Boathouse at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
St. Catharines, Ontario-based Boathouse, a retailer of men’s and women’s clothing, footwear, and accessories, is expanding its footprint across Canada seeking out retail spaces recently vacated by Le Chateau.
Janet Weatherhead, Director of Sales and Operations for Boathouse/Blackwell Supply Company, said the company is picking up a selection of Le Chateau locations in Canada.
“They’re going to do well for us because they’re large. Most of the locations are over 6,000 square feet with the biggest one being at the Kingsway Mall in Edmonton which is close to 8,000 square feet,” said Weatherhead.
“So we can really showcase our brands well in that space and we do carry an extensive shoe selection. The more square footage we have, the more we can showcase our shoes as well.”
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Previous Le Chateau store in Kingsway Mall in Edmonton. Photo: Kingsway Mall
Previous Le Chateau store in Mayfair, Victoria. Photo: Victoria Buzz
Previous Le Chateau store at the Scarborourgh Town Centre. Photo: Scarborourgh Town Centre
Boathouse has committed to the following former Le Chateau locations: Mayfair, Victoria; Scarborough Town Centre, Toronto; CF Fairview Park Mall, Kitchener; Kingsway Mall, Edmonton; Gatineau; CF Fairview Point Claire, Montreal Island; CF Promenades St Bruno near Montreal; Southgate Mall, Edmonton; CF Carrefour Laval near Montreal, and CF Galeries d’Anjou, Montreal.
In the midst of this expansion, the company is also opening three more Blackwell Supply Co. shoe stores in Kelowna, Limeridge, and Halifax. A couple of the Blackwell locations were formerly Naturalizer locations and the one in Kelowna was a former Aldo store.
Boathouse, which began in 1973 as a small business, today has about 90 stores. There are also about 20 Blackwell stores, which are operated as a separate business.
Boathouse carries a massive selection of Carhartt, Champion, Calvin Klein, Kolby, Herschel Supply Co., Volcom, Adidas, Obey, Billabong, Vans, Crooks & Castles, Nike, SAXX, Timberland, Tentree, and more.
Exterior of Blackwell Supply Co. store. Photo: GL Smith
“We consider ourselves a lifestyle retailer which means we cater to brand conscious consumers of all ages, of absolutely all ages,” said Weatherhead. “We believe in giving our consumers the trendiest and hottest brands in the market right now. But we also believe in catering to the customer who’s been with us for the past 20 years.
“Some of our customers have worn Billabong when they were young and continue to wear Billabong.”
Known locally as Arlies, when the retailer began, the shop specialized in active lifestyle apparel, hard goods and footwear, catering to outdoor thrill-seekers and sports enthusiasts alike. Since that time, it expanded its presence in Canada and became known as Boathouse. It continues to sell active lifestyle brands, offering what it says is the best in clothing, footwear, accessories and more. In 2008 it launched Boathousestores.com.
“We’re still family owned and our office is still in St. Catharines,” said Weatherhead.
Interior of Boathouse store. Photo: GL Smith
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Boathouse has been reaching out to former Le Chateau employees for possible employment in the retail spaces it is taking on after Le Chateau’s departure.
“I believe that Canadian retail is one big family. I’ve always believed that,” said Weatherhead. “When we network, we all network together. When we go to Retail Networks Solutions meetings, it’s all retailers together. I think when a Canadian retailer closes it affects all of us.
“There’s enough room in the marketplace for every single retailer out there. So when one retailer leaves, it’s really devastating. It puts a lot of people out of work. It creates emptiness in malls. In Le Chateau’s case, at one time they were at the forefront of retail. There’s so much to learn from that company. In my opinion, they started Canadian retail women’s fashion. I think a lot of the practices and processes that they championed were put into place by many other companies.”
“Going forward we decided that we had to give them the first shot at any positions that were open.”
Exterior of 1000 Queen Street West set to house the new Size? store. Photo: Hullmark
UK-based JD Group is expanding its ’Size?’ sneaker and apparel-focused retail banner into Canada this year with plans for several locations in major markets. The first storefront will open this summer in Toronto and plans are already in place for Vancouver and possibly other cities.
Canada’s first location for Size? will be in a former bank building at 1000 Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue, representing the first location for the brand outside of the European market. Size? is known to do collaborations and release limited-edition product ‘drops’ which means that one may expect to see lineups periodically, something Toronto has become known for.
Size? was founded in 2000 and is known for stocking limited-edition sneakers, fashions, and accessories that are primarily classified as ‘streetwear’, with some product launches classed as global exclusives. The retail concept was initially launched by JD Group to trial edgier product collections before introducing them to the mass market through the JD fascia. Size? currently has stores in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Window of 1000 Queen Street West building with Size? advertisement. Photo: Hullmark Instagram
Photo of Ossington Ave street sign at the corner of Ossignton and Queen Street West where the new Size? store is located. Photo: Hullmark Instagram
Exterior of Size? store in Oxford, UK. Photo: Size?
