Friends fanatics are expected to boost retail traffic to pre-pandemic levels at Toronto’s top luxury destination once the immersive exhibit opens in mid-July.
“It is definitely an experience that we hope would draw people back into the shopping centre,” said Yorkdale’s director Will Correia, adding foot traffic volume is increasing every week and “getting closer to those 2019 numbers” of 18 million annual shoppers.
William Correia
That’s good news for “our retailers, our food and beverage tenants, et cetera,” he said.
The shopping centre is located at Highway 401 and Allen Road, spanning two million square feet. It’s managed by Oxford Properties Group, housing roughly 270 stores.
The 20,000-square-foot space being used for the Friends tour was home to the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. immersive exhibit last year, “so that space was a perfect location to continue with an experience there,” said Correia.
Visitors traveled from the Greater Toronto Area, London, Kingston, Ottawa and even out of province, he said.
Getting people back into Yorkdale Shopping Centre physically, then hoping they’ll stay to spend and eat likely won’t be hard for those simultaneously channeling their inner Rachel and Fat Monica.
The FRIENDS Experience at Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Image: Craig Patterson)
Fans of the syndicated NBC sitcom can visit starting July 14 and find the immersive experience across from the LEGO store. General admission is $44.50 plus tax.
Yorkdale is home to the Friends tour’s first Canadian location.
Linda Farha
That’s likely “because of its stature,” since the mall appeals to urban and suburban shoppers, said pop-up go founder and chief connector Linda Farha.
“It just certainly is an attraction to all.”
She’s not involved with the Friends exhibit but helps clients create pop-ups for brand activations.
The shutdowns in Canada due to COVID-19 have led to “incredible growth of all these immersive experiences,” Farha said, noting the shift from transactional exchanges.
Image: The FRIENDS Experience
Friends fans can saunter through 12 rooms – and even Chandler and Joey’s apartment – plus coffee shop Central Perk and the fountain from the show’s opening credits.
In terms of guest satisfaction, “I think it’s gonna increase it. I think it can only help,” Correia said. “It just adds another layer of the experience of coming to Yorkdale … I think it’s going to draw people in, just providing a complementary experience that they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”
Another major immersive event is taking place nearby at a different Oxford shopping centre: Square One in Mississauga, where the World of Barbie opens July 15.
Image: The World of Barbie
Image: The World of Barbie
Image: The World of Barbie
That’s an ideal location for families, Farha said.
Back in Toronto, the Friends exhibit is scheduled at Yorkdale until January 2, 2023.
“Sometimes these things carry on longer than we initially anticipate,” Correia said.
For those wanting to leave with something tangible, Friends merchandise will be available at a gift shop.
“We’re not aware of the partnerships but I wouldn’t be surprised if various retailers take advantage and come up with cross-promotions or other things that would work for both the Friends Experience and the retailer themselves,” he said.
There’s more on deck at Yorkdale this summer.
Another pop-up experience is ArtworxTO’s Carnival Portal, running until September 4.
It’s a partnership with the City of Toronto, featuring stories of Caribbean Carnival.
“We’re just looking for alternative things that we can do that’s going to bring the community together,” Correia said.
Then there’s fashion.
Future Cartier at Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Image: Craig Patterson)
A number of stores are expanding, including Bulgari, Browns, Burberry, Cartier, David Yurman, OVO and Tory Burch.
There’s an “abundance of leasing activity” from tenants “that are going to renovate their stores and are looking for temporary space, to new retailers looking for space in the shopping centre,” Correia said.
“So we’re quite fortunate and happy that there’s a lot of action happening.”
Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Image: Craig Patterson)
WHAT’S NEW AT YORKDALE
Fashion:
Emporio Armani*
Ganni*
Fendi (standalone store)
Acne Studio
Offline
Mango
Allbirds
Mejuri
Food:
TWG at Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Image: Craig Patterson)
Future Cafe Landwer at Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Image: Craig Patterson)
The unique Cafe Landwer establishment, specializing in Mediterranean and Italian cuisine as well as coffee, is expanding its footprint in Toronto with plans to grow the business even more in the coming years.
