Video Interview: Shashi Behl, Founder/CEO of Joydrop, Discusses Future Plans & RCC Award
Shashi Behl, Founder/CEO, Joydrop, discusses her award as Retail Council of Canada’s 2022 Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year.
Behl talks about what the award meant to her and the company, the history of Joydrop and what it does, the impact of the pandemic, lessons learned through the pandemic and future plans for the company.
The Video Interview Series by Retail Insider is available on YouTube.
Connect with Mario Toneguzzi, a veteran of the media industry for more than 40 years and named in 2021 a Top Ten Business Journalist in the world and the only Canadian – to learn how you can tell your story, share your message and amplify it to a wide audience. He is Senior National Business Journalist with Retail Insider and owner of Mario Toneguzzi Communications Inc. and can be reached at mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.
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Roden Gray, a luxury men’s designer store in Vancouver, is expanding to its second store in early September and will be celebrating its 15th year in November.
The expansion was supposed to happen in 2020, but Covid changed the original plan.
Roden Gray Gastown (Image: Roden Gray)
“We were planning on doing the expansion previously before Covid, it was planned for 2020. At the time there was another location that we were thinking of, but when the pandemic hit it altered our thinking,” says Jacky Huang, the Creative Director at Roden Gray. “But now, an opportunity opened up with Richmond Centre and it just worked out, so we agreed on a deal to expand at that location.”
The new store will be featuring similar brands as its first location at 8 Water Street while also expanding to include unisex and lifestyle options.
“It’s a mixture of what we currently offer along with exclusive brands that will only be offered at the second location. So, some designer level goods, some contemporary brands, along with eyewear, apothecary, and home goods. But we are going to be more diverse and accommodating to our clients, rather than a menswear specific store, which is what Roden Gray is now.”
Roden Gray was first established in 2007, now almost 15 years later, it has continued to expand its brand names. Huang said in 2017, its brand list was around 38, now Roden Gray is carrying over 50 brands. Customers can find a variety of products, including clothing, outerwear, footwear, apothecary, home goods, and accessories. Huang said the category variety is something that makes them stand out from other designer shops as the store carries “designer level products, contemporary products, and then lifestyle to home goods.”
“Being the bridge between designers and customers”
Roden Gray Gastown (Image: Roden Gray)
Selling clothing is not the only priority at Roden Gray as it focuses also on educating and making customers feel comfortable in a luxury environment.
“Our job is to really become the bridge between the customer and the brands, presenting the designer’s point of view to our local clientele. We educate the customer based off product knowledge sessions that we schedule with brands, so consumers can understand why these brands exist and why they are at a certain price point. Our main job is to really do that. Not only speak for the designer, but also allow customers to understand the difference between a $300 shirt and a $50 shirt. And where that difference is in terms of quality and fabrication.”
Roden Gray’s main demographic ranges from ages 25-34 years old, and Huang said they want to make every customer understand more about what they are buying and more about the background of the product, such as the fabric and the designer.
“There are still guys like me, who appreciates fashion and design and want to learn more but find it intimidating, and that is something that should be challenged. At the end of the day, clothes are just clothes. But, if customers come in and feel comfortable around the environment then they can understand, touch and feel the designer products, and learn –then I feel like we have done our job.”
Future Plans
Roden Gray Richmond Centre (Rendering: Roden Gray)
Roden Gray Richmond Centre (Rendering: Roden Gray)
Roden Gray Richmond Centre (Rendering: Roden Gray)
Roden Gray Richmond Centre (Rendering: Roden Gray)
Roden Gray Richmond Centre (Rendering: Roden Gray)
In addition to opening its new store, Roden Gray will also be revamping its website with Post Projects and will be available at the same time the new store will be opening.
During Covid, Roden Gray was forced to close its main store and before the global pandemic, 80 percent of its customers shopped in-store and 20 percent shopped online.
“So, the biggest fear right away was how to sustain. But in 2018, when the switch of ownership [from Rob Lo to Alvin Chen] happened one of the first things we did was to invest in our online marketing and creative team. And luckily, we saw the results of that and got a lot more support from our local and long-term international followers.”
