Part 3: Retail Council of Canada Excellence in Retailing Award Winners

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July 28, 2022

RCC22-Day1-Wade_Muir_Photography-523 — Photo: Wade Muir

Retail Insider joins Retail Council of Canada in naming and celebrating the winners of this year’s Excellence in Retailing Awards which were held on May 31, 2022 at the annual STORE Conference in Toronto.

The awards celebrate innovation and recognize the best of the Canadian retail industry. This year, fortunately, the awards were hosted in-person for the first time in three years.

This article concludes our three-part series in which we showcase the 2022 Excellence in Retailing Award winners. Part three marks winners in the categories of Philanthropic Leadership, Talent Development, Health, Safety & Wellness, and Loss Prevention. Here’s is a breakdown of each of the winners in these categories, as well as some background on their tremendous achievements.

Philanthropic Leadership: LCBO, Spirit of Inclusion Initiative

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) says that through ‘Spirit of Sustainability’, it champions equitable representation and works towards building communities where all individuals can access essential resources needed to live happy and healthy lives.

In March 2021, the LCBO launched the Spirit of Inclusion Initiative. This program is designed to create opportunities for diverse women to enter, advance, and thrive in the beverage alcohol industry. Together with support from Good Partners, the LCBO’s Spirit of Inclusion Initiative aims to engage Ontarians and Trade Partners in an important conversation about equity while driving impact through mentorships, bursaries, scholarships, and co-op placements. Students who self-identify as women from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in the beverage alcohol industry are eligible to apply. Examples included but are not limited to Black women, Indigenous women, women of Colour, women with disabilities, first generation Canadians, 2SLGBTQ+, and non-binary gender.

The LCBO says that it is honoured to receive the award for their initiative.

“It was an honour to be recognized alongside leading retailers and their programs supporting the community. We are excited to see this program expand this year and increase our level of impact across the entire industry and again, are thankful to be recognized by RCC.”

Pattison Food Group team. Photo: Wade Muir Photography

Philanthropic Leadership: Pattison Food Group, 2021 Hope Flood Recovery

In November 2021, parts of British Columbia were hit by severe rainfall and flooding. Major highways throughout the province were heavily damaged, forcing travelers to shelter in the District of Hope, which was completely cut off from all surrounding communities. With restrictions prohibiting traditional truck and trailer delivery along Highway 7 into Hope, several Pattison Food Group companies went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the community and stranded travelers received essential goods and medicines while supply chains were interrupted.

Pattison Food Group says that it is honoured to be recognized amongst its peers and by Retail Council of Canada with a 2022 Excellence in Retailing Award for its Hope flood recovery efforts. “The severe flooding that happened in B.C. in the fall of 2021 brought many challenges, but also saw our teams go to extraordinary lengths to ensure the community and stranded travelers received essential goods and medicines while supply chains were interrupted. These awards celebrate the best in our industry, and we are so proud of this recognition.”

Sephora team. Photo: Wade Muir Photography

Talent Development: Sephora, Building the Next Generation of High Performing Culture Catalysts

Beauty retailer Sephora received kudos for its talent development this year — the Sephora SPARK Employee Ambassador Program is described as a talent development and engagement program for high performers who are educated on and encouraged to be ambassadors and advocates for Sephora Canada. This group helps Sephora Canada establish grassroots cultural, recognition, communication, and continuous improvement solutions.

The acronym ‘SPARK’ stands for Storytelling, Passion, Allyship, Respect, and Knowledge, which are the key pillars and attributes of the program according to Sephora. Through ongoing learning and development opportunities, Sephora SPARK employee ambassadors are a highly engaged group of individuals who are provided with unique and exclusive opportunities not available to the retailer’s general workforce. In exchange, they share their unique employee experiences both virtually on social media and internally through various forums. As a result of this program, Sephora has seen this group further progress in their careers, demonstrate incredible results impacting the business, and become so highly engaged that they’re changing the perception of Sephora as an employer of choice.

Long’s team. Photo: Wade Muir Photography

Health, Safety & Wellness: Longo’s, Digital Injury Prevention

Ontario-based grocery retailer Longo’s identified the need to make modifications to its safety protocols. The retailer’s previous system included outdated pen and paper safety-based logs used to document cleaning, completing temperature checks, and conducting sweep log inspections in all areas to help prevent slip, trip, and fall injuries for Guests and Team Members.

With the additional impact of COVID-19 restrictions, a change was needed to ensure the record keeping process for illness and injury prevention was made easier for the frontline workers, and truly adhering to Longo’s values of “Simplicity Always”. To accomplish this task, Longo’s partnered with Certainty Software™ − a digital platform that builds and delivers customized inspections and checklists, along with reporting trends and analytics. This was done through the simple scanning of a QR code, all while increasing compliance through real-time reporting and forcing a physical area inspection, to be completed by Team Members, for every entry.

