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Exterior of old Pink Tartan store that will soon be Isaia's new Canadian Fkagship. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Iconic Italian luxury menswear brand Isaia will open its first standalone Canadian store in April of 2021 in Toronto’s Yorkville area. The store will be located in a unique heritage building on Yorkville Avenue which also includes a contemporary addition. The updated space will become an immersive experience for fans of the brand in Canada.
Isaia was founded by Enrico Isaia in Naples, Italy in 1920 as a fabric store. In 1957, brothers Enrico, Rosario, and Corrado Isaia relocated the business to a village near Naples and converted the brand to a men’s tailoring company. The business continues to be family run with 15 stores operating globally as well as stockists in some of the world’s most prestigious multi-brand stores. Pricing for suit jackets is in the $3,500-$5,000 range, sweaters are typically in the $1,000-$1,700 range, dress shirts are priced from $500, and trousers start at about $675. The brand is recognized by its tiny red coral logo which is considered to be a good luck charm in Naples.
The Toronto Isaia flagship will span two levels in the building located at the southwest corner of Yorkville Avenue and Bellair Street at 77 Yorkville Avenue. The upper level, spanning about 1,600 square feet, will feature two rooms carrying the full assortment of Isaia’s clothing and made-to-measure as well as footwear, leather goods, jewellery, eyewear, and accessories. The lower level will feature an 800-square-foot social meeting place, called the Vesuvius Lounge, which will welcome guests. The lower level will also house back-of-house operations and tailor shops.
Interactive Google Map of 77 Yorkville Avenue and surrounding area
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Old Pink Tartan storefront/soon-to-be new Isaia storefront on Yorkville Ave. Photo: Craig Patterson
94 Cumberland Street where Isaia had initially signed a lease. Tokyo Smoke has since leased the corner space. Photo: Craig Patterson
Contemporary addition to the former Pink Tartan storefront/soon-to-be new Isaia storefront. Photo taken from Bellair Street in Yorkville. Photo: Craig Patterson
Interior of the main floor of the former Pink Tartan store. This space will become a social lounge called the Vesuvius Room. Photo: Craig Patterson
Isaia Will Replace Pink Tartan in Toronto’s Yorkville Area
Isaia will replace women’s fashion retailer Pink Tartan which had occupied 77 Yorkville Avenue for about a decade prior to its closure several days ago. Prior to that, antique retailer The Paisley Shop operated in the space.
We interviewed James Shay, President of Isaia in North and South America about the new Toronto store. He said that this month, construction will begin on the new Isaia store which in total will span about 3,500 square feet. Rather than put up construction hoarding over the building, two flags will be erected, including a Canadian flag as well as a flag with Isaia’s branding.
The interiors will be masculine with pops of red and aubergine, colours Isaia is known for, as well as two shades of greys which are also part of Isaia’s colour spectrum. The exterior of the building will be left essentially as it is, save for the pink door facing Yorkville Avenue which Pink Tartan added when it opened in 2010.
Mr. Shay said that Isaia very selectively opens stores globally and that they are a tool to create brand awareness while also immersing guests in the Isaia experience.
For years, Isaia has been available at several upscale retailers in Canada. That includes menswear retailer Harry Rosen and others.
Isaia is moving forward with its Canadian retail investment, despite the current challenges. A company representative explained that the company strongly believes in its value proposition, the skills and ability of its team members, with the expectation that the Canadian consumer will be receptive to the new store.
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Exterior of Isaia store in Beverley Hills. Photo: MR Magazine
Exterior of Isaia store in GUM department store in Moscow. Photo: GUM
Exterior of Isaia store in Rome. Photo: MR Magazine
Isaia’s Toronto Flagship Will Act as Show Space to Facilitate Further Brand Awareness in Canada
Mr. Shay said that the Toronto Isaia flagship will act as a show space that will also help facilitate further awareness for the brand in Canada. In markets where Isaia has opened stores, wholesale accounts have also seen a boost.
For several years, Isaia had wanted the 77 Yorkville Avenue building which Pink Tartan had leased with a right to a lease extension. Initially, Isaia has signed a letter of intent to lease the recently completed commercial podium a few steps south at 94 Cumberland Street. Dutch landlord Prowinko owns both the 94 Cumberland property as well as 77 Yorkville Avenue. The day that the space became available after Pink Tartan decided not to renew its lease, Prowinko gave the green light for Isaia to lease the unique 77 Yorkville Avenue building.
Hanna Struever of California-based Retail Portfolio Solutions negotiated the lease deal on behalf of Isaia. The Savills Toronto Retail Team were the listing brokers on the space.
Isaia wanted 77 Yorkville Avenue for its unique hybrid heritage-contemporary design. The Yorkville Avenue side of the building was built in 1867 and was originally the house of John Daniels, a constable for the village of Yorkville in the mid 1800s. A contemporary addition provides a juxtaposition in architectural styles while also expanding the space substantially from the size of the original residence.
Interior of Isaia store in the GUM department store in Moscow, Russia. Photos: GUM
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Mr. Shay said that Toronto was chosen for an Isaia flagship store because of the city’s importance as a rapidly growing global city. Yorkville was specifically chosen because the neighbourhood has a high-end village-like feel with a rapidly growing population. Many other luxury brands are located in the area with a clustering on Yorkville Avenue as well as on nearby Bloor Street West.
