Oshawa Centre - Photo by Norman Katz, Maple Leaf Displays
Retail Insider continues its Photo Tour series of Canadian malls to provide a window into shopping centres which may be less frequented lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This edition takes us to the Oshawa Centre, the largest mall in Durham Region and the largest in Ontario east of Toronto with 215+ retail stores and public services.
History of Oshawa Centre
Oshawa Centre opened in 1956 as a shopping plaza before being enclosed in 1968. In 2016, Ivanhoe Cambridge opened a $230 million renovated and expanded wing of the mall, which added 60 stores to the mall footprint.
There’s a future expansion coming, but our goal is to share a current walk through of a December 2020 tour during the COVID19 pandemic.
Google Map of Oshawa from Toronto with Oshawa Centre Highlighted
Above: A map showing the location of Oshawa Centre, which is the largest shopping centre between Scarborough Town Centre to the west and CF Rideau Centre way over in Ottawa.
Oshawa Centre Leasing Map (Level 1) November 2020 Ivanhoé CambridgeOshawa Centre Leasing Map (Level 2) November 2020 Ivanhoé Cambridge
Oshawa Centre is going through a construction phase, which will provide additional brands, services, and customer experiences to enhance the shopping enjoyment. In 2017, the second phase of construction started, with an additional 60,000 square feet of redeveloped space including the old food court area and adding new stores.
December 2020 Walk-Through
Friend of Retail Insider, Norman Katz of Maple Leaf Displays, had an opportunity to stop into Oshawa Centre mid-December 2020 in order to share the sights of what the mall looks like during the COVID19 pandemic. The mall was remarkably busy, as explained in the Toronto Star on Sunday: “Oshawa Centre has perhaps never seen so many Toronto shoppers as it did in the week before Christmas, when 13,409 Torontonians descended on the mall — a 155 percent increase compared to the same week last year”.
We want to provide historical context to these images, as they were taken prior to an upcoming 28-day lockdown in the province of Ontario beginning December 26. In a traditionally busy holiday season, you’re going to see social distancing and masks.
Zara operates a 26,350-square-foot one level store in the mall featuring a whopping 440 feet of mall frontage on three sides, the most of any Zara store in Canada.
Danier leather, which was relaunched in 2016 under new ownership, continues to operate a handful of stores across Canada including the Oshawa Centre location. Iconic Montreal-based Browns Shoes, which has stores across the country under the Browns, B2 and Browns Outlet banners, also has an attractive store in the mall.
Montreal-based optical retailer BonLook has been opening stores across Canada over the past several years. The value-priced retailer is competing against other national and international chains that are also offering prices lower than we’ve seen in years past amid disruption.
More retailers at Oshawa Centre include Dynamite-owned Garage (which filed for creditor protection last year), women’s plus-sized retailer Torrid, Guess, and Champs Sports.
The mall’s attractive food court, which was updated during the mall’s multi-million dollar renovation, was quiet amid restrictions prior to the full lockdown of Durham on December 26.
NYX Cosmetics. Photo: Norman Katz/Maple Leaf Displays
Hot Topic, Call it Spring. Photo: Norman Katz/Maple Leaf DisplaysWLKN and Journeys. Photo: Norman Katz/Maple Leaf Displays
Montreal-based youthful fashion retailer WLKN has a store at Oshawa Centre. The company has six stores including Oshawa Centre, Vaughan Mills near Toronto, Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket north of Toronto, CF Carrefour Laval near Montreal, Promenades Gatineau near Ottawa, and Carrefour de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke Quebec.
Photo: Norman Katz/Maple Leaf DisplaysPhoto: Norman Katz/Maple Leaf Displays
We had a very interesting photo walk around the Oshawa Centre, and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Don’t forget to check out the other in-depth photo tours that came out at the end of 2020.
Discover More Related Photo Tours From Retail Insider:
Calgary-based KORITE International, a leading producer of Ammolite jewellery and gemstones, has emerged from creditor protection under new ownership.
The company, which has more than 90 percent of the world market of Ammolite, with 90 percent of customers residing outside Canada, is poised now for expansion and growth.
David Lui
David Lui, the company’s CEO and President, said KORITE is now well positioned to fulfill the continuing demand for its Ammolite jewellery, gemstones, and Ammonite fossils, as the new ownership group is led by Clear North Capital Holdings Inc. (Clear North) in partnership with Lui.
Clear North, based in Calgary, is focused on private equity.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of the CCAA process,” said Lui. “We are grateful for the ongoing support of our employees, customers, vendors, landlords and shareholders, and we are excited to start the next chapter in KORITE’s 40-year journey. We have repositioned ourselves as a more efficient business and better able to serve our loyal customers in today’s environment.”\
KORITE Ammolite and Ammonite is mined in Alberta in the Lethbridge area, which is home to the highest-grade deposits of Ammonite fossils and Ammolite in the world.
“While Ammonite fossils are found on every continent, only in southern Alberta are they found with the distinctly bright, beautiful and iridescent colours that make it so rare, exotic and precious, dating back approximately 71 million years,” explained Lui.
“Down in Lethbridge, it’s the only part of the world where you will find the fossil with this colourization of the shell of the Ammonite. We’re not entirely sure why but it’s due to the mineralization, the shift in tectonic pressures in the earth. The shell in the Ammonite produced colours. It’s very colourful. It’s all organic. Ammonite is the shell. Fragments from the Ammonite are called Ammolite. So Ammolite is a product from the Ammonite in the mining process. When it was discovered, the mining team thought we could use these chunks from the mining and actually turn them into artifacts, turn them into jewellery, collectables. We have multiple different categories and it’s not just jewellery. It’s everything from what we call large art pieces like decor, home decor, art and collector pieces. Hand held specimens. Then jewellery is another subsection which can be turned into designer using gold, silver, higher end fine jewellery pieces that are set into gold and silver.”
