Following Topshop’s exit from Hudson’s Bay last year, Nordstrom is introducing the line to its Canadian stores and ecommerce site as of April 1. Topshop entered the Canadian market about 11 years ago with shop-in-stores at Hudson’s Bay and the partnership ended following Topshop’s bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition by ASOS last year.
The Topshop 2.0 expansion in Canada won’t be nearly as grand as the one a decade ago. Nordstrom’s six Canadian stores will carry Topshop fashions for women and Topman fashions for men, as will Nordstrom’s Canadian e-commerce site. The Nordstrom stores in Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto will feature an assortment of women’s and men’s clothing, swimwear and bags, being considerably less in terms of selection compared to some of the larger Topshop locations that opened within Hudson’s Bay a decade ago, including a massive 33,000 square foot shop-in-store in downtown Vancouver that was the largest international location for the retailer at the time.
Topshop owner Arcadia Group went into administration (bankruptcy protection) in November of 2020 and ASOS acquired Topshop in February of 2021. ASOS said that it was planning on closing all of Topshop/Topman’s stores while taking the brand online through ASOS’ channels.
Hudson’s Bay is said to have not been able to have come to an agreement with ASOS to keep carrying Topshop in Canada. A source said that ASOS subsequently gave Nordstrom the green light to bring the brand back to the Canadian market. After losing Topshop, Hudson’s Bay partnered with YM Inc. to launch the Forever 21 brand at Hudson’s Bay stores for the first time.
Exterior of Nordstrom at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. Photo: Dustin FuhsTopshop at Nordstrom, Dadeland Mall in Miami. Photo: Nordstrom
Image: TOPSHOP
IMAGE: TOPMAN
Topshop opened its first Canadian shop-in-store in 2010 temporarily at retailer Jonathan and Olivia on Ossington Avenue in Toronto. Following a partnership announcement in 2011 with HBC, the first large Topshop/Topman storefront in Canada opened in Hudson’s Bay at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in October of that year, spanning about 15,000 square feet over two levels. A rollout of larger Topshop stores followed for several years in major markets. The rollout continued with some Bay stores seeing separate smaller Topshop and Topman department areas added rather than fully branded shop-in-stores.
In 2011, then CEO Bonnie Brooks said that the retailer had plans for about 50 Topshop locations in Canada as part of a significant shakeup for Hudson’s Bay. Brooks was hired by HBC owner Richard Baker to increase sales in Bay stores which included new retail partnerships while at the same time dropping hundreds of underperforming brands. Topshop alone was expected to increase sales in Bay stores by about 10%. Baker said at the time that Topshop was expected to sell about $700 a square foot in its spaces, an impressive number considering that sales at most Bay stores were less than $200 per square foot in most departments at the time.
Topshop started as a brand extension of the Peter Robinson department store chain in London in 1964 and sold women’s fashions by young British designers such as Mary Quant and Stirling Cooper. Topshop was spun off as its own store and in 1978, the men’s division called Topman was also launched.
Prior to the bankruptcy, Topshop/Topman operated over 500 stores globally with about 300 of those being located in the UK. Topshop entered the US market in 2007 and had 11 large flagship stores in major cities. In the spring of 2019, the US division filed for bankruptcy and all of its stores subsequently shuttered.
Retail giant Walmart Canada’s massive $3.5 billion investment in the country is a clear indication of the brand’s confidence in this market and its intention for future growth in both its physical stores and its e-commerce business.
“Honestly, we were a little bit behind in terms of e-comm a couple of years ago so we needed to really accelerate our investments and capabilities but also rejuvenate the stores,” said Horacio Barbeito, President and CEO, Walmart Canada, in an exclusive interview with Retail Insider.
“Our five-year plan five years ago did not have the level of investments that we’re doing in Canada and now we are going to be deploying $3.5 billion. This year we are going to be investing $1 billion.
“When you see how this $3.5 billion breaks down it is along the supply chain and our capabilities to back up that growth in e-com, it is a lot in store remodeling, rejuvenating the store fleet, it is a lot about technology. Those are the three main streams of investment. In Canada, we have been very successful for 27 years. The reason to keep on investing is this is a successful operation for Walmart and we wanted to actually bring forward some investment to rejuvenate it. Almost relaunching Walmart Canada in the same big important impact that Walmart Canada had in lowering the cost of living for Canadians when we entered the market, now we want to make sure that we provide not only those low prices every day but also access to goods and services at the lowest prices every day.”
