Advertisement
Advertisement
Home Blog Page 867

Retail Profile: Brentwood Town Centre in Burnaby During COVID-19

By
Lee Rivett
-
Brentwood Shopping Centre in December 2020. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma

Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls to provide a window into shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This edition takes us to Brentwood Town Centre (now known as “The Amazing Brentwood”) in the north side of Burnaby just east of Vancouver.

History of Brentwood Mall

Brentwood Town Centre opened in 1961 and is older than any other shopping centre in Burnaby including Metropolis at Metrotown (see our latest photo tour of Metrotown as well). The grand opening of Brentwood included anchor tenants Eaton’s and Zellers department stores in an open air strip-mall style which was covered in a renovation/expansion in the early 1970s.

Other than a second floor and food court addition in the late 1980s, the Brentwood Town Centre Skytrain station opened in 2002 establishing it as a major transportation hub for North Burnaby. Shape Properties purchased the shopping centre in 2010 as the centre reached 125 retail stores and services. Shape began redevelopment plans to create a master-planned neighbourhood which would incorporate office, residential and retail components.

The plans included increasing retail space from 500,000 sq. ft. to over 1.1 million square feet.

Google Map of Vancouver with Brentwood Town Centre Highlighted

Construction was still ongoing in December 2020 when Retail Insider headed onsite to see how the mall has progressed. For perspective, Shape Properties had a Leasing Plan available on their website which includes the layout of the future state of the shopping centre, including the new “Town Centre Plaza” at the bottom left and the legacy shopping centre in the upper right which is receiving an overhaul and a new food court.

The Amazing Brentwood Lease Plan – Photo by Shape Properties

Town Centre Plaza – Social Areas

From the lease plan above, the “Town Centre Plaza” is at the bottom left where our first-impressions of the mall were made. The eye-popping corner of Willington and Lougheed highway has a modern architecture which was obviously intended to impress visitors as they approach.

Town Centre Plaza from The Amazing Brentwood Lease Plan – Photo by Shape Properties

The red star on the lease plan above shows the perspective and grandeur of the façade from the street perspective:

Town Centre Plaza Fountain Area

Ascending the stone staircase with inset LEDs which change color, we arrived at the “Town Centre Plaza” itself with a water feature with a tree in the centre. The south side of the plaza hosted a Starbucks with an amazing view towards the future entertainment and cinema space.

Town Centre Plaza – Future Retail Complex (South East Side)

At the south east corner of the Town Centre Plaza was a new retail complex which remained under construction. The main tenant appeared to be Sephora based on the construction hoarding that was in place and is a prime location as the Brentwood Skytrain station platform connects to the shopping centre at this point.

Retail Complex under Construction in South East Corner in Town Centre Plaza – Photo by Shape Properties
Retail Complex under Construction at South-East corner of Town Centre Plaza – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma

Town Centre Plaza – Retail Aspects

It is safe to say that the Town Centre Plaza has that impressive factor. Looking into the retail offerings around the plaza identified their major commercial anchor tenant was Sporting Life.

Sporting Life Exterior – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma

In addition, there were a few other hidden gems at ground level next to the parking area before you head up the staircase, including:

  • Body Energy Club Exterior – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma
  • Express News Exterior. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma
  • Presotea Exterior. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma

Excited to get into the retail interior section, we headed towards a large glass wall to what we presumed would lead to the retail centre marked on the map below with a red star. The lease plan notes this as the entrance to the “Grand Lobby” with a large “WELCOME” sign above the doors; however, the double doors were locked solidly and was not open to the public.

Grand Hall Entrance in Town Centre Plaza – Photo by Shape Properties
Entrance to retail section of shopping centre – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma

Passing the locked “WELCOME” doors, we passed through the exterior corridor in the photo above which brought us to an additional exterior section with retail storefronts hidden behind construction hoarding with promotional marketing proclaiming their future opening. Examples include:

Positioned on Halifax Street (red star) facing SuitSupply (circled in red).
Suit Supply coming up soon, leading to another retail section. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma

Continuing to the left of SuitSupply was the exterior of the original shopping centre. There were a few retailers already open for business, including a Nike showroom and some food trucks. Construction hoarding proclaimed Adidas and Saku would be coming soon as well. To the right of the Nike showroom was the entrance to the interior retail section.

Positioned in front of the Nike showroom (red star) with entrance to interior retail shopping centre to its right (circled in red).
Nike Exterior, Brentwood Boulevard – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma

Interior Retail Shopping Centre – Lower Level (Right Side)

Heading into the older, legacy portion of the shopping center, we should point out that there were two levels which were called the lower level (ground) and an upper level (second floor). Using the map below, we came into the mall using the entrance marked with a red star. The first interior retail area we visited in the lower level was the ‘right zone’.

Brentwood Lower Level Map – Right Section

Retailers in the lower level ‘right zone’ included:

The remaining retailers on the lower level could be found in the ‘left zone’. These included:

Brentwood Lower Level Map – Left Section

Moving up to the upper (second) level, we emerged at the centre of the floor noted by a red star in the map below. Construction hoarding was in place keeping visitors from entering the area and the signage attached to the hoarding promoted their future ‘The Food Lounge” which was coming soon.

Brentwood Upper Level Map – Food Court Section

Looking at the lease plan from Shape Properties website, an entire section of the shopping centre will be dedicated to “The Food Lounge”.

The future Food Lounge on The Amazing Brentwood’s leasing plan. Red circled is the area noted as “Food and Beverage” tenant by the pink color within the lease plan.

Moving along from the future food court area, the upper level “right zone” was anchored by Sears Canada while it was operating but you can see by the map that Shape Properties hasn’t updated their online mall maps yet. It was currently occupied by “Accents @ Home”.

Brentwood Upper Level Map – Right Section
ACCENTS @ Home at Brentwood Mall – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma

Other retailers in the vicinity include:

There were some other non-retail services operating, including Wanna Do Beauty Studio and Instant Tailoring

As we headed to the last retail area for the mall on the upper level, adjacent to the future food court location was the London Drugs anchor tenant at the top of the map:

Brentwood Mall Upper Level – London Drugs Location
London Drugs at Brentwood Mall – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma

The final retail area did not have a major retail anchor tenant, but the upper level ‘left zone’ had the following notable tenants:

Brentwood Upper Level Map – Left Section

Looking back at the Brentwood Town Centre, there is mounds of potential as a community hub in addition to the retail possibilities. The redevelopment still underway is hampering the full potential as of December 2020 but when construction completes (and hopefully COVID-19 eases along with the associated restrictions) we absolutely want to return to see how the The Amazing Brentwood blossoms.

Plans are in place to include a corridor of luxury stores and it’s not clear how far leasing activities have gone in terms of securing those tenants. L Catterton, the investment arm of LVMH, acquired a stake in The Amazing Brentwood in 2017 and plans were in place for a luxury run that would have been anchored by a Holt Renfrew store, according to sources. Holts is said to have since cancelled plans for a second Vancouver-area store.

Don’t forget to check out the Yorkville photo tour in Toronto that came out earlier this month.

Retail Profile: Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby During COVID-19

By
Lee Rivett
-
Metropolis at Metrotown facade facing Kingsway

As part of our ongoing Photo Tour series, Retail Insider visited Metropolis at Metrotown in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia, to provide an inside view of the shopping centre with retail insights leading up to the Christmas holiday season.

Owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, the property is located in the “Metrotown” community and features a retail shopping centre and is accompanied by two Metrotowers office buildings. Metrotown is well-connected to the public transit system with a Translink Metrotown Skytrain station as well as a 24-hour bus loop.

Google Map of Vancouver showing location of Metropolis at Metrotown.
Metrotown area in 1952 when a Ford Auto Plant (left side of photo) occupied the land as well as warehouses and residential schools/homes – Photo by Vintage Air Photos (British Columbia)

History of Metropolis at Metrotown

For a bit of history on the shopping centre, the core “Metrotown Centre” opened in 1986 on land which previously was a Ford Canada factory and has seen several renovations, including a new wing featuring Hudson’s Bay in 1992.

The “Eaton Centre Metrotown” and “Station Square” shopping centres were built adjacent to “Metrotown Centre” over the years; however, a megamall expansion project in 2005 merged two shopping centres and demolished “Station Square” in 2013 for mixed-use high-rise complexes.

Metropolis at Metrotown – Ground Level – Photo by Metropolis Website.

To separate the shopping centre into manageable pieces, we’ll cover the center into four quadrants for each floor. Based on the map above, the quadrants break down to:

  • Lower left
  • Upper left
  • Core/centre
  • Right/Hudson Bay

Lower Level ‘Lower Left’ Zone Tour at Metrotown

Our photo tour begins at the ‘lower left’ quadrant which is accessed from the ‘back side’ of Metrotown and is the typical access point when arriving from the Metrotown Skytrain station which runs along Central Boulevard. The ‘front face’ of Metrotown on the other side of the shopping centre has ample surface parking facing the main traffic through-fare of Kingsway.

Metrotown Mall Map (highlighting Ground Floor lower left quadrant).

The first, ‘lower left’ quadrant of the Metrotown lower floor is circled in red above. It has a main anchor of FGL Sports-owned Sport Chek which opened in December 2014. A selection of other retailers on our tour which call this area home include:

Metrotown Atrium Court – Photo from Google Maps

Tour of ‘Atrium Court’ at Metrotown

On the border between the zones of our tour, the “Atrium Court” delineates between our ‘lower left’ and ‘upper left’ tour areas. The notable Metrotown retailers which encircle the atrium include:

Metrotown Mall – Lower Level. Upper left Quadrant.

Lower Level ‘Upper Left’ Zone Tour at Metrotown

Continuing the photo tour northward, the ‘upper left’ quadrant of the ground level is anchored by the Real Canadian Superstore and Indigo Books. Other Metrotown retailers within this area include:

Middle/core of Metrotown’s lower level.
Metrotown corridor between Banana Republic and Build-A-Bear

Lower Level ‘Core/Centre’ Zone Tour at Metrotown

Moving our tour into the third section of the Metrotown lower level, the ‘core/centre’ quadrant is densely packed with numerous domestic and international retailers, including:

Hudson Bay wing on the lower level at Metrotown (right quadrant of map).

Lower Level ‘Right/HBC’ Zone Tour at Metrotown

The final area on the tour of the lower, ground level is the right side of the map which is anchored by department store retailer Hudson’s Bay. Other retailers residing in this area include:

Completing all four areas of the lower, ground level at Metrotown at the Hudson’s Bay, the retailer spans both the lower and upper levels. Much of the shopping centre has the open atrium spanning the length of each quadrant.

Upper Level Food Court at Metrotown

Moving up to Metrotown’s upper level, it follows the same footprint noted as the tour visited the lower level. Some of the main anchor tenants stretch both floors, including the Hudson’s Bay department store. The upper level wing next to Hudson’s Bay hosts a food court which was part of the megamall expansion project in 2005.

Centre piece at the centre of the Metrotown Food Court.

Upper Level ‘Centre/Core’ Zone Tour at Metrotown

After walking from Hudson’s Bay and across the glass bridge through the centre of the Metrotown food court, the photo tour arrives at the ‘centre/core’ section of the shopping centre. This section on the upper level mirrors the density on the lower level below, including:

Center/Core area on the Upper Level at Metrotown.

Upper Level ‘Upper Left’ Zone Tour at Metrotown

The second-last stop on the photo tour is the ‘upper left’ quadrant on the Metrotown upper floor, which is anchored by Winners/Homesense and Old Navy. Other retailers in this quadrant include:

Upper left quadrant of the Upper Level at Metrotown.

Upper Level ‘Lower Left’ Zone Tour at Metrotown

The final area on Metrotown’s upper floor is the “lower left” quadrant above where the tour began. The major anchor tenant for the area will be Zara (construction signage shown below) with other retailers including:

Upper level of Metrotown, lower left quadrant.
Zara ‘opening soon’ at Metrotown – Photo by Geetanjali Sharma

Zara is expanding in the mall to encompass about 40,000 square feet over two levels. It will be certainly one of the largest Zara stores in Canada when it opens next year.

Couturist at Metrotown (July 2021)
Couturist at Metrotown (July 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.

We had a very interesting photo walk around Metropolis at Metrotown, and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Don’t forget to check out the Yorkville photo tour in Toronto that came out earlier this month.

Photo Tour: The Toronto PATH & Financial District Holiday Decoration Walk 2020

By
Dustin Fuhs
-
Brookfield Place Holiday Decorations 2020 - Photo by Dustin Fuhs

This holiday season has been a change for most of us, to say the least, but one constant has been the dedication to a traditional showing of holiday decorations in Toronto’s Financial District. When we asked our readers, writers, and social media community what they’d like to see during our traditionally quiet period over the holidays, the overwhelming response was to show what most of us can’t see: malls and retail.

We’re going to be adding more as we find them, so feel free to tag us on Instagram if you’d like us to share what you & your company have done over the 2020 holiday period.

Here’s a Photo Tour of The PATH, and other holiday sightings in Toronto’s downtown core.

Brookfield Place – Brookfield Properties

The holiday decor previously found in Brookfield Place has a full backstory, with Frost, Flurry and Gust (designed by Studio F Minus) being represented in an amazing display of light. In 2020 however, the team at Brookfield wanted to bring the various elements of the building to light without attracting too much walkthrough traffic.

Still present is the tree that brings life to Sam Pollock Square. The Allen Lambert Galleria is adorned with breathtaking string lights and Gust is still present in areas around the Bay Wellington tower.

  • Brookfield Place – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Brookfield Place – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Brookfield Place Holidays – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Brookfield Place Holiday (Dec 22, 2020) – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

Commerce Court – QuadReal Property Group

Our next stop is travelling north from Brookfield Place into Commerce Court. Usually, this corridor is packed with thousands of people from the surrounding office towers heading for lunch or getting a little bit of last-minute shopping before the holidays. Instead, today, as you can see, the halls are quiet.

Commerce Court – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

Scotia Plaza – Bentall Kennedy

We’ve seen dozens of businesses in The PATH close since the beginning of the pandemic back in March 2020. This Second Cup location in Scotia Plaza recently closed, but the mall management still decided to decorate with the same strategy as the rest of the concourse. Notice the blue arrow on the ground.

Former Second Cup Location in Scotia Plaza (Dec 2020 @ 1135a) – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Scotia Plaza – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Scotia Plaza – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

With Hudson’s Bay closed during the lockdown, the PATH doesn’t connect to the CF Toronto Eaton Centre underground, so we took this opportunity to walk outside and see the decorations outside Scotia Plaza on Adelaide.