The Certainty Software platform was quickly adopted across the Longo’s chain, leading all locations to achieving high compliance for record keeping for illness and injury prevention. Throughout 2021, Longo’s placed a focus on transitioning all health and safety and risk-based logs and inspections to this platform, with the goal to reduce injuries and improve compliance.

Longo’s says that it continues to collaborate cross-functionally on all safety processes to ensure that it achieves best-in-class results for safety and most importantly, keeping people safe. “This award will help with positive reinforcement toward keeping everyone safe, and that the hard work, dedication and passion for safety has not gone unnoticed,” says a Longo’s representative.

Aritzia team. Photo: Wade Muir Photography

Loss Prevention: Aritzia, Retail Risk Program

The Vancouver-based fashion retailer received an award for its Retail Risk Coverage program, which was developed to maximize profit by minimizing product and financial loss while protecting Aritzia’s people, brand, and operations.

COVID-19 lead to significant hardship across the retail industry and the Retail Risk Coverage program enabled Aritzia to respond by minimizing controllable losses. The objectives of the program were to:

Maintain retail shrink below one percent and elevate inventory accuracy above 90%,
Uphold and exceed government illness risk requirements, and
Provide tactful response to safety escalations within stores.

In the past five years, Aritzia says that is has refined its internal controls to reduce shrink, relished risk opportunities to increase its profitability while investing in the health and safety of its people. “RCC’s recognition is a prideful acknowledgement to our team – the award is motivation for our effort, persistence, and resilience.”

A huge congratulations to the 2022 Excellence in Retailing Awards winners. Keeping retail in Canada strong is great because of you. And, for all the wonderful innovation teams are working on right now, be sure to submit your applications for the 2023 Excellence in Retailing Awards which will open at the end of the year.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For July 28th, 2022

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Retail Insider

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July 27, 2022

News at a Glance

Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 24 hours.

Salvatore Ferragamo to Open 1st-in-the-World Concept Store on Bloor Street in Toronto

By

Craig Patterson

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July 27, 2022

Salvator Ferragamo Store — Photo: Salvator Ferragamo

Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo will open a first-in-the-world concept store in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area. The store will occupy two retail spaces at The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West, and will be the fourth standalone Ferragamo store in Canada.

Ferragamo will occupy about 5,300 square feet on the street-level of The Colonnade between a large Prada store bookending one end and a massive Dior flagship on the other. The Ferragamo lease involved joining two retail spaces including a 3,000 square foot storefront currently occupied by Coach as well as a 2,225 square foot space vacated in the spring of 2020 by UK luxury brand Mulberry which shut both of its Canadian stores and exited the market at the time. A pop-up for a sneaker retailer currently occupies the former Mulberry space.

Employees at the Coach store have been informed that the Bloor Street store will be closing. Coach also has several stores in the Greater Toronto Area including downtown at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre.

The Bloor Street Ferragamo store will feature a new design concept that will be a first in the world for the company, which has new CEOs in Europe and in North America as well as a new creative director. We’ll discuss the design more when details become available. What we do know is Former Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti, now head of Ferragamo, says the Ferragamo brand will endeavour to rapidly refresh its products and image in an effort to attract Gen-Z clients.

The current Coach store and OTW sneaker pop-up at 131 Bloor Street West in Toronto on July 27, 2022. Photo: Craig Patterson

Jordan Karp and the team at Savills Canada negotiated the lease on behalf of Ferragamo. Morguard owns and manages The Colonnade which includes a retail podium as well as offices and a residential apartment building above. The Colonnade is a circa 1963 heritage-protected property that is recognized as being the first mixed-use building in Canada. The Colonnade is also home to global luxury brands including Dior, Prada, Cartier, Escada and Moncler, as well as upscale retail brands Black Goat Cashmere and William Ashley/Teuscher of Switzerland chocolates.

In Canada, Ferragamo operates stores in the Vancouver and Greater Toronto markets. Since the 1980s Ferragamo has had a store at 918 Robson Street in Vancouver which, because of an eventual building demolition, is said to be looking to relocate to the city’s Alberni Street ‘Luxury Zone’ nearby (no new lease has been signed as of press time). Ferragamo also operates two standalone stores in the Greater Toronto Area. In the summer of 2013 Ferragamo opened a 3,800 square foot store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre and in the summer of 2016 it opened a 4,425 square foot storefront at Square One in Mississauga. The brand has outlet stores at Toronto Premium Outlets as well as at Montreal Premium Outlet, being the only place in Quebec to buy Ferragamo ready-to-wear.

Ferragamo leather goods and footwear are also available at several upscale multi-brand stores in Canada including Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. It’s unclear if the brand’s standalone store expansion will have an impact on wholesale distribution for the brand in Canada.