Korite Ammolite images via Facebook
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KORITE said Ammolite was officially designated as a naturally occurring precious gemstone by The World Jewellery Confederation in 1981.
KORITE’s products are sold in more than 140 retail locations around the world, primarily in North America. The Ammonite and Ammolite is also sold in about 22 countries.
“We’re not bricks and mortar. We rely from a retail perspective on our wholesale jewellers and our online presence,” said Lui, adding that physical stores are not in the plans but the company does have shop-in-shops in several other jewellery stores and duty-free stores branded as KORITE.
The company filed for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act at the end of June 2020. As of December 18, it emerged from CCAA under new ownership. Lui partnered with Clear North Capital in acquiring the business.
“We believe that exceptional opportunities are available in several core and emerging market segments for the ultra-rare KORITE Ammolite, and we look forward to bringing this Canadian and specifically Alberta treasure to consumers globally,” said Cody Church, Founder and CEO of Clear North Capital.
Lui said the financial backing from Clear North Capital saved the company from bankruptcy and there is a commitment to rebuild the business, rebuild the reputation of KORITE.
“KORITE has a strong reputation. A 40-year reputation. Frankly, we think of it as a 40-year-old startup. Some of our traditional channels were impacted and that’s why we had to file for CCAA. Tourism, cruise ships, retail, Asia were highly impacted with the COVID-19,” said Lui.
“Our commitment as part of new ownership is a shift to online. A more direct to consumer approach. Or direct to consumer thinking. Growth in online. Bringing the beauty of Ammolite to consumers around the world. Telling the story of Ammolite to the world. Where the gemstone came from. It’s actually Canada’s treasure. You could almost say it’s Alberta’s gemstone really.”
Stores Closing in Downtown Vancouver’s ‘Luxury Zone’
Exterior of Versace store in Vancouver. Photo: Montecristo Magazine
Two notable stores in downtown Vancouver’s ‘Luxury Zone’ will be closing this month. Versace, which has had a boutique presence in Vancouver for 34 years, will shut its standalone storefront on Thurlow Street just off Alberni Street. Crafting retailer Michaels, which has occupied a 15,730-square-foot space at 1022 Alberni Street for almost a decade, will shutter this month as well.
The 1,875-square-foot Versace space will be occupied by Thom Browne as reported in Retail Insider this week. It’s not yet known if the Michaels space has secured a tenant, though for years brokers have toured retailers through the space. A representative with Burberry noted the awkwardness of the Michaels space on Alberni Street which features a small main floor lobby and retail space with an escalator to a second level spanning more than 13,000 square feet. A large Brooks Brothers store is located downstairs from Michaels.
Prior to being tenanted by Michaels and Brooks Brothers, the two-level space was occupied by an Aldeasa duty free store. The store shut amid litigation following the removal of a tour bus parking space in front of it.
When Michaels opened on Alberni Street in 2012, some were scratching their heads at the move. Alberni Street was on a trajectory to become a luxury strip with Tiffany & Co., Hermes and Louis Vuitton anchoring the Burrard Street end of the street while Burberry had moved to the base of the Shangri-La Hotel at Alberni and Thurlow Streets. Other luxury brands have since moved into the area.
Michaels store at 1022 Alberni Street. Photo: pci-group.com
More changes could come to Vancouver’s Luxury Zone as German womenswear brand Escada struggles financially. At the same time, the small size of the Luxury Zone and interest from brands in the past could see new luxury names move into the area. The Luxury Zone could also be extended along Thurlow Street south of Robson Street as one development is planning a retail galleria that sources say will target luxury brands such as Chanel.
Retailer Bizou to Shutter 30% of its Stores
Exterior of Bizou store. Photo: Bizou
Quebec-based jewellery and accessories brand Bizou will shutter almost 30% of its retail locations, according to a French language report in La Presse this week. A total of 24 of the company’s 85 stores will be shut by the end of this month which will result in more headaches for landlords having to lease vacated spaces.
Bizou has almost $9.5 million in liabilities and Bizou International filed for bankruptcy in the fall of 2020. Lower rents have been negotiated (some percentage rent deals) and stores slated to close permanently will begin to do so next week. The article in La Presse states that even more Bizou stores could close.
Bizou’s losses are also related to Bizou’s exit from France in 2019 according to La Presse. Bizou’s creditor protection extends to February 3 and a line of credit from RBC is available until the end of March.
In 2015 we reported that Bizou was looking to operate between 250 and 300 stores in Canada and that a franchise parter was being sought for the western provinces.
Bizou’s stores are located primarily in Quebec with several other units in Ontario and the Maritimes. The stores set to close include: Galeries d’Anjou – Carrefour Laval – Center Eaton – Place Sainte-Foy – Galeries du Vieux-Port (Matane) – Place Donnacona – Center Alma – Carrefour Saint-Félicien – Plaza d’Alma – Carrefour Jeannois (Roberval) – Le Village (Baie-Saint-Paul) – Carrefour Gaspé – Place du Havre (Chandler) – Carrefour Assomption (Edmundston, New Brunswick) – Le Rond Point (Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick) – Bathurst Mall (Bathurst, New Brunswick) – Confederation Court Mall (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) – Corner Brook Plaza (Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador) – St Laurent Center (Ottawa, Ontario) – Georgian Mall (Barrie, Ontario) – Masonville Place (London, Ontario. Stores already closed include: Place Charlevoix, La Malbaie – Rue Saint-Jean (Old Quebec) – Place Versailles (Montreal).
Heartland Town Centre Celebrates the Addition of Venture X
Exterior of Venture X-Heartland. Photo: Venture X
Mississauga’s premier outdoor big-box shopping centre has welcomed co-working company Venture X-Heartland to its lineup. The co-working and private office space is now the largest shared workspace in Mississauga and promotes itself as “the future of workspace”.