In other cities, Isaia also operates architecturally unique stores. Mr. Shay explained that the San Francisco location, on Maiden Lane near Union Square, is in the city’s only building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Beverly Hills store features a facade covered in foliage.
Isaia is selective in where it opens stores. In the United States, the company operates locations at 819 Madison Avenue in New York City, 9527 Brighton Way in Beverly Hills California, and at 140 Maiden Lane in San Francisco. This month, Isaia will open its fourth US location at 110 East Oak Street in Chicago’s affluent Gold Coast area.
Photo: ISAIA San Francisco
Globally, Isaia operates other storefronts in Milan, Capri, Rome, London UK, Baku, Moscow (two locations), Yekaterinburg, Kiev, New Dehli, Tokyo, and Ulanbataar Mongolia. Given the few locations Isaia operates globally, it could be the case that the Yorkville flagship will be the only location for the brand in Canada. Mr. Shay noted that the Vancouver and Montreal markets are also strong markets for the brand.
Mr. Shay said that Isaia won’t be launching a Canadian e-commerce site as part of the corporate push into this country, though consumers can shop the US and European sites if desired.
Isaia is in the process of hiring several employees for the new Toronto store, including sales associates and administrative positions. Candidates may forward their resumes to Toronto@isaia.it
Exterior of new Vancouver Community Power Foot Locker store. Photo: Foot Locker
Foot Locker has launched its first Canadian Community Power Store in Vancouver with another one coming to Toronto and this follows openings of the power stores in Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, London, Compton, Liverpool, and Hong Kong.
The Vancouver store has opened while the Toronto store will open this month.
Richard McLeod
“We are so excited to bring our Power Store model to Canada over the next two months,” said Richard McLeod, Vice President of Marketing for Foot Locker, North America. “Although the shopping experience is different with current guidelines, we look forward to bringing locally-curated experiences to the Vancouver and Toronto sneaker communities.”
Foot Locker’s Vancouver community-based Power Store is located at 1067 Robson Street. The Toronto store will be located at 306 Yonge Street.
Foot Locker’s footprint in Canada includes 119 stores. Footaction and Champs Sports, as part of the Foot Locker Inc. family, have 38 locations.
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Google Map of 1067 Robson Street, Vancouver.
Google Map of 306 Yonge Street, Toronto.
“The Vancouver Community Power Store offers an elevated retail experience, including full-family shopping with exclusive product, custom artwork by local artists and an activation space that will host ongoing community events for the sneaker-obsessed,” said McLeod.
“For the opening, two local artists Tierney Milne and KC Hall designed custom artwork for the interior of the store. We hope that we can utilize the store’s activation space soon by safely planning events such as hosting local DJs and brands. This store has also made a commitment to hire local residents who are naturally connected to sneaker and youth culture, as well as have diverse backgrounds and can speak multiple languages such as Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, Punjabi, and Vietnamese.”
The new 15,000-square-foot store in Vancouver offers a three-storey retail experience, including a second-floor activation space where events may be hosted with key brand partners and influencers for the local community (pending COVID-19 restrictions).
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Interior of new Vancouver Community Power Foot Locker store. Photo: Foot Locker
Interior of new Vancouver Community Power Foot Locker store. Photo: Foot Locker
Interior of new Vancouver Community Power Foot Locker store. Photo: Foot Locker
Interior of new Vancouver Community Power Foot Locker store. Photo: Foot Locker
Interior of new Vancouver Community Power Foot Locker store. Photo: Foot Locker
Interior of new Vancouver Community Power Foot Locker store. Photo: Foot Locker
The store offers an assortment of Nike, Jordan, and Adidas product in men’s, women’s, and kids, as well as a highly anticipated IVY PARK drop on day one. Foot Locker’s exclusive COLLABORAID product – a giveback initiative that brings together more than a dozen notable creatives with a shared mission of aiding in the recovery from COVID-19 through sneaker culture – will also be available in the Vancouver store.
Foot Locker is a part of Foot Locker, Inc. Its brands include Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Eastbay, Footaction, Runners Point, and Sidestep. It has about 3,100 retail stores in 27 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
“The Vancouver Power Store opened after successfully opening stores in Compton, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, London, Liverpool, and Hong Kong. A Power Store in Toronto is planned to open later this year or early 2021 (dependent on COVID-19 guidelines),” added McLeod.
“The Power Store model allows us to scale our consumer connectivity into many more markets. While retail and many other industries face unprecedented times, innovation is coming through and evolving the space. We believe that to play a role in this “new” landscape, the community needs to be at the core of the retail experience — which is what our Power Store model is all about.
Foot Locker Community Power Location on Yonge Street in Toronto on December 8th, 2020 – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Foot Locker / Jordan - Photos by Dustin Fuhs
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Facade of new Community Power Foot Locker store on Toronto's Yonge Street. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
A peek in the front door of the new Community Power Foot Locker store on Toronto's Yonge Street. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Facade of new Community Power Foot Locker store on Toronto's Yonge Street. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Jordan logo coming down in anticipation of new Foot Locker store. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Facade of new Community Power Foot Locker store on Toronto's Yonge Street before branding went up. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
“We’re focused on creating immersive brand connections that are authentically tied to the neighbourhoods they serve; from the local store staff that we hire to the products and experiences we offer. We make a point to be a part of the communities these stores are located in.”
