Top Canadian grocers testified before a parliamentary standing committee last week to explain why all COVID-19 incentive programs were cancelled within hours. Most grocery store and distribution center employees were paid extra at the beginning of the pandemic, only to see wages now go back to pre-COVID levels.
CEOs who testified were Loblaws’ Sarah Davis, Empire Company’s (Sobeys) Michael Medline, and Metro’s Eric Laflèche.
CEOs OF CANADA’S TOP GROCERY STORES DISCUSSED HERO PAY TERMINATION
Witnesses testifying before parliamentary committees are often used as political puppets to support underlying agendas. This session was no different. Questions were all over the place. CEOs were questioned about farmers, wines, beer sales, and everything in between. Discussions on the safety protocols put in place in the stores were confusing at best. MPs posed questions that were likely inspired by lobby groups who had got to them, wanting to make a point. Grocers are an easy target and are disliked by many, starting with farmers. But to be fair, most farmers have no idea of how complicated food distribution can be. Loblaws, Sobeys, and Metro employ more than 500,000 Canadians. Such a workforce requires strategic coordination.
The two-hour session was simply painful. If it were a TV show, it would have been called “The Empress, The Player, and The Annoyed”. Davis, the Empress, stayed on point, despite the committee’s efforts to throw her off her game. While Medline played along as best he could, Laflèche was clearly irritated by the entire thing.
SOBEYS GROCERY STORE EXTERIOR
Based on the tone of some of the remarks made by committee members, it is difficult to understand what was accomplished in 2 hours. There was no attempt to fully understand how food distribution works in Canada. At least, it was not apparent. Most importantly, it was not clear why only three companies were called to testify the cancellation of their COVID-19 pay programs, while no other companies such as Walmart or Save-On-Foods were summoned to testify. Retailers who did not offer any sort of pay premium were not summoned either.
Many questions suggested that MPs suspected grocers were colluding. Fixing bread prices, which occurred over 14 years is one thing, but talking amongst grocers is something totally different. It is not illegal for grocers to talk amongst themselves. Farmers, processors, wholesalers, and grocers around the world do it all the time. It is called co-opetition. Many companies which compete against each other face similar challenges these days and need to share information, courteously. Climate change, plastics, currency fluctuations, energy costs, are some of the challenges that require information sharing within an industry. COVID-19 is the latest example. The intent is not to favourably change market conditions, but it is rather to understand how the sector itself can cope with unprecedented challenges faced by all simultaneously. Hockey players, for example, who compete against each other can be friends. It is the same in the food industry. Based on the evidence provided during the testimony, nothing suggests that grocers were in fact conspiring.
That said, companies missed an opportunity and should have admitted that these programs were ill-designed from the start. It was clear from the beginning that pandemic pay programs, also referred to as “Hero pay”, would not end well. If companies wanted to reward employees for their work, one-time bonuses would have been more appropriate, and not temporary salary increases. This is what happens in other sectors of our economy. Increasing payroll expenses by 10% to 15% would make most grocery stores unprofitable. In fact, even with current wages, the Canadian market is likely overstored, and many will close over the best year.
METRO GROCERY STORE EXTERIOR
As for the committee itself, the lack of respect towards leaders in the food industry was irritating. Anyone who appreciates the work that was done for weeks during the pandemic would believe it was nothing short of a miracle. Employees played a very important role, no doubt, but so did leadership.
Grocers are not perfect. One may dispute decisions made by companies and how employees are treated, but salaries and working conditions are set by relying on a high-volume, low-margin business model. It has been like this for years. Higher wages would likely result in higher food prices, so MPs need to be careful with what they wish for. Food security in Canada is a paramount issue, especially now. The pandemic has made us realize that the model needs modernization.
There is a collective call for change, and all three CEOs who showed up in Ottawa are very much aware of it. They have some work to do. But the government needs to play a part as well. A guaranteed income for all has only gained currency throughout this pandemic. Let us hope the crisis we have all experienced will not go to waste.
A recent survey by Ipsos, the world’s third largest market research company, found that Canadian shoppers today are more thoughtful of their spending and they are taking more time to research online before making their purchases.
BRANDS NEED TO WATCH FOR CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR POST-COVID
Therefore, brands and retailers need to be prepared for this elevated behaviour, especially as they head into planning for the busy fall/winter Holiday shopping season.
“As companies start to make plans for the busy, make-or-break Holiday shopping season, they will need to have the latest information on shopping trends in order to make the best decisions possible and adapt to a rapidly changing consumer landscape. Any pains in operations or fulfilment today will be amplified as we head into the busy fall shopping season,” said Naumi Haque, Senior Vice President Ipsos.
“Not surprising one of the key things was that many Canadians are shopping online and that’s happening across categories. Groceries is where we saw the biggest shift. Almost a doubling of people using online grocery in about a month. From a broader context, we looked at sentiments for Canadians and we found that the current sentiment related to COVID has sort of normalized.
“Canadians have surpassed the preparation and the adjustment phase where they would have been stocking masks and pantry loading and things like that, over two thirds are now adjusting or acclimatizing to what we’ve been calling like a new normal situation. And I think part of that is we’re seeing purchases in non-essential categories increase as well. Fashion and apparel and home and electronics are starting to see an uptick as well.”
Haque said much of the early volatility in consumer behaviour is now starting to normalize where retailers can make plans for the back half of the year or the next 12 to 18 months because they can start to predict what that time period is going to look like.
CANADIANS ARE STILL REACTING TO THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19
According to the study, Canadian consumers are still reacting to the financial impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on them, with over a quarter delaying or cancelling major purchases (28 percent). As a result, most consumers (61 percent) also agree that they are being more mindful about how much they spend, and nearly half (46 percent) are being more cautious by spending more time researching purchases online before buying them.
The survey also found that three-quarters (75 percent) of Canadians are making fewer trips to the store because of social distancing measures, half (48 percent) are worried about safety precautions taken by delivery companies and a third (34 percent) are still stockpiling food items and personal care products.
“The accelerated growth of digital is being felt across categories, and especially in grocery and personal care. The number of consumers using alternative grocery fulfillment options like curbside pick-up and delivery nearly doubled within a month and high consideration provides ample opportunity for future growth of these platforms,” said Ipsos.
Haque said retailers are planning for the future and what that might look like. They have to invest in understanding how the landscape is changing.
“There’s definitely companies out there that are reluctant to invest in the research because they don’t want to commit the budget or they feel like it’s not worth it because things are going to get back to normal. It’s like ‘oh this is a blip. It’s a pandemic. It will go away’. But I think the fact of the matter is what we’re hearing from consumers and we’re seeing in the data this is the new normal for at least the next 12 months,” said Haque.