Eran Shram, CEO and major owner of the Canadian operations of Cafe Landwer, said the brand’s roots go back to 1919 in Germany as a coffee roaster. It expanded to Israel and then to Canada and the US.
“Today, we’re a roaster, a specialty coffee shop inside a restaurant,” said Shram. “We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Currently, there are five locations in Toronto and it is in the midst of renovating its sixth location set to open in the Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Shram said the anticipated opening of that location is September or October.
Future Cafe Landwer exterior entrance at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto on July 3, 2022 (Image: Craig Patterson)
The first location in Toronto opened in February 2017 at 9340 Bathurst St.
In March, the brand opened its latest location at Yonge and Bloor.
“We’re a full-service restaurant and we also offer anything a specialty coffee shop would have. We went very deep into both fields of coffee and Mediterranean food,” said Shram.
“It’s very hard to go for breakfast and get a great latte today. Or a cold brew. If you go to a specialty coffee shop, we have probably as much or maybe even more offerings. We’re a specialty coffee shop within a restaurant and that’s hard to find.
“Also our breakfast is very unique. We go very far with our breakfast. The Shakshuka is a signature dish we have and we make it in-house. We’ve got a very tapa style breakfast that is also very unique. We’ve got very specialized dishes. We’ve done a lot of research and spent a lot of money in every category. It starts with coffee but breakfast, lunch and dinner as well. We’ve gone very, very far. We’re casual dining and it’s very good value for people.”
Image: Cafe Landwer
Image: Cafe Landwer
Cafe Landwer at 33 Bloor Street E
Landwer said the design of the restaurants are nice and slick. Future location growth would be based on how many the market would allow.
“Right now all our stores are in Toronto but we would look into doing some franchise stores as well,” said Shram. “Once we get outside of the GTA we’ll go to the rest of Ontario and then the next step we’ll figure it out from there. That’s kind of what we’re looking at right now.
“We want to do things right. Our expansion is fairly slow. I see ourselves in the next five years sticking to Ontario.”
Image: Cafe Landwer
Image: Cafe Landwer
The history of the brand is described on its website:
“From a small establishment in turn-of-the-century Berlin, to a modern day destination, the Landwer story is one of tradition and quality. In 1919, on a picturesque Berlin street, Mr. Moshe Landwer founded his first business, a small café which would soon become a magnet for the city’s socialites. Just a few doors down from the café, Moshe oversaw production at his own coffee bean roastery. His entire family worked there, helping to roast the finest quality coffee to be served to the patrons of his establishment.
“Our unique history and constant innovation helps us to continue establishing new frontiers for coffee, while we serve only the highest quality beans from ethically sourced destinations.
“Our insistence to preserve tradition, while ensuring love and care is put into every cup, is what makes us proud to serve you each and every day.”
Jeff Young is the Chief Development Officer for Cafe Landwer in Canada and is a point of contact for future locations in terms of strategy and negotiations.
Crombie REIT, one of the country’s leading owners, operators and developers of real estate in Canada, is incorporating sustainability considerations into all aspects of its business to meet key stakeholder and community objectives.
In its latest Sustainability Report 2021, the REIT, with a portfolio which primarily includes grocery-anchored retail, retail-related industrial, and mixed-use residential properties in Canada’s top urban and suburban markets, said it has improved its ability to measure its sustainability performance and impact on the environment.
It has also developed policies and procedures that will enable it to set targets and implement actionable processes necessary to achieve its short- and long-term sustainability goals. And the company said it has formalized and published Crombie’s Sustainable Development Policy, which commits the company to incorporating sustainability considerations into all aspects of Crombie’s development process.
Glenn Hynes
“In order for Crombie to successfully deliver on our sustainability commitments, we need to bring our stakeholders along with us on this journey and we need to convince each one of them that the trip is worth the cost,” said Glenn Hynes, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.
“We are partnering with our tenants to introduce smart technology that helps reduce our collective energy, water and waste impacts and ultimately, our costs. As part of sustaining their focus, Crombie REIT is working collaboratively with various stakeholders to combat key environmental issues in the real estate industry. One such initiative involves partnering with technologies focused on sustainable landfill leachate treatment. This process aims at minimizing harmful leachates resultant from landfills, substantially aiding environmental conservation.