The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West in Toronto on July 27, 2022. Photo: Craig Patterson

Brokers are saying that Toronto’s Bloor Street West is seeing a flurry of interest and leasing activity from retailers to open stores on the street as well as nearby Yorkville Avenue. Swarovski is said to have already leased a space on Bloor Street after exiting 2 Bloor Street West for a new lululemon store set to open in early 2024. Another brand said to be looking at Bloor is Browns Shoes which for years has had stores in the area. Recent tenant announcements set to open on Bloor Street include first-to-Canada locations for luxury brands Alexander Wang, Anne Fontaine, Rolex, and foodservice business Paris Baguette and Retail Insider will be announcing more as we work through some information and prepare reports in the coming weeks. Apple is also expected to hopefully open a flagship storefront at 1 Bloor Street West though recently news reports said that litigation was making things less certain.

Italian shoemaker Salvator Ferragamo began making shoes in the 1920s and the luxury brand now has over 400 stores globally as well as thousands of wholesale distribution points.

Scotiabank Saddledome and McMahon Stadium in Calgary Go Cashless for Payments with Square Partnership [Interview]

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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July 27, 2022

Cole Baldwin_Square Canada — CALGARY, AB - JUNE 27, 2022: Square Press Conference at MacMahon Stadium on Wednesday. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/Calgary Stampeders)

New commerce technology by Square is allowing the Scotiabank Saddledome, home of the Calgary Flames, and McMahon Stadium, home of the Calgary Stampeders, to go cashless for payments of everything from merchandise to food to alcoholic beverages.

Prior to the pandemic, the venues, owned and operated by Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), received 50 to 60 per cent of their onsite payments in cash during big games. Deploying a new POS system to enable cashless, distanced payments quickly, and that integrates with other areas of the business, has been a key priority for McMahon and Scotiabank Saddledome.

New technology at the venues include more than 350 Square Register and Square Terminal units to power sales and manage operations, which are integrated with Square for Restaurants and Square for Retail software.

“McMahon and Scotiabank Saddledome are two of several facilities owned and operated by CSEC. Maintaining a high level of service requires selecting technology and payments partners who can match the size and scale of these and other arenas,” said Ziad Mehio, Vice President, Technology and Food Service at CSEC. “We definitely made the right choice with Square. Since implementing Square’s hardware and software, we’ve been able to speed up transactions, increase revenue and significantly reduce lines, while dramatically simplifying administrative processes for our staff.”

On Wednesday, CSEC, Square and Interac announced a program, #YYCSpotlight Business Giveaway, which will help boost local businesses.

The contest was developed to celebrate the year-long, multi-phased collaboration between Square, Interac and CSEC to enhance the fan experience at Scotiabank Saddledome and McMahon Stadium in Calgary while supporting local businesses.

Winning business owners will receive their choice of either a Square Register or a yearlong subscription to Square Online Premium, along with $1,000 sent through Interac e-Transfer, game tickets and a comprehensive in-stadium advertising package. The fan who nominates each winner will receive a chef’s table experience for two at Nupo restaurant in Calgary, plus a $100 gift card to spend at a local business.

Rachelle Roulston (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)

Image: Square / Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC)

The first recipient of the program is YYC Princess, owned by Caitlynne Medrek.

In total, 14 local Calgary businesses will benefit from the #YYCSpotlight Business Giveaway on Instagram and Twitter, with seven winners to be crowned at McMahon Stadium starting on July 30 – at this Saturday’s Stampeders vs. Blue Bombers game – and an additional seven to be awarded at the Saddledome throughout the Flames’ season starting in October.

Rachelle Roulston, Manager of Special Projects for CSEC, said the organization has been collaborating with Square and Interac since the fall of 2021 to boost the fan experience at the Scotiabank Saddledome and McMahon Stadium through a complete point of sale makeover leveraging Square hardware and software and Interac’s network.

“Thanks to this technology overhaul, service has been greatly improved, fans can use QR codes to order concessions and skip the lines, those who do lineup for food and merchandise are served more quickly and efficiently and hawkers can now take multiple forms of payment including Interac debit and credit card,” she said.

“From a CSEC perspective, our operations are far smoother and they’ve allowed us to make better decisions, understand trends and optimize staffing, inventory and promotion.

“We’ve seen a huge uptake in sales. Our transaction time has decreased so much . . . We’ve been able to get through lineups way faster and we are seeing about a 20 per cent faster processing time.”

Cole Baldwin, Business Expert and Sales Lead at Square Canada, said the company was created in 2009 to ensure that everyone had equal access to the economy and to help independent businesses accept card payments.

“The pandemic has thrown Canadian businesses challenge after challenge — and accelerated the demand for new, more flexible omnichannel commerce solutions,” said Baldwin. “Square’s integrated products and platform enable sellers of all sizes to run their businesses, and as a proud partner of McMahon and Scotiabank Saddledome – two of the most well-recognized stadiums in the country – we’re eager to continue to show our support for small businesses through our program with CSEC and Interac.”

