Iconic Canadian-founded restaurant chain Tim Hortons is releasing a limited edition fashion line for National Coffee Day on Wednesday, September 29th. The line is called ‘the Double Double Collection’ and it will be available to order online over an eight-hour time span.
The Double Double Collection of fashions include a range of hoodies, sweatpants, t-shirts and travel mugs. The colour used for the clothing items is inspired by the chain’s Double Double coffee.
Those interested in purchasing the limited edition collection can visit thedripdrop.ca on September 29th starting at 10:00am Eastern Time. As a nod to the restaurant chain and the fact that Tim Hortons makes its coffee fresh every 20 minutes, new options will be added to the website every 20 minutes. Consumers can purchase items from the Double Double Collection online until 6:00pm Eastern Time that day.
Various other noted foodservice businesses have also launched fashion lines in recent years, including the likes of Burger King and KFC. Retailers are also considering customized pins.
Toronto-based pop-up retail connector pop-up go announced that it has entered into a partnership with Chicago-based The Pop Up Retail Expert to expand pop-up services across North America even further with pop-up go operating already both in Canada and the US.
Linda Farha
The partnership will further expand pop-up go’s turnkey solution in North America with new services the introduction of educational tools such as webinars, videos, and other materials for both landlords and brands, as well as access to competitive insurance for all pop-up needs. The pop-up go platform already connects landlords and short-term space seekers at a time when the idea of pop-up retail and other concepts is quickly gaining traction.
“Over the past four years, we have built an incredible foundation as the leading pop-up matching service for both brands and landlords, helping hundreds of clients connect and execute pop-ups across North America. Working with The Pop Up Retail Expert gives us an opportunity to enhance the services we offer to our clients and the overall pop-up experience,” said Linda Farha, pop-up go’s Founder and Chief Connector.
Stephen A Brooks
“At The Pop Up Retail Expert, our objective is to provide the tools, guidance, and support needed for brands to succeed in the changing retail environment,” said Stephen Brooks, CEO and Founder of The Pop Up Retail Expert. “By partnering with pop-up go we are able to help our clients, including brands, shopping centers, and start-ups, explore and adapt to the modernization of the industry.”
The pop-up go and The Pop Up Retail Expert collaboration will include a series of webinars, bespoke consulting, and original content for each company’s digital channels.
Farha, also the owner of PR firm Zenergy Communications, founded pop-up go as an online meeting place for pop-up seekers and landlords. The company has become a trusted partner for securing, designing, executing, and promoting pop-up spaces and short-term brand activations.
On popupgo.com, landlords can list available spaces and be discovered by brands and businesses seeking short-term leasing opportunities for a pop-up store, brand activation or experiential marketing event.
Lululemon on Robson Street in Vancouver (June 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett.
Vancouver-based athleisure fashion brand lululemon has released a study showing how clothing impacts workplace performance, culture and experience in a new hybrid environment. The company has unveiled new fashion pieces to address changing work situations and consumer lifestyles as a result.
The study surveyed 20,000 people in 11 markets to better understand how consumers’ workwear preferences have been shaped over the past 18 months in the transition to hybrid working conditions during the pandemic. The findings indicate shifting attitudes toward workwear.
Of those surveyed, 96% said that comfort is important in their clothing — respondents in all 11 markets ranked comfort as being a top priority. Over 80% of those returning to the professional environment said in the survey that they hope that casual clothing becomes more common in the workplace.
The key global findings of Lululemon’s study show that more casual and comfortable attire does the following:
Improves Performance: 8 in 10 (81%) say they perform better at work when they are dressed comfortably; the majority of adults want employers to recognize that the quality of work employees deliver is more important than their clothing (86%).
Creates Connection: 3 in 4 (76%) feel casual dress codes in the workplace help people get to know each other in a more genuine way.
Impacts Confidence: Comfort is the most important thing when choosing clothes (important to 96%) and 3 in 4 (74%) say the clothes they wear impact how confident they feel.
Inspires Employee Respect: Over 4 in 5 (84%) respect companies that allow their employees to wear casual clothing to work.
Increases Loyalty: More than one third of Millennials would consider leaving their job if their employer made them dress professionally again (38%).
Intersects with Style: 3 in 4 (74%) do not want to choose between feeling comfortable and looking good in their clothing.
Supports Versatility: Among adults returning to their previous workspaces, 82% will start shopping for clothes they can wear both at work and outside of work.
