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White Spot ‘Triple O’s’ Marks 25th Anniversary with Plans to Expand Further into Canada [Interview]

By
Shelby Hautala
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Historic Robson Street Triple O's (Image: Triple O's)

Triple O’s, a division of White Spot Hospitality, is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is looking to expand further in Canada.

Triple O’s is a full-service restaurant, and currently has 76 locations. Most of Triple O’s locations are in British Columbia where it started in 1997 and has since expanded to include other Canadian provinces such as four locations in Alberta, four locations in Ontario, and three international locations in Asia. Triple O’s has six new locations under construction right now, three of which will be in Ontario, with more expansion plans for the future.

Triple O’s parent company, White Spot is one of Canada’s oldest restaurant chains and will be celebrating its 95th anniversary. White Spot first opened in Vancouver in 1928. Triple O’s was inspired by bringing the best of White Spot (burgers, fries, and shakes) and delivering those in a quick service environment.

“In 1997 we created Triple O’s, our first location, and it has been a great success and we have been really pleased with how things are going. We have opened up in Ontario and just opened our fourth location. When we looked at bringing the brand to the people, finding areas where we can grow Triple O’s with a limited menu that would work. We thought with White Spot quality in a quick service environment we would have a formula for success – and it worked out that way,” says Warren Erhart, the President of Triple O’s.

Triple O’s recently opened its fourth location in Vaughn, Ontario in the middle of September located at Rutherford Road at Ultramar. The other three locations in Ontario include Colborne, Mississauga, and Woodbridge.

“Formula for Success”

Image: Triple O’s

The Triple O’s product menu varies from burgers (with options of beef, chicken, plant based, vegetarian, and fish), milkshakes, breakfast items, and fries – all made with local ingredients which is an important aspect for White Spot and Triple O’s.

“It has been very successful where we got all the aspects of our white spot brand, which is fresh, made for you, 100 percent fresh Canadian beef, fresh Kennebec fries, our hand scooped milkshakes, and everything White Spot does. “We are proud of the importance we take to sourcing raw materials and making sure it is the highest quality with our recipes, and it all comes together.”

Triple O’s stays local, so for its Ontario locations, it uses Ontario produce for recipes and its unique flavour will stay consistent throughout provinces.

“Being local is very important to us. We have local buns that are baked in Ontario, the beef is produced in Ontario. In British Columbia, we use BC products, so it is really making sure we can replicate the flavour profile so Triple O’s burger in Ontario tastes the same as BC by using local ingredients.”

Giving Back to the Community

Image: Triple O’s

Triple O’s celebrated its 25th anniversary by serving customers the original burger for the original price of $3.49. On top of the lower price, Triple O’s donated 50 cents from every burger sold to the local food banks. Erhart said during the pandemic, users of food banks went up twenty percent and a large amount of that percentage is children and seniors. Triple O’s and White Spot always tries to “do their best of giving back to charities.”

Charities Triple O’s are involved with include Kidsport BC and Toy Mountain.

Using its food trucks, Erhart said Triple O’s gave away thousands of burgers to various hospitals and first responders during the pandemic as a way to give back and to say thank you to the healthcare workers during Covid. Erhart said this wasn’t the first time Triple O’s has given away a truck to support the community as Triple O’s often gives away its food trucks for charities.

“We are proud to be working for the business we have. A lot of companies could and don’t, and I am really proud our companies can, and so we are always looking for ways of supporting children and families, and a lot of the charities we support with White Spot and Triple O’s are really based on children.”

Food trucks are not only used for catering charities but can also be rented out for private social events. For people who are looking for catering for their events, such as weddings or birthdays, they can book a food truck from Triple O’s for a certain amount of time during the event.

International Locations

Triple O’s store in Hong Kong – Pacific Place (Image: Triple O’s)

Along with Triple O’s Canadian locations, it also has three locations in Hong Kong.

“A lot of people from Hong Kong went to school in Vancouver, got their university degrees, and went back to Hong Kong, so a lot of people knew our brand.”

“We had a family, Suen Family, apply for the franchise rights for Hong Kong and they opened the first restaurant there, almost about twenty years ago now, so they are very successful in Hong Kong.”

As for expanding more internationally, Erhard said it is looking for more locations internationally and that they have spoken to people about finding new sites to expand to.

Future Plans

Currently Triple O’s is going to be expanding in three areas in Ontario: Niagara region, London, and Hamilton.

The Niagara location is set to open early 2023 and Triple O’s is looking to have 30 new locations open over the next four to five years and are pursuing locations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario – including a possible location downtown Toronto in the future.

“People have come to us where they have seen our Triple O’s in Ontario and sort of applied and knocked on our doors. We also have a group from Ontario that is finding sites for us as well and a bit of our strategy is looking at some downtown locations while also the suburbs. We are really excited about the opportunity to grow after 25 years, grow the brand as we think there are opportunities to bring in more locations throughout Canada.”

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‘Worst Time in History’ for Retail Staffing in Canada Says Expert [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Now Hiring Sign

The holiday shopping season is a critical one for retailers when it comes to their bottom line.

But one of the key challenges the industry has faced over the years, and particularly this year, is finding enough people to work in their stores to meet the holiday rush.