Jordan Karp of brokerage Savills Canada represents the brand in Canada and he negotiated the Queen Street Size? lease deal on behalf of the retailer. Arlin Markowitz and the CBRE Toronto team acted on behalf of landlord Hullmark which owns 1000 Queen Street West as well as numerous other commercial buildings nearby on Queen Street as well as on Ossington Avenue.
The 1000 Queen building was most recently leased out to a co-working company which was there temporarily. Prior to that, upscale Detroit-based fashion brand Shinola occupied the space and before that, US-based Stussy operated its Canadian flagship store there. The building is located in an area considered to be one of the trendiest addresses in Toronto.
The building features a ground floor of 2,204 square feet as well as a mezzanine level of 324 square feet. A lower level space spans 2,221 square feet.
Size? will continue its Canadian store expansion in 2021 with a Vancouver storefront in a location that has yet to be announced. Size? is generally seeking street-front retail spaces in the 3,000 to 4,000 square foot range where at least 2,000 square feet of space can be dedicated to retail.
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Exterior of 1000 Queen Street West ready for Size? to move in this summer. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Exterior of 1000 Queen Street West ready for Size? to move in this summer. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Exterior of 1000 Queen Street West ready for Size? to move in this summer. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
A second Toronto location is expected as soon as next year and its location is being strategized. A second Vancouver location is also anticipated, and Size? may consider stores in other markets such as Montreal for at least one location.
The entry of Size? into the Canadian market speaks to the confidence brands have in brick-and-mortar retail. The brand is expected to drive important foot traffic to the West Queen West area in Toronto which has seen vacancies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Size? also has robust social media and has launched a Canadian website at size.ca.
Despite beliefs that the COVID-19 vaccine would bring us back to normalcy and save the gym industry, it is becoming clear that that is not the case, says a new survey released recently by RunRepeat, a website that reviews running shoes.
“While countries work on vaccine manufacturing, distribution, and administration, gyms continue to struggle. Our previous report showed that a fifth of gyms were still closed as of September of 2020, which aligned with the IHRSA’s report (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association) predicting that 25 percent of gyms may be permanently closed by the end of last year,” said the report.
“As we continue into Q2 of 2021, the struggle to remain open, keep members engaged, and retain members will continue. Even as vaccines are distributed, it is clear that just the individual being vaccinated will not be enough for all members to return, seeing how nearly a quarter of members are waiting for their friends, family, and loved ones to also be vaccinated.
“The longer the vaccination process takes, the more likely we are to continue seeing people move away from gyms, gyms shutting their doors, and a new normal in the fitness industry to arise.”
The report surveyed 11,193 members from 142 countries to learn how many gym members plan to return to working out at the gym when vaccinated, how their membership status has changed, and how many are currently going to the gym.
In Canada, it found that 84.68 percent of Canadians are still not exercising at their gyms while only 15.32 percent are actively using their gyms.
The survey found that 32.22 percent of Canadians have cancelled their gym memberships while 33.33 percent have paused them.
When asked if they would return to their gyms after being vaccinated against COVID-19, 28.72 percent of Canadians said they would not; 43.62 percent said they would; and 27.66 percent said they would only when family and friends have also been vaccinated.
Nick Rizzo
When those that cancelled were asked if they planned to return to the gym after being vaccinated, 42.47 percent in Canada said no; 28.77 percent said yes; and 28.77 percent said yes when family and friends were also vaccinated.
Canada had the highest membership cancellation rate and was second to the U.S. in people’s intentions of returning after their cancellation.
Nick Rizzo, Fitness Research Director at RunRepeat, said he has been involved in many conversations over the past year about the plight of the gym industry, taking note about what gym owners and members are saying.
“There’s still a very large group of people who are very excited to be back in the gym. That’s still a given,” said Rizzo.
“There’s a large group of people who are very, very passionate about the gym. They want to be there.”
But there’s no doubt there is a trend out there with more people continuing their exercises and fitness workouts in different ways today — perhaps virtually or at home or outdoors. They are liking the convenience of it and the safety. They may also be saving money by not buying gym memberships.
“It’s really important to note that a lot of gyms rely heavily on a vast majority of their membership not using the gym. That’s a massive stream of revenue,” said Rizzo.
“In the past year, moving in this direction of home fitness has exploded.”
Companies are taking advantage of that and making accessible fitness equipment, previously only available in gyms, for people who want to work out in the comfort of their homes.
“There’s a major shift happening there. There’s a lot of money in advertising and marketing going in that direction to take away the market share from gyms. Right now it’s really dependent on are gyms going to realize that it’s not going back to normal,” said Rizzo. “There has to be some change. You have to listen to your customer base and identify what it is they’re looking for, what is it I’m not delivering on, how do I need to change.
“Gyms are going to have to operate a digital component to stay relevant. They’re going to have to offer some other solution that doesn’t require people to come into the gym because they can get that elsewhere.
