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.
Sherwood Park Mall (Image: Sherwood Park Mall / Primaris REIT)
Leasing activity in the past year has been very brisk for Primaris REIT’s Sherwood Park Mall property, just outside of Edmonton, leading to increased foot traffic and excitement about the shopping centre’s future.
Rebecca Quinn, Marketing Manager, Sherwood Park Mall, said eyewear retailer Specsavers has been one of several key retailers that have opened in the shopping centre in the past year. Their first store in Alberta opened in late August.
“It’s a great offering. We’re a community-based property so I think it will really appeal to our community,” she said.
Specsavers at Sherwood Park Mall (Image: Sherwood Park Mall / Primaris REIT)
Also opening in the past year have been Safeway Liquor Store, Best Buy, New York Fries, clothing retailer Boathouse, Shaw and local business Mud Sweat and Gears.
“Mud Sweat and Gears is a local, very well-known bike retailer, and they’ve opened this summer in our former Montana’s (restaurant) location. The transformation through their renovations has been amazing.” added Quinn.
The mall is celebrating 50 years of existence this year with just under 400,000 square feet of retail space over one level and roughly 85 tenants. And Seana Almer, General Manager, said the mall currently is sitting at about 90 per cent occupied.
Mud Sweat and Gears at Sherwood Park Mall (Image: Sherwood Park Mall / Primaris REIT)Mud Sweat and Gears at Sherwood Park Mall (Image: Sherwood Park Mall / Primaris REIT)
The mall is located in an established area of Sherwood Park, just east of the City of Edmonton.
Almer said another big and exciting thing taking place at the shopping centre is a $4-million Cineplex renovation that was sidelined due to COVID.
“That finally started. They’re retrofitting all 10 auditoriums with the recliner seating. Work started (in August) and they’re expecting to have them all done by Christmas. We actually announced that about six weeks before COVID hit and it’s been shelved until this year. So we’re super excited about that and excited to offer that to our community.
Boathouse at Sherwood Park Mall (Image: Sherwood Park Mall / Primaris REIT)
“Leasing’s has some great traction right now and there’s a lot of conversations going on which is really wonderful but nothing that’s ready to be shared,” added Almer about future tenants to the property.
Quinn said the new tenants have created an increase in interest within the community.
“We’re still coming out of the pandemic. We’ve been seeing traffic numbers normalize and the New York Fries opening, I’m telling you, the excitement for that tenant was amazing,” she said.
“I think our Leasing team has worked hard to attract and diversify our tenant mix for our community. Sherwood Park Malls is showing great at 50! With our finished renovations and new additions, we are seeing people come back into the property with longer dwell times …it is a place to shop but also a place to gather. Strathcona County wants to shop local and with us offering a wider variety of tenants we hope to see continued growth in years to come.”
Safeway Sherwood Park Mall (Image: Sherwood Park Mall / Primaris REIT)
Almer said Sherwood Park Mall aims to listen and tries to meet the needs of the community.
“Edmonton is probably the most over-retailed landscape in the country. So we’re taking the opportunity to try and fit the needs of our community with the spaces we have available. For example the New York Fries deal was a long time coming for us because of other considerations, so the continuous work to improve the tenant mix has been a consistent goal for us,” she said.
Indigo at Sherwood Park Mall (Image: Sherwood Park Mall / Primaris REIT)Dollarama and Best Buy at Sherwood Park Mall (Image: Sherwood Park Mall / Primaris REIT)
“Best Buy has also been a game changer. (Retail Insider) did the article on the new format. That location, being able to offer the electronics piece for our community – when we didn’t have many options – I think it speaks to just looking at what the community needs and working hard with our leasing and tenant partners to fill those gaps.”
Almer added that Sherwood Park Mall provided retail stability in the community throughout the pandemic.