Scotia Plaza Entrance (Dec 22, 2020 @ 1135a) – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

This photo was important to share, as it shows a moment in time when social distancing markers are on benches and no outdoor skating rink. A large pine tree and lights in the small trees are the only noticeable decorations.

Arnell Plaza @ Bay Adelaide Centre (Dec 22, 2020 @ 1135a) – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

Hudson’s Bay Queen Street

One of the only Hudson’s Bay stores in Canada to do a window display in 2020, the Queen Street location has taken the opportunity to keep with tradition while also playing into the current pandemic. Each of the toy soldiers that protect the windows are adorned with face masks and signage that reminds folks to social distance.

Hudson’s Bay and the adjacent Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s are shut until at least January 23, 2021 due to provincial lockdowns. It’s uncertain when the food hall will reopen as it is reliant on office and commuter foot traffic.

CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Cadillac Fairview

Stopping into CF Toronto Eaton Centre, we get our first view of a mall in true lockdown. The only stores open are ‘essential retail’ and to even get past security you have to tell them why you’re there and what store you’re visiting.

Flight Stop at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Dec 22, 2020 @ 1140a) – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

That being said, we had to share the photo of Flight Stop, as it was this was the scene of an infamous lawsuit in 1981 Michael Snow v Eaton Centre LTD. If you notice, there are no red scarves on the geese.

From the Eaton Centre, we walk south to the PATH entrance outside of City Hall.

Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

Richmond-Adelaide Centre – Oxford Properties

After walking through the Sheraton Centre, we arrive into another spot on our Holiday decoration tour at Richmond Adelaide Centre. The uniform trees bring a nice distraction from the number of retailers that have closed temporarily or permanently.

Exchange Tower – Brookfield Properties

One of the highlights of any tour is a food court, and the one at 130 King Street W is great. You’d know that address because it was the first home to the innovation cafe by Tim Hortons, which brings the elements of your community store with food & drink that would appeal to a busy financial district (pre-pandemic, of course).

Exchange Tower Food Court – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

After the food court, we next start our final home stretch to First Canadian Place.

First Canadian Place – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

First Canadian Place – Brookfield Properties

In the past, the green & red colour palette would contrast beautifully with the white marble interior of the building, but 2020 has a different feeling altogether. Seeing a tree in front of the BMO offices just makes the space feel cavernous, especially with the lack of people and the abundance of mall employees.

First Canadian Place with a Closed UNIQLO Pop-up – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
First Canadian Place Christmas Tree – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

Toronto-Dominon Centre – Cadillac Fairview

We end the PATH Holiday decoration tour with a stop at the Toronto Dominion Centre. With the CN Tower in the background and The Pasture art installation (the cows) on the left, lots of potential for future tours.

TD Centre with CN Tower – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

If you liked this one, please share this on social media and we’ll be sure to do more. Below are more photos of the PATH during December 2020.

  • The PATH Holiday Decorations – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • The PATH Holiday Decorations – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • The PATH Holiday Decorations – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Brookfield Place Outdoors – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • The PATH – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • The PATH Map – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Commerce Court – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Hudson’s Bay Queen Street Holiday Windows Nighttime 2020 – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Hudson’s Bay Queen Street Holiday Windows Nighttime 2020 – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Bay Adelaide Centre Night – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Arnell Plaza – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Scotia Plaza – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Toronto Dominion – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
  • Brookfield Place – Photo by Dustin Fuhs

Second Lockdowns Will Obliterate Small Retailers and Businesses: Experts

By
Mario Toneguzzi
-
A quiet day on Toronto's King Street East. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
A quiet day on Toronto's King Street East - Photo by Dustin Fuhs

Extended lockdowns will put thousands of entrepreneurs out of business, warns Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

A survey released Monday by the CFIB said one-third of Ontario businesses report they will not survive the second lockdown extending into January, adding that the Ontario government’s decision to extend and expand lockdowns across the province is another big hit in a long line of crushing blows to small business owners.

CFIB Reports 1/3 of Ontario Businesses Will Not Survive 2nd Lockdown

“[The] announcement guarantees the demise of thousands upon thousands of Ontario’s small businesses,” said Kelly. “The government should have used this as an opportunity to fine-tune existing restrictions based on the data, instead of expanding this blunt measure to additional regions of the province. Workers are going to lose their jobs. Business owners and their families will see their dreams crushed and their homes lost to the banks.

Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly

“Our original estimate was between 55,000 and 220,000 permanent business closures as a result of COVID-19 (in Canada). We’re re-doing that estimate right now because the second wave was not factored in and the second round of shut downs was not factored into those discussions. We’re hoping to have some new numbers out early in the New Year with an updated estimate on the number of business closures.

“What I can tell you is the data from Ontario suggest that a third of businesses will not survive a second lockdown. They report that they are at risk of permanent bankruptcy which of course on any measure is tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of businesses. This is deeply worrisome. I don’t see any pathway where we’re going to have fewer than 100,000 businesses closed across Canada as a result of the second wave. Of course lockdowns are not just here in Ontario. They’re now spreading right across the country in different sectors and different provinces doing it differently. But we’re likely to see a bleeding of independent businesses especially those with storefronts like we’ve just never seen. Main street locations that are going to be empty likely for years because there aren’t going to be the normal number of new entrants into the business community that would typically take their place.”

The Provincewide Shutdown will go into effect as of Saturday, December 26 at 12:01 a.m. It was last until January 23 for all regions in southern Ontario. The shutdown prohibits in-person shopping in most retail settings — curbside pickup and delivery can continue. Discount and big box retailers selling groceries will be limited to 25 percent capacity for in-store shopping. Supermarkets, grocery stores, and similar stores that primarily sell food, as well as pharmacies, will continue to operate at 50 percent capacity for in-store shopping.

The shutdown also prohibits indoor and outdoor dining. Restaurants, bars, and other food or drink establishments will be permitted to operate by take out, drive-through, and delivery only.

“Ontario has now expanded the most anti-small business lockdown measure in the country. No other province in Canada closes small businesses while allowing big-box stores to sell similar goods in-store. Our members are dumbfounded as to why their government continues to feel that it is safer to buy a book, bracelet or pair of shoes at Walmart or Costco than to buy the same items at their quiet, local independent retailer,” said Ryan Mallough, CFIB’s director of provincial affairs for Ontario. “The government has consistently chosen big box over small business throughout the pandemic. Today’s move puts a bow on an even merrier Christmas for Walmart and Costco at the expense of Ontario’s small retailers.”

Bruce Winder, Author of RETAIL Before, During & After COVID-19 and President of Bruce Winder Retail, said the future of independent businesses will be uncertain at the individual company level over the next one to two years.

“The sector will include much in the way of bankruptcies and liquidations but will also spawn a new breed of entrepreneurs with updated business models designed to thrive in this new abnormal. Industry ‘churn’, that is, the number of companies departing the industry plus the number of companies entering the industry will be high. Why? Because lockdowns often favour large chains who carry essential items and punish small to medium sized retailers that often don’t,” he said.

Bruce Winder
Bruce Winder

“Some independents will make it through to the other side, albeit with too much debt and with a reduced footprint. Some will retreat to e-commerce as they lose the ability to fund a bricks and mortar store. Others will declare bankruptcy as liabilities and almost zero cash flow will leave them no choice. Some will thrive as they were fortunate enough to win the lottery of carrying essential products or happen to be in a particular product category that soared in sales during the pandemic. New independents will emerge as entrepreneurs use COVID-19 to fill a gap in the market or offer a new in-demand service.”

