Historic upscale New York City-based optical frame and sunglasses brand MOSCOT has entered the Canadian market by opening its first standalone store location in downtown Toronto. After testing the market, a Montreal location could follow according to the family-owned business which spans five generations and has just 18 stores in 12 cities globally.
The Toronto MOSCOT storefront opened in late December at 153 Cumberland Street in Toronto’s upscale Yorkville area. The 800 square foot storefront replaces SEE Eyewear that occupied the space for about three and a half years. The store’s interior references historical elements found in MOSCOT’s stores in New York City including photography and a bright yellow colour scheme.
MOSCOT Toronto (Image: MOSCOT)MOSCOT Toronto (Image: MOSCOT)
MOSCOT’s full range of glasses frames are now available for the first time in Canada in the new store. Zach Moscot designs the frames and is a fifth generation family member. He explained in an interview that prior to opening the new Toronto store, only selected styles of MOSCOT eyewear was available wholesale in Canada — the new store is part of a brand building endeavour which he said will also help grow sales for multi-brand retailers as well while growing market share overall.
CBRE Toronto broker Arlin Markowitz and his team listed the former SEE eyewear space and coordinated the sublease of the former SEE store to MOSCOT.
A store expansion for MOSCOT in Canada would be careful he said, with the Montreal market being eyed for a storefront at some point in the future. Success of the Toronto store will be a signal for future Canadian stores he said. Toronto is only the third market for MOSCOT in North America to have a standalone location.
MOSCOT Toronto (Image: MOSCOT)MOSCOT Toronto (Image: MOSCOT)
The 106-year-old brand is known for its unique frames in a variety of colours priced at several hundred dollars per pair. Frames are made from materials ranging from metal to beta-titanium. Since 2008, the company has partnered with several designers in collaborations. MOSCOT stores are noted for having eye-catching yellow facades with black trim, and the new Toronto store is no exception.
Besides its store locations in the greater New York City and Los Angeles areas, MOSCOT has standalone stores in Rome, Milan, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Yokohama and Seoul. Last month the retailer opened its first store in Denmark in central Copenhagen and more international locations are planned.
MOSCOT was founded by Hyman Moscot in the Lower East Side neighbourhood of Manhattan in 1915. In 1925, his son Solomon took over in the business and in 1935, he relocated the store to 118 Orchard Street in New York City where he introduced a bright yellow colour scheme to the store that was named SOL MOSCOT. Solomon’s son Joel began running the business in 1951 and his sons Harvey and Kenny joined the company in 1986 and 1991 respectively. Joel retired in 2003 and ‘Sol’ was dropped from the name of the retailer that was then called just MOSCOT. His sons began to take the retailer global with stores overseas in Asia and Europe.
MOSCOT Toronto (Image: MOSCOT)
Various celebrities in years past have worn MOSCOT frames, including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and Johnny Depp.
MOSCOT joins other eyewear retailers in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area. Last year on Cumberland Street, retailer All Eyes On Me opened a unique storefront focused primarily on Cartier designs. Other optical retailers in the area include Karir on Old York Lane, Optical Outlook on Yorkville Avenue, Holly Eyewear on Cumberland Street, Lenscrafters at the Holt Renfrew Centre, Hudson’s Bay Optical at the Hudson’s Bay Centre, Josephson’s on Bay Street and a Hakim Optical at the northwest corner of Bloor and Bay Streets. Bloor-Yorkville represents one of the highest densities of eyewear retailers in Canada with other major nodes including Queen Street West in Toronto and West 4th Avenue in Vancouver.
See below for more photos of the new Toronto store.
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 few days.
The announcement Monday of the return to various lockdown measures in Ontario in response to the growing spread of the Omicron variant will push many small businesses to close their doors in the province as they won’t be able to endure another loss of revenue during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We can’t keep doing this. Two weeks to flatten the curve for the health care system is quickly turning into two years for small businesses affected by lockdowns and other restrictions,” he said.
The newest measures include:
Retail settings, including shopping malls, permitted at 50 per cent capacity. For shopping malls physical distancing will be required in lineups, loitering will not be permitted and food courts will be required to close;
Closing indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments. Outdoor dining with restrictions, takeout, drive through and delivery is permitted;
Personal care services permitted at 50 per cent capacity and other restrictions. Saunas, steam rooms, and oxygen bars closed;
Closing museums, galleries, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, amusement parks and waterparks, tour and guide services and fairs, rural exhibitions, and festivals; and
Closing indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities including gyms, except for athletes training for the Olympics and Paralympics and select professional and elite amateur sport leagues.