“You can’t develop a strategy for a 12-month period being blind to what’s happening with consumers. There’s new consumer segments out there. There’s new consumer needs and shopping occasions that didn’t exist before and we don’t touch in depth on that in the study but we’re doing a lot of custom work with clients to help them understand that.
“Just understanding that this is going to be a longer haul and making sure we have the right information is one thing they can do. The other thing is that it’s going to be a digital fall/winter. The trend is going that way anyway. Every year we see more digital and omnichannel behaviour. But this holiday season we know is going to be much more digital. There’s a lot of general best practices around that. We want to encourage retailers to think about that.”
He said customers are going to want to check inventory before they go online. They are going to research online before going to a store. They won’t want to spend time in a store particularly if there are continued safety concerns.
“So they’re going to do a lot more research up front,” added Haque. “They’re going to be scrutinizing their purchases more. They’re doing more research around price and being mindful of how they’re spending. Using mobile first. We’ve seen mobile trends increase a ton . . . Anything retailers can do to help consumers reduce the amount of time in store using mobile is going to be a really important measure for retailers and for brands.
“For a lot of these activities, consumers don’t really know how to go about shopping. They don’t understand if they go to a mall do they line up outside, do they line up inside. Do I need a face mask? Do I not? Should I have kids? Are there safety measures in place? Around the food court? There’s just a lot of uncertainty so I think communicating to consumers and making sure retailers and brands are communicating in terms of all the measures they’re taking and what are the mechanics of shopping I think is going to be super important.”
In response to high demand, and to provide more for the Crate & Barrel Canadian audience, the baby and kids home furnishing brand debuted at the Interior Design Show (IDS) in Toronto.
Following the online launch at crateandbarrel.ca, Crate & Kids products rolled out in five Crate & Barrel Canadian stores including: Calgary, Edmonton, Mississauga, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Crate & Barrel also has a store in Laval in the Montreal area but that store does not have the new concept yet.
“Crate & Kids is all about creating a creative home for families. If you think about the Crate & Barrel brand, we’re kind of an extension of that. It’s this design forward look but Crate and Kids has a real kids’ component to it and that we’re all about self-expression,” said Alicia Waters, Vice-President of Growth Strategies for Crate and Barrel.
“So you’ll see us presented in a really playful and unexpected way but it’s still very soft. It feels very good. But we do play off everything you know about Crate & Barrel. So great quality furniture, great quality in general. Just kind of a similar presentation.”
Crate & Kids is Crate & Barrel’s baby and kids home furnishing brand that combines modern design, functionality, and quality and safety into their furniture and accessories. Dedicated to quality, Crate & Kids is design-forward and imagination-powered, with safety and sustainability at its core, says the retailer. The brand’s newest collection for Spring is modern and unexpected, with a playful aesthetic, aimed to inspire the self-expression of new parents and their kids through thoughtful and meaningful design.
PHOTO: YELP
CRATE & KIDS LEADS WITH ITS FURNITURE ASSORTMENT
Waters said Crate & Kids really leads with its furniture assortment. It has a strong nursery and kids’ bedroom collection. Customers can find everything from storage pieces to toys to teepees to textiles that are soft, comfortable and organic. But the bread and butter is the bedroom collection – cribs, beds, storage pieces.
There’s about 1,500 square feet of this new concept within the larger Crate & Barrel stores.
“Moms can come in and take care of the needs of their families in addition to the rest of the house,” said Waters. “The other big piece is that Crate & Kids is predominantly online. So about 80 percent of our sales are done online.”
“It’s a natural extension on both ends. From a Crate & Barrel standpoint it’s a natural extension for us to go into kids. Kids is a $5 billion segment of furniture alone. So it’s a huge opportunity to kind of bring Crate & Barrel style into this industry. So I think for us it was a natural extension.
“We also think there was a real hole in the marketplace for our look and our design aesthetic which really is soft and playful and unexpected and has a lot of cultural relevance. There were those opportunities that we’re really addressing as a sub brand.
“And from a Canadian standpoint, again, it was a natural next step fo our neighbours obviously within North America. It’s a market that’s super important to us because we’re all about home and family and you’re right here and it’s just a great market for Crate & Barrel in general but we wanted to bring kids. The interesting thing is we heard about this opportunity first from sales associates who told us that moms were coming in and asking. They had seen Crate & Kids in the U.S. probably on the website. And they were asking for it. This was one that kind of came to us through market demand.”
The Canadian version was launched online on January 16 and in store at the beginning of March.
Waters said the Laval store presented some operational challenges at this time and the company was not ready to launch the concept at the Quebec store just yet.
“But it’s something we’re certainly considering in the future,” she said.
PARTICIPATING BRAND, MIRABELLA ARTISAN GIFT SHOP, LOCATED IN ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND. PHOTO: THE CANADIAN GIFT ASSOCIATION
The Canadian Gift Association has launched a new campaign to help promote the local retail industry which like others has been hit hard over the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign slogan is ‘Buy the Way, Keep it Local’ and the association says it is more important than ever for consumers to spend their money in their own communities for the independent retail industry to survive in Canada.
“Retailers are the crux of our industry right now,” said Nicole Hilton, Chief Marketing Officer at the Canadian Gift Association. “We know we need to take action to show consumers across the country some amazing home décor and gift businesses that do great business with our association.
“We’re hoping the whole country will get behind this movement. Canadians love to support local shops and there is no time like the present for consumers to step it up and invest in their local economies.”
INTERIOR PHOTO OF PARTICIPATING BUSINESS, GREENLAND GARDEN CENTRE, LOCATED IN SHERWOOD PARK, ALBERTA. PHOTO: THE CANADIAN GIFT ASSOCIATION
Buy the Way, Keep it Local
CanGift is the voice of Canada’s giftware industry, connecting wholesale companies to retail store buyers at the Toronto and Alberta Gift + Home Markets. These b2b events — two a year in Toronto and two a year in Edmonton — are typically attended by 10,000+ retail buyers looking to place orders, source the latest trends and learn from industry experts. CanGift aims to keep the connection strong despite the cancellation of their in-person markets this August due to COVID-19.
“They’re all suppliers that basically take orders from retailers across the country to fill their stores with products and merchandise and that sort of thing. So we have a membership base that is comprised of companies in all the gift categories. We have home decor. We have general gift giftware. Toys. Or children’s items. We have some gourmet food members. Some that are involved in maybe floral, outdoor items, or small furniture items or fashion, jewelry and accessories. Or kitchenware,” said Hilton.