At this time, Baldwin said, the initiative is only present in Calgary.

Isabel Lee, Director, Client Solutions and Investor Relations for Interac, said Canadian businesses are looking for seamless solutions to meet the demands of an evolving digital economy – while maintaining profit margins, convenience and security.

She said that since 1984 Interac has connected more than 29 million Canadians and nearly 300 financial institutions in payment processes.

“Canadian small businesses are the foundation to our economy and they make up 97 per cent of all merchants. I don’t need to underscore the impact these last two years have had on business owners. We know small businesses have been disproportionately impacted and most Canadians believe now more than ever it’s important to support the small businesses in their community,” added Lee.

Here’s how fans can nominate a business for the #YYCSpotlight Business Giveaway.

Instagram: For one entry, fans will tag a Calgary business in the comments and tell us why they are their favourite business. For an additional entry, fans will share the giveaway post to their stories with #YYCSpotlight tagging both @SquareCanada and @Interac.
Twitter: For one entry, fans will tweet their favourite business in Calgary and tell us why using the hashtag #YYCSpotlight, tagging both @SquareCanada and @Interac.

Medrek started her YYC Princess business six years ago and today she has 43 performers that work for her with more than 30 characters.

CALGARY, AB – JUNE 27, 2022: Square Press Conference at MacMahon Stadium on Wednesday. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/Calgary Stampeders)

“In the past two years, over the pandemic, I was able to hire, pay and support over 400 different artists in this city at a time where artists just didn’t have work at all. When a lot of businesses were being hit really hard by the pandemic, we managed to create more magic in this city than we ever had before,” she said.

“I’ve been using Square since the day that we started. The thing about Square it’s perfect, it’s easy, it’s efficient and it’s effortless. And when I use Square and I tell my clients that I’m using Square they know that I’m not sketchy, they know that I’m legit and they know that their money is going to be taken care of and it’s not going to be hanging out in the ether for hours at a time.”

The collaboration between Square, Interac and CSEC culminates during Small Business Month in October, when the three will host a small business summit to bring sport, entrepreneurialism and community together for a day of thought leadership, inspiration and education for business owners. More information about the small business summit will be provided in the coming months.

For more details about the program and how to get involved in the giveaway, visit squareup.com/ca/en/connecting-communities/calgary.

How the Craft Revolution Helped Develop the Market for Specialty Coffee in Canada and Beyond [Op-Ed]

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Retail Insider

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July 27, 2022

By Pierre-Yann Dolbec, Assistant professor in marketing and Research Chair in Complexity and Markets, Concordia University

The craft revolution is everywhere: Craft beers, specialty coffee, handmade soaps and artisanal ice cream. While some may think this is foolish snobbery, others revel in the esthetics of craft experiences.

The craft revolution is often seen as a reaction against excessive industrialization or as a way to keep traditions and culture alive in the face of a homogenized, corporatized world. Instead of privileging the pursuit of profit, craft businesses and professionals are part of the rise of creative professions. They are driven by esthetic engagement, creative expression and an aspiration for quality.

Craft work gives professionals the opportunity to create unique products that align with their personal visions. This helps the makers distinguish themselves and express their identity through their work.

Craft brings forth the growing desire of producers and professionals for esthetic engagement, creative expression and aspiration for quality. The coffee market offers us an array of cultural resources and expressions, such as “handcrafted,” “connoisseur,” “artisanal” and “coffee snob.”

Making a market

The values and beliefs behind craft work and esthetic engagement, creativity and quality have seeped into many markets, including those for barbering, beer, butchering, chocolate, cocktails, tattoos, cuisine, denim, fashion, motorcycles and coffee.

Between 1991 and 1998, the number of specialty coffee shops in the United States grew to about 10,000 from 1,650. By 2015, there were 31,490 specialty shops. Specialty coffee is now more than half of the $48 billion retail value of the U.S. market.

This rise in demand and popularity of a craft-oriented approach to a consumer good has shifted a large part of the market towards craft values and beliefs.

Values and beliefs

Businesses conduct their activities based on key values and beliefs. Craft firms undertake theirs striving for esthetic engagement, creative expression and an aspiration to quality. In contrast, commercial firms such as McDonald’s McCafé and Tim Horton’s privilege the maximization of profits.

Consequently, each type of business — commercial or craft — innovates in different ways. In coffee, craft business have pushed toward ways of farming, processing, roasting and brewing coffee to bring out the distinctive flavors of specific coffee beans associated with their origin, terroir (how the circumstances of its growth affects its taste) and varieties.

Innovative products, such as the Kruve coffee sifter, the Decent DE1+ espresso machine or the Weber EG-1 coffee grinder, all share the same key characteristic: to offer baristas and consumers more control over coffee-making variables so that they can perfect the coffee’s esthetic experience.

