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Renderings Revealed for Redeveloped Yonge & Bloor Hudson’s Bay Store in Downtown Toronto

By
Craig Patterson
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Image: KPMB

New renderings have been revealed for the redevelopment of the Hudson’s Bay store and part of the Hudson’s Bay Centre at the northeast corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets in downtown Toronto. We announced in an exclusive report on February 24 that the current department store on the site will close this month, and now we have an idea of what’s set to replace it. 

Brookfield Properties is proposing reconfiguring part of the Hudson’s Bay Centre, including the former Hudson’s Bay store, for retail and office space. With that, a new facade would be built that would be very different than what is currently at the iconic corner which is characterized by the bunker-like structure occupied by the soon-to-close Hudson’s Bay store. 

Image: KPMB
Hudson’s Bay store in March 2022 (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

The proposed development involves a renovation and redesign of the existing podium at 2 Bloor Street East which also includes an attached 32 storey office tower. The main level of the current Hudson’s Bay store as well as the concourse level would be maintained as retail space while the upper levels of the store would be converted to office space. 

Larco Investments Ltd. is also proposing changes to the eastern portion of the complex which it owns with the address of 90 Bloor Street East. That would include updates to the building facade while incorporating a new at-grade entry for the updated TTC subway station below. 

It’s not yet known what retail tenants might occupy the overhauled Hudson’s Bay Centre podium. Some Retail Insider readers have said that they were hopeful that Quebec City-based La Maison Simons would take part of the space, and until recently that possibility was unlikely with former CEO Peter Simons saying that priorities for the retailer were elsewhere. We’ve since learned this week from the company’s new CEO that Simons has secured space for a new store in Halifax, indicating that more stores could come including one in downtown Toronto. However the amount of retail space at the remodelled Hudson’s Bay Centre might not be enough for a large Simons store. 

Future Yonge Street entrance to the complex and subway station. Image: KPMB
Image: KPMB

The Hudson’s Bay Centre opened in 1974 with a multi-level Hudson’s Bay department store as an anchor with the adjacent new tower containing its new head offices. From 1974 to 1991 the Bloor & Yonge Hudson’s Bay store acted as the company’s flagship until a former Simpsons store in downtown Toronto was rebranded to a Hudson’s Bay nameplate to replace it. 

The then-260,000 square foot store opened on August 7, 1974. It was the first Hudson’s Bay-branded location in Toronto, not to mention its new flagship. For years prior to that, the downtown Winnipeg store served as the company’s flagship — the downtown Winnipeg store shut permanently in late 2020. 

In 1978, the Hudson’s Bay Company acquired competitor Simpsons which had a store spanning nearly a million square feet at the southeast corner of Yonge and Queen Streets. The store continued to operate as Simpsons until 1991 when the Hudson’s Bay Company made the decision to retire the Simpsons nameplate from all stores including the downtown location which became Hudson’s Bay. Given the architecture and vastness of the former Simpsons flagship, it was deemed to be the new company flagship for Hudson’s Bay. Only two years prior, the Simpsons store saw a $30 million investment that some referred to as “the miracle on Queen”. Included in the store renovation was the world’s largest cosmetics department as well as a gourmet food hall in the basement. 

Plans submitted to the City of Toronto, concourse level
Plans submitted to the City of Toronto, street level

In 2013 the Hudson’s Bay Company had looked at replacing the Hudson’s Bay Centre Hudson’s Bay store with a 300,000 square foot Saks Fifth Avenue location that would have competed with nearby Holt Renfrew. A deal was eventually reached where Cadillac Fairview bought the Hudson’s Bay building on Queen and its adjacent office tower, with Saks opening its first Canadian store in 2016 within the Hudson’s Bay building. Sources said that the proposed Hudson’s Bay Centre Saks announcement was part of a tactic in HBC’s negotiations with Cadillac Fairview to buy the Queen Street flagship store. 

The Hudson’s Bay Centre is a massive complex housing the soon-to-close department store as well as a retail mall, 1,100 stall parking facility and a 35 storey office tower. A W Hotel is under construction on the site at the base of a tall rental apartment building, and it appears that the hotel could open soon after delays. 

