The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has unveiled a storefront at the Manulife Centre at 55 Bloor Street West. The store is located at one of the most prominent retail corners in Canada in a space once occupied by luxury fashion retailer Creeds.
The LCBO store spans about 11,325 square feet on one level with street-facing both Bloor Street and Balmuto Street. Of that, about 8,800 square feet is publicly accessible retail space. Included in-store is an expansive assortment of 3,445 wines, beers, and spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails, and coolers from around the world. About 250 Ontario wines are displayed including 173 VQA wines. There’s an expansive Vintages section which includes premium offerings as well — some of the prices for bottles seen in the store were close to $10,000. The interior of the new LCBO store appears to be similar to other newer stores in the Toronto area.
A total of 144 linear feet of refrigerated shelving offers a wide selection of Ontario craft beers as well as other domestic and imported brands, ready-to-drink cocktails and coolers. There is also a chilled wine section that features 32 linear feet of refrigerated wine and an ice refrigerator for customers. The store’s product mix is said to be the result of market research, matching products and services to local tastes, demographics, and community interests, and includes an assortment of made in Ontario products.
Image: LCBO Bloor Flagship (Photo: Dustin Fuhs)
George Soleas
“We are excited to open our doors in our newly relocated store, in the heart of some of the best shopping in Canada,” said George Soleas, President & CEO, LCBO. “The modern store offers an elevated shopping experience that our loyal customers from the community have come to expect from the LCBO.”
Scott Gordon
“We are excited to be partnering with LCBO to expand their presence in the Bloor-Yorkville community,” said Scott Gordon, head of real estate asset management, Canada at Manulife Investment Management. “We worked closely with LCBO to ensure their new location allowed them to showcase their premium offering, while also enhancing the local retail community.”
The former LCBO at Manulife Centre spanned about 7,500 square feet on the basement level of the retail podium. The space is now being offered for lease by CBRE with demising options for potentially several small tenants.
The former Creeds store at the Manulife Centre — the luxury women’s fashion store went bankrupt in 1990. Photo: https://strategicimaging.com
From the early 1990s until early 2017, tableware and gift retailer William Ashley occupied the prominent corner of Bloor and Balmuto streets at the Manulife Centre. William Ashley relocated in 2017 to the second level of The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West.
For several decades until its bankruptcy in 1990, luxury multi brand women’s retailer Creeds occupied the corner in a 38,500 square foot one level space that once spanned most of the expanse of the Manulife Centre facing Balmuto Street. Prior to its closure, Creeds operated shop-in-stores for luxury brands including Chanel, Ungaro, Jil Sander, Sonia Rykiel, Go Silk, and Krizia.
The Manulife Centre recently underwent an extensive redevelopment including a revitalization of its exterior with a glass facade and the addition of 35,000 square feet of retail space. The crowning new tenant Eataly opened in the fall of 2019 with most of its space occupying the second level. Other tenants include jewellery retailer Birks, footwear brand Ron White, fashion retailer Over the Rainbow, Bay Bloor Radio, Indigo, Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaw City Market, and we recently reported that upscale fashion retailer Studio D had recently relocated to the Manulife Centre from midtown Toronto. Manulife Centre includes about 285,000 square feet of retail space, 435,000 square feet of office space and 809 rental apartments in a tower at 44 Charles Street West.
7-Eleven, the pioneer in the convenience category, is making it even easier for consumers to buy items from its stores across Canada.
Norman Hower
The company has launched its 7-Eleven Mobile Checkout where consumers simply scan an item, pay and go – it’s the first retailer in the country to introduce this initiative chainwide.
“Our customers told us that they want more time to focus on the important things in their lives. We took that insight and developed 7-Eleven’s proprietary technology to create a full contactless shopping experience. We know this will help our customers save time and empower them to make the most of their day,” said Norman Hower, VP and GM of 7-Eleven Canada. “
“We’re reinventing convenience with the 7-Eleven Mobile Checkout and this is yet another example of how we’re developing digital innovation to actively exceed our customers’ needs.
“About 2018 we started looking at the technology and using our 7Rewards platform as the vehicle to enable the technology. With this application that we have, and 7-Eleven Mobile Checkout, customers can come in and basically check themselves out using their app and earn rewards points with that and get along with their day. If the store’s busy, they don’t have to wait in line. They really have the ultimate contactless experience . . . There’s no need to go to any self-checkout kiosk. The self-checkout kiosk is literally their phone . . . The process is pretty simple for stores and also for customers. Once they get the hang of it, it’s pretty darn easy.”