We are partnering with governments to leverage sustainability incentive programs, and with industry to drive green building certification standards. Most importantly, we are partnering with our employees to help us build a better tomorrow.”
Le Duke located between the blossoming Griffintown neighbourhood and the charming Old Port of Montreal (Image: Crombie REIT)
In the report, Don Clow, President & Chief Executive Officer of Crombie, said the company’s goal is to create value by developing and operating properties in a way that enhances local communities and protects the environment.
“We are guided in our work by a strong set of values and business ethics, which help shape and strengthen our sustainability commitments. In 2021, we brought new focus and energy to our sustainability program and advanced a number of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities,” he said.
Donald Clow
“We have enhanced our environmental leadership structure, welcoming Dan Bourque, as Vice President of Sustainability, to our leadership team. Formerly our Director of Operations – and having served as the President of BOMA Nova Scotia over the past four years, and a current member of BOMA Canada’s Board of Directors – Dan knows our business inside and out and is leading a team dedicated to lowering our environmental impact and reducing our carbon footprint. Together, we will identify opportunities where we can make a difference and set credible targets for sustainability improvements across our portfolio.”
That portfolio includes 270 open-air centres with a total space of 13.68 million square feet, five office properties at 954,000 square feet, five enclosed malls at 1.372 million square feet, 11 joint ventures and properties under development at 530,000 square feet and four retail-related industrial properties at 1.855 million square feet.
Zephyr (Image: Crombie REIT)
Empire owns 41.5 per cent of the REIT, which has $5.4 billion in fair value including properties held in joint ventures. It also has a $5.3-$7.5 billion development pipeline in future investment potential. And 96.2 per cent of the portfolio has committed occupancy.
“Going forward, we want to certify more space with trusted certification bodies, identify opportunities to introduce more renewable energy into our portfolio, and continue to enhance the health and well-being of our teams, as well as those who spend time in our spaces,” said Clow.
Dan Bourque
“We will continuously increase the transparency and accountability of our ESG and climate-related financial disclosures. The last few years have brought into focus the real-time threats of climate change, social unrest, and the impact of global pandemics. While we can never predict the future, we can prepare for it. At Crombie, we understand that climate concerns are accelerating and we must own and operate resilient and sustainable real estate assets that will stand the test of time. It is the passion, determination and ingenuity of our employees that allowed us to support our tenants and communities during another challenging year.”
Hynes said that in the company’s open air centres about 80 per cent of the carbon footprint is actually controlled by its tenants.
“We control the common areas. The parking lots, the lighting, etc. The consumption of water, electricity, waste, etc. for the tenant spaces is controlled by our tenants. So for that reason, a key part of Dan’s job as VP of Sustainability is going to be working with our tenant community to find ways that we in partnership can work through those 270 properties to reduce our carbon footprint over time,” said Hynes.
Image: Crombie REIT
“Since we only control 20 per cent we can only do so much. But we know we’ve got great tenants like Sobeys and lots of other great tenants in our portfolio that will be positive.”
Bourque said the focus is to operate with the least amount of environmental impact on the communities where Crombie’s properties exist.
“We’re trying to develop as sustainably as possible as we build new buildings and bring them online as well as operating and managing the sites we have. It’s becoming such a key. Our clients are asking for it. Our customers will be asking for it. It’s just that expectation that we really want to lead by example here in this space,” he said.
“It does make good business sense,” added Hynes. “But at the end of the day it is about the planet. We want to bring this down to every one of our 350 employees because at the end of the day, we can develop properties sustainably, we can operate properties, but it’s also what every one of us do in our daily lives . . . There’s so many little things that we can do and in the same way that our planet got to where we got to by lots of incremental little steps that were maybe not productive, now it’s the opposite.
“Now we want to get all of our team thinking about what their correction of the action can be to create a more sustainable future for our company and our planet. It is good business. Some of it is more expensive. We know that to build a green building today it’s going to be more expensive, but it’s the right thing to do.