“At Sherwood Park Mall, we didn’t lose a single tenant because of COVID-related decisions. Primaris as a whole also worked really hard to maintain our tenancies and work with our partners. That’s a piece of the story that’s important to note because during COVID there were many stories circulating about the big, bad landlords. We’re not at all like that. We worked very hard to keep those partnerships alive and to keep the lights on in our centre and it’s a story that we’re really proud of.”
Retail giant Walmart is offering Canadian companies a straightforward way to expand stateside as the company is recruiting Canada-based sellers to join its flagship U.S. Marketplace and serve a growing base of more than 120 million loyal online shoppers each month.
Walmart said entrepreneurs and e-commerce sellers interested in being among the first to explore the opportunity can sign up for the Virtual Walmart Global Seller Summit – Canada on Sept. 8. It will feature practical sessions hosted by Walmart executives and cross-border payments provider Payoneer. The company said attendees will learn how they can take advantage of simplified onboarding, streamlined fulfillment, targeted promotions, integrated financial services and other support to help them rapidly scale and grow in the U.S. and Canada.
“Since 2017, Canada-based sellers have been able to participate in Walmart Canada’s growing Marketplace offering, allowing them to sell to the more than 1.5 million customers who visit Walmart.ca each day,” said Brooks Forrest, Senior Director, International Marketplace Development, Walmart U.S.
Image: Walmart Seller Center
“Now, Canadian ecommerce sellers are also able to join Walmart’s U.S. Online Marketplace and reach a community of more than 120 million U.S. customers each month, providing an opportunity for expansion. Sellers of all sizes can join our marketplace and grow their ecommerce footprint. There are no setup, subscription, or monthly fees. Walmart simply deducts a referral fee once a sale occurs and our competitive referral fee percentages vary by category.
Brooks Forrest
“Plus, sellers can use tools like Walmart Fulfilment Services that help streamline their cross-border deliveries and Walmart Connect, a media platform for advertising and marketing campaigns.”
“In both our Canadian and U.S. markets, our Marketplace offering is growing every day. By working with sellers through Marketplace, we’re able to provide our customers with even more choice as we work to serve more people and help everyone save money and live better,” said Forrest.
“We’re proud to offer Canada-based businesses even more opportunity through ecommerce, which now includes being able to sell on both the Walmart Canada and U.S. marketplaces. Whether this is a seller’s first experience selling through Walmart’s Marketplace or whether this is a natural next step to scale their existing Walmart Canada Marketplace offering, we want to help our sellers succeed.”
Image: Walmart.com
Through Marketplace, Walmart is able to provide its customers with more choice than ever before, he added.
“Inviting international sellers, like those based in Canada, to sell on Walmart.com is part of how we’re expanding our assortment and continuing to grow our ecommerce business – a top priority for Walmart. This is a big milestone – we see huge potential for Canadian companies to sell to our U.S. customers through Marketplace and look forward to welcoming these sellers. Canada has a strong international brand associated with trustworthiness, reliability and quality that we’re proud to make available.”
Walmart said the drive to attract Canadian companies builds on decades of Walmart’s engagement with retailing and ecommerce in Canada. Giving sellers on the thriving Walmart.ca marketplace an opportunity for international expansion, it also comes as local businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, are looking to reap the benefits of the Canada-United States-Mexico free trade agreement (CUSMA), it said.
Darren Carithers
In a statement, Darren Carithers, senior vice president of Marketplace development for Walmart International, said that Walmart is focused on growing its U.S. and Canada marketplaces and investing heavily in new tools and services for sellers.
“Building e-commerce marketplaces that both customers and sellers trust has been a priority for Walmart for years. Whether you are an experienced Walmart seller or new to the Walmart family, we want to help you succeed on our U.S. and Canadian marketplaces,” he said. “By working together, we can serve more customers and help everyone save money and live a better life.”