McLeod said the company recently reported its third quarter financial results with strong comparable store sales increasing by 7.7 percent.
“Because of the pandemic, we’ve definitely seen more of our customers engaging with us online which has made the product assortment and content on our ecommerce remain a key priority,” he said.
“Foot Locker exists to serve the sneaker-obsessed consumer, and we’re excited that more people took advantage of being outside and exercising to stay busy during this time. We are definitely encouraging our consumers to stay safe and enjoy the outdoors this season. With more people staying at home, we are continuing to offer cozy loungewear, athleisure looks and fitness products from some of the top brands such as Nike, Adidas, Puma and Ivy Park.
“To connect with our consumers socially, we recently partnered with Canadian influencers highlighting outdoor activities, such as a music performance by @zackzoya, backyard movie night with @kayla_grey and a podcast with @extragravyshow.”
Innovative Ottawa-based global e-commerce company Shopify is growing significantly. Job applications are now open for the position of Support Advisor in both Western and Eastern Canada, with many positions available. The employment positions provide a work-from-home environment which is already popular with many. [Apply at this link for Western Canada] [Apply at this link for Eastern Canada]
Shopify is considered to be an excellent employer, and the company is expanding rapidly due to an e-commerce boom which is expected to continue into the future. Shopify is a platform with all of the e-commerce and point-of-sale features that a retailer needs to start, run, and grow its business.
Applications are being accepted from residents of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and the North West Territories for the Western Canadian positions. Applications are also being accepted for residents in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador for the Eastern Canada positions.
The start date for this positions is January 2021. Shopify’s team will review applications on a first-come basis and will provide applicants with updates on applications regardless of outcome, in the order that they are received.
The Support Advisor role, also known as a Customer Support Representative, is a rewarding and challenging position where one can make an impact while meeting Shopify’s merchants who have an array of different needs that might include: marketing, fulfillment, shipping, design, etc.
The work-from-home position allows one to be comfortable while working with a diverse, dynamic and supportive team. Shopify believes in high-quality human-centred customer experiences. While working, Shopify Support Advisors are there to listen, teach, problem solve and explore growth opportunities with Shopify merchants while showcasing new features as they are rolled-out on the Shopify platform. Online chats, phone calls and emails are the primary communication tools for this role.
Photo: Shopify
Shopify encourages applicants seeking a challenge in a high-pressure environment to apply for the position of Support Advisor. New hires receive five weeks of training and mentoring where they’ll begin responding to Shopify’s merchants on live channels as part of a small team.
The full-time position includes a combination of weekdays, weekends, and holidays.
Responsibilities: Support Advisor (Remote, Canada)
Adhering to a daily schedule that includes a mix of: Phones, three (3) simultaneous chats, and emails.
Ensuring merchants have a quick response time by staying on top of your assigned tickets, with same-day ticket review.
Acting as a business coach and thinking about the merchant’s business holistically when offering solutions.
Completing essential follow-up documentation after each interaction.
Engaging in human conversations with merchants to identify and resolve issues, and provide coaching/growth opportunities for their businesses.
Offer needs-based solutions, not pushy sales.
Advocating for merchants and the Shopify platform by communicating with stakeholders.
Owning your own development through reflection, reviewing past interactions and preparing to discuss growth opportunities with your Team Lead in regular 1:1 meetings.
Requirements for the role:
Available to work full-time (40 hours per week) on a rotating schedule with varying 8-hour shifts starting anytime between 7:00 am – 11:00 am in your local timezone. This means some days your shifts could be as early as 7am-3pm, and as late as 11am-7pm. This includes working weekends and holidays on a rotating basis.
Live and have legal authorization to work in Canada.
Extensive experience providing exceptional customer service in a contact centre, retail or service environment.
Have appropriate remote work set-up – such as a quiet space, stable internet connection, and a back-up location in case of issues with the primary location.
Have access to a wired internet speed of at least 25 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload. You can check your speed here.
Proven track record of being incredibly resourceful and finding solutions even when there is no clear path.
Ability to adapt to new processes and work accurately in a fast paced, rapidly changing environment.
Proficiency with technology paired with excellent typing skills.
Have strong reading, writing and communication skills.
Willingness to learn all about entrepreneurship, care deeply about people support and enjoy having genuine human conversations.
Possess high level of understanding, patience and empathy. Able to navigate more difficult conversations/interactions with professionalism.
Are committed to continuous growth and learning. You understand that every challenge is an opportunity, and you get excited about learning new things.
Ensure privacy and security practices are followed at all times for both merchants and Shopify.
Bonus experience:
A background or interest in business, marketing, retail, or sales.
Ran or had exposure to running a business or being an entrepreneur.
Shopify, is committed to building and fostering an environment where its employees feel included, valued, and heard. Shopify embraces diversity and strongly encourages applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities and/or people with intersectional identities. You may also read over Shopify’s 2019 Sustainability Report to learn more about the company’s commitments.
If you’re looking to work for one of Canada’s most dynamic companies, visit this unique link to apply for the position of Support Advisor with Shopify if you live in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon or the North West Territories [Apply Here].
