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.
Whyte Ave in Edmonton between 104 and 105th (Image: Craig Patterson)
Headlines proclaiming the end of retail as we know it persisted nearly as long as the COVID-19 virus itself, but a fall report by commercial real estate firm Avison Young says foot traffic and retail sales volumes are returning to, or even exceeding, pre-pandemic levels.
“Retail inventory in Edmonton has stabilized with the smallest observed quarter-over-quarter increase since 2016. Vacancy, on the other hand, showed the most dramatic decrease since the pandemic began in Q1 2020; expect this metric to remain variable over the short-term. The pandemic forced evolution onto retailers, but government support mitigated the immediate impacts of evaporating demand. Small businesses that struggled the most may finally be closing, whereas groups or start-ups who used the pandemic as an incubator are beginning to enter the market,” said the report.
“Overall, retail spending in Alberta has exceeded pre-pandemic levels and continues to climb. Inflation certainly plays a role in this; however, it is clear that demand for tourism and travel, clothing for work or play, and recreational activities are being prioritized after years without. Conversely, demand for building and garden materials and take-out food has fallen because consumers are no longer restricted to their residence. This shift in spending patterns is simply a return to traditional retail fundamentals. With September and back-to-school on the horizon, along with the gradual increase of social events and celebrations, we expect demand for food and beverage and restaurants to increase consistently towards the end of 2022 and beyond.
“It should come as no surprise that many American retailers view Alberta as the most business-friendly province. As a result, many franchises are comfortable with the sheltered risks Edmonton market provides. So why does Calgary not seem to enjoy this luxury to the same extent? With vacancy and per-capita income essentially the same, Edmonton’s success in attracting international franchises can be partly attributed to higher multicultural populations and better rental rates. Additionally, West Edmonton Mall can afford up and coming retailers unparalleled exposure, particularly once it connects more consumers by light rail transit.”
Ben Volorney, Principal, Avison Young with the Edmonton retail team, said the city is currently in a very strong position.
“Edmonton has an advantage and always has had an advantage by having a strong demographic, high income levels, compared with a relatively low cost of living versus other major markets,” he said.
Ben Volorney
“Edmonton’s also been known for a long time as a proving ground for retailers who plant their roots here. There’s a long list of retailers that have gotten their start in Edmonton that a lot of people aren’t aware of. The Edmonton area saw the inception of a lot of retailers including The Brick, Boston Pizza, Booster Juice, Earl’s, Sorrentino’s, Famoso, Canadian Brewhouse and others.
“I think another advantage we’ve got, even pre-pandemic days, spilling into today, the retail universe in Edmonton is actually relatively small. It’s just over 61 million square feet of retail compared to say 124 million square feet of retail in Calgary in markets that are give or take roughly the same size. What that equates to is obviously less retail space per capita and I think that’s relevant because retailers they notice, they’re catching on and it really makes their choice of coming to Edmonton that much easier knowing that even though we have one of the biggest malls in the world, we are under-serviced in a retail perspective.”
IT’SUGAR West Edmonton Mall (Image: IT’SUGAR)Image: California Pizza Kitchen
Over the last few months, the city has seen first in Canada stores open for California Pizza Kitchen, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, It’Sugar, Offline by Aerie, and VISH and first in Western Canada stores to open for Wing’n it Express, and P.F. Chang’s.
“Foot traffic is definitely recovering . . . Retail foot traffic in Edmonton is roughly a third higher, 33 per cent higher, than the same time last year,” said Volorney, adding those were June numbers.
“Looking ahead we do foresee foot traffic this fall increasing as people return to the office and big ticket events return to major venues in our market. A lot of this stems from the fact too that retail is evolving and I can say that interior malls also become revitalized as gathering points that are becoming more and more experiential. The days of transaction-only retail are slowly fading away because consumers want to meet up to test, try and taste the next best thing available. So we’re seeing interior malls continue to evolve well beyond traditional retail.
Southgate Centre (Image: Craig Patterson)Edmonton City Centre Mall (Image: Craig Patterson)
“With this evolution, retailers are going to continue to rely on their online platform, naturally, but a true omni-channel offering is now critical in order to compete and survive in the retail world.”
Volorney said current retail vacancy is about 4.6 per cent in the third quarter of this year. From the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2022 the Edmonton retail market saw a spike in vacancy from 2.8 per cent to 5.3 per cent, which is substantial.
“I do foresee vacancy rates remaining fairly stable but still trending downward,” he said.
O’Neill talks about new retailers coming to the mall, future retailers possibly coming, the new retailers that have opened in the past few months, what the mall expects for this holiday shopping season.