“It’s going to be the worst in history,” said Suzanne Sears, President, Best Retail Careers International. “It follows the record path of record unemployment. There’s very few people looking for work and even fewer looking for temporary jobs.

“In general, the way stores measure on sales is by sale per square foot. So if you have a 10,000-square-foot store without any sales personnel in it your sales per square foot falls into the garbage. So no sales people means lower sales per square foot. You’re basically asking people to self-serve. 

“And if self-serve’s your model, that’s probably okay. But if self-serve is not your model, that missing person translates into lower or zero sales.”

Sears has three tips for retailers heading into this critical shopping period.

Tip 1: Don’t hire Seasonal

Hiring Signage at Browns at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs

The biggest error employers make is starting from scratch every holiday or extra staffing season, instead of hiring “seasonal”, which by definition means temporary hiring, shoot for Occasional Part Time year-round instead. Or “On Call” staff, explained Sears.

“This way you grow and develop a dedicated and knowledgeable base of persons who enjoy working for your firm in a variety of settings and schedules,” she said. “Calculate an annual budget for Occasional Staff. Then allocate those funds into hours over the course of an entire year. This budget is on top of your regular part time staff. That way when interviewing and hiring you can clearly state: we have “X” hours annually to offer.

Traditionally, Sears said retailers have thrown their nets out and captured a few people who want to make a few dollars for themselves for Christmas shopping.

“That entire concept of seasonal staff is pretty well a dead fish. The concept isn’t viable anymore,” she said. “If you start off feeling that or believing that you have to hire all these temporary people, you’re basically throwing your kite into the air because those types of people no longer exist. 

“What you can hire, should hire, is an entire team of ongoing, on-call, basically gig workers. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to even pay them cash the way you’d pay an Uber driver. Hiring a team of year-round contract people makes sense. You can find good quality people who are only interested in limited hours, limited commitment.”

Tip 2: Pay Better

Hiring Signage at Telus in CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Pay better for temporary staff than you do for regular part time, added Sears. Even $1 or $2 an hour is a huge drawing card for folks who like “gig” jobs.

“As people who do pop-up staffing find, the only way you’re going to get short-term, short-hour people is by offering an incentive to do that kind of work,” said Sears. “And they come to expect it because they can get it.”

The premium is to first attract them and second to keep them.

Tip 3: Offer a Bonus

Call it Spring at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Offer a Completion Bonus if staff stay for an exact period of time. Thus the offer is X per hour plus $ for completing the agreed to number of hours.

You are less likely to have drop off if the bonus is significant. It doesn’t have to be cash either. It could be a shopping card, dinners, an adventure. 

Herschel Supply Co to Open 1st Toronto Storefront with Plans for Expansion in Canada and Beyond [Interview]

By
Shelby Hautala
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Future Herschel Supply Co Location at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Herschel Supply Co, a Vancouver based travel baggage and accessory store, is opening its first flagship location in Toronto with the plans of further expansion in the city, in other areas in Canada, and internationally.

The company started back in 2009 and has since opened four stores in Vancouver and will now be launching its first location at the Toronto Eaton Centre hopefully by the end of the year as Toronto has always been an important city for Herschel.

“We are trying to place a heartbeat back into the bag industry, to make it an exciting category, and I think our love of art, design, and the creative community we engage with is very reflective of all those things. We want to gather as members of the community, celebrate art, and Herschel makes a lot of awesome products and I think it is an awesome location whether people are just coming in to learn or coming in to consume, it allows them to learn more about our brand and to understand what makes us tick and what gets us excited. We are really excited to go to Toronto and be in the heartbeat of the downtown core,” says Lyndon Cormack the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Herschel.

The flagship store will be just under 3,000 square feet, will have a welcoming vibrant interior, and along with the mall entrance, the store will also have its own street entrance on Queen Street. Cormack said the new location will feature the widest product selection ever seen at Herschel and will be a great location to get people who are unfamiliar with the brand in for an introduction.

Currently behind construction for the CF Toronto Eaton Centre glass skylight roof, the future Herschel Supply Co will take the former Oakley location (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Future Herschel Supply Co Location at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

“We got a lot of introductions to make, and I think one of the best ways to introduce ourselves is in person to really allow people to understand the big picture of what we care about.”

“Typically, we performed well on street locations, and it has that connectivity to the city, but it also has the benefit, especially in a market such as Toronto with hot summers and cold winters, so it allows people to escape that and get into the centre. It was a unique opportunity that allowed us to be on Queen Street but also within the centre to sort of allow us to have the best of both worlds. Toronto Eaton Centre is a great centre for retail in general and whether they are Canadian brands or global brands, it is a place where the next brands in the world congregate.”

Products found at Herschel, with a goal of always being “classic with a modern twist,” ranges from a variety of bags, accessories, apparel, travel items, and youth products including items when traveling with a newborn. Herschel is also known to give back to the community with its backpack donations and supporting local artists.

“We spend time concentrating on ensuring that the store can act much more than just a store. We are having a dedicated space for our Herschel Artists in Residence program which features local artists from the community which flips over at least twice a year. We like our stores in Vancouver they act as community hubs, our stores in Vancouver have had over 20 events this year where we bring the community together. It is exciting and in an important city, we are building an awesome store and we can’t wait for it to open.”