Dan Kelly
“Closing gyms, indoor dining, and arts and recreation venues is a particularly devastating way to ring in the new year for some of the hardest-hit industries already on their knees. In Toronto, indoor dining has already lost 408 days to closure. Gyms have lost 395,” added Kelly.
“Recovery has never truly begun for most Ontario businesses: Only 35 per cent of Ontario’s small firms are at normal revenues. The average COVID-19 debt for an Ontario small business is an alarming $190,000, and 18.5 per cent are actively considering bankruptcy. There are currently no provincial supports for small businesses and desperately needed grant funding has not been available since April 7, a day before the third lockdown began. The government’s promised property tax/energy rebate program and tax payment deferrals will provide some relief; however, they are not nearly enough, not accessible today, and will kick the debt can further down the road.
“Restrictions of any kind when businesses need to start making up for months and months of lost revenues will be the tipping point for many small firms. It is not lost on business owners that each time the Ontario government has closed businesses, they have gone well beyond the promised lockdown period. CFIB calls on the government to immediately reintroduce provincial grant support for all businesses affected in any way by today’s announcement and provide an immediate pathway to reopening.”
Bruce Winder, author of RETAIL Before, During & After COVID-19 and President of Bruce Winder Retail, said retail in Ontario must battle through another challenging time as the province responds to Omicron.
“The two positives from Monday’s announcement are that 1) It could have been worse – there were rumours that non-essential retail was moving to 25 per cent capacity and that did not come to fruition – yet and 2) for many retailers January is a slow sales month – not much help if you’re in the fitness or ski business unfortunately. Those hit the hardest are gyms, restaurants and specialty retail/eateries that are in schools or tourist attractions,” he said.
“I worry that a new wave of retailers and restaurants will close for good as the combination of supply chain issues, cost inflation, staffing shortages and capacity limits will be too much for them. There is only so much debt these businesses can take on before their balance sheet implodes. Time will tell if government supports can help bridge the gap.
“Hopefully, all retailers and restaurants are set up with e-commerce to keep some cashflow coming in to help with expenses. Now is the time to pivot to partner marketplaces and apps that can generate traffic lost through physical closures.”
Wendy’s – Powered by REEF Technology and NBRHD Kitchens (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
In a statement, Restaurants Canada said: ”Once again, Ontario makes a move that will irreparably harm our industry without any consultation. The foodservice industry continues to bear the brunt of the restrictions and pay the cost of fighting this pandemic, despite having done everything they have been asked.”
“The data that we have seen show that restaurants are NOT the problem, yet we continue to be singled out and have never been allowed to meet with the Chief Medical Officer or the Ministry of Health to discuss data and strategies for restaurants, but have been turned down at every turn.
Today’s decision hurts real people who are seeing their life’s work destroyed. We need support now. Broken hearts don’t pay the bills.”
Restaurants Canada said it is asking the provincial government to take these actions to support the industry:
Immediate infusion of grants to restaurants;
Deferral of HST payments to allow restaurants to keep money in their hands;
Immediate opening of portal to allow for rebates for property taxes and utilities to be processed expeditiously; and
Re-imposition of commercial eviction ban, which expired on December 31, 2021.
George Minakakis
“While the measures are needed. The costs are high. All businesses that serve the public face to face and have struggled through this pandemic are at greater risk today,” said George Minakakis, Principal of the Inception Retail Group Inc. and author of the book The New Bricks & Mortar, Future Proofing Retail. “This is coupled with the disruptive and destructive nature of delayed supply chains and inflation. Add in apprehensive consumers for whatever reason, they will not take risks and you have a perfect storm.
“I am surprised that it took so long to come to this decision. Ontario should have followed Quebec’s lead. Businesses need to dial up their digital assets and marketing. I would be planning for the full quarter. It’s important because we are entering the slowest period in retailing and there is no room to wait and see. Finally, I have been concerned about a spillover of a 2019 hangover from businesses that have just been hanging on, we may start to see some of that.”
