It’s almost that time of year again – the most critical period on the Canadian retail shopping calendar. And, as we approach closer to the 2021 holiday shopping season, merchants across the country are gearing up their efforts, refining their services and offerings and prepping their physical and online storefronts to welcome shoppers and realize opportunities to make up for a bit of a shortfall that they’ve suffered over the course of the past year-and-a-half. And, according to PwC’s recently released 2021 Canadian holiday outlook, it seems that conditions leading up to the festive period may be ideal for the fruition of these opportunities and the start of a demand-fuelled recovery. In fact, they are conditions that Myles Gooding, Partner, Global Consumer Markets Advisory Leader, PwC, says are lending to a season that’s more positive than that of 2020.
“The holiday shopping season is much more anticipated by the industry than it was last year,” he says. “We’re really getting a sense that as we continue to emerge from the pandemic and steer clear of economic shutdowns, that the upcoming season is feeling considerably different than 2020. There’s a lot more optimism as consumers are now able to start planning their spending with a bit more certainty. And, many are expecting to spend more on gift-giving and travel than they did last year. It’s all adding up to great news for retailers in the country, providing excellent signs that the trajectories of the economy and consumer sentiment are heading in a positive direction, resulting in quite a bit of excitement and confidence heading into the 2021 holiday shopping season.”
Increased holiday spending
Cause for excitement and optimism, indeed. According to PwC’s outlook, the average Canadian consumer expects to increase their individual holiday spending by 29 percent over last year, represented by an estimated average spend of $1,420. Though these numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels, 11 percent shy of what they were in 2019, it’s still positive news for those operating within the industry. What’s perhaps most interesting about consumer intentions this holiday shopping season, however, is the ways in which they plan to allocate their holiday spending. According to the outlook, Canadians are planning to spend most on gifts for their family and entertaining those closest to them, with an anticipated spend of $768, an increase of 18 percent over last year. In addition, Canadians are expecting to splurge on themselves over the next few months, 76 percent more over 2020, reflected in an outlay of $478 on personal pampering and luxury items. It’s all part of the positivity surrounding the upcoming shopping season, says Gooding, and a result of pent-up consumer demand for experiences and enjoyment.
“We’re already starting to see the demand-fuelled recovery take place as restrictions continue to lift and retailer activity increases,” he says. “It’s supported by a willingness of the Canadian consumer to spend. And, their spending on open venues and events, which is a symbol of pent-up demand and a consumer that’s ready to spend on experiences. It’s obviously the result of the economic uncertainty that’s lingered over the course of the past year-and-a-half – uncertainty that’s correlated to subsequent savings in the wallets of Canadians. So, the money is there. And all indications seem to point to the fact that Canadians are going to spend it this holiday season, in particular the higher earners who have come out of the pandemic period a little more robust with respect to their bank accounts and savings.”
Online shopping behaviour
Though pent-up demand and increases in retail activity across the country over recent months are buoying a sense of enthusiasm among retailers and industry observers, it’s paramount that they understand how their consumers are intending to shop in order to realize the full potential of the upcoming holiday shopping season. PwC’s outlook projects that lingering health and safety concerns associated with the pandemic will continue to influence consumer behaviour. And, combining their ever-growing penchant for convenience and cost-savings with their desire to shop seamlessly across channels, the need for retailers to align their online and physical offerings is going to be critical in order to attract consumer spending.
In fact, according to the outlook, Canadian consumers plan to split their holiday spending evenly, with 52 percent projected to occur online and 48 percent in physical retail settings. And, although home delivery will continue to be the primary service opted for by Canadians shopping online, the number of those who regularly or occasionally opt for curbside pickup jumped to 50 percent this year, up from 33 percent in 2020. Of those surveyed who said that they regularly pick up their orders, 45 percent state their motivation to be based on cost-savings. Though they are all behavioural trends that have been caused or accelerated by the pandemic, Gooding suggests that it’s part of an evolution toward a new normal for the industry.