“Membership basically gives you the opportunity to join the association and partake in the initiatives we do at the association, member benefits which include some breaks on shipping and freight and various things like that. But also the main thing is exhibiting in our business to business trade shows.
“Obviously right now the trade show industry is at a halt, needless to say.”
To help in these trying times, CanGift has launched its new campaign which is shining a light on the extensive database of retailers from across Canada, who could benefit from additional promotion and assistance during this time with the goal of featuring one retailer a day for 365 days on the Instagram account @keepitlocalcanada.
INTERIOR PHOTO OF PARTICIPATING BRAND, RUG & WEAVE, LOCATED IN GUELPH, ONTARIO. PHOTO: THE CANADIAN GIFT ASSOCIATION
The Buy the Way, Keep it Local grassroots campaign includes:
A commitment to featuring as many retailers as possible on the Instagram account for the next year;
Digital logo provided to retailers so they can join the movement by featuring it on their social media accounts and websites;
Meaningful partnerships that encourage consumers to shop in their own communities – CanGift is searching for opportunities to work with Business Improvement Associations and other initiatives taking place coast-to-coast;
Incentives from CanGift members that assist retailers in their ‘return to normal’ sales plans;
Contests with prizes from CanGift members awarded to retailers to help advance their businesses; and
Retailer Roundtable webinar series highlighting insightful discussions with Canadian retailers.
“It’s been hard. I think our industry has been hit in two ways. The real happening part of our business are these trade shows that we do. The b2b trade shows and that’s where retailers really get to come and see products. There’s a lot of value in being able to touch them, see them, check out the quality of products . . . hear from industry experts in our seminars and educational programming and make that face to face business relationship,” said Hilton.
“At our Toronto show, it’s the bigger of the two markets, and we draw from coast to coast with retail shop owners coming to place their orders and do their buying for their stores at that show.”
At the most recent show in January, more than 11,000 buyers came through the door with more than 650 exhibitors.
“The second way this industry has been hit is we’re working directly with retail and retail has been forced to close. At the beginning of the pandemic, we started to hold a lot of complimentary webinars for our audiences – retailers and wholesalers and some of the topics were basically how do you get your business online at that time and we were hearing from so many retailers thanking us for offering them the information,” said Hilton.
“Canadians really invest in buying local. This is a trend they’re already doing. So we should try to emphasize it more during this time to get more money into these local communities to help these retailers survive what’s going on,” added Hilton about the Buy the Way, Keep it Local campaign.
“We really want to try and highlight local business.”
A VIRTUALIZED REPRESENTATION OF A BRICK AND MORTAR STORE.
By Amy Gu
Online shopping has been growing healthily in just about every category of product. Though the market did not seem to need further motivation, the recent worldwide pandemic accelerated its growth. According to Rakuten Intelligence, ecommerce spending has jumped up around 30 percent compared to pre-pandemic figures. Are vendors adapting online shopping experiences to meet this fueled demand?
Seemingly every category of product is seeing a jump in ecommerce sales. Research by Signifyd Inc. found significant ecommerce spending in various categories that include alcohol, auto parts, general merchandise, home goods, and more. As ecommerce spending is propelled forward, there are technology implementations that can be considered to enhance the online shopping experience.
Some customers prefer certain experiences at brick-and-mortar stores. For example, hand-selecting things like produce is not possible online. This is an experience many customers desire. In addition, whether in a home goods store or a grocery store, many shoppers peruse isles to discover things they need or want as they shop. With technology, such differences in experience can be bridged. As everyone from young adults to senior citizens turn to online shopping like never before, brick-and-mortar stores need to adapt to serve their needs.
Using 2.5D Modeling to Converge an Experience
To create an online shopping experience that is more like physically being there, developers can use 2.5D modeling. Briefly, we understand two-dimensional, or 2D, things to be flat. This is much like a drawing on a paper or text on your computer screen. Everything is pretty much at the same depth.
When something is three-dimensional, or 3D, it is thought of as having three axes or three planes of depth. With a 3D view, you can pretty much rotate an entire item to see all its sides. So, we can see how 2.5D modeling might be somewhere in between.
With 2.5D modeling, it is essentially a 2D model with overlays on top to make things appear as if they were three dimensional. You might imagine a 2D picture of a box of macaroni. With a 2.5D model a developer can overlay the side or sides of the box on top of the 2D image giving the impression of depth and providing more product detail. But why not just go all the way and use 3D modeling?
A RETAIL STORE CAN BUILD AN ONLINE STORE WITH 2.5D MODELING TO RESEMBLE A PHYSICAL STORE EXPERIENCE IN THE VIRTUAL REALM FOR ONLINE SHOPPING.
To build an online store with 3D modeling would be prohibitive in at least two ways. First, 3D imagery requires far more storage and file size. But that is not the concern as much as it is how long it would take for a customer to load a page, let alone many pages. Consumers simply are not willing to wait long enough for it. Second, building a 3D model of an entire store and all its items is also comparatively cost prohibitive.
Implementing Modeling
To create such a 2.5D model of a retail store, one can use a person, robot, or drone to move along the isles of the store. While moving, images are captured of the complete environment. These images can then be stitched together to create the virtual store.
This is much like creating a panorama shot with a camera. To do so, an amateur photographer first shoots the left side of a scene, then the middle, and then the right. With software, the images are then stitched to create one image of the entire scene. This is what a store can do but with many more images to capture the entire store, aisle by aisle. Barcode labels on store shelves can be used to create the main stitching coordinates.
One obstacle will be that when a store changes its product lines or the display and positioning, it will require redoing imagery and re-stitching. Again, this can be made simpler with barcoding. When stitching together images, using barcode price tags on store shelves is ideal. By standardizing these barcodes – their location, barcode type and so on – developers can use software that offers the capability to stitch in this manner, to build their virtual online store more easily.
Adding Augmented Reality
With a 2.5D model stitched together of all isles, produce areas and other product locations, you can consider augmented reality (AR) to spruce up the overall experience. AR is basically where you can further overlay more images, video, audio, haptic feedback, and more on top of the 2.5D model.
One example might be adding AR to a 2.5D model of a box of a throw pillow. When a shopper is in the view of the pillow on a shelf, they can pull it out and view it and perhaps flip it over. An AR overlay might include an informational box listing the materials it is made of. You might even add a haptic feedback of a soft vibration to imply how soft the pillow is. There are many paths to using AR to create a more enriched interactive experience. By adding AR, developers can get one step closer to mirroring an experience of being at a brick-and-mortar store.