Interior images of Venture X-Heartland. Photo: Venture X
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Located right next to the 401, at 600 Matheson Boulevard West in unit 5, Venture X-Heartland is the third Venture X space to open in the city. It offers everything one would need to run a business under one roof, including fully-equipped conference rooms designed for executive meetings and staff training, a private lounge area for team meetings, and private offices available for daily, weekly, and monthly use.
Venture X–Heartland is the perfect place to do business in the GTA, providing users with easy after-work-access to amenities such as restaurants, groceries, and shopping.
Suitsupply Outlet Offers Access to 2020 Collections That Didn’t Get a Fair Chance
Suitsupply 2020
Due to the unprecedented happenings of 2020, Suitsupply has launched an online Suitsupply Outlet — an opportunity the brand is calling a ‘once in a century’ occurrence. And since this year’s inventory didn’t get a fair chance, the brand has decided to add pieces from its newest collections to the outlet offerings.
The outlet went live on December 26th and is only available within Canada.
Update: Outlet inventory went very fast and the outlet closed on December 31st 2020.
Toronto’s First Zero-Waste Coffee Shop Opens on the Danforth
Interior of the Poured Coffee shop. Photo: Google
Toronto now has its first zero-waste coffee shop. Poured Coffee doesn’t use paper cups, containers, napkins or disposable products and instead serves its coffee in reusable cups.
Located at 2165 Danforth Ave, Poured Coffee shares its space with The Re Space — a community-based store offering a full range of sustainable products including bamboo toothbrushes and organic beauty products.
The initiative was started by entrepreneur, Mira Vuletic, who’s passion for coffee, owning her own coffee shop, and reducing Toronto’s contribution to landfills amalgamated to create Poured Coffee.
Since there are no paper cups available, customers are encouraged to bring their own travel coffee mug. For new customers who might’ve missed the memo, there’s the “Ugly Mug Library”, which includes a collection of donated mugs that are given as to-go cups. Alternatively, you can purchase a MiiR travel mug from the RE Place store with your coffee and get your next two drinks on-the-house.
Thierry Opens Second Vancouver Location
Exterior of new Thierry store in Mount Pleasant, Vancouver. Photo: Thierry Facebook
Thierry Mount Pleasant has opened its second location in Vancouver at 265 East 10th Avenue, just off Main Street and Kingsway Avenue.
Despite the current state of retail in Canada, Thierry successfully opened its second location just in time for the holidays. The chocolaterie, patisserie and cafe is known for its artisanal chocolates and classic French pastries by Chef Thierry Busset.
Widely regarded as one of North America’s finest pastry chefs, Busset has received rave reviews over the years from notable publications, such as Vancouver Magazine. Chef Thierry has focused the experience he gained from his multiple award-winning successes to open the first Thierry Cafe where he shares his dream of showcasing art through the science of patisserie. Thierry’s original location can be found at 1059 Alberni Street in downtown Vancouver.
Thierry’s Mount Pleasant location is open Monday – Sunday from 8am – 10pm.
Hillcrest Mall and Others Launch Centralized Pickup Service Amid Third Lockdown
Exterior of Hillcrest Mall. Photo: Hillcrest Mall
Hillcrest Mall is the latest Oxford Properties mall to launch its centralized and curbside pickup service in the wake of a third lockdown in the Greater Toronto Area.
Working with select retailers within the centre, the Richmond Hill mall is providing locals with the means to shop their favourite stores despite the current situation. Hillcrest are encouraging those interested to contact the retailers directly (online or by phone) and there is a list of participating retailers featured on the mall website. Once you have placed your order with the store, you will be contacted by email notifying you of your pickup time. All curbside pickups will be conducted at Entrance 4 of the mall.
Other Oxford Properties malls, Yorkdale, Square One, and Scarborough Town Centre, are also supporting retailers by creating designated curbside and store front pickup locations for stores adapting quickly during this retail period by offering e-commerce or phone order fulfillment. Customers can visit the Yorkdale, Square One, and Scarborough Town Centre websites to see what stores are offering specialized services.
Lists of participating retailers should be consulted before planning purchases as the information is being updated in real time, said the company.
Exterior of Harry Rosen store at Square One. Photo: Harry Rosen
The year 2020 was a difficult one for the retail industry, to say the least, particularly for those operating in and around the apparel space. Interruptions to global supply chains, a more cautious consumer and forced store closures due to government-imposed lockdowns across the country are just some of the factors and challenges that retailers have needed to contend with over the course of the past ten months or so. The resulting impacts have been well-spread and widely documented, wreaking havoc on the bottom line for most. For others, the outcomes have been far more serious, leading to the permanent shuttering of their operations. There’s no doubting the severity of the destruction that COVID-19 has caused retailers in Canada and around the world. It’s changed everything that we had come to know and has cast an air of uncertainty, even fear, concerning what’s to come. Despite these challenges, however, leading Canadian menswear retailer Harry Rosen continues to move forward, shaping its own future through clever adaptation and forward-thinking ingenuity.
Part of the Culture
The company’s success, even during difficult times, shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’s followed the industry and retailer through the years. Since it’s founding 66 years ago, Harry Rosen has weathered many market challenges, evolving with the tastes and preferences of multiple generations of Canadian men and catering to numerous shifts in style. The retailer’s ability to pivot and respond effectively in the face of adversity is perhaps one of its greatest strengths and a central reason that helps explain the tremendous accomplishments it’s enjoyed through the years. According to the company’s CEO, Larry Rosen, it’s resilience and fortitude that began with his father, Harry, who exemplified the characteristics that quickly became part of the Harry Rosen culture, reenforcing the foundations on which the company had been built. And it’s a culture and foundation that he says is strengthened even further today through the invention and creativity of the immensely talented team that he leads.
“We’ve got a number of young executives at the company who are doing some really amazing things,” he says. “They bring a youthful perspective and a strong spirit of innovation to our operations and deserve a great deal of credit for a lot of the more important decisions that we’ve made recently as a business. Their insights and ideas have allowed us to continue to adapt and evolve with trends within the market, helping to drive us forward and increase our relevance within the menswear space.”