“The most significant change that we noticed in the shopping habits of Canadians over the course of the past year-and-a-half is their propensity to be online,” he asserts. “It means that their behaviour is being influenced and shaped by channels that continue to evolve and are being leveraged to support the shopping journey and experience. Social media is playing an increasing role in inspiring and enticing consumers to shop with brands. And so, the online environment is becoming an even more meaningful component within the retail shopping ecosystem, often serving today as the starting point for many shoppers, informing them of the products that they’re interested in purchasing and how they’re going to complete the purchase, whether online or at a physical brick-and-mortar retail location. It’s all representative of the digitization of retail, heightened expectations of today’s consumer concerning a seamless omnichannel experience, and the need for organizations everywhere to adjust to these new realities.”
Cross-border conundrum
Niagara Falls USA Canada Border
When it comes to the expansion of the omnichannel world and vastness of today’s online marketplace, it’s clear that there are numerous opportunities for retailers to focus on and seize. However, it also presents one of the banes of the industry in Canada – that of cross-border shopping. Though the borders have only recently opened to travellers, dampening the physical cross-border shopping intentions of Canadians up to this point, it’s anticipated that the act of doing so online will continue to intensify. According to the outlook, an estimated 38 percent of Canadian consumers plan to cross-border shop online this holiday shopping season, up from 28 percent in 2020. Despite this growing sentiment, however, a vast majority of respondents to the survey cite a patriotic appreciation as a motivator for their spend, with nearly two-thirds (62%) stating that they want to show loyalty to Canadian retailers and brands, while more than half (55%) say that they want their shopping dollars to stay in Canada in order to help the country’s economy. And Gooding suggests that Canadian retailers are doing everything they can to support those intentions.
“The traditional drivers of cross-border shopping for Canadian consumers still exist today,” he explains. “There’s a perception that there’s a greater assortment at a lower price on the websites of US retailers, even if that math doesn’t always hold up to be true. Canadian retailers are doing a really good job at the moment of keeping those dollars in Canada. Many are increasing their assortments and offering deals that are on par with their American counterparts. And, with an aim to capture the spend of those consumers displaying intentions to spend with Canadian businesses, there’s an increased emphasis on featuring Canadian brands and products that are made in Canada. Heading into this holiday shopping season, the Canadian consumer wants to be loyal to the brands in this country. And it’s going to be important for Canadian retailers to recognize this and deliver value through the product and experiences that they offer.”
Demonstrating values
Living up to all of these heightening consumer expectations seems like a daunting task for any retailer, which includes ensuring the availability and fulfillment of product, and the delivery of an exceptional experience, all within a seamless omnichannel experience. Gooding explains that when retailers can meet or exceed the expectations of today’s consumer, they’re able to engender a trust in them for their brand. It helps to develop or enhance the perception of a brand’s reliability and comfortability with respect to the shopping experience they offer. However, lending perhaps more so toward the cultivation of trust than anything else a brand can do, suggests findings within PwC’s outlook, is the values it stands for. Of those surveyed, 45 percent say that they’re likely or extremely likely to shop with socially and environmentally responsible retailers, an increase from 35 percent in 2020. It’s a huge consideration among consumers, says Gooding, adding that it’s another sentiment that is not likely to subside any time soon.
“There’s a lot of focus today being placed on environmental, social and governance issues,” he says. “And, it’s an area where retailers can really focus on their values and demonstrate those values to the consumer in tangible ways that align with the things that are most important to them. Depending on the retailer and the product or service that they offer, improving components of the business through initiatives like ethical sourcing, ethical labour practices, sustainable product and the sustainable manufacturing of products will go a long way toward instilling trust in the consumer. And, measuring how well they’re doing and sharing results with the public will provide the transparency and accountability that consumers are increasingly looking for from brands. Values are quickly becoming the new business currency. And the retailers and organizations that stay true to those values are going to be the ones that build their brand and create much-needed stickiness with their customers.”
Opportunities abound
It’s been a turbulent past 18 months for retailers in every region across the country. It’s been a time riddled with instability and uncertainty. However, as social restrictions continue to abate, consumer sentiment around spending maintains its positive momentum and the 2021 holiday shopping season advances unhindered, the signs are positive, indicating a successful period for merchants in Canada. And, if findings within PwC’s 2021 Canadian Holiday Outlook manifest, the opportunities that will be available for retailers from coast-to-coast-to-coast to engage and inspire Canadian consumers this holiday shopping season will be boundless, truly making it the happiest time of the year for everyone within the industry.