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Last month Pusateri’s welcomed customers to explore its new developments, which includes a wider variety of produce selection, grab and go meals, and new pantry items – bringing a whole new shopping experience to customers.
“As people are returning to work, we are looking forward to opening further. This new phase of reopening is almost half the footprint of the store. We are really focused on making the store much more shoppable, not only for people who are there for lunch or a quick grab and go options, but also for people who want to do a little bit of shopping after work or during their lunch break,” says Paolo Pusateri, the Marketing Manager of Pusateri’s.
Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s – CF Toronto Eaton Center (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s – CF Toronto Eaton Center (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
With its reopening, Pusateri’s will be adding more selection for customers, such as offering an assortment of fresh vegetables and fruits.
“We significantly expanded with an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables. Mostly fruits and they will be cut up along with prepared vegetables, so they are ready to take home and easy for people to cook dinner. We have also expanded our packaged prepared food offering with ready to eat, ready to heat, and ready to warm up offerings.”
Pusateri’s has also expanded its pantry selection to include more choices of canned, dry goods, pasta sauce, olive oil, drinks, and snacks. There is also a new bakery where customers now have access to Pusateri’s full pastry department at this location. This will include fresh pastries, single serve options, cakes, pies, tarts, as well as a small assortment of fresh bread.
“When customers come into the store, the first thing they will see is a new area called Ida’s Picks, which is a curated section of shelf items, mostly pantry items, ranging from olive oils to confectionary items. It is a one stop shop for a curated list of the best and some faviourites by Ida Pusateri, who runs the company. It is an impressive display area, and it is now a permanent display so this will be something customers can always look forward to and it is one of the first things they see when they entre the store. It is a great pause and a shopping section for people to pick up some key items without having to go throughout the whole store.”
Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s – CF Toronto Eaton Center (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s – CF Toronto Eaton Center (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s – CF Toronto Eaton Center (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
This location has also reopened La Cucina Express, which is along the perimeter of the store where customers can find a variety of ready to go foods such as its gourmet grilled cheese and soup concept, and new favourites such as salads and a hot table. The store will also include a cafe.
“There is more to explore. If customers have visited us before September 8th, it was a very limited assortment. But now, we have a more robust lunch offering and we have a much more shoppable assortment on the inside of the store to help people build their basket and bring things home to make dinner and stock their pantry.”
As more people return to office and traffic returns to normal prior to the pandemic, Pusateri’s Saks Food Hall will continue to open more services at the store and will bring back more products. Pusateri said the company has some exciting new expansion plans customers can look forward to soon, although the details of the expansion plans will go unknown for a few weeks.
IKEA Canada is planning to open its second new Plan and Order concept store on October 12th in Kitchener, Ontario, after the successful launch of the innovation in July in Boisbriand, Quebec.
The IKEA Planning and Ordering Centre is a space where customers can connect with IKEA specialists and create custom layouts that meet their needs and dreams. Purchases made at the Planning and Ordering Centre may be delivered directly to customers’ homes or picked up at an IKEA pick-up point.
Eri Mathy
Eri Mathy, Head of Business Development & Transformation at IKEA Canada, said the launch of the first concept store in about 9,000 square feet in mid-July has been very successful.
“It’s been fantastic. I was there for the opening and it was fantastic to have our stores in the Montreal market . . . We had customers waiting for us to open that day and one customer bought two kitchens on the first opening day which was fantastic. She had been waiting for us, which is kind of a signal that customers were wanting us to be there and help them with their planning,” she said.
“We also saw that the bookings for the planning, you need to book in advance to make an appointment, it was booked up for the first six weeks so that’s also a great sign that our customers were really keen to get the service.”
IKEA Pick and Order Point Boisbriand (Image: IKEA Canada)
Mathy said the Kitchener store will open on October 12th and it will be slightly bigger than the Boisbriand store at about 10,000 square feet. The concept, which is part of the retailer’s global strategy in more than 30 countries now, will eventually roll out to more locations in Canada but no firm numbers have been established.
Mathy said the concept is much more intimate than the larger format stores with dedicated space where a customer can quietly plan one-on-one with an IKEA specialist.
Liz Wilson
Liz Wilson, IKEA Canada Customer Fulfillment Manager, said the new concept stores as well as other IKEA initiatives such as downtown stores and IKEA Design Studios, combined with its online presence, are transforming the need for services on how the retailer gets the goods to its customers.
“Our model has always been that our customer would come to the standard IKEA store and take the product home,” she said.
So the company has invested in various alternatives to that including pick-up points such as the Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver markets working with partner PenguinPickUp where customers can pick up orders. And of course, there’s home delivery.