“We know, and the results of this survey reinforce, that wearing clothes that make you feel good is non- negotiable,” said Sun Choe, Chief Product Officer at Lululemon. “The data provides a long overdue recognition that professional workwear can and should be functional, versatile, and comfortable—and when it is all three, it can positively affect performance, confidence, and more. As a brand that designs for feel, lululemon is uniquely suited to deliver what consumers need and want today.”
Survey findings also underscored that Gen Z and Millennials worldwide have the strongest opinions toward today’s style and are driving some of the biggest shifts at retail and in the workplace. Findings for various countries in the study include:
In Australia, Gen Z have been shopping more for clothing items that meet both casual and professional needs more than other generations (30% vs. 14-22%).
In Canada, being yourself is top of mind for Millennials. Close to 9 in 10 (87%) wear clothes that represent their personality, and 8 in 10 (79%) feel strict dress codes in the workplace limit self- expression.
In Germany, 75% of Gen Z says the clothes they wear impact how confident they feel.
In Hong Kong S.A.R., 71% of Millennials and 73% of Gen Z express putting a lot of thought into their clothing style choices, and 2 in 3 Hongkongers (66%) believe the way they dress for work has an impact on their career progression. This is particularly elevated among Gen Z men in Hong Kong S.A.R. (81%).
In Japan, nearly 9 in 10 (88%) of Gen Zs and 4 in 5 (81%) of Millennials say the clothes they wear impact how confident they feel.
In Mainland China, Gen Z has been more focused on comfort than fashion during the pandemic (39% vs. 22-28% amongst other generations).
In South Korea, 86% of Gen Z prefers clothes that are versatile enough to wear all day.
In Taiwan, over half (53%) of Millennial men are not looking forward to dressing professionally again when they return to their previous work.
In the UK, Gen Z has a close relationship with fashion, with 86% representing their personality through their clothes and 82% saying their clothes impact their confidence.
In the US, more than half of Millennial men would consider leaving their job if they had to dress professionally again (56%); 92% of Millennial men in the U.S. feel they perform better at work when they’re dressed comfortably and 87% would like their employer to loosen up dress code rules.
“In many ways, both working from home and this ‘next normal’ of a hybrid work environment has amplified what lululemon has been designing for all along—versatile, distraction-free garments that move with you through changing conditions and activities, making the wearer feel confident and looking sharp,” said Ben Stubbington, Senior Vice President, Design, lululemon. “The success and current strength of lululemon’s iconic ABC Pant, as well as several other key styles, highlight how consumers are shopping for functional, versatile items that don’t sacrifice on style.”
Recently, Lululemon introduced several back-to-work and back-to-life designs which include the ABC Pant, Commission Pant, the brand’s new Venture Blazer and its City Sleek Wide-Leg Pant and Cotton-Blend Twill Trouser, offer classic yet relaxed fits, tailored details, and high-performing fabrics ideal for the ‘new’ workplace while being mobile between home, the gym, the commute, the office and more.
Knox Capture Optimized by Samsung x Powered by Scandit
Samsung recently initiated the launch of Knox Capture which helps enterprise IT administrators rapidly deploy and configure barcode capture for business apps. What that means is barcodes can be scanned from a Samsung device by warehouse employees, among others.
Knox Capture is described as being a highly adaptable solution that is capable of handling tailored scanning logic for business apps. Knox Capture’s friendly UI and scanning engine helps coordinate the input, formatting, and output of scanned barcode data without writing a single line of code. What that means is that users can quickly capture and input data at the press of a button. Retail Insider recently had the opportunity to test the technology on a new Galaxy device supplied by Samsung.
Samsung describes Knox Capture as a data capture solution for business that leverages the Knox platform to enable quick and easy configuration, deployment, and management of all scanning use cases on the frontline.
Knox Capture technology provides various benefits to frontline employees and IT administrators. Those include:
Zero coding and integration needed: Customers do not need a significant development or integration investment for robust data capture and delivery to business-critical applications, reducing total cost of ownership (TCO).
Data capture with device keyboard – secured by Knox: End users can use the native Samsung OEM keyboard for scanned corporate data to ensure enhanced security. The keyboard also comes with a dedicated “Scan” button for enhanced usability.
Seamless deployment and usability: Knox Capture emphasizes usability in all aspects for users and IT admins with dedicated features and intuitive visual cues to support a short learning curve – employees can scan barcodes just like they would take pictures with their smartphones.
All major barcode symbologies supported: Knox Capture supports all major barcode types to ensure optimal coverage for all data the users intend to scan.
Key features of Knox Capture include:
Tailored scanning for business apps: Configure unique scanning configurations for multiple business apps by creating and applying Knox Capture profiles, eliminating the need for integration between business apps and the SDK.