Ya Wen
“Payoneer’s mission is to connect small businesses to the global economy. Our partnership with Walmart gives our sellers the opportunity to work with one of the biggest names in retail. We are delighted to see more Canadian entrepreneurs and small businesses joining the global digital economy and selling to U.S. consumers on Walmart Marketplace,” said Ya Wen, senior vice president, Americas, Payoneer, in a statement.
HearCANADA, the retail division of Denmark-based WS Audiology, is planning to rapidly expand its footprint in Canada over the next few years.
The company currently has 81 locations in the country, primarily in Ontario, but spread from coast to coast.
Terri Brzozowski, Interim Marketing Director for HearCANADA, said over the years the company had acquired a number of different smaller brands and rebranded them under the one umbrella.
“The kickoff (to expansion) is really this rebranding – aligning the brand to create some awareness nationally and then the next phase of this is a significant growth opportunity for us in terms of adding new clinics,” she said.
HearCANADA offers a range of hearing aids and accessories. Consumers can purchase hearing aids, accessories, and batteries from one of its local hearing clinics. It also offers a variety of services related to hearing care and hearing aids including hearing tests, earwax removal, or hearing aid repairs.
Image: HearCANADA
Image: HearCANADA
Brzozowski said the company’s overarching goal is to add 100 new clinics. She said 80 per cent of its business is done in Ontario currently. The expansion will move more into western markets such as Alberta and British Columbia being priority areas.
“Obviously we’re going to take a scaled approach to that. I think in our next fiscal (year) that starts in October we’ll start with at least 10 clinics,” she said.
Aurora Realty Consultants is the real estate representative for HearCANADA on their Canadian national growth project, to expand access to hearing aids and care, in order to reach more people around the country, coast to coast.
The company said the new facilities will be in traditional and nontraditional medical, office, hybrid and retail commercial real estate facilities with emphasis on client access and convenience.
Image: HearCANADA
“Our demographic is growing to begin with. I think hearing care is becoming more important to the consumer. There’s a great understanding of the importance of hearing health care. We’re finding studies that can directly relate hearing loss and cognitive decline. So I think people are just becoming more aware of the importance of managing their hearing health,” said Brzozowski.
“I think the pandemic has taught us it’s important to really manage our own health in general and hearing is a big part of that.
“What we’re trying to do as a company, there’s always this stigma around hearing decline and wearing hearing aids in general. So what we’re trying to do with this rebrand is knock down that stereotype and WS (Audiology) is also a manufacturer of hearing aids. We have a wholesale partner as well so we’re trying to take the product and the image and tie them together so creating products that are more adaptable to the changing demographic. The demographic alone, if you think of a 70-year-old plus now versus a 70-year-old plus 20 years ago, their lifestyles have certainly changed. Quality of life has improved. So they want to take charge of their hearing.”
Brzozowski also said the company is starting to see a younger demographic – 55 years old plus – with mild, slight hearing loss.
“Between changing demographics, changing stigma, they all create opportunities for us to jump on,” she said.
Formula Fig at 50 Ossington Avenue (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Vancouver-based skincare retail concepts Formula Fig has recently expanded to its first location in Toronto with the plan of opening five to seven stores across Canada and in the United States by 2023.
Formula Fig was inspired when the owner and founder, Jessica Walsh, found a gap in the skincare industry as customers needed to go to multiple places to take care of their skincare needs. At Formula Fig, customers can have all their skincare needs taken care of from in store services and take-home products.
“Think about it – if you want to go somewhere for all your ‘essential’ skincare needs, what are your options? You have to go to your Dermatologist for injectables, med-spa for facials, and a skincare retailer for your products. Most of these are uninspiring and intimidating! Getting an appointment is challenging and takes up too much of your day. Most of the time, they are located off the beaten track. At Formula Fig – we change all of this. We combine a best-in-class skincare offering of high-tech facials, injectables, and skincare products,” says Walsh.
