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Podcast [Interview] Ray Riley of Progress Retail Discusses the Future of the Industry Post-Pandemic

Podcast [Interview] Ray Riley of Progress Retail Discusses the Future of the Industry Post-Pandemic

Craig and Ray Riley, CEO of Progress Retail, discuss retail in Canada during the pandemic as well as what’s to come as we see a return to some normalcy.

Progress Retail also recently partnered with Retail Insider with more to come.

The Interview Series podcast by Retail Insider Canada is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Also check out our The Weekly podcast where Craig and Lee discuss popular content published on Retail Insider which is part of the The Retail Insider Podcast Network.

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Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Ren’s Pets to Open 2nd Urban Concept Store in Toronto’s Junction Neighbourhood [Exclusive/Interviews]

Ren's Pets First Urban Concept at Liberty Village (Image: Ren's Pets)

Ren’s Pets continues to expand its retail footprint with the planned opening of a new store in The Junction neighbourhood of Toronto – its second urban store.

The new location, which will open in September, is at 2995 Dundas Street West in the former space of The Sweet Potato. It’s 4000 square feet and will be renovated to suit a Ren’s store.

“We’ve had kind of the Toronto outside in strategy. Ren’s grew up in the burbs, suburban areas, the Burlington’s, the Oakville’s, the Guelph’s. The traditional Canadian cities in Ontario,” said Scott Arsenault, CEO of Ren’s Pets. “We knew we always wanted to get Toronto. That was the big prize. But there was a couple of things we had to consider. Most important was operations because we would have to make some changes based on size and then deliveries and operations of the box.”

The retailer put its first stake in the ground in September 2021 with its urban concept at Liberty Village in Toronto in about 5,500 square feet. 

The Future Ren’s Pets Location in The Junction (Image: Ren’s Pets)
Click image for interactive Google Map

“Now to go to The Junction is really exciting because this is the number one postal code in Toronto for licensed dogs. You want to talk about the 50-yard line and going to where your customers are. But to get into that market there’s challenges with parking,” said Arsenault. “We’re going to a 4,000-square-foot box and that will be the smallest Ren’s and a real test of going into an urban, metro market.

Scott Arsenault

“We learned a lot in Liberty and then we’re going to take those learnings and we’re shifting it and even tightening it up for this second Toronto urban store.”

Ren’s currently has 41 locations. The retailer has opened three new stores this year and two more are planned to be opened in Newmarket and Niagara Falls prior to The Junction store opening. There is also a possibility to open a store in the Maritimes in the fall.

A typical size Ren’s store is about 7,000 square feet. A few stores are about 10,000 square feet with the biggest about 11,000 square feet in Oakville.

CEO Scott Arsenault at The Future Ren’s Pets Location in The Junction (Image: Ren’s Pets)
The Future Ren’s Pets Location in The Junction (Image: Ren’s Pets)

Arsenault said the company plan is to open a couple of new urban stores each year. 

“It will be on opportunity and availability. There’s a ton of developments as retail is changing with condos upstairs and retail on the bottom line. There’s so much in the works right now within Toronto,” he said. 

“One thing we did learn in the Liberty Village . . . is that we changed our assortment a little bit in the sense of large bags but we’re seeing almost a one to one of frozen, which is raw food, to kibble. And this doesn’t surprise us. I would say the urban customer is probably the most educated, they’re nouveau, they’re into trends, they’re into what’s best. Raw is one of the fastest growing categories within pet food . . . What we’ve learned is the appetite for what’s new and best is real and you will see an assortment of freezers in this store that is unparalleled in Toronto.

“Our commitment is to make sure that we have the best frozen and kibble complement in all of Toronto and I think our Liberty Village is unequivocally the leader and this store (The Junction) even though we’re going smaller we’re going to keep that footprint of food first mentality.”

Ren’s Pets at Liberty Village (Photo by Dustin Fuhs)

Larissa Wasyliw, VP Ecommerce & Marketing, with Ren’s Pets, said The Junction is a walking neighbourhood.

Larissa Wasyliw

“These are customers that are out with their pets, going for a walk, want to stop by the store and get their toys and their treats and pick up food if they need it which is very different than a lot of our other stores. It’s very similar to how Liberty is,” she said.