He said a vaccine will improve business for independent retailers, eventually.

“As the vaccine makes its way through Canada, one can assume that eventually governments will feel comfortable easing lockdowns. Realistically though, it may be fall of 2021 before enough of the population is inoculated that both essential and non-essential retail is set free. Will independents be able to survive during this dark time? Will government subsidies be enough? Will online shopping and curbside pick-up and delivery make up enough sales to keep independents afloat? Will lenders and landlords have the patience to help them get through to the other side? It is like treading water in an ocean waiting for the lifeboat to arrive,” added Winder.

Experts Say COVID-19 Ramifications Will Still be Felt in 2022

And he said the ramifications of the virus and its impact will continue to be felt into 2022.

“Some of the things I discuss in my book Retail Before, During & After COVID-19 talk to this. We will see differences across many fronts. Income and wealth disparity will grow. Online shopping will be considerably higher than pre-pandemic levels. Retail will consolidate. More work will be done through the gig economy. Demand for products and services will change as citizens work from home more. Society will party hard and indulge themselves on many of the things they missed out on during 2020 and 2021. But there will also be a sense of caution for many as they subconsciously or consciously prepare for the next pandemic. Many people will continue to wear masks, more people will save money for a rainy day,” explained Winder.

“I think you will see some people leave entrepreneurship and try and get a 9 to 5 job, worn and frayed from the stress of trying to keep their business alive. But a far greater number of people will see this time as an opportunity. An opportunity to work for themselves and carve out a sustainable niche in the market. Some will be nudged in that direction based on downsizing and layoffs. Others will see this as the best time to pursue a lifelong dream. Some may choose to start online and only add a bricks and mortar store once they determine if their new venture is profitable. Entrepreneurship will never die. It will continue to thrive in a world that has changed as a result of COVID-19. New and exciting businesses will come out of this era.”

Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada, said the latest lockdown will definitely be the last nail in the coffin for many small retailers in Ontario.

Diane J. Brisebois

“Unless there are substantial programs that are going to be helping them in relation to all of their overhead expenses which they have to carry regardless, these businesses won’t be able to make it, keeping in mind that southern Ontario with the lockdown has been in place for a couple of weeks now and it appears they are talking now an additional month. This is unsustainable,” said Brisebois.

“Because of the different restrictions and mixed messages and the lack of predictability that does take the wind out of the sales of an entrepreneur. So when you’re an entrepreneur you’re putting everything on the line. And if you think of retail entrepreneurs, especially the smaller ones but not exclusively, they mortgage their house, they mortgage everything for their business. This is definitely impacting those entrepreneurs that may be looking at having to close their businesses and it will make them hesitate to jump in again.

“I’m talking to our small merchants every day. Our helpline talks to them every day. And they’re just deflated. They’re borderline crying every time we’re talking to them and they are just so absolutely frustrated because they feel that they’ve become collateral damage and yet they have done everything to keep everybody safe and so this really just kicks your get up and go spirit. It really does.”

Kelly said he believes it will be awhile before people are courageous enough to take that first step towards entrepreneurship. Many of them will be seeking after COVID the security of a white collar job that could be done from home.

Certain types of businesses will be looked at for awhile as being super risky such as hospitality, service based and bricks and mortar retail. But Kelly said there has been a drive in recent years towards self employment and entrepreneurship and more and more young people want that as part of their lives.

“There will be two forces running against each other for a period of time. One that people will be looking in the short term for security and avoiding what is perceived as riskier businesses that were shut down during the pandemic. The other towards entrepreneurship and away from traditional employment. It’s too early to know which one is going to win out but I would put money on the power of entrepreneurship as a good long-term prospect. I think that over time people will start to return to things that they thought were important and wish to set up businesses of their own.”

On Monday, the Ontario government also announced the Ontario Small Business Support Grant which starts at $10,000 for all eligible businesses with the grant providing businesses with dollar for dollar funding to a maximum of $20,000 to help cover decreased revenue expected as a result of the provincewide shutdown. The businesses must demonstrate they experienced a revenue decline of at least 20 percent when comparing monthly revenue in April 2019 and April 2020. This time period was selected because it reflects the impact of the public health measures in spring 2020, and as such provides a representation of the possible impact of these latest measures on small businesses, according to the government.

“Today’s grant announcement is a step in the right direction, but the province must open its wallet even more to help small businesses make it through the lockdown period,” said Kelly. “Let’s not forget that the government chose to close small businesses, so they cannot be expected to survive without full economic support.  Nothing short of 100 per cent support for affected businesses will get them to the other side of COVID-19.”

The CFIB is recommending that the Ontario government:

  • Expand small business support to: immediately top up the federal Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) to up to 100 per cent for businesses in lockdown zones and immediately top up the federal Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) to up to 100 per cent for businesses in lockdown zones;
  • Expand eligibility for the Ontario PPE grant to all businesses, regardless of size or sector, and substantially increase the value from the current $1,000; and
  • Increase funding to the $600-million program for energy and property taxes to reflect the additional volume of businesses in lockdown.

Canadian Retail Sees Sales Surge, but So Does COVID

By
Ed Strapagiel
-
Shoppers outside Hudson's Bay at Guildford Mall. Photo: Lee Rivett
Shoppers outside Hudson's Bay at Guildford Mall. Photo: Lee Rivett

Overall Canadian retail sales have moved up smartly in recent months, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada. But it probably won’t last. A second COVID surge is now prompting a new round of lockdowns, which will possibly be more severe than before. Ontario, which accounts for about 37% of retail sales in the country, has already announced new lockdown measures to last until January 23.

Over the 3 months ending October 2020, Canadian retail sales were up 6.0% year-over-year. This was the highest such result since 2017, but it was not enough to offset the declines earlier in the year. For 2020, year-to-date retail sales are still down 2.5% versus a year ago, and things are likely to improve only marginally by year end.

Food & Drug

The Food & Drug sector has been reporting high year-over-year retail sales gains. For the 3 months ending October 2020, retail sales were up 8.4% over the same period a year ago, and year-to-date sales are up 8.3% after 10 months. Food & Drug is poised to have a record year in 2020.

Supermarkets & other grocery stores continue to enjoy high retail sales growth. Their sales gained 9.5% year-over-year for the 3 months ending October. Year-to-date sales after 10 months of 2020 are up 11.5%, the highest of any retailer type. Convenience stores, specialty food stores, and beer, wine & liquor outlets are also having strong retail sales gains.

Health and personal care stores were the poor cousins of the sector earlier in the year but now appear to be strengthening. Their retail sales were up 6.7% for the 3 months ending October 2020.

Store Merchandise

After a precipitous decline in Q2, the Store Merchandise sector now seems to be reaching for the top, with retail sales up a very healthy 9.5% for the 3 months ending October 2020. The 3 month trend (orange line in the chart) continues to strengthen and appears to be heading for an all-time high. The underlying 12 month trend (green line) is also improving.

But looks can be deceiving. Store Merchandise is likely to be negatively impacted by the new COVID surge and subsequent retailer and shopping mall lockdowns. I’m dreaming of a slow Christmas. At least this time around many retailers should be better prepared with options like online selling, direct delivery, and curbside pickup.

Many retailer types had strong recent retail sales growth, including general merchandise, furniture stores, electronics & appliance stores, building material & garden equipment/supplies dealers, and even the miscellaneous store retailers.