Linkedin: Rocco Rossi
Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of Ontario Chamber of Commerce, said the organization recognizes that public health and a healthy economy are intrinsically linked, however, sweeping new restrictions – impacting employers, workers, and families – unaccompanied by immediate and commensurate supports is unacceptable nearly two years into the pandemic.
“We need a comprehensive plan that ties restrictions to clear, data-based metrics so that employers, workers, and families can plan ahead,” he said. “We are all doing our part. Now, government needs to do their part. What additional steps does the government plan to take to cover the next 21 days and beyond?”
“Newly imposed public health measures intended to control the spread of the Omicron variant should always be met with immediate, commensurate and targeted relief, particularly for small businesses, many of whom cannot afford any further reduction in revenue.”
In a news conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province faces a “tsunami” of new COVID-19 cases in the days and weeks ahead. Now, Ontario is bracing for the impact.
“This is a problem that will only get worse as we confront the looming wave of Omicron,” he said.
“Omicron spreads like wildfire . . . If we do not act, if we don’t do everything possible to get this variant under control, the results could be catastrophic.”
Some of the other new Ontario lockdown measures effective Wednesday, January 5 at 12:01 a.m. for at least 21 days (until January 26, 2022) include:
Reducing social gathering limits to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors;
Limiting capacity at organized public events to five people indoors;
Requiring businesses and organizations to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site;
Limiting capacity at indoor weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites and ceremonies to 50 per cent capacity of the particular room. Outdoor services are limited to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance. Social gatherings associated with these services must adhere to the social gathering limits;
Closing indoor meeting and event spaces with limited exceptions but permitting outdoor spaces to remain open with restrictions;
Public libraries limited to 50 per cent capacity;
Restricting the sale of alcohol after 10 p.m. and the consumption of alcohol on-premise in businesses or settings after 11 p.m. with delivery and takeout, grocery/convenience stores and other liquor stores exempted;
Closing indoor concert venues, theatres, cinemas, rehearsals and recorded performances permitted with restrictions;
Outdoor establishments permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy, where applicable, limited to 50 per cent capacity;
Closing indoor horse racing tracks, car racing tracks and other similar venues. Outdoor establishments permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy limited to 50 per cent capacity. Boat tours permitted at 50 per cent capacity;
Outdoor facilities are permitted to operate but with the number of spectators not to exceed 50 per cent occupancy and other requirements;
All publicly funded and private schools will move to remote learning starting January 5 until at least January 17, subject to public health trends and operational considerations;
School buildings would be permitted to open for child care operations, including emergency child care, to provide in-person instruction for students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated remotely and for staff who are unable to deliver quality instruction from home; and
During this period of remote learning, free emergency child care will be provided for school-aged children of health care and other eligible frontline workers.
Upscale Canadian retailer Lemonwood continues expanding its footprint in the marketplace with the opening of its sixth upscale boutique in the heart of the Kingsway Village shopping district in Toronto.
Christine Peters
It’s the second Toronto location for the fashion retailer with stores as well in Summerhill, Oakville, Collingwood, Unionville and a seasonal outlet in Port Carling.
The first store opened in 2017 in Oakville.
President and Founder Christine Peters said the business started as a wholesale brand selling to spas, hotels and small gift shops.
“My thought was to have a retail space to check to see what colours were selling ahead of the season. It started off to be something very small and like ‘okay we’ll do wholesale out the back door and retail at the front’. We started on a side street in Oakville,” she said.
“We quickly realized a side street probably wasn’t where we should be and took the opportunity to pop up on a mainstreet in Oakville just before Christmas. It was November of 2017 and the product was a huge hit with the local community. It was our start and from there we went on.”
Interior of new Lemonwood Luxury boutique in Unionville, Ontario. Photo: Lemonwood Luxury Instagram
Lemonwood is a woman-owned and operated retailer and wholesaler of luxury apparel, accessories, and home décor items. It is one of Canada’s most successful lifestyle boutique chains with a focus on high-quality designer products made from natural fibres, including cashmere, linen, silk, cotton, wool, bamboo, and alpaca. Every Lemonwood product has a story behind it, whether it’s a dress inspired by a vintage pattern book, jewellery designed by Indigenous women or a handknit sweater made by a woman on the other side of the globe. The Lemonwood philosophy is focused on elegance and simplicity — on all levels, says the company.