Harry Rosen circa 1960s (approx)Harry Rosen circa 1960s (approx)
The young, innovative executives that he refers to include the retailer’s Chief Marketing Officer, SVP Marketing & E-Commerce, Trinh Tham, his son Ian Rosen who leads the company’s Digital & Strategy, and Shannon Stewart, Vice President, General Merchandise Manager, and Alan Whitfield, Executive Vice President, Store Operations, to name a few. Their efforts, supported by their teams, have collectively aided in the recent transformation of the Harry Rosen digital experience for customers, the optimization of its e-commerce capabilities and performance and the introduction of a new visual identity and positioning for the brand. These decisions and the work put in to execute on them have been critical in preparing Harry Rosen to effectively respond to some of the challenges brought on by the impacts of COVID-19 and to place itself well to continue servicing the evolving needs and behaviour of the consumer.
“The effect that COVID-19 has had on the industry has been very dramatic,” he asserts. “Forced store closures and reduce capacities at malls and within stores across the country have significantly impacted the performance of many businesses. Most apparel retailers, Harry Rosen included, ended the holiday period with inadequate revenue and too much fall inventory. But what this extremely negative circumstance has provided us is an opportunity to take a good look at what we’re doing, how we’re servicing our customer and making our product available, and improving in those areas to continue strengthening our brand and our relationships with our clients.”
The Pandemic’s Lasting Impacts
Although Rosen laments the fact that the experience of the Canadian consumer is currently restricted with respect to their ability to visit stores and to touch and feel product, he recognizes the gains the company has made on the e-commerce side of the business, posting record-braking online sales during the recent COVID months. The migration of sales to the online channel represents one of the most significant changes to consumer behaviour as a result of the global pandemic and resulting lockdowns. But, as Rosen sees it, the e-commerce boom is less of a change in behaviour and more reflective of an acceleration of a trend that the industry’s been experiencing for some time.
“We were fortunate enough to have already established an e-commerce presence before the impacts of COVID took hold,” he says. “We’ve been selling online for more than 12 years. But since the start of the pandemic, we’ve experience extraordinary growth in our online sales which have been supported by the digital enhancements that we made. These enhancements, along with all of the other work that we’ve recently done had been in development for some time. But we decided to ramp up our efforts in some of these areas in order to meet the needs of the evolving consumer. The impacts of COVID have clearly influenced some of these needs, accelerating a move to online that I don’t see reverting once everyone’s been vaccinated. There will be a return to stores and a recovery of the sales that happen within the physical retail environment when all of this comes to an end. But I think that the Canadian consumer, even those who may previously have been reluctant to order product online, have become very comfortable with the experience and service over the past number of months and will continue to do more of their shopping virtually.”
In addition to influencing the channels through which consumers are making their purchases, another way in which the pandemic may pose long-term impact, Rosen suggests, is the attitude of the Canadian workforce with respect to where and how they work. He believes that although there will be a return to offices, most people will be working more of their hours and days remotely going forward. In the short-term, in combination with recent lockdowns and societal restrictions, the impact a lack of corporate traffic has had on the tailored clothing business has been severe. Serving to supplement for a reduction in its sales of tailored clothing and to continue meeting the evolving demands of the Canadian consumer, however, is Harry Rosen’s excellent selection of sportswear and outerwear.
“We’re confident that our tailored business will bounce back when people start holding events again and returning to their offices,” he states. “But the impact that COVID has had on the businesswear market to date has been profound, reducing it significantly. We’re fortunate in that we have a long history of being an outstanding sportswear and outerwear retailer. It’s an area of our business that we’re very proud of and one that we continue to focus on, increasing our selection and expanding our outreach. It helps to position us nicely, allowing us to continue satisfying the apparel needs of our customers both today as well as moving forward.”
A sample of the available services provided by Harry Rosen. All can be found on harryrosen.com
Creativity and Adaptation
As already mentioned, these tweaks and subtle shifts in focus within the business have become something of a cornerstone of the Harry Rosen brand through the years, allowing it to continuously adapt with current change while making the right decisions and investments to secure longer-term success. It’s representative of a nimbleness and willingness to innovate. In fact, the creativity within the company, as Rosen rightly points out, seems to be boundless today and is well represented by the partnership that the company recently entered into with DoorDash in order to provide same-day delivery of any of the retailers top 25 highest selling products during the busy 2020 holiday period. It’s an innovation that Rosen lauds as ingenious, providing the retailer with a means by which to remove friction from the holiday gift buying experience for its last-minute shoppers while securing sales that may very well have not happened if the service hadn’t been available.
It’s clear when discussing the retailer’s future plans with Rosen the pride that he possesses for the group of people that he works with and the execution and subsequent achievements that they’re collectively responsible for. What it’s resulted in is a Harry Rosen brand that will likely come out of this very difficult period with an even stronger reputation and proposition for the customer. But, despite all of this excellent work, what he perhaps seems even more satisfied with is the continuation of the company’s involvement in meaningful causes through its most recent collaboration with Toronto Raptors President and Giants of Africa Founder Masai Ujiri.
A Matter of HUMANITY
The project, which launched in December 2020 and is centred around the theme HUMANITY, features a seven-piece athleisure capsule designed by Ujiri and Canadian designer Patrick Assaraf, with each piece adorned with the word ‘HUMANITY’ in Ujiri’s handwriting. Focused on raising funds for charity and introducing new Black designers to the Canadian market, net proceeds from the sale of the collection will go to Black Youth Helpline, an organization which provides young people with access to culturally relevant, high-quality services and resources in their local community, including crisis counselling, strategies for staying in school and support for families, schools and communities. It’s an amazing commitment and contribution by the retailer that, according to Rosen, transcends what the leading menswear retailer does as a business and is part of what he sees as part of a growing collective aimed at eradicating racism and promoting inclusivity within the industry.
