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.
Pet Valu on Front Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Pet Valu, the leading Canadian specialty retailer of pet food and pet-related supplies, aggressively grew its store presence in Canada during the pandemic with plans for continued significant growth.
Richard Maltsbarger, President and Chief Executive Officer, said the brand, with more than 700 stores, opened 20 new stores in 2020 and 30 new stores in 2021.
Richard Maltsbarger
He said the pandemic has been tough on a personal level for the past two years on people, including the animal care experts working at Pet Valu stores. Also global supply chain disruptions and pandemic restrictions have been difficult for all retailers.
“But at the same time, we have to accept that the pandemic has also created opportunity in the pet industry. A recent study conducted by Narrative Research in November of 2021, on top of a study they did similarly in November of 2020, indicates that about three million new pets were adopted in Canada in the past two years which would be about five times the normal rate of adoption,” he said.
“That creates a significant lift in overall total market span. If you look at these three million pets that were adopted, over 80 per cent of them are less than two years old. So when you look at an average dog or cat lifecycle being somewhere around eight to 15 years that would indicate that we’ve got at least about a decade ahead of us where this overall increase in the pet population in Canada is going to continue to be an annuity.”
Pet Valu Store (Image: Pet Valu)
Research has indicated pet owners spend about $700 to $800 per year for a cat and a little more than $1,000 for a dog.
“So if you look at the majority of these pets being less than two years old, we’ve got a decade of those annual spends ahead of us. We do realize that the very significant growth in the industry, being more than double digits in the past two years, is above the normal level of about six per cent per year,” said Maltsbarger. “We don’t expect that significant lift will continue.
“But remember, this industry has been growing at about six per cent every year including recessionary years since the mid 90s, really driven by the humanization of pets, the overall improvement and increase in quality of the ingredients going into pet foods and those longer term trends will help to continue to support us just now on a much larger population of pet owners in Canada.”
In the fourth quarter of 2021, system-wide sales for Pet Valu were $288.5 million, an increase of 11.7 per cent. Net income was $26.7 million, up from $13.8 million in the prior year.
Frozen Food at Pet Valu Front Street in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs
For fiscal year 2021, system-wide sales were $998.1 million, an increase of 18.6 per cent. Net income was $98.8 million, up from $28.6 million in the prior year.
For the full year 2022, Pet Valu said it expects same-store sales growth of between six and nine per cent and 30 to 45 new store openings inclusive of five to 10 stores under the Chico banner in Quebec.
Earlier this year, Pet Valu announced its entry into the Québec market with the acquisition of Les Franchises Chico Inc. Chico is Québec’s largest franchisor of pet specialty stores, with 66 locations across the province. It was founded in 1983 by Pierre Charbonneau and Michel Joly. In 2021, it generated system-wide sales of approximately $79 million and revenue of approximately $7 million. Maltsbarger said the Chico brand has opened 20 new stores in the past two years.
“Together the two chains have opened 70 stores across the past two years which is about as much growth as the rest of all of Canadian pet combined,” said Maltsbarger. “For us, it really is the strength of the demand from new owner/operator based franchisees across Canada. The unique and great part of our model is between Chico and Pet Valu combined we have more than 300 local owner/operators. No single owner has more than six stores and the vast majority, 67 per cent, own a single store, about 23 per cent own two stores. So 90 per cent of our owners only operate one or two stores.
Image: Pet Valu
Image: Pet Valu
“Everybody is a required owner/operator. It truly is a model that keeps the owner close to the operation in the local community and especially during COVID, and the pandemic, a lot of people have really asked themselves what do I want to do professionally that’s both fiscally but also personally rewarding. We found a lot of devoted pet lovers have come to us in the past two years and said I really do believe that my avocation and my vocation should be the same thing and I’d love to become part of your network.
“As we look ahead to 2022, we target another year of growth ahead of our long-term model. We are also excited to welcome Chico to the Pet Valu family, providing us with an experienced entry into Quebec, and positioning us to better serve Canada’s devoted pet lovers with 700 stores across all 10 provinces.”
