Simons entrance at Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver. Photo: Lee Rivett.
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls with a Christmas update for shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the newest variant in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In case you missed our first Tour Series video tour, check out the September 2020 video tour of Park Royal Shopping Centre below:
As of now, the exterior of the shopping centre is best viewed after sunset, especially the Christmas tree lit up in the north west corner of the Village at Park Royal portion of the shopping centre.
Outdoor Christmas Tree in the Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The festive lights continue through the rest of The Village at Park Royal Shopping Centre for various retailers, including Urban Barn, Whole Foods, Lululemon and many others.
Urban Barn lit for Christmas 2021 in front of the iconic lighthouse at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Whole Foods, Cactus Club and Urban Barn at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Lululemon lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Whole Foods lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Cactus Club courtyard next to Whole Foods lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Oak + Fort lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Road lit for Christmas 2021 at The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. The Village at Park Royal lit for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. The Village at Park Royal lit for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Moving into the interior of the Park Royal South shopping centre during the daylight hours has the Christmas festivities in full swing.
Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Instagram Wall at Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Park Royal South with the Christmas decorations up for Christmas 2021 in West Vancouver (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
We had a very interesting holiday season photo walk around Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver 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:
Metropolis at Metrotown main entrance (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls with a Christmas update for shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the most recent variant of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This edition brings us to Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, B.C., and builds upon the mall tour in December 2020 for the shopping centre. We revisited the shopping centre this holiday season to check-in on the festive decorations which some may be missing due to the pandemic.
We visited on a rainy day, therefore the exterior photos were a bit lacklustre. We headed into the mall to see the various holiday decorations that Ivanhoé Cambridge (owner) delighted shoppers with in 2021.
Grand Court at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Giorgio Armani’s much less expensive sub-brand Armani Exchange (also known as A|X) has temporarily relocated near Indigo to expand on the upper level of Metropolis at Metrotown. The location reopened prior to the 2021 holiday shopping season.
A|X Armani Exchange at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Armani Exchange under construction on the upper level (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.A|X Armani Exchange at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. A|X Armani Exchange at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. A|X Armani Exchange at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
GEOX
Moderately-priced ‘breathable’ Italian footwear brand GEOX gave its Metropolis at Metrotown store a makeover. The store was under construction in July of 2021 during the previous tour.
GEOX at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Construction signage for GEOX at Metropolis at Metrotown (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.GEOX at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Champs Sports
The American sports retailer, a subsidiary of Foot Locker, temporarily relocated to the lower level near the Hudson’s Bay to expand on the upper level of Metropolis at Metrotown. The retailer appears to be in full operation heading into the 2021 holiday season.
Champs Sports at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Construction signage for Champs Sports on the upper level of Metropolis at Metrotown (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Token Toys
Token Toys, an art toy store, opened a second brick-and-mortar location at Metropolis after construction observed in July 2021. Its first store is located at CF Richmond Centre. The retailer has operated a kiosk at Metropolis at Metrotown up until this point.
Token Toys at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Future location for Token Toy Store at Metropolis at Metrotown (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett. Token Toys at Metropolis at Metrotown (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
We had a very interesting holiday season photo walk around Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby 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:
The 2021 holiday season has been an opportunity to recapture the spirit that was lost with the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, where shopping centres across Canada were subject to local and provincial restrictions and in some cases were shut down completely to foot traffic.
From new technology to enhanced experiences for guests, the ability to showcase creativity while being respectful to a never-ending pandemic has allowed shopping centres like CF Toronto Eaton Centre to be a destination for the 2021 holiday season.
2021 Holiday Features at CF Toronto Eaton Centre
CF Toronto Eaton Centre installed a number of traditional elements into the guest areas, including five reindeer, a two-storey star feature at the Yonge & Dundas entrance, an outdoor light walkway and the tallest holiday tree in Canada.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
Holiday Tree
The holiday tree at CF Toronto Eaton Centre stands 108 feet tall with an augmented reality feature that allows for guests to hang virtual personalized ornaments on the tree using the CF Holiday AR Tree Decorator.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
Ornaments made using the Tree Decorator will support Eva’s, a not-for-profit that decreases the barriers and isolation youth face as a result of experiencing homelessness.