“It’s Time to Give a Fig About Your Skin”
Formula Fig at 50 Ossington Avenue in Toronto (Image: Kiara Schwartz)
Formula Fig at 50 Ossington Avenue in Toronto (Image: Kiara Schwartz)
Formula Fig at 50 Ossington Avenue in Toronto (Image: Kiara Schwartz)
Formula Fig provides several of skincare treatment options that are 45 minutes or less including injectables and facials. Injectables are for customers who are looking for skincare from within, these treatments include vitamin IVs, Stingers to help with wrinkles, and vitamin shots.
Customers can also experience Formula Fig’s numerous facials that are divided into four different categories: Laser, Super, Core, and Self Serve which is zero contact. All locations also offer take-home products.
New Location
Formula Fig at 50 Ossington Avenue (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Formula Fig at 50 Ossington Avenue in Toronto (Image: Kiara Schwartz)
Formula Fig has recently added its first location in Toronto. Located at 50 Ossington Avenue customers can experience its full service and product menu – and its exceptional interior designs that are customized for each store with keeping in the lines of the Formula Fig palette of textured greens and rich pinks.
The new location will be 800 square feet and will have a lushest interior.
“For Fig Bar Ossington, I was inspired by the London Tube (my hometown) and incorporates design elements such as curved seating cubicles and endless, infinite mirrors, creating tunnel-like effects. We also sourced the tiles we used from the same manufacturer as those used for the actual London Tube!”
Formula Fig at 50 Ossington Avenue in Toronto (Image: Kiara Schwartz)
Formula Fig at 50 Ossington Avenue in Toronto (Image: Kiara Schwartz)
Formula Fig is also opening its third location in West Vancouver opening in September where the interior design inspiration came from a swimming pool.
“The effect is meant to feel like standing at the bottom of a beautiful, green-tiled pool. The metallic ceiling ripples like water, and outside the treatment rooms, you can see the sunshine gleaming through the surface. All the walls are elegantly curved, creating a transportive, dreamlike feeling. As you can tell, I’m looking forward to this one opening.”
As for these specific locations, Walsh wanted Formula Fig to be in a thriving and inspirational community as it is essential to the brand and is looking forward to expanding within Canada and internationally.
Future Plans
Co-Founders JJ Walsh and Anita Chan (Image: Britney Gill)
In addition to the new location opening in September in West Vancouver, Formula Fig is also planning to expand into the United States. Its first location will be in North Sycamore Los Angeles and is planning to open by the end of the year. After this, Formula Fig will have four locations across Vancouver, Toronto and one in Los Angeles and will not be stopping there as it is planning on opening five to seven new locations across the United States and Canada by 2023.
“We combine a best-in-class curated skincare offering of high-tech facials, injectables, and high-quality skincare products. Not only is our offering unique to what you can find elsewhere, how we offer it is, too: beautiful, welcoming, immersive destinations in your favorite neighborhoods. All our locations are where you would already be going to meet a friend, grab a coffee, be inspired, and we hope that a visit to Formula Fig becomes a part of this routine!”
Jackson Turner of CBRE negotiated the lease for the Ossington store and represents Formula Fig in its store expansion.
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.
Tarry talks about the feedback from the first issue and how it went, preparation for the second issue, the use of a variety of writers and experts, topics and issues to be discussed in the second issue and what lies ahead for the publication.
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The burgeoning area known as Liberty Village continues to undergo a dramatic transformation with more to come as First Capital Real Estate Investment Trust looks to build three residential towers in the neighbourhood with additional retail and office space.
Leah Feeley, Director of Leasing for First Capital REIT, said the area has seen a dramatic transformation within the last five years.
Leah Feeley
“Liberty Village is our bread-and-butter shopping centre in terms of our ‘Super-Urban’ Strategy. Our ‘Super-Urban’ Strategy encompasses three core metrics including population density, access to transit and walkability score,” said Feeley.