Broadway and Commercial (Image: Crombie REIT)
“But there could be benefits. If we build better buildings, more green buildings, I expect our operating costs will be lower because they’re going to be better for energy consumption. We think we’ll be able to finance some of them cheaper. There’s some incentives out there to have better financing for greener buildings.”
Crombie has implemented an industry-leading ESG software platform – Measurabl – built exclusively for the global commercial real estate sector – to better track, measure, and report on its performance. It also has systems in place to track and report on metrics related to its occupational health and safety performance, employee volunteer commitments, the diversity of its workforce, and other core programs.
Its new Sustainable Development policy is the lens through which all development decisions will be made at Crombie with a commitment to reducing energy consumption and related GHG emissions, and to advancing carbon-neutral design in all new projects.
Crombie has several interesting initiatives in place.
For example, Bourque said the company installed its first two hives this past Spring, including at Scotia Square Complex in Halifax.
Scotia Square is celebrating 10 years of award-winning sustainability achievements and certifications. Over the last 10 years, the Scotia Square complex – which consists of seven buildings covering over 14.5 acres – has reduced energy consumption by over 33 per cent, or almost 18 million kWh, said the Crombie report.
It has reduced water consumption by over 33 per cent, or over 19 million gallons. With the installation of motion sensor lighting in the office tower stairwells it now saves almost 300,000 kWh/year. It recycles an average of 235,000 pounds of cardboard and 260,000 pounds of paper products every year. A complete lighting retrofit in the CIBC Building saves almost 400,000 kWh/year. Its Bike Room has earned the title of Most CyclingFriendly Landlord from the Halifax Cycling Coalition. The parkade features car charging stations, dedicated carpool parking, and is bullfrog powered with 100 per cent green energy. A lighting retrofit in the parkade saves over 1,000,000 kWh/year. Additionally, since the 2019 installation of Ecopilot®, an AI system used to predict the current and future requirement for heating and cooling in a building, Scotia Square has achieved HVAC energy savings of 19 per cent, HVAC cost savings of 17 per cent and a CO2 reduction of 1,215 metric tonnes.
In 2020, Crombie completed the $111 million redevelopment of the Avalon Mall, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, which covers 53 acres of land. From the outset, it designed and rebuilt this retail mall with sustainability in mind. It introduced a number of energy efficiency measures, including lighting and mechanical upgrades, in order to reduce overall consumption.
Crombie is preparing a BOMA BEST submission for Avalon Mall.
Crombie undertook a number of sustainability initiatives for Avalon including: an LED retrofit and installed occupancy sensors in service corridors; the purchase of efficient HVAC units for new tenants; the installation of touch-free elevator access for health, safety and inclusion; the addition of green space and bicycle racks as part of the redevelopment program; the improvement of overall site accessibility and signalization, and the addition of a new 800+ vehicle parking structure to simplify vehicle flow; the diversion of waste through a clothing drive, collecting and returning refundable bottles and donating the deposit return to various community groups.
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 several days.
The retailer, which has branded itself as The Working and Learning Company, said the acquisitions are part of an ongoing strategy to continually improve support for businesses across Canada.
This acquisition will allow Staples to expand its product and service offering in Print and Marketing, Technology, Facilities and Commercial Furniture to Denis Office Supplies and Furniture and Supreme Basics customers. Jean-Guy Robillard, Vice-President of Operations for Denis Office Supplies and Furniture will join the Staples Canada leadership team.
Image: Supreme Basics
David Boone
“We are pleased to partner with Denis and Supreme to bring together three exceptional Canadian brands to amplify the way we support businesses across the country,” said David Boone, CEO, Staples Canada. “In working together, we will strengthen and grow our product and services offering, while continuing to provide the exceptional customer service that our brands are known for.
“Staples is a B2B and B2C company. We found two terrific organizations that fit our B2B business. Incredibly well run with great staff. And we want to do a better job serving businesses in Canada. So we’re excited by that.