The Hudson’s Bay Centre connects to the subway interchange below with a mall retail component spanning 213,000 square feet according to landlord Brookfield Properties. Tenants other than Hudson’s Bay include a Longo’s grocery store, Dollarama, LCBO, and small businesses in the concourse-level mall and a food court. The 35-storey office tower above it spans 535,000 square feet and was designed by architect Craig & Boake. When it was built, the 2 Bloor East office tower housed offices for the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Workmen’s Compensation Board — both tenants were announced in 1971 before the tower’s completion. 

The Yonge and Bloor intersection will look very different in a few years. By 2024, an Apple store is expected to open at the southwest corner at the base of a skyscraper named The ONE, and we recently reported on the northwest corner which in early 2024 will become home to a large Lululemon flagship store. The southeast corner is occupied by a Nordstrom Rack store that opened in 2016.

We’ll follow up on this story as it develops. 

Lightspeed Releases Report Showing Importance of Being Online for Retailers

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed Commerce has launched its innovative new flagship omnichannel retail platform, Lightspeed Retail, a one-stop commerce platform for merchants around the world to simplify, scale and create ‘exceptional’ customer experiences.

The company says the groundbreaking new retail commerce platform unites advanced POS, payments, and ecommerce solutions into one cohesive and powerful solution. 

JP Chauvet

“The core of Lightspeed’s vision for retailers is a seamless commerce platform that tackles the key challenges modern merchants face not only today but also five years from today,” said Lightspeed CEO, JP Chauvet in a statement. 

“The new Lightspeed Retail is the culmination of strategically combining Lightspeed’s leading technology and talented teams with those of our acquisitions, creating the ultimate product for the modern retailer. Not only are we bringing to market the best of ecommerce, payments, and POS so busy merchants can do it all from one platform, but this launch lays the groundwork for everything that is coming next, from fully-integrated supplier solutions to even more powerful consumer and buying data for our merchants.”

The company has also released its State of Retail 2022: Omnichannel is Do or Die, which shares data collected this year from over 7,200 global retail owners, managers, operators, and customers to see how they’re responding and reacting to a shifting retail landscape.

Key findings include: 

  • Omnichannel merchants are outpacing their peers. An average of 48 per cent of global omnichannel merchants reported that revenue was higher or significantly higher year-over-year, compared to just brick and mortar retail merchants (37 per cent) and just ecommerce merchants (31 per cent);
  • 68 per cent of retailers said technology adoption has had a positive impact on their business over the last two years; and
  • In 2022, 66 per cent of global merchants reported they will invest to improve their inventory and supply processes to enable ecommerce growth, and 64 per cent will specifically invest in more technology for ecommerce growth.

Ana Wight, General Manager of Retail for Lightspeed, said the key finding is that omnichannel is do or die.

Ana Wight

“And what we mean by that our retailers need us to be able to have a platform and a product that works in the digital world where they want to be online or in the physical world with a brick and mortar store and I think through that report you can see that the way consumers want to shop, the way they want to spend, the growth of merchants that have embraced that omnichannel vision or way of working, and what we see are the trends that will continue to push us in that direction of meeting consumers where they are.”

Amber van Moessner, Head of Product and Industry Communications for Lightspeed, who worked on the report, said the omnichannel benefits are clear from the data. 

“We’re moving into a new era where folks have adopted certain behaviours over the last two years where maybe those who weren’t really shopping online before maybe got started when retailers were closed,” she said. “And now that they’re eager to come back into stores, they still have this habit, the convenience of online shopping and click and collect. We’re really encouraging our merchants and retailers in general to think about how to diversify, where to meet their consumers, because consumers want that versatility and that flexibility, and the merchants who can really meet that demand are going to be the ones that succeed.”

Wight said the new platform is a culmination of years of Lightspeed innovation and the company’s recent acquisitions of Vend and Ecwid in the point of sale and ecommerce space. 

“What we are taking to market is a platform that provides retailers with really comprehensive back office tools to optimize and control their businesses,” said Wight, adding that it will enable merchants to grow and scale their business. 

“What we’re really excited about is the product being both really intuitive and beautiful and easy to use and learn which is really important for staff but at the same time being a very powerful, reliable platform for retailers to run their business.