“We continue to have strong leasing demand and high renewal expectancies in Liberty Village. If a unit comes up for lease, we see this as a great opportunity to bring in new and exciting tenancies with a great following such as Nodo Restaurants, Burger Drops, Pi Co., Nani’s Gelato, and Chipotle – all recent deals. We have a very diverse tenant mix including grocery, daycare, banks, pet supplies, personal services, QSR, furniture stores etc. The Metro grocery store continues to be a huge traffic driver.”
Image: Liberty Village
First Capital’s urban mixed-use shopping centre, called “Liberty Village”, has about 75 tenants in about 450,000 square feet. Retail includes Shops at King Liberty, King High Line and Barrymore.
Jennifer Arezes, Vice President of Development for First Capital said, “We are proposing to redevelop a portion of our Shops at King Liberty property with 882 new residential units along with 20,000 square feet of new retail space and 70,000 square feet of office space”.
Jennifer Arezes
“We’re also proposing a new public park and multi-use pedestrian promenade traversing the site from East Liberty Street to 85 Hanna (Avenue)/Barrymore and eventually across the tracks to King High Line and the new proposed King-Liberty GO Station,” Arezes said.
Feeley said “There is a lot of high-rise residential going up in the area. There is great accessibility to Lakeshore and the Gardiner Expressway. It is walking distance to the Exhibition Station/BMO Field. There are a lot of young families that have moved here, and everyone seems to have a dog! Popular tech companies have also opened offices here. It has really become the trendiest most desirable place to live.”
Image: Liberty Village
According to First Capital, the proposed development includes the following elements:
Block A at 75 Hanna Avenue is proposed as a four-storey office podium with retail at grade and two residential towers at 29 and 34 storeys;
Block B at 120 Lynn Williams Street is proposed as a seven-storey podium with retail at grade and a 33-storey residential tower above; and
Approximately 40 per cent of the development site area is devoted to public realm elements – the Public Park, the Snooker Street Extension, the Promenade, and the Urban Plaza.
“Liberty Village continues to cater to young professionals, young couples, families, and ex-suburbanite empty nesters, making for a unique and diverse mix of tastemakers and trend shapers. Liberty Village is set to see the population grow over nine per cent in a five-kilometre radius by 2026. This will take the total population from 533,000 to over 582,000 people,” says Feeley.
“The City of Toronto is working in collaboration with the Province of Ontario and Metrolinx to take advantage of the nearly 40 kilometres of already existing Metrolinx GO rail corridors to bring a better transit experience to the city. The SmartTrack Program will bring five new stations along existing rail corridors (one of them being in Liberty Village) in order to create more desirable transit infrastructure for the people of Toronto. These stations will connect existing subway lines, the UP Express and future lines to the GO Train, allowing more people to easily travel in and out of the city while leaving their vehicles behind. All five stations are set to be operational by 2026 and are projected to bring 110,000 new daily riders to the rail network by 2031.”
Liberty Village has a Transit Score of 100, a Walk Score of 94 and a Bike Score of 79.
First Capital REIT, with over $10 billion in assets, is a leading owner, operator, and developer of grocery-anchored and mixed-use real estate located in Canada’s most densely populated cities.
As of June 30, it owned interests in 147 neighbourhoods, totalling 22.3 million square feet of gross leasable area and 2,400 tenants.
Los Angeles-based Alo Yoga has entered the Canadian market with its first storefront at 60 Bloor Street West in Toronto where a Gap store was formerly located. A second Alo store opens this fall at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and more are said to be coming to major cities across the country.
The 60 Bloor Street West Alo location is smaller than we had anticipated when we first reported on Alo’s entry into Canada in January. Alo occupies one level of the former Gap store, spanning about 7,000 square feet. The space boasts soaring ceiling heights facing Bloor Street, made possible by removing escalators from the former Gap store that led to a second level. The new Alo store itself features a white interior that is off-set with wood accents including fixtures and other design elements, as well as a contrasting black trim fixtures and artwork that create an airy and open space.