The Pet Valu family of stores consists of Pet Valu across all provinces, Paulmacs Pets in Ontario, Bosley’s by Pet Valu in BC, Total Pet with one store in Alberta and the rest in BC and Tisol Pet Nutrition & Supply in BC.
“This is a people-based business. The difference that we bring to the marketplace and what’s fundamentally most important to me is I believe that your customers can’t have a better experience than your people do. So we have really reinvested both on the corporate side and the franchise side into the compassion and expertise of our ACE’s (animal care expert) in the stores. Last year, we updated our expert certification for our ACE’s in the stores and actually increased hourly wages as a reward for those who achieved expert level certification,” said Maltsbarger.
“And we’ve really begun to see that positive flywheel. Whereas the industry has grown on a two-year growth rate of about 20 per cent, we’ve achieved a two-year growth rate in excess of 30 per cent. So we’ve actually grown 50 per cent faster than the industry. And I really credit our franchise owners, our in-store ACE’s and the leaders of our business with really bringing their whole self, their true compassion as a devoted pet lover and someone who enjoys serving other humans.”
Preppy international fashion brand GANT has expanded further into the Canadian market with a new dedicated e-commerce site and plans for stores in major markets. The brand currently has wholesale distribution in major retailers including Hudson’s Bay where the brand has been available for years.
The new Canadian website showcases GANT’s range of fashions for men and women in Canadian dollars. Collections include staple pieces such as sweat shirts and polos for men and women’s dresses, along with some edgier pieces with preppy styling. Pricing is in the contemporary range.
GANT has had a presence in Canada for decades with Hudson’s Bay being the largest supplier in years past. La Maison Simons, Sporting Life and Nordstrom also carry GANT fashions and some footwear styles are available at Browns Shoes. Ukrainian-born Bernard Gantmacher founded GANT in 1949 based on the preppy fashions that he observed at Yale University. GANT’s corporate head office is located in New Haven, Connecticut while its global headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden.
Image: GANTGANT at Munich Airport (Image: GANT)
In Canada, early plans are in place to open standalone GANT stores as part of a direct-to-consumer expansion following the launch earlier this month of the brand’s Canadian e-commerce site. A communications representative said that the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver markets would be targets for GANT as it looks to further establish its foothold in the Canadian market by opening stores. A formal timeline for expansion has yet to be set.
GANT has stores in a range of sizes located in upscale and trendy areas in major cities. That includes major shopping centres and street front locations. In Canada, we could see GANT stores on streets and/or in malls with Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre being a likely target.
Many brands continue to grow direct-to-consumer channels, which has been more than just a trend over the past several years in Canada and globally. We’ll follow up with GANT when we can confirm when and where stores will be opening in the Canadian market.
Walmart Canada continues to accelerate its commitment to its omni-channel network across the country with the announcement Monday of a new $118-million, 430,000-square-foot fulfillment centre in Rocky View County, which is located just north of Calgary’s city limits. (Rendering: Walmart Canada)
Walmart Canada continues to accelerate its commitment to its omni-channel network across the country with the announcement Monday of a new $118-million, 430,000-square-foot fulfillment centre in Rocky View County, which is located just north of Calgary’s city limits.
The retailer said the facility is slated to open in September 2022 and Walmart customers will see better product availability and quicker service whether they choose to shop in-store or online at Walmart.ca.
“We are tremendously proud to be investing in a new fulfillment centre in the Calgary area that will create jobs, boost the economy and deliver quicker service for our customers,” said Horacio Barbeito, President and CEO, Walmart Canada.
Horacio Barbeito at Rocky View County Fulfillment Centre (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)
“This modern facility will provide our associates with the latest logistics technology to improve our supply chain. That means more products available, more orders fulfilled and more Canadians offered two-day shipping. This is how we’re transforming our operations to meet the needs of Albertans and all Canadians.
“The customer will see more selection, better product availability and a quicker service whether they choose to shop in-store or online.”
He said the facility will use innovative robotic technology to better support its employees to better serve customers.