“It’s affordable luxury. It’s not crazy price but it’s geared and marketed towards individuals that are well-traveled, appreciate the finer things, appreciate fabrics. There’s a story behind each of the brands, a story behind each of the products, socially responsible sourcing a product, sustainability, all of those things that retailers should be speaking to now in today’s environment,” said Peters.
“We work with small factories for our products. We empower women. We champion small companies and a lot of them have grown substantially since we’ve been working with them. It’s the whole philosophy. We situate ourselves in small communities. We embed ourselves in the community. We know our customer really well. Her DNA, how old she is, so our products are all geared towards that individual, very specifically.”
That individual is primarily a well-educated woman. She loves quality. She loves the story behind the brands. She’s older than 40 years old. She has children that are either in high school, university or gone from home. She’s a professional. And she is well-read so she understands where things are made and what’s happening in retail as well. And likes to support small businesses, small boutiques.
Christine Peters at Lemonwood Kingsway (Image: Lemonwood)
“We opened our store in the Kingsway and I am a single mom and I lived on Lemonwood Drive in Etobicoke while my children went to junior high school. Wanted to be very close to where they were going to school and that was at the same time I had started the company and I thought this name is so amazing, it’s so beautiful. And I named the company Lemonwood Luxury Group,” she said.
The new store is located at 2969 Bloor Street West.
“We couldn’t be more excited to join the Kingsway community— I believe that Lemonwood will complement the existing retail landscape,” said Peters. “In a time when customers are seeking ethical and genuine shopping experiences, we look forward to fulfilling this need in such an iconic and thriving neighbourhood.”
Lemonwood, which ships across North America, has plans to expand next to Ottawa and Vancouver.
“Ottawa would be the next one. I kind of want to be able to drive to those locations to see what’s going on. I’m not familiar with setting up in a long distance kind of retail but Vancouver would be amazing. I think Whistler would be awesome as well,” she said.
“I would like to do probably 10 to 15 locations. We’re looking at some malls as well. Really our focus is to work on expanding the brand and the brand’s recognition.”
All current stores are street front with the exception of Port Carling where it’s located in a building with other retailers. That store is seasonal, opening up in May for six months.
Total Canadian location-based retail sales were up 5.2% for the 3 months ending October 2021, according to the latest data release from Statistics Canada. This is close to the long term average after the wild swings caused by the COVID pandemic. On the other hand, gasoline prices are holding up retail sales. Without gas stations, retail sales for the period gained only 3.0%.
The 3 month trend (orange line in the chart below) has weakened for the last few months, while the underlying 12 month trend (green line) has leveled off and is starting to decline.
And that’s not all. There’s a big fly in the ointment that goes by the name of Omicron. Its impact is not reflected in the numbers yet.
Food & Drug
Retail sales gains in the Food & Drug sector have been weakening all year. For the 3 months ending October, sales were up a mere 0.01%, which means falling behind inflation and population growth. The underlying 12 month trend has also been steadily slipping and is likely to decline even further before the year is done.
Sales at supermarkets & other grocery stores were actually down 0.9% year-over-year for the 3 months ending October. Specialty food stores had a 3.5% retail sales gain, somewhat better but still modest by historical standards. Perhaps food store sales will improve somewhat as Omicron keeps people home.
Health & personal care stores had been holding up the Food & Drug sector earlier in the year, but that’s now changing. Their sales were up just 0.2% for the 3 months ending October.
Store Merchandise
After a sharp rebound in Q2, retail sales growth in the Store Merchandise sector has steadily dwindled. Nevertheless, sales were up 6.8% year-over-year for the 3 months ending October, which is still ahead of pre-pandemic performance. The underlying 12 month trend however is now also tapering off from record highs earlier in the year and is likely to slow further.
Almost all store types in the sector recorded significant positive retail sales growth for the 3 months ending October. Clothing & clothing accessories stores did especially well with a 14.9% year-over-year retail sales increase.
Only one retailer type suffered a loss. Electronics & appliance stores’ sales were down 5.0% year-over-year during the period.
Automotive & Related
Automotive & Related continues to be a tale of two retailer types. While sector sales did increase by a strong 7.7% year-over-year for the 3 months ending October, this was the net result of weak growth in retail sales at automobile dealers combined with high growth at gasoline stations.