A 6,800 square foot Alo location is set to open at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in November — the suburban mall Alo location will be nearly as large as the downtown flagship. Alo is said to be looking at opening stores in Edmonton at West Edmonton Mall and in downtown Montreal on Ste-Catherine Street, though nothing is confirmed in terms of finalized deals.
60 Bloor Street West office tower with Holt Renfrew (50 Bloor St. W.) next to it. Photo: Craig Patterson Inside Alo Yoga’s Bloor Street store on opening day. Photo: Craig Patterson
Given what is being said so far, a national store expansion for Alo in Canada is likely at play. Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre could be a target, and Vancouver is a likely bet for Alo, being Lululemon’s home territory.
Alo Yoga’s entry into Canada comes at a time of intense competition, with Lululemon last week reporting stronger than expected sales numbers from its global operations. And Alo Yoga is specifically looking to grab market share from Lululemon. Both brands boast a cult following, and both feature somewhat pricey wares with high margins that allow both to afford the cost of store expansions and expensive real estate. Lululemon has the advantage of almost 70 Canadian stores (a few of which are seeing upgrades) and years of customer loyalty. Alo’s prices appear slightly higher than Lululemon’s, though the price difference might not matter as much to a more monied target demographic. Some Canadians are already familiar with the brand from travel, and have become loyal (we had several excited local shoppers asking us questions prior to the store’s opening). Over the opening weekend in Toronto, the Bloor Street Alo store appeared very busy and shopping bags were seen throughout the neighbourhood.
In Toronto, Lululemon is building a 12,100 square foot three-level flagship on the same block as Alo on Bloor — Lululemon will occupy the northwest corner of Yonge and Bloor streets just 165 metres or 550 feet from Alo Yoga’s new flagship. The Lululemon store will open in early 2024 according to the brand.
Future Alo Yoga at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Craig Patterson (August 2022)Alo Yoga 60 Bloor St. W. in Toronto, Photo: Craig Patterson Alo Yoga 60 Bloor St. W. in Toronto, Photo: Craig Patterson
In Edmonton, if Alo opens at West Edmonton Mall, it would compete with a highly productive Lululemon location. In 2013, the mall’s Lululemon store was said to be top in the company with sales exceeding $25 million annually in just 3,200 square feet. The store expanded to 6,200 square feet several years later and sales rose from there.
Other brands are getting into the yoga/athleisure space in Canada, though at a bit of a lower price point. Women’s brand Offline by Aerie recently entered Canada with its first store at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton — a second location is set to open at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre and more are planned. It joins Gap-owned Athleta which is opening stores across Canada with a national expansion at play.
Some athleisure brands haven’t’ been so lucky in terms of success in Canada — Reitmans shut its Hyba yoga-themed stores in 2018 (the line can still be found in Reitmans stores) and Montreal-based Lole, once expecting to operate about 100 stores in Canada, has significantly shrunk in size since the pandemic. International brands including Lorna Jane were not successful here.
Alo Yoga 60 Bloor St. W. in Toronto, Photo: Craig Patterson Alo Yoga 60 Bloor St. W. in Toronto, Photo: Craig Patterson
Back to Toronto, it’s remarkable that given the importance of the corner of Bloor and Bay Streets, that a retailer such as Alo only ended up taking just one floor. The opportunity presented for something larger and more dramatic. Birks CEO Jean Christoph Bedos in 2019 said that the Bloor and Bay intersection was the “the best retail location in all of Canada”, though as of late it may have seen better days. For years luxury multi-brand retailer Davids Footwear occupied the northwest corner of Bloor and Bay — now it’s home to unsightly optical retailer Hakim Optical which many are unhappy about occupying such an important corner (Hakim also has three stores within less than a kilometre of each other southward along Bay Street). A TD Bank occupies the southwest corner, and Bedos’ snazzy open-concept Birks jewellery store occupies the southeast corner within the Manulife Place complex.