Walmart Canada continues to accelerate its commitment to its omni-channel network across the country with the announcement Monday of a new $118-million, 430,000-square-foot fulfillment centre in Rocky View County, which is located just north of Calgary’s city limits. (Rendering: Walmart Canada)
Barbeito spoke exclusively to Retail Insider following an official news conference recently in the Calgary area to announce a new $118-million, 430,000-square-foot fulfillment centre in Rocky View County, which is located just north of Calgary’s city limits. The retailer said the facility is slated to open in September 2022 and Walmart customers will see better product availability and quicker service whether they choose to shop in-store or online at Walmart.ca.
Including the new facility in the Calgary area, and the ones under construction in Surrey, Moncton and Vaughan, there will eventually be a total of 17 across the country – a combination of distribution and fulfillment centres with a total square footage of approximately nine million.
The new facility in the Calgary area is located in High Plains Industrial Park and it is the third Walmart industrial real estate facility in Rocky View County. The other two centres in the area, of 428,000 square feet and 400,000 square feet, were constructed about 12 years ago and seven years ago.
Barbeito said the investment in rejuvenating the stores is important.
Image: Walmart Canada
“The stores were designed for a brick and mortar only business. The largest population on any given retail has always been the check out associates. Right now the biggest population of associates that we have in Walmart Canada, 39,000 of them, are people working in fulfilling orders either for in-store pickup or delivery or delivery from fulfillment centres,” he said.
“So the jobs are changing and our stores need to change with that.”
He cited the Walmart Supercentre in Scarborough, Ontario as an example – one of the most successful stores the brand has in Canada which will be integrating a micro-fulfillment centre in back of store. The store in Vaughan has a hybrid with a replicated assortment in the back of the store for online and delivery.
“We have stores where last-mile shoppers, so partners like Door Dash, Instacart or last-milers, the gig economy going to our stores to fulfill orders for customers,” said Barbeito. “So where we are is really adapting the store for a future that is different than what we had when we opened many of those supercentres.”
Barbeito said the company will keep opening stores where it makes sense in growth markets or where certain markets are under-served.
Walmart Canada at Gerrard Square in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“But the big, the big, focus is on remodeling our footprint. We are within 30 minutes of 90 per cent of the average Canadian. So our focus is on building these capabilities to get faster to doorsteps and technology to make our associates’ life easier to work better and faster and productively. And our customers to interact with us in a more digital way, not only traditional in person.”
Barbeito said more than 60 stores in Canada have a grocery component to them.
“Grocery for us is a very, very important business,” he said. “I think the last two years with the challenge the food service had faced, the at-home economy is here to stay in many aspects. There are micro-trends about cooking more at home, fitness at home, studying at home, working from home, even when we come back to the office, it’s not going to be the same.
“So the at-home economy is a micro-trend that food groceries for the home categories is going to be super important. Consumers will shift their way of spending.”
Image: Walmart Canada
Investment in its people has also been an important initiative for Walmart Canada. As soon as the pandemic started, it announced it was going to be hiring 10,000 new associates and reach out to people in distressed industries such as hospitality and apparel.
“We were really proud in such tough times to be able to hire more associates,” he said, adding Walmart Canada has more than 100,000 associates in the country.
“The investments we have done have been around wellbeing. We have now 100,000 associates and their families with access to EQ care which is telemedicine, permanently, and we will keep doing that throughout the pandemic. We have incorporated something that the associates really, really have welcomed, that is 20 per cent discounts on days for associates which help them a lot in stretching their income. And we have invested a lot in wellbeing and a better balance for live and work. We partnered with the Thrive (Thrive Global, the behaviour change technology company founded by Arianna Huffington) where associates have access to a platform in their phones to work on their wellbeing.”
Barbeito said another big focus is the development of a certification for leaders within the company on mental health management so they can be better leaders and address mental health in the workplace.
Walmart Canada Distribution Centre in Cornwall, Ontario (Image: Walmart Canada)
“We want to be the best employer we can be and that starts with the associates in the centres and our associate value proposition not only is about pay, it is important and will always be important, but also how we support their wellbeing,” he said.
Barbeito said Walmart is not exempt from the labour challenges currently experienced across the retail sector. But there is opportunity for the company as it strives to be the best employer of choice for people.