Capture data: Use the device camera to capture all major industry standard 1D and 2D barcode symbologies such as UPC, Code 39, EAN, and QR, just like you would capture photos with your smartphone.
Configure scanning logic: Customize scanning logic with settings such as barcode type, camera zoom and scanning mode through the Knox Capture app on Google Play.
Customize scanned data: Format scanned data for output by adding prefixes, suffixes, and tab or return keystrokes.
Output scanned data: Send scanned data to input fields such as text boxes and drop-down menus in an app’s UI.
Test a scanning configuration: Test your scanning configuration before deployment in test mode.
Share and deploy Knox Capture configurations: Share a Knox Capture configuration with other devices via email, NFC, or QR code, or mass deploy a remote configuration through your EMM/MDM console.
Quickly launch the scanner app: Activate camera scanning within business apps with a single push of the remapped hardware key or keyboard wedge and start scanning right away.
Knox Capture is now available in Canada through the Google Play store on Galaxy devices including the Galaxy Tab Active3 and Galaxy XCover Pro models.
When it comes to the development of strategic partnerships and dynamic collaborations within the retail space, there isn’t a brand executing better than Sleep Country Canada. Following shortly behind the announcement of its expanded partnership with Walmart Canada and the launch of the brand’s Express stores, it’s set to launch an innovative new retail and digital collaboration with US bed-in-a-box provider Casper. It’s a development for Canada’s omnichannel specialty sleep retailer that President and incoming CEO, Stewart Schaefer, says allows the brand to continue expanding its sleep ecosystem while also building further on the incredible selection of sleep solutions that it provides customers.
“Sleep Country has cultivated a relationship with our customers over the years,” he says. “There’s a trust in the brand that’s resulted from ensuring that we’re the curator of the most relevant products and brands. Within the last five or so years, a number of wonderful brands like Endy, Purple and Casper started to appear on the scene with incredible product and innovation. And they were competing with each other and with us. The fact that Casper is now available in Sleep Country stores across Canada changes that landscape between us, and it changes the landscape for the customer in terms of the accessibility to one of the most relevant brands from coast-to-coast.”
Expanded sleep ecosystem
Sleep Country at CF Richmond Centre. Photo: Geetanjali Sharma
The partnership, announced in September, makes Sleep Country Canada the exclusive provider of six of Casper’s award-winning products, allowing Canadians, beginning early October, to purchase Casper’s core-collection mattresses – the Original, Nova, Wave, Hybrid Original, Nova Snow and Wave Snow – in most Sleep Country and Dormez-vous stores and online. The two companies have also developed a collaborative revenue sharing partnership concerning all Canadian sales within Casper’s Canadian stores and ecommerce platforms. In addition, the brands have entered into a multi-million-dollar cross-promotional marketing commitment intended to broaden and strengthen the awareness of each brand. And, just as important as the details of the deal, says Schaefer, is the ways in which the partnership further bolsters the brands ongoing omnichannel efforts.
“We are not only the retailer that brings Canadians the most innovative products available on the market, but we’re also channel agnostic,” he asserts. “This philosophy has allowed us to be flexible and to develop partnerships with brands, whether they’re digital-first or brick-and-mortar-first. This has enabled us to serve our customers in the way they want to be served. The acceleration of customer shopping behaviours and preferences toward the online channels throughout the pandemic has been incredible. Of course, this was an evolution in the consumer that was already happening prior to COVID, but the increased comfort demonstrated by Canadians to shop and purchase online means that you have to be there with your product if you want to grow going forward.”
Increasing awareness
For the award-winning American sleep products provider, this exclusive partnership marks its largest Canadian distribution platform to-date, with mattresses being sold across Sleep Country’s national network of 287 retail locations and robust e-commerce platforms. Casper has made significant progress in the expansion and distribution of its products through retail partnerships over the past year. Its partnership with Sleep Country, in particular, allows it to extend its presence in the Canadian market and raise awareness of the brand with the Canadian consumer.
“We are thrilled to announce Sleep Country as our exclusive retail partner for our most popular mattresses across Canada,” says Emilie Arel, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Casper. “As we strategically and thoughtfully expand Casper’s footprint, we aim to partner with respected retailers that possess unparalleled sleep and market expertise, and who prioritize a commitment to customer service. As Canada’s leading sleep retailer, I am confident that Sleep Country is the right partner for us to expand our distribution, while leveraging their nationwide logistics network and supply chain to efficiently serve the Canadian consumer.”