The opening of Alo is still good news for Toronto’s Bloor Street, which is seeing new retailers opening and others signing leases. We’ll continue to report on the ongoing developments in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville which is seeing something of a renaissance that will include the opening of several youthful and popular global brands with announcements to follow.
Alo Yoga was founded in Los Angeles in 2007 by entrepreneurs Danny Harris and Marco Degeorge who continue to own and bankroll the business. The company says that it makes “the most technologically advanced yoga clothing in the world” with a “studio-to-street” ethos. Home workouts are possible with Alo Moves, an at-home fitness concept with a $30 monthly membership for unlimited yoga, fitness and meditation. The company has a non-profit called Alo Gives which it says will introduce millions of kids to yoga. Each week classes are shared on YouTube for free.
Alo Yoga only has 19 stores in the United States currently — that’s up from 13 in January. In an exclusive article in WWD earlier this year, Alo co-founder and CEO Danny Harris said that the company is looking to open about a “half a dozen” more stores including Toronto and possibly a partner store in Dubai later this year.
“We have more [stores] coming, but we’re not really sure exactly how many more,” Harris said. “We’re a digital company first. So how many more stores that justifies, we’re not sure. We’re going to eventually go to major cities in Canada and to major cities all over the world,” he continued. Global centres including London and Paris are also among the targets.
During a challenging period of labour shortages in the foodservice industry across Canada, fast food chain McDonald’s has embarked on a campaign to hire thousands of people for its more than 1,400 restaurants.
Becky Ohayon, Senior Director, Field Human Resources McDonald’s Canada told Retail Insider that there are more than 20,000 open positions at McDonald’s for job-seeking students looking for work as well as more mature job seekers.
“We like to say that we’re always hiring, and the back-to-school season is no exception. There are a range of positions available for youth at McDonald’s Canada restaurants from Crew member all the way to Guest Experience Leaders, with opportunities for growth no matter where you’re starting from,” she said.
“With students going back-to-school in the coming weeks, we are looking to hire students looking for flexible work during the school year. Around 70 per cent of our restaurant staff is under 24. Available roles offer youth and students flexible schedules to help balance school, extra curriculars, community work and life while working in a skill-building position.”
Image: McDonalds Canada
Ohayon said hiring is an industry wide problem today.
“Everyone is looking to hire, but our size and scale makes hiring an extra challenge. While many brands in the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) space may be looking to hire, there’s a lot that makes McDonald’s Canada stand out as an employer. From career development opportunities to flexible schedules, McDonald’s Canada has long been a great first job to kickstart your career—a claim recognized by hiring managers and recruiters across Canada.”
She said working with the fast-food chain is more than just a paycheque as it provides learning and development opportunities designed to empower employees with the tools to grow and succeed in their careers.
McDonald’s cites some independent surveys showing:
58 per cent of employers surveyed say it would be appealing for a job candidate to have experience working at McDonald’s restaurant;
89 per cent agree McDonald’s restaurant experience demonstrates that applicants can work well as part of a team;
82 per cent per cent agree McDonald’s restaurant experience is applicable to careers beyond the food and beverage industry;
77 per cent of hiring managers and recruiters believe that McDonald’s restaurant experience signals applicants have acquired versatile skills including people skills, communication skills, listening skills, time management and empathy;
35 per cent of hiring managers surveyed would select the applicant with McDonald’s restaurant experience when looking at two similar CVs;
According to a recent survey, Canadian residents with previous McDonald’s restaurant work experience went on to work in fields such as education (six per cent), healthcare (eight per cent) and government (nine per cent).
Standalone McCafe at Toronto Union Station (Image: McDonalds Canada)
Ohayon said about one in 10 Canadians have worked at a McDonald’s restaurant at some point.
McDonald’s has operated in Canada for the past 55 years.The first McDonald’s was launched in 1967 in Richmond, BC. Nearly 100,000 people are employed from coast to coast to coast, and more than 90 per cent of McDonald’s 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees.