“But we’ve also expanded our service on what type of home delivery offer do you want. If you look at some markets, it’s still okay that it will be a truck delivery and it will arrive anytime in a certain time window,” she said.
IKEA Pick and Order Point Boisbriand (Image: IKEA Canada)
“We’ve made huge developments in store fulfillment. So we’re using the existing stores to also do the click and collect and the lockers but also using the existing stores to do the truck home delivery and then in some markets like Halifax and Winnipeg we’re also doing partial delivery from those and those two markets are taking bigger areas. Also to build on the sustainable services and sustainable way of fulfillment.
“The fulfillment side for me always starts with the services to meet our customer in this new omni landscape and then how we’re investing in our units . . . We also have four central fulfillment units.”
Wilson added that the retailer has the ambition with its home delivery to be zero emissions.
GTA-based BUILD-IT is working with IKEA for the project buildouts.
Holt Renfrew "The Studio" (Image: Stephanie Kretzschmer / Holt Renfrew)
Luxury retailer Holt Renfrew has launched a completely renovated changing room area at its flagship Toronto store, with the help of global design and architecture firm Gensler, to give its customers an elevated shopping experience.
Allan Tse, Divisional Vice President, Store Design, Construction, Facilities and Visual Merchandising for the retailer, said The Studio is located at the 50 Bloor Street West downtown store.
Allan Tse
“We really wanted to create a modern, luxurious shopping experience for our customers. It’s located on our women’s designer apparel floor and it gave us an opportunity to rethink the way that customers shop at our store,” he said.
“What we’ve created is a very elevated lounge. It’s democratic. It’s open to all. It’s open to the sales floor. And it’s a place of discovery. In the past we’ve had personal shopping suites which are very luxurious suites that a customer would book. This is a space that a customer could have their associate bring them to anywhere from within the store and curate an assortment for them and shop in a very, very residential, very comfortable environment. Very open to the floor.”
Holt Renfrew “The Studio” (Image: Stephanie Kretzschmer / Holt Renfrew)
Tse said it’s a general direction in retail where fashion and design are now democratic. It’s a place where customers can feel open to exploring with a sales associate.
The unique space takes the changing room and elevates it to a multipurpose space for shopping, trunk shows and a space for in-store stylists to create social media content. It embodies a contemporary approach to luxury – comfortable, playful and joy-filled.
It’s also about creating those all important ‘pull-factors’ to bring people back into the store for an experience they simply can’t get online.
A stunning custom element is the hand-painted drapery by Korean-Canadian artist Dahae Song.
Holt Renfrew “The Studio” (Image: Stephanie Kretzschmer / Holt Renfrew)
Holt Renfrew “The Studio” (Image: Stephanie Kretzschmer / Holt Renfrew)
Tse said the concept is something that could be included in other Holt Renfrew stores in the future.
“As we look to renovate our other stores, this is definitely an experience that we’d like to explore to integrate for both our women’s shopping environments and our men’s shopping environments,” he said.
“We’re definitely looking at ways to animate the floor and actually bring shopping as an entertainment opportunity, as a social and entertainment activity to our customers. So the lounge itself is multipurpose . . . It’s flexible enough to do pop-ups, trunk shows and we even see doing private gatherings in there whether it’s a salon talk, special invitations with designers. It’s a very, very flexible space.”
Holt Renfrew “The Studio” (Image: Stephanie Kretzschmer / Holt Renfrew)
Holt Renfrew “The Studio” (Image: Stephanie Kretzschmer / Holt Renfrew)
The space is also sub-dividable to make more intimate spaces. The lighting has been designed for an intimate setting to a larger more open gathering.
“The Studio for us is definitely a space we wanted to explore some of our brand pillars and magenta being a very strong pillar for us. A strong sense of colour and the vibrancy of magenta in the space. You’ll notice that there’s a very fresh, modern take on that,” added Tse.
“So this environment that Gensler has created for us really is a foundation for all those activities. We definitely recognize that customers are shopping differently nowadays. With social media, the space will definitely be showing up in people’s feeds. The fact that it’s so identifiable is very important to us.”
Holt Renfrew “The Studio” (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Andrew Gallici
Andrew Gallici, Retail Design Director of Gensler, said for a luxury retailer it’s not just about luxury label goods anymore but the whole kind of cohesive experience.
“And I think what’s been really interesting is the kind of reinvention of what luxury means for a lot of people and it’s about inclusive, engaging and even in some cases humorous experiences that are . . . alluding to what luxury was like 20 years ago,” he said.