“This is very important. This is technology and robotics that helps our associates do their jobs better and faster, not to replace employees,” he said.
Walmart Canada (CNW Group/Walmart Canada Corp.)
“This high tech facility will feature cutting-edge technology to help us reach more Canadians faster and more efficiently by creating a new delivery hub in Western Canada.”
Including the new facility in the Calgary area, announced Monday, and the ones under construction in Surrey, Moncton and Vaughan, there will eventually be a total of 17 across the country – a combination of distribution and fulfillment centres with a total square footage of approximately nine million.
“At Walmart, service is a core value and as Walmart’s founder Sam Walton would say, there’s only one boss and that’s the customer,” said Barbeito.
“The past two years have been challenging times and we keep facing kind of a rocky present. People nowadays are worried about the rising cost of living as we continue to hopefully phase out the pandemic. But it’s also a concern on inflation and global disruptions. I want our customers to know that we’re listening to them and responding to their needs. At Walmart we’re on a mission to help Canadians save money and live better. This landmark investment will help us deliver on that promise.”
John Bayliss at Rocky View County Fulfillment Centre (Image: Mario Toneguzzi)
The new facility in the Calgary area is located in High Plains Industrial Park and it is the third Walmart industrial real estate facility in Rocky View County. The other two centres in the area, of 428,000 square feet and 400,000 square feet, were constructed about 12 years ago and seven years ago.
“The retail business is evolving and Walmart Canada is responding with investments in Alberta and across Canada to bolster our supply chain network,” said John Bayliss, Executive Vice President, Transformation Officer, Walmart Canada. “Walmart Canada is on a transformation journey and this investment ensures we can deliver for our customers in Western Canada, now and in the future.”
He said the Alberta market is a critical one for the retailer.
“For over 25 years this market has been our most critical supply chain hub for our company,” said Bayliss, adding that the Calgary hub is essential for the company because it helps the flow of goods to other parts of the country.
Walmart Canada (CNW Group/Walmart Canada Corp.)
“This hub has also been one of many firsts for us here in Canada. You can see in the distance the beautiful mountains,” said Bayliss from the site of the new facility. “You can see a windmill in the distance. That marks the spot of when it opened about 10 years ago one of the most sophisticated and environmentally-sound warehouses in the world, right here in this industrial park (High Plains Industrial Park).
“Also, this site here was home to our women in logistics program which has gone on to not only be a standard here in Canada but around the world. They’ve also pioneered safety, sustainability and engagement programs which are now the standard for us here in Canada. It is only fitting as we look to our future and look to transform our operations to better serve Canadians through our e-commerce business that we’re making this major investment in this community and in this team. This $118-million investment is part of our plan to expand, revolutionize and transform our best-in-class supply chain network while increasing our e-commerce capability to better serve millions of Canadians.”
Patricio Dallan
“We are excited to be bringing a new high-tech fulfillment centre to the Calgary area,” said Patricio Dallan, Senior Vice President of Omni Supply Chain, Walmart Canada. “Our customers deserve the best experience when they shop with us and this investment will help us deliver more items to more households quicker than ever before. We are proud to be investing for growth in Western Canada while improving our supply chain to deliver for Canadians.”
The retailer said the new facility, which will create 325 new jobs, will be a new delivery hub for Western Canadian customers, expand two-day shipping to 61 per cent of Canadians and it will be capable of shipping 20 million units annually.
Image: Walmart Canada
The new high-tech sortable fulfillment centre is part of the retailer’s plan to expand, revolutionize and transform its best-in-class supply chain network while increasing its e-commerce capabilities to better serve Walmart customers. It is part of Walmart Canada’s $3.5 billion investment to make the online and in-store shopping experience simpler, faster and more convenient for Walmart customers.