Roden Gray Gastown (Image: Roden Gray)
Huang said its online store increased by 200 percent and these numbers are growing: “right now, I think we are about 65 percent North America, 20 percent Asia with Japan being the highest level of traffic for online, and then about 15 percent elsewhere.”
The new store will also be featuring new designers and will include pop up brands to cycle in new creative looks to the store. Customers can expect the store to open in September.
“For Roden Gray, the designers that we carry are unique and special. We try to highlight as much as we can in interviews and campaigns with designers to allow our customers to understand a bit more about what they’re buying and to appreciate the brands. There is nothing like this experience, consumers will get a whole new level of experience within the traditional mall setting.”
Montreal-based m0851, which designs and manufactures leather bags, accessories, jackets and outerwear, is expanding with the opening of a new store on Bloor Street in Toronto.
And the retailer expects to continue to expand the brand’s footprint in different parts of the world.
“We do believe in flagship stores to sort of make sure that the clients experience the lifestyle, the brand, the feel, the service, the product, the touch and feel of the product which is really important,” said Faye Mamarbachi, President of the company.
“Our plans are not to open many in each city but more flagships in major cities across Canada and the US. We also have opportunities overseas. We have franchises overseas as well. People reach out to us to open concept stores within their market.
Saturday opening day for m0851 at 89 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson m0851 at 89 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
“We’re continuing to grow the Asian market, the China market, which is owned by another group. Obviously, ecomm becomes predominant. With the pandemic, natural growth within the ecommerce platform was exponential at this point and so we’re going to continue to grow that platform as well. But having flagship stores both domestic, in Canada, and US and overseas is going to help each other on both platforms. So the growth on the ecomm platform becomes really important as well as those flagship stores within important cities.”
The name of the company is interesting. The ‘m’ stands for the first letter of her father’s, the founder, last name. And the numbers represent his birthdate as August 1951. Frederic Mamarbachi founded the company in 1987.
The first store opened in Montreal followed soon after by a second store in New York City. It currently has six stores with the opening of the Bloor Street location. Three stores are located in Montreal and another one in Bayview Village in Toronto.
The brand also has three stores in China – two in Shanghai and one in Beijing.
“Obviously it’s Asia so it’s a larger market,” said Mamarbachi. “There are plans for opening throughout the China market in the next couple of years. Obviously with the retail situation we’re kind of just adapting the situation as we go along but the plan is to continue to expand in China as well.”
m0851 at 89 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson m0851 at 89 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
The company said the brand’s inherent charm comes from its approach to design – anchored in a combination of sleek and functional aesthetics, coupled with high-end raw materials sourced around the world.
“From the Purity of our Designs emanates simplicity, vitality and contemporary science. Innovation is born from experimentation at m0851. Trial and error are an intrinsic part of life, and new products are more often than not the result of these experiments,” it says on its website.
“Life is a continual search for equilibrium. Our brand identity has always been rooted in a combination of enthusiasm and know-how, one theory on striking a balance between charm and functionality.”
m0851 Bloor (Rendering: m0851)
m0851 Bloor (Rendering: m0851)
All m0851 products are designed in Montreal, and over 90 per cent of them are entirely conceived and crafted in the company’s Montreal workshops. Since the beginning, it has voluntarily chosen to favour local production, despite the challenges. As a result of this choice, it makes full use of the outstanding talents of its artisans and it maintains full control over the quality of its products at every stage of the manufacturing process.
Mamarbachi said m0851 is constantly sourcing quality raw materials around the world. Whether it’s full grain leather, high-tech fabrics, silk, cashmere, wood or metal, the company’s criteria for selecting new raw materials are simple but stringent: innovation, authenticity, superior quality and, of course, charm. It strives to buy its leathers and fabrics from equitable and eco-conscious sources even at a higher cost.
“It’s our 35 year anniversary. We’re quite honoured and proud,” said Mamarbachi.