“There’s too much momentum. There’s too much money. There’s too much already happening. There’s too much out there that the gym can’t stay the same way and expect to maintain the same level of domination of the health and fitness industry.”
An innovative start-up out of Finland called Inclus is expanding into Canada in a big way this year and is targeting retailers and other businesses. The platform crowd-sources risk identification and mitigation strategies to help minimize the chance of a business failing to prepare for outlier events.
The company has developed a specific software tool for preparing plans in response to multiple situations and outcomes through collaborative scenario planning. Inclus has already penetrated European markets and has been used by larger entities. Remarkably, in creating its own response to the economic impacts of COVID-19, the Finnish government employed Inculus’ Scenario Planning Tool during a series of events hosted by President Sauli Niinistö.
Inclus says that it will continue to focus on filling the gap in collaborative risk management solutions with private and public sector organizations through cloud-based software tools. One issue is a business falling victim to recency bias for the status quo, and failing to appreciate the risk of a fundamental change. Inclus has developed a specific software tool for preparing plans in response to multiple situations and outcomes through collaborative scenario planning.
Risk management is perhaps the most critical, but least understood, component of successful project management, business operations, and public policy development. In any complex situation, there is always a chance of unexpected risks materializing occurring with potentially disastrous consequences. These “black swan” events, as popularized by mathematician Nassim Taleb, are the unpredictable and seemingly random outliers that humans struggle to understand, anticipate, and respond to effectively.
Over the past year, there has been no shortage of catastrophic situations in Canada that illustrate the power of outlier events. The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic left the country woefully unprepared in terms of health care infrastructure and medical capacity. Disrupted global supply chains and a lack of domestic manufacturing resulted in a serious shortfall of personal protective equipment in the initial months of the pandemic. More recently, issues have arisen regarding the capacity of Canada to produce their own supply of vaccines.
While it is easy to explain the current situation as an unique and completely unexpected health crisis, the challenges associated with the response can more accurately be described as a failure of risk management. The probability of a pandemic of this scale has long been communicated with government leaders by health experts, and the inability to anticipate and plan for this situation speaks to the systematic failure of organizations to understand risk management.
Lapses in risk management frequently have very real financial implications for large organizations. As the Covid-19 pandemic rapidly drew down global markets in early 2020, for example, the Alberta Investment Management Corp. (AIMCo) pension’s derivative trading strategy collapsed amidst unprecedented volatility. A failure of risk management has been identified as the core factor leading to the resulting $2.1 billion loss for AIMco. The fallout of this incident led to the announced departure of AIMco’s CEO and pushed institutional investors across Canada to revisit their internal risk management structures. A platform such as Inclus could have prevented this.
For anyone interested in learning more about Inclus as it expands into Canada, feel free to reach out to Retail Insider’s Editor-in-Chief Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com
RYU store on Queen-Street West in Toronto. Photo: RYU
After a year of restructuring, Vancouver-based RYU (Respect Your Universe) Apparel believes it has set the foundation for success as the retailer focuses on growing its omni-channel strategy while operating some key flagship stores in Vancouver and Toronto.
The past few months has seen a flurry of news releases issued by the company as it has embarked on stabilizing the retail operations with an optimistic outlook for the future.
Cesare Fazari, CEO and Chairman of RYU, said “there’s been a big restructure and turnaround and I recently brought on Rob Blair as COO.”
Cesare Fazari
“Mr. Blair is a transformative thinker with a sharp eye for trend and a long history of executing high-growth strategies. It is an incredibly exciting announcement for RYU to welcome him to the team. Heading further into 2021, his experience will complement and empower the RYU team as we move to deliver on our strategic plans, which includes Canada Skateboard, Zoom Media, European distribution, product placement in BEI’s new series, “The Count” and RYU.com‘s new ecommerce store,” said Fazari of the retail executive with about 20 years experience in the industry.
Fazari said Blair brings nearly two decades of experience building high-growth iconic apparel and sportswear brands and is an industry expert in design, merchandising and corporate brand strategy, having worked with iconic athletic apparel brands Red Bull, Lululemon, Gap Body and Nike.
In February of 2020, athletic brand RYU announced store closures and the fact it was going to restructure. In a letter to shareholders, Marcello Leone, the company’s CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board at the time, described 2019 as the retailer’s most challenging year since inception.
Just over a year ago, the company had a total of 11 stores — there are now just three left in Toronto, Vancouver, and Williamsburg, NY.
“I don’t like talking about the past,” said Fazari. “Where we are now, I’m very positive and confident we will be able to take this company to the next level. It has the DNA of a billion-dollar brand.
“On the retail rollout over and above the three stores, I would say over time here there’s been a big transition in retail because of COVID. The stores will be more of call it education, the touch and feel, more as showrooms and more than anything as a support for our digital strategy which is our focus.
Interior of Vancouver RYU store. Photo: RYU
Interior of Queen Street West RYU store. Photo: RYU
“The retail strategy going forward over and above next year it will probably be more of a partnership with gyms and secondary locations where we’ll be able to do kiosks or a fixture which will have technology that we’ll be able to personalize the experience. I would say that the technology that we’re working with and going forward for that specific reason is like call it a personal stylist.”