“The modern facility will be powered by cutting-edge logistics technology to achieve productivity with less physical effort. For the first time at Walmart Canada, innovative robotic technology from GreyOrange will be used at the fulfillment centre. This platform will speed up order fulfillment by using an advanced operating system that will help associates store, pick and sort items by using smart and flexible storage abilities to manage a large and wide variety of inventory. The result is an order fulfillment process that is quicker, easier and more efficient,” said the company, adding that the facility will be capable of storing 500,000 items to fulfill direct to home and in-store pickup orders and it is designed to optimize packaging, minimize waste and reduce transportation costs.
In Alberta, the retailer has 61 stores and four distribution centres. Last year, it invested more than $50 million in upgrading some of its stores in the province. It has more than 16,000 associates in Alberta.
Walmart said it recently purchased approximately $200 million worth of products from Alberta-based suppliers over a 12-month period.
Last year, it added more than 100 new Canadian suppliers, which includes a nine per cent increase in Alberta-based suppliers.
In Canada, the retailer has more than 400 stores with 1.5 million customers every day. Its online store is also visited by more than 1.5 million customers on a daily basis.
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 weekend.
The continuing increase in Canada’s inflation rate is driving more consumers to the discount store market to ease the pain of rising prices across the board in the country.
Paul Wood, President & CEO of Giant Tiger Stores Limited, said the discount sector has experienced growth overall over recent years as retail and customers shifted away from the middle of the market either to discount or luxury.
Paul Wood
“Given the current disruptions in the economy and the geopolitical turmoil that exists, there remains a solid case for the discount retail as we move forward, and I do not see any immediate end in sight to these challenging conditions,” he said.
“At Giant Tiger we continue to focus on operating in a frugal manner to ensure we can keep our everyday low prices as low as possible for our customers and pass along great value online at gianttiger.com or in our over 260 stores across Canada through our assortment of on-trend fashion and home products, seasonal merchandise, and our full assortment of grocery.
Interior of new Giant Tiger store on Walkley Road in Ottawa. Photo: Giant Tiger
“As inflation and dramatically rising costs of fuel occupy some of the news reports, naturally the expectation is that more Canadians turn to discount for opportunities to save on their everyday needs. At Giant Tiger we seek to provide outstanding value at the lowest price and offer a fun and easy shopping experience for our customers to shop smart and save smart every day.
“Wages have not risen at the rapid rate of inflation Canadians are experiencing and as this trend persists, we expect more will choose to experience discount retail to get more for their money. Gas alone at current rates takes a big bite out of everyone’s bi-weekly paycheck. When people working at home begin to venture back out to work as COVID restrictions end, the pinch will become even more prominent.”
Bruce Winder
Bruce Winder, author of RETAIL Before, During & After COVID-19 and President of Bruce Winder Retail, said the discount sector had seen strong growth through the pandemic and will continue with this trajectory due to several factors affecting shoppers at this time and into the future.
“First, when I think about discount, I include retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Amazon, No Frills, Food Basics, FreshCo, Dollarama, Dollar Tree and any other store selling value price points,” he said.
“For context, when I think about all price points in retail, I think about the range from value at the bottom, rising to good, better, best and luxury toward the high end. One could also include super-luxury for elite consumers – a growing segment.”
He said factors impacting the growth of discounters include rise of inflation, specifically in food, gas, housing, and other everyday living categories, the rise of interest rates, increased consumer debt, slow wage growth, particularly in low paying jobs, job uncertainty and other issues. These economic and social headwinds have forced consumers to shop at value-based stores to make their dollars stretch further to make ends meet.
No Frills in Downtown Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“We are seeing mix changes within the industry from mid-priced point retailers to value retailers and even within value retailers we are seeing an increase in private label sales as consumers choose store brands over national brands at higher price points,” said Winder.
“Within mid-priced retail we will also see lower end products (good price point) increase in sales as a percentage of the sales mix. More will be bought on promotion as well and we could see stockpiling of essentials during sale weeks.
“Thrifting will increase as consumers look to used product retailers (ie. Value Village) and websites such as Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace to manage budgets. Retail will continue to polarize based on society’s divide between the haves and have nots which has only become more pronounced during the pandemic and the new abnormal we find ourselves in now and through the balance of the 20’s.”
