland) are what I would say ultimately the best and biggest version of Canadian Tire’s brand experience and there’s a handful of these stores too that we’ve opened and a small development pipeline for the future, but these are really about showcasing the best that Canadian Tire can be across all the different ways we want to support and serve customers.”
Canadian Tire Carlingwood (Image: Canadian Tire)
The next Remarkable Retail store is slated for Calgary in 2025. It will be in Deerfoot Meadows and the relocation of a nearby store, and will include elements of sustainability.
Kane said Welland “is quite a transformation” as it broke ground in the Spring of 2021 to begin the expansion process there.
Here are some key facts about the Welland store:
The store has over 1,150 items on display to allow customers to see the breadth and depth of Canadian Tire’s product assortment;
There were 3.8 million data points considered when allocating space at a SKU level, and the store has a fully customized retail floor layout;
This store features network-leading omnichannel pickup capabilities, including a 12-car Order Pickup drive-thru area, in addition to eCommerce lockers;
The warehouse features equipment and design including over 550 feet of conveyors, with half of it being automated, advanced product sortation capabilities, new wearable technology to improve efficiency, and the ability to hold over 170 full truckloads of product.
Here are some key facts about the Carlingwood store:
Canadian Tire broke ground on the Carlingwood store in the fall of 2019;
The Carlingwood location also features the second largest Canadian Tire warehouse in the country, capable of holding 1,200 skids;
The warehouse is built to optimize capacity and efficiency, featuring four levels with eight total freight lifts, over 850,000 lbs. of warehouse racking and the ability to hold over 165 full truckloads of product;
The new tire warehouse can fit 10,552 tires – if you stacked all the tires that would be taller than three CN towers;
All Customer and Employee washrooms are Gender Neutral;
More than 1,300 drawings of the retail space, warehouse, electrical, architectural, and mechanical features of the store have been completed since 2018
Cottonwood Centre Canadian Tire (Image: Cottonwood Centre)
Also recently, Canadian Tire completed a relocation project at the Cottonwood Centre in Chilliwack, BC. The new store has just over 93,000 square feet of retail space, more than double the size of the old store and is part of its Concept Connect strategy.
The store features: a six-car Auto Service Drive-in, supported by 12 service bays that have the latest equipment; a 12,000-square-foot Garden Centre; and a dedicated Order Pickup area with a covered canopy.
