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Dallaire Consultants Supports Retail Sector as Six Employees Become Shareholders of the Engineering Firm

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Dallaire Consultants Headquarters (Image: Dallaire)

Since its inception in 1996, Dallaire Consultants, an engineering firm specializing in building mechanical and electrical systems, has been involved in more than 8,000 projects throughout Canada mostly in the retail sector.

Through that time and all those projects, one thing has remained constant for the business founded in Saint-Lambert, near Montréal – an unwavering commitment to its clients, considering them true partners in any business dealings.

Dallaire was founded to serve a market, the retail sector, that was under-served by the big engineering firms. In its early years, the retail sector was its primary focus before branching out to other real estate properties.

Philippe Dallaire

“We’re an established player in retail. We know the condition. We know what matters to our clients. We know the landlords, basically what the approach for a project is and what the constraints are, so we can guide clients to make the right choices at the right time,” said Gabriel Jean, a professional engineer, director for the electrical department and one of the company’s new shareholders.

The company has worked across Canada in the residential, commercial, institutional, municipal and industrial building sectors to analyze and design building mechanical and electrical systems to create healthy, comfortable and efficient spaces. 

Dallaire supports businesses from the selection of spaces to the assessment of the building’s life cycle. It’s in its culture – a 360 degree vision.

In all it does, Dallaire is guided by its values – customer satisfaction, communication, teamwork, productivity, adaptability and innovation.

Image: Garage
DYNAMITE Storefront (Image: DYNAMITE)

Dallaire Consultants believes the satisfaction of its customers reflects the happiness of its own staff and the quality of its expertise allows the company to get involved in various projects and sectors.

The company has about 50 employees and recently announced that six of its employees have become shareholders to carry on the torch into the future of the company’s deeply rooted success in the industry.

Sports Experts at Brossard (Image: Sports Experts)

Founder and engineer Phillippe Dallaire developed in recent years a corporate culture focused on valuing its employees and preparing for the next generation.

“With nearly 50 employees and more than 25 years of continuous growth, it made sense for the company, for the team, and for myself, to leave the company to key employees so that they could ensure its sustainability. Here is a project as motivating as it is mobilizing for young people internally, not to mention that I am delighted to see them move forward and develop this company with their own vision,” he said. 

Image: Dallaire

Six of the leaders in the company became shareholders joining Mario Pouliot, who took control of the ship as the CEO. Philippe Dallaire will remain on the board of directors for a few more years, as a resource person with corporate memory. The new shareholders are Jean-Vincent Fafard, Gabriel Jean, Dounia Kattan-Méthot, Danny Laberge, Anthony Poirier, and Mathieu Tremblay.

The company’s culture over the years, and throughout the pandemic, has been built around the pillars of team spirit, great flexibility, creativity, challenges, recognition, and camaraderie.

“I wanted to pass the torch internally to those who are imbued with our mission, our values. It was the best alternative to preserve the company’s DNA and honour our young talents. All the elements had been moving in this direction for a few years. The team is growing despite the shortage of manpower, talent is developing and multiplying, our customers appreciate us greatly, contracts are pouring in, and the atmosphere is at its best,” said Phillippe Dallaire.

“This young generation always arrives with new knowledge, creative ideas, and pride. They have everything to continue the work, and we have every reason to trust them. We have trained wisely to come to this transition. It was not a sprint but a marathon. In this latter half of 2022, it is time to conclude this major project and give way to our recruits.”

The new shareholders have an average age of 37.

Jack & Jones at Place Laurier (Image: Jack & Jones)
Jack & Jones at DIX30 (Image: Jack & Jones)

“The values I feel, including open-mindedness, collaboration, proximity, and the power to make things happen, have always attracted me to Dallaire. The future is bright for all of us,” said Dounia Kattan-Méthot, Director of Operations, Culture, and Talent. 

Danny Laberge, mechanical project manager, said Dallaire is “a beautiful company that has values in the right place. We surround ourselves with the best employees, involving everyone’s passions. We have a great pleasure to work collectively.”

“We have a dedicated and stable team that has over the years developed methods and knowledge to provide the best results possible for our clients in the retail sector and make sure that we deliver constant quality no matter what the project is,” added Gabriel Jean.

*Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, contact craig@retail-insider.com

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For March 9th, 2023

By
Retail Insider
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Canadian Retail News From Around The Web

News at a Glance

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

Canadian Grocers Grilled in Parliament Over Food Price Inflation (Bloomberg)

‘It is simply not true’ — Grocery CEOs push back at price-gouging allegations (CBC)

Maple Leaf’s Michael McCain says grocery code of conduct will have ‘absolutely no impact’ on food prices (Financial Post)

Timeline of the ransomware attack against Canadian bookstore retailer Indigo (The Canadian Press)

Canadian Tire Pilots Humanoid General-purpose Robot (Retail Info Systems)

Canadian Tire Corporation Champions Gender Equity in Sport (CSR Wire)

Canada’s Top Malls Becoming Live, Work Play Communities (Globest)

Tim Hortons customers subject to ‘technical error’ incorrectly saying they’d won $10K (CTV)

Be Relax opens new stores at Toronto Pearson Airport (DFNI)

Airports in Canada Must Rethink Retail Configuration and Experience to Capitalize on Visitors [Expert]

By
Shelby Hautala
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Toronto Pearson Airport (Image: Craig Patterson)

Shopping at an airport is not the first thing passengers think of as it is a stressful time as people are focusing on checking in, getting through security, and making it to their gate – but can airports change this from a stressful journey to a seamless retail experience? Larry Leung, Customer Experience Leader, says for Canadian airports to maximize retail, they need to change their perspective.

“It is often not spoken about and I think many people do not know there is luxury retail at airports across Canada, such as Toronto Pearson Airport. In fact, you don’t see a lot of luxury retail in airports in Canada and that is unfortunately a missed opportunity. The Toronto Pearson, for example, has 40 million passengers a year – that is a lot of people to engage with to buy something and is a lot of business,” says Leung.

Current State of Shopping at Canadian Airports 

Vancouver International Airport (Image: Craig Patterson)

A lot has not changed when it comes to retail landscapes in Canadian airports, says Leung, as there is a lack of understanding what passengers’ needs are to align with the right retailers and services. But the overall goal has remained the same – to get passengers to spend money while waiting for their flight. 

“The goal of the airport is to obviously get passengers to spend as much money as possible. When you travel internationally, passengers are waiting three hours in advance and that is something airports want to see, but only if you are not sitting there but you are also spending money.” 

Airports currently do not hold any information about passengers so retailers have to guess, leading to a mismatch between passenger needs and retailers leading to people spending less while waiting for their flight. The only information retailers do know is what flights are coming, how large are the planes, and what destinations they are going to and coming from.

Rethink The Duty Free Location 

Currently in airports, the duty free shopping is right after security – but is this the proper location to encourage passengers to shop? Leung says no. 

“When you go through any international airport, you might see the duty free right at security. It might seem like the perfect idea to get passengers through a shopping maze, but that is the time when people are calming down from going through a potentially hectic, anxious, and stressful process of waiting and that might not necessarily, from a psychological point of view, be the perfect time to go shopping.”

Duty Free at Toronto Pearson Airport (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

After waiting in security and immigration lines, Leung said passengers usually want to walk quickly through duty free to use the washrooms, get food, and to get to their gate and people tend not to go back. Some airports are considering creating distance between security and duty free shopping so it gives people a breather and motivates passengers to shop. 

“Most people do not go backwards to go shopping. We do a lot of research and a lot of people, because of the wait in line, need to use the washroom after security and if the washroom is after duty free, they may just continue moving forward to the gate and will not go back unless they have so much time or saw something at duty free that caught their eye – and this is not always the case. Duty free has so much going on at the same time and it is hard to have one thing at a key point because all of the brands are represented and all the signs are the same, so I think it is really difficult to catch people’s attention.” 

Since passengers spend most of their time at their gate, Leung says retailers need to be closer to gates and move away from security. The Toronto Pearson Airport is a perfect example as in Terminal Three, it feels less like an airport and more like a mall and brings a better shopping experience at the airport. If the airport environment is less stressful and more peaceful, it would motivate people to walk around and shop. However, another obstacle in airport retail is passengers do not have the luxury of space. 