In early March, the company announced it would be reopening its flagship stores in Vancouver and Toronto on April 16, saying it is a key step in the retailer’s omni-channel strategy and corporate re-set.
It said its e-commerce reach is expanding outside of North America into Europe and the UK. Part of its strategy is partnering with Canada’s skateboard Olympic team as well as global brands such as 7-Eleven, Red Bull, and Swatch.
“We are delighted to open our incredible lineup of products to customers in Europe and the UK through our e-commerce store,” said Fazari. “Europe is a growing market for sports apparel and our expansion into the market is another key strategic milestone achieved in our global omni-channel strategy.”
Exterior of Vancouver RYU store on 4th Street. Photo: RYU
In February, RYU announced a partnership to ship its products to the Montreal-based high quality retailer, Altitude-Sports.
Fazari said the partnership is a fundamental step in setting the tone of the new company’s wholesale strategy with RYU’s sports apparel to be distributed on a national level by the retailer, in its stores and on its online-store.
“Service is going to be a big, big part of what we’re doing going forward where we’re really going to be there for our customers and clients and service and respect for their apparel dollars. It’s going to be what’s key,” said Fazari.
“We’re the best brand you’ve never heard of. There’s going to be some big, big exposure of our brand and our company going forward. I would say within seven years we’ll be a billion in sales. I know it sounds big but I understand what a billion is. Everyone now on board has been in billion-dollar companies and understands really what it means, the work that it takes, the dedication and the talent.
“I’m really, really happy with where we are now and where we’re going.”
Season 3, Episode 8: Club Monaco Bloor Shutters, Sunterra Market Opening
This week, Craig and Lee discuss Club Monaco’s Toronto departure and Canadian food hall announcements. The 25 year run for Club Monaco has ended in the iconic building on Toronto’s Bloor Street and two food hall announcements are discussed for Alberta and British Columbia.
The Weekly podcast by Retail Insider Canada is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Drop us a line at Craig@Retail-Insider.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!
Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
CrossIron Mills sign next to Highway 2 freeway connecting Calgary and Edmonton. Photo: Pop-up go | Zenergy Communications
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls to provide a glimpse into shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This edition takes us to CrossIron Mills next to Calgary, Alberta. The shopping centre is often referred to as being a ‘hybrid outlet’ model as it combines 191 full price retailers under the same roof as 100 outlet and factory stores. The shopping centre has affiliated ‘Mills’ located in the greater Toronto area (known as Vaughan Mills) and the greater Vancouver area (known as Tsawwassen Mills).
CrossIron Mills location (between Airdrie and Calgary city limits) on Google Maps. Photo: Google Maps
Aerial photo of CrossIron Mills just north of Calgary, Alberta. Photo: CrossIron Mills.
As with most Canadian retail spaces, CrossIron Mills is an indoor shopping centre which was developed — and is now owned and operated — by Ivanhoé Cambridge. The retail and designated tourist attraction has resulted in 9.4 million annual visits (as of December 2019), $689 sales per square foot (as of December 2019), and $547 million gross sales volume (as of December 2019). The shopping centre sprawls across 1.2 million square feet and boasts 17 large format anchors which includes:
Bass Pro Shops (148,911 square feet)
Toys “R” Us (51,069 square feet)
Sport Chek (38,990 square feet)
Bed Bath & Beyond (31,950 square feet)
Winners (30,941 square feet)
Saks OFF 5TH (30,009 square feet)
Pro Hockey Life (25,306 square feet)
HomeSense (24,141 square feet)
Skechers (20,901 square feet)
H&M (20,708 square feet)
Indigo Books (20,585 square feet)
Designer Shoe Warehouse (20,565 square feet)
The Children’s Place (20,536 square feet)
Old Navy (20,145 square feet)
Tommy Hilfiger Outlet (20,069 square feet)
Laura Outlet (20,003 square feet)
Urban Planet (20,003 square feet)
History of CrossIron Mills
Vaughan Mills near Toronto, the predecessor and sister shopping centre to CrossIron Mills, was designed and built by Ivanhoé Cambridge and the Mills Corporation in 2004 based on the highly-successful ‘race track’ format for outlet malls in the United States. Mills Corporation was subsequently acquired by Simons Property Group in 2007; however, Ivanhoé Cambridge completed the sale of its interest in Vaughan Mills in October 2006 prior to the acquisition. Ivanhoé Cambridge planned for four Mills shopping centres in Canada, including:
Toronto (Vaughan Mills in Vaughan, Ontario which opened in November 2004)
Calgary (CrossIron Mills)
Vancouver (Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, B.C. which opened in October 2016)
Montreal (Laval Mills in Laval, Quebec which was abandoned in May 2011)
Ivanhoé Cambridge continued riding its success from its now wholly-owned Vaughan Mills and began construction of its second Canadian “Mills” in Calgary. CrossIron Mills opened in phases throughout 2009 and its final phase, the Entertainment Neighbourhood, opened in the summer of 2010.