“I think we’re making big strides on making sure it’s not only just the first job because it is retail and many of us started our first jobs in the business but it’s also the career ladder and we say also the career passports for people to explore opportunities in operations, merchandising, merchants that come into our operations, people that move across the country and experience different markets. We actually feel that we could be a great place for diverse talent to unleash their potential,” he added.
Canada is currently in a time of high inflationary pressure with prices and Barbeito describes inflation like a tax on the lowest socio-economic levels.
Dufferin Mall Walmart Supercentre in Toronto (Image: FieldAgent Canada)
“As a team we are very, very committed in making sure that we’re going to fight inflation. We are not naive to say ignore what’s going on with the energy costs and the commodity surge, so we have asked our suppliers also to be very responsible to make sure we work together on going after the lowest possible cost. In our culture, we want to go for the lowest possible retail to put to our customers,” he said.
“We are committed and actually we have been investing a lot of time in how can we go lower in prices. You have right now a Rollback campaign, you have right now private labels items. It’s tough times for our customers and we want to be on the side of being agents for them to be able to stretch their incomes.”
In Canada, the retailer has more than 400 stores with 1.5 million customers every day. Its online store is also visited by more than 1.5 million customers on a daily basis.
The retail industry in Canada is constantly evolving. Traditionally driven by a combination of shifting market conditions, evolving consumer behaviour and relentless merchant innovation, the retail landscape continues to become more diverse within an expanding shopping ecosystem. It’s change and evolution that’s perpetual and has forever been recognized as one of the retail industry’s most unique and differentiating qualities. However, as a result of a recently accelerated digitization of the world around us, the pace of change within the industry has been dramatically hastened, requiring merchants to adapt quickly in order to ensure the continued growth and success of their brands. According to Roshan Jhunja, GM for Retail at Square, it’s a transition into a new digital frontier that is presenting those operating across the country with significant challenges to overcome, and a number of big growth opportunities as well.
“Retailers across the country, generally speaking, have always done a really good job of taking care of their customers in-store,” he says. “But many are still navigating the new digital world and the challenges and opportunities inherent in managing online business. As a result of the impacts of the pandemic, and the subsequent surge in online sales, much of the retail industry was compelled to develop or enhance their ecommerce offering and capabilities almost overnight. When selling online, including social channels, retailers must provide a really thorough description and dynamic imagery of every item they want to sell while ensuring compliance with the requirements of the marketplaces that they’re selling on. But, most importantly, they’ve got to maintain an acute awareness of their inventory. The last thing a retailer wants is for one of their customers to make a purchase, completing the transaction, for an item that is no longer available, resulting in a significant amount of dissatisfaction and disappointment, and a lack of trust in your online channels.”
Rise of social commerce
Roshan Jhunja
Jhunja goes on to explain that the expansion of online retail to include additional channels of commerce has added to the complexities of selling online. A rise in the use of social commerce by Canadian consumers who are increasingly leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat to explore product and make purchases is one of the primary drivers of the current expansion. They are channels lending further to the growth of the retail omnichannel ecosystem, presenting merchants with even more ways and opportunities to engage with and attract customers. It’s an expansion of commerce touchpoints that poses a number of different challenges for retailers to address. However, Jhunja believes that with the implementation of the right technologies, the challenges facing the industry when it comes to selling online can easily be overcome.
“Providing fulfillment is another aspect of ecommerce that’s proving difficult for a lot of retailers to get right,” he asserts. “For retailers that are relatively new to ecommerce, they’re discovering that there is a whole new set of workflows and behaviours required to ship product. And, there’s an expectation on the part of the consumer that the retailer is going to pick, pack, ship and deliver that item in a certain amount of time. They’re also increasingly expecting to receive and have access to tracking information as well as the ability to change order information during the shipping process. They are a set of challenges, including post-purchase management and the handling of returns, that brick-and-mortar retailers never had to contend with. It’s where technology can not only help address and solve these challenges, but can be leveraged to take advantage of some great opportunities as well.”