BY LAYERING AUGMENTED REALITY ON A 2.5D MODEL OF A RETAIL ITEM, STORES CAN GENERATE NEW LEVELS OF POSITIVE AND DIFFERENTIATED ONLINE SHOPPING EXPERIENCES.
Potential Challenges
There are two clichés that are important here. Image is everything and garbage in, garbage out. Getting good imagery to create the 2.5D virtual environment is important to the overall experience. But the better the quality of an image, the more page loading time will increase. At the same time, the more compressed an image is, the lower the quality will be.
Developers might need to balance these performance requirements against the potential local differences of a customer’s wireless connection performance. In addition, proper stitching of the environment is paramount to technical accuracy. This ensures the images the customer sees are actually for the right location and product, and that they are visually pleasing.
Also, stores would be limited in how often they might want to change product locations or in performing store redesigns. This is of course unless they are willing to also redo the panoramic imagery of the store after it has been changed.
A New Shopping Experience
With good planning, development, and execution, a whole new shopping experience is possible. Now a customer can open their browser, whether on a computer, smartphone, or tablet, and visit the online store with an experience that simulates a real visit. A customer can virtually walk the aisles of the store.
Once they see an item they like, the 2.5D imagery lets them further explore it in a way more like the real world. If they select an item, the intelligent application can be made to register the affiliated nearby barcode for the product to call up pricing and, if desired, inventory details about the product. The AR overlaid will help the customer with additional information or add to an enriched product experience.
Online shopping is changing the face of the retail experience. The pandemic has thrust brick and mortars to more quickly adapt than even before to online shopping. Companies that can more speedily and elegantly adapt to the experience customers want will be best positioned to keep or grow their customer base in a post-pandemic economy.
Amy Gu
Amy Gu is a co-founder of Dynamsoft, a software company focused on software development kits for document imaging, scanning and barcode reader web and desktop applications. Amy holds a Ph.D. in computer science. She was an associate professor at the Artificial Intelligence Institute at Zhejiang University. She was also a visiting scholar at the University of British Columbia and an exchange professor at Simon Fraser University.
After many weeks of patiently waiting, the majority of Canada is well into Phase 2, meaning many Canadian brick-and-mortar small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are reopening. While this may sound exciting for most, this is an extremely crucial time for SMB owners to be looking at their finances, to create a solid plan in order to survive post-pandemic. I am hopeful that Phase 2 will give retailers a chance to get back to work and make up for the loss of profit over the past four months, if they remain agile and follow these three learnings: .
1. E-commerce Capabilities
Brick-and-mortar retailers were impacted heavily by COVID-19, there’s no doubt about it. The pandemic forced these SMBs to shut their doors, and in some cases resulting in a revenue drop to zero, leaving them with a very uncertain future. Although the government has taken action, including emergency loans and rent subsidies, like CEBA or the CECRA for small businesses who are operating at half capacity, more will need to be done as they move into Phase 2. The reality is, and many SMB owners know this, that many people who receive funding from the government will still have to apply for additional funding.
Brick-and-mortar stores are at a disadvantage because many have never needed and often do not have a budget for digital marketing. However, when the pandemic hit, every single business needed to act as if they were an e-commerce store, which resulted in the 126% increase in online sales across Canada in April. COVID-19 has rapidly changed the game for e-commerce sites and unfortunately left brick-and-mortar stores to play catch up by getting creative, and fast.
For the past decade, I’ve run a company called Merchant Growth that has been supporting thousands of SMBs, many of which are brick-and-mortar first companies, through lending them millions of dollars to help them grow. As we slowly enter into new phases of the pandemic, we are still learning the importance of e-commerce capabilities, especially for brick-and-mortar stores, and the role they need to take if they want to keep up with online platforms. E-commerce is challenging brick-and-mortar stores and shifting the way retailers need to think in 2020. COVID-19 has demonstrated how important it is to have an e-commerce strategy, to support the overall health of the business. We’ve seen initiatives like shopHERE, who have helped brick-and-mortar businesses get online and go digital. Throughout the pandemic, we have also prioritized creating an e-commerce lending program to support businesses in pivoting to enter the digital market.
DIGITAL MARKETING WILL LEVERAGE YOUR SMB.
2. Always-On Marketing
2020 has also shown us the importance of always communicating with our customers and community, and building those relationships up so businesses have consistent support in the tough times. The pandemic has driven a shift to e-commerce and without a strong digital marketing and communications plan, many brick-and-mortar businesses are missing the opportunity to continue communicating online with their consumers. The past four months have revealed many consumer trends and we know that consumers are more motivated than ever before, to shop online while staying safe from the comfort of their home.
I encourage brick-and-mortar stores to pivot and focus on building a strong online communications strategy and prioritize digital marketing. Some benefits of digital marketing include, creating an ideal market condition for consumers, the ability to quickly test and launch new products and ideas, and to meet all touchpoints of consumer interaction. If SMB owners adopt an “always-on marketing” approach they have the opportunity to rebuild their business at a much faster pace. Moving into Phase 2, if SMB owners can engage with customers digitally and offer their products online and in store, they will be able to target a wider range of consumers and perhaps connect with new customers.
PLAN AHEAD TO FUTURE-PROOF YOUR SMB.
3. Having a Plan
If COVID-19 taught us anything as business owners, it’s taught us to have a crisis plan. Having a plan is crucial to the survival of any business. COVID-19 dramatically impacted the stability of the Canadian economy and specifically the financial futures of SMBs. It’s in this time that we need to lean on our neighbours for support and identify a plan that will set our futures up for financial success.
As business owners, having a plan for a crisis as well as a plan on how to manage a crisis once it’s over is the first step to ensuring your business’s success. Throughout COVID-19, 92% of small businesses disclosed they were experiencing negative financial effects and were unprepared for what was to come. In order to avoid an extreme financial crisis, SMB owners will need to take their communications and business plan to the next level, preparing for everything and anything to happen. Right now, if you are a SMB owner who is looking to rebuild your business, start by assessing your businesses financial damage. The first step in recovering from the pandemic is to understand the financial state your business is in and how deeply it was affected. Know there are resources available to support you through this process. Along with government aid, utilize fintech lenders in your community, to help you get back onto your feet and rebuild your business.
As we shift and move into new phases and begin to understand what a post-pandemic world will look like for SMB retailers, I am hopeful that we will have the opportunity to work together as a community to build a brighter and more stable future. Above all, my hope is that brick-and-mortar stores now realize the importance of staying innovative, keeping a pulse on their competition and begin to integrate a digital marketing strategy into their post-pandemic business plan.