For those in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador [Apply Here]
Be sure to let the Shopify hiring team know you came from Retail Insider.
*Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, contact Craig Patterson at: craig@retail-insider.com.
Chef in safety mask hanging up sign closed on restaurant door.
Restaurants Canada is calling for a national working group to pave the way for the foodservice sector’s revival, building on the commitment in the federal government’s 2020 Fall Economic Statement to provide targeted, sector-specific support to restaurants and other “hardest hit” businesses.
On Tuesday, a group in the foodservice industry pulled together for a national news conference to highlight the plight of the industry and to call for immediate action.
According to the November Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, there are still more than 260,000 fewer jobs in the foodservice sector than there were in February. This is 21 percent of the restaurant workforce still not recovered. No other industry continues to face this level of shortfall.
Todd Barclay
Todd Barclay, Restaurants Canada President and CEO, said restaurants are simply trying to keep afloat right now and the industry has been the hardest hit during this crisis, adding that COVID-19 has been catastrophic for the industry.
“If we want to build back a stronger, more resilient Canada that continues to reflect our country’s incredible diversity, our industry is the best place to start. However, the only way to ensure that all these jobs return is if restaurants are able to survive and recover from the extraordinary challenges we’re currently facing,” said Barclay.
“We’ve already lost more than 10 percent of restaurants across the country. That’s 10,000 small businesses across the country now gone forever. According to our latest December 2020 survey, half of all foodservice businesses are at risk of closing within the next six months.”
He said eight out of 10 survey respondents indicated they were losing money or “just barely scraping by” and 65 percent said they were continuing to operate at a loss while 19 percent said they were just breaking even.
“That’s why we’re here today calling for a national working group to take our industry from survival to revival. We appreciate the support so far from all levels of government across the country. If it weren’t for critically needed programs like the federal wage subsidy and provinces stepping up to protect commercial tenants from evictions, we would have lost more restaurants by now,” explained Barclay.
“We’re calling for the establishment of a national restaurant revival working group to build on (the federal government’s commitment to providing targeted sector specific support to restaurants and other hardest hit businesses) in its 2020 fall economic statement. What we’re envisioning is a forum for coordinated action to encourage and support innovative multi-stakeholder discussions that will ensure restaurant operators are set up for success in the post-pandemic economic environment. Restaurants impacted by significant restrictions are going to continue to need sufficient, efficient and effective aid throughout the rest of this economic and public health crisis. There are still many months ahead for all of us collectively managing through this pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of employees and tens of thousands of business owners in our sector want a sense of certainty that they will be supported as long as it takes to get through this.”
According to Restaurants Canada, between March and April, more than 800,000 workers in the Canadian foodservice sector lost their jobs or had their hours of work reduced to zero and 426,900 restaurant jobs were recovered between May and September, but then the industry began to lose ground again in October.
Barclay said that prior to the pandemic Canadian restaurants were serving 22 million customers across the country every day, adding that the average restaurant has spent at least $20,000 on training, safety equipment and new procedures to keep their staff and customers safe.
“Collectively our industry has invested more than $750 million to be able to keep operating in this new normal,” he said.
Barclay added that a vaccine in place in a timely fashion is important for the sector.
Larry Isaacs
“A vaccine that is implemented across the country will give people the opportunity to engage in more of a normal way of life. It is important. We applaud areas of the country that are using data to drive the decisions as to how they are allowing for people to visit restaurants across the country. The data that we have suggests that we are a safe place for people to come and enjoy experiences with their family and their friends and appropriate settings where significant dollars and people have been invested in terms of ensuring that people will stay safe.
“As much as a vaccine is something that certainly will be important for all of us from a societal perspective, we believe that there’s things we can do in working with government to continue to move forward and allow for the industry to be open and serve our guests safely.”
Larry Isaacs, President of The Firkin Group of Pubs based in Markham, Ontario, said the narrative out there that restaurants are part of the cause of the spread of the virus is part of the industry’s problem.
“So the perception from potential customers is that it isn’t safe to come and visit us. As soon as there’s a vaccine in place it will mentally change the minds of the consumer to feel comfortable going out again. It’s absolutely critical. There’s no question,” he said.
“The industry has been decimated. The stats show potentially 60 percent of independent restaurants will be closed in the next three months, people out of jobs, taxes aren’t being paid to the government. I mean it’s devastating what’s going on. The sooner we get back to whatever’s called normality the better for the whole world. At the end of the day, it almost looks like people will have to be walking around with a vaccine passport or vaccine ID in order for everybody to feel confident.
“We are looking somewhere around October as a potential for seeing our customers being vaccinated. That’s what we are estimating from a planning point of view.”
Isaacs was referring to the typical demographic for his business.
“The sooner it (vaccine) gets here the sooner they have a plan to execute it I think people will breathe easier.”
Michael Kehoe, a retail and restaurant specialist with Fairfield Commercial Real Estate in Calgary, said a vaccine will be a very important step in the economic recovery for the restaurant sector.
Michael Kehoe
“I believe it’s not going to occur as quickly as politicians and the media are expecting. I think this could be beyond an eight or 10 month recovery period and I believe it’s critical for diners to have confidence to feel that they’re safe to go out. The all-important female diner with their families in tow is a critical component to the industry and until they feel completely safe going out I think the recovery will not occur,” said Kehoe.