“This kind of work and the efforts that are being made by incredible individuals like Masai are nothing short of critical in raising awareness of some of the issues in our societies that continue to plague us. It’s true that it’s been a tremendously difficult year for the industry. But, being involved with Masai to the degree that we’ve committed to allows us to do something that goes well beyond the retail industry. Everyone knows that there are systemic barriers to accessibility and opportunity within our communities. This collaboration simply gives us the chance to do our part, to promote inclusion within the industry that we operate. We all know that more needs to be done to start to correct some of the injustices that occur on a daily basis. We’re hoping that with the help of Masai and Patrick that we’ll be able to do our part, reminding the world that there’s more that unites us than divides us.”
Retail Insider’s series of Mall Tours heads to Cadillac Fairview’s CF Chinook Centre just south of downtown Calgary during Black Friday in November 2020. Craig and Lee provide commentary on what’s happening at the mall in a tour showcasing what’s open and a bit of insights into the retailers.
Initially built in 1960, the mall has gone through a number of expansions and renovations. A new wing was added in the 1980s for specialty retailers, the entire complex was rebuilt in three phases in 2000, and an expansion adding 180,000 square feet opened in 2010.
The new Thom Browne store will span about 1,875 square feet on one level in a retail space featuring an angled facade at the base of a newly-built office tower. A Brunello Cucinelli store is located next to the future Thom Browne and retailers directly across the street include Moncler, Saint Laurent, Prada, Off-White, Rolex, and Burberry.
The Vancouver Thom Browne store will feature the brand’s collections of fashions for men and women including ready-to-wear, bags, accessories, footwear, eyewear, and fragrances. The design is expected to be similar to the Thom Browne store which opened in November at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre — that store spans about 1,430 square feet and was the first standalone Thom Browne store to open in Canada. The Yorkdale Thom Browne store showcases marble inside and out with high ceilings and a mid-century office theme to its design.
Click for interactive Google Map of 745 Thurlow Street, Vancouver
Future Thom Browne location with construction signage just off of Alberni Street in Vancouver (June 2021). Formerly the location of Versace. Photo: Lee Rivett
Future Thom Browne location with construction signage just off of Alberni Street in Vancouver (June 2021). Formerly the location of Versace. Photo: Lee Rivett
Exterior of Thom Browne store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Thom Browne
David Wedemire and Stan Vyriotes DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc. negotiated the Vancouver Thom Browne lease deal on behalf of the retailer, as well as the Toronto deal. QuadReal owns 745 Thurlow Street.
The downtown Vancouver Thom Browne store will be the fifth standalone location for the brand in North America. Besides the new Yorkdale location, three other Thom Browne stores exist in the United States: one in New York City at 100 Hudson Street, one at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa CA, and one at the Miami Design District in Miami.
Globally, Thom Brown operates 40 retail spaces including a mix of standalone stores and concessions in department stores. The majority of Thom Browne’s locations are in Asia.
Versace at 745 Thurlow Street — construction starts soon on the Thom Browne store that will replace it. Photo: QuadReal
In Vancouver, Thom Browne is also available at retailers including Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen (menswear), Roden Gray on Water Street, and The Room at Hudson’s Bay carries the women’s line in Vancouver (and Toronto) as well.
American fashion designer Thom Browne founded his brand in 2001 with made-to-measure menswear. His background prior to founding the clothing line included a position as a salesperson at Giorgio Armani in New York City before designing for Club Monaco. He was said to be instrumental in starting the trend of slim-fitting menswear with collections inspired by mid 20th century American style that included details such as grosgrain trim and short trousers shown with exposed ankles. His first line of ready-to-wear menswear launched in 2004 and he won several awards early on before launching womenswear for Brooks Brothers’ Black Fleece label in 2007. The first women’s Thom Browne collection debuted in 2011.
Interior image of new Thom Browne Flagship at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photos: Thom Browne
Interior image of new Thom Browne Flagship at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photos: Thom Browne
Exterior of a boarded up Harry Rosen in Yorkville - Photo taken by Craig Patterson Spring 2020
Many are no doubt pleased that the year 2020 has come to an end. The past 12 months have been unlike anything in recent memory, with some saying that a ‘retail apocalypse’ was playing out. While that’s up for debate, there’s no question that thousands of store locations have closed permanently while many of the trends towards digital seen pre-COVID were accelerated due in part to sheer necessity.
Many were enthusiastic that 2020 would be a good year for retail — it was the start of a potential “roaring twenties”, though there was talk of a coronavirus illness that was spreading outside of China. The chatter grew to become concern as COVID-19 spread into North America and the disease became better known in terms of its transmission. Restaurant patronage decreased while ‘panic buying’ of some items such as toilet paper began to challenge the supply chain.
In March, a group of large retailers banded together in an effort to stop the spread of the virus by agreeing to temporarily close their stores. Many more retailers joined them prior to government mandates that businesses deemed ‘non-essential’ would have to shutter temporarily by law. Stores remained closed for weeks or months depending on where they were located in the country. The closures put a financial strain on retailers and other businesses that were no longer able to rely on foot traffic as in the past.
Le Chateau storefront at Square One Shopping Centre – Photo by Square One
To address the shutdowns, retailers launched curbside pickup, contactless payments, and other innovations that were previously not commonplace in Canada. Ecommerce became a lifeline rather than another sales channel, resulting in unprecedented growth in online shopping in Canada as well as a surging stock price for Ottawa-based ecommerce platform Shopify. The supply chain expanded rapidly and companies involved in logistics and warehousing have done well. Many of the trends seen before COVID-19 were accelerated during the pandemic with some saying that the country moved five years into the future digitally in a span of about five months.
Despite the innovations, retailers across the country were struggling and some filed for bankruptcy protection. Some retailers such as Le Chateau announced that all stores would close. With people working from home, fashion categories struggled as an example. Travel bans and closed borders eliminated international tourism, again hitting retailers and other businesses reliant on visitors.