Ottawa-based Kettlemans Bagel is expanding its footprint in Ontario and will be establishing a location in Montreal where the company has its roots.
The first Kettlemans store opened in August 1993 in Ottawa along the busy Bank Street, across the street from the iconic Lansdowne Park area – a vision of Montreal native Craig Buckley to bring the Montreal-style bagels to the nation’s capital.
Daniel Reyes Cocka
The company currently has four locations, three in Ottawa including the original location, and one in Etobicoke.
Daniel Reyes Cocka, Director of Marketing and Communications for the company, said the Montreal-style bagels are made in the traditional recipe of hand rolling the dough which is done in front of customers, the air is pressed out of the dough and once the bagel is formed it is boiled in honey water giving it a sweeter taste on the exterior. The bagel is then finished in a wood burning oven.
“That creates a crunchy sweet exterior with a fluffy light airy interior to the bagel,” he said.
Image: Kettlemans Bagel
Reyes Cocka said the company will be expanding to the Montreal market in early 2022 at Av. des Canadiens-de-Montréal, across the street from the Bell Centre. The company is also opening a fourth and final location in Ottawa and a second location in Toronto is slated for the corner of Bathurst and Niagara. Plans are also for locations at Yonge and Eglinton and one in Whitby. Bathurst will open in the coming months. The Whitby store as well as the one at Yonge and Eglinton will open in 2022.
Five locations will open within the next year.
“The company is essentially doubling in size in the next year,” said Reyes Cocka.
“It was important for us to obviously expand into the GTA market because of the sheer size of it. Financially it made sense. Etobicoke was our first foray into the Toronto space but of course respecting the fact that Torontonians are pretty adamant about their neighbourhoods, opening up downtown Toronto on Bathurst will be a whole new experience for us, which is very exciting.
“Going into French Canada and ultimately bringing the brand back to Montreal as our founder is from there is very important for us as well because that is the capital of Montreal-style bagels obviously. After that the plan is to expand into the United States therefore offering us the opportunity to grow in the American market and hopefully get an IPO.”
Image: Kettlemans Bagel
Reyes Cocka did not have a potential number of how many stores the company could grow to in the future but he did say it would look at as many as they possibly could do.
“For the time being the next five are the focus until the end of 2022. After that it will most likely be our foray in 2023 into the American market,” he said.
While the majority of customers for the brand pick up bagels and go, there is in-store dining available at the locations.
“One of the reasons we are so successful is that we offer our customers a “no-wall” experience. When patrons walk into our bagel shop, the first thing they see is the Kettlemans Bagel Roller working and rolling fresh bagels, cutting the dough with a knife, and boiling the bagels in honey water to seal moisture,” said the company on its website.
Image: Kettlemans Bagel
Image: Kettlemans Bagel
“Behind the Bagel Roller is the baker who finishes the bagels with fresh poppy or sesame seeds and bakes them for about twenty minutes in our wood-burning oven. Once the process is complete, and it is an active process of carefully turning over the bagels away from the open hot wood flames, the bagels are ready to be eaten.”
Reyes Cocka said the name of the company is a reference to what they used to call people who made Montreal bagels using a kettle which was boiled in honey water.
“People resonate with bagels and with Kettlemans Bagels specifically because it’s the experience from start to finish. It’s walking into the store and having that smell of the wood oven. It’s our exceptional team members that make sure that every guest leaves happy. And it’s that consistently delicious bagel when you bite into it. It’s quite the experience. It’s a very memorable moment in your life when you have your first Montreal bagel,” he said.
In 2019, global supply chains moved more than US$19 trillion in exported goods. The production and sale of many items we need and use — including toys, clothes, food, electronics and home furniture — depend on global supply chains.
For most of us, supply chains are no longer an abstract concept. The COVID-19 pandemic raised our awareness about the interdependence of our economic systems. We now understand the many ways these chains directly shape and impact our lives.
A supply chain is a set of organizations — like suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers — that work together to provide end customers with a specific product or service.