“It could take several months for everybody to be inoculated and to be proven that it is safe to go out again.”
Kehoe said an important audience for the dining sector is the mature customer who at this point in time and for the foreseeable future is not comfortable going out.
“Any delays, any hiccups or speed bumps along the way with respect to the delivery implementation of the vaccine will hurt consumer confidence and delay the recovery,” he added.
The history of Whoo storefront. Photo: The history of Whoo
South Korea-based LG Household & Health Care chose Canada to open the company’s first multi-brand retail store under ‘The history of Whoo’ banner. The retail space at CF Richmond Centre near Vancouver is part of a growth plan that will see LG’s beauty brands expand further into the Canadian market.
The history of Whoo’s retail space at CF Richmond Centre spans 475 square feet. Included are Gani marble floors, mirrored ceilings, gold-plated fixtures, and one of a kind custom chandelier — LG says that it wanted a space with the same level of luxury as the brands contained within. The store acts as a way to share the story of the brands carried within The History of Whoo, including The history of Whoo, Su:m37 and O HUI. Three LED screens in the space, one for each brand, showcase an ongoing series of branded videos.
The company says that it created the store to showcase LG’s luxury beauty brands all in one place, marking the first ever multi-branded luxury K-beauty store in Canada. The store acts as a brand activation and education centre for the brands and is part of a bigger direct-to-consumer push in the beauty segment.
The history of Whoo launched in 2003. LG says that the brand “harmoniously balances modern day technology with Ancient Eastern medicinal principals to deliver the most prestigious traditions to the Empresses of today”. The Chinese character “后” (Whoo) translates into Empress.
“For the first time, a brand has uncovered the beauty secrets of the Royal Court, incorporating their rare and delicate nutritious ingredients from Gongjindan – a traditional herbal recipe. Each ingredient originating from the finest sources around the world, carefully blended and perfectly balanced to achieve harmonious, healthy, and youthful-looking skin”.
The history of Whoo Store Offers a Personalized Service & One-on-One Consultations
The store offers in-store personalized service that includes one-on-one consultations. Precautions are being taken due to the current pandemic.
The history of Whoo’s flagship product, Bichup Self-Generating Anti-Aging Essence, is described as being an all-in-one secret recipe that increases skin moisturization while improving the appearance of wrinkles for smoother and more radiant skin. According to a Kantar Worldpanel Beauty Evaluation, the product has been the best-selling anti-aging essence in South Korea for nine consecutive years. Each year, the serum is released with intricately designed limited-edition packaging inspired by the Royal cultural heritage.
Range of The history of Whoo products. Photos: The history of Whoo
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The Su:m37 brand is described as a traditional Korean luxury brand that utilizes cutting edge fermentation technology to achieve highly functional skincare products. Its best-selling “Secret Essence” was created using Cyto-FermTM technology utilizing a three-stage fermentation process to create a natural and fermented water achieved by aging and fermenting a variety of 80 plants for an entire year. The antioxidant rich Secret Essence is said to improve skin elasticity and barrier function to enhance the skin’s own natural strength and resistance.
The O HUI brand is described as a luxury cosmetic brand based on the concept of skin science to harmonize the skin and address its condition through the use of cutting-edge biotechnology and natural botanicals. Its Prime Advancer Ampoule Serum contains the brand’s proprietary Skin Core Enhancing technology that is intended to help protect the skin’s barrier and improve its resilience to environmental stressors such as pollution and seasonal changes.
LG Household & Health Care says that it chose CF Richmond Centre based on its demographics as well as the exceptional nature of the shopping centre itself. The Vancouver market was shown to already have awareness for LG’s brands and the storefront provides a home base as opposed to ordering products from overseas.
While the CF Richmond Centre is the first in the world for The history of Whoo, LG Household & Health Care operates shop-in-stores for each of its brands in upscale department stores throughout Asia.
Map of the CF Richmond Centre showing the location of new The history of Whoo store.
It appears that The history of Whoo could see more store locations in Canada. “Our Richmond store is a stepping-stone to a national expansion, including making these products available at our own brick and mortars and high-end department stores all across Canada in the future,” said the company in a written statement to Retail Insider.
As part of the Canadian expansion, The history of Whoo recently launched a branded, non-transactional website at www.thehistoryofwhoo.ca which provides key information about LG’s signature brand line, Whoo. The site also provides store information and is a way for customers to sign up to receive a monthly newsletter, or to reach out to the store directly.
LG Household & Health Care also owns The Face Shop which recently rebranded Canadian stores as ‘Nature Collection’. Avon Canada Inc. is also a wholly owned subsidiary of LG Household & Health Care Ltd. which has its Canadian headquarters within Avon Canada’s corporate office in suburban Montreal. We reported last month that Avon had opened its first storefront in the same building, with plans to open Avon showrooms in Toronto and Vancouver.
LG Household & Health Care is the leading consumer goods company in Korea in segments including cosmetics, personal care, home care and beverages. The company is listed on the Korea Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of about $27 billion CAD and full-year revenue of approximately $8.9 billion CAD in 2019.
We’re hearing a lot about the use of drones lately in the retail landscape and the prospect is good that the trend will continue in the future as they become more popular for both retailers and consumers.