The power of data
Some of the opportunities that Jhunja refers to are rooted in a retailers’ willingness to truly embrace online channels as ways to further connect with their customers. He says that in doing so, merchants expose themselves to multiple circumstances which they can leverage in order to upsell, cross-sell and convert larger baskets. There are also a host of marketing, promotions and loyalty program opportunities that retailers can realize in efforts to support and facilitate the customer’s path of exploration and discovery. In addition, technology is not only the enabler of online commerce, it’s also instrumental in providing merchants with the ability to effectively and accurately manage their online business. However, Jhunja suggests that the greatest benefit that technology enables for brands is in the data and information that’s generated, providing them with a view into the behaviour, tastes and preferences of their customers and allowing them to offer a more personalized and seamless experience.
“Today’s consumer expects retailers to know what they’ve recently purchased from them independent of whether they bought that item in-person or online,” he says. “They expect retailers to know how and when they engaged with them and in what channels these engagements happened. Pre-pandemic, many across the industry viewed brick-and-mortar and online channels as two completely separate streams. But they’re beginning to recognize that truly omnichannel retail is simply one marketplace consisting of multiple channels of commerce and engagement that the customer expects to be able to traverse effortlessly and seamlessly. It’s a recognition that’s facilitating a real growth of the retail ecosystem where product might be discovered by the consumer in social media, clicked through to view in an online store, added to a cart, but not checked out. With the data that reflects this journey, retailers are able to follow up with the offer of an incentive to complete the purchase or to visit the physical store. The consumer’s shopping journey and purchase experience has changed dramatically in a short time. And, generating and leveraging data arms retailers with the insights and intelligence to be able to develop and offer the rich omnichannel experience that’s becoming a baseline expectation for consumers today.”
Centralized reporting informing better decisions
With the fount of data and information that’s available to retailers today concerning the behaviour, tastes and preferences of their consumers, the opportunity to develop a deep and meaningful understanding of them is immense. Jhunja explains that one of the biggest advantages and uses of the data that any retailer generates is the fact that it powers reports that can help merchants become even more granular and targeted with respect to the performance of their network of stores, marketing and promotions campaigns, and anything else. He says that it provides retailers with some direction, informing much of their business decisions. And, he adds, the fact that today’s technology centralizes all of the data in one place for merchants means that they’re enabled with the ability to make those important decisions based on a holistic view of their customers and operation.
“If a retailer is in a number of different channels today, it’s critically important for them to understand how they’re all performing. Part of this performance analysis includes mapping out how different products are selling across the different channels, allowing them to identify where changes might be made to their channel strategy, pricing, merchandising approach and everything else. Centralizing all of this information becomes really important for retailers, benefitting them in ways they could never have imagined. It truly is a digital world today. The retail environment is transforming, influencing consumer behaviour and driving an increased set of expectations. As a result, in order to keep up with the pace of change and ensure that they continue to satisfy consumer tastes and preferences when it comes to the shopping journey, retailers are increasingly looking to the latest in technology, helping them manage their online business, find efficiencies and offer the consumer a delightful online experience, meeting and exceeding their expectations.”
For information concerning the ways Square and its suite of commerce solutions can help your business optimize opportunities for success and growth in an increasingly digitized world, visit https://squareup.com/ca/en
Axis Communications, a Swedish manufacturer of network cameras, access control and network audio devices, has developed a suite of end-to-end solutions that retailers can leverage to prevent theft and to grow their business.
Mitch Mershon, Business Development Manager, End to End Solutions at Axis Communications, said retailers want to be able to protect their premises by recording everything with high quality video managed via a video management software that is very easy to use and that they know is going to work.
Mitch Mershon
“We make everything very, very simple and easy to use,” he said, adding that the company’s video quality presents a very clear picture of what’s happening in front of the camera.
“(Within the retail environment), there is obvious theft that occurs. We know that’s always going to be there. So, if somehow there’s a large theft and they’re able to catch and view a person’s face very plainly and clearly, it makes prosecution easier. On the other side of that is slip, trip and falls. One slip, trip or fall can cost a retailer tens, hundreds of thousands of dollars. So being able to prove proper compliance as the business owner, that’s the difference between some places staying open and some places closing.
Image: Axis Communications
“One of the cool things we’re starting to really move towards is working with analytics to where we can now start talking about more business intelligence. Being able to get not only recorded video for evidence, we can now start to look at how many people are coming into your store every day, where are they going as we track them around your store.”
That business intelligence is crucial. It can help retailers with marketing the areas of a store that are particularly busy. It can help them with making staffing decisions. What area of the store needs more people? Less people? Video surveillance can also help retailers mitigate the risk of internal theft as well.