New car dealers’ retail sales were up a mere 0.8% year-over-year for the 3 months ending October. There’s nothing to suggest that a turnaround is imminent.
Gasoline station retail sales however were up 28.3% in the period, which was strong enough to pull up the whole sector. This reflects the role of increasing pump prices, which buoyed up Automotive & Related, which then buoyed up overall total retail sales.
By The Numbers
Note that the data and analysis in this report are always based on not seasonally adjusted (or unadjusted) retail sales statistics.
Canadian e-commerce retail sales really took off with COVID, and are now leveling off. After high double digit increases at the start of the 2021, sales were up just 1.5% year-over-year for the 3 months ending October.
Overall, e-commerce represented about 6.4% of Canadian retail sales over the past 12 months, including both pure plays as well as bricks & clicks stores. Note that Canadian consumers may also buy online from foreign websites which is not captured in these numbers.
Location based retail is the same as that in the preceding “By The Numbers” table. It’s what’s normally reported as Canadian retail sales. Except that it isn’t. Location based retail excludes another section called Non-Store Retailers (NAICS code 454), which includes electronic shopping and mail-order houses, which in turn is where (mostly) pure play e-commerce businesses are. Over the 12 months ending October 2021, electronic shopping and mail-order houses had an estimated $26.8 billion in e-commerce sales.
But that’s not the only source of e-commerce, as (mostly) bricks & mortar location-based retailers also sell online. For the 12 months ending September 2021, this group had an estimated $17.6 billion in e-commerce sales. With electronic shopping and mail-order houses, there’s a grand total of $44.4 billion in e-commerce sales by Canadian operators. Note that this does not include foreign e-commerce purchases made by Canadian consumers, but it does include e-commerce purchases made by foreigners at Canadian operations.
For electronic shopping and mail-order houses, an estimated 96.0% of their sales are currently allocated to e-commerce. For (mostly) bricks & mortar retailers, it can be estimated that 2.6% of their total sales are attributable to e-commerce.
In the final section of the above table, (mostly) pure play operators (namely, under electronic shopping and mail-order houses) generated an estimated 60.3% of all e-commerce sales in Canada, while (mostly) bricks & mortar location-based retailers’ share of e-commerce was 39.7%.
This analysis is updated monthly as new numbers are published by Statistics Canada. If you would like notification from Linkedin of when an update becomes available (and you’ve read this far), please connect with Ed Strapagiel on LinkedIn.
Podcast [Interview] Stefanie Hill Discusses Luxury Retail Including New Store: Part 1
Toronto-based Stefanie Hill discusses opening her new store in Palm Beach Florida as well as plans for the Toronto operations following extended pandemic challenges.
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.
Drop us a line at Craig@Retail-Insider.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!
Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
In 2021, the Canadian retail industry adapted and shifted throughout the second year of the pandemic. Top trends included growth in omni-channel, challenges with supply chain, marketplaces and inflation among other topics.
Canada also saw a number of brands enter the country through expansion and had a number of brands unexpectedly exit the market. We will be talking about the lasting impacts of 2021 for many years to come.
Over the course of the year, some articles published in Retail Insider saw many thousands of readers, and we’ve listed the top ones below in descending order.
Exterior of Scarborough Walmart Supercentre. Photo: Walmart
The 22,000-square-foot space will automate online grocery picking and dispensing and is part of Walmart’s push to grow market share amid changing consumer patterns.
The leading shopping centre in Newfoundland is seeing exciting new tenants as part of beautiful expansion/renovation that has created one of the most attractive malls in Canada.
Local farmers manage the vertical farming at the individual grocery stores, where a variety of herbs, microgreens, leafy greens, and lettuces are grown year round.
Hudson’s Bay Flagship Store – Downtown Montreal Ste Catherine Street. Rendering: Hudson’s Bay Company
Mixed-use developments will replace standalone flagship Bay stores at a time when some leading global department stores are growing in size with non-retail attractions. An opportunity for creating massive F&B/attraction-heavy Hudson’s Bay flagships could be lost as a result.
Couche-Tard’s attempts to acquire Carrefour signals intention and with the future of gas stations in question, a broader grocery strategy is most likely at play.
This holiday season has been an opportunity to recapture the spirit that was lost with the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, where shopping centres across Canada were subject to local and provincial restrictions.