Commercial firms introduce products that have profit potential. The infamous Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Nespresso Vertuo and Tim Horton’s recently launched line of espresso-based drinks are not concerned with the coffee experience or bringing out the distinctive flavors of a bean. Rather, they offer consumers fun, affordable or convenient products and services that help increase firms’ profit margins.

Crafting language

Whatever the values and beliefs of craft or commercial businesses, it is the interactions between them that push markets such as the one for coffee to become more craft-like. Commercial firms take inspiration from craft businesses’ desire for esthetic engagement and creativity.

They borrow from the vocabulary that craft firms brought to the coffee market, such as Dunkin’ Donuts’ “Handcrafted” coffee drinks or Nespresso’s coffee pods “inspired by” Brooklyn’s and Melbourne’s baristas.

They automate the complicated and ritualistic coffee-making processes of craft baristas, increasing profitability but also introducing everyday consumers to some aspects of craft coffee-making.

Craft companies esthetically engage with commercial innovation. They transform the Pumpkin Spice Latte by using artisan syrup and curated spices that ideally match the taste characteristics of a specific coffee bean. Some craft companies have also leveraged the convenience offered by pod machines and developed their own versions to provide consumers with the opportunity to experience high-end coffee at home.

Over time, these interactions evolve the market as a whole, bringing in craft values and transforming the experience of all consumers.

Engagement, expression and authenticity

The complexities associated with craft products have also allowed people to develop and distinguish themselves through their tastes. Cultural resources and expertise are key in how we express ourselves and define who we are.

The craft revolution has supported the professionalization of many fields. Professions such as barber, butcher, barista and mixologist are now infused with elevated cultural cachet. It has also supported the emergence of new identities, from coffee connoisseurs to bearded villains to cocktail nerds.

Some have argued that craft offers more authentic products, perhaps because craft work creates a kind of one-to-one relationship between the producer and consumer that is different from the standardized mass market production that dominates so much of our economy. But while craftspeople’s creative expression might be found in their products and presentation, commercial firms have become skilled at mimicking the artistry of craft professionals, making it difficult to identify which is which.

Authenticity is an ambiguous concept — what one might find authentic might be seen as elitist by others. Perhaps the success of craft might lie in its capacity to tap into our nostalgic ideals of work and our increasing desires for connection with the origins of products and the stories and people behind them.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Ardene Marks 40 Years with 33 Planned Store Openings for 2022 [Interview]

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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July 27, 2022

Montreal-based fashion brand Ardene is launching a new campaign called “That Ardene Energy” celebrating 40 years in Canada and its retail success story over those decades.

The brand currently has a total store footprint of over two million square feet which is more square footage than it has ever operated with 33 new stores either opened or to be opened in Canada this year. Today, it has more than 300 stores in Canada as well as 35 in the US and a dozen in the Middle East.

“We’re very excited about it and really proud of everything we’ve accomplished over the past few years and That Ardene Energy is really a celebration. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary, being 40 years in business in the Canadian market,” said Kelly Solti, Ardene’s Head of Marketing.

“As a company we sat around and said hey what has made us who we are today? And we’re a bunch of creative people around here and we really have to thank our customers and we have to thank our employees for everything we have accomplished and it comes from the Ardene energy from all the energies within, externally and internally, so we created a campaign around it.”

So what are some of the key factors behind the retailer’s four decades of success?

“The key question that everybody wants answered,” said Solti. “Really it stems from the fact that we are a very agile company. We’re very open minded. I tell the team here that any idea is a good idea if it’s within budget, brand aligned and we’re able to do it. So as a company I think we’ve really pushed forward on thinking differently and really looking to our customers.

“There’s no secret recipe. It comes down to the people and listening to them.”

Solti said the company has plans to continue to grow its footprint. Part of the plan is to expand the space in some of its existing stores.

“Our strategy has been store consolidation. It’s been our strategy over the past few years and even pre-pandemic of closing smaller square footages and opening up larger stores. Same mall, different location, bigger spaces,” she said.

“We started just as accessories and then expanded to footwear, handbags, apparel. So really we’ve become a head to toe destination for Gen Z customers and really because of the breadth of our offering we just realized that we need bigger stores in order to have a better customer experience, brighter stores and just create that head to toe offering for our customers. And with that is bigger stores.”

Also, the retailer opened a new concept store in February in Carrefour Laval.

“We test and try a lot of things at Ardene. It’s probably one of the successes,” said Solti. “At Carrefour Laval, it’s actually a smaller square footage store just because of availability at the time and we actually curate the merchandise. So we’re finding with our customers these days, they want specific outfits, they want to know what top goes with the bottom, so our stylist here at the head office actually handpicks each of the items to put in the store.

“A little bit of a merchandising strategy but really telling the customer this is exactly what you should buy.”

The concept may also find its way to some other locations but Ardene’s goal right now is to move into more bigger square footage stores.