“So from that perspective we want it to be playful. We want it to be multi-sensorial and we wanted to create something that was really just warm and engaging from the onset.”
Holt Renfrew “The Studio” (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Gallici said the fitting rooms needed to be a new sense of luxury and spaciousness but also a bit cheeky.
“It’s this whole kind of unexpected moment within this serene space. Part of this is really playing unexpected and juxtaposed design notions and languages which I think form part of the surprise which adds to the overall sense of playfulness and luxury,” he said.
“As we get into the fitting rooms, we played with this whole idea of suites where we thought this is primarily designated for women’s wear. The idea you can break down the barrier literally of the walls dividing two of the fitting rooms. So there are four fitting rooms there. And they can become two larger suites.”
Kelowna-based Shop-Local network GetintheLoop has partnered with small business management platform Thryv to bring the company’s software across Canada.
The partnership will connect Canadian Small Businesses with a digital business communication tool, including automation and operational efficiencies.
“We’re very excited about this partnership and its many benefits to both organizations and, most importantly, local businesses,” said Matt Crowell, Founder and CEO of GetintheLoop. “Together, we immediately increase the value we can bring to local businesses across Canada and create extensive growth opportunities for our organization.”
Image: GetintheLoop
GetintheLoop is a digital shop-local community which brings consumers to new businesses through offers and rewards via an app and online platform. The Kelowna-based brand has been used across the country with over 6,500 business partners since debuting in 2013.
“Thryv is looking forward to supporting small businesses in Canada,” said Marie-Michèle Caron, president of International Markets for Thryv. “Our partnership with GetintheLoop is the jumping- off point to educating Canadian SMBs on how using a SaaS cloud-based operations tool can be both a financial and time efficiency. GetintheLoop’s understanding of the region’s SMB owners’ needs will be invaluable and owners’ familiarity with GetintheLoop makes this a perfect collaboration.”
Thryv has been used by more than 46,000 American SMBs to manage end-to-end operations, mobile solutions for business operations, including marketing, payments, analytics and more. Thryv also manages digital and print presence for over 400,000 businesses, connecting these SMBs to local consumers via proprietary local search portals and local directories.
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past several days.
adidas Future Location at The Well (Rendering: adidas)
Retail giant adidas is planning to open a new adidas Originals store in summer 2023 at the massive mixed-use development The Well in downtown Toronto.
Lesley Hawkins, VP Retail for the company, said the new store will fit in well with the new live, work and play project.
Lesley Hawkins
“The store concept that we will be bringing to life is called The Collection and is our new retail concept for adidas Originals. Our existing Queen Street neighbourhood store, located just east of Spadina on Queen Street West will transition to a new format,” she said.
“The Well will be the space that curates moments, captures culture and contrasts our past stories with our future vision.
adidas Future Location at The Well (Rendering: adidas)adidas Future Location at The Well (Rendering: adidas)
“The new space at The Well will be an expression of openness. There will be open archives, open collaboration, open source, because collecting is part of what we do. It’s how we track our story and for us we’re always searching, reinventing and innovating.”
Bordering Front, Spadina and Wellington, The Well is an extension of the urban vibrancy of King West. It is on 7.8 Acres and will include 320,000 square feet of total retail space, 1.2 million square feet of office space, 1.5 million square feet of new residential space and 1,700 condominiums and purpose-built rental suites.
“The Well is a transformational project and one of the most complex, multi-faceted developments Toronto has ever seen. It is a true example of choreographed city-building,” said John Ballantyne, Chief Operating Officer, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust. “The Well’s carefully curated retail mix plays a vital role in establishing The Well as a vibrant destination for residents and visitors to Toronto. The flagship space adidas will occupy is among the most prominent corners on the property and sets the tone for the quality of experience our future guests can expect when they visit The Well.”
adidas Construction at The Well (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
adidas Construction at The Well (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
adidas Construction at The Well (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Hawkins said The Well will be the retailer’s destination for the urban lifestyle consumer in this new vibrant community and it will also appeal to the surrounding Greater Toronto neighbourhoods.
The store will be 5,800 square feet and is located in the highest profile, most visible space of the project, at the main entrance of The Well and surrounded on three sides by windows.
“It is literally right on the corner of Front and Spadina,” said Hawkins.
“It’s an incredibly high traffic area right in downtown Toronto as it is located amongst business, residential and retail buildings. It is also frequented by anyone attending sporting events downtown whether it be at the Rogers Centre or Scotiabank Arena.”
Image: The Well (courtesy of RioCan and Allied REIT)
The Well is a joint venture between RioCan and Allied Properties REIT. The retail space is about 79 per cent leased or in advanced stages of negotiation. Some finalized leases include:
Arcadia Earth, 17,501 square feet;
Sweat and Tonic, 24,000 square feet;
HealthOne, 15,000 square feet;
Shoppers Drug Mart, 16,000 square feet;
adidas, 5,759 square feet;
Bailey Nelson, 818 square feet;
Prince St. Pizza 1,559 square feet.
The office space is 98 per cent leased and occupancy has started. Some of the office tenants include: Shopify, Index Exchange, Spaces, QuadrangleFinanceit, Konrad, Warner Music Group, Dyson, Unity Intuit, PointClickCare.
Image: The Well (courtesy of RioCan and Allied REIT)
According to the developers, a previously published economic impact report on The Well by The Altus Group revealed that annual benefits from the ongoing operation of The Well’s commercial and retail spaces, and the management of the property, will generate more than 23,000 person-years of employment and over $300 million in income by households. In total the estimated annual economic benefit from the on-going operations of The Well add up to approximately $939 million in economic activity for the city.
Once complete, The Well will offer space for 5,000 new office jobs, 1,200 new retail jobs, and over 1,700 new residences split between three signature condominiums and three purpose-built rental residences.
Applications for the adidas Canadian expansion will be available on the adidas Career Portal.
Optometrist-owned and led eyewear retailer Specsavers continues to aggressively expand its footprint across Canada with the recent opening of six stores in Alberta with big plans for growth in the future.
Bill Moir, Managing Director of Specsavers Canada, said the six Alberta locations are part of 200 clinics opening in Canada by 2024, all equipped with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology as part of every standard eye exam. He said Specsavers locations are equipped with the latest imaging and clinical technology for comprehensive eye exams, such as 3D eye scans through hospital-grade OCT technology.
During an interview at the recent store opening at the CF Market Mall location in Calgary, Moir said a complete pair of glasses start at $69 which is one of the company’s big draws.
“The key point of difference for us is OCT with every exam, glasses starting as low as $69 and the fact that the stores are actually owned and operated by local store owners who are part of the community,” he said.
Image: Specsavers Canada
Founded in the U.K. nearly 40 years ago by optometrist husband and wife team Doug and Mary Perkins, there are now more than 2,500 Specsavers healthcare businesses across 11 countries serving 41 million patients and customers. The brand announced its launch in Canada in 2021.
Specsavers said it is driven by its purpose of “changing lives through better sight” and aims to transform the way Canadians see accessible eyecare by offering exceptional service, clinical equipment and expertise, as well as affordable and quality eyewear.
The company has at least 20 stores in BC and six stores in Alberta. A seventh store in Alberta was scheduled to open soon.
“We’re opening about two or three stores a week now across Alberta and BC,” said Moir when he was in Calgary recently near the end of September.
“By the end of the year we should have just over 50 stores across Canada. We’ll be in three provinces, BC, Alberta and Ontario as well. Ontario we should open around the end of October. The aim is to get to 200 stores in the next two years. We’re on track to open about 100 stores a year. That’s what we’re averaging about two stores a week that we’re opening.”
Image: Specsavers Canada
Stores are about 2,000 square feet with three test rooms in a typical store.
“They’re designed to be much higher volume because we have a very attractive proposition and very affordable eyewear,” said Moir.
“The aim when we get to 200 stores is we want all customers to be able to access the brand easily. We look at where there are high concentrations of population. We tend to focus more in urban areas and maybe market towns or big outlying towns because that’s where the need for optometry is greatest, more than kind of big, expansive city centre locations. We’re more of a community-based retailer.”
The retailer is looking at enclosed shopping centres, streetfronts and outdoor shopping centres in its expansion.
Bill Moir (Image: Specsavers Canada)
There’s a growing trend in the market these days with more eyewear stores opening up – sometimes several in the same enclosed mall.
Is there a point of saturation in the market?
“I think there are a lot of eyewear outlets in Canada. I think there’s a lack of differentiation. It’s based on the fact that a smaller number of players own multiple brands. So, often you’ll go from one shop to another shop and you see the same brands, you see the same sort of pricing, you’ll see a very similar proposition,” said Moir.
“And I think there’s a lack of choice for Canadian consumers. So even though there’s lots of different names over the door, I think there’s actually a lack of choice. So what we’re doing is coming in with something very different in the market. We’re the only people including OCT in every part of the eye exam. We’ve got a very consistent practice on that to make sure we’re giving excellent clinical care and we’re the only people who have really high quality eyewear offering starting as low as $69 for a single perfectly pair of glasses.”