Two Hands & Limited Space 

Relay at Toronto Pearson Airport (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

“If a passenger already has a carry-on, a purse, a jacket, or a briefcase, they only really have one more arm to really think about something else – and that is usually coffee. So if there is a coffee place such as Tim Hortons or Starbucks that motivates them to get a coffee, the free hand is now holding a coffee and they really don’t have any more space to think about retail and their motivation to shop may be reduced.”  

Passengers not only will be out of hands, but will also have limited space on the plane – so how does that affect retailers in airports? If you already have a carry-on or maxed out on your carry-on space and you can no longer check in anything else to your flight, then how do you carry everything you have bought? It does not matter what class you are flying with, every passenger is limited on space when traveling. 

Leung says some brands are starting to create a strategy where they allow the passengers to shop and when they arrive back to Toronto they can pick it up, or ship it to their travel destination, or can ship it to the passenger’s home address.

“This way, passengers do not have to carry everything to their destination. I think there is some anxiety if you buy too much and you can’t bring it on your flight or it is going to cost you hundreds of dollars to put it into the luggage hold which could be problematic. Let’s say you were buying a Louis Vuitton bag and they told you that you had to place it under, it could make you feel uncomfortable. So, brands, especially luxury brands, really need to think about what people are buying, how they are going to store it in case there are obstacles, and need to start thinking about how to reduce or remove these obstacles.” 

“Create An Experience Based on Time” 

Vancouver International Airport (Image: Craig Patterson)

Informing passengers about their retail options before arriving at the airport is one way to minimize obstacles, says Leung. Brands can raise awareness on social media, blogs, websites, or news outlets to tell people what is new at the airport. This would make the airport experience more convenient and less stressful when shopping. Currently, Leung said retail stores do not usually place airports as a location, leaving passengers to rely on the airport website or the directory once inside. 

“Some people are at the airport for three hours, or more if it is a layover, and during this time the airport has not really given you an itinerary to do something within those hours, or even for 45 minutes. If you don’t know where things are and you don’t know what you could do – you have to do more research and that can be difficult, so you would simply get lazy and decide to stay at your gate.” 

Leung said the one thing the Toronto Pearson Airport started to do was provide online shopping where you can shop duty free products and then they will ship it to your home, a new service available.“There is definitely an opportunity to grow retail in Canadian airports and they need to rethink the airport shopping journey, and it will evolve.” Watch out for the continued article on Canadian airport retail shopping with Larry Leung discussing the evolution of airport retail formats and what passengers should expect next. 

Related Retail Insider Articles

Lack of Hotel Capacity in Vancouver Could Significantly Impact Visitor Economy [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (Image: Lee Rivett)

Destination Vancouver is warning that a lack of hotel capacity in the West Coast city could cost it billions of dollars in lost economic impact and thousands of unrealized full-time jobs.

In a recent report, the organization said 20,000 new hotel rooms are needed by 2025 in Metro Vancouver, and 10,000 of those in Vancouver, to meet the projected demand.

“Metro Vancouver’s infrastructure is not keeping up in delivering on our global profile,” said Royce Chwin, Destination Vancouver’s President & CEO. “This is critical because on our doorstep over the next few years are tennis’s Laver Cup, the Invictus Games, next year’s Grey Cup and in 2026 we’re a Host City for the world’s largest single sport event, the FIFA World Cup.

Royce Chwin

“This is crucial for our global destination competitiveness. Lack of available hotel rooms will make visiting Vancouver even more expensive, and the city will be less competitive in attracting major conferences, large sporting events and leisure group travel. Vancouver is running short on time to prepare for the influx of visitors and the economic impact they contribute to the city. Those visitors will just go elsewhere.

“The story is bigger than simply the hotels and the profitability of hotels. It’s all the indirect and induced impacts whether it’s construction jobs, whether it is retail, whether it is hospitality and restaurant suppliers, the restaurants themselves, food producers, farmers, wineries – all the peripheral retail businesses are also impacted by a lack of accommodation space here.”

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (Image: Lee Rivett)

According to a new study Economic Analysis of Hotel Supply and Projected Demand in Metro Vancouver, 2023 to 2050, released by Destination Vancouver, without new investment, the lack of hotel supply in Metro Vancouver will translate into significant losses to the provincial economy.

Between 2022 and 2050, the cumulative economic impacts are projected to be:

  • $30.6 billion in foregone output.
  • $16.6 billion in forgone GDP.
  • 168,000+ FTEs of foregone employment.
  • $7.5 billion in foregone tax revenue for all three levels of government.