“We’ve truly built a product for every retailer, whether they’re starting out, scaling, or expanding globally, with tightly-integrated technology all in one tool. The value of this fully integrated solution will only expand as we continue to bring industry-leading innovation to our customers, suppliers and their consumers.”

The new Lightspeed Retail is available on all platforms, web, iOS, and Android and is now available in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK, and South Africa.

The company said key Lightspeed Retail features include:

  • It’s never been easier to run a business online or in person. Transform any website (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.) into an ecommerce engine;
  • The new Lightspeed Retail is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. Brick-and-mortar stores can move online in just a few hours with seamless self-serve tools;
  • Reach customers where they are, in-store and online. Sell and advertise products where customers spend their time, directly on key social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok where Lightspeed has core partnerships, as well as other leading marketplaces like Google, Amazon, and eBay. Flexibility to sell whatever you want, wherever you want with direct, time-saving integration from a single viewpoint for orders and inventory;
  • Unmatched sophisticated retail technology. Flexible, simple, workflows allow retailers to customize their POS and back office to their specific needs. Product serialization, as well as external partner and supplier integrations provide cutting-edge tools to merchants scaling their business. Retailers can track performance at their fingertips with the new Lightspeed Retail app and use any smart mobile device to manage inventory;
  • Manage a retail business and back-office seamlessly with integrated payments, inventory, and advanced reporting. One login, one provider for ecommerce, POS, and payments. Easily customize reports to fit a retailer’s personal business needs. Seamlessly manage inventory across online and physical stores to ensure you have everything shoppers need; and 
  • Scale with a single solution. Turn an ecom shop into an empire or take a brick-and-mortar business online. Lightspeed Retail has all the tools you need with a flexible and modern comprehensive platform for online and in-person operations.

Founded in Montréal in 2005, Lightspeed is dual-listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: LSPD) and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: LSPD). With teams across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the company serves retail, hospitality and golf businesses in over 100 countries.

Lightspeed’s retail report said sales growth is on the rise with omnichannel leading the pack:

  • In the United States and Canada nearly half of the retailers reported revenue being higher in 2021 than in 2020, with 12 per cent in the US and six per cent in Canada saying it was significantly higher;
  • When it comes to year-over-year growth in omnichannel sales (merchants with an online and brick and mortar presence), 61 per cent of omni retailers in the US, 58 per cent in the UK, and 56 per cent in Canada reported higher sales growth with a whopping 21 per cent of omnichannel merchants in the US reporting “significantly higher” revenue —far more than the overall average;
  • In the US, this growth is happening online and in-store: 61 per cent of omnichannel merchants, 47 per cent of eCom merchants, and 41 per cent of Brick & Mortar merchants saw higher year-over year sales growth;
  • eCommerce revenue surged for nearly half of online-only retailers in the US (47 per cent) and the Netherlands (45 per cent);
  • Brick & Mortar thrived in North America: Canadian (42 per cent) and US (41 per cent) stores saw the most growth;
  • An average of 39 per cent of consumer survey respondents reported they’ll shop mostly in-store over the next six months compared to just 23 per cent for eCommerce. This indicates growing recovery to, but not quite matching yet, pre-pandemic levels; as 50 per cent of customers shopped in-store in 2019;
  • About 30 per cent of consumer survey respondents said they plan to shop less overall in 2022 versus only 10 per cent who plan to shop more;
  • 20 per cent of merchant survey respondents reported hiring and staff retention as their biggest challenge; and 
  • 32 per cent of survey respondents reported operating their business with less staff than they required in response to their retention challenges. 

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For May 5th, 2022

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.

The Importance of In-Person Events: Brands Celebrate Return of INLAND Pop-Up in Toronto this Weekend

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: INLAND

INLAND, launched in 2014 as a bi-annual popup event that has since showcased over 500 fashion and accessory labels from across Canada, is back in action this weekend after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. 

The curated fashion marketplace is returning with a three-day popup from May 6 to May 8 at Toronto’s Design Exchange at 234 Bay Street, featuring over 40 of Canada’s most defining brands, including Bano eeMee, Eliza Faulkner, Anne Dahl, Ayimach Horizons, Hotpot Variety, and Selfish Swimwear among others.