“The other neat thing about this customer is that we’ve always thought that Toronto would be a big ecommerce hub for us, really capitalizing on all of our omnichannel capabilities. Liberty Village is actually our number one DoorDash store in the chain, which is pretty interesting.

“Customers are out and about walking, they might not want to carry their big purchases. It’s just as easy for them to get DoorDash, have it delivered right to their house, especially when it comes to food and raw food. So that was an interesting kind of difference for us watching the Liberty store. We think this Junction store will be the same. Really strong in ecommerce, click and collect, same day delivery by DoorDash.”

Canadian Businesses and Consumers Need Protection Against the Threat of Fraud in the Digital Age [Feature]

The COVID-19 pandemic changed just about everything, from where we work to how we shop and play. Perhaps the most profound of these changes is the growing importance of digital payments. The safer, more reliable and fast movement of digital money is the engine powering today’s global economy.

“We’ve experienced a massive shift in consumer purchasing behaviour as a result of the pandemic,” says Maryam Saeed, Head of Risk at Visa Canada. “The shift is most evident by the overwhelming number of consumers taking to e-commerce platforms to meet their purchasing needs.”

According to the recent Visa Back to Business Survey, 83 per cent of Canadian small business owners say efforts to sell products and services online saved their business during the pandemic, while 55 per cent of Canadians say that the migration to e-commerce platforms accelerated by the pandemic is likely here to stay.  These statistics are representative of an expanding retail ecosystem and a multitude of digital opportunities for merchants to explore. 

Fraudsters are taking note 

However, amidst the accelerated digitization during the pandemic fraudsters have sought to exploit vulnerabilities in the payments ecosystem. Since the start of the pandemic, one-third of Canadian businesses have experienced an increase in cybercrime incidents, and 79 per cent of global organizations experienced downtime because of a cyber incident during a peak season. 

“As the retail and payments ecosystems continue to evolve, so do cybercriminals and the means by which they are committing their attacks,” Saeed says. “The four main vulnerabilities, however, remain the same. People – the consumers and merchants who leverage payments products; data – payment information that’s transferred between multiple parties; infrastructure – fundamental systems like hardware and software supporting checkout; and the point of interaction between these components.”

Identifying fraud trends

Cybercriminals are increasingly more sophisticated and targeted types of fraud are on the rise, allowing them to exploit points of weakness. Particularly in e-commerce transactions. 

One type of fraud is digital skimming, where e-commerce websites are attacked using malicious code that targets checkout pages to steal consumer payment account data. Phishing scams remain one of the easiest ways for fraudsters to steal login credentials, personal information or even infiltrate corporate networks. And payment account enumeration is also on the uptick, a crime in which automated software is used to guess and steal payment information. 

Ransomware – a type of malware that denies a user’s access to a system or data until a sum is paid – is another serious and evolving threat to businesses. Ransomware attacks happen approximately every 11 seconds globally, resulting in a global cost of more than US$30B.  Between 2020 and 2021, global ransomware attacks increased by 151 per cent. 

The increased activity involving digital payment fraud has certainly put Canadians on high alert. According to Visa’s 2022 Fraud Prevention Survey, 50 per cent of Canadians agree that they are more cautious now about making financial transactions online because of the risk of fraud compared to before the pandemic.  

With 81 per cent of global organizations experiencing cybercrime threats, Saeed says the need for businesses to prioritize security is more critical than ever.

In order to support the digital security needs of consumers and merchants, Visa has a number of online tools and resources available including tips, guides, and fact sheets. These resources are incredibly useful, says Saeed, in educating and informing individuals about the evolving payments landscape, the inherent vulnerabilities, and how they can help protect themselves against cyber threats.

“The recent rise in e-commerce is not expected to recede so there is a real need for retailers to ensure the security of their systems and information to help protect both themselves and their customers,” she says. 

Multi-layered, cutting-edge cybersecurity 

Despite the increase in fraudulent activity and the complexity of the rapidly changing digital landscape, Saeed explains that Visa continues to provide layers of protection to businesses. “We know that in a digital-first economy, security is a priority for all businesses,” she says. “And while threats may have intensified, the ways in which we’ve been able to manage and mitigate risks year-over-year continue to significantly improve.”