PORTL
CF also partnered with PORTL for a holoportation technological experience called “CF Shop the Look”, which allows guests to see the latests fashion trends in a futuristic fashion show. The hubs, which are located at two vacated storefronts in the centre, include QR codes for shoppers to ‘Shop the Look’.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
A visit with Santa comes with a safety element, where the brand has created a booking reservation engine through the website that allows for guests to secure a time and a photo. All proceeds from the reservations will be matched and donated to St Mike’s Hospital and Autism Speaks Canada.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
Glass Light Walls
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
The Eaton Centre has installed ‘window light walls’, in which an entire glass wall is illuminated with hundreds of strands of LED lights to produce a memorable effect. These displays are found at the Saks Fifth Avenue & HBC Queen Street elevated path entrance, Yonge Dundas Square, and the James / Albert Street 2nd floor entrance.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
Retail Insider will be completing a full CF Toronto Eaton Centre photo tour in the new year, which will include new retailers that have joined the property recently and other stories going into 2022.
Additional Holiday Photos from CF Toronto Eaton Centre
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Photo: Dustin Fuhs / Retail Insider)
Retail Insider continues its PhotoSeries of Canadian malls with a Holiday update for shopping centres in 2021. This edition brings us to The CORE Shopping Centre in Calgary, Alberta.
For the 2021 holiday season, The Core has installed a 45-foot holiday tree and a holiday truck display. The 1959 GMC is sponsored by Maison Birks and painted to reflect the brand’s iconic blue colour.
Image: CORE Shopping Centre
The decor has served for a backdrop of seasonal events and activations, including live musical performances, photo opportunities with Santa and a 24-day countdown calendar of giveaways on Instagram – all in support of The Mustard Seed.
Main "Tsawwassen Mills" signage. Photo: Lee Rivett
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls which began as a result of COVID-19 closures. We have been providing insights into shopping centres coast-to-coast which may otherwise be overlooked. This edition takes us to Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC – which is near the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal operated by BC Ferries – near Vancouver, BC.
The LEED® certified enclosed mall opened in October 2016 featuring 16 anchors and 180 retailers, 50% of which are ‘pure outlet’ stores. Tsawwassen marked the third ‘Mills’ centre for Ivanhoé Cambridge, following the opening of Vaughan Mills north of Toronto in 2004 and CrossIron Mills in Calgary in 2009 (see CrossIron Mill’s retail profile from March 2021). Tsawwassen Mills at the time of its opening was the largest shopping centre to be built in Canada since 2009.
Tsawwassen Mills location (south of the City of Vancouver) on Google Maps. Photo: Google Maps
Aerial photo of Tsawwassen Mills just south of Vancouver. Photo: Industrial Steel Manufacturing.
Tsawwassen 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 4.5 million annual visits, $377 sales per square foot, and $236 million gross sales volume (all as of December 2019). The shopping centre sprawls across 1.2 million square feet and boasts 15 large format anchors which includes:
Bass Pro Shops (149,277 square feet)
Saks OFF 5TH (32,733 square feet)
Urban Planet / West 49 (31,144 square feet)
Sport Chek (30,796 square feet)
Accents @ Home (29,383 square feet)
H&M (26,273 square feet)
Winners (25,261 square feet)
Marshalls (25,256 square feet)
Pro Hockey Life (24,656 square feet)
Blue Lotus Gallery (24,574 square feet)
Tommy Hilfiger (20,435 square feet)
Nike Factory Store (20,353 square feet)
Designer Depot (20,347 square feet)
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse (20,335 square feet)
Old Navy (20,321 square feet)
Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
History of Tsawwassen Mills
Vaughan Mills (near Toronto) and CrossIron Mills (near Calgary) were the predecessors and sister shopping centres to Tsawwassen Mills. The “Mills” were designed and built by Ivanhoé Cambridge based on the Mills Corporation highly-successful ‘race track’ format for outlet malls in the United States. Mills Corporation was subsequently acquired by Simons Property Group in 2007 and a year prior Ivanhoé Cambridge acquired the Canadian Mills properties. Ivanhoé Cambridge had originally planned for four Mills shopping centres in Canada, including:
Toronto (Vaughan Mills in Vaughan, Ontario which opened in November 2004)
Calgary (CrossIron Mills in Calgary, Alberta which opened in August 2009)
Vancouver (Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, B.C.)
Montreal (Laval Mills in Laval, Quebec which was abandoned in May 2011)
According to Ivanhoé Cambridge, more than $600 million went into building Tsawwassen Mills, which employed about 3,500 full-time and part-time staff at the time of its opening. The centre features a 6,000 stall parking lot with 14 electric vehicle charging stations. Other sustainable features include a LEED® certification as mentioned above, based partly on 20% of construction materials being recycled, as well as the planting of 2,000 trees on the property.