Winder said these trends will continue as many of those headwinds are not temporary.
“We will probably see several new retailers and service providers emerge who will cater to this growing part of retail,” he added.
Image: Wholesale Market (The Grocery People)
George Minakakis, Principal of advisory firm Inception Retail Group Inc., and author of The New Bricks & Mortar Future Proofing Retail, said inflation is shrinking more of every Canadian’s present day budget.
George Minakakis
“It is human nature to focus on reducing costs and saving. In fact, a poll we are running currently is showing just that. Discount and variety type stores from grocery to mass merchandise have been growing for years. During the pandemic many announced plans to add stores,” he said. “There is a three-folded strategy behind growth here. More locations create convenience. It increases the operators buying power to keep costs down and at the same time it is a recognition that more consumers are becoming cost conscious. The demand is there. We already know that 50-55 per cent of Canadians live paycheque to paycheque. These stores are serving a need and give a hand to consumers who need to stretch their budget.
“The current economy has created human risks and the need to provide and feed the bodies and minds of a family. This is needed to sustain positive mental health. Especially as costs in general from grocery, gasoline to restaurants are rising. Clearly, this creates more competition for larger grocers and mass merchant retailers. They will also begin to respond with offers in this inflationary economy. Inflation will fuel more demand for the discount business model. It is to the benefit of consumers who need to pay for medicine, haircuts, eye exams, and take care of household emergencies.
Walmart Canada at Gerrard Square in Toronto (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“Discount retailers are a permanent common and timely channel of choice for consumers. For that reason we should not be surprised to hear that larger retailers will try to get their hands on this sector of retail with acquisitions.”
Michael Kehoe
Michael Kehoe, broker of Fairfield Commercial Real Estate in Calgary, said there is a pronounced flight to value in the Canadian market as consumers look to save money in these inflationary, turbulent times.
“Retailers across the value-oriented spectrum are capitalizing on this by expanding their store networks and merchandise offerings. Grocery discounters and dollar stores are some of the clear winners as the retail landscape shifts to cater to more price-conscious shoppers. In consumer real estate circles retail chains like Dollarama are referred to as, ‘the store that ate Canada’ with around 1,400 locations and counting,” he said.
Podcast: Hudson's Bay Store Departing Toronto's Bloor Street
This week Craig and Lee talk about the Hudson’s Bay store which will be departing Bloor Street in downtown Toronto this year after nearly 50 years of operations. The shocking news will lead to big changes for Toronto’s downtown core.
The Weekly 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 ourThe Interview Seriespodcast where Craig interviews guests from across the Canadian retail landscape as part of theThe 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/
Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber, said the recent lifting of the recommendation for compulsory teleworking will trigger the gradual return of downtown workers to hybrid mode.
Michel Leblanc
“This is good news, especially for merchants in the sector, who have suffered enormously from the drop in traffic over the past two years. The study . . . specifies, however, that changes in work organization methods will have a persistent negative impact on traffic and the level of consumer spending in the zone. According to our estimates, the number of workers present daily in the city centre next fall will be 19 per cent to 25 per cent lower than its pre-pandemic level. The fall in the level of expenditure will also be very significant – around 14 per cent. It’s a major shock,” said Leblanc.
“The Chamber’s study proposes solutions to reduce this shock in the short term and thus limit the risk of a breakdown in the commercial fabric. We propose a series of actions that will improve the experience of the city centre. In a hybrid model context, a face-to-face day would become a sort of local mini ‘business trip’, where workers’ consumption habits that were previously spread out over the rest of the week would be concentrated. The goal is to encourage behaviours that help maintain a good level of traffic in our businesses, restaurants and cultural establishments. Longer term, we remain optimistic. The reduction in the number of short-term workers will gradually be compensated by economic momentum and business growth.”
The study identified four major areas to guide recommendations aimed at strengthening the city centre and making it a more diversified, resilient and accessible economic hub:
Facilitate the transition to new work organization models;
Enhance the downtown experience and promote a mix of uses;
Contribute to informed decision-making in private investment; and
Position the city centre as a strategic sector that contributes to the international influence of the metropolis.