Sarah Power, Founder & Creative Director, INLAND, said the initiative’s mission is to make it easy to discover, shop and feel good about everyday wardrobe decisions while empowering Canadian fashion creatives. 

New this season, INLAND is joining forces with Fashion Art Toronto, which will present runway shows from 40 Canadian designers alongside fashion-inspired art installations, she said.

Image: INLAND

“INLAND is a platform for Canadian designers that exists both online and in person as a bi-annual popup. It originally was a popup that took place twice a year and with the pandemic I transitioned the company to launch an online ecomm platform. So it’s a multi-vendor marketplace, well curated, and I launched that actually in partnership with Hudson’s Bay who was the affiliate marketing partner for the first three months of this launch which was really exciting,” said Power.

“There’s been a really strong recognition over the last several years of the vital importance of investing in local, sustainable design. And it’s been at the centre of our mission since the beginning – to promote under-represented brands that offer small batch, sustainable production at high quality.

“After two long years, we’re thrilled to return to our in-person roots, welcoming designers from 10 cities across Canada. We look forward to connecting in-person once again.”

INLAND visitors can enter the Design Exchange free of charge to shop for apparel and accessories from over 40 Canadian designers on the third floor. A full list can be found here. Tickets to attend Fashion Art Toronto’s runway shows can be purchased at fashionarttoronto.ca.

Image: INLAND

The INLAND popup hours are: Friday May 6 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday May 7 from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday May 8 from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Aleem Arif, Creative Director and Founder of socially-conscious fashion company Bano eeMee which is based in Toronto, is happy to see the in-person experience back.

“My focus from the get-go has been on sustainability, fashion that’s going to last and also trying to make a difference with what I do,” he said. “My background I am from Pakistan originally and I wanted to sort of support artisans and create job opportunities there. That’s in the DNA of the brand. So no matter what product I make or design there’s always the element of working with smaller factories, artisans, where we can uplift them to providing them work and also education and training so they can work with other companies as well to create world-class products.

“INLAND is coming back after COVID. It has become a great place for a lot of emerging local Canadian talent from across the country to showcase their products, their designs. It’s unfortunate because of COVID that didn’t happen.

“In-person events are great on two levels. I haven’t been able to see and interact with customers directly due to COVID for some time. So this gives an opportunity again to reconnect with your friends, people who have been supporting the brand for so long. And at a more personal level, that’s pretty awesome. And it’s also an indication of how things are going to be normal again. There’s that element of hope. But in general I think events like this are tremendous because they give you a lot of exposure, you connect with people, with consumers who are interested in small fashion, they’re interested in smaller businesses, they’re interested in the stories and the products that make us who we are. I enjoy events like this. You get to relay that story and they’re not getting that through a third party as a retailer. They’re getting that directly from the horse’s mouth so to speak. It’s a great way to tell your story, share your passion with your consumers, with your customers.”

Aleem Arif, photo supplied

Arif said it also supports the movement of people caring about where products come from and how they are made – quality versus quantity.

The Fashion Art Toronto’s runway shows will feature contemporary and experimental collections from Canadian creators including Charles Lu, L’Uomo Strano by Mic. Carter, House of Etiquette, H.Y.L.A, Neoteny Apparel, TheBabaGang and more.

“Fashion Art Toronto and INLAND share the same goal — to support and shine a spotlight on Canadian fashion designers and artisans. Joining forces for the 2022 event felt natural. We can’t wait to welcome people to the Design Exchange this May, where they can watch dynamic runway shows, shop local brands and socialize with friends. It’s going to be an incredible celebration of Canadian fashion,” said Vanja Vasic, founder and executive director, Fashion Art Toronto.

Power said that since its inception INLAND has showcased more than 500 fashion and accessory labels from across Canada. It expanded in 2020 to include a curated selection of brands on madeinland.ca. 

“It’s such an invaluable experience for the designer to have that face to face connection with the customer. There’s so many ripple effects to that. Return rates are reduced. Customer optimization. Conversion optimization rates are much higher. It’s very expensive to be doing this online. It’s an expensive and competitive endeavor,” she said.