Construction began on the massive Tsawwassen Mills in January of 2014, which is located at Highway 17 and 52nd Street in South Delta — about 30 minutes north of the Washington State border and less than 5 km from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Tsawwassen Mills holds the unfortunate title of being the least productive “Mills” in the Ivanhoé Cambridge as it has the lowest productivity figures of the three “Mills” as of December 2019:
Tsawwassen Mills
4.5 million annual visits
$377 sales per square foot
$236 million gross sales volume
1.2 million square feet of retail space
CrossIron Mills
9.4 million annual visits
$689 sales per square foot
$547 million gross sales volume
1.2 million square feet of retail space
Vaughan Mills
14.6 million annual visits
$886 sales per square foot
$883 million gross sales volume
1.3 million square feet of retail space
Tsawwassen Mills features a 1,100-seat food hall, four full-service restaurants, a children’s play area, a sports dome and six public entrances each featuring its own special design features.
The unique enclosed centre features five distinct shopping neighbourhoods – Fashion, Outdoor Life, Coast Salish, City, and Nature – each featuring its own custom artwork and design elements.
Zone 1 – Fashion Neighbourhood
Fashion Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills. Photo: Lee Rivett.
Entry 1 at Tsawwassen Mills. Photo: Lee Rivett.
The main ‘Entry 1″ of the shopping centre is in the middle of the “Fashion Neighbourhood”. The key anchor tenants include:
Nike Factory Store
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse at Tsawwassen Mills. Photo: Lee Rivett.
Nike Factory Store at Tsawwassen Mills. Photo: Lee Rivett.
Corridor of the Fashion District at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Other key retailers include MAC Cosmetics, Peoples Jewelry, BBW, Guess, Under Armour, Eddie Bauer, Aldo, Elements Outlet, Aldo, Roots, Nominou, Levi’s, Epic Menswear, Puma, Pastime Sports, Victoria’s Secret, Bath and Body Works, and Samsonite.
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No-Mi-No-U at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Roots at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Elements Outlet at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Aldo at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (Photo: Lee Rivett)
Eddie Bauer at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Guess at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Under Armour at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Bath & Body Works at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Peoples The Diamond Store at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Victoria's Secret at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
MAC Cosmetics at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Rocky Mountain Chocolate at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Swarovski at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Levi's at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Epic Menswear at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Puma at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Samsonite at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Pastime Sports & Games at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Corridor of the Fashion District at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021)
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Corridor of the Fashion District at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Corridor of the Fashion District at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Corridor of the Fashion District at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Corridor of the Fashion District at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Midway through the Fashion Neighbourhood is the 1,100 guest food hall with artwork adorning the various aspects points of the eating space.
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee RivettFood Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021)
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Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Artwork within the Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Artwork within the Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Artwork within the Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
L’Occitane and La Senza next to Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Continuing past the Food Hall at Tsawwassen Mills leads into the other half of the Fashion Neighbourhood where “Entry 2” is located and two additional anchor tenants reside:
Saks OFF 5TH
Tommy Hilfiger
Accents @ Home
Entry 2 at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee RivettSaks Off 5th and Tommy Hilfiger off of the Entry 2 at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021).
Saks Off 5th and Tommy Hilfiger
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Saks Off 5th at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Saks Off 5th at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Saks Off 5th interior at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Tommy Hilfiger off of the Entry 2 at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Saks Off 5th off of the Entry 2 at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Saks Off 5th off of the Entry 2 at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Accents @ Home at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Accents @ Home at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The remainder of the Fashion Neighbourhood included tenants Banana Republic, Aritzia, Michael Kors, Melanie Lyne, Kate Spade, Browns Shoes, Lululemon, Premier Fashion, Coach Outlet, Brooks Brothers, Harry Rosen Outlet, Anatasia Jewelry, Laura, The Rack by After Five, and La Vie En Rose.
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la Vie en Rose at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The Rack by After Five at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
LAURA at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Harry Rosen - The Outlet at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Anatasia at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Brooks Brothers at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Coach at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Premiere Fashion at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Lululemon at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Browns Shoes at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Kate Spade at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Melanie Lyne at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Aritzia at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Michael Kors at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Banana Republic at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
L'Occitane at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
La Senza at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The transition between the Fashion Neighbourhood and the Nature Neighbourhood has a seating area with trees for shoppers to catch their breath (face masks required as of press time).
Tree seating area between Fashion Neighbourhood and Nature Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Zone 2 – Nature Neighbourhood
The southwest section of Tsawwassen Mills is home to the Nature Neighbourhood. It faces a busy intersection with the commuters heading to the BC Ferry terminal and is where the massive “Entry 3” is located.