“I’m proud of the company. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. It’s never a moment of not doing anything. We’re constantly moving, grooving, shifting and it’s been a really proud moment,” said Solti, adding the retailer will adapt to the changing customer needs and wants.

The latest campaign geared for the back-to-school season has a clear message: bring authentic energy to everything you do.

The retailer said the campaign positions itself as an uplifting celebration of friendship, inclusivity, self-expression, and individuality. The bold, bright pink accents and social feel of the campaign are a nod to Ardene’s own brand identity, and the energy stems from its evolution as a company over the years, it said.

@ardene

“The timely campaign comes on the heels of the pandemic as customers re-emerge for in-person shopping and shares a message of positivity and optimism that many are eager to hear. Despite challenges brought on by COVID-19 for close to two and a half years, Ardene has continued to bolster its retail footprint and store design with total store square footage up by 25 per cent from just a few years ago,” said Ardene.

“And with new investments in ardene.com, the Ardene app, and a refreshed customer rewards program coming soon, the company has continued to develop its omnichannel offering. Today, Ardene reaches over two million people across its social channels, including a 55 per cent jump in followers on TikTok in 2022, where it has caught the attention of its core Gen Z demographic.”

As an engaging layer to the campaign, Ardene said it will launch a custom Instagram filter for followers to use on the social platform. Followers can post a video showcasing their Ardene Energy on Instagram using the “What’s Your Energy” filter and #ThatArdeneEnergy for the chance to win a $1000 shopping spree starting July 27.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For July 27th, 2022

By

Retail Insider

-

July 26, 2022

News at a Glance

Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 24 hours.

Canadian Retailer ‘Groupe Marie-Claire’ Launching Lifestyle Brand LIVOM with Multiple Store Locations [Feature Interview/Renderings]

By

Mario Toneguzzi

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July 26, 2022

PRÉSENTATION AMÉNAGEMENT INTÉRIEUR BOUTIQUE_Page_09 — Rendering: LIVOM

Canadian-renowned retailer Groupe Marie-Claire is launching its latest lifestyle brand LIVOM, which is an omni-channel shopping experience featuring durable and sustainable furniture, clothing and decor.

The launch is expected in August and will consist of a cross-Canada online store as well as brick and mortar locations in Quebec initially with expansion plans into Ontario.

“With LIVOM, we want to offer a sensory experience to our customers: a moment for them to relax and dream. To imagine their ideal space, wardrobe, or decor. In a time where shopping has become almost more of a task than an activity, we are looking to offer a completely new universe with a timeless lifestyle that allows us to marry fashion, furniture and decor,” said Paule Lafrance, the company’s Director of Creative & Marketing and grandchild of its founders.

“We hope to make the act of shopping for home decor easier and more enjoyable in an environment that is conscious, meaningful, and impactful to our customers. We believe in offering options that are made of recycled, organic or eco-friendly materials and being as transparent as we can be with our offerings.

“We look forward to introducing LIVOM and our slow-living lifestyle to Canadians and welcoming them to our concept, online marketplace and, first retail store, in late 2022. This first opening marks a very important moment in our history, of which we hope to spread throughout the rest of our beautiful province.”

Based in Montreal, Groupe Marie-Claire is a Quebec family business specializing in the retail sale of women’s ready-to-wear and skin care.

Groupe Marie-Claire was above all born from the common passion of Réal and Marie Claire Lafrance for clothing. In 1965, Réal Lafrance, a representative for an oil company and his wife Marie Claire, a teacher, decided to go into business by opening a tiny women’s clothing store in Saint-Hyacinthe.

Today the Group has about 300 stores under the brands Grenier, Marie Claire, Claire France, San Francisco and Dans un Jardin boutiques throughout Quebec as well as in Ontario and New Brunswick. It also has a brand that is only online geared for private companies and their uniforms.

The company said LIVOM will be a one-stop shop for all things decor, furniture, and clothing that are eco-conscious, sustainable, minimalist, and timeless. LIVOM’s online marketplace and stores will allow customers to discover new products and explore the endless possibilities to expand their homes or wardrobe essentials with eco-conscious choices, all the while ensuring they are encompassing a responsible shopping lifestyle, and a “slow living” mentality, it said.

In addition to their online store which is expected to launch in mid-August, LIVOM is set to launch five brick-and-mortar stores across Québec by the end 2022, and aims to expand their brick-and-mortar retail experience to Ontario in 2023. Their first four retail stores will launch in August and September in Repentigny (August), Saint-Hyacinthe (August), Chicoutimi (September) and Sherbrooke (September).

“Next year we’ll increase to 10. We’re planning on eventually opening in Ontario and also trying to see how logistically it would be possible to also expand to the rest of Canada. It’s a totally new concept for us so we’re taking a step at a time. We’re going to see how the launch goes and how this half of the year is going to go for us with the store openings and then obviously the expansion is going to depend on that. That’s our plans for the moment. One step at a time,” said Lafrance.