GTA-based BUILD-IT is working with Herschel Supply Co on the projects in Alberta and Ontario.

Jackson Turner of CBRE negotiated the lease deal on behalf of Herschel, and is a point of contact for landlords.

“Exciting Developments Planned”

Herschel Supply Robson Street Flagship (Image: Herschel Supply)

Plans are in place to continue to expand in Canada and internationally. In Canada, Herschel is expanding more in Toronto and in Calgary. As of right now Herschel has four locations in Vancouver, but Cormack said they will be continuing to add stores.

“There will be future stores in Toronto, none have been announced at this time, but they will all have the same goals as the Toronto Eaton Centre: engaging community, allowing our consumers to come in and experience our breadth of offerings.”

In addition to the new Toronto Flagship location, Herschel is also going to be opening its first location in New York City. Herschel has been seen in New York, but only in pop-up locations so this will be the first permanent location across the border. Within the next 16 months the goal for Herschel will be to open numerous stores in New York, both downtown and outside of the city. The first location will hopefully be opening at the same time as the Toronto location, so by the end of the year.

Herschel will also be opening a new store location in Calgary, that will be opening at the end of the year.

Herschel Supply Robson Street Flagship (Image: Herschel Supply)
Herschel Supply Robson Street Flagship (Image: Herschel Supply)

As for any grand opening events for new locations, Cormack said “given an opportunity to have a little party – we will have one and given the opportunity to have a celebration, we tend to celebrate.” So, check back with us as new stores open and grand opening events are revealed.

“We have a lot of exciting developments happening, it is an important chapter in Herschel existence, and this is an exciting time for us. We know stores create halo effects to make our wholesale partners better, our ecommerce business better, and our engagement with our consumer better. We know we are not the first brand to ever open stores, but we witnessed all these amazing brands open stores and just watch what it does for their brands from all channels. We look forward to the halo effect of these stores give us and look forward to greeting people in person and welcoming them into our doors.

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It’s Time for Canadian Grocery Retailers to Freeze Prices Amid Accusations of ‘Greedflation’ [Op-Ed]

By
Sylvain Charlebois
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Save-On-Foods in Richmond, BC (Image: Field Agent Canada)

“Grocers have been accused of “greedflation” for a while now, due to skyrocketing prices at the grocery store. Canadian consumers are struggling with food inflation at the moment, which gives grocers an opportunity to stop these accusations, if only for a while.”

Grocers, time to freeze food prices

While inflation is showing signs of dissipating, food inflation appears to be on a totally different path. In recent months, food inflation has affected the lives of most Canadians. In fact, food inflation has outpaced our general inflation rate for over 12 months now. Statistics Canada just announced that the food inflation rate for retail was 10.8% and 7.4% in food service. Canada ranks third amongst the G7 countries, after Japan at 4.7% and France at 7.7%. Canada’s rate remains below that of Italy (10.6%), the United States (11.8%), the United Kingdom (13.1%) and Germany (16.6%). Still, food inflation is hurting Canadian consumers and the nightmare won’t end any time soon.

Canadians have been trying to cope with higher food and menu prices in many ways. The Agri-Food Analytics Lab, in partnership with Caddle, investigated what Canadian consumers are doing to deal with higher food prices in the last year and are releasing the results of the study.

Some have opted to grow their own food. A total of 15.5% of Canadians have started growing their own food, just in the last year. Ontario is where the highest percentage of people started to grow their own food, at 17.4%, followed by British Columbia at 16.2%. The Atlantic (15.2%), Quebec (13.7%), and the Prairies (13.1%) were next. While a total of 6.2% of Canadians use hydroponics at home to grow food, 4.5% claim they have livestock at home now, and didn’t 12 months ago.

Others are just trying to navigate through by using new options. The most popular grocery shopping habit change we measured was that many Canadians have used loyalty program points. A total of 33.7% have been using loyalty program points to pay for groceries in the last 12 months. The second option is weekly flyers (32.1%), followed by using coupons, at 23.9%.

While 19.1% of Canadians have visited discount stores in the last 12 months, 11.5% of Canadians have visited dollar stores more often to purchase food. A total of 8.0% are visiting farmers markets more often, and 7.1% of consumers visited roadside stands to buy directly from farmers in the last year.

Interestingly, a total of 40.6% of Canadians are trying to waste less food now, a much higher rate than 12 months ago. Going for privately labelled food products is also getting more popular. A total of 21.0% of Canadians are opting for store labels, which are less expensive most of the time. The Atlantic region is where the highest percentage of consumers are now opting for privately labelled products, at 27.8%, followed by Quebec at 22.5%. Also, 19.7% of Canadians are buying more food that is about to expire. The Atlantic has the highest percentage of consumers buying food that is about to expire at 29.1%, followed by the Prairies at 19.5%.

The hidden darker side of food inflation is worrisome. Almost 24% of Canadians are now cutting back on the amount of food they purchase due to higher food inflation, and almost 70% of them are women. Dietary changes have been made by 8.2% just to save money. While a total of 7.1% are skipping meals now, 6.6% of Canadians are paying for their groceries with a credit card without knowing when they will be able to pay it back. Other measures are also being followed by Canadians. Coping with food inflation is not a simple matter of finding new strategies. For many, higher food prices have pushed them toward desperation.