If the supply of hotel rooms remains at current levels, demand will exceed supply by:

  • 2026: in the summer months in the City of Vancouver.
  • 2028: in the summer months in the rest of Metro Vancouver.
  • 2040: every month of the year across Metro Vancouver.

Destination Vancouver said Vancouver’s hotel supply has been contracting with Metro Vancouver down roughly 2,000 rooms since 2010, with 1,500 of those rooms lost in Vancouver.

The pandemic removed an additional 550 rooms from the city’s inventory, with purchases by BC Housing and City of Vancouver which converted those rooms to supportive housing, it said.

Artistic rendering of the hotel tower at 516-534 West Pender Street, Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Marcon)
Artistic rendering of the hotel tower at 516-534 West Pender Street, Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Marcon)

Chwin said there are three reasons that have contributed to the lack of hotel room supply in the Vancouver area.

The first is the cost of real estate. The second is some hotel properties have turned in supportive housing.

“And number three is previous versions of city council, bureaucracy, red tape and a lack of really defined policy as it relates to supporting the visitor economy through accommodation builds,” he said. “Those three things are what we’ve been able to really define as the critical issues.”

Recently, media reported that Vancouver developer Marcon plans to build the city’s largest new hotel in decades – a 32-storey, 578-room building at 516-534 West Pender Street and 509 Richards Street.

“We look at Vancouver as a destination and a gateway and what we’re concerned about is as capacity limits are reached, rates go up, we really don’t want to cut out a segment of the traveling population,” said Chwin. “That decision to come through Vancouver and go through somewhere else, if people look at that and say that’s just too expensive and they don’t come to Vancouver and therefore BC, then we all lose because we know that Vancouver is an anchor tenant.

“If you think of that analogy of the mall, for BC we’re an anchor tenant. We’ve got a bunch of other great businesses out there, destinations of the province, that’s what also concerns us as well because compression will only carry you so far in terms of pushing visitors out to accommodations farther out of Vancouver as the city gets full.

“We know that in 2019 which was the high water mark for Metro Vancouver, its visitor economy was worth just over $15 billion in impact. That would be Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.”

Exceptional Flagship Retail Space Comes Available at ‘Centre Ice’ Ste-Catherine and Peel Streets in Downtown Montreal

By
Craig Patterson
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One of the most prominent retail spaces in downtown Montreal has come up for lease, providing the potential for a flagship location for a major global or homegrown brand. Located at 1035 Ste-Catherine Street West, the multi-level retail space occupies the coveted northeast corner of Ste-Catherine and Peel Streets in the heart of the city’s popular urban retail zone.

Foot traffic abounds in the area, with some of the world’s top brands having stores located nearby. Many consider it to be ‘centre ice’ in terms of retail in Montreal, with the corner boasting the highest footfall in the city.

The busy intersection is home to Canada Goose with other big names nearby such as Aritzia, Roots, Aldo, and Club Monaco among others, with a Harry Rosen flagship store being located behind on iconic Peel Street which is home to the prestigious Les Cours Mont Royal retail complex and other notable retailers such as Mejuri.

The stretch of Ste-Catherine Street where 1035 Ste-Catherine is located boasts Holt Renfrew Ogilvy just three blocks to the West and both La Maison Simons and Hudson’s Bay a short walk to the east. The area is home to numerous hotels, restaurants, and attractions, making it a popular area for visitors.

Photo: Dustin Fuhs

The 1035 Ste-Catherine space is connected directly to downtown Montreal’s underground pedestrian walkway system that spans most of the downtown Montreal area that includes indoor access to an atrium and the STM Metro system (Peel Station) as well as the new REM system, which will be operational within two years.  Also connected underground is many downtown shopping malls including Place Montreal Trust, Montreal Eaton Centre, Promenades Cathedral, Place Ville Marie, and Place Bonaventure.  For those driving downtown, numerous parking lots are located nearby and 1035 Ste-Catherine itself has its own parking facility that is connected to the Underground City.