A $60 million major renovation was announced by Ivanhoé Cambridge in 2014 to relocate the original food court (located off the “Happy Trails Entrance” circled in red below) and opened the new food hall in the Entertainment Neighbourhood in July 2016. The original food court location was then converted into 46,000 square feet of additional retail space.
CrossIron Mills Map with Food Court relocation.
Breaking up CrossIron Mills
Retail Insider has done several retail mall tours and one of the major distinguishing features of a Mills concept centre is the design. With over 1.4 million square feet on a single level, connected by 2.7 km of internal raceway, visual appeal, and architectural variation. The concept was to divide the centre into “Neighbourhoods” that have themes representative of the local area. The architecture of CrossIron Mills is innovative, contemporary, and reflects Alberta’s unique heritage. We will follow the following neighbourhoods in our retail tour:
THE NEIGHBOURHOODS OF CROSSIRON MILLS
Fashion Neighbourhood – The latest fashion trends at their finest.
Ranch Neighbourhood – A salute to Alberta’s rich western history.
Resources Neighbourhood – Celebrating Alberta’s resources: oil, wind, agriculture, natural gas ,and more.
Fossil Neighbourhood – Recognizing the history of the badlands of Alberta.
Entertainment Neighbourhood – A nod to Alberta’s industrial growth.
CrossIron Mills Map (updated by Retail Insider with relocation of Food Court by Exit 5 in 2016).
In addition to each neighbourhood, there are six ‘courts’ spread amongst the six neighbourhoods with artwork symbolizing different characteristics of the Albertan way of life.
Zone 1 – Fashion Neighbourhood
“Gumby Girl” at Entrance 1 leading to the “Fashion Neighbourhood” at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Pop-up go/Zenergy Communications
The Fashion Entrance is on the far northwest side of the centre and is characterized by what is colloquially known as the ‘Gumby Girl’ outside and leads into the Fashion Neighbourhood which has 12-foot-tall store fronts.
Key anchor retail tenants for this neighbourhood include Bass Pro Shops, Sport Chek, Bed Bath & Beyond, Laura, and Saks OFF 5TH The Saks OFF 5th opened in fall 2016 measuring 30,000 square feet.
Bass Pro Shops at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Major Anchor Mall Tenants in Fashion Neighourhood
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SportChek at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Bed Bath & Beyond at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Laura at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Other select retailers in the neighbourhood include Coach, Oak + Tonic, Tommy Bahama, Brooks Brothers, Michael Kors, Brown’s Outlet, Melanie Lyne, Lacoste Outlet, Kate Spade, Geox, Tip Top, Cleo, Little Burgundy, Fairweather, Naturalizer, La vie en Rose, Lenscrafters, Miniso, The Shoe Company, GNC, Michael Hill, Ben Moss, Lush, Guitarworks, and Mountain Warehouse.
Other select retailers in Fashion Neighourhood
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Michael Kors at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Coach at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Melanie Lyne at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Browns Outlet at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Tommy Bahamas at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Brooks Brothers at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Oak + Tonic at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
la Vie en Rose at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Naturalizer at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Fairweather at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Little Burgundy at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Cleo at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Tip Top at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Kate Spade at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Geox at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Lacoste at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Select retailers in Fashion Neighbourhood
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Mountain Warehouse at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Guitarworks at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Lush at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Ben Moss at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
CarZ at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
The Shoe Company at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Michael Hill at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Selis Beauty at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Miniso at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Bikini Village at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Fine Arts Court – The Fine Arts Court transitions from the Fashion to Ranch neighbourhoods and features geometric shapes, bright colours, stark white abstract sculptures, and a coffee shop with spacious seating area. This area is a nod to Alberta’s trendy art scene.
Fine Arts Court. Photo: CrossIron Mills
Zone 2 – Ranch Neighbourhood
Entrance 2 leading to the “Ranch Neighbourhood” at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Ledcor GroupCrossIron Mall Map – Ranch Neighbourhood
Ranch Neighbourhood Entrance at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Ranch Neighbourhood. Photo: CrossIron Mills
The Ranch Neighbourhood is a nod to the Old West. It is often referred to as the Ranch Spine as it runs through the middle of the centre. The Ranch Neighbourhood boasts 8 different types of hardwood flooring with theatrical western store fronts and huge sheriffs badges in-set in the floor at either end. Also at opposite ends of the Ranch Neighbourhood are the “Good Guy” and “Bad Guy” gunslingers that stand at 23 feet tall, and customers walk beneath them as they enter the space.
The two retail Anchors in the Ranch neighbourhood are Tommy Hilfiger and H&M.
Tommy Hilfiger at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica FinchH&M at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Select retailers in the Ranch neighbourhood include True Religion Outlet, ECCO shoes, Johnston & Murphy Factory Store, Banana Republic Factory Store, Guess Accessories, TUMI, Call It Spring, Logo Gifts, Nike, Levi’s, and Zumiez.