Nature Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.Massive ‘Entry 3’ at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Just inside of the ‘Entry 3’ doors is a large open space which was configured to welcome visitors with a Christmas themed, Instagram-able display.
Christmas display near ‘Entry 3’ at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The main, anchor tenants for the Nature Neighbourhood included Winners and the Blue Lotus Gallery.
Winners at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.Blue Lotus Art Gallery at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Other retailers in the Nature Neighbourhood included ECCO Shoes, Shoppers Drug Mart, Saje Natural Wellness, Lindt Chocolates, Showcase, Miniso, West Coast Leathers, Michael Hill, and Ardene.
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ECCO Shoes at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Shoppers Drug Mart at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Lindt and Saje at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Showcase at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Miniso at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Ardene at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
This section of Tsawwassen Mills was home to Guest Services as well as several art installations.
Guest Services at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.Art Installation at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Art Installation at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Art Installation at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Zone 3 – City Neighbourhood
A very short ‘neighbourhood’ on the northwest side of Tsawwassen Mills is home to the City Neighbourhood. It is also home to “Entry 4” with a large outdoor sculpture to welcome shoppers.
Children’s Play Area between City Neighbourhood and Nature Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.Outdoor sculpture outside of ‘Entry 4’ at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The main retail tenants for this neighbourhood included Marshalls and Old Navy Outlet.
Old Navy Outlet at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Marshalls at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Corridor in City Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Other retailers in the City Neighbourhood included Famous Footwear, Carters/Osh Kosh, Sketchers, Fairweather, Reitmans, Peekaboo Beans, Claires, Mastermind Toys, Children’s Place and Inka’s World.
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Sketchers at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Fairweather at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Reitman's at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Mastermind Toys at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The Children's Place at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Carter's at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
QE Home at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Classic Home at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Classic Designs at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Inka's World at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Peekaboo Beans at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Claire's at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Another seating area for shopping centre visitors was located between the “City Neighbourhood” and the “Coast Salish Neighbourhood”.
Seating Area between City Neighbourhood and Coast Salish Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Zone 4 – Coast Salish Neighbourhood
The northern end of Tsawwassen Mills is home to the Coast Salish Neighbourhood. It runs across the north side of the Food Hall and is also home to “Entry 5” with a large outdoor sculpture to welcome shoppers.
Coast Salish Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.Outdoor sculpture of two leaping salmon (historically important symbols of local culture) named “Fish Icon” outside of ‘Entry 5’ at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The two main retail anchors for the neighbourhood are H&M (including an H&M Men) and the Designer Depot which replaced a former Forever 21 store.
H&M at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Designer Depot at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Indoor sculpture outside of Designers Depot at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.H&M at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The other retailers in this neighbourhood includes SoftMoc, Bikini village, OK Boot Corral, The Body Shop, Polo Ralph Lauren, RW&CO, Calvin Klein, GAP, Lucky Brand Jeans, Danier, Call It Spring, Purdy’s, American Eagle, Classic Designs, Dynamite, Garage, Aeropostale, Chique Boutique, Suzy Shier, and Adidas.
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SoftMoc at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Calvin Klein at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
RW&CO at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Aeropostale at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Bikini Village at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Purdy's Chocolate at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The Gap at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Danier at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Lucky Brand at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Call It Spring at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
American Eagle at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Dynamite at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Garage at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Suzy Shier at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Chique Boutique at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Ralph Lauren at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The Body Shop at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
OK Boot Corral at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Zone 5 – Outdoor Neighbourhood
The final neighbourhood of Tsawwassen Mills is on the north east end of the shopping centre and is home to the Outdoor Neighbourhood. It is also home to “Entry 6” with a large outdoor sculpture to welcome shoppers.
Outdoor Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.Outdoor sculpture outside of ‘Entry 6’ at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The largest retail anchor for the shopping centre is Bass Pro Shops on the end of the mall which includes a themed bowling alley inside. Other major retail anchors for the neighbourhood include:
SportChek
Hockey Life
Urban Planet
West 49 (which includes a skate park within)
Bass Pro Shops at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
SportChek at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The Hockey Life at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Urban Planet at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
West 49 at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The Outdoor Neighbourhood has a number of art sculptures and seating areas for visitors.