David Gens
David Gens is an award-winning business leader who is passionate about helping Canadian small businesses grow and find the financing they need. David is the Founder and CEO of Merchant Growth, which grew from its humble beginnings in his apartment to offices in both Toronto and Vancouver. He now leads one of Canada’s largest online small business finance companies.
PHOTO OF CF DRIVE IN MOVIE THEATRE CONCEPT IN ACTION. PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
Shopping centre landlord Cadillac Fairview piloted a recent drive-in theatre program at its mall property in CF Markville in southern Ontario which will likely expand throughout the country to its other mall locations.
To help ring in the summer season, and to officially welcome back the community to CF Markville, the centre piloted the CF Drive In movie theatre concept in the centre’s parking lot on a Friday and Saturday evening.
Craig Flannagan, Vice-President of Marketing for Canadian shopping centre owner Cadillac Fairview, said the pilot project in Markham, Ontario, will be rolled out to some of the company’s other properties in Canada. The company has 19 shopping centres across the country.
The pop-up drive-in took place June 26-27.
DRIVE IN STAFF MEMBER WEARING MASK AND GLOVES SERVING PATRON IN THEIR CAR. PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
DRIVE IN STAFF MEMBERS WEARING MASKS. PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
CADILLAC FAIRVIEW DRIVE IN MOVIE NIGHT SIGNAGE. PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
“It’s actually a concept that’s part of a group of things that we’re trying with safety being our top priority. Shortly followed by that we wanted to make sure that we could have some safe and enjoyable experiences for our shoppers and drive-in was one of them,” said Flannagan, adding that the company was excited by the results of the Markham project.
On the first night, people from its CF Insiders (newsletter subscribers) were invited to join and on the second night CF Markville retail clients and employees were invited. The cost was $20 per car. It was a double-feature both evenings with Smallfoot and Goonies. The centre partnered with Kernels to provide all movie-goers with popcorn. About 60 cars each night attended the event.
“Both were really good nights. It’s a pilot. You’re always going to learn things and we learned that consumers like it and our shoppers really liked it and we raised $10,000 for the Markham Stouffville Hospital. So we did some good things there too,” said Flannagan.
“We erected about a 40-foot LED screen that was on a trailer and stage. That allowed us to get really good positioning. It also allows us to be bright so we can start maybe earlier than your projector based drive-in. It was a really bright, high quality screen. The good feedback we got from customers was that the picture quality was really, really strong.
CF FACE MASK STUDIO IN PROGRESS. PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
“We’ve got 19 shopping centres across the country and what we wanted to do was make sure that we could pilot at a property that was recently opened so that we could have a chance of welcoming the community back. Some of our properties in the West have been open a little bit longer. So that focused us on Ontario. It was a really great way to start to welcome that community back in a way that was socially distant and really enjoyable.”
Flannagan said 83 perent of the drive-in attendees were very satisfied with the experience.
“That was a really good indication for us that we’ve got something here,” he said. “So we are going to continue to look to roll out to more properties and we’re going to look at longer. How many days can we set up? How many people can we get through in a way that is safe and enjoyable? We’ve got nothing to announce right now in terms of when our next dates will be. But rest assured, we are planning a bit more of the rollout,” he said.
“As we continue to evolve the retail experience, as we continue to look for things that are going to not only drive enjoyment but have people think about the mall in a different way, I could absolutely see things like the CF Drive In experience becoming part of the future. It’s probably too early to say right now but there’s always things that we’re looking at and how could we add more excitement and enjoyment to the experience.”
Flannagan said the CF Drive In experience is just one of other projects Cadillac Fairview is piloting at different places across the country. CF Chinook Centre in Calgary had the CF Face Mask Studio, an opportunity for people to not only pick up a face mask but also to be able to customize and personalize it.
THE CF INSPIRATION WALL AT CF POLO PARK IN WINNIPEG. PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
The CF Inspiration Wall at CF Polo Park in Winnipeg involved people writing down messages of inspiration, thanks and celebration as a way to welcome back the community to the mall. A local artist then painted those messages on a wall.
“It is a really moving piece. We’re going to keep it up indefinitely. It’s a really interesting way to mark a time that the community has gone through – a really crazy, interesting time, there’s so many adjectives that people have used to describe this – but that inspiration wall is going to be kind of a marker of this time at Polo Park. And we are going to roll that out in the coming weeks to probably five to seven properties across the country and get those messages from local communities and be able to artistically display those,” added Flannagan.
Exterior of Oakville L.L.Bean store. Photo: L.L.Bean
Iconic outdoor outfitter L.L.Bean, buoyed by its successful launch a year ago in Canada, is set to aggressively expand the brand throughout the country in the coming years, starting with four new stores in Ontario by the end of 2020.
The American outdoor retailer launched its Canadian e-commerce site in the fall of 2018, followed by the launch of a Canada-specific catalog and the opening of the first Canadian store in Oakville, Ont., in August 2019.
“The success of L.L.Bean in Oakville has been encouraging, and the new stores across Ontario will widen the reach to our loyal Canadian customer base. We’re excited to work with L.L.Bean to expand the iconic brand in Canada and to encourage outdoor activities with family and friends,” said Howie Kastner, President of Toronto-based Jaytex Group, which has a long-term exclusive license for Canada for L.L.Bean wholesale and retail.
Its second store will open Friday in the Georgian Mall in Barrie. The Ottawa Train Yards store is scheduled to open in the third week in August. A small outlet store is set to open in early September in Vaughan Mills near Toronto. And toward the end of September or early October, L.L.Bean will open a store in the CF Shops at Don Mills in Toronto.
THE NEW STORE AT GEORGIAN MALL IN BARRIE, ONTARIO. PHOTO: L.L.BEAN
Each location will feature a unique store design and a curated assortment of footwear, apparel, and outdoor essentials informed by Canadian customer feedback.
The opening of the three new L.L.Bean locations reflects the company’s continued success in the Canadian market, accelerated by strong year-over-year sales and new customer growth.
“We opened Oakville in August (2019) and it was just a fantastic opening. We always knew that there was a strong, loyal L.L.Bean customer in the country and we proved that when the store opened. We had a successful opening and that continued right through the fall holiday season,” said Kastner. “We were very happy with the results, which in turn led us to start looking for other locations.”
“Of course, we had to shut down for the spring (due to COVID-19). We reopened Oakville in Phase One. It started soft but every day is getting better and now that Oakville has moved into Phase Two we’re seeing a lot more traffic and we’re obviously quite happy with sales.”
Kastner said the company plan is to have up 20 stores across the country. Next year, it is looking at opening in the Maritimes because there’s a very strong L.L. Bean customer in that region due to the proximity to the corporate base in Freeport, Maine.