Gary Newbury, a retail supply chain strategist and serial transformation executive, said the use of drones in retail distribution is a very rarefied field right now but it is a positive trend due to its potential efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Drone Delivery Efficient & Cost-Effective
Gary Newbury
The challenge in the future is to have people accept the possibility of drones flying around in populated areas as their application moves eventually to dropping off packages at people’s homes.
“The city folk might go no, I don’t like this. So retailers, the aviation industry, drone manufacturers, etc., have to do a big charm offensive to actually get drones into ways that we think of the world going forward. Maybe the pandemic and the surge to ecommerce may be just the trigger that people become more acceptable to seeing things flying around in the sky. We’re talking about maybe 50 to 70 feet up.”
But in the meantime, the use of drones to more remote locations seems to be a natural.
“And it will be primarily based on trend to access typically for ecomm sales – trying to access remote and rural communities with perhaps a more cost effective or frequent service than a truck doing the thing and an old transportation system,” said Newbury.
“Everybody gets that picture in their head and the question is how do you get the drone to that place in the most effective way.
“In terms of urban, suburban, high-density, downtown Toronto or downtown Calgary, I would like to see that happen but I don’t think I’m going to see it in my lifetime unless something big changes. It’s people’s perception of having these little ants flying around in the sky delivering lots of small packages. I’ve seen some very interesting videos on how maneuverable these drones are using guided vision cameras.”
Susceptibility to Weather Means Potential Challenges for Drone Delivery
The big issue for Newbury in the use of drones is weather related and the impact for example of adverse weather conditions on the transportation of the cargo and package.
Michael Zahra, President and CEO of Toronto-based Drone Delivery Canada, said drones can be used in a variety of ways and for various industries including ecommerce companies and even groceries.
Michael Zahra
“Literally it could be anything,” he said.
In terms of retail, “we’re having lots of discussions and we have a number of opportunities fairly far along in our sales funnel for a number of retail opportunities. I can’t mention any names of course. But there’s some very large well-known retailers. In the pharmacy business. In the grocery business. General ecommerce.”
Zahra said currently there isn’t anyone doing home deliveries on a large scale. Most of the applications where home delivery is involved are pilot projects or demonstrations.
The retail market can be broken down into two categories – business to business and business to consumer. Today it’s mostly B2B in rural, remote or suburban applications.
“We’re going from warehouse to warehouse. Maybe warehouse to store. Floor replenishment. These sort of applications that would benefit the consumer but it’s still B2B. In the future, and the technology can do it today, it’s more regulatory restriction. There really isn’t a lot of retail store to consumer going on.”
Once restrictions relax over time to allow for a greater range of opportunity to fly in denser areas that will open the door for using drones to deliver packages from retailers to consumers’ residential addresses.
Philip Reece
“It’s easily a good year away,” said Zahra.
Philip Reece, CEO and founder of InDro Robotics which is based in Saltspring, Island, said the company uses drones in a number of different industries including retail.
The company was founded in 2014. Reece was the former owner of a small airline flying in and out of Vancouver 16 times a day with four aircraft.
“I recognized that drones were on the rise. So I sold my airline to Harbour Air, which is still going. The largest seaplane company in the world and launched into the drones,” said Reece.
“We purposely did something a little different. We became an airline that flew through drones rather than a drone company.”
The company has worked with London Drugs delivering prescription medications directly to homes.
Among the murk of the current global health crisis, there are few bright spots to be found. The reporting of new COVID infections continues daily, at an alarming rate, with the number of confirmed cases reported worldwide since the start of the pandemic recently surpassing 60 million. Impacts of the virus’ spread have affected everyone from all walks of life, severely altering the ways in which we do just about everything.
To a large extent, it’s served to restrain, restrict, and even halt our progress. For those operating within the retail industry, the impediments have resulted in devastation reflected in a recent surge of bankruptcies and business closures. And, with many more merchants across the country and the world teetering on the brink of survival, the year 2020 will almost certainly be summed up by most as a very dark time for retailers. But penetrating the darkness, lending light and support to those within the industry wherever possible, is one Montrealer with a big heart and a deep passion for the continued health and success of the fashion and retail industries.
A Compulsion to Help
In response to the immediate and negative repercussions that began resulting from the pandemic back in March, bearing witness to the struggles and hardships of so many of his retail compatriots, Maurice Benisti, CEO and Co-Founder of Quebec luxury giant Benisti Group, stepped up in an effort to relieve some of the pressures felt by the businesses that carry his company’s iconic Point Zero brand, aiding many of them financially while also offering them operational support where he and his company could provide it. It’s an extraordinary philanthropic gesture that comes at a time when many of its benefactors require it most. But, according to Benisti, in light of the gravity of the situation at hand, the company felt compelled to take such actions.
“The past eight or nine months have been incredibly difficult for many retailers,” Benisti reflects. “The impacts on most businesses have been harsh and have resulted in an incredible amount of store closures. And for those that have managed to survive, the impacts of COVID-19 continue to attack their balance sheets. We knew as a company when this first started that we had to do something, to reach out and offer our help in as many ways as we could to as many of our retail partners as possible to help them not only survive, but to succeed during this time.”