There are 616 branded stores across Canada from British Columbia to Ontario.
The use of the 7-Eleven Mobile Checkout is a simple process for consumers:
● Download the 7-Eleven mobile app from the App Store or Google Play or update your app to the latest version to ensure it has the Mobile Checkout capability;
● Register for or log into the 7Rewards® loyalty program;
● Open the app in a participating store and tap the “Mobile Checkout” icon on the home page;
● Scan the barcode on each product to add it to your basket. Discounts or promotions will be applied automatically;
● Pay for purchases in the app using Apple Pay, Google Pay or a debit or credit card; and
● Confirm purchase by scanning the on-screen QR code at the confirmation station before you exit the store.
The new feature is available to all customers free of charge.
Hower said 7-Eleven currently has just under six million users on 7Rewards.
Canada is the second market to introduce the feature, after a successful launch and expansion in the US earlier this year. Since its inception in 2018, Mobile Checkout has been used by over one million 7-Eleven customers at all of its 3,000 participating U.S. stores.
“We really perfected the technology there and we are doing a countrywide blowout (in Canada). This isn’t a pilot. This is really a new way to offer customers convenience in 7-Eleven Canada stores. So it’s in every branded store in Canada,” said Hower.
“We know that other retailers are dabbling in this space. We’re the first retailer to roll out on this scale which is kind of exciting.
Image: 7-Eleven Canada
Image: 7-Eleven Canada
“Innovation has always been in our DNA. Customers were telling us when stores get busy or at different times of the day . . . there can be lines and we want to find ways of cutting through that noise and giving customers a way to control their own experience . . . We also wanted to make it easy for the stores not to add new equipment or additional things that can bog down the store layout. Quite frankly, having your own phone and using your own device made a lot of sense. That was how the technology was formed . . . As we launch it too by the way we’re going to offer 10 times the points that they would get at the regular cashier. Encourage people to try it out, check it out, to see if they like it. We think it will.”
7-Eleven, which is based in Irving, Texas, operates, franchises and/or licenses in more than 77,000 stores in 18 countries, including nearly 17,000 in North America.
Hower said 7-Eleven Canada has been operating for 52 years and plans are to continue to expand its footprint across the country.
“We’re going to continue to build traditional new stores. We’re going to continue to look for acquisition opportunities,” he said, adding that it launched in the summer its delivery app 7NOW.
We are now well and truly in the throes of digitization. After decades of advancement and evolution, and a recent acceleration precipitated by impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the progress of digital technology continues unabated. Its many innovations have collectively helped to change the world around us, highlighted primarily in the ways we communicate with one another, our modes of information transfer and sharing as well as the ways in which we consume that information. These changes are distinct within the retail industry where digitization is going a long way toward supporting greater speed, efficiency and accuracy of just about every aspect of a merchant’s operations. As the development of digital technologies maintains breakneck speed, many are speculating about the future of retail, trying to sustain the velocity in thinking required to keep up with its evolution and get out ahead with the latest advancement that offers valuable applications to their businesses. And, according to lauded retail futurist and Founder of the consultancy firm Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens, one of those advancements is the non-fungible token (NFT), a digital notion that he suggests retailers and other businesses ought to pay attention to.
“It’s easy to dismiss NFTs as a passing fad, given the nature of some of the digital products currently being traded,” he admits. “But it would be a mistake to do so. The more important subtext behind the rise of NFTs is that for the first time, using blockchain technology, we’re able to apply the economic concepts of scarcity and authenticity to a digital item – be it art, collectables, music, etcetera. Anything, so long as its rarity and authenticity are legitimized, can have inherent and increasing value. At the same time, blockchain technology provides a newfound ability to allow for the purchase of digital tokens for goods that can be traded for real world goods.”
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Current uses
Put simply, an NFT is a unique digital asset, something like a digital contract, that represents ownership of digital content, serving to confirm its authenticity and originality. Leveraging blockchain technology to establish proof of ownership that’s stored and accessible on a public data ledger, some are starting to take notice of the benefits of tokenization. Although there aren’t too many brands that have started to explore the use of NFTs, Stephens points to many within the creative spaces – mainly the creators and purveyors of unique and one-of-a-kind pieces of content – as some of the earliest adopters.