“The way people work is changing and so those organizations are going to add value to Staples. We think there’s a few things we can do to help their customers be more successful as well.”
Denis Office Supplies and Furniture is a family-owned business founded in 1972 and the largest independent supplier of office supplies and furniture in Canada. It services business customers throughout Quebec and Atlantic Canada through its network of stores/showrooms and Fulfillment Centres.
Image: Denis Office Supplies and Furniture
Supreme Basics is a family-owned company in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario since 1974. It has become an industry leader in office supplies and furniture, as well as learning products, legal products and wholesale distribution.
“What a lot of people maybe don’t know about Staples when they’re attached to coming into a store occasionally is that 85 per cent of businesses in Canada have a relationship with Staples,” said Boone. “One of our goals is to do a better job servicing business and use all of our assets to do that whether that’s retail, ecomm, our B2B sales teams, etc. So it is about fusing it together and growing in B2B.
“We started our transformation in 2018. We’ve been working on our store experience, our digital experience, in bringing those together. We’ve been working on our services, our merchandise. And now over the past 24 months, we’ve been really scaling and working on how do we bring the business community into these programs and make these programs come alive in our retail experience and in all of our experiences.”
Staples Canada in University District in Calgary (Image: Staples)
When asked if Staples would look at other company acquisitions, he said the retailer is currently happy with what it has.
“We will look at anything that’s available in the marketplace but we’re pretty content where we are,” added Boone.
Staples has more than 300 locations. It has two brands that support business customers, Staples Preferred for small businesses and Staples Professional for medium to large-sized enterprises, as well as seven co-working facilities in Toronto, Kelowna, Oakville, Ottawa and Calgary under the banner Staples Studio.
“This is a great opportunity for our teams to offer more products and services to our valued customers, while creating winning conditions for our employees that will continue to ensure their success,” said Robillard. “Our customers will benefit from the additional support and resources that our combined resources will provide.”
Michelle Micuda
The retailer said Staples Professional customers will benefit from an expanded assortment of Education and Legal products from Denis and Supreme. The acquisition will also expand the supply chain for the three brands with an expanded delivery and furniture installation network, broadening the ability to reach more customers effectively and efficiently.
“We are excited to provide customers with an unparalleled product and services assortment to support them when, how and where they want to meet us,” said Michelle Micuda, President, Staples Professional. “This partnership reaffirms our commitment to our customers to provide the deep expertise and exceptional customer service that they have come to expect.”
Altitude Sports, a Canadian ecommerce retailer, is looking to expand its product selection, ship products globally, and the company as launched its own brand.
Alexandre Guimond
CEO’s Alexandre Guimond and Maxime Dubois took over the company in 2011, dedicating their time to find and create the best brands and to provide exceptional customer service even without a physical storefront.
Altitude Sports was founded in 1984 and was under different ownership. The retailer had a physical storefront on St. Denis Street in Montreal and in 1999 it was the first in Canada to have an online sports store. Guimond and Dubois were both employees of the store and they eventually took it over. From there, the goal was to find products that were both functional and stylish. The last storefront of Altitude Sports closed in 2016.
“Max and I were high school friends and living together during our undergrad and started talking about this online business. We decided to jump into it,” says Guimond. “We needed to place everything into giving the best customer service experience online. Over time we have built a business, and today we are about 400 employees.”
Long Lasting Products
Image: Altitude Sports
Altitude Sports carries a variety of products including jackets, footwear, and clothing in Men’s, Women’s, and Children sizes. Guimond said that the retailer has also expanded its equipment gear to include products such as snowboards, skis, and gear for water sports, while working to add bikes in the near future. Their main goal is to be able to provide exceptional products that will look great and will last a long time.
“We make it our mission to provide the best possible products for our customers,” says Guimond. “Max and I compliment each other as I would investigate the durability of the products, and Max would look at the style. We often would argue about products, but at the end we realized the best way was to offer the best to the customer – selling products that looked as good as they were made.”
Maxime Dubois
At Altitude Sports, customers can expect to buy a jacket from this store that will last ten years or more. “And these products should still be in good condition as we deal with unique brands that are pushing the limits and finding better textile and durability,” says Guimond.