Axis Communications has “feet on the street” in at least 50 countries. In Canada, it has an office in Mississauga. It is known primarily as video surveillance manufacturer but over the years it has grown and expanded its reach in this field.
“Everyone knows us as the camera company. We invented the first IP video surveillance camera and since then our product portfolio is now massive. Basically, if you can think of a camera need as it pertains to video surveillance, we’ve got a camera for that,” said Mershon.
Image: Axis Communications
That’s not just visual cameras, that’s also thermal cameras, which actually see the heat signature and retailers are able to track someone like that. It’s used in places where it might be difficult to visually see something.
Mershon said Axis in the past few years has started to realize there’s a broader market than just the camera.
“There are so many other technologies that go into the security space that we’ve started to do things like radar technology, not like radar to track a plane, but using a smaller scale version of that to be able to track motion in an area where you might have trouble to visually see what’s happening,” he said.
Mershon said the end-to-end solutions begin with a camera that is tied to a network that goes back to a piece of software, a piece of hardware, which record the video. Axis has become a one-stop shop in this area for its customers.
Image: Axis Communications
“Working with our end-to-end solutions, one of the other things that we have is network audio. So, we now have speakers that you can connect just like a camera as part of your network. You tie video analytics which would say if somebody is standing in this area for more than 30 seconds let’s say, you could plan an announcement of ‘Hi, thank you for visiting, we’ll send an associate to be right with you’,” he explained.
That not only makes it more efficient for customers to be served by a retailer’s staff but also from a security point of view it subtly let’s someone know they are being monitored, which is a deterrent for theft in a store.
“There are benefits to having an end-to-end solution. Being able to have a single provider, that’s going to be able to provide you from soup to nuts everything that you need for your solution. But also, being able to leverage your current investment and being able to add on just a couple of little things, like being able to add on network audio, that end-to-end solution really can add value. So don’t think of video surveillance solution as just a security tool. Think of it as what other ways can we use this,” said Mershon.
No level of optimism can negate the fact that Toronto’s Bloor Street West between Yonge Street and Avenue Road has a significant number of vacant storefronts. The current appearance is almost shocking when compared to just two years ago. Several brokers say that the temporary vacated status of the street will change as leases are signed by luxury and big-name brands. At the same time, several major redevelopments will transform part of the stretch once known as the ‘Mink Mile’ into something almost unrecognizable in years to come.
Numerous vacancies line the strip that spans not even 2,000 feet. At the Yonge Street end, jeweller Swarovski recently closed along with Talbots which both occupied 2 Bloor Street West for years. Next to it at the Holt Renfrew Centre at 50 Bloor Street West, we recently saw Zara exit the complex along with Fossil which shut a store earlier in the pandemic.
On the same block at 60 Bloor, another retail space is for lease and has been vacant for several years after Holt Renfrew gave it up for a store reconfiguration. West of Bay Street are several vacancies as well including a former Banana Republic store at 80 Bloor, vacant commercial buildings at 83, 91, 95 and 95A to be discussed below, and the former Cole Haan space at 101 Bloor is currently lacking a tenant. At 100 Bloor Street West is the former Pottery Barn store that has been vacant since 2017 which is located next to a former Zegna luxury menswear store which quietly shut last year.
Click image for interactive Google MapThe soon-to-close Hudson’s Bay store at 44 Bloor Street East. Photo: Dustin FuhsFuture Apple flagship store at ‘The ONE’ at 1 Bloor Street West (corner of Yonge). Photo: Dustin FuhsShuttered Zara and Fossil stores at 50 Bloor St. W. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Moving further west again is the former Kit and Ace at 102 Bloor which has been empty for several months — much of neighbouring 110 Bloor appears to be vacant while The Colonnade at 131 has several vacancies at the moment including a large space that was recently vacated by German luxury brand Bogner. The iconic Club Monaco space at 157 Bloor has been empty since last year.
While things might look grim, brokers are saying that deals are being done for new tenants along the stretch of Bloor Street once known as the ‘Mink Mile’. Back at the corner of Yonge and Bloor, a major brand is said to have leased a large space where Swarovski and Talbots were — a major redevelopment is at play that will see the corner upgraded and a new Cumberland Square project built behind that will involve demolishing most of Cumberland Terrace for new commercial space and thousands of residential units in towers above. And another major development is said to be in the works for the Hudson’s Bay Centre across the street after the Hudson’s Bay store closes and the City of Toronto begins work on a new subway interchange below.