On the other hand, clothing and clothing accessories stores are simply failing to bounce back. Their sales declined 11.9% for the 3 months ending October.

The Automotive & Related sector now appears to be rising from the dead, although it still remains weak. The 3 month trend finally crossed into positive territory with a 1.0% gain in October, but this is well behind other areas of retail.

Improving retail sales at automobile dealers are the main reason behind these results. Their sales were up 5.8% for the 3 months ending October, which is quite a comeback from down 31.7% in Q2 2020.

Retail sales at gasoline stations however continue to languish. They declined 14.6% year-over-year for the 3 months ending October, although this was better than the 35.1% drop recorded for Q2. Gas stations are the single largest drag on overall Canadian retail sales.

By The Numbers

Note that the data and analysis in this report are always based on not seasonally adjusted (or unadjusted) retail sales statistics.

For definitions of store types, see Statistics Canada NAICS.

Canadian E-Commerce Sales

The chart above shows that Canadian e-commerce retail sales doubled year-over-year in Q2 2020 with the onset of the COVID pandemic. That has since cooled off somewhat, but to “only” a 68.5% increase for the 3 months ending October. By any measure, this is still red hot growth.

Overall, e-commerce represented about 5.4% of Canadian retail sales for the 12 months ending October 2020, including both pure play as well as brick & clicks stores. Note that Canadian consumers may also buy online from foreign websites which is not captured in these numbers.

Location based retail is the same as that in the preceding “By The Numbers” table. It’s what’s normally reported as Canadian retail sales. Except that it isn’t. Location based retail excludes another section called Non-Store Retailers (NAICS code 454), which includes electronic shopping and mail-order houses, which in turn is where (mostly) pure play e-commerce businesses are. For the 12 months ending October 2020, electronic shopping and mail-order houses had an estimated $20.7 billion in e-commerce sales.

But that’s not the only source of e-commerce, as (mostly) bricks & mortar location-based retailers also sell online. For the 12 months ending October, this group had an estimated $12.9 billion in e-commerce sales. With electronic shopping and mail-order houses, there’s a grand total of $33.7 billion in e-commerce sales by Canadian operators. Note that this does not include foreign e-commerce purchases made by Canadian consumers, but it does include e-commerce purchases made by foreigners at Canadian operations.

For electronic shopping and mail-order houses, an estimated 92.7% of their sales are allocated to e-commerce. For (mostly) bricks & mortar retailers, it can be estimated that 2.2% of their total sales are attributable to e-commerce.

In the final section of the above table, (mostly) pure play operators (namely, under electronic shopping and mail-order houses) generated an estimated 61.6% of all e-commerce sales in Canada, while (mostly) bricks & mortar location-based retailers’ share of e-commerce was 38.4%.

For more explanation on the e-commerce numbers, see Statistics Canada: Retail E-commerce in Canada.

Read More Canadian Retail Analyses From Retail Insider:

BRIEF: Saint Laurent Opens at West Edmonton Mall, Starbucks Opening 1st Sustainably-Constructed Storefront

By
Retail Insider
-

Saint Laurent Opens at West Edmonton Mall

French luxury fashion brand Saint Laurent (formerly Yves Saint Laurent) has opened its third standalone Canadian store at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton. The 2,900-square-foot store is the latest luxury brand to open in North America’s largest shopping centre.

The boutique features a range of ready-to-wear fashions for women and men as well as bags, accessories, jewellery and footwear. One source noted that many of the staff in the store formerly worked at Holt Renfrew and thus have client lists to target shoppers in the region. An expanded assortment of fashions are expected to be included for the spring season amid uncertainties pertaining to the pandemic.

Best Edmonton Mall recently toured the mall and provided a photo tour for Retail Insider that we will run next week. One photo showed a small crowd of shoppers waiting to get into the Saint Laurent boutique, which is a good sign. Gucci will open a 5,000-square-foot store next to Saint Laurent next spring, with a Louis Vuitton store that opened last year being located next to the new Gucci.

Retail construction build specialist Amachris Corporation built the new Edmonton Saint Laurent store. They were responsible for all general contracting work and installation of interior finishings. Precision construction was required right down to the millimetre to install the exquisite floor to ceiling marble and metal in the beautiful new store. Amachris also completed the renovation of the Saint Laurent shop-in-store at Saks Fifth Avenue in downtown Toronto and has worked with several other luxury brands.

West Edmonton Mall is expected to secure more luxury brand stores in 2021 following the closure of Holt Renfrew in downtown Edmonton in January of this year.

Read more about Saint Laurent coming to West Edmonton Mall, including a full analysis here.

Rendering of Starbucks Canada's first sustainably-constructed drive-thru cafe. Rendering: Starbucks
Rendering of Starbucks Canada’s first sustainably-constructed drive-thru cafe. Rendering: Starbucks

First Sustainably-Constructed Starbucks Café to Open in Canada

Starbucks Canada has announced the first-of-its-kind, sustainably-constructed Starbucks drive thru café in Canada, assembled in just six days, with near-zero construction waste and designed to reduce energy needs for heating and cooling compared to standard construction builds.

Designed, manufactured, and constructed by Vancouver-based green building company Nexii Building Solutions, the Starbucks drive-thru café – set to open in early 2021 in Abbotsford, B.C. – represents a significant step forward in the company’s aspirations to operate more eco-friendly stores, a key component of the company’s global sustainability strategy which aspires to store more carbon than the company emits; reduce waste sent to landfills; and provide more freshwater than the company uses.  Starbucks has set ambitious sustainability targets to cut its carbon, water, and waste footprints in half by 2030.

“Buildings and construction can have a substantial impact on Canada’s environmental goals,” says Catherine Anderson, vice president of Store Development at Starbucks Canada. “Working with like-minded innovators like Nexii, we are excited to lead the industry in modelling the benefits of green construction and share what we learn with others to help action meaningful, global change.”

Starbucks has been a global leader in designing its cafés to achieve LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards since 2005, ensuring energy and water efficiencies and using sustainable building materials.

“All aspects of the Nexii system – from the products we create to the way we assemble our buildings – are designed with sustainability at the core, so that we can create affordable, green buildings,” says Stephen Sidwell, CEO of Nexii, who adds that as Nexii panels create a thermally efficient, airtight envelope, the Starbucks building will require less energy to heat and cool compared to standard construction builds, greatly improving energy efficiency over its building lifecycle, lowering operating costs.

Please click here for a timeline of Starbucks sustainability initiatives.

Kijiji logo
Kijiji logo

Kijiji Canada Poaches Loblaw Exec for General Manager Role

Kijiji Canada has announced the addition of Herman Paek, a seasoned e-commerce veteran. Joining Canada’s number one classifieds platform and online marketplace as its General Manager, Herman brings with him a long track record of leadership and success in Canada’s digital economy.

Herman Paek headshot
Herman Paek headshot

Most recently he was Senior Vice President at Loblaw, leading e-commerce and digital for the organization. As a founding member of the Loblaw Digital team, he played a leading role in transforming it into one of Canada’s most prominent e-commerce brands.

“Kijiji is an iconic brand that continues to have a tremendous impact with Canada’s consumers, small businesses and automotive industry. I’m excited to join such a talented team and look forward to working with them and our partners as we deepen our connection with our buyers and sellers, reinforce our commitment to the Auto industry through Kijiji Autos, and explore new ways of serving our audiences,” said Paek.