Seating area in Outdoor Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Art installation in Outdoor Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Art installation in Outdoor Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Art installation in Outdoor Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Seating area in Outdoor Neighbourhood at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
The other retailers in this neighbourhood include Bluenotes, Mountain Warehouse, Dollarama, Tip Top Tailors, Just Cozy, Blackwell, Bentley, Running Room, Lids, Spencer Gifts, Champs, International Clothiers, Zumiez, Urban Kids, Journeys, Boathouse, Footlocker, Hot Topic, and Reebok.
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Sunrise Records at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Reebok at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Addidas at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Foot Locker at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
TipTop Tailors at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Champs at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
BlueNotes at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Mountain Warehouse at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Boathouse at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Lids at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Zumiez at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Just Cozy at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Bentley at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Blackwell at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Spencers at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
International Clothiers at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Urban Kids at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Hot Topic at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Calendar Club at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Dollarama at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, BC (December 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
We had a very interesting photo walk around Tsawwassen Mills near Vancouver and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Don’t forget to check out our other retail photo tours and thank you for taking this tour with us.
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Retail Insider continues its PhotoSeries of Canadian malls with a Holiday update for shopping centres in 2021. This edition brings us to Bayshore Shopping Centre in Ottawa.
Bayshore Shopping Centre is one of Ottawa’s largest malls with nearly 900,000 square feet of space and has anchor tenants including Hudson’s Bay, Walmart, H&M, Zara, Sport Chek, and Apple. The centre was acquired by Kingsett Capital in July 2021 from Montreal-based landlord Ivanhoe Cambridge and is managed by Cushman & Wakefield Asset Services.
For the holiday season, Bayshore has installed a number of holiday offerings that include a blue and white themed centre-court display, complete with a two storey holiday tree and a meet & greet with Santa.
Bayshore Shopping Centre (Image: marta.emilse on Instagram)
Bayshore Shopping Centre (Image: kaitlynmyner on Instagram)
The shopping centre has also partnered with MDRN Activations for a holiday display on the 3rd floor, which includes a photobooth that allows shoppers to be transported virtually to Canada’s great white North with an arctic winter station. The Centre wanted to highlight the beautiful ecosystem that makes up 40% of Canada’s landmass and take in the sights that Santa and the other North Pole inhabitants take in every day.
In addition to the photobooth, Bayshore has filled out the activation around the 3rd floor location with a fishing hole and “snow covered” benches.
The wintery scene will be on display until March 2022, at which time it will be transformed into a spring theme.
Image: Bayshore Shopping Centre Image: Bayshore Shopping Centre
Image: Bayshore Shopping Centre
Image: Bayshore Shopping Centre
We will be completing a full Retail Insider Photo Tour of Bayshore Shopping Centre in early 2022.
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The prevailing storyline leading up to the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping period was that this year was going to be a very strong one for retailers in the country.
But was it really?
David Ian Gray
The Canadian Black Friday/Holiday Survey 2021, by Leger and DIG360, casts some doubt on that sentiment.
“I don’t think it was terribly surprising but I think Black Friday was a bit muted as an exciting sales event. I think it was a bit lacklustre. I think the retailers themselves were not over hyping it and I don’t think they wanted big traffic surges especially in store, especially if they may not have items in stock,” said David Ian Gray, Principal, Retail Strategist, Insights of DIG360.
“So they were kind of trying to have more of a message of just buy often and at a steady pace instead of focusing everything on the big event and the shoppers certainly reacted that way I believe. There was no big spike that occurred and in fact the participation of people both browsing and buying around Black Friday wasn’t terrible but it was a bit off from a peak in 2019.
“The other side of the coin is people were thinking it was going to be dramatically lower because of the pandemic and supply chain that wasn’t the case either. It was just a very steady and stable comp to 2019.”