Consumers remained cautious and masks became increasingly mandated in businesses. The less-than-comfortable shopping experience saw many more look to online channels and convenience. The work from home movement also resulted in struggles for many businesses that catered to work places.
A quiet day on Toronto’s King Street East – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
The relationship between landlord and tenant became, in many instances, strained over the weeks and months of closures. Some retailers, including the Hudson’s Bay Company, did not pay rent on their retail spaces during the closures, and in some instances beyond. Landlords also struggled to meet financial obligations which were made worse by retailers not paying rents due. Government assistance helped to a degree though it was deemed generally inadequate overall. Thousands of retailers, foodservice businesses, and fitness facilities closed permanently due to strained finances.
The summer of 2020 saw increased retail sales as the deemed ‘non-essential’ businesses remained open. Precautions were put into place and case counts remained low in many parts of the country. For a time, Canada was looked at as being a country that was successfully controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Case counts again began to climb in many parts of the country in the fall of 2020, resulting in temporary business shutdowns in November in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba — and some lockdowns have unfortunately extended into 2021 with some saying that Toronto will be locked down through February. This is hitting retailers and other businesses hard and the full extent of the damage won’t be known for a few of months at least. While stores have been closed in the Toronto area since mid-November, southern Ontario is now seeing record-breaking COVID positivity numbers exceeding 3,000 daily. It’s likely that in the future we’ll look back at this time and realize that many grave and unfortunate mistakes were made.
The Christmas season saw non-essential retail lockdowns in the Toronto area as well as in Manitoba, while foot traffic was down significantly across the country. The physical Boxing Day shopping holiday was cancelled in Ontario and Quebec, again hitting the bottom line of many retailers. The destruction to the retail industry because of the lockdowns will be known as soon as this month as bankruptcy filings begin and businesses shutter.
At the same time, ecommerce shopping exploded in Canada and continues to be very popular. Condominium lobbies have become receiving centres as purchases for goods including groceries are done online. Amazon’s market share in Canada has expanded greatly. Small businesses have quickly either developed websites or have expanded ecommerce capabilities in order to just survive.
Small businesses have also been embraced in Canada much more than in the past, with many campaigns launched to save small businesses. Websites, associations, and even web tools have been developed to help the consuming population support small businesses. Many hope that the trend will continue into the future, particularly given that large international chains were continuing to gain market share in this country prior to the pandemic.
Thousands of people in the retail industry lost their jobs in 2020. With thousands of stores closing came thousands of job losses on the sales floor and on up. A surprisingly high number of managers within retailers and at major landlords were terminated in 2020, almost none of which was reported in the mainstream press. The same goes for other support industries. Many entrepreneurs also lost their retail businesses. Government monies have supported some hit with unemployment though the end of that will be in sight this year.
Hudson’s Bay, Queen Street, Toronto – Photo by Hudson’s Bay
Interestingly, some luxury retailers said that sales had been up in 2020. Brands that were able to interact virtually with clients, such as on mobile devices, were able to make sales even higher than in 2019. Shoppers buying high-end items such as jewellery and bags were buying “treats” according to retailers, as opposed to taking trips or having an expensive evening out.
It’s not yet clear exactly how many individual store locations closed in Canada in 2020, though we know it is extensive and will continue into this year. Malls and urban streets across Canada are seeing increasing vacancies that are concerning. The expense of opening physical businesses will keep some leasing deals from happening for the short term, though things are looking up.
Some retailers are looking at a longer-term situation — where rents are currently going down, they are looking to find the right spot and are willing to do a lease deal. That means that new stores and restaurants will be opening, which is good news — Point Zero, for example, could see 50 new stores. Some are seeing 2020 as a catalyst for innovation which will ultimately make the world a better place.
The Canadian retail industry will never be the same as things begin to recover from the current pandemic. Many retail chains will have been lost and some brands will gain or regain popularity, while new brands altogether will come on the market (likely with some sort of celebrity endorsement). It will be interesting to see what happens in 2021 and beyond as we move more rapidly into the digital age than ever.
A special edition podcast interview with Natalie Bibeau, President at NATA PR. Craig and Natalie discuss skills and education retailers may need to successfully emerge from a troubled 2020.
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One of Canada’s highest profile entrepreneurs and biggest advocates for entrepreneurship, Arlene Dickinson, has launched a social media campaign to help struggling Canadian business owners as they navigate the turbulent waters caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a recent Facebook post, Dickinson said: “Small businesses are in DANGER! They make up the fabric of our communities but many are at risk of closing this winter. If you want to see your favourite places survive and thrive act now! Waiting until ‘it’s all over’ may be too late. So I’ve come up with a way to make a real difference to local shops and businesses now by helping their rankings on search — please write and perform a #RavingReview! You could sing it, dance it, stand outside your favourite shop and YELL it! Get creative and be as over-the-top complimentary as you can be!”
Arlene Dickinson
Dickinson is urging people to keep buying from local businesses but also to go a step further and help them in this social media campaign by following three simple steps:
Submit a review of a local business on Google/Yelp;
Record yourself performing it; and
Post it on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites with #RavingReview.
“Everybody’s talking about how important it is to support local and how meaningful it is for us to give them business but we can’t support every single business. Telling people to spend money is sometimes a really difficult thing for people to do right now. So we were thinking at Venture what could we do to support small business without it costing people more money and asking people to spend all the time,” said Dickinson.
“Small business relies on Google reviews and Yelp reviews because that helps them in their search ranking but also when you have a great review online you actually get more customers and you actually get them to spend more. So we knew there was a financial reward in having reviews and we knew that people liked to talk about the businesses they support with enthusiasm. So we thought why don’t we make that easier for people to do and get people to just do a rating review. Put something on Google and Yelp. Then record yourself and put it on your social media and amplify your voice. It works. Businesses are getting business as a result of it.”