Paek’s arrival comes as Kijiji continues to build momentum in the Canadian market. By listening and responding to the needs of its customers, the company has played a leading role in fuelling a $27.3 billion second-hand economy that has grown in size annually since 2015. With the launch of Kijiji Autos in 2019 to expand on Kijiji’s country-leading online automotive marketplace, the company has solidified its position as a trusted marketplace for buyers and dealers, tracking 4.1 million monthly unique visitors in September 2020.

With Paek as part of the team, Kijiji will continue to solidify its position as a trusted marketplace for all Canadians, and as the country’s number one classifieds platform that reaches more than 15 million visitors each month.

Children interacting with one another in McCarthy Uniforms' face masks. Photo: McCarthy Uniforms
Children interacting with one another in McCarthy Uniforms’ face masks. Photo: McCarthy Uniforms

McCarthy’s Reinvents School Fundraising for the Age of COVID and Rounds Out PPE Line With Masks for Toddlers

Building on its commitment to support Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic, McCarthy Uniforms, through its non-uniform line, Navy & White, is now offering McCarthy Rewards, a cashback fundraising program that gives 5% of the price of all purchases right back to schools or community groups (sports teams, camps, workplaces, etc.). With restrictions on in-person activities, many schools and other organizations are struggling to find ways to raise funds this year—McCarthy Rewards is the solution.

McCarthy Uniforms' 'donut mask' designed specifically for children. Photo: McCarthy Uniforms
McCarthy Uniforms’ ‘donut mask’ designed specifically for children. Photo: McCarthy Uniforms

The program allows schools to raise money while offering easy access to spirit wear — comfy apparel and accessories such as T-shirts, hoodies, gloves, fanny packs, and masks, customized with their school logo or other personalized artwork.

Any organization can build a custom program through McCarthy Rewards, whether they have a uniform program with the company or not, and reap the benefits of 5% cashback.

“We’re hearing that student and parent councils are struggling this year to find convenient ways to raise funds for schools, which would normally happen through pizza lunches, bake sales, and subscription programs,” says Vanessa Iarocci, president of McCarthy Uniforms. “There is a huge sense of financial burden from COVID-19, so we worked quickly to find a solution to help our communities raise money from purchases they already make.”

The fundraising program extends to McCarthy’s line of COVID-safe necessities, including its new mini masks, designed to fit children aged three to six. These comfortable non-medical masks feature fun designs by kids, for kids, and have adjustable toggles so they grow as your kids do. The new mini masks join McCarthy’s popular line of cost-effective kids’ and teens’ masks, and all are made of breathable 100% Egyptian cotton.

“With kids and teens wearing masks all day in school, it’s incredibly important that their masks fit comfortably,” says Iarocci.

SPINCO's 'Podium' at-home stationary bike. Photo: SPINCO
SPINCO’s ‘Podium’ at-home stationary bike. Photo: SPINCO

SPINCO and Echelon to Unveil SPINCO’S First Connected Bike to Home Market

Canada’s largest spin studio, SPINCO, has announced the launch of its first home fitness bike, Podium, alongside connected fitness industry leader, Echelon Fitness. This relationship is set to usher in a new generation of fitness bikes featuring state-of-the-art technology that transforms workouts into unparalleled fitness experiences, competing with Peloton which is also seeing significant market growth.

Flagship retail locations are set to open in Spring 2021. SPINCO operates 18 studio locations across Canada and has more than 150,000 members. This born-and-bred Canadian company has grown significantly every year since its founding in 2014, earning a reputation for cultivating a strong community of riders committed to physical and mental wellbeing.

“Our bike was created with our passionate riders in mind,” said Michelle August, Founder of SPINCO. “When you step inside a SPINCO studio, there is an unexplainable feeling that riders experience and we set out to recreate that raw experience at home with custom content created just for them. We believe that the result is a bike that is true to our brand and an exceptional addition to our in-studio programming.”

Podium will feature immersive content that is exclusively Canadian made and curated by SPINCO’s top instructors from across the country. Additionally, riders will also have 24-7 access to the Echelon catalogue of live and on-demand workouts.

SPINCO's 'Podium' at-home stationary bike. Photo: SPINCO
SPINCO’s ‘Podium’ at-home stationary bike. Photo: SPINCO

“There were no shortcuts when we created this product,” said August. “Great steps were taken to ensure our bike was approachable, intuitive and met the needs of today’s consumer. We have included key features that truly set us apart, including a 22-inch HD touch screen, 32 levels of electronically controlled resistance, best-in-class components and innovative aesthetics that are perfect for any rider.”

SPINCO would not have been able to make this bike a possibility without the support of Echelon. “SPINCO came to us with a unique value proposition that truly excited our team,” said Echelon Founder and CEO Lou Lentine. “Our DNA is so similar, delivering incredible fitness that drives brand love and a sense of true community. The commitment to their clientele pushes them to keep innovating and we know that dedication will make their at-home product an incredible success.”

The SPINCO bike will be available exclusively at www.spincopodium.com for $1999.00 with guaranteed delivery in spring 2021.

GH+A Design Studios logo
GH+A Design Studios logo

GH+A Design Studios Wins Five Design Awards

Design firm GH+A has announced that it has won five awards for design excellence. GH+A design studios is a proud collaborator on the following projects:

  • ICSC Global Awards North America
  • Category: Renovations/Expansions projects under 150,000 square feet
  • Project: CF Chinook Centre Dining Hall, Calgary, AB
  • Prize: Silver
  • ICSC Global Awards North America
  • Category: Renovations/Expansions projects over 500,000 square feet
  • Project: Devonshire Mall, Windsor, ON
  • Prize: Silver
  • ICSC Global Awards North America
  • Category: Renovations/Expansions projects over 500,000 square feet
  • Project: Devonshire Mall, Windsor, ON
  • Prize: Sustainable Gold
  • DrivenxDesign London Design Awards
  • Category: Interior Design – Retail –
  • Project: RS No.9 Carnaby St., London, UK
  • Prize: Silver
  • Canadian Interiors Best of Canada Awards Competition
  • Category: Retail & Showroom
  • Project: Canada Goose, Beijing, China
  • Prize: Winner
Mastermind Toys Play Preview logo
Mastermind Toys Play Preview logo

Calling all Inventors, Manufacturers, and Vendors – Mastermind Toys Wants to See Your Very Best Products for 2021

Mastermind Toys is looking for the next best toys and games with its Mastermind Toys Play Preview initiative. For inventors, manufacturers, and vendors, it could be your chance to capture the Mastermind Toys team’s attention and become a part of the brand’s 2021 plans.

For years Mastermind category buyers have relied on toy fairs around the world to assemble its curated assortment of toys. Due to COVID-19, this simply won’t be possible, and so with an eye on its 2021 offering, Mastermind Toys is excited to announce that it will be hosting a Mastermind Toys Play Preview — a virtual toy fair with vendors worldwide.

Mastermind Toys is Canada’s largest specialty toy and children’s book retailer, with 68 stores coast-to-coast and a wonder-filled website. As Canada’s Authority on Play, Mastermind Toys works harder to be ahead of the trends and discover the very best in play—always with an eye on the end consumer. Great products for every age and stage drive the brand, and Mastermind Toys is very thoughtful in its product selection.