“Being able to complement that with an in-person experience directly connecting with the customer is exponentially valuable to the brand. There’s a higher rate of return for that. We’re all really excited. INLAND is really a community. Being able to connect with each other, the designers across Canada, there’s some coming from Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, lots of high value for them as well.”

Toronto-Based Brand Kotn Launches Expansion with Several Stores Planned Including 1st Vancouver Location: Interview

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Kotn on Main St. in Vancouver (Image: Tina Kulic/Kotn)

Toronto-based brand Kotn, which sells high-quality everyday wear made from authentic Egyptian cotton, is launching a new retail location in Vancouver on Main street.

The company opened its first bricks and mortar store on Queen St W, in Toronto, in 2017, in about 800 square feet.

“We’re an impact-driven lifestyle brand. We focus on apparel and home. We got started around a seemingly very naive mission to try to change how things are kind of created and consumed from the bottom up,” said Rami Helali, one of the company’s co-founders and CEO.

“What we mean by that is really, really looking at how products were made and fundamentally altering how they were. We felt like the way that supply chains were built, the way products were built, were creating a lot of negative impact on the people and the environments in which they’re made.

Kotn on Main St. in Vancouver (Image: Tina Kulic/Kotn)

“So for us, we work with all five tiers of our supply chain directly, we work with small holder farms in Egypt, since then we’ve expanded to other countries, but we got our start with Egyptian cotton and that’s where the vast majority of our product is made today. And we work directly with over 2,000 small holder farms, buy the cotton directly from them and work with every single part of our supply chain to make sure that people and the environments are treated with respect. We’re a majority digital online company but it’s been in our plans for a very long time to continue our retail expansion but we had to put it on pause for a couple of years as we were dealing with the thing everyone was dealing with (COVID).”

The company’s customer base is both in the US and Canada. The new space in Vancouver will serve as a hub for the retailer’s growing community in Vancouver, incorporating unique design elements inspired by its Egyptian origins. As a tribute to collaboration and community, it has also curated a small collection of consciously made goods from emerging brands and local Vancouver based creators, like Rachel Saunders Ceramics.

The retailer now has locations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver with plans to move into a number of US stores this year.

Kotn on Main St. in Vancouver (Image: Tina Kulic/Kotn)

“We’re going to be opening eight to ten stores in the next eighteen months,” said Helali. “We have a handful of US stores coming this year as well as a couple more Canadian ones.

“I think as a society we crave authenticity and I think it’s been a core and integral piece of our business. From the very beginning for us, truthfully, it’s been around the work that we do on the ground and the impact. To date, we’ve built 15 schools in rural Egypt. That’s a measurable impact that we’re going to have on generations to come and that’s really what makes us internally tick and I think what attracts our community for the work that we’re doing.

“For us, the product, although obviously integral and the thing that customers get to interact with, it starts with how we change what we want to see changed in the world and then everything else follows. And we do that through the supply chain, so through the product. We’ve been very fortunate to build a very strong community over the years and we do that by really focusing on how we can make sure the communities we operate in are better off in 50 years than they are when we get started.”

Kotn on Main St. in Vancouver (Image: Tina Kulic/Kotn)
Kotn on Main St. in Vancouver (Image: Kotn)

Kotn launched in Toronto in 2015 when founders Helali, Mackenzie Yeates and Benjamin Sehl noticed a gap in the marketplace – high-quality, well-fitting basics weren’t affordable for everyday wear.

The new Vancouver location spans 1450 square feet.

“For us, it’s always been around these community stores. That’s how we think about our retail strategies being on the high streets of all the right neighbourhoods that we know our customers are in and we want to become a part of the community and we do that through the programming that happens. We bring in those local, whether it’s vendors, activations, whatever it is, to be in and share our space with us,” said Helali.

Podcast [Interview] Mastermind Toys CEO Sarah Jordan Discusses Seeing Success by Growing Digital

By
Retail Insider
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Podcast [Interview] Mastermind Toys CEO Sarah Jordan Discusses Seeing Success by Growing Digital

Craig and Sarah discuss growth at Mastermind Toys over the course of the pandemic, much of which was through online channels that saw significant improvements with technology as well as easy payments made possible through PayPal.