Many Canadians are really battling it out there. In Europe, where food inflation in some regions is even higher than here, grocers are guaranteeing some prices for certain staples, for a month or two, to help low-income families get through this. They are freezing prices on a limited number of important staples. These campaigns are all initiated by industry, not government. 

Perhaps it’s time for our own Canadian grocers to sympathize with struggling consumers in meaningful ways. Maybe, just maybe, if they took steps to support consumers, the baseless accusations of “greedflation” would go away, if only for a while.

Canadiana Heritage Fashion Brand Red Canoe Looks to Expansion Through Partnerships and Stores [Feature Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Red Canoe in The Junction (2989 Dundas St W, Toronto) Image: Dustin Fuhs

In 1999 Red Canoe was conceived in a bush plane over the pristine wilderness of Northern Ontario.

Dax Wilkinson

Today, the retailer has two locations in Toronto, a growing ecommerce business and increasing partnerships with well-known global brands.

“I started the company in 2002 all by myself in my basement,” said Dax Wilkinson, President and Creative Director of Red Canoe – National Heritage Brands Inc. 

“We design and produce clothing, headwear and accessories. We’re primarily a wholesaler but we also have two bricks and mortar retail stores of our own, online retail and then we have one other retail partner that has a Red Canoe store, almost a franchise kind of arrangement.”

Red Canoe in The Distillery District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Red Canoe in The Distillery District (Image: Red Canoe)

The retailer’s two Toronto stores are located in the historic Distillery District and in The Junction, where the company’s head office is also located. The first store at The Junction opened in 2016 followed a couple of years later with the Distillery store.

Product lines have also been created for such well-known companies and organizations as Land Rover, Boeing, CBC, RCAF, NASA.

“(Land Rover) has taken us all over the world. We’re currently selling that product line in the UK, Canada, the US and China. We’re kind of run off our feet. This is one that’s taken on a life of its own,” said Wilkinson.

Red Canoe in The Junction (2989 Dundas St W, Toronto) Image: Red Canoe
Red Canoe in The Junction (2989 Dundas St W, Toronto) Image: Red Canoe

Wilkinson said future expansion is always something on the brand’s mind.

“But we’re primarily focused on high traffic locations and sometimes that means high tourist traffic locations. So if the right opportunity presented itself in those types of places – Banff, Whistler, Victoria, Niagara on the Lake, Mont Tremblant, Quebec City, within Canada – we’d look at different things,” he said.

“Primarily we would like to own the real estate if we were going to get into more bricks and mortar retailing. That’s just part of our model a bit going forward. I think it’s an important long-term way to structure things. So those opportunities don’t come up very often. 

“And at the same time, the rest of our business, online retailing and wholesaling, is growing as fast as we can keep up with. But this franchise concept is yielding around $2,000 a square foot as a concept in a very busy tourist area. Those kinds of numbers are very interesting. Yes we would look at that but I don’t know if that’s the right name for it. We would call them retail partners and they would own and operate a Red Canoe bannered bricks and mortar retail store.”

Red Canoe at the Montreal Airport (Image: Red Canoe)
Boutique Red Canoe in Quebec City (Image: Boutique Red Canoe)

Currently the company has a partner in Quebec with a Boutique Red Canoe store which opened about 2016 in old Quebec City.

“That one has done extraordinarily well. I think there’s an opportunity to figure that out. But we’re run off our feet at the moment. If the right person came in the door, we would do that every day,” added Wilkinson. 

In the past, the company had Red Canoe bannered stores in Montreal and for a while at the Edmonton airport. 

Wilkinson said the company’s icon looks like a shield but is actually a red canoe coming towards you in perspective, in 3D – a canoe with the bough pointing towards you and the stern in the back.

Red Canoe in The Distillery District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Red Canoe in The Distillery District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Red Canoe in The Distillery District (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

“To me a red canoe is just a strong image that connected me to the outdoors of my youth. Some of the historic inspiration that inspired the brand. A red canoe was used for a lot of different things and a lot of different places over the years but primarily from adventure to utility, opening up Canada, the deep northern experience that I grew up in Northern Ontario, it was a touchstone to that,” he said.

“Also a recreational lifestyle, but also the utility, the ruggedness of a canoe trip. The origins of a canoe go back a long way as well. It’s an icon that if anyone thinks about a red canoe they may have a picture in their head of a number of different things but those types of images I think is what we founded the brand on.

“As well, I just love that icon. I love the conciseness of our red canoe icon and I think it’s kind of a timeless piece of design. I’m quite happy with it. It’s worked out well and I think that’s a logo mark that will stand the test of time for us.”

Video Interview: Canadian Small Business Owners Continue To Struggle With Sales

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Video Interview: Canadian Small Business Owners Continue To Struggle With Sales

Dan Kelly, President/CEO, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, discusses the latest state of affairs for the small business sector in Canada.

Kelly talks about how sales are still not back to normal for companies, the amount of debt taken on during the pandemic, how they are struggling with labour shortages, supply chain issues and what to expect this holiday shopping season.

Youtube video

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 News Editor with Retail Insider and owner of Mario Toneguzzi Communications Inc. and can be reached at mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.

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Manitobah Mukluks Launches 1st Permanent Flagship Store as Brand Expands Retail Presence [Interview]

By
Shelby Hautala
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Manitobah (Image: Lindsay Rowan)

Manitobah, an Indigenous footwear store, has launched its first flagship location in Winnipeg.