To learn more visit https://www.mastermindtoys.com/pages/mastermind-toys-play-preview

Read More Briefs From Retail Insider:

Canadian Optical Brand ‘Clearly’ Relaunches Brick-and-Mortar Store Expansion After 7 Year Hiatus

By
Mario Toneguzzi
-
Exterior of new Clearly store in CF Chinook Centre. Photo: Clearly
Exterior of new Clearly store in CF Chinook Centre. Photo: Clearly

Eyewear retailer Clearly, based in Vancouver, has opened its fourth retail location with plans for further growth in the brick and mortar space.

The company, which began in 2000 as strictly an online retailer, opened its first store in Calgary, at CF Chinook Centre on December 21, to complement its existing two retail locations in Vancouver (on Robson Street and West 4th Avenue) and one in Toronto (on Queen Street).

The first retail location opened in 2013 on Robson Street.

Clearly was originally founded by a local entrepreneur in Vancouver but the company was bought by EssilorLuxottica in 2014. The company has a distribution and production centre in Vancouver as well.

According to CEO, Clearly has Plans for Future Expansion in 2021

“We have a plan to potentially expand as well in the next year,” said Arnaud Bussieres, CEO of Clearly.

“We are a digital brand and we were the first ones in the market to sell contact lenses, eyeglasses and sunglasses online. We have one mission, which we live and breathe, to eradicate poor vision in the world. There’s roughly 2.7 billion people worldwide and just here in Canada two million people. So what we are trying to do is to fulfill that mission by bringing affordability, bringing access and creating awareness about the importance of good vision and eye health and providing solutions for the consumers.

“We have the most affordable and the widest I would say range of products on both eye glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses and we do that with a nice mix of ecommerce and in store as well.”

The company has about 200 employees.

The company says that nearly 25 percent of Canadian children experience vision issues which can lead to learning at a slower rate, developing a negative self image and experiencing frustration with learning.

Exterior of new Clearly store in the CF Chinook Centre. Photo taken in late November. Photo: Retail Insider
Exterior of new Clearly store in the CF Chinook Centre. Photo taken in late November. Photo: Retail Insider

“Vision problems are almost impossible to identify without a proper, comprehensive eye exam, especially in young children who aren’t yet able to recognize – let alone explain – that something doesn’t feel right. Whether it’s spotting a crucial problem that can save their vision or simply making it easier for a child to see letters on a page, a 20-minute sit-down with an optometrist can change the course of a child’s entire life,” said Bussieres.

He said the rationale for the company to have a retail network is primarily to offer its access and service to more consumers.

“We really believe that the best experience you can have buying eyeglasses is to start with an eye exam. Today the only and the best way to get an eye exam is actually to have an optometry clinic and have an appointment with an optometrist. So that’s why we’ve been looking at opening more stores. It’s a great way for consumers to discover the brand, experience and test the product, and get some advice around what is the right frame for me, what is the right lense for me,” said Bussieres.

“So we really use those retail locations as eye health centres where we can have eye exams and then education centres where we can really ensure the best service and the best experience for consumers to get the best products.

“Chinook is our fourth store and we are contemplating opening more stores in order to have good coverage in other parts of the country not only Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. So we are not yet in a place where we can say we are going to open next month in this location. But we are looking at the opportunities there. Doing that in partnership with the rest of the industry, with the rest of the group as well, because we are owned by Essilor. That’s the process we are in right now and how we are going to move forward next year.”

Ecommerce continues to be a strong component of the company’s operations.

“It was growing very, very fast up until this year. We’ve been fortunate to operate a business that has been 95 percent ecommerce. We’ve enjoyed the very, very fast growth. We are probably the third largest online retailer for optical goods in the world and we’ve doubled the size of the business in the last five years and we intend to double it again in the next three years. The growth has really exploded and it’s driven by a lot of consumer adoption of online purchases of optical goods,” said Bussieres.

Samsung ‘Business TV’ Video Screens Meeting Growing Need for Contactless Communication in Local Retail Businesses

By
Craig Patterson
-
Photo: Samsung
Photo: Samsung

In the spring of this year, Samsung introduced its Business TV to the Canadian market as a new offering for businesses. The advanced television technology provides affordable and easy-to-use digital displays with cutting-edge innovations. Retailers that are already using it say that the dynamic video screens are a welcome addition to their businesses.

The Samsung Business TV technology can be programmed for a wide range of messaging such as menus and products offerings, producing dynamic visuals that get a consumer’s attention. The easy-to-manage digital signage provides contactless communications which are especially desirable during these challenging times.

Samsung Business TV was designed for small business owners as a user-friendly screen that delivers a brilliant visual experience for 16-hours a day, seven days a week, with ultra-high-definition displays in a range of sizes to fit any space.

Businesses that have already implemented the Samsung Business TV technology say that they are spending less time dealing with technical issues and thus have more time to spend focusing on their business. The Business TV technology, they say, helps maximize digital communication on-site to showcase creative and advertising content alongside TV programming, all at once.

One store that recently installed Samsung Business TV is retailer Peace Collective, which operates a store at 131 Ossington Avenue in Toronto. “Inside our Ossington Peace Collective location, we run a gourmet milkshake bar called Peace Treats that sees really high foot traffic,” said Roman Hessary, Head of Growth and Managing Partner at Peace Collective.

Samsung Business TV. Photo: Samsung
Samsung Business TV. Photo: Samsung

“We wanted a digital screen that was as clean as possible to complement our minimalist style. The Samsung Business TV fit perfectly into what we were looking for. It replaced two TVs and allowed us to display both our menu and visual content on one screen, which we can update and control through a simple app on our device,” he said.

Another Toronto-based retailer, Cheese Boutique, found that it was easily able to showcase its offerings on the dynamic Samsung Business TV screens that were installed this year at Cheese Boutique’s storefront at 45 Ripley Avenue in Toronto’s Swansea neighbourhood.

“In the boutique, we want to be able to promote our cheeses, showcase our own content and run TV programming for our customers,” said Co-Owner and Maître Fromager Afrim Pristine. “Previously, we had a graphic designer creating templated content and an AV technician updating our screens constantly.”

“Samsung Business TVs give us pre-loaded templates for everything we could possibly need from seasonal sale to promotions to motion-embedded content.” Mr. Pristine went on to say. “It gives us the premium visuals we were spending a lot of time trying to make from scratch with a few easy clicks in the Samsung Business TV app.”

Samsung’s aim was to make its Business TV product cost-effective for small businesses, while also making it easy to use.

“We know many business owners are time-strapped and have limited resources but need to keep up with customers’ expectations in our technology-friendly environments. Samsung Business TV was designed to offer businesses of all sizes a simple and affordable solution that they can manage themselves and quickly integrate into their business to ensure they are meeting customers’ needs,” said Mary Peterson, Vice President, IT & Enterprise Solutions at Samsung Electronics Canada. “I’m thrilled to see the technology driving value for our customers,” she went on to say.

Samsung brought together the brand’s expertise in commercial signage displays with its advanced TV technology intending to provide businesses with impactful visuals.

During these rapidly changing times amid the pandemic, digital signage from Samsung helps businesses dynamically communicate how they are operating and serving their communities while maintaining physical distancing. With Samsung Business TV, for example, retailers can showcase store-entry bulletins such as store hours and customer capacity, physical distancing and safety protocols and product availability and promotions. The digital displays can also facilitate checkout guidance such as wait time and customer lineup details, branded messaging and community support and pick-up or checkout procedures.