CBRE listed the commercial space at 89 Bloor St. W. where the new store is now open. A MAC store formerly occupied the space.
100 Queens Quay East at Sugar Wharf (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Ontario-based fresh food retailer Farm Boy has secured a 30,000 square foot location at Sugar Wharf, an 11.5 acre mixed-use community development in Toronto’s East Bayfront.
The Hilary MacMillan x Barbie® Shades of Pink collection (Image: Hilary MacMillan)
Toronto-based fashion house Hilary MacMillan is collaborating with Barbie on a nostalgic women and girls collection, and to mark the occasion the first-ever concept pop-up store is opening on Bloor Street West.
The HM Barbie Capsule will officially launch worldwide on August 11, exclusively at www.hilarymacmillan.com and at the Hilary MacMillan store at 131 Bloor Street West in The Colonnade which is home to luxury brands including Dior, Prada, Cartier and Moncler.
The experiential concept store will transport visitors into a luxe closet inspired by Barbie. Surrounded by an all-pink interior, the store will feature the shoppable collection, a photobooth sponsored by FASHION Magazine, and embrace photo and Instagrammable moments throughout the unique experience.
Ushering together MacMillan’s best-selling styles and silhouettes, reimagined using ubiquitous hues of pink, iconic to Barbie, the 15-piece “Shades of Pink” capsule will be on display to shop at the concept store. Each purposely designed piece features references of Barbie through generations, channeling contemporary, athleisure, and elegance – to empower the changemakers of tomorrow, while celebrating the leaders of today.
The Hilary MacMillan x Barbie® Shades of Pink collection (Image: Hilary MacMillan)
To top it off, the capsule includes two pieces featuring pins made in collaboration with Canadian jewelry designer Biko – an exclusive for the capsule collection.
Hilary MacMillan
The location opens August 11 in just over 2,000 square feet and runs through to September.
“This capsule reimagines our brand’s staples to channel the nostalgia of Barbie through generations past and cementing our vision in offering optimistic and dopamine dressing,” said Hilary MacMillan. “Ready to wear has seen a resurgence and our partnership with Barbie comes at a time when people are searching to find inspiration in their clothing once again. We’ve done something special by creating timeless, yet trendsetting classics to take consumers back through time, yet forward in fashion.
“It’s built on the concept of experience driven shopping rather than just ‘here’s some clothes on a rack type deal’.”
The Hilary MacMillan x Barbie® Shades of Pink collection (Image: Hilary MacMillan)
The designer has been in the business since 2013. She describes the brand as a contemporary, cruelty-free womenswear brand.
The collaboration with Barbie has been in the works for about a year now.
“They initially approached us and it was a really kind of exciting collaboration that we were interested in simply because Barbie’s such a great, big force especially in championing diversity and size inclusivity and showing Barbie in different careers and in different places. It really aligns with our brand in where we’re trying to head towards as well in terms of offering more diversity, size inclusivity and cruelty-free fashion. So it was kind of the perfect marriage of these two brands.
“And we really wanted to stay true to a nostalgia of what Barbie is and lean into generations past and this whole Barbie movement we’re seeing right now.”
Hilary MacMillan x Barbie (Rendering)
MacMillan said Bloor Street has long been a strategic goal of hers to offer consumers an opportunity to step into the world of Hilary MacMillan in a unique way. So, kicking this off with a Barbie experience in the heart of downtown Toronto is a dream come true for her and one she’s confident people are ripe to experience.
Jennifer Gileno
The streetfront location in Yorkville will have a hustle and bustle outside its doors. MacMillan loved the vibe of the area.
“MacMillan’s impact on the Canadian fashion industry as a changemaker and pioneer in both size inclusive and vegan fashion, combined with her consistent dedication to supporting women just as they are is inspiring,” said Jennifer Gileno, Head of Licensing at Mattel Canada, which is behind the Barbie brand.
“The collaboration between Barbie and Hilary MacMillan is a perfect example of purpose driven fashion, demonstrating to women and girls that we are stronger together.”