The supply chain becomes global when the product or service crosses multiple international boundaries. Global supply chain organizations are directly and indirectly dependent on each other.
In practice, the decisions made and actions taken by each organization affect the performance of the entire supply chain. A problem at any point feeds other problems at different stages of the chain.
The pursuit of financial efficiency has shifted global production to low-cost regions, increased the flows of freights, caused port congestion and eroded the resilience of supply chains. Cutting costs above all else became a race to the bottom. It resulted in global economies with limited redundancies, contingencies and safeguards.
Fragile global supply chains are exacerbated by the fragmentation of decision-making processes, limited collaboration between buyers and suppliers and transactional management. There is no obvious centralized business or authority commanding and controlling these chains. Instead, several companies co-operate and compete for the value created.
The world needs robust supply chains that are founded on sustainability, collaboration, trust, transparency, visibility and diversification of supply. That new model of supply chains could help combat economic fragility, climate change and inequality.
Global supply chains connect businesses and markets across all layers of economic, social and ecological systems. That means customers, governments and other stakeholders should encourage the emergence of robust and sustainable supply chains.
Responsible decision-making within supply chains has the potential to contribute to economic progress and societal well-being while maintaining the environmental integrity of the planet. Our preliminary research on sustainable blueberry supply chains, to be published soon, indicates that sustainability contributes to resilience.
More preliminary research we’ve conducted on personal protective equipment supply chains in British Columbia, also to be published in the weeks to come, shows that collaboration between the supplier and customer reduces costs and risks by at least 17 per cent. Effective collaboration contributes to supply chain resilience and helps avoid future disruptions.
Building effective collaboration means rewarding responsible and long-term management of global supply chains and discouraging short-lived gains. Global supply chains should promote sharing the gains and the pains among buyers and suppliers.
Incentives need to be created to encourage this collaboration. Digitization of the economy will also contribute to better transparency and traceability in global supply chains.
Nonetheless, moving towards robust global supply chains isn’t straightforward because historically, they’ve been focused on short-term rewards. For decades, we’ve justified the development of fragile and fragmented global supply chains in the name of economic growth and financial efficiency. This may have provided short-term benefits, but it has created our current supply chain crisis.
By Adel Guitouni, Associate Professor, International Business, University of Victoria, Cynthia Waltho, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Business, University of Victoria and Mohammadreza Nematollahi Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Business, University of Victoria
Toronto-based women’s activewear retailer relevé has opened a storefront in Bayview Leaside, just south of Eglinton Avenue.
The 1,200 square foot store, named for a ballet term that means “rise up”, opened in Spring 2021 after having the pandemic lockdowns interrupt the original opening. Ecommerce and social media strategy became the focus for the duration, as the team behind the brand had invested resources and energy into a physical location that would have capacity limits.
“At relevé, we have a thoughtful collection of high quality active and loungewear from popular name brands including: alo, P.E. Nation, L’urv, Beyond Yoga, Aviator Nation, to name a few. Our clothing is made from luxurious fabrics like bamboo, cotton blends and some with recycled material to create ultimate breathability and comfort,” shared Gillian Medina, owner of relevé.
Image: relevé
Located in the Bayview Leaside BIA, the store has found a community of small businesses that are able to work together during difficult times. In addition to utilizing social media to attract local shoppers, the community has been inviting residents to see their stores in-person with creative marketing.
The store itself was a project that was created to be more of an experience than a traditional storefront.
“When planning the design of the store, I wanted to create a relaxed ambience; almost a spa-like feel,” shared Medina. “I envisioned an elegant environment in sync with the quality athleisure wear that we carry”
Vancouver-based Rack Attack is opening Canada’s first location for a branded store for Swedish-based Thule, a global designer and manufacturer of roof racks and carriers, and it will be located in the Park Royal Shopping Centre in the West Coast city.
Alexander Welbers
The store, which will open in December, is the second branded Thule store in North America with the first one in Denver, Colorado, which opened in June.
“We have worked with Thule for 25 years at Rack Attack, and we’re proud to be continuing this venture together as their dedicated partner to operate the Thule brand stores in North America,” said Alexander Welbers, CEO of Rack Attack.