Customers can keep in style while enjoying the durability of the products whether the product is made to be lightweight, warm, or waterproof – it will be both functional, fashionable, and long lasting. Brands customers can find at Altitude Sports include Canada Goose, The North Face, Osprey, and Altitude Sports own brand, Vallier.
“Maybe a jacket should be a little longer or a little warmer and we are proud of the products we have built. For me it is amazing. After 30 years we have our own brand, and we are using our creativity to build our own products,” says Guimond.
Next Steps
Maxime Dubois and Alexandre Guimond (Image: Altitude Sports)
Right now, Altitude Sports is 100 percent online; however, the retailer is looking to expand to have a storefront within the next few years. Until then, the company is looking at growing its products, providing variety for customers, reducing its carbon footprint, and is working on expanding globally.
“We have plans to go international within the next two years,” says Guimond. “In recent years, we have really wanted to focus on the Canadian market, but now we have customers reaching out from a lot of different countries. If we open international, we really want to make sure we maintain the level of the experience as in the Canadian market.”
Guimond says that the retailer is working on changing its systems, which includes having the right delivery system in place to maintain the fast delivery system they already have in place.
Currently for residents in Montreal the delivery is one day and for everyone else in Canada, it will be next day delivery. Guimond said they are hoping to keep the same expectations when opening in the United States; however, for Europe, customers can expect a two or three-day delivery wait which is still faster than most companies.
Image: Altitude Sports
Image: Altitude Sports
“That was always the dream we had. One of the limitations of ordering online is you won’t leave the store with it. But the same day or next day delivery really brings us close, so when you place your order, we will prioritize and ship it very fast. It brings excitement when you order as you know you will get it soon,” says Guimond.
Altitude Sports also has a partner site TheLastHunt.com where customers can find products at a discounted price giving another life to exceptional items from well-known brands.
Altitude Sports donates to several charities such as the Wildlife Preservation, Protect our Winters Canada, and The Trans Canada Trail through the retailer’s semi-annual Alti-Action initiative where they focus on nature conservation and climate awareness. Altitude Sports has raised over $580,000 since the initiative began in 2017.
“Our goal is to do better and introduce the world to better brands, better products, and to a company who cares about the environment and takes action,” says Guimond. “We are proud to say that we are a Canadian business, and we are very successful. We have significantly grown since we have opened, doubling in size every 2-3 years, and it is exciting and fun for us.”
Video Interview: Fashionably Old-Fashioned Butter And Ice Cream Crafted In Western Canada
Bill McKenzie, CEO, Foothills Creamery, discusses the company’s growing reach throughout Western Canada with its ice cream and butter products.
McKenzie talks about the history of the company, how it has grown over the years, future plans, the impact of the pandemic on business and his personal background in the craft beer industry and how it relates to his current role.
The Video Interview Series by Retail Insider is available on YouTube.
Connect with Mario Toneguzzi, a veteran of the media industry for more than 40 years and named in 2021 a Top Ten Business Journalist in the world and the only Canadian – to learn how you can tell your story, share your message and amplify it to a wide audience. He is Senior National Business Journalist with Retail Insider and owner of Mario Toneguzzi Communications Inc. and can be reached at mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.
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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.
Movers inside GUCCI's pop-up location at Thurlow and Alberni on June 29, 2022. Photo: Retail Insider.
Retail Insider has noted Italian luxury brand Gucci is packing up its 710 Thurlow Street location in downtown Vancouver. The location in Vancouver’s prestigious “Alberni Luxury Zone” was reported in September 2021 as being a temporary location while renovations were underway at its new space at Hotel Vancouver.
Movers inside GUCCI’s pop-up location at Thurlow and Alberni on June 29, 2022. Photo: Retail Insider.Movers in front of GUCCI’s pop-up location at Thurlow and Alberni on June 29, 2022. Photo: Retail Insider.
Within the July 2021 report, Retail Insider also elaborated on the luxury brand expanding by annexing an adjacent space occupied by an Omega luxury watch boutique. The watch brand temporarily relocated to the basement in the hotel until reopening in December 2021 in its new space across the hallway from the new Gucci retail space on the main floor.