The 1035 Ste-Catherine Street West property is in turnkey condition and features a total of 17,498 square feet of retail space over three levels. That includes a ground floor of 4,745 square feet, a second floor spanning 6,936 square feet, and a basement level connected to the Metro measuring 5,817 square feet. Demising options are available for the space that boasts over 100 feet of frontage with large floor-to-ceiling windows. The design of the building allows for open spaces as well as space for collaborations and pop-up events for the community. 

The building is unique in how it juts out on Peel Street – its position is more westward than any building on Peel Street, offering unobstructed visibility.

Photo: Dustin Fuhs

Owner Marine Group has found that the daytime population within one kilometer of the site is almost 234,000, with a median age of just over 30 years. Within three kilometres, that number increases to a whopping 825,000 people during the day, creating a strong potential market for the corner which is said to be the busiest in Montreal.

The entire space can be leased by one retailer, and demising options are also available according to the landlord. The landlord is also open to discussions around improvements to the space including incentives and tenant allowances. For more information on 1035 Ste-Catherine Street West, contact:

Kyle Mintzberg

kmintzberg@marinegroup.ca

514-284-1000  office 

424-313-4661 cell

*****

*Retail Insider partnered with The Marine Group on creating this article.

Talent Shortages and Upskilling Affecting Retail in Canada

By
Retail Insider
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The retail industry is facing enormous talent shortages as the skillsets required to keep pace with the new technologies continue to expand.  In 2022, there were two open jobs for every unemployed person, forcing companies to find new approaches to access qualified talent.  Evolving employee expectations around flexible work models are also adding further complexity to the agility organizations need to master.    

Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is hosting its annual Retail Human Resources Conference, the largest gathering of retail professionals who will discuss today’s most pressing HR issues on April 20, 2023 at the International Centre in Toronto. This one-day conference brings together retailers, solution providers, and industry experts to explore solutions that will help both retain and attract an engaged and skilled workforce across the range of roles needed to ensure the continued vibrancy of retail in Canada. 

“The pandemic has forever changed both consumers’ expectations of retailers, and how retail teams work so they can continue to delight shoppers.  RCC, together with our HR member networking groups, has been analyzing the corresponding HR trends and opportunities so that we can collectively consider creative solutions to the current talent concerns,” shares Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. “Everyone is excited for this year’s conference, which will be the first time in three years this dynamic group of HR professionals will be able to meet, face-to-face. There really is nothing like our in-person Retail Human Resources Conference to learn, reconnect with friends, get re-energized, and find fresh ideas for tackling retail HR challenges.”

The main stage program will include sessions that explore the employee experience, the power of belonging, change leadership, boosting retention and minimizing turnover, as well as talent attraction.

This year’s speakers include:

  • Tanja Fratangeli, Chief People Officer, IKEA Canada
  • Tiffani Bova, Global Growth Evangelist, Salesforce
  • Martine Lamoureaux, Head of Talent and Culture, Ardene
  • Alex Snelling, Chief People Office, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada
  • Marie-Laurence Godon, Manager of Culture & Engagement, Ardene
  • Stephen Friedman, Adjunct Professor of Organization Studies, Schulich School of Business at York University
  •  Fil D’Urbano, Chief Leadership and Mindfulness Officer, Ardene

In addition to the main stage program, focused breakout sessions will allow attendees to  mingle with colleagues, experts, and exhibitors so that, at the end of the day, everyone can come away from the conference with tangible strategies they will use within their organizations to develop new competencies and navigate the sweeping changes in retail workplaces.

Early bird discounted rates are in effect until March 20, 2023.  Retail organizations are invited to register their teams to receive a 20% discount on groups of 5 or more.

For information on exhibiting, sponsorship or registration please contact Retail Council of Canada at events@retailcouncil.org.

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

More Tax Hikes Coming To Hit Canadian Consumers and Businesses [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
-

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the federal government to scrap its plan to increase the carbon tax, alcohol taxes and member of Parliament pay on April 1.

“The feds will make life more expensive with the April tax hikes,” said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the CTF. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shouldn’t be raising taxes when Canadians can’t afford gas or groceries.”

The federal carbon tax will increase to 14 cents per litre of gasoline and 12 cents per cubic metre of natural gas on April 1. 

First passed in the 2017 federal budget, the alcohol escalator tax automatically increases excise taxes on beer, wine and spirits every year by the rate of inflation. Alcohol taxes will increase by 6.3 per cent on April 1.