“We successfully opened the first store in Denver, Colorado, and look forward to Canada’s first store opening. Our position as the leading rack retailer with the extensive market knowledge and expert advice on Thule’s entire portfolio of products will set the foundation for success with Thule to serve customers in West Vancouver and future locations in the U.S. and Canada.”
Rack Attack began in Vancouver more than 25 years ago. The first store was in Vancouver in 1996 which was near the company’s flagship location now in the Olympic Village. The same summer the company opened a store in Toronto and continued further expansion in Canada and the United States.
By the end of this year, the company will have 30 locations as it will be opening up three more stores including the Thule store in Vancouver.
Rack Attack is a specialty retailer that sells and installs automotive racks and hitches.
The new Thule retail store will offer local Canadian customers a first-of-its-kind shopping experience by showcasing all of Thule’s product categories in one space.
Welbers said the Thule store will be conveniently situated among other top outdoor and active brands. The 2,000 square- foot space will give visitors the opportunity to explore the entire breadth of Thule’s active lifestyle portfolio and will build awareness of newer categories.
Hilary Hartley
“Continuing the momentum after a successful summer with our new Thule Store Denver, we are excited to continue growing our partnership with Rack Attack,” said Hilary Hartley, President, Region Americas, Thule Group.
“Our first store in Denver is proving that the formula of best in class products, together with a passionate and highly-trained staff, is a winning combination we want to expand on and bring to our Canadian customers starting in the Vancouver region.”
Welbers said Park Royal is one of the prime retail shopping centres in Canada.
“And it’s right in the heart of our customer community. Very outdoor, lifestyle driven people that like to go skiing in the winter and biking or water sport activities in the summer,” said Welbers. “So we love that area. Vancouver is our home base. We have two Rack Attack stores in Vancouver and now we add the first Thule store in Canada to our Vancouver mix as well.
“Thule is definitely one of the prime sport and outdoor brands. We’ve sold and partnered with Thule for 25 years since we started doing business. So there’s a long, very positive partnership that we have with Thule. That’s why Thule basically decided to give us the right to operate the official Thule stores in North America, in Canada and the US.
“We’re planning to go into several other Canadian and American markets over the next years wherever outdoor and active lifestyle driven people are living. It’s a good market for us.”
The Vancouver store will feature Thule’s well-known vehicle accessory products for bike, water, and snowsports, as well as award-winning products from their newer categories, including child carriers and strollers, premium luggage, innovative daypacks, hiking & backpacking packs, and durable rooftop tents.
The Thule brand was established in 1942. Its products are sold in more than 140 countries.
PPE Vending Machine at CF Toronto Eaton Centre - Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Investment in self-service technologies is exploding as Canadian businesses seek safe distancing, touchless transactions and a simple, intuitive user experience for employees and customers during the pandemic.
A survey by Angus Reid, commissioned by SCI Group Inc. and Signifi Solutions Inc., indicates that half of respondents say their organization actually increased investment in kiosk technology prior to the pandemic, with three-in-10 saying their investment level has increased by more than 15 per cent since 2019.
The survey also found that 47 per cent of businesses will spend more on kiosks in the next 12 months; among those who say their investment has increased since 2019, 61 per cent identified the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant or moderate factor in their decision; and the primary motivator for businesses when investing in self-service technologies is customer and employee satisfaction, with 63 per cent of businesses identifying this as their top driver.
Peter Collier
“The pandemic drove more people to use kiosks, which increased their comfort level with the technology and is leading to even better user-centric design for the next generation of devices,” said Peter Collier, Vice President, Technology, SCI Group, a logistics company. “We expect that increasing user comfort with kiosks and ongoing design improvements by kiosk manufacturers will continue to drive adoption.
“The growth of the self-service kiosk industry and the fact that it’s going to go on beyond COVID is the interesting part for us. People are looking at it from both a customer service perspective as well as employee satisfaction perspective because you can take employees and redirect them to higher value items and from a customer perspective you give them more options. So they can choose now if they want to go stand in a line and talk to somebody or ask somebody something or if they just want to self-service and look after themselves at the kiosk if it’s a simple basic transaction or something they’re familiar with.