CF Toronto Eaton Centre on Black Friday 2021 (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Here are some key findings of the report:
Actual reported shopping behaviour continues the ongoing shift toward online purchasing at the expense of in-store. Fewer Canadians reported visiting a shopping mall or larger stores and significantly more shoppers said they spent money at online Canadian stores or other online marketplaces;
Although Canadians have said in previous surveys that they want to support local/independent stores during the pandemic, reported behaviour has shown no significant growth;
Reported Black Friday spending overall remains stagnant; not surprisingly, the shift towards online purchases continues. 2021 reported online spending outpaced in-store by a ratio of 2:1 compared to 2019 findings – particularly for purchase of $100 or less. Price competitiveness, selection availability, convenience and ongoing challenges with store experience are likely reasons for the shift to online;
Canadian shoppers express concerns over supply chain disruptions in advance of the holiday season. Roughly half of Canadians are worried supply chain issues impacting their holiday shopping and fear that on-time online delivery for December gift giving may be at risk. A similar proportion heeded the call to begin their shopping earlier this year to avoid delivery disappointments. Inflationary price increases and other supply chain problems related to availability and shipping issues are real-time realities for large majorities of consumers;
Perceptions of the value of Black Friday deals, discounts and promotions are decreasing. The proportion of Canadian shoppers reported ‘great deals’ declined from 2018 findings, nearly half reported poor to mediocre deals. This combined with supply chain issues, inflation, and pandemic related reluctance to charge into crowds for ‘door-crashers’ are all potential reasons for a stalled growth of Black Friday engagement;
Significant shifts from shopping malls and larger stores to online shopping with two exceptions. Local/independent store shopping has not declined – perhaps barriers presented earlier prevent growth? The percentage of Canadians who crossed the border to shop in person remained consistent with 2019 reported behaviour; and
Shoppers report a slight decline in what they perceived to be great Black Friday deals, discounts and promotions with near majorities expressing a lack of impressive opportunities and only 10 per cent feeling like they received excellent deals.
“From the shoppers’ standpoint, no one’s feeling elated and exuberant about shopping these days. Part of let’s call it excessive shopping, and impulsive shopping where you buy more than you intend, that tends to coincide with a sense of enthusiasm if people are in a good, upbeat mood especially for in-store. That’s when they tend to buy more,” said Gray.
Black Friday at Kate Spade (CF Toronto Eaton Centre) Photo by Dustin Fuhs
“So I think just because of the dragging on pandemic we can start with that, people just aren’t in the mood to go over the top. On the retailers’ side, they weren’t doing the big door crashes. In fact, it wouldn’t have been too cool to try and encourage a big crowd to surge a store. The retailers were also aware that the supply chain had so many hiccups that they couldn’t really promote items in advance of sales because they didn’t know they’d have them in stock.
“I think the customers heard that message. The lack of a hype message was connecting with them that they weren’t going over the top. It is the season where people are still traditionally looking to shop. It didn’t go to zero by any means. I mean it was still a big, big week and if you compare it to where things were for the last several months I think traffic was up. But we saw it from other studies coming out back in October saying that this was going to be the best holiday ever and it’s going to be double digit growth. No, that’s not happening. And this (report) bears that out.”
For the industry, Gray said, Black Friday is not great for a lot of retailers. It cuts into margins. It puts an incredible strain on store staff and internal logistics to make things work.
‘The industry created a bit of a monster with that,” said Gray.
Iconic Canadian apparel manufacturer Mondetta has partnered with Afterpay, a buy now pay later service, in an effort to pivot from being a 35-year-old leading wholesale clothing manufacturer to a direct to consumer business.
“We chose to partner with Afterpay because of their commitment to helping consumers spend in a way that’s convenient, safe and easy. The fact that Afterpay does not engage in external credit checks or allow customers to fall into debt is perfectly in line with our values as a BCorp Certified business. By offering Afterpay, we’ve been able to reach high-value customers, which has resulted in substantial benefits, including a 20x increase in our standard website referral rate and a 44 per cent uptick in average order values,” said Ash Modha, Founder and CEO of Mondetta.
Mondetta, which is based in Winnipeg, began in 1986. It started selling T-shirts on Grand Beach at Lake Winnipeg under the Mondetta brand, which means small world. It went from a small company selling T-shirts on the beach to a company selling across Canada, the US, Europe, Asia and other international places.
“We’ve kind of done five iterations of the company over the last 35 years. When we first started we were selling retail partners in small independents, large retailers . . . When that whole product category of big logos started waning in 1996, 97 we recalibrated the company and that’s when Costco Canada approached us and said ‘we love Mondetta, we want to carry your product’. We said ‘wait a second, do we think this is the right way of taking the next level for the brand. They walked us through the model of where retail was going. It was really interesting to see that if we weren’t part of this new retail as we moved forward 10, 15 years from now it would be very hard to get into a retailer like Costco,” said Modha.
Image: Mondetta
“They basically wrote a $5 million order on a napkin. It was that crazy . . . We actually got involved with them and it was an incredible opportunity for us. Today, 26, 27 years later it’s one of our biggest retail partners that we continue to work with.”
It then started making private labels for companies such as the Running Room, Athleta, Lucy and many major retailers.
Currently, the company has three different divisions – private labels, large scale retail under its own brands, and its direct to consumer which it sells to retail partners and online.
“In the last 35 years, the big opportunity for this company is we have a significant back end supply chain. We have 13 countries of origin with 55 factories from Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Cambodia and it goes all the way into the Middle East with Jordan, with Egypt, with Turkey,” said Modha.