Focus on the consumer
As part of the partnership, Sleep Country and Casper will collaborate on the development of new Casper products designed exclusively for the Canadian market, combining the American company’s commitment to design excellence and innovation with Sleep Country’s intimate knowledge of Canadian consumer preferences. It’s a partnership and collaboration that offers each brand tremendous opportunities to continue growing. And, as Schaefer points out, it provides Sleep Country with another layer of offering, building further on a fast-growing sleep solution omnichannel ecosystem in order to continue satisfying the needs of an evolving and varied consumer.
“I learned years ago that not everybody wants to walk into a Sleep Country or Dormez-vous store to shop. The brand has a very strong loyalty-base that we continue to grow every year. But sometimes people will want to shop at a Casper or with Purple or Endy. And it’s up to Sleep Country to ensure that the Canadian consumer has access to all of these amazing brands. In the end, we’re a retailer. We sell mattresses and sleep products, and we do that very well. But we’re also a distribution and logistics machine with two new super hubs to better service the customer. And, as part of that service, we need to provide the range in products that our customer is looking for. We’ve been very focused on this and have been active for the last long while, developing partnerships with brands that share the same vision as Sleep Country. And, moving forward, we plan to continue being creative and innovative in the ways we grow and engage with the Canadian consumer.”
Montreal-based Noize, a brand that offers what it describes as cruelty-free and sustainable apparel and outerwear for women and men, is expanding its retail footprint with several new locations, including entering the Ontario market.
The company also has bigger plans to roll out the brand in more locations.
Mayer Vafi
Mayer Vafi, Chief Operating Officer, said the company has a three-year plan that will eventually result in many more locations in North America – not just in Canada.
“We believe the future of commerce is omni-channel. Digital and physical combined offering that experience for the end consumer to be able to try on the brand, learn about the brand, touch and feel the product of the brand and at the same time shop online,” he said.
The number of stores the company will eventually expand to is still to be determined but Vafi said it will be as much as the company can operationally handle. He said plans in Canada will include other provinces beyond Ontario and Quebec. For example, Western Canada is a target for the retailer.
“We believe that the values of our brand a lot of people out West live by these similar values and also the data proves that our customers are also out there. It’s just an operational, logistical challenge to start so far out,” he said.
Noize at CF Carrefour Laval. (Image: Noize)
“Retail is far from dead. This whole notion where people are pushing the theme that oh retail is dead and retail is not coming back. Digital and Amazon kills it. That’s all excuses in my opinion for the core business not evolving. I think that offering a unique shopping experience all tailored around customer service and really making sure that the people that walk in understand that you are there to serve them, to solve for them and make sure that they have a good experience which I can clearly say as a consumer going into stores, most retailers don’t. You have to basically almost do the work yourself.
“We believe that is the future and our business and our retail stores are all tied around the customer experience and making sure that they feel important and that they feel value and showing how much we appreciate the business and the work that they do in coming in to visit us. It is the future. Retail is far from dead. People are going to the malls, people are shopping outside, people are hitting at the stores. It’s just a matter of giving them a reason to buy. A value has to be there and the stuff’s got to look good.”
By the end of September, the retailer will have seven stores.
Locations include CF Carrefour Laval, Centre Rockland, Montreal Eaton Centre, Mapleview Shopping Centre in Burlington, Ontario, Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa, and Premium Outlets Montreal in Mirabel.
Noize at Rockland Center. (Image: Noize)
Mapleview opened at the beginning of September while Square One, Rideau Centre and Mirabel will open by the end of the month.
“We have a very healthy wholesale business. We deal with a lot of very reputable North American retailers such as Nordstrom, The Bay, all the key players in the sporting world as well,” said Vafi. “Our ecomm business is very healthy and with the data that we’re able to study from our ecomm sales opening these locations solved strategically for us where our end consumers are located.
“(Expansion) is data driven obviously. That’s why we are expanding in those specific locations. But why we are expanding into retail is because we believe in the omni channel experience. We believe that our end consumer should have the ability to touch and feel the product just as much as look at it through social media or e-commerce on our platform,” said Vafi.
“Omni channel is something we truly believe in and offering a seamless experience between digital and the physical world is really what we’re striving for.”
The brand was established in 2010.
“Our ethos and our business is built around sustainability and honestly ethical fashion. The brand was born from our belief that what we wear should not only look good and feel great but also be a champion of a positive contribution towards a better tomorrow,” said Vafi.
“All of our products are vegan, are PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) certified. There’s no animal by-products in what we do and what we manufacture.”
The company manufactures outerwear, sportswear, leisure, active and lounge wear as well as accessories. It also has pet and dog accessories. All products are made in the Orient.