“I really found it interesting that with COVID, we all went to a little bit more of a remote model and people became very familiar and comfortable with that and people want to continue that and expand it to give them more options going forward. So it’s definitely the longevity of self-service kiosks and the growth of it that we’re going to see in the next couple of years.”
The 2021 Canadian Kiosk Market Report said the pandemic has been a clear impetus behind investments in self-service technology. Among those who say their investment has increased in the past 12 months, 61 per cent identified the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant or moderate factor in their decision. For the healthcare sector, the primary application of kiosk technologies was for check-in purposes to help improve customer wait times.
It found that nearly half of Canadian businesses are already deploying self-service technologies, and another third plan to deploy kiosks or some form of self-service technology in the next 12 months.
Canadian businesses are including kiosk technology as part of their digital transformation strategies, with 77 per cent of organizations stating kiosk technology to be important to their business in the next five years.
Aisle 24 Market in River City 4 (Photo by Dustin Fuhs)
“There’s a new appetite for automation and kiosk technologies, part of which may be attributed to the shift in user habits that has stemmed from the pandemic,” said Jamie McDowell, Vice President of Marketing at Signifi Solutions. “More and more Canadian consumers and employees seem to appreciate the simplicity and interactivity provided by kiosk technologies. Organizations are seeing this shift and including kiosk technology in their digital transformation plans.”
The report said the primary motivator for businesses when investing in self-service technologies is customer and employee satisfaction, with 63 per cent of businesses identifying this as a top driver. This was particularly noted in the retail industry, where 90 per cent of respondents said one of the main benefits they’re seeking from kiosks/self-technology is better customer flow.
“This research shows that organizations are looking for more than efficiency; they want to reduce customer wait times and improve the flow of people through stores and workplaces. Many are also looking to expand beyond transactional experiences to make kiosks part of an omnichannel infrastructure,” said Collier. “This also marks an important step forward for self-service technologies underscoring the shift away from thinking of kiosks as simply a cost and efficiency play – though both remain important drivers for buyers.”
New contactless pick-up lockers at a Lowe’s location in Scarborough, Toronto. Photo: Lowe’s
Collier said it’s important that the companies get the technology right for the customer and it has to be integrated to the back end of whatever system the consumer engages in.
“The one thing is in the old days kiosks if you think about it were very transactional to what was in front of the consumer. These days you want to be able to order ahead of time and know that it’s already going to be in that particular box or kiosk. I can choose to have things delivered to a kiosk that’s maybe installed at a bus station or a subway stop. So flexibility from a consumer perspective to choose a more convenient location or secure location that I can pick up my packages with and that’s all about being tied to the vendor, the seller, the retailer’s back end system. That piece of the technology is huge,” said Collier.
“And obviously making sure it’s resilient. When I show up to scan my QR code or whatever to open the box or whatever four-digit code I have to open a door has been loaded properly to that box.”
He said the increasing use of the self-service kiosks is really across all areas of the marketplace.
Vancouver-based PLUS, a streetwear experiential retail concept brand, recently opened a storefront at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto with plans to continue growth with new store locations.
The retailer was founded in 2017 and has grown to six locations in the last four years, making it a destination for exclusive sneakers, streetwear and collectables in Canada.
“CF Toronto Eaton Centre is a landmark mall,” said Ibrahim Itani, Owner of PLUS. “With most of our business being conducted out east, it made sense for us to have a presence downtown Toronto. The location and the tenancy opportunity was a no-brainer.”
PLUS opened on October 9th with a grand opening event that included a DJ and exclusive merchandise. The leadership team was on hand to welcome fans of the brand into the new location, which is located in between Canada Goose and OVO on the third floor of the shopping centre.
PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
With the location being signed pre-pandemic, PLUS was able to look at the elements and reflect on the goals and purpose of the space.
“We were given a much larger shell than we actually needed, which is why we segmented the store in the final design. We could have used the full space, but we only built out half of it. The store that we see today was designed to fit more with our intended use and product mix.”