The company, founded by Sean McCormick in 1997, is well known to provide Indigenous mukluks and moccasins and has become one of the fastest growing companies in Canada. 

Sean, who is a part of the Metis Indigenous community, started dreaming of owning his own company in High School and wanted a business representing his community. Today, Manitobah sells a variety of mukluks and moccasins using materials from Deerskin, Sheepskin, Full Grown Leather, and Rabbit Fur – materials that have been used for Mukluks for 10,000 years. 

Lor Brand

“Prior to the company officially starting Sean had the idea of the company and was already selling leather and furs to makers in High School. That went on to him opening a trading post where he was essentially trading already made mukluks and moccasins for more leather and furs, so it created a cycle with indigenous artists. Then the demand just increased, and he started in 1997 what is now Manitobah,” says Lor Brand, the Marketing Coordinator and Artists Relations for Manitobah. 

“The inspiration of the company really comes from Sean and his community. Mukluks are the original footwear of Turtle Island, or now what we now call North America. Very little has changed other than the sole, kind of some modern updates just for living in modern day society, but all of it is really based on that ancestral design which makes our product the best winter boot you can possibly have because it was built for some of the harshest climates in the world.”

First Flagship Store 

Manitobah (Image: Lindsay Rowan)

Manitobah flagship store is located at The Forks Market in Winnipeg and is 3,000 square feet. Before this, Manitobah just had pop-up locations; however, the owner always envisioned opening a permanent store where they can welcome everyone in and create a space for the Indigenous community in the area. The store had a soft opening on September 1st where they started off opening in a pipe ceremony lead by an elder. 

“Manitobah Mukluks is built by and for Indigenous community and we wanted a space where folks could come in and feel welcome, feel proud of who they are, and see Sean’s success. We wanted something community could really be proud of. So, when young indigenous folks are coming in, they are seeing their own success in it and believe they can do it too because Sean started this with just a dream and a love for Indigenous art. So many of us have that and we want to be able to provide that inspiration to people.”  

The grand opening of the store was on September 10th where it had representation from all communities. Brand said the store had Indigenous performers, artists, and they all came to support the store and to share history. 

“We had an opening song from a drummer, we will have hoop dancers, a fancy shawl dancer, so a bunch of different dance styles where they will come in and share a little bit about what they do, why it is important to them, and the historical context.” 

Since opening, every day Brand says the manager takes her time and smudges the store as in the middle of the store is a smudging bowl. The store also has plans to make the centre of a store a community space where Indigenous people can be together, it will also be used for activities such as workshops and to create products. 

Unique, Warm, and Comfortable Products

Manitobah (Image: Lindsay Rowan)

Manitobah includes a variety of products ranging from its traditional mukluks, moccasins, and have recently expanded to accessories such as bags, mittens, and blankets. Every Mukluk has a unique design to them that was created by an Indigenous artist. 

“In the store, it is a lot of mukluks, as it is our heart and soul of the company. We have tons of traditional pieces and tons of moccasins, so there is a whole range of different styles people can pick from. We also have some cozy new products like blankets, and for the first time we are diving into accessories, like bags, and people will be able to see those for the first time in the store.” 

Mukluks are made with the thought of freezing temperatures and are suitable down to -32 weather conditions, they are also waterproof up to four inches. The design has been created 10,000 years ago by Indigenous peoples and has updated over time.

“One of the beautiful things about mukluks is about how simple they are, with other winter boots they often get clunky because they are incredibly technical. The nice thing about mukluks is they use your own blood circulation. If you put your foot into a mukluk, you will notice it feels flexible and there is a lot of space in it so your foot, so it is using your own foot for warmth. This is something not a lot of other companies do and that is a part of those thousand years ancestral design that was developed more than 10 thousand years ago, so it was keeping them warm, and it is keeping us warm now.”  

The Bloom Collection 

Manitobah (Image: Lindsay Rowan)

Manitobah has also recently launched its new collection, the Bloom Collection. Brand said it has been the fanciest beadwork they have done and “it is beautiful.” The design was created by an Ojibwe artist, Shannon Gustafson. 

“We are really excited to tell Shannon’s story and celebrate her art and show people this amazing mukluk with this amazing beadwork with glass crystals on them and sparkly and beautiful and has amazing floral beadwork on them.” 

In addition to its products, Manitobah also has an Indigenous Marketplace where 100 percent of the sales goes directly to the Indigenous artist. Customers can find a variety of products including mukluks, moccasins, earrings, and more.  All items are hand crafted by an Indigenous artist and are made in Canada and in the US. 

Future Plans 

Manitobah (Image: Lindsay Rowan)

Brand said they have multiple plans coming up, including opening multiple pop-up locations across the country, but was not able to share where these will be opening just yet. Manitobah is also going to be partnering with Nordstrom and will be making a big push in the US market as they are already popularly known in Canada. 

“We are launching our biggest season ever this fall. We will also be opening up multiple pop-up locations so those will all have grand opening events much like the one in Winnipeg. We are well known in Canada and now extending our relations into the US too and we will be doing some exciting activation events, kind of like the grand opening where we will invite community in, have educational pieces in those stores.”