Along with serving as Calgary-based Venture’s President and CEO, Dickinson is the General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a venture capital fund focused on helping market, fund and grow entrepreneurs and companies in the food and health space. The serial entrepreneur is a three-time best-selling author, podcaster, and accomplished public speaker. Dickinson is widely recognized for her role as a Dragon/Venture Capitalist for over 12 seasons on the multi-award-winning television series, Dragons’ Den. Dickinson is cause-oriented, passionate about the underdog, and brings a strong sense of social responsibility to everything she does.
Dickinson’s leadership has been recognized many times, including Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, as well as PROFIT and Chatelaine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners. She is a Marketing Hall of Legends inductee and a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award. Dickinson has served for many years as an Honourary Captain in the Royal Canadian Navy. She also sits on several public and private boards and is actively involved in supporting community and country.
“I have a fear that big business is going to fill the void and what’s happening with small businesses being shut down and big business not being shut down. You’ve got entrepreneurs who are not able to deliver their goods and services the way that they should be able to. So I do worry alot about small business being impacted,” said Dickinson. “We’re hearing now that one in seven businesses are at risk of closing. I think that’s an underestimation actually. I worry about their ability to keep the lights on and also to keep growing.
“It’s one thing with these government programs for businesses to do just that — keep their lights on. It’s another thing for them to be able to recover to pre-pandemic revenues. How do we help them grow and get in the digital world and compete? This is where I feel there’s going to be a lot of damage done to small businesses.”
As small businesses navigate through these challenging times, Dickinson said this is an opportunity for them to make sure they are keeping track of their costs and keeping up with their ecommerce.
“Going where people are. Making sure you’re thinking about the things you’re really good at and how you deliver those goods and services in a new age where there’s curbside delivery or back door delivery for restaurants now with their delivery services. And try to understand that consumers are still shopping — we saw record numbers on Shopify as an example — we know that consumers are still consuming. How do you get in front of them where you have to find ways to leverage your existing customer bases through email marketing, through offers and through promotion on digital platforms,” said Dickinson.
“Some small businesses are caught without a digital presence and so making sure that you have one I think is really critical.
“Being an entrepreneur is never easy but I’ve said this before but I will say that everybody always loves to say entrepreneurs are the backbone of our country’s economy. Small business matters so much and employs the majority of our country. And yet when it comes to programs that actually help small businesses whether it’s tax policy, whether it’s opening policies during a pandemic and how that can work better, whether it’s programs to help digitalize better, we really don’t do a good job. And we need to do a better job of that as a country or we are going to lose the innovation that entrepreneurs and small business brings to us.”
Interior of new TUDOR boutique in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: TUDOR
Every year Retail Insider tracks international retailers opening stores within the Canadian marketplace. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 saw at least 13 international brands enter the country. While it’s the lowest number since Retail Insider began tracking international entrants in 2014, it’s still an impressive number given what has been a transformative year for the retail industry in Canada.
Some international brands had already set out plans to open in Canada prior to the pandemic, and some continued to do so despite concerns about a changing consumer profile and mass shutdowns. Some brands, looking to a future where the pandemic is over, opened stores with an eye to long-term growth despite current challenges.
In terms of geography, the breakdown of cities that saw first-to-Canada stores open in 2020 are broken down as follows:
Toronto/GTA: 8
Montreal: 2
Vancouver: 1
Winnipeg: 1
Regina: 1
The Toronto area is clearly the primary entry point for international brands opening stores in Canada, far surpassing any other market in 2020. The Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which for years has launched more first-to-Canada brands than anywhere else, saw two of the 13 retailers we tracked for 2020 open in the mall. Luxury brands Celine and Golden Goose were both expected to open at Yorkdale in late 2020 but were delayed due to the pandemic.
First Capital REIT-owned Yorkville Village, including the adjacent Hazelton Hotel, is home to three of the 13 international retail entrants — representing 23% of the total.
The Montreal area saw two of the 13 international entrants open there while Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Regina each saw one first-to-Canada retailer opening. The Vancouver market in particular has seen a slowdown since 2017-2018 when a relatively high number of first-to-Canada brands launched there.
The following is Retail Insider’s count of the international brands that entered Canada in 2020 by opening standalone stores. The list is chronological from earliest to most recent openings.
Exterior of ba&sh store in Yorkville. Photo: Craig Patterson
ba&sh: In March, French women’s fashion brand ba&sh opened its first Canadian storefront at the base of the Hazelton Hotel in Toronto’s Yorkville area. The 1,300-square-foot boutique was open for a couple of days prior to being shut down temporarily along with other ‘non-essential’ retail, opening again in the early summer until a second shutdown hit stores in November. First Capital REIT owns the Hazelton Hotel at 118 Yorkville Avenue as well as the adjacent Yorkville Village.
Aéropostale was in Canada a few years ago but left the market in the spring of 2016 after the bankruptcy of its US division. The company had 41 stores in Canada at the time. Shane Butner, Director of Marketing & Brand for Bluenotes, Aéropostale Canada and Thrifty’s, said the company chose Winnipeg as its first entrance back into the market because the Manitoba city “was a strong market for Aéropostale when they were last in Canada and a great market to learn from before we open a store in Toronto.”
Exterior of YOYOSO store. Photo: YOYOSO
YOYOSO: In March, Chinese variety retailer YOYOSO is kicking off its entry into Canada with its first storefront at the Southland Shopping Centre in Regina. A second location recently opened at Cornwall Centre in Regina, with both stores being operated by a local franchisee.
The Southland store spans about 2,000 square feet featuring the retailer’s blue-green branding that is eye-catching. The retailer focuses on eight categories in its stores, including health and beauty/cosmetics, home accessories, fashion accessories, fashion bags, digital accessories, stationery & gifts, seasonal products, and imported food. A total of 5,000 products are available and YOYOSO says that 500 new items arrive in its stores each month.