MPs also take pay raises each year on April 1. The CTF estimates this year’s pay raise will range from an extra $5,100 for a backbench MP to an extra $10,200 for the prime minister, based on contract data published by the government of Canada. This will be the fourth MP pay raise since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“To add insult to injury, MPs will take another pay raise the same day they take more money from taxpayers’ wallets,” said Terrazzano. “Politicians don’t deserve a pay raise when they make life unaffordable with tax hikes and runaway spending.”

In this video interview, Terrazzano discusses the upcoming tax hikes and the impact on consumers and businesses in Canada.

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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Southcentre Mall in Calgary Leases Out 100% of Former Sears Space with Multiple Tenants [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Southcentre Mall (Image: Southcentre)

Like many other Canadian shopping centres, over the past few years Southcentre Mall in Calgary has been leasing out the massive former Sears space which became vacant when the giant retailer closed its doors.

Now that space is about to be completely filled.

Jason Bos, general manager of Southcentre Mall, which is part of the Oxford Properties Group, said the total Sears space was about 240,000 square feet over three floors. 

Jason Bos

“The third level of Sears we have secured an entertainment use that will essentially take the entire third floor. So about 80,000 square feet of entertainment, food and beverage. That’s really exciting. Hopefully open by the end of this year,” he said.

“We will have more news to come as we progress the conversation but it is finalized that is happening.”

Image: Decathlon Calgary
Image: Decathlon Calgary
Southcentre Mall Leasing Map

Southcentre Mall is just over one million square feet with about 190 stores.

In the past year or so, Bos said Winners, Dollarama, Decathlon were the main tenants that opened during COVID “and have really given us a shot in the arm in terms of traffic and really revitalizing the shopping centre.”

“In this coming year, we’ve got quite a bit more leasing to come,” he added.

Bos said the lululemon store will be doubling in size with a scheduled opening this spring. Earls Restaurant will be relocating its nearby Willow Park location into the shopping centre, opening in old Sears space in the fall of this year. 

“And we have several other retailers that we’re not quite able to announce yet but we’re really excited. All in all we’re looking at about 125,000 square feet of new leasing that’s firm for this coming year,” said Bos.

“The entire Sears space will be 100 per cent leased and the shopping centre in general will be over 90 per cent, closer to 93 per cent, leased on the whole.”

Future lululemon (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Bath & Body Works (Image: Southcentre Mall)

Tenants for the Sears space include Dollarama, PetSmart, Winners on the first level. On the second level, there’s Earl’s and Decathlon which opened in November 2021. The third level will be the entertainment use.

“We have recently finished the Centre Court kiosk re-merchandising. So what used to be fountains and a lot of open space, we decided to put some food kiosks in as well as some seating. It’s really livened up that Centre Court area because we do have a large Centre Court space,” said Bos.

“The activation of that space with food has really drawn some crowds which is great for us because it’s helping the leasing team which has done a really great job with the building to work on the re-merchandising of the second level which part of that will be the lululemon expansion and the rest of that are some deals that we’ll be able to announce in a couple of months that will really solidify the re-merchandising of Centre Court. The other big one at Centre Court would be the expanded Ardene. Ardene went from about 3,000 square feet to just over 10,000 square feet right on the corner of Centre Court, which is really helping round out our offering in terms of attracting younger families and a younger demographic to the shopping centre, which has really helped drive traffic and sales, which are currently exceeding 2019 levels.”

Bos said the densification of the shopping centre is something that is being explored.

“It’s definitely something that Oxford is committed to. It’s something that Oxford believes in. The three big properties that Oxford manages and owns in the GTA – Square One, Yorkdale and STC (Scarborough Town Centre) – all currently have densification projects ongoing,” he said. 

“So it’s definitely something that we will look at in the future.”

Specsavers (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Manitobah (Image: Southcentre Mall)

Bos said the mood in the retail sector in Calgary is optimistic, particularly for Southcentre Mall.

“COVID was pretty tough and we feel that we were probably at the bottom in terms of retail when COVID did hit. The good thing about being at the bottom is there’s nowhere to go but up and we really do feel that that’s the direction we’re headed right now,” he said.