Located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the Midtown shopping centre (formerly ‘Midtown Plaza’) has over 130 brands and a total GLA of 638,871 square feet. The property is anchored by a Hudson’s Bay (174,306 square feet), Toys ‘R’ Us (31,033 square feet) and an H&M (27,275 square feet). Cushman Wakefield Asset Services operates and manages Midtown.
Midtown‘s holiday decor was designed by Studio Artefact (with consulting from MMC Architects), which included a number of photo-worthy moments for shoppers.
2021 Holiday Features at Midtown
Midtown Saskatoon (Image: Cushman & Wakefield)
A 35-foot Holiday Tree
A massive wreath that overhangs the South East Entrance, measuring 12-feet in diameter and weighing over 650 pounds.
The beginning of the 2021 holiday season was marked with an Annual Tree Lighting Celebration.
Retail Insider will be completing a full Midtown Saskatoon photo tour in the new year, which will include new retailers that have joined the property recently and plans going into 2022.
Simons entrance at Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver. Photo: Lee Rivett.
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls with a Christmas update for shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the newest variant in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In case you missed our first Tour Series video tour, check out the September 2020 video tour of Park Royal Shopping Centre below:
As of now, the exterior of the shopping centre is best viewed after sunset, especially the Christmas tree lit up in the north west corner of the Village at Park Royal portion of the shopping centre.
Outdoor Christmas Tree in the Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The festive lights continue through the rest of The Village at Park Royal Shopping Centre for various retailers, including Urban Barn, Whole Foods, Lululemon and many others.
Urban Barn lit for Christmas 2021 in front of the iconic lighthouse at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Whole Foods, Cactus Club and Urban Barn at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Lululemon lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Whole Foods lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Cactus Club courtyard next to Whole Foods lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Oak + Fort lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Road lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. The Village at Park Royal lit for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. The Village at Park Royal lit for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Moving into the interior of the Park Royal South shopping centre during the daylight hours has the Christmas festivities in full swing.
Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Instagram Wall at Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
We had a very interesting holiday season photo walk around Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Don’t forget to check out our other retail photo tours over the past few months. Thank you for taking this tour with us.
Discover More Related Retail Photo Tours From Retail Insider:
Metropolis at Metrotown main entrance (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls with a Christmas update for shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the most recent variant of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This edition brings us to Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, B.C., and builds upon the mall tour in December 2020 for the shopping centre. We revisited the shopping centre this holiday season to check-in on the festive decorations which some may be missing due to the pandemic.
We visited on a rainy day, therefore the exterior photos were a bit lacklustre. We headed into the mall to see the various holiday decorations that Ivanhoé Cambridge (owner) delighted shoppers with in 2021.
Grand Court at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Giorgio Armani’s much less expensive sub-brand Armani Exchange (also known as A|X) has temporarily relocated near Indigo to expand on the upper level of Metropolis at Metrotown. The location reopened prior to the 2021 holiday shopping season.
A|X Armani Exchange at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Armani Exchange under construction on the upper level (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.A|X Armani Exchange at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. A|X Armani Exchange at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. A|X Armani Exchange at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
GEOX
Moderately-priced ‘breathable’ Italian footwear brand GEOX gave its Metropolis at Metrotown store a makeover. The store was under construction in July of 2021 during the previous tour.
GEOX at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Construction signage for GEOX at Metropolis at Metrotown (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.GEOX at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Champs Sports
The American sports retailer, a subsidiary of Foot Locker, temporarily relocated to the lower level near the Hudson’s Bay to expand on the upper level of Metropolis at Metrotown. The retailer appears to be in full operation heading into the 2021 holiday season.
Champs Sports at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Construction signage for Champs Sports on the upper level of Metropolis at Metrotown (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Token Toys
Token Toys, an art toy store, opened a second brick-and-mortar location at Metropolis after construction observed in July 2021. Its first store is located at CF Richmond Centre. The retailer has operated a kiosk at Metropolis at Metrotown up until this point.
Token Toys at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Future location for Token Toy Store at Metropolis at Metrotown (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Token Toys at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
We had a very interesting holiday season photo walk around Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Don’t forget to check out our other retail photo tours over the past few months. Thank you for taking this tour with us.
Discover More Related Retail Photo Tours From Retail Insider:
