Toronto-based North Brands Group Ltd., parent company of boys fashion retailer NorthBoys, has launched its first female-focused storefront at the Lawrence Plaza in Toronto called NorthGirls.
The storefront carries girls dresses and everyday casual apparel for girls ranging from newborn to size 16. Luxury brands carried in the store include Chloé, Stella McCartney and Emporio Armani among others. The store’s dramatic upscale interior matches the brand selection.
“After 10-years of developing NorthBoys into Canada’s number one retailer of boys suits, dresswear and casual, we are extremely excited to open the first NorthGirls boutique store at Toronto’s Lawrence Plaza, and online at NorthGirls.ca,” said founders Cary and Robyn Ulster.
Greg Evans, President of The Behar Group, negotiated the lease deal on behalf of North Brands Group Ltd. and Lisa Gardner, Principal at Lisa Gardner Design, designed the store’s interior.
North Brands Group was founded in 2010 and has three NorthBoys stores in the Toronto area. Locations include the Lawrence Plaza and CF Shops at Don Mills in Toronto and at Smartcentres in Thornhill.
Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, August 2021. Photo: Craig Patterson
San Francisco-based Gap Inc.-owned women’s and girls’ brand Athleta will open a storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre this fall in a space most recently occupied by Nike prior to its recent relocation. Despite trends in the sneaker industry showing shoppers are moving to online commerce, Nike continues to buck this trend by opening flagship stores.
“International expansion is a key component of our growth strategy to reach two billion dollars in net sales by 2023, and we are very proud to introduce Athleta to customers in Canada,” said Mary Beth Laughton, President and CEO, Athleta. “As a purpose-driven brand, we are excited to expand our community of empowered and confident women and girls to Canada and bring them a differentiated and inclusive offering in the performance lifestyle category.”
Click image for interactive Yorkdale floor plan
Athleta says that it plans to open between 20 and 30 stores in North America annually. The brand already has over 200 stores across the United States which it says are profitable. Gap Inc. says that its Athleta stores remain a “top customer acquisition and brand awareness vehicles and are a key component of the growth and future of the brand.”
New wholesale partnerships and international expansion through franchise and company-operated stores are among Gap Inc.’s strategic steps towards growing the Athleta brand to USD $2 billion in net sales by 2023. Last year Athleta surpassed USD $1 billion in net sales with 16% annual sales growth.
Athleta was founded in San Francisco in 1998 and Athleta Girl was launched in 2016. The company says that its mission “comes to life through inclusive and sustainable product design, connecting with customers through unique experiences in stores, online and within local store communities.”
Amazon Canada Office in Toronto - Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Amazon will be hosting its first ‘Career Day’ in Canada on Wednesday September 15 and the event will give job seekers an inside look at the corporate, technology and Operations network positions currently open across the country. The Career Day will feature a variety of panel sessions, keynote addresses and fireside chats. Interested parties can register (at no cost) at amazoncareerday.com.
The Amazon Career Day event will simultaneously take place in nine other countries. It is designed to support all job seekers ranging from new hires to those looking for a new job or hoping to transition to a different career altogether either at Amazon or another company.
Amazon Career Day programming will introduce participants to Canadian employees working in a variety of roles at local Tech Hubs, fulfillment centres, sortation centres, and delivery stations. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy will participate in a fireside chat on his own career experiences.
The event will also feature guest speakers Jennifer Abel, a two-time Olympic medalist in diving, and New York Times best-selling author Carla Harris, vice chairman of global wealth management and senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley, who was recently named one of the Top 50 Black Executives in Corporate America by Fortune Magazine. Both guest speakers will provide candid advice on how job seekers can start, build, or transition their careers and set the right objectives.
Globally, a team of over 2,000 Amazon recruiters will conduct 30,000 free, 1-on-1 career coaching sessions with job seekers in one day. The recruiters will offer advice to those interested in the wide variety of jobs available at the company, including positions in Amazon’s logistics network and corporate and technology roles at Tech Hubs in Vancouver and Toronto, where teams support Amazon Web Services (AWS), Alexa, Amazon Advertising, Retail and Operations Technology, Prime Video, and other businesses.
Amazon notes that according to a new Morning Consult job seeker insight survey commissioned by Amazon, 35% of Canadian job seekers say the COVID-19 pandemic has caused them to reconsider their career paths. The same study noted that 87% of Canadians who are looking to change careers are either somewhat concerned, concerned, or very concerned about finding a new job. Of the Canadians who are seeking new jobs 53% say it’s because they are looking for better pay and benefits.
Full-time employees at Amazon receive competitive wages, as well as medical, vision, and dental coverage, a group RRSP plan, and stock awards. Amazon also provides employees with access to the education and skills training they need to grow their careers, offering a variety of company-funded training opportunities to help them transition into higher-paying, in-demand careers within the company and beyond.
In Canada,Amazon employs more than 25,000 full-and part-time employees at the company’s fulfillment centres, corporate offices, development centres, and other facilities in British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Between 2010 and 2019, Amazon invested more than $11 billion in Canada, including infrastructure and compensation to employees.
TORONTO, Ontario and SANTA MONICA, California – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Swyft, a rapid delivery technology company founded in Toronto, announced today that it is facilitating same-day shipping for Walmart‘s Marketplace sellers. Swyft will provide Walmart Marketplace sellers with the option to ship products rapidly to consumers at an affordable cost at a time when e-commerce is growing rapidly.
Swyft is a scalable, affordable best-in-class last mile solution that is growing rapidly in Canada through retail partnerships that will be a game-changer as consumers demand fast delivery of online purchases.
Swyft will enable businesses within the Marketplace to offer same-day delivery at affordable rates. Swyft is there to help small business entrepreneurs grow operations by offering the best shipping experience at a rapid pace.
Swyft is a technology company with a mission to democratize access to same-day delivery. Swyft’s software application integrates with merchant shopping carts on e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento and large retailer transportation management systems to offer same-day delivery.
Swyft grants courier companies free access to its software and in return, they join Swyft’s marketplace which creates a network of warehouses and delivery drivers.
Through its zero-asset logistics marketplace, Swyft is able to offer merchants and retailers scalable same-day delivery at rates lower than next-day delivery with a modern customer experience. Swyft is the only asset-free (no warehouses, trucks, or drivers) B2B managed-marketplace solving for affordability in last-mile logistics.Swyft’s logistics tech optimizes a courier company’s workflows, creating net new value. Lower rates, the easiest eCommerce integrations & magical delivery experiences are how Swyft democratizes access to same-day delivery for brands and retailers.
Left-to-right: Noah Stern, Victor Luis, Ayal Twik (Image: Moose Knuckles)
Montreal-based outerwear and fashion brand Moose Knuckles announced Wednesday that Victor Luis had been appointed CEO after serving a role as Executive Chairman and working along-side co-owners Noah Stern and Ayal Twik for several months. Luis has had a notable career including having been formerly CEO of Coach Inc. while leading the transformation to Tapestry Inc. which also owns Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman.
Both Stern and Twik will lead the creative aspects of Moose Knuckles — Stern has assumed the role of Chief Product Officer while Twik is now the company’s Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to the announcement Stern and Twik were co-CEOs of Moose Knuckles. Both will retain their board seats and maintain their respective shares of ownership in the company.
Moose Knuckles said in a statement that the appointment of Luis as CEO is part of the plan to expand the brand globally after seeing considerable success with both its wholesale accounts as well as direct-to-consumer stores. Moose Knuckles opened its first standalone store in 2017 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre and has since opened more locations in Canada and globally with plans for even more from a source Retail Insider recently spoke with at the company.
“I am super excited to be able to focus full time on what I love which is driving culture, brand building and fostering consumer engagement,” said Twik in a statement. “I could not be more thrilled about our quickly increasing growth and scale and the strong teams we have in place to execute our strategies. This change in corporate structure will allow me to focus on areas I am passionate about.”
Moose Knuckles Construction at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (August 1, 2021). Photo: Dustin Fuhs
I could not be more proud of the global luxury brand we have built and the exceptional products we continue to bring to market,” said Stern in a statement, “Our coats and parkas are rated as the world’s warmest, and as we expand our offering into other seasons, I am so charged to focus all my energies on continuing to break boundaries in creating killer fashion products of the highest quality. All of our teams are excited to bring innovative products and experiences to Moose Knuckles’ fans across the world.”
Twik and Stern added, “Victor is one of the rare leaders in the industry – one who has a commercial view to business while maintaining and inspiring a deep respect and passion for the creative process. We admire the way he thinks about business, luxury, culture, and the fashion industry as a whole. He also shares our belief in the importance of a culture-led company that is focused on creating memorable consumer experiences one client at a time. We have a strong management team in place and are excited to have Victor as the company’s Chairman and CEO as we prepare to capture the tremendous opportunity ahead for long-term global brand growth.”
Moose Knuckles recently announced several environmental and social initiatives focusing on the long-term sustainability of the brand’s global footprint. The company also recently announced the end of production with natural fur by end of 2022 as was discussed in a recent podcast in Retail Insider.
Over the past five years, Moose Knuckles has seen double-digit year-over-year growth. Last year the brand saw a nearly triple-digit increase in direct-to-consumer sales along with a 12x growth rate in China despite the pandemic.
“There has never been a more exciting time for branded luxury outerwear and Moose Knuckles is poised to become the next big player in the global market,” said Luis in a statement. “My family’s increased equity investment is a reflection of our excitement over what we have learned during the last several months and the tremendous opportunity for growth ahead of us. Moose Knuckles’ recent organizational changes are built to capture and accelerate growth as we continue to recruit top talent and transform systems and processes to support the brand’s global expansion and elevate our capacity to execute at the highest levels.”
Moose Knuckles parkas and fashions are distributed in over 30 countries in upscale retailers. The company said in a statement that it plans to expand its footprint to over 35 stores and pop-ups while also beefing up its e-commerce business.
Moose Knuckles is currently hiring for various roles with more information available at its LinkedIn careers page.
The Elgin Centre in St. Thomas Ontario will see a new hotel open on-site in October of 2022. A Holiday Inn Express & Suites is currently under construction after delays due to the pandemic.
The $16 million, 95 room hotel will be 5 storeys, totalling 61,732 square feet, and will feature:
25 Suites
Swimming Pool, Hot Tub and Fitness Centre
Business Centre and over 2,200 square feet of meeting space for functions and business
conferences
Complimentary breakfast
Outdoor terrace
Outdoor walkway with easy access to Elgin Centre shops, restaurants, movie theatre & services.
The hotel is expected to drive foot traffic to the shopping centre as well as neighbouring businesses. Shopping centres have been adding non-retail components in recent years in Canada as landlords look to capitalize on density.
Megan Pickersgill
The Elgin Centre spans 305,000 square feet and is the only enclosed mall in St. Thomas and Elgin County, housing over 40 retailers and restaurants. Anchors include Metro, Giant Tiger, Dollarama, Galaxy Cinemas and Fit4Less by Goodlife. About $3.5 million has been spent in improvements over the past 2 years.
The mall sits on a 20-acre site and has over 1,200 parking spaces. Elgin County and St. Thomas have a population exceeding 90,000 residents.
Megan Pickersgill, Manager of Railway City Tourism, said, “St. Thomas is being noticed in so many ways and we are now seeing visitors coming for business, sports, arts and culture and heritage experiences. This new development will perfectly complement the existing accommodations in the region and I have no doubt that it will help Elgin Centre grow even further as a gathering place for our community and those who visit.”
Oxford-Properties-managed Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto is hosting a vintage/sustainable clothing sale for the first time. Called ‘THE STREET MARKET’, the event will be held at the centre of the shopping centre on September 4th and 5th, featuring over 20 small business vendors selling a curated selection of vintage/used name-brand apparel.
“With the secondhand market set to surpass retail within a decade, events like this may become a normalized part of society over time,” said THE STREET MARKET (TSM) in a statement.
TSM was established in December of 2019 prior to the pandemic. Following the success of its premier event, plans to host its second event in March 2020 were short-lived following the announcement of nation-wide lockdowns.
Another event held in July 24th of 2020 saw the following:
Gross Sales – Over $15,000
Transactions – Over 150
Attendees – Approx. 300
The Street Market – August 28th, 2020
Attendees – Approx. 350-400
The Street Market – October 3rd & 4th, 2020 (Weeks
prior to second nation-wide lockdown)
Attendees – Approx. 250
Image: THE STREET MARKET
Image: THE STREET MARKET
Scarborough Town Centre was the first major shopping centre in Canada to also host a second-hand store. In March of this year we reported that the Clarendon Trading Company had opened a storefront in the mall carrying a range of sought-after brands.