“Whatever fashion and accessories is going to be open to the whole of Canada and anything that is big furniture will be more for Quebec and Ontario.”

Lafrance said LIVOM’s online marketplace and stores will allow customers to discover new products and explore the endless possibilities to expand their homes or wardrobe essentials with eco-conscious choices. At the forefront of LIVOM’’s values is a commitment to sustainable and eco-conscious practices, transparency, and only using eco-responsible materials, said the company. Many of Livom’s apparel selections will be made from recycled plastic bottles and natural fibers, as well as designed locally in Canada. In addition to their apparel, LIVOM’’s furniture and home decor will also be made with recycled materials, such as recycled wood or hand-woven furniture. All fibers, materials, and fabrics will be carefully chosen to ensure that the brand’s products are made to last over time and to become a staple of their customers’ homes, it said.

“We started the idea during the pandemic. Obviously a lot of people were spending time at home and I think a lot of people realized that comfort is a very important thing and a very important part of everybody’s lives,” said Lafrance.

“There’s not that many concepts that include furniture, decor and fashion in one space. And we wanted to be one of those people who would offer that.

And we were also very influenced by the Nordic mentality where they have more green initiatives and we wanted to offer that as well. So have tables made out of recycled wood or clothes made out of recycled plastic bottles and have natural fibers and components and also work with artisans all around the world. Some parts of our clothing collections are made locally in Canada. That’s one of the parts we’re very proud of.

“We tried and take green initiatives and also to encourage local production but we also want to be very transparent about it and that’s our mentality. Transparency. Because I think that it’s easy to promote. We want to be transparent so people can make a conscious choice. We wanted to offer something that is timeless, that is ageless, that is comfortable, and that is transparent.”

Lafrance said it was a long process to come up with the new brand’s name. It’s a combination of the word live and the yoga mantra ‘om’ which people recite for serenity.

“Also when you hear LIVOM it sounds like live at home. And om in one of the Nordic languages also means home,” said Lafrance. “Everything made sense (with the name).”

Additional Renderings Below

Size Matters – The Complexity of Retail Signs in Québec Under Bill 96 [Expert Op-Ed]

By

Retail Insider

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July 26, 2022

Foot Locker (505 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal)

By Éric Blais

If mass merchant Zellers was still operating today, it would be one of the few retailers in Québec with an English trademark complying with the language law. The retailer’s famous slogan “Because the lowest price is the law” (Le plus bas prix est la loi) set in large type next to the English trademark would likely meet the requirement for the “predominance of French”, which is at the core of Bill 96’s provisions for public signs and posters visible from outside premises.

Why? It’s complicated. And it’s still unclear how this will be enforced after the June 1, 2025 deadline.

For those who like reading legal texts, here is a link to the Bill (in English).

For those who find these things TLTR, here is an overview of the law’s implications for retailers operating in Québec.

The spirit of the law

The purpose of this bill is to affirm that the only official language of Québec is French. It also affirms that French is the common language of the Québec nation. To that end, the bill makes several amendments to the Charter of the French language.

Importantly for retailers and marketers, the bill strengthens provisions relating to the use of French as the language of commerce and business, in particular as it concerns signs and posters.

Retailers’ trademarks

Bill 96 introduces a new section 58.1 regarding the exception for public signs, posters and commercial advertising. A trademark may be displayed only in a language other than French in public signs, posters and commercial advertising, without a French version, as long as (1) the trademark is registered under the Trademarks Act; and (2) there is no corresponding French version in the Trademark Register.

Simply put, Canadian Tire can use this trademark on its signs as long as it doesn’t trademark a French version like Pneu canadien. But it will need to do so with conditions that might make this impractical from a branding standpoint.

On the other hand, furniture retailer Leon’s must use its French trademark Léon on its signs, which it already does. Just like Shoppers Drug Mart will continue to use its Pharmaprix trademark, Staples its Bureau en gros name, and so on.

If the trademark does not meet these two conditions, it must contain a French version that appears in the public sign, poster and/or commercial advertising in a “markedly predominant” manner.

From the sufficient presence of French to the predominance of French

This is a small wording change with massive and potentially very confusing implications for retailers. The requirement used to be that there should be “sufficient presence of French”. That is why many national and international retailers operating in Québec added a French descriptor to their signs. Walk on Montreal’s Ste-Catherine Street or visit a shopping mall in Québec and you will see Winners Mode, Boutique Lululemon, Victoria’s Secret Lingerie, Newlook lunetterie, Moores Vêtements pour hommes, and many others before heading to Café Starbucks for a café au lait or lunch at Les restaurant Burger King or Five Guys Hamburgers et Frites.

It is important to note that this rule applies to any “public signs and posters visible from outside premises” as well as any signage placed inside a premise if its installation or characteristics are intended to be seen from the outside. This applies to registered trademarks that are only in a language other than French – not just English. I suspect there will be many gray zones about what defines a trademark in a language other than French. Take Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo. It’s a contraction of Unique Clothing Warehouse. Or Spanish retailer Zara, which was initially called Zorba after the classic 1964 film Zorba the Greek.