Visa has over 800 full-time cybersecurity specialists using specialized neural networks to analyze data and help protect Visa’s global network from cybercrime threats. This is supported by machine learning models, which predict and fix any potential points of network vulnerability. A dedicated security team works closely with Visa clients, constantly monitoring, scanning and checking their systems for any suspicious activity and vulnerabilities.

“We vigilantly monitor for threats so we can identify, mitigate and take preventative action. In addition, as a global network, Visa has insights into global trends and often identifies threats before they even hit the Canadian market, making Canadian consumers and merchants aware, and providing them with ways they can proactively help protect themselves.”

Visa has invested roughly $9 billion USD globally over the past 5 years into cybersecurity and fraud prevention, and $500 million USD in artificial intelligence and data infrastructure. The company also works closely with its ecosystem partners to maintain and advance security standards, quickly bringing new and innovative products and services to market. 

“Trust and security are at the heart of everything Visa does,” says Saeed. “We are continuing to innovate and improve on our products and services to help ensure that we offer a comprehensive suite of fraud prevention solutions. And, approaching fraud prevention and security with a three-pillar approach – involving people, technology and processes – allows us to effectively address any threats that arise.”

Saeed says that merchants and cardholders alike can rely on the support and security of one of the retail industry’s most trusted partners, “with this close integration of people and technology, we’ve developed processes to help mitigate and prevent attacks against the ecosystem, which helps protect the security of consumers and merchants.” 


For more information concerning the ways Visa Canada can help you protect your business against the threat of cyberattacks, visit www.visa.ca/fraudprevention

Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, email: craig@retail-insider.com

Outdoor Retailer La Cordée Opens Storefront in Downtown Quebec City: Interview/Photos

Image: La Cordée

Through its 60-year history, La Cordée has helped shape the outdoor adventure landscape in Quebec.

Cedric Morisset

And the retailer, which President Cédric Morisset describes as the Quebec version of MEC (Mountain Equipment Company where he was VP Retail until recently), continues to expand its footprint in the province with the opening of a new store at 405 rue Saint-Joseph Est in the Saint-Roch district of Downtown Quebec City.

“We own the outdoor industry. We own everything that’s outdoors related in terms of retail in the province of Quebec. It’s an institution in Quebec just like MEC is an institution in the rest of Canada,” said Morisset.

The retailer now has six locations in Quebec – four are in the Greater Montreal Area with two in the Quebec City area.

Image: La Cordée

What started as a small shop in 1953 has become a leading resource for outdoor enthusiasts throughout North America. It originally opened as a cooperative selling Scouting uniforms and reasonably-priced light camping gear. The first 10 years of its existence were spent serving the needs of this clientele, says the retailer.

Like any downtown store, the newest location is a hub, a community gathering place, in close proximity to the city’s downtown offices.

“Since March 2020 (and the beginning of the pandemic), we’ve seen the office reopen in the neighbourhood and the neighbourhood getting busy again. It’s going to be a very nice place for La Cordée because this is the future of our brand. We want to get closer to the community. We want to make sure we have the right product for the community,” said Morisset.

“For us, it’s easy as well if we want to do events with our customers in terms of running clinics, or running shoe clinics, it’s going to be super easy for us. We are in the heart of Quebec City. It gets super busy. It’s a nice neighbourhood. There’s a lot of restaurants, a lot of offices. And Quebec City is really booming in terms of population as well.”

The brand partnered with Montreal-based GH+A Design Studios for this project.

Paola Marques

“We love the discovery and exploration part of any project and there was a lot of great data and all the history of LaCordee to be inspired by,” shared Paola Marques, Principal at GH+A Design.

“Showcasing their reputation as trustworthy experts focused on the ‘outdoor enthusiast’ was a key element that needed to be inherent in our approach.”

Image: La Cordée

The Montreal-based design firm was able to create a design that integrated multiple customer profiles into a single concept.

“LaCordee has a strong brand recognition in Quebec with a certain generation, but wanted to extend their reach into a younger group who are also “outdoor enthusiast”, so this was a wonderful time to introduce an evolution.