More shopping centres are expected to welcome non-traditional tenants after Cadillac Fairview recently partnered with cannabis retailer Tokyo Smoke to open in CF malls, marking the first major shopping centre landlord with multiple locations globally to welcome on-site cannabis stores.
Doug Putman at Toys R Us Canada (Image: Danielle Donville)
Doug Putman is a serial entrepreneur with a strong belief in the potential of brick and mortar retail as the industry comes through the challenging economic times of the pandemic.
Recently, it was announced that Putman Investments, a Canadian-based, family-owned company, was buying the Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us Canada brands with 81 stores in the country and plans to expand that number.
In late 2020, Putman took over 45 shuttered DAVIDS Tea locations and transformed them into a new brand T.Kettle with the goal to expand the concept further in Canada.
Putman is best known for converting HMV music stores to Sunrise Records a few years ago. There are 82 stores in Canada.
Image: Doug Putman (HMV)
“Certainly we’ve got a lot of confidence in brick and mortar. We keep buying into it and we intend to buy more into it,” said the founder of Putman Investments. “Our belief is that people are always going to want to go somewhere and they’re always going to want to go and shop. The ability to touch and feel and interact is an important one. Ultimately online is great and it serves its purpose but the online will never fully replace that brick and mortar business.”
Putman is also owner of FYE (For Your Entertainment), Alex Brands, HMV Retail Ltd (UK), The Granite Restaurant (Bancroft, Ontario), Makin Waves Marine (Bancroft) and Everest Toys (Hamilton).
The key to brick and mortar success is offering customers a nice shopping experience. It’s the way to win people back to the physical stores.
“Of course, a bunch of this business has gone online but if you look at the businesses we own they have online components. It’s not like we’re not in the online business. We’re a brick and mortar retailer that has an online presence. So if business does shift online, that’s okay for us to pick up a good portion of it,” said Putman.
“We look at our brick and mortar stores as a competitive advantage. A lot of people laugh when I say no one’s ever going to be only ecomm and they say have you ever heard of Amazon. Well, if you start reading the articles, what’s Amazon doing. They’re going to start looking at opening department stores. They bought Whole Foods.
Doug Putman at Toys R Us Canada (Image: Danielle Donville)
Doug Putman at Toys R Us Canada (Image: Danielle Donville)
“So you can look at kind of the best retailer out there in Amazon and they’re not going to stay only ecommerce. I think we’re on the right track. I like where we’re going and as long as we keep offering a better experience in the stores that we have, we keep our in stocks well positioned, then I think we’ll just keep getting the customers naturally coming back.”
Putman said the retail industry is still not at full recovery as many customers may still be hesitant to visit a physical store due to health concerns about the ongoing pandemic. And it’s hard to really judge right now how much business has truly left brick and mortar to online and will never come back. The industry really doesn’t know what that number is yet.
Putman is very confident about the retail industry going forward. He said the Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us acquisitions won’t be the company’s last purchase. It’s still looking at other retailers to expand its portfolio.
“From our perspective we’re still in acquisition mode,” he said. “We clearly like retail. So we’re open to that. We’re looking for businesses that are interesting to us. The toy business was interesting. The tea business was interesting. We just enjoy business. For us we’re pretty open to just about anything. I think we are agnostic to what that category is that they sell.
T. Kettle at St. Laurent Shopping Centre (Photo by Dustin Fuhs)
“It just comes down to what is the opportunity. Obviously we’ve done well at turning some businesses around. That’s the nice thing. We can buy very strong healthy businesses but we’re also open to buying ones that are in a little bit of distress that need some help.”
T. Kettle has about 70 stores, up from the 45 locations it began with. Putman said throughout the pandemic there have been more vacancies for retail space, allowing that brand to grow across Canada.
When asked how many more stores that brand could grow to, he replied: “I don’t know. I think we’re getting close to where we feel good. When you look at Sunrise we’ve got just over 80, Toys ‘R’ Us is just over 80. It feels that seems to be the sweet spot for Canada when we look at it. There’s always the opportunity for a bit more for sure.’