Image: Montreal centre-ville
Leblanc said after a few months into the pandemic the organization launched an initiative to get prepared for the eventual relaunch of the economy to make sure it understood collectively what would be the challenges.
“The idea right from the outset was that contrary to the usual situation where you have a recession it’s as if the tide went down and the tide going up and all the boats going up at the same time, initially we really understood that this would be different,” he said.
“That would be economic sectors where the pandemic would be almost a positive outcome for them and that they would grow like the IT sector and certain areas of the economy. And we anticipated of course that other sectors would find it very difficult like the tourism industry.
“As we moved along, we realized the downtown area was going to be hard hit for a long time and we started to consider the downtown as an economic sector in and of itself.”
La Sainte-Catherine (Image: MakingMontreal.ca)
About a year ago, the Chamber received financial support from the provincial government to launch a series of initiatives to try and re-launch the downtown. The idea was to be ready as soon as the government relaxed certain public health measures. In the fall, the Chamber launched a public communications campaign, trying to entice workers to come back. Best practice committees included employers and owners of buildings to make sure everything needed to be done would be done. That included a plan of bringing back the employees.
Leblanc said the Chamber launched some projects to transform the experience of coming downtown. Those projects were in private or semi-private places like lobbies of towers, food courts, the underground system and outside areas belonging to private ownership.
“The idea there was that the city itself would finance initiatives on the public space and we would add creative projects on the private spaces and we would communicate to the employees coming to work that downtown is great. You’re going to see new things. You’re going to feel new experiences.”
Leblanc said some people have been saying that downtowns are finished because of the pandemic and the changes in how workplaces operate with a new remote work or hybrid model.
Rue Sainte-Catherine (Provencher_Roy, CIMA+S.E.N.C via Montreal.ca)
“A structural drop of 19 to 25 per cent is a big drop but at the same time it’s not at all the end of downtown,” he said. “When we ask companies what are your views for future years, the economy here is very strong so even if they say initially we’ll have less people coming, as we will grow, we will grow our workforce as well. Eventually numbers will resume going up,” he said.
Also, he said while there is an anticipated drop in the number of office workers coming to work, the Chamber at the same time anticipates less of a decrease in the amount of spending because people will simply concentrate on fewer days what they would have otherwise spent on coming out for five days.
Image: Jeffrey Berkowitz
Jeff Berkowitz, President of Aurora Realty Consultants in Montreal, said the biggest issue these days, and into the future, is the amount of construction taking place in the downtown, which is disruptive.
“The downtown needs revival but it also needs protection of the ongoing street work that they’re doing in the downtown core. So many things. COVID took a major hit obviously. We’ve lost all the tourists. We’ve lost all the office traffic that you have normally. But on top of that we’re in the midst of a long-delayed complete dig up of St. Catherine Street – the main street – as well as McGill College (Avenue) and Peel Street, which are two of the main cross streets on St. Catherine, getting their entire infrastructure redone,” said Berkowitz.
“So that is actually now the more concerning issue is to how long that’s going to continue to go and how disruptive will it be for the downtown core retail.
Hudson’s Bay Flagship Store – Downtown Montreal Ste Catherine Street. Rendering: Hudson’s Bay Company
“St. Catherine at this point probably has three to four years at the pace that they’re going. In various parts. They do it block by block. I don’t want to sound completely negative because we have seen a lot of activity and demand from retailers. Some expanding in the market and some new to the market completely that are looking at Montreal. So there is interest in the market.”
Berkowitz said many retailers, who have entered the Toronto and Vancouver markets, are looking at Montreal now because of its population mass and it’s a logical expansion for them.
“It’s rare that the first stores in Canada are in Montreal, usually they go to Toronto, Vancouver and some of the other markets first, but there’s been a fair number of those that have come through, they just got stopped in their expansion because of COVID. Now it’s time for Montreal and things are picking up again.”
The return of office workers will have a positive impact on Montreal’s downtown retail sector, he said, adding traffic has also increased due to students being back in school.