For more information on how PayPal can help grow your business, visit PayPal for Enterprise (paypal.com/ca/enterprise) and get in touch.  

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

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

Mastermind Toys CEO Sarah Jordan Discusses Strategy in Growing the Retailer’s Digital Channels: Interview

By
Retail Insider
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Mastermind Toys CEO Sarah Jordan is pictured with popular items featured in the retailer's Baby Play Guide.

It’s a job most kids dream about, but when Sarah Jordan took over as CEO for Mastermind Toys, she didn’t come to play – she came to redefine the toy industry for a digital age.

Before joining Mastermind Toys in 2020, mere months before the global pandemic hit – Jordan’s career included time in financial services, management consulting and the retail sector. An engineer with an MBA, Jordan developed a track record for transforming a company’s success by tapping into its customer and employee experiences and creating successful omnichannel offerings.  

This expertise served her well when she took on this role. While Mastermind Toys had certainly prioritized the customer experience at every juncture in its 38-year history, nothing could have prepared them for the rapid acceleration of the digital economy – a necessity born out of pandemic-related restrictions and the crippling effect it had on Canadian retailers.

“When I joined in January 2020, Mastermind Toys had a world-class curation model on how to bring the best toys, books, puzzles and games to life in our stores, but we had not modernized to truly be a digital and omnichannel retailer. And then the pandemic hit and there was an opportunity to reimagine the future for Mastermind Toys—and for retail,” Jordan explained.

A Woo-hoo! HQ desk in a Mastermind Toys store that serves as a dedicated spot for orders placed online for curbside or in-store pick-up

“We were one of the first retailers to temporarily close our doors. At the time, our digital offerings severely lagged the industry—we had no contactless or curbside options—and less than five per cent of our sales were through digital channels while the rest of the toy industry was around 25 per cent. This was a defining moment where there was a clear opportunity to accelerate our existing plans to transform our brand.”

Transform quickly they did. Now, two years later, the company has experienced sustained triple-digit growth through its online platforms, powered by a website that optimizes the customer experience through AI technology. Its strategy and success have won them accolades from its peers, winning the “Most Innovative Retailer of the Year” award by the Toy and Game International Excellence Award in 2020 and most recently, its best-in-class omnichannel strategy won them a Retail Council of Canada Excellence in Retail award in 2021.

“We’ve become so much more than a bricks-and-mortar toy store. We’ve moved from a product-obsessed to a customer-obsessed retailer,” she said, noting that it was a shift in thinking that opened the door for innovation across every aspect of the business. “We’re reimagining the ways we meet our customers where, when and how they want — whether they’re visiting us in-store, at curbside or online.”

The first thing the company did to transform its digital strategy was rethink how they approached digital altogether, both in terms of the ecosystem needed to connect the digital meets physical experience and the in-store culture of its employees, known as “play experts.”

Mastermind Toys store at 1133 Yonge St – Toronto. Photo: Michael Muraz

In the past, the company focused heavily on the in-person experience because its play experts, free in-store gift wrapping, and toy demos were key points of difference that weren’t easily replicated online.

But Jordan challenged that thinking by setting a new standard for the website and accompanying digital channels.

“There’s gold at the intersection of digital and physical,” she said. “I’m proud of how we’ve inspired our play experts to become digital ambassadors. Our mission wasn’t just to create a website, but to create a digital adventure that gives customers the same wonder and delight they experience around every corner of our stores coast-to-coast.”

That digital experience now includes specialty boutiques and expanded toy catalogues known as Play Guides, as well as a gift-finder tool, wish list capabilities, a content hub called “The Playground” and social media content with a shoppable Instagram account.

Online they are able to quickly react in real time to current events. For example, during a snowstorm this winter which saw schools shut down across Ontario, the company quickly changed its homepage to feature “snow day” ideas and products.

A Woo-hoo! HQ desk in a Mastermind Toys store that serves as a dedicated spot for orders placed online for curbside or in-store pick-up.

Jordan makes it clear, the team prides itself on being the trendsetters in toys and its plans to innovate aren’t over yet, especially with a winning omnichannel strategy in place.