“Right now, we’re looking at opportunities in the Halifax area. So we will open one next year and then after that we’ll start to look at other opportunities. We’ll start to move West. We’re going to continue the growth. It’s going to be calculated. Location has to be right. The centre has to be right. And the demographic has to be right. We’re still targeting 20 stores,” said Kastner.
L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. L.L.Bean is a family-owned Maine company, led by Executive Chairman, Shawn Gorman, the great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, and Stephen Smith, President and CEO. L.L.Bean currently operates 54 stores across the United States and 28 stores in Japan. The 220,000-square-foot L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than three million visitors every year.
Greg Elder, Vice President of Retail and International for L.L.Bean, said the positive response to its first store opening accelerated its expansion plan for this year despite the economic downturn.
“We’re extremely grateful to our Canadian customers for welcoming us, and the continued success really speaks to the strength of the brand, the relevance of our iconic products and the kinship we share in the inherent love and care for the outdoors,” he said.
“We’re extremely mindful of how and where we grow,” said Stephen Smith, President and CEO of L.L.Bean. “We’re excited to be able to offer our Canadian neighbours more options in more locations around the country this year, and to provide them the outdoor essentials they need to enjoy the many restorative benefits of being outside. We look forward to building on that relationship with our Canadian customers for years to come.”
Kastner said Canadian consumers are familiar with the family brand which is outdoor and active. It resonates well with the Canadian consumer and there is a strong e-commerce presence.
Many stores will be closing in Canada over the summer as brands are hit hard in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it’s challenging to quantify the number of permanent closures at this time, it appears hundreds of individual store locations in Canada will be vacated before the fall.
The list of store closures include independent retailers as well as medium and larger chains which have either filed for bankruptcy protection or are simply shutting stores amid financial turmoil. Prior to COVID-19, many retail chains in Canada were struggling amid debt and the pandemic has in effect sped up the process by creating further financial challenges.
Some fashion retailers have been hit particularly hard given the purchase and delivery cycle. Spring collections saw significantly fewer sales as consumers stayed at home for much of the season, and now many retailers are considering their options as fall collections are coordinated for delivery. Some retailers have struggled with credit insurance coverage for deliveries which means that some retailers could be understocked for the fall if at all.
EXTERIOR OF ALDO STORE IN FIRST CANADIAN PLACE. PHOTO: FIRST CANADIAN PLACE
Some independent retailers are reconsidering their operations altogether, recognizing that demand for some retail categories are expected to be less in the fall of 2020. One retailer Retail Insider spoke with said that her family’s retirement plans were already in jeopardy and that it might make more sense to shut down stores rather than take the risk of restocking for the fall. Major costs including rent and staffing were part of the challenge, not to mention increased costs associated with sanitization and PPE. “Government support is simply not enough,” the retailer said.
Larger retailers are also looking to the future which for some will include fewer store locations. Many have been quietly restructuring operations which has included layoffs, and some retailers will seek creditor protection in an effort to close underperforming locations. One industry insider said that Canada may see one bankruptcy filing per week over the summer for medium and large-sized retailers. Other large retailers are making major staffing cuts. Seattle-based Nordstrom, which operates six full-line stores in Canada as well as six off-price Nordstrom Rack locations, for example, is undergoing a restructuring which has resulted in many management layoffs. Lisa Tant, formerly the Canadian Styling Sales Director at Nordstrom was let go recently according to a social media post, and others in Canada and the US are said to have been laid off as well.
International retailers with stores in Canada are also filing for bankruptcy protection and are looking to close stores in Canada. All of the store closures will have an impact on landlords who will have to find tenants to replace them, or reconsider the real estate portfolio altogether. The value of commercial properties in Canada will in many cases be reduced due to vacancies as well as unpaid rents, all of which will impact owners and shareholders.
Foodservice businesses such as restaurants will also add substantial vacancies to commercial properties in Canada. Given the thin margins that many restaurants operate with, closures and reduced capacity have impacted some that have already closed while others will struggle and eventually shutter over the summer or into the fall. When government support for rents and staffing costs is reduced or eliminated, the pace of closures will likely increase.
Independent Retailers Shuttering
Publications such as BlogTO seem to report almost daily on small businesses shutting in Toronto permanently, and it’s the same across the country. Some landlords have chosen not to participate in government rent relief funding and despite offers to defer rents, the debts incurred by small businesses are in some cases proving to be insurmountable. Adding to that are property taxes, insurance, and other expenses. One well-known broker in Toronto explained that many retailers are now seeking percentage rent lease deals, while some landlords are insisting on terms in executed leases which includes enumerated rents due. Many of these independent retailers are located on urban streets and vacancies could result in blight which will negatively affect vibrancy in some areas. If the trend continues, the future of some commercial areas could be in question, even popular areas such as Toronto’s Danforth and Beach areas for example.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF LOLE FLAGSHIP IN MONTREAL. PHOTO: RETAIL INSIDER
National Chains Shutting Stores
Over the past several weeks numerous national retail chains have filed for bankruptcy protection and some have either already closed stores or are in the process of doing so.
Lole: Montreal-based athleisure brand Lole, considered to be a competitor with Lululemon, which filed for bankruptcy protection in May and shut its corporate stores in Canada and globally (franchised locations are still open according to a former store manager). Lole’s filings indicated that the company has about $47 million in debt. The company had high expectations given the success of competitors such as Lululemon.
Scholar’s Choice: London Ontario-based kid’s education retailer Scholar’s Choice announced a significant restructuring this week. A total of 13 of the retailer’s 16 stores will close permanently. That includes closing nine stores in Ontario, three in Alberta and one in Nova Scotia. The three remaining physical stores will act as regional sales and distribution centres to support the shift in the business with units remaining in London, Winnipeg and Moncton NB. The company’s restructuring will allow Scholar’s Choice to remain a going concern with a strong online sales focus.
Frank And Oak: Last month Montreal-based fashion retailer Frank And Oak filed for bankruptcy protection with about $19 million in debts. The company launched as an online menswear brand in 2012 and began opening stores after that, and in 2017 launched womenswear that included some standalone women’s stores. The company has 20 stores and is reportedly looking at closing 17 of them, leaving two stores in Quebec and one in Ontario. Frank And Oak has struggled for several years and came up with creative ways to stay in business, including a partnership with Postmedia for advertising in return for an equity stake as well as with landlord Cadillac Fairview. In March of this year, Frank And Oak co-founder Ethan Song left the company.