Select retailers in Ranch Neighbourhood
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True Religion at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
ECCO Shoes at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Johnston & Murphy at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Banana Republic at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Guess Accessories at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Call It Spring at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Logo Gifts at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Washrooms between Purdy’s Chocolates and Aveda at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Campfire Court in Ranch Neighbourhood at CrossIron Mills
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Campfire Court. Photo: Jessica Finch
Campfire Court. Photo: Jessica Finch
Campfire Court – Back to the basics of nature. The Campfire Court is at the west end of the ranch spine and is designed as a night sky with stars, the moon, and embers from the blown glass fire which is surrounded by tall trees and rustic log furniture. The ceiling treatment transitions from this court through the Ranch Neighbourhood, getting lighter and lighter toward the far end where the rodeo court is in full sun.
Additional select retailers in the Ranch neighbourhood include a Lululemon pop-up, TELUS, No Excuses Perfume, Vision Quest, and Saneal Cameras.
Select retailers in Fashion Neighbourhood
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Lululemon Pop Up at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Levi's at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Nike at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
No Excuses Perfume at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
TELUS at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Former Basil St at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Saneal Cameras at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Vision Quest at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Wind Court. Photo: CrossIron Mills
Wind Court – The Wind Court transitions between the Ranch and Resources Neighbourhoods and is inspired by the Chinook winds that are part of southern Alberta’s culture. Here you find the “Chinook Girl” gently blowing wind across ribbons and banners at the ceiling level to create activity. In this court is a central seating area of wave-shaped benches and if you look up you’ll see several banners with facts and lore about the Chinook winds.
Zone 3 – Resources Neighbourhood
Entrance 3 leading to the “Resource Neighbourhood” at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Travel Alberta
The Resource Neighbourhood highlights the importance of agriculture, wind and, of course, oil & gas in Alberta. With an enormous stylized oil derrick as the entrance icon, this neighbourhood contains sculptures representing fields of grain, hay-accented store fronts, giant overhead ceiling fans, and an interactive piece of modern art modelled after a working oil rig.
The key retail anchor tenants in the Resources Neighbourhood include The Children’s Place, Indigo, HomeSense, and Winners.
A Children’s Place at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Winners at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Indigo at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
HomeSense at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Other retailers include Zumiez, Guess, Disney Outlet, Hot Topic, Milk Run, Below the Belt, Van Heusen Outlet, Discovery Hut, Just Cozy, Ricki’s, Underground, Foundry, Urban Behaviour, Footlocker, Stokes, QE Home, Urban Kids, Lindt, Zwilling J/A/ Henckels, and Clogs for Comfort.
Resources Neighbourhood. Photo: CrossIron Mills
Between the Resources Neighbourhood and the Fossils Neighbourhood is a court/play-area where children can turn the wheels and watch the ‘oil’ bubble through the rig.
Zone 4 – Fossils Neighbourhood
Entrance 4 leading to the “Fossil Neighbourhood” at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Wolsey Structural Engineering Ltd.
CrossIron Mall Map – Fossils Neighbourhood
Fossil Neighbourhood Entrance at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
The Fossil Neighbourhood was designed as a tribute to the badlands of Alberta. With Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum mere hours away, they deemed it to be an important aspect of Alberta history to incorporate. Natural Cork linoleum represents the strata of earth as you dig for fossils. This area also features two more unique sculptures, the ‘Layers of Time’ statue representing the fossils left behind from various eras, and the ‘CrossIron Caveman’ holding a coffee and shopping bags frozen in a block of ice.
Fossil Neighbourhood with the ‘CrossIron Caveman’. Photo: CrossIron Mills
The main retail anchor tenants for the Fossils neighbourhood included Urban Planet, Sketchers, Toys “R” Us, and DSW Shoes.
DSW Shoes at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Urban Planet at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Toys “R” Us at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Other select retailers in the Fossils neighbourhood include Scentsitively, Claire’s, EB Games, Aldo, Dynamite, Le Chateau, American Eagle, Portage & Main, Bath & Body Works, GAP Factory, Roots Outlet, Labels, Sunrise Records, Softmoc, Globo, Suzy Shier, Show Warehouse, Ardene Outlet, Bentley, All Pretty Things, Saje, Sparkle, Asics, Polo Talph Lauren, Aritzia, Aerie, Sephora, Garage, and Hugo Boss Outlet.