Caring Outreach
With this goal in mind, Benisti Group, which operates over 20 Point Zero stores in Quebec, Ontario, Mexico, and the Middle East, and runs its prestigious Nicole Benisti luxury brand – a line worn by a host of celebrities including Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Hailey Bieber, and others – didn’t waste any time in responding, rushing to the aid of retailers as soon as the first wave of government-imposed restrictions and lockdowns on businesses were announced. Benisti describes the days and weeks that followed as a “frenzy of phone calls”, during which time he and others within the company contacted the CEOs and CFOs of as many of its retail partners as possible in an effort to find out the extent of the challenges that each business was facing.
“We wanted to speak to all of the amazing people that have supported us through the years, the large banners and the small boutiques, to better understand their situations,” he says. “We wanted to hear from them what their challenges and pain-points were, and the ways by which we could offer them our help, to assist them in getting through this crisis.”
Photo: Nicole Benisti
Investing in its Partners
In the cases of those who had been most negatively impacted, the retailer, which just recently celebrated 40 years of business, helped finance their operations to alleviate the pressure and burden of rent and other costs that were biting into their results.
For others, Benisti and his team contacted building landlords to renegotiate more favourable lease terms and contracts for the merchants. In addition, the company did what it could to ensure that the supply chains for many of its partners continued to operate in order to keep merchandise flowing into their stores and onto shelves. In some instances, it even offered to hold containers of goods in its warehouses, some of which consisted of the brands and products of competitors. But competition, explains Benisti, was never a consideration for the company when making these decisions. Nor was the amount of its financial outlay.
“We never viewed the impacts of the pandemic as a way to gain competitive advantage within the space. And we don’t consider the financial assistance we provided as a cost to our business, either. In fact, all of the work and support that we provided is really a long-term investment that will help our partners remain successful and strengthen our relationships with them. We strongly believe that the future of the world depends on humanitarian acts, people caring about the health and success of other people. We’re all in this crisis together. It’s no longer about one community, one city, one country, one continent or one business. The entire world is struggling to cope with the impacts of this virus. And we all have to work together in order to get out of this mess and continue moving forward.”
With social distancing and isolation becoming the norm these days because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have a desire and craving to connect in a more meaningful way.
And Hallmark Canada has found in the past year that people are enjoying that connection even more so today through personal cards.
The company opened a new corporate Gold Crown store in Halifax in November as well as one at the Seaway Mall in Welland earlier this year. Also in February, it plans to open a new store, a relocation, in Regina. Another store in Mississauga will be relocated as well to a much larger space.
Michelle Smye, Vice President, Product Solutions & Independent Retail for Hallmark, said the company has had several new distribution points this year.
Today, the retailer has 106 stores across the country that carry Gold Crown product and 73 of those are traditional stores where it has Hallmark on the bulkhead – 33 are what the company calls Gold Crown departments within a store which is a new concept it launched a few years ago where it looks at other retailers who may be interested in having a portion of their store devoted to this.
Screenshot of Hallmark Canada Instagram
“We’ve had a really good success rate with that,” said Smye.
One of the key partnerships has been with Rx Drug Mart stores in Canada.
“They’ve been a really terrific partner for us. They were just named the number one top growing company in Canada by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business and we’re thrilled because they’ve positioned Hallmark as their partner of choice in differentiating their stores in the marketplace. So they have several stores now with a full Gold Crown department which might be a 600/700-square-foot space in their stores,” explained Smye.
“We’re really, really excited about that.”
2021 Will See Continued Growth for Hallmark
Smye said the company definitely has plans for growth in 2021.
“We’ve got two existing franchisees that have already been working with us and looking to expand their portfolio in the new year. We’re feeling really good about that unless there’s some major change. Obviously they are aware of the challenges that COVID continues to present but they’re very keen to continue and they think the locations that we’re looking at will be very profitable for them,” she said. “So we’re excited about that.
Shelves of cards inside a Hallmark store. Photo: Hallmark
“And we have several new prospects that have approached us and have expressed interest in opening a new Gold Crown location in 2021. They weren’t too keen in opening in 2020 but are feeling pretty good about 2021. We have yet to confirm those and properly vet them through our process but we’re feeling pretty good about our model and the opportunities that it’s presenting.”
Smye said there have been significant challenges for the overall retail market during the pandemic.
“But we think there’s more of an appetite now than ever for our products because we’re completely centred on helping people connect and make a difference in other people’s lives. Right now we all certainly need a lot of that. As people are hibernating in their homes they’re also looking at ways that they can reach out and touch somebody else. That’s been really significant,” she said.
“Holidays are our most important season. We’ve seen a terrific response from consumers. It was really unanticipated given the situation out there but we introduced the season with a really successful ornament keepsake premiere event in July and then followed up with an ornament debut event in October. That latter weekend event saw significant double digit increases in sales volume year over year. We see that particularly now in this time frame consumers really feel a need for our products.”
This time of year, Hallmark movies are also on television screens across the country and have been an extremely effective marketing tool. The Hallmark Channel’s ‘Countdown to Christmas’, which airs exclusively on the W Network in Canada, reached over 15 million Canadians last year and Hallmark is anticipating that number to continue to climb.