Image: Mastermind Toys

“When you’re truly an omnichannel business, all channels can win,” Jordan said.

A big part of that success has been ensuring the payments process is as seamless and convenient online as it is in store.

Jordan said having PayPal as an option for customers gave them the exact experience they were hoping for.

“As Canada’s authority on play, we want to work with partners who are the authorities in its own playing field. As we build our digital channels, we need partners who are just as customer-obsessed as we are in order to build the same level of trust and loyalty online as Canadians have with us in store,” she said.

“Since we’ve launched our new digital ecosystems, PayPal is our highest accelerated payment method. We pride ourselves on being frictionless and convenient, and so we look at partners who support us on delivering those experiences. PayPal is there, offering speed, trust and convenience.”

Jordan said the company will continue to build on that payments functionality and invest in solutions that successfully intersect both online and in-store experiences.

They will also continue to invest in collecting customer insights and feedback, a process that also underwent a digital transformation. Each employee has access to the “Nudge” app and is invited to answer questions each week about some of the things they are hearing from customers either in store or during curbside pick-up. Jordan credits the adoption of Nudge across its 68 stores coast-to-coast with its team’s ability to identify trends in toys first and act quickly both online and in-store.

“What I find most exciting about the toy industry is how trend-based it is. We are lucky to have hundreds of trend spotters that fuel our innovation and discover new ways of play through our customers. We want to be a step ahead of what our customers are looking for,” Jordan said.

Early last year, this paid off when lots of customers were inquiring about fidget toys to help their children who were stuck staring at screens all day as part of remote learning.

“We were one of the first retailers in Canada and in the world to launch a massive fidget toy campaign which explained the benefits of fidget play,” she said. “Everything we do is rooted in development. It’s not just about having the hottest toys in the market, it’s about having toys that are beneficial to a child’s growth.”

The feedback tool also helped when the company launched Mastermind Toys Baby in the summer of last year. Through Nudge, store employees provided insights into the positive responses they were receiving from this new approach to baby and infant play. This led to the retailer launching its first-ever Baby Play Guide in February.

Leading a company through a brand and digital transformation at the height of a pandemic has been challenging but invigorating, Jordan says.

“This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Jordan said as she reflected on the last two years and coming on as CEO. “I joined Mastermind Toys as a 38-year-old CEO, never having held an executive position in retail. And for me it was really important to bring out the best in all levels of the organization as part of the team. I see my role as being the chief communicator, but also the chief cheerleader. I want to inspire our people to be at their best all the time, encourage feedback and insight and lead the way in retail innovation.

“We’re bold and scrappy play experts who have the courage to innovate and are unafraid to explore something new,” she continued. “That mindset of innovation is embedded throughout the entire organization and it has brought us to where we are today, solidly as Canada’s authority on play. We’re excited to deliver new innovations that offer wonder and delight for our customers, with more categories, more play guides, and more partnerships as we think about 2022 and beyond.”

For more information on how PayPal can help grow your business, visit PayPal for Enterprise (paypal.com/ca/enterprise) and get in touch.  

*Retail Insider partnered with Paypal for this article. For more information, contact: craig@retail-insider.com 

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For May 4th, 2022

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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.

Video Interview: Helen Siwak Discusses Luxury Retail in Canada Following Pandemic Slowdowns

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Mario Toneguzzi
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Helen Siwak, Owner, EcoLuxLuv Communications in Vancouver, discusses the current trends she’s seeing in the luxury retail market.

Siwak talks about the importance of in-person shopping and activities for this sector of the market, how luxury has fared through the pandemic, what to watch for in the near future, and how brands are rethinking their PR these days.

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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Also check out the other series offered by Retail Insider, including The Weekly podcast and The Interview Series, which are both available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Simplecast and other podcast players.

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Entrepreneur Opens Unique Lifestyle Retail Concept Called ‘Dep de Vie’ in Sudbury [Interview/Photos]

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Mario Toneguzzi
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Dep de Vie at 1984 Regent Street in Sudbury, Ontario (Image: Braeden Martel/Dep de Vie)

Kelly Grillanda grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Sudbury and after a successful career with some national retailers she returned home to realize her dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

Kelly Grillanda

Grillanda has opened Dep de Vie, which is a lifestyle boutique featuring carefully chosen and thoughtfully made goods that elevate your life. With its curated selection of clothing, jewelry, self-care and wellness products, the retailer connects customers to the Canadian makers people love.