West along Bloor there will be several new retailers. An Apple flagship store was recently officially confirmed for the corner because of litigation with Mizrahi Developments which is building a mixed-use project that would house Apple, a hotel and hundreds of pricey condominium units in the tallest tower in Canada.
Newly renovated Cartier flagship store at The Colonnade, 131 Bloor St. W. Photo: Dustin FuhsShuttered Bogner store to the right and other retailers on Bloor St. W. Photo: Dustin FuhsShuttered Kit and Ace at 102 Bloor St. W. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Swarovski is said to have secured a new location on Bloor and we’ll discuss that more when details can be revealed. Further west along Bloor, several new retailers will be opening with some of the names to be revealed at future dates. That includes new tenants for the former Pottery Barn and Zegna spaces at 100 Bloor as well as a reasonably well-known luxury fashion brand that recently leased at 110 Bloor which will join future storefronts for Anne Fontaine and Paris Baguette.
At 101 Bloor we recently reported that local jeweller Royal de Versailles had leased the former Cole Haan space for a new Rolex store — the corner location could set the tone for other jewellery brands to move onto the stretch which could include a major jeweller in the former Pottery Barn space. US-based women’s fashion brand Lafayette 148 is building a store in the former Intermix space at 130 Bloor and given the slow progress, it might open this fall. More news will soon be revealed about the former Club Monaco space as well.
In several years, parts of Bloor Street West between Bay Street and Avenue Road will be unrecognizable. Several buildings will be demolished for new developments that will create new retail opportunities at the base of condominium units that will house thousands of new residents.
1200 Bay Street tower proposal. Rendering via ProWinko Canada1200 Bay Street tower proposal, retail base. Rendering via ProWinko Canada
The north side of Bloor Street between Bay Street and Bellair Street will be completely demolished for two new projects. The current 1200 Bay Street office complex which includes the 66-68 Bloor Street addresses is proposed to be redeveloped with a new 87-storey tower that would feature retail at its base and over 300 condominium units above. Currently a Hakim Optical store and a skincare pop-up occupy the Bloor-facing side of the building.
Immediately next door is 80 Bloor Street West and the neighbouring Harry Rosen store at 82 Bloor, both of which have been approved for demolition to be replaced with a 72-storey office and condominium tower that will house over 1,300 residential units and retail at its base. The iconic Harry Rosen store at 82 Bloor will be demolished as a result.
83-95 Bloor St. W. Tower proposal. Image via Parallax Investment Corporation83-95 Bloor St. W. Tower proposal, showing street-level retail. Image via Parallax Investment Corporation83, 85, 91, 93, 95 and 95A Bloor Street West (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
And the most recent major redevelopment announcement for the strip lies on the south side of Bloor, basically across from Harry Rosen. Arlin Markowitz of CBRE coordinated the sale of the commercial buildings including 83, 85, 91, 93, 95 and 95A Bloor Street West for a proposed mixed-use project that would include retail at the base and over 1,100 condominium units above. In an interview, Markowitz said that he had been working on the land sale for about three years and that the “stars aligned” after several long-term tenants exited the strip. Markowitz had leased much of the block and had a relationship with the building landlords that led to the eventual assembly of the 17,600 square foot site for redevelopment.
Both the north and south side developments on Bloor create an opportunity for exceptional new retail space along the luxury stretch of the street that could become attractive to international tenants. It remains to be seen if Harry Rosen will return to the new development replacing its store or if it will open a new store nearby.
Given the ambitious tower projects along Bloor, one may begin to question the future of other buildings between Bay Street and Avenue Road. The 20 storey 77 Bloor Street West office tower occupies a sizeable site and could eventually be demolished for a much taller tower with retail at its base. The same could be said for 101 Bloor Street West which is adjacent to the Windsor Arms Hotel and private residences which is considered to be one of the most prestigious addresses in the city. Given the remarkable concentration of wealth in the area, an opportunity for a very high-end residential building could be present at the corner — more recently, building proposals nearby have consisted primarily of small residential units.
We’ll be announcing new tenants along Bloor Street in the weeks and months ahead as we continue to gather information and report on what’s happening in the area.