“The design concept needed to support this common passion for the outdoors with multiple client and product engagement points. Some of which LaCordee was already offering but they needed to be celebrated more within the store journey.”

Marques went on to explain the evolution of the design, which included the thoughts and decisions that the team went through in order to create the Downtown Quebec City location.

“So, we re-imagined a warm welcoming environment for all ages and named it the “Urban Chalet”. The design language of the space is intentionally urban with materials and finishes in lite warm tones, black used only as a defining contrast and LaCordee red painted industrial light fixtures for a bit fun and a nod to the historic brand colour. The raw floor and open ceilings support the natural and real approach to the design leveraging the existing architectural conditions of the space which include expansive windows to the street. We set back the perimeter fixture partitions from these windows to allow for ample story-telling display and engage with the city fabric at a pedestrian human scale….almost saying…we’re back! The environmental graphics used are surreal landscapes invoking a calm peaceful outdoor environment and at key areas like the fitting rooms we re-created hiking trails maps around the Quebec city region perhaps known by clients or there for them to discover.

We enhanced the design of customer touch points and reaffirmed LaCordee’s position as a knowledgeable leader in this sector by creating such things as:

  • an improved bike(ski) repair shop officially labeling it the “Atelier” with it’s dedicated industrial shop-like environment that clients can walk into.
  • A walking trail demo path to test different boots for fit and terrain usage.
  • A kids climbing wall

At the heart of the Urban Chalet is ‘The Foyer’ – this is a community flex space for all. It allows for new product launches by vendors, product demos and key product display and story telling, staff meetings, community postings for events. Most importantly it allows La Cordee to truly connect with new and existing clients in a casual lounge-type environment supporting the evolution of the brand in the community of ‘outdoor enthusiasts’.”

Image: La Cordée

Cédric Morisset said the retailer plans to expand even more in the future.

“The goal for me is to open one or two stores every year for the next five to 10 years. The goal is really to gain market share. Yes in the province of Quebec. Maybe down the line in the Ottawa market, that’s possible,” said Morisset.

“I’m not saying next week. But it’s something we’re considering. Even though La Cordée’s an institution, it’s still an untapped territory in Quebec for us because we are not in the smaller cities. Other than Montreal and Quebec, we still have other bigger cities in the province and those markets are untapped right now. So there’s a lot of possibilities, lots of growth options for a brand like us.

“We are an outdoor country. There’s a lot of outdoor space out there.”

Image: La Cordée

Morisset said the outdoors market is booming these days.

“The cycling industry right now, the bicycle, is totally on fire. Every boat that we have, I mean, we’re almost sold out of all of our boats. Everything that’s regarding the lakes and kayak, it’s crazy right now,” explained Morisset.

“And trail running is another area where we’re seeing a lot of growth. Camping.”

Unique Home and Tableware Retailer Hopson Grace to Relocate Toronto Storefront into Larger Space: Interview

PHOTO: HOPSON GRACE

Andrea Hopson and Martha Grace McKimm opened the doors of Hopson Grace in 2015, now after celebrating being open for seven years, they are moving their business to a larger retail space. 

Currently Hopson Grace is located at 1120 Yonge Street in Toronto and is opening the doors to its new location at 200 Dupont Street in August 2022. After acknowledging a popular movement in 2010 of people wanting less mass manufacturing and more local, artistic, and handmade products, Hopson and McKimm created Hopson Grace, a place where people can find unique luxury products for their home. Vanessa Lynch of DWSV Realty Inc. negotiated the lease deal for the new store.

Before joining forces, Hopson was the Vice President of Tiffany & Co. and McKimm was working in Public Relations for luxury brands in Retail. With all the traveling McKimm and Hopson do, they started seeing a lot of beautiful designs you could not find here and wanted to bring those luxury items to Canada. 

Future Hopson Grace Location at 200 Dupont Street (Image: Google)
Click image for interactive Google Map

“Our concept was to go and find the most beautiful things in the world that all were beautifully made, high quality, focused on design, and bring them to Canada,” says McKimm. 

The new location will include high ceilings, 4,000 square feet of retail space, and will all be on the same floor level making it easier for customers to shop. 