“At this point, we’re seeing most of the activity in NFTs focus on digital art, memorabilia and collectibles,” he says. “In the art world for example, artists like Mike Winkelman, also known as Beeple, have gone from selling pieces of digital art for hundreds of dollars to selling pieces for tens of millions, all because we can now authenticate not only the rarity and authenticity of a product – in this case art – but we can also use the blockchain to validate true ownership over a digital asset. This is a capability that was nearly impossible to do prior to the advent of the blockchain.”
A rising tide
Very much considered by most at the moment to be leading-edge technology, the full potential of NFTs has not yet been realized en masse. The entire concept around their use seems to still be in the education phase, with its exploration and assessment by the majority of retailers and other businesses only just beginning. However, as Stephens points out, there are some, mainly within the artistic disciplines, who have already begun to experiment with NFTs. Famed rapper Snoop Dogg announced in late March 2021 the launch of his “A Journey with the Dogg” collection containing eight pieces of digital art that are said to encapsulate his early years and inspiration. Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk also recently auctioned a video of himself landing a 540-degree Ollie. Even Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, has capitalized on the early movement, auctioning an image of his first ever tweet. These NFTs are being bought by bidders online for hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars. And, although it may only be a narrow group of people cashing in on the trend today, Stephens doesn’t believe it will be long before retailers and brands begin reaping their benefits as well.
“Currently, aside from high profile artists and celebrities, most of the activity we’re seeing is either within gaming platforms where players can purchase and own exclusive game elements and “skins”, a term used for in-game apparel or player identities,” he explains. “Some streetwear and running shoe brands have also been first movers, likely because their target customers align well to the technology. And finally, the sports collectibles market has really embraced the category. There has been some early experimentation by brands like Gucci, Nike and a handful of others to test and explore NFTs as a concept but I expect to see much more penetration into consumer goods in the coming year. We’re only at the very beginning of the trend.”
At the beginning of the trend, indeed. It’s a sentiment echoed by Dr. Merav Ozair, leading blockchain expert and fintech professor at Rutgers Business School, who also sees the untapped potential inherent in the tokenization of digital assets as well as physical products. She, too, points to the powerful authentication capabilities of NFTs as the most dynamic and purposeful qualities they offer, suggesting that their applications within the retail setting are immense. And, considering when their use might be more widely utilized across the industry, she says that their impact is imminent.
“We don’t need to think too far out when it comes to the use of NFTs throughout industries, particularly when it comes to physical products within the retail ecosystem,” she asserts. “In fact, there are already use cases. Just recently, BlockBar was launched, which is a marketplace for liquor and luxury spirits that’s backed by the blockchain. And, it’s not the first, either. Purveyors of liquor have been selling their products as NFTs for some time now on various platforms. The ability to authenticate product as legitimate with tokenized certification is what’s driving current interest in the notion of NFTs, and it’s interest that is only going to increase going forward.”
Protecting brands and consumers
She goes on to explain that it’s authentication capabilities that brands, particularly those operating within the luxury space, have been searching for in an effort to curb or mitigate altogether the issue of counterfeit product for some time. It’s an issue that’s existed within the industry for a very long time, and one that impacts both the sellers and prospective buyers of the product. However, with the introduction of NFTs and the security of the blockchain, Ozair says that the counterfeiting of goods will become next to impossible.
“NFTs present an incredible opportunity for retailers and brands to protect their businesses from an integrity and credibility perspective,” she says. “Through their use, brands can ensure the legitimacy of their product, providing clear differentiation from those that are counterfeit. And, it also instills a confidence in the consumer who knows that they are purchasing the real deal. NFTs present the potential to eradicate fraudulent sales of all kinds of different product, revolutionizing certain sectors and verticals within the retail industry.”
Boundless opportunities
The security and protection that NFTs and blockchain technology provide against counterfeiters is an excellent example of the positive outcomes that are being precipitated by the digitization of the world around us. It’s reflective of opportunities to perhaps one day soon include tokenization within an integrated economy where tokens are transferred and traded with real financial value. In fact, according to Ozair, it’s all part of an acceleration toward greater digitization that’s been fuelled by impacts of the pandemic, and one whose forward progress will likely continue uninterrupted, indefinitely.
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“Digital is here to stay. There’s no doubt about that. The only question right now is: in what ways will it impact society? And, in my estimation, every product and service, in one way or another, will land in blockchain technology. It will allow everyone globally to interact and engage in different ways, with tokenization facilitating this transition and transactions. At the end of the day, everything is transaction-based. NFTs will allow for a more efficient and seamless experience for customers, democratizing society and opening up boundless new opportunities for retailers and brands of all sizes, everywhere. At the moment, those with the greatest imagination, finding the most creative and significant ways to apply NFTs and blockchain technology to their products and service, will benefit the most.”