RENDERING OF SAIL STORE EXTERIOR. RENDERING: SAIL
La Senza: While now owned by Beverly Hills-based Regent, Quebec-founded lingerie and underwear retailer La Senza will permanently close about 30 of its 100 Canadian storefronts. The future of the entire company is in question and it remains to be seen what happens with other locations in the coming months.
SAIL: We reported this month that Montreal-based sporting goods retailer SAIL had filed for bankruptcy protection and with that, all four of its Sportium banner stores will close as well as two SAIL stores in Ontario.
David’s Tea: Montreal-based David’s Tea filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday. A total of 124 of the company’s 210 North American stores will close for good, including 82 units in Canada and all 42 stores in the US. The company hadn’t paid landlords rent in months and will renegotiate remaining locations. The David’s Tea concept stores opened quickly over the past five years and the cost of real estate proved to be a challenge. The company will focus on e-commerce moving forward.
Aldo Shoes: We previously reported that Montreal-based footwear and accessory retailer Aldo had gone into creditor protection and we subsequently learned that more than 40% of its Canadian locations will either not reopen or will shutter over the next while. That will result in substantial vacancies for CRUs in the 1,000-2,000-square-foot range.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF REITMANS’ CF CARREFOUR LAVAL BOUTIQUE PHOTO: REITMANS
Nygard: The Winnipeg-based Nygard retail chain of stores is liquidating, including its Alia and Tan Jay storefronts. It’s the end of an era for the fashion company with 169 stores and an expansive wholesale arm founded by designer Peter Nygard who’s empire has gone down amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Toys Toys Toys: The Toronto-based toy retailer filed for bankruptcy this week and all product is being liquidated. The company’s stores include Vaughan Mills, Square One Shopping Centre, Erin Mills Town Centre, Scarborough Town Centre, and Oshawa Centre. A.D. Hennick & Associates and Danbury Global are handling the liquidation sale.
Comark Holdings: The parent company for Ricki’s, Cleo and Bootlegger filed for bankruptcy protection last month and with that, many stores are expected to close. While the majority of the 310 units will remain open according to filings, Comark is still expected to close at least 100 store locations in Canada in the coming weeks and months. We reported extensively on the filing last month.
Le Chateau: On Monday evening, Montreal-based Le Chateau issued a press release with its earning statement noting that the company may not survive another 12 months without outside investment. The company has 124 stores in Canada. Given the year-over-year losses and overall financial position, securing investment may be challenging and by early 2021, Le Chateau may become part of Canada’s retail history.
There are other examples not included above that we have reported on since March of this year. Several People’s Jewellers locations are said to have closed permanently and the future of the Moore’s menswear chain is in question as US parent company Tailored Brands struggles. Vancouver-based RYU Apparel has shut its mall-based stores in suburban Toronto and Vancouver as well as a unit near Robson Street, and we’re awaiting future details on the company.
International Retailers Closing Canadian Stores
EXTERIOR OF MINISO STORE. PHOTO: MINISO
The COVID-19 pandemic hastened plans for international companies to close stores in Canada and abroad. Given the number of international retailers operating in Canada, the loss of locations will have a profound effect on landlords and will result in substantial job losses.
Long Tall Sally: The women’s fashion and footwear retailer’s international business is winding down and with it, all Canadian stores have shuttered. It leaves a gap in terms of fashion for taller women and women with large feet, and some transgendered women have also commented online about the loss of the store. Long Tall Sally had stores in markets including in downtown Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, London, Edmonton, Calgary, and other markets in the past including Winnipeg and Saskatoon. The company acquired Canadian chain Tall Girl in 2009 which had nine stores at the time, and there is an opportunity for other retailers to bridge the gap in terms of stocking larger-sized clothing and footwear.
Microsoft: The Seattle-based technology company announced last month that all of its brick-and-mortar stores would close, including seven units in Canada. The seven Microsoft Canadian stores are all in high-profile malls including CF Chinook Centre in Calgary, West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Metropolis at Metrotown in suburban Vancouver, CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Square One in Mississauga, CF Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, and the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. All store locations are considered to be exceptional and landlords are likely going to be able to find strong tenants to replace Microsoft in these malls. Microsoft will continue to focus its sales efforts online.
Miniso: Chineses variety retailer Miniso, which positions itself as a Japanese brand, has been closing some stores across Canada. The company entered Canada in 2017 and had plans to open about 500 stores as part of an ambitious expansion. Trouble ensued as we reported last year amid claims of fraud, and the problems have continued since then. Many franchised Miniso locations were said to be losing money and many have closed. Some locations that are currently open, including a Miniso store on Robson Street in Vancouver, are for sublease.
GNC: The struggling health supplement chain will close 29 Canadian stores as part of a major downsizing after a US bankruptcy filing last month. The future of GNC is uncertain and more units could close in the coming months.
Lucky Brand: After a bankruptcy filing this month, denim fashion brand Lucky Brand has filed for bankruptcy and some stores will be closing. It remains to be seen how many units in Canada will ultimately close or what the future of the brand will be. On Tuesday, news reports noted that Authentic Brands Group and landlord Simon Property Group were looking to buy Lucky Brand.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF BEN SHERMAN STORE. PHOTO: THE BUSINESS OF FASHION
Ben Sherman: The UK-based men’s clothing brand Ben Sherman is closing two of its stores in the Toronto area, including a unit on Queen Street as well as at Vaughan Mills. It’s unclear what will happen to the store at Square One in Mississauga which opened in the summer of 2016 in an upscale wing anchored by Holt Renfrew.
The Gap: San Francisco-based fashion retailer The Gap has been quietly closing stores in Canada for the past several years. The company wasn’t paying rent on its stores for months during the COVID-19 shutdowns and sources are saying that several more Canadian units will be shuttering under the Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy banners. A Canadian landlord chained the doors of one Old Navy location according to a broker source.
Bestseller: The Danish retailer shut its Bestseller-branded stores in Canada in the spring (including converting a Winnipeg unit to a Jack & Jones banner) and last month, announced in a bankruptcy filing that it would be closing more stores under its Jack & Jones and Vero Moda banners in Canada. A source familiar with the proceedings told Retail Insider that all 10 Vero Moda stores will close in Canada as well as 13 of the 51 Jack & Jones locations.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF VICTORIA’S SECRET IN YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE, TORONTO. PHOTO: VICTORIA’S SECRET
Victoria’s Secret: We previously reported that lingerie and underwear retailer Victoria’s Secret had been closing some of its Canadian stores even before COVID-19, and it remains to be seen if others shutter over the summer following what is expected to be reduced retail sales in such stores. Victoria’s Secret operates massive flagship stores in downtown Vancouver and Montreal as well as stores in malls across the country.