While shopping in its flagship store, customers are encouraged to ask questions and its staff will know the answers as they are all a part of the Indigenous community.  

“As all the staff at the store are Indigenous – they know best. They know the product better than anybody else, they can really give good context, and there is an educational piece that comes with our product and the staff will be able to answer all of that. It has been a real honour as a Metis person who has had this company as apart of my life for a long time, seeing Sean’s success, being a bead worker myself. It has all my passions, my identity, and all my skills so it has been beautiful to be included in this company and its like nothing else I have ever experienced.”

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Walmart Canada Introduces AI Tech to Avoid Out-of-Stock in Stores [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Walmart Canada

Walmart Canada is rolling out an innovative computer vision AI solution for out-of-stock detection to all its stores across the country.

The retailer said it is one of the first ones in Canada to deploy an AI solution for on-shelf availability.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Computer vision cameras are installed in popular areas throughout the store, pointed directly at shelves. At pre-determined intervals, the cameras scan the shelves; 
  2. When a product goes out-of-stock, it will trigger replenishment through Walmart’s existing inventory systems;  
  3. An associate will receive the alert and re-stock the shelf as soon as possible to ensure the best product availability for customers – whether they’re shopping in-store or online for grocery pickup and delivery.  

“We know it can be disappointing for customers when we don’t have products they want available on our shelves. That’s why we initiated this pilot using technology from Focal Systems that takes the guesswork out of knowing when a product is out of stock,” said Robin DeMers, Director, Store Optimization, for Walmart Canada. 

Image: Walmart Canada

“This leading-edge technology provides real-time, automated alerts for replenishment in key priority areas within our stores. It also empowers our associates with cool tech that makes a big difference in the way they are able to work and provide the best possible customer experience.”

DeMers said the AI solution includes shelf-level cameras that are pointed directly at the shelves and actually scan the shelves at pre-determined intervals. When the product goes out of stock or is low in stock, it will trigger replenishment through the retailer’s existing inventory systems. An alert is sent to an associate where they will restock the shelf. 

“It’s currently being deployed to all stores. So we expect it to be in all stores by early 2023,” said DeMers, adding a small camera is used in 11 core departments of a store. 

Image: Walmart Canada

The decision to roll out the system to all the retailer’s stores came following a 70-store pilot. Megan Osborne, Store Manager at the Walmart Heartland Supercentre in Mississauga, one of the pilot locations, said her associates are excited to work with technology that helps make their work simpler and better for their customers and that it’s been a “game-changer” in her store.

The pilot program was launched in early 2020.

“What’s really exciting about this technology. The traditional way that we managed it was either when it was out of stock or low stock it was completely manual and it was all visual,” said DeMers. “But now that we’ve introduced this automated solution powered by AI it makes it easier and faster for our associates to address on-stock availability issues because the technology itself is actually taking the guesswork out of it. It’s telling us that that’s out. We don’t have to visually see it. We just have to react to it and get it back on the shelf. 

Image: Walmart Canada
Image: Walmart Canada

“We know that it can be disappointing for customers when we don’t have the products that they want on our shelves. We want our customers to be able to get what they want when they need it whether they’re shopping in-store or online. And really that’s why we initiated the pilot with Focal. It takes the guesswork out of knowing when a product’s out of stock. Let’s the leverage technology and let’s put all of our efforts into getting it back on the shelves. So from a customer’s perspective it’s about being able to get what you want when you need it.”

The AI solution is from Focal Systems.

“With this bold step, Walmart is driving this industry forward in AI-adoption and retail automation, challenging the status-quo on availability, customer experience, and employee satisfaction,” said Francois Chaubard, CEO, Focal Systems, in a statement. “Walmart is raising the bar, and we are inspired to help in any way we can. Focal is thrilled to be a key part of Walmart’s store digitization efforts nationwide.”

Fendi Opens 1st Standalone Canadian Storefront [Photos]

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: Fendi

LVMH-owned Italian luxury brand Fendi has opened its first standalone storefront in Canada at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The move follows Holt Renfrew’s banning of fur being sold in its stores last year. 

The new Yorkdale Fendi storefront encompasses the brand’s range of women’s and men’s ready-to-wear as well as an assortment of bags/leather goods, accessories and footwear. Also included is an impressive collection of fur items ranging from coats to fur-covered bags. The retail space spans about 1,900 square feet and a lease plan indicates that the store is over 4,000 square feet in total. 

The interior features champagne metals and stainless-steel cabinetry with soft fluid walls and plush carpeting. Inside the store are three ‘rooms’ housing different collections. At the front of the store is a space of ivory and natural tones housing bags and accessories in a range of popular styles — Fendi made its mark in the 1990s with the ‘baguette’ bag style that is still sold today. 

Front accessory/bag room at Fendi Yorkdale. Photo: Fendi

A second room in the middle of the store houses women’s collections including ready-to-wear, shoes and fur, in a space characterized by a powder pink interior. A third room at the back features vivid green curtains and carpeting with silver panelling and modular furniture and houses Fendi’s men’s ready-to-wear along with accessories and shoes. To coincide with the opening of the standalone store, Fendi pulled its menswear collection out of Holt Renfrew where it had a separate men’s concession — Fendi otherwise continues to operate a large women’s concession space within Yorkdale’s Holt Renfrew store which opened in 2019.