The former 3,900 square foot Gucci store, which opened in the Hotel Vancouver in 2006, annexed the 2,300 square foot Omega store next to it to create a flagship-sized 6,200 square foot location to house Gucci’s entire collection of ready-to-wear for women and men as well as bags, accessories, footwear, jewellery and other categories.
GUCCI inventory being brought back to Hotel Vancouver from the GUCCI Pop-Up on June 29, 2022. Photo: Retail Insider.
The expanded Hotel Vancouver store will feature Gucci’s most updated store concept that was recently rolled out with new Gucci stores at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton and a renovated Bloor Street flagship store in Toronto. Interiors will be plush with velvet, marble and wood. The store will also add men’s ready-to-wear for the first time.
We will continue to monitor for details pertaining to the grand opening of Gucci’s newly expanded Hotel Vancouver boutique.
The past two-and-a-half years or so have proven to be an incredibly challenging time for many operating within the retail industry. Social restrictions, combined with public concern over health and safety, severely limited the efforts of merchants to drive traffic to their storefronts and provide a physical experience for their customers. However, as we slowly and methodically continue to enter what is being considered by many as the “post-pandemic” period – a time when communities everywhere approach closer to life as it was once enjoyed – there is renewed optimism within the industry as foot traffic returns to brick-and-mortar establishments. And, according to Annik Desmarteau, Vice President, Québec, for Ivanhoe Cambridge, it couldn’t be happening at a better time for many retailers and brands across the country.
“There’s no doubt that the pandemic forced a shift in consumer behaviour and preferences when it comes to the channels they leverage to shop and make purchases,” she says. “It prompted an accelerated digitization of the world around us and an increase in online activity and sales. But, for quite some time now, we’ve been experiencing a significant increase in foot traffic to stores, which is ultimately critical to the service they provide, the experience they offer and their ability to provide the type of physical engagement that helps drive loyalty among consumers. Driving physical traffic is even more critical for retailers operating in downtown urban locations, many of whom are dependent upon it for survival. After such a long period of uncertainty and challenge, it’s encouraging to see people returning to shopping centres and stores, providing a real boost for retailers and brands heading into the second half of the year.”
Repositioning Galerie PVM
The return of footfall to Main Streets and downtown cores across the country is also encouraging to Desmarteau and her team who manages multiple properties, including Galerie PVM in Montreal. Built more than 60 years ago in the heart of the city – bordered by Cathcart Street, René Lévesque Boulevard, Robert-Bourrassa Street and Mansfield Street – the Galerie is an impressive office and shopping complex comprised of four buildings and an underground plaza. Serving as the official headquarters for Royal Bank of Canada, Place Ville Marie is already widely recognized as one of Montreal’s most prominent urban gathering hubs. And, in order to enhance its status and bolster the experience it offers its visitors, it’s currently undergoing an ambitious transformation that Desmarteau describes as an “exciting next step” toward the future of Galerie PVM and the retailers and brands involved.
“Galerie PVM is such a unique destination,” she asserts. “It’s right in the heart of the city. There are more than 12,000 people working within the office buildings. And, because we’re at the centre of business within the city, most people working within Montreal have to pass through the Galerie on their way to their offices. During the pandemic things were obviously a little different. We took the time to accelerate our plans to reposition Place Ville Marie and are really proud and excited to see the city has come back to life with foot traffic and activity now returning to near-normal levels.”
Upgrading an iconic destination
Galerie PVM (Image: Alex Parent)
The “repositioning” that Desmarteau refers to involved significant enhancements and upgrades made to the retail gallery. Surrounding a modern food hall concept, Galerie PVM has been designed to bring lifestyle, culture and cuisine together under one roof, offering its visitors an experience like no other. And, helping to support the execution of the Galerie’s retail component, Ivanhoe Cambridge has partnered with Aurora Realty Consultants. It’s a project that Jeff Berkowitz, Founder of the realty firm, says is a really appealing one to work on, adding that he and his team are proud to be able to help facilitate the evolution of one of Montreal’s most central and frequented sites.