YOYOSO was founded in 2014 and now operates more than 1,000 stores in 30 countries worldwide. Markets include China, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Bahrain, Brunei, Georgia, Kuwait, India, South Africa, Hungary, Mongolia, Brazil, the United States, Guatemala, Ecuador, France, Russia, and Iraq. South Africa is a new market for YOYOSO, according to its website.
Exterior of new Away store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Maxime Frechette
Away Luggage: In late summer 2020, New York City-based travel and lifestyle brand Away — known particularly for its innovative luggage — opened its first Canadian storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The Yorkdale Away location spans more than 2,880 square feet on one level, and features a unique design inspired by travel. That includes a double-height metallic facade with mock airplane windows above the glass storefront. The interior of the store includes light wood shelving and flooring that contrast with bright artwork such as large postcards on the walls. The direct-to-consumer brand is likely to open more stores in Canada as it also sells through its online channels and social media.
Exterior of QuanU store in Kennedy Commons in suburban Toronto. Photo: QuanU
QuanU: In July, Chinese furniture retailer QuanU opened its first Canadian store at Kennedy Commons in suburban Toronto. The company will continue to expand further into Canada in 2021 with plans for as many as 15 stores this year. QuanU has more than 5,000 stores in China and was founded in 1986.
Entrance of new Ray-Ban store in CF Toronto Eaton Centre. Photo: Craig Patterson
Ray-Ban: In September, upscale sunglasses and eyewear brand Ray-Ban opened its first standalone store in Canada at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto. The 650-square-foot boutique features the brand’s trademark red facade and interiors, as well as hundreds of styles of sunglasses. More locations are expected to follow as Ray-Ban expands its direct-to-consumer operations in Canada.
Exterior of Pilgrim store in Place Montreal Trust. Photo: Maxime Frechette
Pilgrim: In the fall, Danish jewellery brand Pilgrim opened its first permanent storefront in Canada in downtown Montreal. It follows last year’s openings of two Pilgrim pop-up stores in the Montreal area that proved successful. The new Montreal Pilgrim boutique is located at Place Montreal Trust located on Ste-Caterine Street. The boutique is 504 square feet in a prime corner retail space. More locations are expected to open in the Montreal area and possibly beyond in 2021.
Exterior of Thom Browne store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Thom Browne
Thom Browne: In November, New York City-based luxury fashion brand Thom Browne opened its first Canadian store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 1,430-square-foot store features a range of men’s and women’s fashions, bags, accessories, footwear, and fragrances. The store’s interior is unique with high ceilings and a design reflective of a mid-century office with signature slat blind-covered windows, “fluorescent” LED tube lighting, polished grey and black terrazzo flooring, and banker grey Bardiglio and Carrara marble walls. Mid-century furniture by American and French designers is featured throughout. The expansion will continue in 2021 with a second standalone Canadian Thom Browne store that will open in Vancouver, details to follow.
Avon make up counter. Photo: Avon
Avon: Beauty brand Avon officially launched a Canadian retail expansion in November with an initial plan to open three storefronts. The first of these opened in Montreal and locations in Toronto and Vancouver are also in the works. It’s part of an effort by Avon to create an immersive experience for consumers in dedicated spaces for the first time. The Montreal Avon flagship features a reception area, café and lounge space (with complimentary snacks and beverages), product displays, ordering stations, a ‘mini spa experience’, training area, and a conference room. The space encourages trial, sampling, and discovery through product knowledge training and beauty advice. Avon’s full range of skincare, colour cosmetics, fragrances, personal care items, and health and wellness items are carried along with Avon-owned brands.
The 3,200-square-foot Montreal ‘Studio 1886’ Avon location is at 5500 Trans-Canada Highway in suburban Pointe-Claire. The highly interactive retail space is contained within Avon’s Canadian headquarters. The open concept Avon space is a place where Avon’s independent sales representatives can meet with customers to showcase the latest products. It’s part of a multi-channel shift from Avon’s door-to-door sales which has been a core sales channel for the brand for over 100 years.
Interior of Yorkville Couple Diamonds store. Photo: Toronto Life
Couple Diamonds: New York City-based Lab-grown diamond brand Couple Diamonds opened its first permanent store at Toronto’s Yorkville Village shopping centre in the fall. The 900-square-foot boutique became Couple’s Canadian flagship store as part of a retail expansion for the brand. Couple specializes in lab-grown diamonds which it claims are identical to mined diamonds down to the atom. The raw diamonds are cut and polished and graded by the International Gemological Institute before undergoing a 12-step quality control process to ensure they meet an exceptionally high standard.
Exterior of the new Tudor boutique at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Photo: Tudor
Tudor: In the fall, luxury watch brand Tudor opened its first standalone store in North America at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 450-square-foot boutique is connected to and operated by Raffi Jewellers. The boutique was only open briefly before being shut down temporarily in November — the store has yet to reopen as Ontario’s lockdowns extend until at least January 23rd.
The Toronto store features red, black, and grey colour hues and houses a range of price Tudor time pieces. We’ll update this with a full article when the store has reopened hopefully later this month.
The history of Whoo storefront. Photo: The history of Whoo
Exterior of Polestar in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
Polestar: In late December, Volvo-owned electric car brand Polestar opened its first location in North America at Toronto’s Yorkville Village shopping centre at 55 Avenue Road in Yorkville. The bi-level space includes a street-facing facade on busy Avenue Road as well as an entrance from within the mall. One-on-one appointments are permitted though the space is otherwise shut due to provincial lockdowns until at least January 23rd. Grand Touring Auto runs the Toronto space, as well as a new Montreal Polestar location (at 1255 boulevard René Levesque West) set to open this year. A Vancouver location under a different operator (at 827 Seymour Street) is also set to open and the company will open service centres in Victoria, BC and Waterloo, ON.
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Exterior of Polestar in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
Exterior of Polestar in Toronto. Photo: Craig Patterson