Lov Montreal (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Tourisme Montreal (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“What we are missing is that sweet spot which is the tourists and that’s a ways to go, but I definitely think the re-populating of the daytime, especially for food and beverage, will make a big difference,” said Berkowitz.
“If you want to keep it vibrant, it’s got to be a multi-use destination. It’s got to be live, work, play. You’ve got to have elements of everything. And the more you have residents in the downtown core, the more you get that neighbourhood feel and constant traffic, the more you’re drawing your tourists, or people who are there multiple times a week, the more alive your downtown core feels.”
Tony Flanz
Tony Flanz, President of Montreal-based Think Retail, which consults and represents international, national, and regional retail chains, said the downtown retail sector was hit particularly hard during the pandemic like other major cities. Offices were not populated and universities were closed for some time.
“It took a great toll on traffic on St. Catherine Street and some of the adjacent side streets to the point where there was little if any people walking around for the better part of a year and a half,” said Flanz. “Somewhat like a ghost town.
“There’s a lot of great news now that’s taken place over the last few months. It started with the universities reopening for in-person classes. That started to bring some of the people back. And all of a sudden downtown looked very young. The stores were getting a little more populated.
“That was the first real boost to business in the downtown core in quite some time. It was very welcomed and it was very noticeable. And all of a sudden retailers started to claw back a little bit of sales that had been missing during the pandemic.”
Now with the removal of all in-store capacity restrictions, the mood is incredibly positive. With more offices coming back, that is increasing traffic in the downtown core.
“For the first time in two years, there’s quite a few major international companies looking to open downtown and that itself is a big change and one that’s so welcome for our client landlords who have been waiting for good news. You have the Nike’s who have been rumoured to have finalized a very large flagship deal on the street. Lucid, the e-car company, has been actively pursuing a location in the downtown core.”
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.
Toronto-based socially-conscious fashion brand Bano eeMee is expanding its line and is targeting Canadian retailers for distribution. Founder Aleem Arif recently returned to Toronto after spending time in the US and Asia and has launched a range of denim jackets to complement Bano eeMee’s ethically sourced leather jackets that the brand launched with its founding in 2012.
The new Bano eeMee denim line includes jackets for women and men using sustainably sourced materials. Arif said that the jackets, currently produced in both dark and medium washes, are an option for vegan customers in an effort to be inclusive. “Denim is an age-old fabric that is ideal to create pieces that are long-lasting,” Arif said.
Technology is built into the material which has a stretch to it along with moisture wicking and a silver ion treatment that suppresses odours.
New denim line. Image: Bano eeMee
New denim line. Image: Bano eeMee
“Our denim is sustainably sourced. We are working with our production partners to implement the ‘ozone wash technology’ to help conserve water in denim manufacturing,” Arif said.
Bano eeMee is a brand with a story. Aleem Arif founded the brand in Calgary in 2012 after relocating from Boston where he worked previously with an investment firm. A bold idea for a new fashion brand and a move to Calgary were risks that paid off with Arif discovering his passion for fashion design with a difference — he wanted to create fair-work opportunities in disadvantaged communities around with world. With that, he set up manufacturing in his native country of Pakistan.
The sale of a Bano eeMee jacket is said to translate into fair paid work for two days for three artisans. Designs are timeless and are meant to evolve into wardrobe staples with a level of quality intended to last for years.
Image: Bano eeMee
Image: Bano eeMee
The leather jackets are made from 100% vegetable tanned supple lamb leather, a by-product of the food industry. Any hard manual burnishing work is put in to the garment by hand to highlight the natural grain of the leather. Jackets are constructed with all-year-round wearability in mind and come in a range of styles that have resonated with consumers.
Bano eeMee’s other product lines include a range of vibrant scarves and during the pandemic it launched face masks made from a faux suede-like material created from recycled plastic bottles.
In an interview, Arif said that he’s looking to further expand his line into multi-brand retailers in Canada. That includes distribution for the new denim line as well as the brand’s popular leather jackets and scarves.