Edgy mens fashion brand Psycho Bunny has entered the Canadian market with its first standalone storefront at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto. The brand will open more stores this year including two full-priced locations and an outlet store.
Psycho Bunny’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre store spans about 1,600 square feet on the third level of the busy shopping centre, strategically located between Michael Kors and a Williams Sonoma store near Sephora. The Psycho Bunny store features a vibrant colourful interior complete with a large video screen showcasing images from the brand. Included is a range of menswear including Psycho Bunny’s iconic polo shirts as well as kid’s wear.
The brand was founded in New York City in 2005 by Robert Godley and Robert Goldman, and is known for its hand-finished polo shirts with mother of pearl buttons that are made in Peru. Clothing is adorned with the Psycho Bunny logo which consists of a maniacal-looking rabbit over a skull and bones insignia.
Psycho Bunny maintains an office in New York City and is now technically headquartered in Montreal, making it a Canadian brand now. Justin Cohen, Chief Commercial Officer, was recently interviewed in a podcast in Retail Insider about Psycho Bunny’s entry into the Canadian markets.
The brand’s Canadian website launched this summer ahead of the first store openings. Besides the CF Toronto Eaton Centre store, Psycho Bunny opened an outlet store at Toronto Premium Outlets and this fall it will open at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre and at CF Carrefour Laval in the Montreal area. More stores are planned.
“We may look at Calgary and Edmonton, and we may look at Vancouver in the medium term. We like to use indicators of markets that are similar, and obviously tracking our ecommerce and our wholesale business as well in all these markets,” Cohen told Retail Insider in a previous interview.
Upscale German women’s fashion brand Marc Cain has launched a Canadian e-commerce website as part of its expansion in the country, and the retailer is also relocating its physical storefront at West Edmonton Mall.
The new Canadian e-commerce site uses geo-tagging to direct local shoppers to the Canadian website according to Stephen Belfer, Managing Director for Marc Cain in North America. The website includes Canadian pricing and content, and product orders are fulfilled from a Canadian distribution centre. Belfer noted that items on the website are currently in stock and that new product is regularly updated on the website.
At press time, the Marc Cain website featured a buzzy red theme with female models of a range of ages and backgrounds. Tabs on the website include ‘New Arrivals’ and ‘Shop’ where consumers can find the latest styles from the brand. The tab marked ‘Inspiration’ includes a range of specials as well as a celebration of diversity and a ‘Premium Knit’ capsule collection. There’s also a Marc Cain magazine with content celebrating women as part of a push for the brand. The website is in both English and French.
Screen shot from Marc Cain website
The website comes at a time when consumers are increasingly shopping online. At the same time, following pandemic lockdowns, consumers are also shopping in physical stores similar to what was seen prior to the pandemic. With that, Marc Cain operates a network of standalone stores in Canada while also maintaining wholesale accounts at several dozen multi-brand retailers.
One of Marc Cain’s Canadian stores is at West Edmonton Mall — until recently the store was housed in a space near Tiffany & Co. across from H&M. The store will be relocating near Harry Rosen in Phase I of the mall according to Belfer with an opening date set for early next month.
Marc Cain’s first Canadian corporate stores opened in October of 2015. That included locations at CF Carrefour Laval near Montreal, Place Ste-Foy in Quebec City and CF Chinook Center in Calgary. In 2016 locations in Toronto opened at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and at Square One in Mississauga. Stores subsequently opened at CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver and at CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa.
Luc Lavigne of Oberfeld Snowcap handles real estate for Marc Cain in Canada and negotiates leases/renewals on behalf of the retailer.
Former West Edmonton Mall store, image via Marc Cain
Belfer said that future Marc Cain stores could open in two highly anticipated developments in Canada if leases are negotiated. One potential location is Royalmount in Montreal although nothing is confirmed as of yet. And in 2017, Marc Cain opened a successful store at Oakridge Centre in Vancouver and it could return following the centre’s complete redevelopment that will be completed in 2024.
In the United States, Belfer noted that Marc Cain recently opened two stores in New Jersey, including in Cherry Hills and Short Hills. The brand also has a store at The Westchester in affluent White Plains, north of New York City.