Select retailers in Fossil Neighbourhood
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Scensitively at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Claire's at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Hugo Boss at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Garage at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Aldo at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Dynamite at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Sephora at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
aerie at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Le Chateau (from far) at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Le Chateau at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Aritzia at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
American Eagle at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Ralph Lauren at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Bath & Body Works at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Select retailers in Fossils Neighbourhood
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Gap at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Roots at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Asics at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Labels at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Sparkle at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Saje at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Sunrise Records at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
All Things at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Bentley at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Soft Moc at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Globo at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Suzy Shier at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Adrene at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Rodeo Court. Photo: CrossIron Mills
Rodeo Court – Between the four connections where Fossils, Sports, Entertainment, and Ranch Neighbourhoods meet is the Rodeo Court where hard-fought rodeo battles are paid homage. It is bright and airy, depicting many of the rodeo events with 4 metal sculptures of a saddle bronc rider, a roping cowboy, a bull rider, and a steer wrestler. Stylized cowboys look down on the Rodeo Court from their perch on the coral rail above.
Zone 5 – Sports Neighbourhood
Entrance 6 leading to the “Sports Neighbourhood” at CrossIron Mills
Sports Neighbourhood Map at CrossIron Mills
The “Court of Champions” can be found in the Sports Neighbourhood entry court. A suspended ring hangs centre court with stadium seats below, displaying still and broadcast imagery representative of the diversity of Sport. The trophy cases and hanging medals above give interesting facts and recall the pay‐off of the hard-fought competitions of days past. Calgary is known internationally for having hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Sports Neighbourhood. Photo: CrossIron Mills
Winter is also represented throughout the Sports Neighbourhood, with a prominent chairlift feature incorporating embossed graphic wood chair slats featuring names and locations of Alberta’s best. The summer sport seating “oasis” area includes a nod to Spruce Meadows and the equestrian world, while the ceiling beyond showcases a tight race, as stylized rowing skulls battle toward the finish.
Sport Neighbourhood Entrance at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
The Sports Neighbourhood hosts three main retail anchors including Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret, and Pro Hockey Life.
Victoria’s Secret at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Hockey Life at CrossIron Mills
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Hockey Life at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Hockey Life at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Old Navy Outlet at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Other select retailers in the Sports Neighbourhood include a VANS outlet, The Running Room, Showcase, Puma Outlet, Under Armour, Boathouse, Jack & Jones Outlet, International Clothiers, Jersey City, Torrid, Adidas Outlet, West 49 Outlet, Blue Notes, Sully’s, Bootlegger Outlet, Carter’s Osh Kosh, Journeys, Oksana, RW&CO, Fossil Outlet, Watch Station, La Senza, Exmore, Calvin Klein Outlet, Oakley Vault, Swarovski Outlet, and Sunglass Hut.
Select retailers in Sports Neighbourhood
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Swarovski at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Calvin Klein at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Exmore at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Watch Station at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
La Senza at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
RW&Co at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Fossil at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Oksana at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Journey at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Carter's and OshKosh at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Sully's at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Bluenotes at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Sports Courtyard in Sports Neighbourhood. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Select retailers in Sports Neighbourhood
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Adidas at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Torrid at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
International Clothiers at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Jersey City at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Jack & Jones at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Boathouse at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Under Armour at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Puma at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Showcase at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Vans at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Running Room at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Wildlife Court – The Wildlife Court transitions from the Sports Neighbourhood to one of the major anchor tenants, Bass Pro Shops, and acknowledges the beauty and natural diversity of Alberta. Along each side of the water you’ll find a clearing where visitors can rest on rustic style furniture, and almost hear the sleeping bear snore. Animal images etched in bronze tiles dot the surrounding floor, artfully displaying different styles to capture their image. Above, rear illuminated transparent blue images of Alberta wildlife represent some of the great diversity that can be found. Flying gracefully above the trees, carved geese sculptures transition from simple forms to detailed representations as they exit the Court towards Bass Pro Shops.
The Wildlife Court. Photo: CrossIron Mills
Zone 6 – Entertainment Neighbourhood
Entrance 5 leading to the “Entertainment Neighbourhood” at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Pop-up go | Zenergy Communications
Sports Neighbourhood and Food Court Map at CrossIron Mills
Entertainment Neighbourhood Entrance at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
The Entertainment Neighbourhood adds approximately 200,000 square feet of additional retail space and common area which is modelled after a dynamic 1930’s urban area. The state-of-the-art SilverCity entertainment area features more than 1,300 stadium seats and 7 auditoriums with wall-to-wall curved screens and digital surround sound. In addition, guests can enjoy the amenities in the approximately-13,000-square-foot XSCAPE Entertainment Centre which features a variety of the latest games and activities as well as a licensed lounge. Select auditoriums have RealD 3D technology where guests will be able to enjoy a totally immersive 3D experience like no other.
Nestled in with the restaurants and theatres is the main retail anchor, Shoppers Drug Mart.
Shoppers Drug Mart at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
The Entertainment Neighbourhood is home to the 45,000-square-foot SilverCity entertainment centre, three fully licensed sit-down restaurants; Boston Pizza, Fionn McCool’s, and Milestones.