The retailer’s brand name stems from ‘department of life’.

“When I think about all the new kinds of stores that are happening, when you go into the retail stores that are popping up, it’s not just like clothing anymore, it’s not just like jewelry,” said Grillanda, whose career included positions with Lush and Fossil.

Dep de Vie at 1984 Regent Street in Sudbury, Ontario (Image: Braeden Martel/Dep de Vie)
Dep de Vie at 1984 Regent Street in Sudbury, Ontario (Image: Braeden Martel/Dep de Vie)

“Now there’s all different categories and really bringing together all different aspects. To me, it’s like a department store – the new wave of department stores. It’s Dep de Vie – the Department of Life. It really suited what I wanted to do because I really wanted to start a business that helps somebody elevate their life in different ways.

“Everything that I curate is selected with the theme to elevate your life in some way. So I have clothing that’s going to help you define your style. It’s not just about buying clothing that you’re just going to wear for one season and throw away because it’s trending then and now it’s not trendy and it’s out of style. It’s about picking quality pieces that really help you define your style, things that you are going to build and collect your wardrobe with. You’re going to have it, you’re going to feel good about it and you’re going to feel good in it. That’s the aspect of defining yourself with clothing and jewelry.”

The store also has many self-care and wellness products. There are also journals and notebooks.

“I’m trying to bring together all different aspects of products that touch on different categories of wellness and wellbeing, making it easy and convenient for people who are busy these days,” added Grillanda.

Dep de Vie at 1984 Regent Street in Sudbury, Ontario (Image: Braeden Martel/Dep de Vie)
Dep de Vie at 1984 Regent Street in Sudbury, Ontario (Image: Braeden Martel/Dep de Vie)

The new store, in just over 1,500 square feet, is located in the south end of Sudbury in the Cedar Point Plaza. The store design and build was by Matthew Schultze of Vision Build.

One of the big things she took away from her career with national retailers was the importance of consultation and the elevated customer service.

“Getting to know your customers. Asking questions. Talking to them. Having a genuine interest in people that come in the store, people that enter into your business,” said Grillanda. “I think that has really resonated with me. Without really having a genuine conversation with people, it’s hard to determine what they’re interested in, what their needs are, what they value, what things will be purposeful for them.

“It’s not just about selling anybody anything. It’s really about making sure that whatever you’re showing to them is going to be purposeful for their needs. That’s one of the biggest things I learned working at Lush that really, really stuck with me.

Dep de Vie at 1984 Regent Street in Sudbury, Ontario (Image: Braeden Martel/Dep de Vie)

“I do hope this business is successful and I’m able to grow my team and one of the things I worked on there (Lush) was being a really positive leader for the team and constantly trying to improve and elevate the experience of the staff so that they feel engaged. You can create an environment and a culture within a store that people feel part of something and included and that they’re making a difference. People can feel engaged even in a retail environment. That’s a huge challenge and something I’m really passionate about.”

Grillanda said the consumer appetite to buy local is growing these days. Part of the reason for that has been issues in the supply chain creating challenges for consumers to access some products that are made abroad.

“I think more and more people are recognizing the importance of producing within Canada or within your own community. There is a growing awareness of support local but to me it’s not only a geographical area in which you support people in your immediate vicinity or your immediate family. Obviously that’s amazing,” she said.

Dep de Vie at 1984 Regent Street in Sudbury, Ontario (Image: Braeden Martel/Dep de Vie)

“But I think even more than that, it’s support your community and community could be a group of people that share the same values or passions or they are striving to achieve something that you would like to see more of in the future. With access to the internet, you could be supporting smaller, little niche groups of things that you’re really passionate about.”

Grillanda said her experience working with other bigger retail brands has helped her learn about creating systems, policies, procedures and training teams. That experience has given her the skills to be able to scale something.

“That will only come with time. I have to see if my current idea and business is successful but that’s something that I would absolutely love to do,” she said.

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