Would these retailers be required to ensure the “predominance of French” on their signs? That’s unlikely. The Charter’s paragraph 67, which isn’t amended by Bill 96, states that “Family names, place names, expressions formed by the artificial combination of letters, syllables or figures, and expressions taken from other languages may appear in the names of enterprises to specify them.”

Who knows for sure? After all, we’ve had the so-called Pastagate in 2013.

You may recall how an inspector of the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) sent a letter of warning to an upscale restaurant, Buonanotte, for using Italian words such as pasta, antipasti and calamari on its menu instead of their French equivalents. The incident occurred as the National Assembly was debating Bill 14, a bill to toughen the province’s Charter of the French Language. Instead of complying with instructions on the letter he received from the OQLF, the owner of Buonanotte went public, and it generated a widespread public outcry across the province, even among francophones, about the OQLF abusing its powers. The incident led to the resignation of Louise Marchand, head of the OQLF.

Once the law is in effect, here’s how Café Starbucks might look like in Québec.

It makes no sense from a branding standpoint. And that’s likely the government’s point. Bill 96 is meant to strengthen the Charter. And one way to do so is to make it impractical to keep using an English trademark on signs. The law is effectively forcing retailers to trademark a French version of their name. So, the idea that electronics retailer Best Buy could become Meilleur Achat in Québec is no longer far-fetched.

Failure to comply will be costly

Bill 96 gives the OQLF new power.

The court may, on an application by the OQLF, order the removal or destruction of any poster, sign, advertisement, billboard or illuminated sign that contravenes the Charter, at the expense of the offender. The minister of the French Language will have the power to suspend or revoke a permit delivered by another authority in Québec. The fines for contravening the Charter can be as high as $30,000. Amounts are doubled for a second offence and tripled for any additional offence.

While this is no laughing matter, I suspect we will see some very creative interpretations of the law and adaptations in order to comply. Since ”marked predominance” of French is satisfied if the text written in French “has a much greater visual impact than the text written in the other language”, what’s to prevent a retailer like Winners to keep using its name, keep its current illuminated sign and add markedly larger sign next to it with its French slogan? Or Lululemon adding a large backlit sign with one of its mottos like “Do one thing a day that scares you” in French in large font?

This story is definitely one to be continued, or À SUIVRE.

Éric Blais is the President of Headspace Marketing in Toronto, a consultancy helping marketers build their brands in Québec since 2004.

——

Sources consulted:

Bill 96 – http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=5&file=2022C14A.PDF

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Charter Of The French Language: Changes Affecting Trademarks In Québec, 21 July 2022 by Clara Chow and Genevieve Bergeron

Inside Canada’s 1st Pret a Manger Location in Vancouver [Photos]

By

Craig Patterson

-

July 26, 2022

A&W/Pret a Manger at Marine Gateway in Vancouver, July 25 2022. Photo: Lee Rivett

Popular UK-based foodservice chain Pret a Manger has officially entered the Canadian market with its first storefront within an A&W location in suburban Vancouver. More partner locations will follow and A&W is also expected to open standalone Pret a Manger locations in Canada at some point as part of the franchise agreement.

The Vancouver A&W at 468 SW Marine Drive now features a Pret a Manger shop-in-store component featuring Pret’s freshly made food including sandwiches, pastries, soups, salads, wraps, mac and cheese, fresh fruit, oatmeal, and organic coffee including bagged coffee beans for sale. The same till is used to pay both for Pret items as well as the A&W restaurant on site.

It’s part of a two-year pilot where the Pret brand will open within A&W restaurants in select Canadian markets. A&W signed a master franchiser agreement with Pret a Manger to expand the Pret concept and if the trial phase proves to be successful, A&W Food Services has the exclusive rights to expand the Pret brand across Canada based on an agreed-to development schedule. That could include standalone Pret a Manger storefronts in Canada though a source familiar with the situation says details haven’t been totally ironed out just yet.

Pret a Manger display cases at A&W Marine Gateway in Vancouver on July 25, 2022. Photo: Lee Rivett

Till at the combined Pret a Manger/A&W Marine Gateway in Vancouver on July 25, 2022. Photo: Lee Rivett

Drinks menu at Pret a Manger at A&W Marine Gateway in Vancouver on July 25, 2022. Photo: Lee Rivett

The Vancouver location on SW Marine Drive is part of the Marine Gateway project in South Vancouver off of Cambie Street. A busy Skytrain transit station is adjacent which means foot traffic will be heavy at times.

London-based Pret A Manger was founded in 1986 and has more than 550 shops in the UK, US and several other countries.

See below for more photos from the new combined Pret a Manger/A&W location at Marine Gateway in Vancouver.