Anchor Restaurants in Entertainment Neighbourhood
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Boston Pizza in Entertainment Neighbourhood. Photo: Jessica Finch
Milestones in Entertainment Neighbourhood. Photo: Jessica Finch
Milestones in Entertainment Neighbourhood. Photo: Jessica Finch
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Centre of Food Hall in Entertainment Neighbourhood at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Interior Food Hall Entrance in Entertainment Neighbourhood at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Jessica Finch
Food Hall entrance in “Entertainment Neighbourhood” at CrossIron Mills. Photo: Pop-up go | Zenergy Communications
The new-and-improved food hall now offers 1,400 seats and 24 restaurants and features a new entrance located on the north side of the property. This access features a 40-foot-high (12-metre) glass vestibule, a curved metal roof, and a glass curtain wall with metal columns and masonry accents. Its strategic location and the food hall’s numerous skylights improve brightness as well as enhance the overall shopping experience at the centre.
Food Hall at CrossIron Mills
Food Hall at CrossIron Mills
We had a very interesting photo walk around CrossIron Mills in Calgary and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Don’t forget to check out our other retail photo tours over the past few months. Thank you for taking this tour with us.
Discover More Related Retail Photo Tours From Retail Insider:
Iconic Canadian retailer Hudson’s Bay will soon be launching a new online marketplace on thebay.com which will bring more than 500 new sellers to the website by the end of 2021 and introduce new and “significantly-expanded” category offerings.
Those offerings include sports and recreation, tech, pets, health and wellness as well as vintage designer handbags and watches.
Iain Nairn
“As part of our digital-first strategy, the launch of Marketplace catapults Hudson’s Bay to the forefront of e-commerce in Canada,” said Iain Nairn, President and CEO of Hudson’s Bay. “We now have the ability to add millions of products to our offering, quickly adapting to customer demand. The response from the seller community has been extraordinarily positive as more and more brands seek to join this modern and convenient shopping experience.
“The consumer’s changing. I think that’s the critical thing. We’re a customer first business and we’re really in touch with our customer and their changing behaviour. We want to address that behaviour. We’ve always been there as being the curator of premium product for the Canadian consumer. And as the world has moved to digital, I think they look to us to do that job for them.
“So we think becoming more digital first and actually launching the Marketplace allows us to bring to the customer a much wider repertoire of really curated brands.”
The technical side of the Marketplace launch is being supported by Mirakl.
Nairn said the retailer has been “completely inundated with sellers” which demonstrates that The Bay has such a great brand and is such a strong access point to the Canadian consumer.
“We’re positioned in that style and quality space that is a natural fit that sellers can see having access to a new traffic flow,” said Nairn.
Supported by Mirakl’s best-in-class marketplace solution, Hudson’s Bay can react to consumer trends, expand its assortment and onboard quality sellers from around the world in a matter of days, versus weeks or months needed with a traditional e-commerce model, offering critical scalability at a time when online shopping has more than doubled in Canada over the past year.
Nairn said the strategy for the Marketplace was being developed pre-COVID-19. In April, the retailer put its new online platform in place. That allowed the company to consider where it could go next in the digital space.
As it looked at its opportunities and what was happening with consumers, the idea of the Marketplace was the next logical step for the retailer.
Nairn said the company has almost doubled its sales online this year from a penetration point of view, getting close to 40 percent. The home category has been very strong this year. The beauty business has almost tripled online this year.
“Adding this new Marketplace will allow us to both strengthen our existing categories that we’re dominant in but then also add new categories. The customer is looking for a one-stop shop. And I think if Hudson’s Bay can link the strengths of its loyalty program, which we also relaunched during 2020, with a wider choice then we think we can really provide the customer with that style and quality at a really premium level, really well curated, to shop with us all the time,” said Nairn, adding that there’s a confidence and trust level with consumers because of Hudson’s Bay being a venerable business with a great heritage.
“Our digital business is our best kept secret but yet we’re the fifth largest ecomm business in Canada. We have 220 million people visit our site per annum. For instance, this year we expect to do over a billion dollars. We have a great business and we think we can really expand that exponentially with the introduction of Marketplace.
“We hold at the moment about 1,700 brands on our site. We will go live with another 300 brands and those 300 brands will be about 150 sellers. We have 1,700 sellers in our pipeline who have contacted us interested in going on our site. So we think this is just the beginning. We really think this is a transformational point to get to the front of the queue in terms of the leaders in Canada as being Canada’s largest premium marketplace.
“For small businesses, which have really unique products, this is a great place for them to have access to our emailable database of 5.7 million loyalty customers. It’s really great for Canadian brands.”
In August 2020, the company announced it was making it easier than ever for Canadians to earn rewards on the products they love with an updated and improved Hudson’s Bay Rewards Program. The refreshed program modernized its reward offerings to ensure a frictionless, omni-channel experience, from beginning to end.
Rewards services were integrated directly into e-commerce with the company’s new fully-digital platform.
Adrien Nussenbaum, co-founder and U.S. CEO, Mirakl, said Hudson’s Bay is creating an expanded, seamless shopping experience that customers will love with the new Marketplace.
“Mirakl is proud to support Hudson’s Bay in this new and innovative growth plan that will benefit millions of Canadian shoppers,” he said.