“The numbers speak for themselves. Traffic is up, sales are up. We’re really happy. We’re exceeding pre-COVID numbers in both traffic and sales both in terms of productivity as well as just gross sales. We’re really happy with the way things are going. It’s kudos to the leasing team. We actually got stronger during COVID with the openings of the Sears box with Winners and some of those other tenants. I think we’re very well positioned to be a community hub particularly we are the furthest south shopping centre in the city, enclosed shopping centre. 

“With the expanding demographics in Calgary and the growth in the population I think we’re really well positioned and I think that Calgary in general I’m very optimistic and bullish on the future. We’re on the upswing right now and it’s a really great feeling and great to be part of.”

Additional Images from Southcentre Mall

TINI (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Think Stuning (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Stuffies (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Oak & Tonic (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Motive Art Academy (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Kernels (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Givy (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Elysian Boutique (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Crepe Delicious (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Collab (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Chatr Mobile (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Caposhie (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Candy Heaven (Image: Southcentre Mall)
Art Space & Design (Image: Southcentre Mall)

Roots Makes Major Announcements as it Transforms Operations, Including Appointing New ‘Creative Director in Residence’ [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
-
Roots at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

As it celebrates its 50th year in business Canadian retailer Roots has been busy recently with a number of announcements to grow its business.

Roots has partnered with Stadium Live, a leading platform for Gen Z sports, culture and entertainment fans, to deliver a collection of unique digital branded experiences for users.

The retailer has also partnered with NewStore, a modular, mobile-first omnichannel cloud platform for retail brands worldwide, launching the Omnichannel Platform across its digital properties and network of more than 100 retail stores throughout Canada and the U.S.

Roots at 80 Bloor St W (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Roots at 80 Bloor St W (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

And the global apparel lifestyle brand has appointed Joey Gollish as a Creative Director in Residence for a period expected to extend through 2025. This appointment represents the first time in Roots’ almost 50-year history that it has welcomed an outside creative to the brand. 

Meghan Roach

“As we strive to continue expanding our brand, we understand the importance of connecting with digital audiences. With Stadium Live, we can integrate the physical and digital realms to engage more effectively with the crucial Gen Z demographic,” said Meghan Roach, President & CEO of Roots. “We are excited to provide our customers with an immersive experience that allows them to fully engage with our brand and products on a deeper level.”

Roach said the partnership with Stadium Live is a way for the brand to connect with a different type of consumer including Gen Z. She said Roots has always been a brand heavily associated with sports. 

“So for us it made a lot of sense to partner with a group like Stadium Live who is doing something in the virtual and digital landscape,” she said. 

“This is the first brand partnership that Stadium Live has done.”

Stadium Live

Stadium Live users will have access to exclusive Roots branded activations throughout the platform. The partnership will debut a digital apparel and accessories collection launching in the Stadium Live Roots store, as well as physical apparel – inspired by the digital-first collection.

The first-of-its-kind partnership between the two brands aims to provide Gen Z users with a unique and differentiated way to interact and engage with the Roots brand. Stadium Live’s platform ensures a seamless experience from physical to digital, allowing Roots to extend their brand exposure beyond the physical and explore new ways of engaging with digital customers in a virtual setting.

Stadium Live’s innovative digital platform has attracted over 750,000 registered Gen Z users across North America. Users participate in sports-focused gameplay and live streams, collect unique items and prizes, chat and make friends with other fans, and customize their in-game avatar.

Kevin Kim, CEO and Co-Founder of Stadium Live, said the activation provides an authentic medium for Roots to drive brand awareness and revenue through next-gen sports fans.

“Our platform offers the perfect opportunity for brands to connect with our audience in a way that feels native to them through digital gamified experiences,” he said.

Roots at Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Roots has 121 stores operating across Canada as permanent locations and popups. Roach said the retailer opened seven stores, including popups in 2022 and closed four stores in 2022.

“It’s our 50th year in August and we continue to evolve. We’re continuing to grow the brand and we’re trying to make sure that people continue to think Roots is an iconic brand for the next 50 years and to do that you’ve got to keep changing and thinking about what’s happening in the landscape,” she said.

Roach said the retailer has discovered in the past couple of years opportunities in the marketplace for space being left behind by other retailers who were leaving. This has given the brand an opportunity to open popups where it can expand its footprint as well as promote the kids’ brand. In some locations, a regular Roots store is paired with a kids’ popup.