Panels in the standalone Fendi store feature archival versions of the FF logo designed by Karl Lagerfeld displayed throughout in 3-D handmade plaster in ivory or silver tone. The FF logo theme is also found on the store’s facade in off-white plaster, positioned above a metal canopy which lands adjacent to a lightbox displaying FENDI’s newest campaign. 

The ceiling in the store is in an unfinished state, contrasting with the rest of the store which features a more polished aesthetic. The Yorkdale Fendi store is said to be on an initial two-year lease term and it’s unknown if more standalone Fendi stores will open in Canada, or if the Yorkdale location will stay open past the initial two years. 

DWSV Realty negotiated the lease on behalf of Fendi. Oxford Properties manages the Yorkdale Shopping Centre. 

Women’s ready to wear, footwear and fur. Photo: Fendi

While the Fendi brand had been in Canada for decades via wholesale through Holt Renfrew, Fendi quietly launched a direct-to-consumer expansion into the Canadian market in early 2017 when it opened a “flagship” women’s ready-to-wear boutique within the Holt Renfrew store in Vancouver. Fendi subsequently opened “world of” concession spaces at Holt Renfrew in Toronto (50 Bloor Street West in late 2018 and Yorkdale Shopping Centre in October of 2019) and Fendi most recently opened concession spaces within Holt Renfrew Ogilvy in Montreal. 

The two Toronto Fendi concession boutique spaces are particularly large. The Bloor Street Fendi space spans nearly 3,000 square feet and carries a wide assortment of clothing, bags and footwear for women and men. The Yorkdale Shopping Centre Fendi space spans almost 2,000 square feet. 

At Holt Renfrew Ogilvy in Montreal, Fendi has separate concession spaces for bags and accessories on the street level, a women’s fashion boutique on the third floor and a men’s boutique on the fourth floor men’s store. 

Last year Holt Renfrew announced that its stores would stop selling fur and exotic skins, a trend seen in the industry including with several luxury fashion brands. That didn’t sit too well with the House of Fendi which was founded nearly 100 years ago as a purveyor of fur. A source told Retail Insider that Fendi and other brands found out about the fur and exotic skin ban during a public announcement, creating some concern and a move to open standalone storefronts. 

Men’s room at Fendi Yorkdale. Photo: Fendi
Image: Fendi

Fashion houses that have stopped using fur with concessions at Holts include Gucci, Chanel, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Burberry. Some brands continue to do so though these products cannot be sold within Holt Renfrew’s walls, even for the brand spaces leased within. 

Luxury brand Christian Dior, which has concessions at Holts in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, does still produce fur items although it is not as integral to collections as that seen with Fendi. Dior already operates standalone stores in Vancouver and Toronto where fur can continue to be sold. 

Louis Vuitton utilizes some exotic skins in pricier designs, though the brand is not known to use such hides in regular items such as Vuitton’s popular canvas bags. Louis Vuitton operates concessions within Holts stores in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, and is able to sell non-Holts-sanctioned products in its network of standalone stores in Canada. 

Image: Fendi

Hermes is not known particularly for its fur, though it does sell some pricey items in exotic skins. Hermes operates concessions within Holt Renfrew’s Calgary and Montreal locations and also has standalone flagships in Vancouver and Toronto. 

Fur isn’t the only issue with some brands at Holts — sources are saying that some of the concession partners are unhappy with Holt Renfrew and are making demands in terms of space allocation. Dior is said to be wanting ‘world of’ spaces where such a move would be “nearly impossible”, and Prada is another brand said to have expressed displeasure with its biggest Canadian partner. 

Fendi has had some history in Canada. The brand had a licensed standalone Canadian store about two decades ago in Vancouver. In the spring of 1996, entrepreneur Susan Pratt opened a small Fendi boutique at 1005 Alberni Street as part of her Collections International retail operations. The boutique shut in the early 2000s after Fendi was acquired by LVMH. Ms. Pratt continues to operate a boutique called Fabulous Finds on Bowen, on Bowen Island in British Columbia which recently marked 10 years in business. 

In the United States, Fendi could also open more standalone stores as several upscale multi-brand retailers have announced fur-free policies. That includes Nordstrom which banned fur as of the start of this year, and Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue which will both stop selling fur by 2023. All three retailers house Fendi boutiques within selected locations. For years Fendi has had standalone stores in the United States. 

The House of Fendi was founded in 1925 by Adele and Edoardo Fendi which operated as a small fur and leather shop in Via del Plebiscito, Rome. The brand has grown to become a multinational brand with stores operating all over the world. 

In 1965, Karl Lagerfeld became creative director for Fendi and is said to have revolutionized the wearing of fur by reinterpreting it and transforming it into “a fashionable, soft, light item of clothing”. Fendi continues to sell fur coats as well as various fashions and accessories that include fur trim and in some instances the use of exotic skins on pricier items. You won’t be able to find those at Holt Renfrew’s Fendi concessions as of this year, however, which means we could see more standalone Fendi stores in Canada in years to come. 

Indigo to Develop ‘Store of the Future’ with Plans for Growth Under New Leadership: Interview

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Indigo at CF Rideau Centre (Rendering: Indigo)

Indigo’s priorities over the past three years and key strategies moving forward include accelerating its assortment of thoughtfully-curated products, developing Indigo’s store of the future, innovating within Indigo’s digital platforms, and investing in its employee benefits. 