Popular Canadian foodservice brand A&W is launching a pilot project to introduce the UK-based Pret A Manger sandwich and coffee chain to the Canadian market.
Susan Senecal
Susan Senecal, President and CEO of A&W, said the partnership with Pret allows the foodservice giant to test offering the best of Pret at A&W restaurants in about 12 to 15 locations starting in 2022 “to introduce Canadians to the great taste, the great ingredients and the great products that Pret offers.”
“Pret A Manger is a UK-based chain. They operate lots of ‘shops’ as they call them that offer ready-to-eat, ready-to-go, pick up and go style sandwiches, salads, soups and organic fair trade coffee,” said Senecal.
“They’re an exciting brand and they don’t have a presence yet in Canada so we thought it would be nice to bring along a select menu of Pret’s to A&W into Canada.”
Image: A&W Canada
“We’re still in the early part of development of exactly how it’s going to look and that will come to life as we start to introduce this in the year to come. We want to give a piece of the experience as well. So it will be not only products but experience and we’ll have some dedicated areas that will really feature the menu items from Pret so that people can easily pick them up and get ready for their day.”
Senecal said the initial part of the launch involves introducing Pret to Canada and Canada to Pret.
“We’re looking at it as a nice way to bring an introduction of the brand and its products. We think it’s a nice time when people are looking for things to speed up their day but also a variety of items and we think we can offer that to our guests who already come to A&W for great food and great burgers. This will give us another option,” she said.
There are just over 1,000 A&W locations in Canada today.
“We’re growing quite quickly. Last year we opened 23. This year we’re back into the 30s in terms of our openings. We’ve opened as many as 50 in a year a couple of years back. We’re on a good pace of expansion and there’s lots of places where there’s not an A&W yet,” said Senecal.
Image: Pret a Manger
She said everyone and all businesses have been impacted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For A&W, restaurants that were in shopping centres, for example, many were completely closed at the peak of the pandemic – more than 200 restaurants.
“Some downtown cores, high pedestrian areas, some universities closed down, some airports closed down. There was a lot of turmoil and a lot of impact as governments moved to keep people safe and as people stayed home to make sure that they were doing the most cautious thing possible,” she said.
“All of that had a bit of a shift in terms of how consumers are looking for food. On the flip side of it, in our drive-thru locations, we were able to continue through the pandemic in most cases and we were able to continue serving guests and in a lot of cases that became more of a necessity for a lot of people because there was very limited availability and if you were a person that needed to get out and about it wasn’t as easy as it once was.”
Senecal said for consumers today convenience is important. There are new ways to get that convenience with things like a mobile app and delivery.
“Still at the heart of it all is a restaurant that uses great food to make great food,” she said.
Image: Pret a Manger
Image: Pret a Manger
“We’re known as innovators. Over the years, we’ve led the pace when it comes to innovation. Most of the innovation we’ve done in house. This one is a little bit different but we look forward to what we can learn and I think people are looking for something new – they’re looking for something different. This is an opportunity to grab a taste of something that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get. And I suspect that the freshly made Pret food will meet the needs of a lot of our guests and offer a lot of people something different and something really good.”
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is a corporation amalgamated under the laws of Canada and is 100 per cent Canadian owned and is one of the strongest brand names in the Canadian foodservice industry. A&W is the nation’s second largest hamburger restaurant company with over 1,000 locations coast-to-coast. A&W Restaurants feature famous trade-marked menu items such as The Burger Family®, Chubby Chicken®, and A&W Root Beer®.
Pret A Manger’s first shop opened in London in 1986. Pret’s sandwiches, salads and wraps are freshly made each day in shop kitchens and all coffees are 100 per cent organic. Pret currently has more than 450 shops and operates in the UK, US, Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Switzerland, Brussels, Singapore and Germany.
The Le Chateau brand is returning to Canada this month under new ownership. The iconic fashion brand was acquired by Montreal-based Suzy Shier over the summer. A new Le Chateau website will launch this month and in-store distribution for the brand will commence in the spring of 2022.