Vancouver-based fashion retailer Smash + Tess has debuted a colourful and fun pop-up in the popular vacation region of Ontario known as Muskoka.
The shop features Smash + Tess’ iconic Romper collection with a curated selection for the brand’s first ever brick & mortar store in Ontario.
“We are excited to bring the Smash + Tess brand experience to life in Ontario for the very first time,” shared Ashley Freeborn, Co-Founder and CEO, Smash + Tess. “Muskoka is a gorgeous spot and it’s been great to see the community come together – in the middle of the woods no less – for a unique shopping experience. Lakeside lounging, market hopping, and outdoor summer soirees are the perfect match for our feel-good Rompers, dresses, and summertime staples.”
Smash + Tess Muskoka Pop-Up (Image: Smash + Tess)
The Smash + Tes Coquitlam Centre pop-up, which Retail Insider featured in November 2021, was the recipient of a gold award from ICSC Global. After seeing the success of a brick & mortar location, the e-commerce brand took the opportunity of a pop-up in Muskoka to showcase its “cheeky and inclusive” reputation.
The Muskoka space features bubblegum pink painted exterior walls, an “Every Body is a Summer Body” photo moment and an interactive element for customers to write and mail “From Muskoka with Love” postcards.
Smash + Tess pop-up is located at WDW Marina, Minnet, 1112 Juddhaven Road and is open until September 5th, 2022.
Premium-casual restaurant chain Cactus Club Cafe has announced a new 10,000 square foot location for Calgary.
Located at 112 Crowfoot Terrace NW, construction is now underway on the single-level location with a dining space split between a main dining room, lounge and enclosed patio. There is no opening date confirmed, but those interested in applying to work at the new restaurants can visit cactusclubcafe.com/hiring.
Andrew Latchford
“We’re thrilled to be bringing a fourth location to Calgary, and look forward to becoming a part of the surrounding Crowfoot community,” said Andrew Latchford, President of Cactus Club Cafe. “Cactus has proudly been in Calgary for the past three decades, and we are proud to continue expanding our hospitality offerings throughout the city.”
Founded in 1988, the chain was fully-acquired by The Fuller Family, owners of the Earls chain, in February 2022.
Cactus Club Cafe has expansion plans, which includes new locations in BC and Alberta, which will bring the total locations through 2022 to 34 across Canada.
Retail Insider will continue to work with the brand throughout its expansion to provide up-to-date information.
Exterior Storefront of size? Vancouver. Photo: Lee Rivett
UK-based JD Group has opened it’s second ‘size?’ sneaker and apparel store in Canada in downtown Vancouver. Size? is known to do collaborations and release limited-edition product ‘drops’ which means that one may expect to see lineups periodically, something Toronto has become known for since its size? store opening last year.
Located at 833 Bute Street, the new Vancouver flagship size? location is just off of the retail-rich mecca of Robson Street and is accessible to foot traffic within the Bute-Robson Plaza.
Size? was founded in 2000 and is known for stocking limited-edition sneakers, fashions, and accessories that are primarily classified as ‘streetwear’, with some product launches classed as global exclusives. The retail concept was initially launched by JD Group to trial edgier product collections before introducing them to the mass market through the JD fascia. Size? currently has stores in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.
The entry of size? into the Canadian market speaks to the confidence brands have in brick-and-mortar retail. Size? also has robust social media and launched a Canadian website at size.ca in 2021.
size? Vancouver. Photo: Martin Moriarty (LinkedIn)size? Vancouver. Photo: Martin Moriarty (LinkedIn)
Size? Robson Street in Vancouver (Image: Kevin Pilar Photography)
Size? Robson Street in Vancouver (Image: Kevin Pilar Photography)
Size? Robson Street in Vancouver (Image: Kevin Pilar Photography)
Size? Robson Street in Vancouver (Image: Kevin Pilar Photography)
Size? Robson Street in Vancouver (Image: Kevin Pilar Photography)