“At the core of everything we do is our relationship with our customers. On September 7, we launched our new brand positioning life, on purpose, which is the expression of how all our strategic priorities come to life for our customers. For us, life, on purpose, is about identifying what we truly value and then spending our time and resources in alignment with those values,” said Andrea Limbardi, President at Indigo – Canada’s largest book and lifestyle retailer. 

“As life today is at a ‘speed of light’ pace, we have heard from our customers – and relate for ourselves at Indigo too – that too much of our time is spent doing things that don’t bring us joy. Oftentimes, that’s the endless scroll on social media or show after show watched on a streaming service only to feel like time was wasted. At Indigo, we are a place where customers can engage with what matters most to them and do more of what they love. Whether that’s cook a meal together with friends, explore a new passion through books, build Lego with their kids, or reconnect with music and build their vinyl collection. 

“Our general merchandise expansion, is therefore a natural extension of our book business, connecting our customers to the information and resources they need to live life, on purpose, along with the tools to help them action their passions and interests.”

Indigo at CF Rideau Centre (Rendering: Indigo)

There are 87 superstores under the Indigo and Chapters banners and 84 small format stores under the Coles and Indigospirit banners. 

The company has Indigo Rideau opening this fall at the Rideau Centre in Ottawa. It also opened earlier this year its first beauty and wellness shop-in-shop at our Robson store in Vancouver.

Rather than being the everything store, the assortment is an emporium of beautiful, long-lasting, and functional items inspired by culture, explained Limbardi. Indigo’s assortment transformation is dedicated to the expansion of new and growing categories such as Gifting, Tech, Plants, Gourmet, Arts & Crafts, Record and Fan shops, Tween, Wellness, Baby and Manga, she added.

“Customers want a two-way relationship with the companies they buy from, forged by feedback and action. Though every interaction doesn’t have to be one-to-one, it has to feel that way,” she said. “Customers are interacting with Indigo across the whole omni-channel ecosystem, and the company is working to make that seamless no matter where they choose to be inspired or which channel they choose to make their purchase.

“It’s all about forging meaningful connections and helping Indigo’s customers live their life, on purpose – their way.”

Image: Indigo

Limbardi said the distinction between physical retail and digital retail has evolved and customers expect to have a seamless experience with the Indigo brand, regardless of channel. In addition to reshaping Indigo’s physical store offerings, the company continues to invest heavily in its digital platforms to bring inspirational content and product to its customers, while enhancing their shopping experience, she added.

“As part of Indigo’s digital transformation, we will be launching our new website later this fall. These efforts will deliver an innovative and agile platform that will allow the company to fully realize the potential of the ecommerce opportunity unlocked by accelerated adoption during the global pandemic,” explained Limbardi. 

“Through our new website we will: create experiences that help customers make the best choices to live their life, on purpose — from more purposeful filtering to content with strong perspectives, create an experience that feels curated by someone that has deeply considered “me”, from what products are seen to how they are presented, create experiences that feel like wandering in store — like peeking into aisles or picking up a product to examine it. 

“Additionally, this fall, we are launching ship from store which allows us to unlock access for customers of the inventory in all of our stores coast to coast to coast and treat each store like its own mini distribution centre.  

Image: Indigo

Partnerships for the digital transformation replatform include SalesForce CommerceCloud, Contentful, Inriver, and Manhattan.”

Previously, Indigo introduced several digital innovations including enhanced express pick up, partnerships with Instacart and Cornershop x Uber, and a dropship/marketplace program with Convictional. Additionally, in July, it compacted its MarTech work with partnerships with Segment, Snowflake, Sailthru, and Adobe Analytics, said Limbardi.

In early September, Indigo announced Heather Reisman, Indigo’s founder & Chief Executive Officer, had been appointed Executive Chair; Peter Ruis, Indigo’s President, assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer, and Limbardi, Indigo’s Chief Customer and Digital Officer, was appointed President. Also, Ruis was appointed as a member of Indigo’s Board of Directors.

In August, the company reported financial results for the 13-week period ended July 2, 2022 compared to the 13-week period ended July 3, 2021.

Image: Indigo

Revenue increased $32.5 million, or 18.9 per cent, to $204.6 million compared to $172.1 million in the prior year, exceeding the company’s top-line first quarter performance in the preceding three fiscal years. 

In a news release, Indigo said total sales growth was driven by the success of Indigo’s omnichannel business; a strong recovery in the retail channel where traffic levels continued to normalize, and an ecommerce business that sustained incremental growth of 80 per cent of fiscal 2020 levels. Double-digit growth was generated in both the print and general merchandise businesses. 

“Unfortunately, current macro-economic conditions had a negative impact on margins and costs given supply chain disruptions, higher freight costs and inflationary pressures. The Company also incurred additional costs with investment in technology aimed at driving productivity and growth. These factors impacted the net loss position, which changed by $3.5 million to a net loss of $25.4 million ($0.91 net loss per basic common share), compared to a net loss of $21.9 million ($0.79 net loss per basic common share) in the prior year, which is inclusive of the impact of the above-noted COVID-19 support received,” it said.

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