On Tuesday November 16, Suzy Shier will relaunch the Le Chateau brand online with a ‘Glamour capsule’ consisting of a range of dresses and other formalwear for women. The launch will be available on the newly launched lechateau.com website. In early 2022, the spring relaunch will be available in-person in select Suzy Shier stores in Canada.
It is currently unknown if Suzy Shier will launch standalone Le Chateau stores in the Canadian market. Suzy Shier operates a network of womenswear fashion stores across Canada.
Le Chateau (Closing) at “The Core” in Calgary. Photo: Jessica Finch.
Retail Insider announced in October of 2020 that Le Chateau would be shutting all 123 of its Canadian storefronts after the 60-year-old retailer filed for bankruptcy protection. The COVID-19 pandemic was the final straw for the struggling retailer which had been attempting to turn its operations around.
Le Chateau was founded in 1959 in Montreal by Herschel Segal as a menswear store. In 1962 womenswear was added including European fashions from places such as Carnaby Street in London. It was the first to introduce bell bottoms to Canada and in its early years was considered to be a trendsetter. The company’s IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange was in 1983. The company had closed about half of its stores since 2015. Last quarter saw the company turn its first profit in about 13 years. In 2019 we reported that Le Chateau had planned to expand into the United States through a new e-commerce site.
Decathlon Canada will be opening its first Western Canada store at Southcentre Mall in Calgary, with a grand opening scheduled for November 6th, 2021. The 63,000 square foot location is the 10th store and includes an additional 7,000 square feet for an automated warehouse featuring 27 robots.
The Calgary location is unique in the chain for the sales floor layout, as the automated warehouse functionality has allowed the store to house one-third less physical inventory. The selling floor is set up for more product displays and showrooms of select products and categories, which will make the store more of a visual experience. Retail Insider covered the announcement of the store in June 2021.
Jason Bos
“The addition of Decathlon to the Southcentre portfolio is a significant milestone indicative of the economic growth currently taking place in our city,” says Jason Bos, General Manager, Southcentre Mall. “With Decathlon now open, the shopping centre is at 90 percent occupancy, and we are proud to introduce this first-to-market retail experience to the community as we continue to establish Southcentre as a first-class shopping destination. We hope Calgarians will enjoy getting to know Decathlon, not only as a sporting goods retailer, but also as a leader in innovation, technology and sustainability.”
Decathlon Calgary will be offering more than 7,000 products featuring over 65 sports and activities. In addition to hiking and outdoor, cycling, winter and summer sports, team sports and running – the brand will have products for horseback riding, fishing, dance, archery, racquet sports and more.
Image: Decathlon Calgary Image: Decathlon Calgary
The automated warehouse in the store will allow for a redistribution of staffing, focusing more on the customer-facing roles and creating a highly experiential retail environment. Systems allow customers to request items from the warehouse and have them available for pick-up at a designated location in the store. This will be accomplished through a store collaborator or via a dedicated app.
The 27 robots will be staffed by a team of 6 and can be viewed from two in-store viewing locations.
The store also features an entire section dedicated to backyard activities and ways to keep active at home. All Decathlon Canada stores include test zones, after sales service workshops (bike tune-ups, ski fitting, skate sharpening, etc), co-working space, and dedicated spaces for sports activities.
“From the wide range of sports we offer at affordable and fair prices, to in-store activities, to service workshops, to second-hand and eco-designed products, we aim to be a trusted partner for people in Calgary looking for solutions to getting and staying active,” said Craig Binch, store leader for Decathlon Calgary.
Image: Decathlon Calgary
Decathlon Canada opened the first store in Brossard, Quebec in 2018 and has since grown to 10 locations in Canada, including:
Dartmouth, NS
Sainte-Foy, QC
Brossard, QC
Laval, QC
Boisbriand, QC
Downtown Montreal, QC
Ottawa, ON /
Vaughan, ON
Burlington, ON
Future locations that are being considered for the expansion include Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Decathlon was founded in 1976 in Lille, France and has grown to 1,709 stores in 60 countries and employs 103,138 teammates (as of August 2021)
EQ3, a premier Canadian designer, manufacturer and retailer of furniture and home goods, has opened its flagship store in its hometown of Winnipeg at CF Polo Park.
Mark Letain
It is the brand’s largest showroom by far with a reimagined retail experience in 44,000 square feet – about four times what a typical store would be. It also incorporates a cafe featuring in-house dining by award winning Deer + Almond chef Madel Hitzer as well as EQ3’s new concept collection, Palli Home + Company.