“That definitely translates to an elevated awareness around our brand, and most specifically for authentic Hallmark Channel merchandise that is only available at our Gold Crown stores. Canadians are highly engaged and looking to share with other ‘superfans’. Our movie watching essentials includes everything from barware and dishware, to comfy sweaters, blankets and socks – we’ve even added entertainment options to our collection with games and puzzles,” said Smye.
Retail Insider recently did a photo tour of Toronto’s Yorkville area which is almost entirely shut down until later this month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are a lot of changes happening in the area and the following is an update on what’s happening and what’s to come.
When stores reopened in the spring after the first shutdown, The Bloor-Yorkville area was remarkably busy with lineups outside of some stores. Part of the attraction of Yorkville is the restaurants, not to mention beauty services for some of Toronto’s wealthiest residents.
Fast forward to December, and the neighbourhood is much quieter. The Ontario government mandated that as of November 23, retailers deemed ‘non-essential’ would have to shut for 28 days as part of an effort to reduce daily infection rates. There’s been a huge push by retailers large and small to reopen things sooner given the lack of proof that retail is a significant spreader of the coronavirus.
Back to the tour – we start at the corner of Avenue Road and Cumberland Street, which is seeing significant construction as per the photo below.
Cumberland Street. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
On the left in this photo is the new re-imagining of the Park Hyatt hotel, which has delayed opening until 2021. Included will bea new two-level retail component as well as a large Japanese restaurant, a pricey rental apartment building, and a newly rebuilt hotel with a Morton’s steak house facing Prince Arthur Avenue. Directly in front of us is Cumberland at Yorkville Plaza, a 40-storey condominium tower which has been under construction since 2012. The 8,000-square-foot penthouse was asking $25 million several years ago.
Yorkville Lane. Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Yorkville Lane, formerly known as Renaissance Court, recently re-opened after a renovation that saw new shops such as DICE Fruit Bar & Cafe and Zaza join classic staples of the neighbourhood like Alobar and B Hemmings & Co. which we featured in 2018.
Nearby at 154 Cumberland Street, two-level Kibo Secret Garden opened in October of this year. One reader said that the food is excellent at the restaurant that features an omakase menu.
Immediately east of Nespresso is a row of stores on Cumberland Street including Canada’s first SEE eyewear store, luxury fashion retailer Nicolas, Aveda, and Lululemon. When stores were open, the Lululemon store often had lineups of customers waiting to get in. Aveda, owned by Estée Lauder, recently converted Canada’s Aveda stores to a corporately-owned model after parting ways with a licensee that ran the operations for about 25 years.
Cumberland Street. Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Fortunately some retailers survived the first lockdown and a challenging retail environment that has ensued. Kate Spade operates a two-level store on Cumberland Street and women’s retailer Avec Paisir maintains its presence next to it.
More Storefronts on Cumberland Street: There have been some vacancies recently on Cumberland Street, and some movements. Upscale second-hand watch retailer Watchfinder, which was operating in a lower-level retail space at 128E Cumberland Street, is moving to a street level space recently vacated by upscale women’s fashion retailer Corbo Studio.
Sassafraz. Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Sassafraz, one of the go-to restaurants in Yorkville, has taken steps to rebrand as a curbside pick-up dining location.
The Minto Yorkville. Photo by Dustin Fuhs
The Minto Yorkville Park Condos, which by the way has a “walk-score” of 100, is a condo development that is 25-storeys and has a surprise for a new tenant on retail level. Cannabis retailer Tokyo Smoke is said to have leased the corner space and two other retailers were recently in negotiation to open next to it. The 94 Cumberland Street retail podium spans just over 5,000 square feet in total and it was originally leased to a single.
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Pink Tartan store in Yorkville. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Kumari’s Bloor-Yorkville is an upscale women’s clothing store specializing in elegant cashmere shawls, scarves, and jewelry. On this day, we spotted an impressive display of face-coverings as a window display.
Yorkville Avenue. Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Yorkville Avenue will be seeing significant changes in the years to come. A fire in 2014 destroyed a 150 year old building at 84 Yorkville Avenue that housed optical retailer Cutler & Gross. First Capital Realty owns the site and is looking to redevelop it, possibly for luxury retail as has been the trend on the street.
The Mr Brainwash Pop Up was to be co-hosted by Taglialatella Galleries and Ink Entertainment from October 1 to December 31 and can be visited at 87 Yorkville Avenue, but with the latest lockdown restrictions it will be up in the air if it will ever reopen.
The back end of the Nobis store that faces onto Hazelton Avenue – the photo was taken from the stairway leading into Yorkville Village. The store opened in December of 2017.
The Yorkville Avenue entrance to Yorkville Village, formerly Hazelton Lanes. First Capital Realty invested over $100 million to overhaul the shopping centre which has struggled to maintain foot traffic in recent years.
Yorkville Village Interior Holiday Display. Photo by Dustin Fuhs
The above photo is the ‘Oval’ at the Yorkville Village shopping centre. A Volvo-owned Polstar showroom will open inside later this month and Couple Diamonds recently opened its first permanent store in the world at the centre as well.
We had a very interesting photo walk around Yorkville, and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Remember to stop by the area to check out the new Urban Campfire benches. Next week we’ll feature Toronto’s Bloor Street West, aka the ‘Mink Mile’ in a separate tour.