“Moving forward from the Yorkdale location, we looked at what worked well with the design elements and then adapted our unit at CF Toronto Eaton Centre to make something new,” said Liam Blackadder, Creative Director, PLUS. “With the shoes being material-based, we looked at the contrasting with raw elements in the store design.”
“The raw wood material was in the first concept and made it all the way through to open. The benches were also from the original plan and were created to to be symbolic of our sixth location by displaying six plus’s across their surface.”
PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
PLUS opened its first store over four years ago in Gastown and has grown to locations in Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Square One in Mississauga, CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver and CF Chinook Centre in Calgary. The Yorkdale location is the company’s flagship. PLUS also has a pop-up location at Vaughan Mills and a successful e-commerce business.
The brand announced the opening of the CF Toronto Eaton Centre location on September 10th via social media. This gave the team a full month to plan for an event-based grand opening celebration. With current COVID pandemic restrictions and global fourth wave closures, there was always the looming possibility of another shutdown which the team took into consideration.
“This was the first time that we were able to work a few weeks out from the opening, which allowed us to be prepared,” said Itani. “We had our entire team working together on the open. “From Stefan Gregoriou, our Marketing Coordinator working on the promotions side, to our design team working on opening day exclusive merchandise and the operations team on the ground making sure that the store was fully stocked and merchandised – everything worked exactly as planned for a smooth open.”
Itani said that the company is looking forward to sharing the new space with their growing customer base.
“The response has been excellent – even better than anticipated. It’s exciting to have a presence in downtown Toronto.”
PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Dustin FuhsPLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Dustin FuhsPLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Dustin FuhsPLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Photos From Pre-Opening
PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)PLUS at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: PLUS)
There’s no doubting the amount of disruption that’s been caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The past year-and-a-half is representative of one of the most turbulent times in recent human history. For retailers, it’s meant dealing with a delayed and fragmented supply chain, interruptions to store and network operations and a need to enhance digitization efforts in order to keep up with a consumer whose shopping and purchasing behaviour has shifted away from physical brick-and-mortar locations toward online channels. It’s a trend that’s been accelerated by social restrictions and lockdowns. However, it’s not the only aspect of the consumer that’s changed over the course of the past 18 months. It seems their general sentiment toward the brands they partner with is evolving as well. In fact, according to Accenture’s recently released Life Reimagined report, the motivations for today’s consumer to shop and engage with retailers are moving beyond price and quality.
Finer point on experience
The report suggests that a majority of consumers, despite their background, demographic or location, have taken advantage of the past 18 months to take stock of the things that really matter to them. They’ve reassessed and reimagined their values, resulting in a bit of a shift or tweak to their priorities and a discovery of the things in their lives that are most important to them. The research indicates that 44 percent of those surveyed have done just that. And, as Gregor Barry, Managing Director and Accenture Interactive Lead for Canada, points out, their rising sentiment is set to impact retailers and other businesses, creating a need to differentiate themselves based on purpose lest they be left behind.
“Today, consumers are really looking beyond the transaction into the overall experience that they receive from a brand,” he says. “This is not something new. But circumstances over the past year-and-a-half seem to have put a finer point on the experience. As a result, consumer motivations have moved away from price and quality toward other factors influencing their purchasing decisions. Things like health and safety, service and personal care, ease and convenience, product origin, trust and reputation are all factors that are more meaningfully impacting the way consumers view brands today.”
Personal care and support
For Canadians, the measures taken by businesses in order to address health and safety concerns is a priority, with 63 percent viewing it as a crucial component in attracting their interest. However, top on this list of heightened consumer considerations when it comes to engaging and spending money with a brand is the overall experience that they receive when interacting with it. In fact, according to the report, 69 percent of Canadian consumers expect the brands they engage with to understand how their needs and objectives have changed as a result of the disruption that’s occurred, and to address those new needs in a meaningful way.
“It’s really about creating an experience for the customer that’s as personal as possible,” says Barry. “Do they remember their customers and are they making their experiences better than they were the last time they engaged with the brand based on their insights? Are they proactively reaching out to customers when they need the brand most? More than half of consumers say that they’d switch brands if it doesn’t create clear and easy options to contact customer service. Over 50 percent of consumers say that companies disappointed them by not providing enough support and understanding of their needs during challenging times. So, what are brands doing to react in the moment instead of simply sticking to the script that they’ve relied on for the last long while?”