“It’s definitely our new flagship location for Canada,” said Mark Letain, President of EQ3. “This is our hometown. Winnipeg is sort of a renowned test market too. It used to be one of the two test markets in North America for new concepts. The idea was if you can make it in Winnipeg, you could probably make it in other cities just because of the conservative nature of the city and the demographics and the socio demographics.
“We were already close to Polo Park, the mall, and that mall Polo Park is a super regional. Probably one of about a dozen in Canada that are considered super regional malls. We were already on the periphery of it – sort of in the parking lot.
EQ3 CF Polo Park
“When the Sears location closed (a few years ago) we began to have conversations with Polo Park about moving inside the mall but we were thinking about our original format space. As things progressed over time, we realized they were looking for an anchor tenant. I had some discussions with the ownership and we decided to say ‘hey you know what, why don’t we be that anchor tenant and why don’t we try something different? Why don’t we try a larger format store and really make our foray into experiential retail?”
The retailer has 17 locations with 12 in Canada.
Working alongside Winnipeg-based architectural firm Number TEN, the flagship’s slatted exterior was designed by former EQ3 Creative Director Thom Fougere. The interior was designed by current Chief Design Officer Enri Tielmann.
The company said the alluring new showroom brings to life everything quintessentially EQ3 with the addition of unexpected elements. The architecture and interior of the store pairs references to the Prairies with elements of warmth, incorporating features of herringbone flooring, traditional wainscotting, and pastel millwork.
“The new location also acts as a hub of innovation for EQ3, bringing forward new products and technologies. Three dedicated design centres provide customers and interior designers areas for one-on-one consultation with sales associates and access to all the brand’s fabrics, finishes, rug swatches, as well as 3D visualization software. Digital video walls and QR codes directing customers to detailed product information appear throughout the space to deliver an immersive experience,” said EQ3.
EQ3 CF Polo Park
“The EQ3 café, with its monolithic bar design and 40 dine-in seats, anchors the expansive space. The café’s menu, created by internationally renowned chef Mandel Hitzer, features a fresh take on casual dining influenced by local ingredients and California-modern cuisine, complemented by a full bar and unique wine list.”
Peter Tielmann
Peter Tielmann, founder and CEO of EQ3, said the company is taking a holistic approach to transform how people reimagine their homes.
“We’ve created pockets of discovery in the store giving customers space, tools and even nourishment, while they take the time to physically interact with the products and personalize designs,” he said.
“EQ3 is proud to open our first ever Canadian flagship store here in Manitoba and serve the community that has helped shape who we are through the expansive possibilities of this space. Our uniquely Canadian approach to design is deeply inspired by our hometown of Winnipeg, so we’re honoured to share this work with customers, friends, and family at our new showroom.”
EQ3 CF Polo Park
The Polo Park store is the only new store the retailer has opened this year and Letain said no new stores are planned right now.
“We’re going to really test this concept out and see how it works because if it works then this is something that we would like to do in other markets with a larger format store. But we’ll see what we learn from this,” he said.
EQ3 is working with new brands, such as Global Trunk, OMY, The Dough Project, QWOO, Alessi, and Silk & Snow, to merchandise its kids, pets, and plants sections of the store, which are unique to the Winnipeg location.
The new flagship also launches EQ3’s new concept collection, Palli Home + Company, of vibrant furniture, rugs and accessories. The line features larger pieces of furniture with an emphasis on functionality and durability. As with the core EQ3 collection, all the upholstery items are manufactured in Winnipeg. The collection will be available at all EQ3 stores and online by early 2022.
EQ3 CF Polo Park
Enri Tielmann
“The new Palli Home + Company collection is made for modern living,” said Enri Tielmann, EQ3’s Chief Design Officer. “Designed to create endless solutions for unique environments, the upholstery collection combines modularity and function, complemented with playfulness and ease of care. Sectional configurations can be configured, reconfigured, expanded, reduced and mirrored. All made with materials and craftsmanship of the highest quality featuring sustainable performance covers combined with feather and memory foam comfort.”
EQ3 was established in 2001. Its five US stores are in New York, California, Connecticut, and Chicago.
The company stands for “emotional quotient in three dimension.”
The concept of EQ3 was launched as a wholesale initiative at the High Point Market in North Carolina in 2001 as an extension of a product line of Palliser Furniture. Palliser Furniture Upholstery Ltd. is a furniture manufacturing company headquartered in Winnipeg. It manufactures and distributes upholstery furniture products throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States.