Upscale New York City-based optical frame and sunglasses brand MOSCOT will enter the Canadian market by opening its first standalone store location in Toronto. The family-owned business spans five generations and has 16 stores in 10 cities globally.
The 106-year-old brand is known for its unique frames in a variety of colours priced at several hundred dollars per pair. Frames are made from materials ranging from metal to beta-titanium. Since 2008, the company has partnered with several designers in collaborations. MOSCOT stores are noted for having eye-catching yellow facades with black trim.
MOSCOT’s first Canadian storefront will open at 153 Cumberland Street in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area. MOSCOT will replace retailer SEE Eyewear that recently vacated the space — in the fall of 2017 Detroit-based SEE opened in the location where it operated for about three and a half years.
The MOSCOT storefront on Cumberland Street will measure about 800 square feet on one level. Luxury multi-brand fashion retailer Nicolas is located next door in a building owned by Kingsett Capital that includes three luxury retailers with the address 130 Bloor Street.
Future MOSCOT Yorkville Location – Photo by Craig Patterson
CBRE Toronto broker Arlin Markowitz and his team listed the former SEE eyewear space and is said to have coordinated the sublease of the former SEE store to MOSCOT.
It’s unknown at this time if MOSCOT will open more Canadian stores. The brand still has only 16 stores globally. In the United States, MOSCOT operates five stores in the New York City market as well as one in Los Angeles — Toronto will only be the third market for MOSCOT in North America to have a standalone store.
In the UK, MOSCOT operates three stores in London. Other global cities where MOSCOT has standalone stores include Rome, Milan, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Yokohama and Seoul.
MOSCOT-branded eyewear is also sold wholesale in selected optical retailers globally, including several in Canada.
Image: MOSCOT on Melrose
Image: MOSCOT King’s Road
Image: MOSCOT King’s Road
MOSCOT was founded by Hyman Moscot in the Lower East Side neighbourhood of Manhattan in 1915. In 1925, his son Solomon took over in the business and in 1935, he relocated the store to 118 Orchard Street where he introduced a bright yellow colour scheme to the store that was named SOL MOSCOT. Solomon’s son Joel began running the business in 1951 and his sons Harvey and Kenny joined the company in 1986 and 1991 respectively.
Joel retired in 2003 and ‘Sol’ was dropped from the name of the retailer that was then called just MOSCOT. His sons began to take the retailer global with stores overseas in Asia and Europe.
Various celebrities in years past have worn MOSCOT frames, including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and Johnny Depp.
MOSCOT will join other eyewear retailers in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area. Last month on Cumberland Street, retailer All Eyes On Me opened a unique storefront focused on Cartier designs. Other optical retailers in the area include Karir on Old York Lane, Optical Outlook on Yorkville Avenue, Holly Eyewear on Cumberland Street, Lenscrafters at the Holt Renfrew Centre, Hudson’s Bay Optical at the Hudson’s Bay Centre, Josephson’s on Bay Street and a Hakim Optical at the northwest corner of Bloor and Bay Streets.
We’ll follow up on this story with photos of the new store when it opens.
Young woman is outdoors, holding Christmas presents. She is holding paying card and smart phone
As vaccination rates increase in Canada and globally, shopping trends in 2021 are poised for yet another shift from last year’s surge in eCommerce transactions. The path to purchase is increasing complex as retail searches grew at a rate 3X higher than the same time last year, according to Google.
Retail Council of Canada is helping retailers of all sizes navigate their strategy for 2021. Insights on consumer shopping behaviours for the holiday season will be presented by Luc Dumont, Vice-President, CPG at Leger. Leger shares the most important findings of the annual Holiday Shopping survey of over 2,500 Canadians coast-to-coast.
Retailers are also increasingly aware of the value of understanding their local communities and the cultural nuances. John Stevenson of CulturaliQ will share strategic insights covering multicultural consumers and their shopping patterns. John will also speak about the changing face of Canada, cultural holidays and trends, and how to connect the dots from a 360 DEI perspective.
Navigating the holidays wouldn’t be complete without talking about your digital strategy and leveraging the knowledge of Google. Jamie Garatsougias, head of Direct-to-Consumer and eCommerce Retail at Google joins us to share the critical insights to bolster your strategy.
Whether you are finalizing your holiday strategy or figuring out where to go, Retail Council of Canada’s Holiday Shopping Forum will help you gain the critical insights you need to stand out and build meaningful connections with your customers. Retail Holiday Shopping Forum will be hosted October 5, 2021, fully virtual from 1:00 – 4:00 pm ET. View the agenda or purchase tickets today