Bloor Street West (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Future Lafayette 148 on Bloor Street (Image: Dustin Fuhs)110 Bloor Street West (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Bloor Street West (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Bloor Street West (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Bloor Street West (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Manulife Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)The Former Zara on Bloor Street (Image: Dustin Fuhs) Former Talbots and Swarovski at 2 Bloor (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Yonge & Bloor (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
White Spot R&D Kitchen Concept at The Amazing Brentwood (Image: Stephanie Lee)
Restaurant chain White Spot is launching a new concept at The Amazing Brentwood development this spring, providing customers with new and innovative menu items directly from its Culinary Centre.
Warren Erhart, White Spot’s President, said the R+D Kitchen by White Spot concept is the next evolution of the brand’s legacy, honouring the past and embracing the future.
“We wanted to have a vehicle where we could actually experiment to try new items for White Spot,” he said. “The menu for R+D is about 50 per cent White Spot and 50 per cent new items. Giving us a chance to try new items and really push the envelope a little on White Spot’s evolution.”
White Spot, with headquarters in Vancouver, is Canada’s longest-running restaurant chain. Founded in 1928, when Nat Bailey launched Canada’s first drive-in restaurant at Granville and 67th, the 94-year-young chain serves more than 17 million customers annually at 128 White Spot and Triple O’s (their premium quick service restaurants) throughout B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Asia.
White Spot R&D Kitchen Concept at The Amazing Brentwood (Image: Stephanie Lee)
The new menu will include purposeful items that were designed to be vegan or gluten-free as an example.
“In this particular menu, you’ve got your White Spot favourites but there’s also some burgers we’ve created that are wagyu beef for instance with a brioche bun.”
Erhart said the R+D Kitchen will feature a full-service restaurant, lounge and bar — it’s not only the place to experience the latest food innovations but also a chance to see what’s being created by the bar team.
“There’s also a lot of kitchen technology we’re experimenting with at this location,” he said. “Looking at unique kitchen equipment packages that could hopefully one day find their way into our White Spot restaurants. So it gives us a chance to experiment with technology as well.”
Erhart said the new dishes created by James Kennedy, Executive Chef and the Culinary Team, could be included on a White Spot core or promotional menu. Before making it onto the R+D menu, all new dishes will be fully vetted by White Spot’s internal tasting panels, he added.
White Spot R&D Kitchen Concept at The Amazing Brentwood (Image: Stephanie Lee)
“At R+D Kitchen we’ll be exploring even more flavours, curating unique recipes, and incorporating fresh, local ingredients into a widely-appealing menu,” said Kennedy. “I’m super excited about this new adventure.”
Erhart said the beverage menu will also feature a selection of local craft beer, local cider and B.C. wines.
The new restaurant was designed by Joy Roque, the brand’s Head of Design and Construction, and Erhart said it includes influences from B.C.’s backyard indoors with warm wood, stone, and millwork design elements, as well as through its expansive windows. There’s also a Kitchen Window to The Amazing Brentwood’s food court to serve customers in that manner as well.
“People who are going to the food court can use the Kitchen Window space for food court offerings. It’s really multi-purpose,” said Erhart.
Image: White Spot
The Amazing Brentwood, a co-venture by Shape Properties, Healthcare of Ontario Pension, and L Catterton Real Estate, is one of British Columbia’s largest master-planned, mixed-use developments.
Located in Burnaby’s Brentwood neighbourhood, it will feature world-class shops, restaurants, public plazas, entertainment, and 6,000+ new homes.
“With its stunning indoor/outdoor public space and design, size and scale, connectivity, and diverse and compelling tenant mix, The Amazing Brentwood will be a one-of-a-kind urban gathering place that reflects the vibe of Metro Vancouver’s global community. The Amazing Brentwood’s phased opening begins now,” says the development’s website.
Summerhill Neighbourhood on Yonge Street (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
A new report by Salesforce, a global leader in Customer Relationship Management, indicates increasing inflationary pressures are impacting the shopping behaviour of Canadian consumers.
Rob Garf
“Challenges that consumers experienced this holiday, including inflation and low inventory, haven’t dissipated in the new year,” said Rob Garf, VP and GM of Retail, Salesforce. “While digital commerce continues to prevail, it’s clear that inflation is having an impact on overall consumer spending. With these persistent headwinds, retailers must remove friction and enhance experiences by knitting together offline and online shopping.”