TVs with advanced visual capabilities have become more affordable for businesses as visual display technology continues to be approved and costs come down. In today’s media-saturated environment, many small business owners are saying that they want to directly manage their own digital and video channels, leaving behind outdated and costly printed materials that were previously used for customer communication.

The Business TV lineup from Samsung delivers an eye-catching visual experience with ultra-high-definition resolution in a range of sizes to fit any space or budget. The Crystal Display ensures optimized colour expression while the High-Dynamic Range improves brightness levels to better catch the attention of potential customers.

Samsung Business TV also comes with an impressive three-year warranty.

Small businesses are attracted to Samsung’s Business TV for its ease of use, which is a good thing particularly when a storefront has only one or two people working within. The technology was developed to enable quick and simple set up. Business owners or employees can easily switch on their Samsung Business TV and follow the how-to guide on the screen. The guide explains how to download the Samsung Business TV app, available for Android and iOS devices, and how to pair the two together.

An automatic running feature maximizes the convenience of the Samsung Business TV range. Users can control settings using an On and Off Timer. Once the TV switches itself on an initial set-up, it will auto boot the Samsung Business TV App which means that the TV can run automatically each day without the need to reprogram. Paired TVs will automatically show on a user’s Android or iOS device, which allows users to deploy content to the TV or even on multiple TVs at once. The Samsung Business TV range also offers an operating time of 16 hours a day, seven days per week.

Users can quickly and effortlessly play professional content on their TV screens by choosing from a range of pre-designed templates, then editing their selected image and text before sending it to the TV. The app includes a mobile-friendly user interface for easy content editing and supports more than 100 templates for non-experts. These include over 30 L-Bar templates which allow companies to play promotion content while TV programming remains on screen. Motion-embedded templates and seasonal promotion templates can be updated periodically.

The Samsung Business TV range also includes secured pairing with the Samsung Business TV app using an easy PIN code setup. It further includes a panel button lock and a USB port lock for added security to give business owners peace of mind.

The range of Samsung Business TVs includes full-size variation with 43, 50, 55, 65, 70, and 75-inch size options available in Canada. Featuring a sleek design in carbon silver, the Samsung Business TV provides a truly immersive viewing experience.

For more information on Samsung’s SMART signage offerings, including Samsung Business TV, please visit https://www.samsung.com/ca/business/smart-signage/all-smart-signage/.

*Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, email: craig@retail-insider.com

Special Edition 22: The Future of Shopping Centres in Canada and How they Can Compete with Amazon

By
Retail Insider
-
Special Edition 22: The Future of Shopping Centres in Canada and How they Can Compete with Amazon

An off-schedule podcast discussion with Matt Crowell, Founder & CEO of GetintheLoop. Craig and Matt discuss the future of shopping centres in Canada in a time of digitization as retail heads online, and how the shopping centre has a potential advantage over Amazon.

Interview Details: 

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.

Subscribe, Rate, and Review our Retail Insider Podcast!

Follow Craig:

Follow Retail Insider:

Listen & Subscribe:

Share your thoughts!

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.

Toronto Grocer Rabba Partners with Paramount Fine Foods on New Regent Park Storefront

By
Mario Toneguzzi
-
Rabba - By Paramount. Photo: Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine
Rabba - By Paramount. Photo: Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine

Two iconic food brands based in Toronto — Rabba Fine Foods and Paramount Fine Foods — are partnering for an innovative and unique kitchen concept that combines the best of both businesses.

Rabba Fine Foods will open a new local market in Regent Park in early 2021 and it will feature a pilot concept called Rabba Kitchen – By Paramount, a shop-in-shop takeout counter that will offer freshly-made meal options with a Middle Eastern-inspired menu.

Rabba Kitchen – By Paramount Set to be Rabba’s 35th Location

It will be Rabba’s 35th location.

“We’ve been great fans of Paramount Fine Foods over the years,” said Jack Rabba, Founder of Rabba and a dedicated Toronto-area grocer since 1967. “This collaboration is a result of many months of planning and, of course, many enjoyable taste tests. I can assure you the final product passes with flying colours, and a very satisfied appetite.”

Rick Rabba, President of Rabba, said the company is always offering its customers quality products and selection and “we’re expanding the breadth of our offering with a very high quality brand that everyone knows and loves”.

Exterior of Paramount Fine Foods Restaurant on the corner of Adelaide and Spadina in Toronto. Photo: BlogTO
Exterior of Paramount Fine Foods Restaurant on the corner of Adelaide and Spadina in Toronto. Photo: BlogTO

“We’re working towards opening multiple locations. Because of our longstanding relationship we’ve had in the past, the offerings complement each other just from a taste perspective,” he said, adding that the Regent Park location offers the right demographics for the concept.

“It’s urban customers looking for convenience who are familiar with Mediterranean cuisine and are familiar with Rabba’s offering. It’s really the exact right place for both brands to be.”

Rabba Fine Foods is a local market and convenience store which is open 24 hours a day in neighbourhoods throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Exterior of Rabba store in Toronto. Photo: Rabba
Exterior of Rabba store in Toronto. Photo: Rabba

Paramount Fine Foods is a global Middle Eastern cuisine restaurant chain with 74 locations, primarily in Ontario, but with two locations in British Columbia, three in Edmonton, one in Quebec, with two being built. Locations also exist in England, Beirut, Pakistan, and in Africa. The first location was 2007 in Mississauga.

“The region of the Middle East has long been revered for its flavours, spices and wholesome meals,” said Mohamad Fakih, founder and president of Paramount Fine Foods. “Together with Jack Rabba and his team, we’ll be able to honour our common roots while sharing our love of food with even more people than we could achieve on our own. In these times of pandemic, it’s more important than ever for all of us to celebrate life’s greatest, often small and humble, pleasures.”

Paramount to Launch Butcher Shop & Restaurant Concept Within Rabba

He said the partnership with Rabba includes Paramount launching its butcher shop and restaurant concept within a Rabba location.

“It will actually complete the image of what Rabba needs,” said Fakih. “Especially if you look at supermarkets today. They’re bringing in and including ready-made food made by specialists instead of just making it, box it and sell it. So here the consumers are actually buying it from the franchise inside their own supermarket.”

One butcher shop will be opening in a Rabba store in Mississauga where Paramount took a corner of about 1,200 square feet. The first location will open in mid-January.

“Having us available in a supermarket will make us available to more clientele, more footprint and a great location. Rabba is very well known to be located very well in a location. Very smart business locations. He has secured them years and years ago. Those locations will provide us higher sales,” said Fakih.

He said the pilot project — Rabba Kitchen – By Paramount — has intentions to start with five Paramount restaurant locations inside Rabba.

“We’re putting in there Paramount and our new fried chicken concept called Krispo,” added Fakih.

Read More Related Articles From Retail Insider:

1...866867868...1,283Page 867 of 1,283

FEATURES ON RETAIL INSIDER

spot_img
spot_img

About

Contact

Media

Follow

© 2025 Retail Insider Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The content on this website is protected by the copyrights of Retail Insider Media Ltd. or the copyrights of third parties and used by agreement. No part of any of the content of this website may be reproduced, distributed, modified, framed, cached, adapted or linked to, or made available in any form by any photographic, electronic, digital, mechanical, photostat, microfilm, xerography or other means, or incorporated into or used in any information storage and retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the prior written permission of Retail Insider Media Ltd. or the applicable third party copyright owner.