Ease and convenience
Another rising consideration among Canadian consumers, according to the report, is the ease and convenience involved in the shopping experience. Driven primarily by the acceleration in online shopping, the report finds that 57 percent of Canadian consumers will stop shopping with a brand that does not offer new, fast and flexible delivery options such as click-and-collect and curbside pickup. Barry recognizes the trend, suggesting that it’s a result of heightened expectations on the part of the consumer that he doesn’t see abating any time soon.
“Transactions very clearly moved to digital channels during the pandemic,” he asserts. “It compelled many companies to rethink how transactions are conducted in person. Consumers are now, more than ever, looking for ease and convenience with respect to their experiences. They’ve become expectations that will not retreat to previous state. So, anything that retailers do with respect to ease and convenience will become expectations going forward. It’s really a move into a world of everywhere commerce where transactions don’t have to start and end in the same place or on the same medium. So, those expectations are heightened even further, meaning that brands need to be available whenever and wherever a consumer wants to interact.”
Need for green practices
Along with the tenets of health and safety and the ease and convenience of service, another consideration motivating today’s consumer is the practices of brands and businesses with respect to environmental, social and governance issues. According to the report, 71 percent of Canadian consumers are most interested in shopping with brands that source services and materials in highly ethical ways. In addition, 65 percent say that they’re attracted to brands that are environment-friendly, provide credible “green” credentials for products/services, minimize harm to the environment and/or invest in sustainability. It’s yet another pre-existing sentiment that’s been accelerated by impacts of the pandemic. And, according to Barry, it’s a sentiment that’s broader in scope than some might think.
“We’ve seen a big shift in consumers’ interest in sustainable products and service,” he says. “Increasingly, they want to know what goes into a product, how it’s been produced and how far it’s been transported. Bringing that information into a more transparent model really allows the retailer to enable its consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. The brands that can develop or enhance their ‘green’ practices and convey those developments and enhancements to the consumer are likely to broaden their base. However, we’ve also seen tremendous growth in the shop local movement. Consumers want to shop with Main Street retailers and are increasingly realizing the importance of keeping at least some of their spend within their local communities.”
Trust and reputation
In addition, the report also finds that issues impacting the trust and reputation of a brand are also high on the hierarchy of motivators. The scope of these issues is wide-ranging and includes their treatment of employees and partners, the integrity of the decisions they make and the ways they contribute toward the betterment of society. In fact, the report’s findings suggest that nearly half (46%) of Canadian consumers would be willing to pay more for products and services to a brand that is proactively making positive improvements. It’s a motivator that Barry acknowledges as an important one that’s rooted in brand purpose.
“Companies exist to serve a need or to meet a new need within the market,” he says. “But increasingly, consumers are looking for brands to stand for something beyond the product or service they offer. They’re starting to ask what their favourite brands are doing from a societal point-of-view in order to make their communities and the world we live in a healthier, more sustainable environment. It provides retailers and other businesses with the opportunity to align their values and the things they stand for with those of their consumers, deepening their relationships with them, creating more meaningful engagement.”
Rebuilding relevance
Each of these motivators on their own is enough to prompt changes within any brand’s operations. The fact that they all extend beyond the product or service itself presents enormous opportunities to retailers that can focus their efforts to make improvements where they can. It provides them with areas in which they can differentiate their brand from competitors, developing an intrinsic purpose that can drive growth and success. And, with respect to identifying and seizing these opportunities, Barry suggests that they will vary depending on the retailer and the vertical and category that they operate within.
“Every brand needs to look at themselves and do some introspection around what the implications are for them and the engagement and growth it can drive. And to do this effectively, they’ve got to understand that the consumer is not who they used to be. Their desires have changed. And the ways they want to interact and engage with brands has changed, too, raising a different set of expectations. So, brands need to re-evaluate and rebuild or enhance their relevance to those new buying values and anticipate what consumers are going to expect from them. The critical choice for the industry today is either listen and make those changes, creating experiences that really matter, or miss the opportunity to drive differentiation and growth for their business.”