“We are very excited about everything being on one floor,” says McKimm. “Right now, we have the shoppable apartment and when you get up here it is wonderful, but a second-floor retail space is a challenge.”

New Wedding Registry Coming Soon

Image: Hopson Grace

The main reason for the new location is Hopson Grace will also be launching a new wedding registry. The owners launched a wedding registry when they first opened, focusing on tableware. Over the years, the demand for kitchen appliances, bedding, and bath were on the rise so they added a shoppable apartment in 2018. And now, they will need a larger space so they can continue to satisfy customers and make their shopping experience easier. 

Martha Grace McKimm

“We are working on launching a new registry that will be opening sometime in 2022 that will allow customers to register in the comfort in their homes, no matter where they are in North America,” says McKimm. 

The new registry will include different tools such as being able to add and remove items, manage your registry online, benefits such as registry completion discount and free shipping. As the registry will be a new platform, Hopson says they will be focusing on developing relationships through phone, email, or even Zoom to register new customers and will provide full support. 

One Stop Shop 

Image: Hopson Grace

Hopson Grace wants to make shopping and registries easier by covering products customers will need for every room. 

A lot of people looking for a wedding registry might go to a few places, says McKimm. Hopson Grace will have products designed for every room to ensure your entire home will be elegant and beautiful. 

Andrea Hopson

“The reason for our expanding offering was due to being able to offer customers beautiful products for every room in the house,” says Hopson. “We are finding things in person when we travel, but through Covid we have continued to source beautiful things around the world by online research, relationship building, and by word of mouth.” 

Hopson Grace is dedicated to finding products reflecting on how people are living today: sophisticated and yet casual. 

“The contemporary style really drives us,” says McKimm. “We want to mix some of your grandmother’s dishes with some really modern accessories that go with them as we think a great style is a mix.” 

Because of this, you will find a variety of collections in their store, including local brands and the new line of Hopson Grace. 

“We are super excited to announce that along with the new store opening, that we are also launching our own line of ceramics that are all going to be made in Toronto.” 

Hopson and McKimm are working on their own brand, and one of their products will be launching a new line of bedding from Portugal. “It will be 100 percent long staple Egyptian cotton, the most beautiful cotton you can find in the world,” says McKimm. 

Other products they will be producing will be candlesticks, flat wear, and they are making placemats in collaboration with local artists with Fan Brothers, local illustrators. 

Local brands will also include an OCAD grad named the Woodsman’s Daughter. She will be creating serving boards for Hopson Grace. They also have two local wood turners to produce bowls, candle sticks, and wine stoppers. 

A Chance to Share Stories

Image: Hopson Grace

“Everyone loves a good love story,” says Hopson. 

As community is important to Hopson and McKimm, they feel like it is important to share stories of customers who use their wedding registry from how the couple met to the details of their wedding. 

“We are excited about all the couples registering with us and we want to share their weddings with our customers, and they love it because they love reading about a local story. They are thrilled about us telling their story about how they met, and about their wedding day,” says McKimm. 

Hopson says it is a great way to celebrate the community, and by sharing their customers story, they can also be included in their journey. “It is exciting to be a part of a couples most exciting event of their life and to see them grow with us,” says Hopson. 

Hopson Grace is anticipating having a soft launch at the beginning of August with a more formal celebration in September. “We have the keys, the designer, the contractor, and we are just really excited to get going,” says Hopson. 

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The Well in Downtown Toronto Announces Major Retail Tenants

Image: The Well

The Well in downtown Toronto is about a year out from completion, and several new commercial tenants have been announced since our feature article about the project was published in February

A range of new tenants will span categories including fashion, food, health, wellness, fitness and other concepts, some highly experiential. The total retail area in The Well will span about 320,000 square feet over three levels. 

The entire project is massive — the 7.8-acre site will also be home to about 1.2 million square feet of office space and 1.5 million square feet of residential space including 1,700 condominium and purpose-built rental units. At the base of the project is a retail and foodservice offering that will also include a massive 70,000 square foot multi-tenant food market that is expected to become a significant attraction.  