“So we’ve really built a significal scale on the supply chain. We have capacity for almost 150 million units a year and fully compliant.”
Years ago, the brand had seven of its own retail stores. But decided over the years to exit that to focus on what it does now as a business model.
Modha said the recent partnership with Afterpay is a “fantastic marriage” and the right thing as a B Corp to be partner with the company.
“They’re very similar to Shopify. They just make everything so simple. I think we were up within six hours, eight hours with this whole linking system and actually getting on-boarded,” he said.
“For us, it’s been really fantastic. We’ve seen that with Afterpay a customer spends 40 per cent more than the average customer on an online order. So we can actually see the ability to scale the average cart size. Secondly, we’re seeing a conversion rate of 20x times the standard conversion rate which is huge. Consumers are looking at it as a great opportunity to buy and they get that flexibility of almost a credit card but it’s not, without having to put all the information . . . I think Millennials are afraid of credit cards because of the significant impact of interest that is charged on a credit card. This allows them to budget.”
Afterpay also recently launched cross border shopping in the U.S., allowing merchants like Mondetta to reach millions of U.S. shoppers.
“As we start integrating cross border and then we start integrating internationally that gives us a significant run on that. That’s the one thing Afterpay, being an Australian company, they understand very similar to Canadian companies. They understand global versus if they were a US based company,” said Modha. “US based companies think more about the US market only and kind of forget all the other markets.
“These guys are savvy. They’ve thought about not only the US business but how do we expand globally and that ability to expand globally has been I think what is fascinating for us as a company.”
Afterpay has a network of 100,000 global retailers, which allow customers to receive items immediately and pay over time, with no fees. Merchants benefit from Afterpay’s customer base of nearly 20 million in North America.
Afterpay is currently available in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, where it is known as Clearpay.
Avison Young‘s latest Vitality Index reveals that in-person retail traffic has rebounded substantially in Canada from 2020.
Craig Leibowitz
Craig Leibowitz, Executive Director, Innovation and Insight Advisory, U.S. with the commercial real estate firm, said the Index is unique because it uses cell phone mobility data to measure visitor volumes across different unique retail experiences whether they’re in-person or online.
“What was really quite fascinating to me just looking at the data itself is a few things. One is the rebound in in-person shopping experiences across North America,” said Leibowitz.
Ali Fieder, Sales Representative, Vice President, Retail Sales & Leasing for Avison Young, said lockdowns in Canada did play a role in 2020 with decreased traffic.
Ali Fieder
“With that said, what my clients are saying, what I’m seeing because I work on both the landlord and tenant side of things, in general there is a big push for people wanting to leave the house, people wanting to get out of the house, they want to go shop, they want to experience, they want to touch and feel the product again,” she said. “Obviously on the hospitality side of things people want to get out and eat at restaurants. Obviously following health and public safety measures, everyone feels the urge and the need to get out which has been a great thing for the retail market to date.
“Holiday shopping is up and it continues to stay up as we saw in the Vitality Index and there’s maybe a bit of an overall renaissance with retail in Canada which has been really positive to see. We were able to see it qualitatively but now we’re actually able to quantify it with the data that Craig put together.”
The Vitality Index found:
In Canada, foot traffic on Black Friday jumped 86 per cent in retail corridors and 90 per cent in shopping centres over 2020 – but important to note that this volume remains behind 2019 pre-pandemic levels;
In Canada, for the week of December 5 versus week of Cyber Monday 2020: foot traffic was up 62 per cent for local, up 56 per cent for retail corridor, and up 73 per cent for shopping centres. (For example: in overall experiences, foot traffic is up 53 per cent in Calgary and 70 per cent in Edmonton); and
There was an explosion of online shopping throughout the pandemic, jumping 45 per cent since the fall of 2019, although latest visitor volumes at last-mile distribution centres (a useful proxy for e-commerce) show current declines from 2020 and 2019 levels, with tighter labour markets and supply chain challenges serving as contributing factors.
“There’s a tremendous amount of upward momentum as it relates to spending levels this year compared to last year where there are trillions of dollars of savings that people (in North America) have just been holding onto and depending on who you ask or what you read, there are different variables that play and a different extent to which there is that much spending power in the current environment,” said Leibowitz.
Fieder said it’s too early to know what the impact of the spread of the Omicron variant will have on the shopping experience.
“I think Canadians in general have been really receptive to the public health measures so I think it really just depends on what our government gives us guidance in,” she said.