“What we found in those locations is those stores, the combination, are doing more than just a single store,” said Roach.

“We will continue to focus on the popup strategy.”

Image: Roots
Roots at 80 Bloor St W (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Roots is now using the NewStore order management and store fulfillment solutions to reduce shipping times, improve inventory accuracy, and maximize inventory sell-through across the enterprise.

The company said the NewStore order management and store fulfillment solutions use proprietary routing logic to allocate order requests across Roots’ brick-and-mortar locations and distribution centers according to the brand’s desired prioritization criteria. This allows Roots to improve customer service levels and manage shipping costs by directing orders to the appropriate store or distribution center. NewStore is also supporting omnichannel capabilities like buy online return in-store (BORIS), further improving the customer experience while driving foot traffic.

Roach said the platform was implemented in the Roots’ stores initially to help the brand with fulfillment.

“Roots is a brand where we are significantly integrated from an omnichannel perspective,” she said. “We look at our online and instore platforms really together. We have one inventory and we use all of our stores as performance hubs.

“NewStore is a technology that allows us to further fine tune that and in the longer term helps us serve the customer in these ways.”

“As an iconic Canadian brand, Roots is held to a higher standard by its fiercely loyal customers. With NewStore, Roots’ store associates now have the tools they need to create amazing shopping experiences anytime, anywhere,” said Stephan Schambach, Founder and CEO, NewStore. “They are one of the many great Canadian brands leading the way for omnichannel retailers everywhere, and their decision to partner with NewStore is a reflection of the activity we are continuing to see in that market.” 

Joey Gollish joins Roots Canada as New Creative Director in Residence.

The appointment of Joey Gollish, Founder and Creative Director of fashion label Mr. Saturday, as Roots’ Creative Director in Residence is a way for the brand to stay innovative and forward-looking in today’s ever-changing market, said Roach.

“Through our collaboration with Mr. Saturday in December 2022, we found that Joey had a deep love for the Roots brand and a unique perspective that will support our long-term objective of increasing the brand’s global appeal,” she said. “We look forward to the exciting opportunities this additional creative influence will bring to Roots.”

Mr. Saturday and Roots have worked closely together on a range of collaborations over the past two years, including the best-selling capsule collection “Roots Saturday Airlines,” released at the end of last year. Gollish has also worked in collaboration with Roots on leather outerwear, travel bags, and accessories for Mr. Saturday’s Fall/Winter 2023 runway show in Paris and will once again integrate Roots into Mr. Saturday’s Spring/Summer 2024 for Paris Fashion Week. The creative synergies Roots and Mr. Saturday experienced working on these projects led to the vision for this unique partnership, said the company.

“I think for me because we’ve been working together nationally for so long, working hand in hand with the Roots’ team to create products not only for my own collection but collaboratively with them for the past couple of years, getting to know the brand and the entire team and really learning more about the heritage and the future vision for the brand, it just felt like the opportunity of a lifetime. I couldn’t think of a reason not to do it,” said Gollish.

At just 29 years old, Gollish is one of the most celebrated and exciting designers coming out of Canada right now, said Roots. Recently named Canada’s 2022 Menswear Designer of The Year by Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards, Gollish was also featured as one of the “New Names to Know” by Vogue and “1 of 20 Canadians Shaping the Next 20 Years of Culture” by Complex. 

He is also the winner of 4 Cannes Lions awards and a member of the inaugural cohort of HXOUSE – Toronto’s next generation creative incubator and accelerator founded by the Weeknd, La Mar Taylor, and Ahmed Ismael.

Podcast [Interview] Clip Money Growing Operations in Canada as Retailers Adopt the Platform

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Retail Insider
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Podcast [Interview] Clip Money Growing Operations in Canada as Retailers Adopt the Platform

Craig Patterson, Founder and Publisher of Retail Insider Media, sits down with Brian Bailey, Chief Operating Officer at Clip Money Inc. and Chris “Reverend Heat” Horton, President at Pepper Palace Canada Inc.

Craig and Brian discuss how Clip Money works and who’s using it, as retailers get on board with this innovative new deposit solution. Craig and Chris discuss how Pepper Palace has seen benefits from using Clip.

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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Drop us a line at Craig@Retail-Insider.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!

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/

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