Starbucks: Last month Seattle-based coffee retailer Starbucks announced that it was closing approximately 200 locations across Canada as the company restructures its operations and looks to the future. Some of the shuttered locations will be replaced or kiosks will be located nearby — last year Starbucks piloted a take-out concept in Toronto’s Financial District and more are expected to come.
Many other international retailers are struggling and are in the process of restructuring or filing for bankruptcy protection, which will result in even more store closures in Canada in the months to come. We’ll provide periodic updates when information becomes available with a focus on the Canadian market.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF TORONTO STARBUCKS LOCATION. PHOTO: CITYNEWS TORONTO
Other Struggles
Retailers that are still operating are also experiencing challenges at this time. Quebec City-based La Maison Simons, which lost Canada Goose as a vendor last year, has removed designer apparel from its stores for the time being. Credit insurance on deliveries is said to be an issue and all stock from brands such as Balmain have been moved online for the time being. The company says that in the fall designer brands will be moved back into Simons’ stores.
Landlords are also making changes at this time. Montreal-based Ivanhoé Cambridge laid off 60 employees last month including COO Roman Drohomirecki. In February the president of retail Claude Sirois was let go. The landlord is said to have been looking to reduce its exposure to retail in its vast portfolio for the past couple of years and that it was looking to sell off some of its retail properties. A French language report in La Presse indicated that ‘if the price is right’, Ivanhoé Cambridge could still divest some properties including its recently overhauled Montreal Eaton Centre.
Retail Insider will continue to follow what’s happening in the Canadian retail industry as businesses reopen following closures due to COVID-19. And at the same time, there is good news from some retailers worth mentioning. Besides grocery and pharmacy retailers which have seen sales spikes while being permitted to stay open during the pandemic, some strong brands are also seeing strong sales. That includes luxury brands in the Toronto and Vancouver markets, which are said to be seeing record-breaking sales numbers in some instances. Some of these brands are connecting directly with customers through apps such as WeChat and are selling out of some product categories that are being coveted by loyal brand fans.
Throwback Vault Located at 550 Queen Street West in Toronto
Digitally-native Throwback Vault has reopened its first retail store in Downtown Toronto after COVID-19 forced it to shutter days after its initial launch.
Located at 550 Queen Street West — a prime location for retail of this nature — Throwback Vault has become renowned for its high-end vintage retail offerings.
Originally the location had enjoyed its grand opening at the beginning of March, but days later the location was forced to close as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the country. The modern 1000-square-foot space is home to a variety of top-tier vintage clothing, including sportswear, denim, streetwear, and accessories. The store also retails brand-new, highly-sought-after footwear, including Adidas Yeezys and Nike Air Jordans, to amplify their wide in-store assortment.
“We poured a lot into this location. We really wanted it to be perfect and a space that represented us and the brand,” said Imran Nasser, one of Throwback Vault’s founders, “we even renovated the space, adding a few hundred square feet to the front of the store to create more room for people to shop. Obviously we were incredibly concerned when we were forced to close so soon after opening.”
ARRAY OF VINTAGE DENIM AND VINTAGE SPORTS JERSEYS AVAILABLE AT THROWBACK VAULT. PHOTO: THROWBACK VAULT
ARRAY OF VINTAGE TSHIRTS AVAILABLE AT THROWBACK VAULT. PHOTO: THROWBACK VAULT
COVID HALTED PHYSICAL GROWTH WHILE DIGIAL GROWTH THRIVED
Founded in 2011, Throwback Vault is the brainchild of the four Nasser brothers — Ali, Aman, Asad, and Imran — who began their foray into vintage clothing through their passion for sports and music. In their quest to find unique pieces, the brothers availed of second-hand clothing warehouses across Ontario and succeeded in curating an assortment of vintage jerseys, t-shirts, and denim. Initially the brothers were only selling locally to friends and family, which quickly grew into selling internationally on sites like eBay. With increased market demand for sustainable clothing practices in 2017 ThrowbackVault.com was born.
“If it hadn’t been for our online presence I don’t know if we would have made it through the last few months. We were very lucky that we had previously put so much emphasis on our website and other sites like eBay and Etsy, which we also sell on, because those sales got us through the shutdown. People were shopping a lot! We saw great sales during that time.”
ThrowbackVault.com is home to over ten thousand vintage items, all of which have been carefully and thoughtfully curated by Toronto-based Nasser brothers. Most popularly, the retailer is known for its vintage sports jerseys, 80s and 90s specialty t-shirts, contemporary crewnecks and windbreakers by cult-favourite brands such as Nike and Champion and assorted denim from vintage favourites. “We sort through the masses so that you don’t have to. If people ever comment on our prices we always like to remind them that we aren’t a thrift store. We have been very selective with the pieces we’ve chosen. We’ve done the background work, we’ve sorted through all the useless stuff, trust us, this is the best on the market.”
INTERIOR SHOTS OF THROWBACK VAULT. PHOTOS: THROWBACK VAULT
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INTERIOR SHOTS OF THROWBACK VAULT. PHOTOS: THROWBACK VAULT
THROWBACK VAULT SEES EXPANSION PLANS BEYOND TORONTO
Today, the brothers are proud to bring their top-tier vintage finds to their customers in-store, in their home city of Toronto. “Throwback Vault is an incredible store that we have been so proud to develop as a team,” said Aman Nasser. “When we embarked on the journey of creating our first store, we knew that we wanted to bring our finds to our home city and create an exciting in-store experience. Toronto is such a key part of our story, and we are happy that it shows in our store design that pays homage to some of our cities’ most iconic people and moments.”
We’re also excited to potentially tap into new markets within Canada. We see a huge gap in the market in terms of vintage clothing stores in particular cities in Canada. Canada is often overlooked when it comes to vintage retail. We hope to expand in the near future and fulfill that need,” said Imran.
Customers have access to a wide assortment of sustainably sourced one-of-a-kind pieces from contemporary and luxury brands, both in-store and online. “Our online merchandise is obviously different to what you see in-store because every item is unique. If you find something online and want to pick it up in store we can always arrange for that to happen within a couple of days.”
The brothers and their respective partners have also dabbled in the emerging trend of ‘thrift flips’, which involves taking vintage clothing that might have tears or stains and altering them to increase their value. A vintage Nike sweater, for example, that has a stain on the bottom half and may be seen as valueless, we’ve cropped it and turned into a vintage Nike sweater that’s now also very much on trend.”
To learn more about Throwback Vault visit their store at 550 Queen Street West or visit ThrowbackVault.com.