The Well during a Media Visit on May 6th, 2022 (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The Well during a Media Visit on May 6th, 2022 (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Jeff Ross, Senior VP at RioCan REIT said “The Well is a transformational project and one of the most complex, multi-faceted developments Toronto has ever seen. This is choreographed city-building, and this carefully curated retail mix will play a vital role in establishing The Well as a vibrant, lively destination for residents and visitors to Toronto. We’re excited to reveal a selection of our new tenants and will continue to make announcements throughout the year as we work toward our Spring 2023 opening.”

The Well is a joint venture between RioCan REIT and Allied Properties REIT.

Retail space at The Well is now about 79% leased or in advanced negotiation, while office space is about 90% leased. Shopify will relocate its headquarters from Ottawa to Toronto and could occupy more office space at The Well than originally planned. 

Several new tenants have been announced for The Well. Aussie eyewear retailer Bailey Nelson is a confirmed tenant to occupy a corner space at The Well — the brand has been aggressively expanding in Canada with stores now across the country. 

The first Canadian location for New York City-based Prince Street Pizza will open — the concept is known for its spicy square slices of pizza with an airy and crispy crust. 

The Well during a Media Visit on May 6th, 2022 (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The Well during a Media Visit on May 6th, 2022 (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Arcadia Earth will open its first Canadian location — the experiential concept is described as being “an immersive exhibition powered by augmented reality that takes visitors on a mind-bending, multi-sensory journey through planet earth, featuring underwater worlds, mystical forests, and underground caves.” Arcadia Earth also has locations in New York City and Las Vegas.

Toronto-based fitness and wellness hub Sweat and Tonic will open in a 24,000 square foot space featuring immersive Yoga, HIIT and Ride group fitness studios, a cocktail bar, café, and lounge spaces, as well as spa services such as massage, facials, nail services, hot-cold therapy and a 50-foot lap pool. The space will boast 20 foot ceiling heights and natural light through ample windows. 

Carrying the health and wellness offerings will be HealthOne, which is described as being “a premier Medical and Wellness centre that is reinventing the way healthcare is delivered in Canada by combining a comprehensive set of services under one roof.”  Services will include family medicine, rehab services such as physiotherapy and osteopathy, dental services (including cosmetic & Invisalign), optometry and optical services, mental health support with virtual and in-person psychotherapy, and wellness services such as naturopathy and a full-service skin clinic. 

Image: The Well
Image: The Well

Foodservice will be significant at The Well. The 70,000 square foot Wellington Market will house over 50 vendors and will also have full-service catering via a commissary and ghost kitchen. The entire space will have a liquor license for 4,200 people with hours into the evening. The concept is well thought out and will serve office workers and residents in the area with a mix of sit-down, grab-and-go and grocery options. Confirmed tenants at the market include: La Cubana, Hooky’s, Ren Sushi, a new to market Korean-focused concept, Chun Yang Tea, Lobster Burger Bar, Rosie’s Burgers, Isabella’s Mochi Donuts and Sweetie Pie among others.

Various other restaurant concepts at The Well will include an upscale French Bistro as well as a two-level British-inspired tavern with an Old World-inspired wood bar with wood panelling and checkered tile floors, a fresh English farmhouse-inspired dining room, a stately private dining room, and a manicured streetside patio.

Crowning the project will be a restaurant on the 36th floor of the west office tower. The restaurant will feature a 360 degree view of the city and the lake featuring a mix of seating options and guest experiences, including a luxuriously appointed dining room, bar, sushi counter and chef’s rail. We took a tour last week and saw the view from the 32nd floor and it’s stunning.

The Well during a Media Visit on May 6th, 2022 (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Retail Insider has been provided confidential lease plans of tentative tenants in negotiations —  we won’t name them at this time, but we can confirm that the mix includes local and Ontario-based retail and foodservice concepts as well as national and international brands, some of which are household names. We’ll announce some of these when permitted.

The Well will serve the rapidly growing residential population in the area as well as workers in and near the mixed-use project. About 5,000 office workers and an additional 1,200 retail workers are expected for The Well, not to mention over 1,700 new residential units that are under construction on site. Homes will range from purpose-built rental housing to multi-million dollar condominium apartments, depending on the building. 

We’ll follow up on this story and announce more tenants when permitted in the months to come before The Well is completed in the spring of 2023.