Fieder said prior to COVID a big theme in the retail industry was how e-commerce was going to impact in-store shopping.
“The pandemic accelerated retailers’ plans to innovate. So what might have been a traditional retail store, maybe now they’ve done something different to bring people in . . . Some sort of experience to drive traffic into the store front. I think as challenging as the pandemic has been. It also created an opportunity for retailers to really rethink what they’re doing from an in-store experience standpoint which has added some excitement to the retail environment,” she said.
The fitness industry is poised for incredible growth post-pandemic, with fitness trends undergoing a seismic shift away from gyms and towards outdoors, home fitness, and digital options, according to a recent report by RunRepeat, a website that reviews running shoes.
The report said the fitness industry experienced a 32.45 per cent decline in revenue during 2020 but is projected to rebound to 0.55 per cent pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2021.
“Worth nearly $160 billion in 2021, the fitness industry is expected to grow 171.75 per cent to $434.74 billion USD by 2028,” said the report. “The industries hit the hardest by the pandemic were the gym, health club, and boutique fitness studio industries. They declined up to 58.30 per cent in the first year of the pandemic. In 2021, they are projected to still be down 22.5 per cent from their pre-pandemic revenue levels in 2019.
“Meanwhile, online/digital fitness, fitness apps, fitness equipment, and fitness tracker markets all experienced significant growth due to the pandemic – experiencing a revenue growth of 40.61 per cent in 2020; projected to be up 66.32 per cent by the end of 2021, in comparison to their pre-pandemic levels.
“From 2021 to 2028, the online/digital fitness industry is projected to have the highest growth rate of 33.10 per cent per year. The industry with the lowest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is the gym industry, growing at a rate of 7.21 per cent per year.”
In Canada, the fitness industry breathed a sigh of relief in late November when the federal government announced Bill C-2, an Act to provide further support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That gave fitness businesses the ability to apply for financial support to rebound and rebuild as a part of the program supporting hospitality and tourism.
Sara Hodson
Fitness Industry Council of Canada said it persistently lobbied the federal government to be recognized as a hard-hit industry. The federal government’s announcement to have the fitness industry included in a program for further support is more evidence that the relationship between the fitness industry and the government is strong, said the Council.
“We are proud of our lobbying efforts and the relationships we have built with our federal and provincial governments. (The) announcement showed us that our political leaders are listening,” said Sara Hodson, President of Fitness Industry Council of Canada and CEO of LIVE WELL Exercise Clinic. “We have lobbied on behalf of our industry to prevent more businesses from having to close their doors. Bill C-2 provides much-needed subsidies to help us rebound. Our members are very pleased that the government has listened to our concerns.”
Bill C-2 will provide targeted support benefits such as wage and rent subsidies. Prior to the announcement, the fitness industry was excluded from these financial assistance programs.
“The Canadian fitness industry has suffered huge losses since the pandemic began in March 2020, with over 40 per cent of businesses closing their doors, and even more job losses. FIC will continue to lobby the government to make gym memberships a medical tax deduction, a proposal submitted to the Liberals in February 2021, but not passed. More than 40 per cent of Canadians surveyed in July 2021 said that a tax deduction would motivate them to purchase a gym membership. Such an initiative would support Canada’s health and economic recovery,” said the Council.
Prior to the announcement, the Council, in October, said fitness facilities across Canada would struggle to survive and more would be forced to close their doors with federal support.
“The fitness industry will collapse without a federal subsidy similar to what is being offered to the tourism and hospitality sectors,” said Hodson at the time. “Most small businesses in our industry have only a few weeks of operating capital remaining – not months, weeks. We need urgent action from the federal government.
“More than 42 per cent of fitness facilities have closed since the pandemic began. Our members have done everything to comply with public health orders since the pandemic began, including closing our facilities when asked, enforcing vaccine mandates, reducing capacities and increasing ventilation and sanitation. We have increased our costs, while our revenues have significantly dropped – because we know the health and well-being of Canadians is paramount.”
According to a RunRepeat report in October, gyms in Canada generated $2.95 billion in annual revenue in 2019. In Canada, there are 6,587 gyms with over 6.18 million members. Approximately 16.67 per cent of Canadians are gym members. Canada’s gym industry has experienced an average of 4.1 per cent growth per year from 2015 to 2020, with revenue projected at $4.3 billion by the end of 2020. On average, there are 937.59 members per gym in Canada with each person bringing in about $467.87 in annual revenue. A Canadian gym brought in $447,115.53 in annual revenue in 2019.