“Place Ville Marie is iconic and was already very well-known throughout Montreal as a destination that is unique from most others prior to its redevelopment,” he asserts. “However, the enhancements that have been made really bring attention to the amazing retail and food offering that’s available within the gallery. The pandemic sort of halted almost everything within the industry for a while. And it’s taken some time to start to build momentum back up again. But as consumers begin returning to their favourite stores and shopping destinations, we’re making enhancements to the Galerie PVM offering, approaching the project with a two-pronged strategy. We need to make sure that we offer the goods and services that are needed by the tenants above. And, we also want to provide the retailers and brands that Montrealers will be most interested in as well as those that will provide an attraction for tourists to the city. It’s such an iconic destination right in the heart of Montreal. And so, the retail and food offering has got to complement that fact.”
Elevated retail offering
Berkowitz goes on to explain that because Galerie PVM does not offer the same size of shopping space that some other centres might be afforded, he and his team have got to get things right from a leasing perspective every time. They hope to build on an already impressive roster of retailers and brands on offer at Galerie PVM, which includes Browns Shoes, L’Occitane en Provence, ECCO Shoes, Moneysworth & Best Quality Shoe Care and more. And, to help support Aurora’s efforts, Desmarteau insists that there are further upgrades and improvements being made to Place Ville Marie – upgrades and improvements that she says are meant to ensure a constant flow of traffic to the area, providing maximum exposure for the retailers and brands in the gallery.
“The city is currently working on the entirety of McGill University Avenue, which runs from the gates of McGill University all the way to the parking and pedestrian entrance to the Place Ville Marie retail gallery, in order to introduce the city’s light rail transportation as well as to make it more pedestrian-friendly,” she says. “This is going to result in a beautiful, Parisian-type thoroughfare that will lead visitors right to the door of Galerie PVM, instigating a major shift in the feel surrounding the building. In addition, we have a lot of great plans to activate the esplanade above the gallery inside and outside of business hours over the coming months, bringing people to the area throughout the day and week, creating a community-type of atmosphere.”
Increasing foot traffic
They are additional embellishments that Berkowitz says will go a long way toward supporting the continued success of the retailers and brands with locations within the gallery, boosting the reputation of Place Ville Marie even further. And, best of all, according to Berkowitz, is the fact that the ongoing improvements which continue to create an even more welcoming and inspiring space for visitors only result in enhanced opportunities for prospective tenants. And that, he says, makes the development of he and his team’s proposition that much easier and straightforward.
“There is usually so much traffic that flows through Place Ville Marie on any given day that the value for any retailer or brand to be involved in the space speaks for itself,” he asserts. “However, the opportunities seem to be even bigger because of the tie-ins with activities, shows and performances that will be taking place upstairs. We’re in conversations with current tenants to find out how we can work collaboratively in efforts to look forward with respect to the vision of their particular business and services. And, we’re also bringing in new categories and players in order to further invigorate this amazing gallery of retailers and brands and carve out Galerie PVM’s appropriate place within the eclectic and diverse Montreal shopping ecosystem.”
Maintaining high standards
With respect to the work that’s been put into the repositioning of Galerie PVM, it’s easy to see why there’s so much excitement around the project. Berkowitz says that it’s one that is keeping his team on their toes, innovating to maintain the high standards that have been set through the years at Place Ville Marie. And, according to Desmarteau, they are standards that are helping to drive every decision that’s made with respect to the experience that’s offered by the extraordinary business and commercial complex.
“We’ve approached this project with the idea of making the shopping environment at Galerie PVM even more vibrant than it already was. By doing so, we’re delivering a first-class experience to our visitors that is unlike any other that they’ll find anywhere else in the city. Every decision that we’ve made so far has been thoughtfully arrived at, keeping the customer – the Galerie PVM visitor – at the centre of our focus. We’re really proud of the results of our efforts so far and are really looking forward to continuing our work to advance Place Ville Marie’s reputation as a world-class destination for everyone to enjoy.”