The company’s February Shopping Index Report, which analyzed data from over a billion shoppers globally, found that as inflation drove higher prices Canadian retailers experienced a dramatic drop in online revenue by 21 per cent year over year. Globally, retailers experienced only a five per cent decrease.
The report said prices for consumers in Canada rose 10.4 per cent year over year in February while global prices rose 4.4 per cent.
Garf said consumers took a break in some categories.
Harry Rosen on Bloor (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“Inflation will be and has already been one of the key story lines of retail in general and digital specifically,” he said. “Consumers are paying more for a product which means they are shopping at fewer brands and retailers and they’re buying fewer items at brands and retailers because of the increases of prices due to inflation.”
In this environment, retailers are trying to find new and creative ways to attract new customers. They’re reaching out to new digital destinations, social media, messaging platforms, gaming consoles.
“They’re finding new ways to retain loyal shoppers and a significant mechanism for that is the revitalization of loyalty programs – a way for retailers to better understand who the consumers are because they’re knowingly providing information about themselves with the caveat that they’re going to get value in exchange,” said Garf.
“Survey after survey after survey, the number one value of course is price and convenience but creeping up on the list continually but only accelerating in the last 12 months is things like access to product or special promotions and offers to them, a more personalized general connection.”
Royal Canin Supply Chain Notice at Pet Valu (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The Salesforce report said inventory in February shrank by 22 per cent in Canada and five per cent globally as retailers and consumers continued to grapple with supply chain issues and rising costs brought on by inflation.
Product categories with the highest price growth globally in February include: Home, Furniture (21.8 per cent); Home, Appliances (17.9 per cent); and Home, Dining, Art & Decor (11 per cent).
Product categories with the least price growth globally in February include:
Active Footwear (1.3 per cent); General Footwear (0.8 per cent); and Electronics and Accessories (0.5 per cent).
Returns and Exchanges at Canadian Tire (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“There’s something to be said about discount retailers, off-price retailers. Let’s not forget there was still a lot of product in Q4 and this Q1 that was stuck off the shore and waiting to be put into the inbound supply chain. Some of that stuff was so seasonal, it has to go. There’s only so many things you can do with it. Sell it at a steep discount, put it through a liquidation channel, save it for the next year,” said Garf.
“A lot of retailers’ motion is to ship it off to an off-price retailer for pennies on the dollar. So those categories will do really well.
“I also think the resale market is ripe for a surge. Part of it is sustainability and not trying to fill up landfills. Part of it is, the clothes that we bought we might not need but there are more platforms that allow us to find buyers for it at discount rates.”
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 three days.
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.
Copenhagen-based women’s fashion brand Ganni is expanding into the Canadian market this year with its first store set to open at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. More locations are expected in major markets after the brand established itself before the pandemic in retailers including Hudson’s Bay and Holt Renfrew.
The Yorkdale Ganni location will be in a newly-formed ‘luxury wing’ made possibly when Louis Vuitton opened a large store in October of 2020. Thom Browne, Golden Goose and others have since opened nearby.
Ganni was founded in the year 2000 by Copenhagen gallery owner Frans Truelsen. Husband-wife duo Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup now own nearly half of the company and lead the brand’s creative direction. Ganni’s website says that the brand is intended to “fill a gap in the advanced contemporary market for effortless, easy-to-wear pieces that women instinctively reach for day in, day out.” Pieces are meant to mix-and-match, including feminine pieces paired with denim and sneakers.
Prices for Ganni fashions are in the ‘contemporary’ price-point for its ready-to-wear, bags, accessories, and footwear.
Photo credit: Ganni
LVMH-affiliated private equity firm L Catterton acquired 51% of Ganni in 2017 and the brand has been growing rapidly since. Ganni launched its first stores in the United States in the fall of 2019 in New York City and Los Angeles and more have since opened.
Ganni is working with Jeff Berkowitz of Aurora Realty Consultants. Ganni is seeking retail spaces in the 1,000 to 1,500 square foot range for stores in major Canadian markets, with a focus on street-front spaces as well as within enclosed shopping centres.
Ganni’s direct-to-consumer expansion in Canada is on trend as brands are increasingly seeking to open standalone stores. Being a retailer means that Ganni is able to control store design, merchandising and staffing, while interacting directly with its consumer base through social media channels while also gaining access to data. Pastel-coloured walls, globe-like light fixtures and tile flooring characterizes Ganni stores which appear casual and feminine in design.
