Two of Vancouver’s top retail-focused brokers, Mario Negris and Martin Moriarty, have left CBRE to spearhead an expansion at Marcus & Millichap. The duo is said to have been responsible for the vast majority of all retail lease deals over the past several years in downtown Vancouver.
Negris joins Marcus & Millichap as a Senior Managing Director and Moriarty was named as a Senior Vice President. The announcement was made officially this week. Negris had been with CBRE Vancouver for more than 20 years while Moriarty was there for about a decade.
Over the past decade, Negris and Moriarty dominated retail leasing in Vancouver by completing more than 6-million square feet in commercial real estate transactions with a total deal value exceeding $3.5 billion while with CBRE Vancouver’s Urban Properties Group. Retail deals negotiated by the duo were numerous and included brand names such as Hermes, Peloton, lululemon, Equinox Fitness, Christian Dior, Muji, Tiffany, Home Depot, Loblaw, and Old Navy, among others.
“Mario and Martin are the pre-eminent retail property leasing and investment sales team in Vancouver,” said Michael Heck, Regional Manager of Marcus & Millichap’s Vancouver office. “Through their dedicated efforts on behalf of clients, they have reached a majority retail market share in Vancouver. The addition of this team further secures our retail division’s position as the market leader in British Columbia.”
Negris holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia and is a member of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver and ICSC. Moriarty earned his degree in real estate investment and finance from the University of Reading, England. Moriarty is also a serving member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board, Canadian Real Estate Association, and ICSC.
In an interview, Martin Moriarty explained how the duo would have the opportunity to continue working on urban projects and investments while at the same time partnering strategically with teams on suburban deals under the Marcus & Millichap nameplate, and that he is looking forward to doing new deals. He also expressed his gratitude to CBRE which is considered to be one of the world’s leading commercial real estate brokerages.
Brokerages in Canada are seeing a shake-up amid increasing competition for talent. In 2018, JLL Canada expanded by acquiring brokerage Northwest Atlantic and a year later, the company grew by hiring several top brokers from competing firms as well as from noted landlords including Oxford Properties. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we may see more movements in the brokerage space as retailers and other businesses look to the future and sign leases for spaces. While leasing was said to be slow towards the start of the pandemic, it is picking up in regions across Canada as brands strategize multi-year growth plans.
The City of Calgary is aggressively moving forward in a concerted effort to bring life to its downtown core that has been decimated in recent years with a record office vacancy rate spurred on by thousands of layoffs in the oilpatch.
City Council has approved an initial investment of $200 million for Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan which is focused on creating a vibrant area in the city’s core.
The initial investment includes:
$45 million in financial incentives for office conversion, office replacement, and new residential development;
$5 million in financial incentives to offset +15 Fund contributions for residential development;
$55 million for impactful capital projects to improve public spaces, improve vibrancy, and support complete neighbourhoods;
$5 million to activate downtown public spaces with festivals, events, and community spaces to build vibrancy;
$80 million for Arts Commons Transformation Phase 1; and
$10 million over four years for a dedicated City of Calgary Downtown team.
Murray Sigler
Murray Sigler, interim CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, said vibrant communities lead to vibrant businesses, which are critical to Calgary’s inclusive economic recovery, and Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan will advance the important work needed to reimagine and build on the vibrancy of the downtown.
“Calgary competes with other cities in Canada and around the world on much more than economics. To attract and retain top talent, we must invest in the capital and social infrastructure that supports community well-being, including childcare, parks, public transit, the arts, and the charitable sector. Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan builds on the work that is already being done, and this significant investment is needed to address one of our city’s greatest challenges,” said Sigler.
“The plan begins this work through reimagining our downtown for mixed-use neighbourhoods and transportation; addressing climate change through design and land use; continuing to build a strong, well-developed public transit network; and focusing on innovation and regulatory reform. It will also generate investment and support the growth of our business community downtown, which can alleviate pressures on the property tax system caused by downtown vacancy in the years to come.
Michael Kehoe
“A plan that invests, enhances, and builds on Calgary’s vibrancy is needed now, more than ever, and its success will require ongoing collaboration with the business community. As we await further details, we look forward to the renewed community vibrancy that the Greater Downtown Plan will deliver for all Calgarians.”
The 10-year plan, pegged at about $1 billion, was developed through public engagement as well as the input of downtown businesses and community associations. The overall plan includes $450 million to $500 million to address office vacancy and $500 million for downtown vibrancy infrastructure and amenities. The initial investment package represents only 20 percent of the overall need over the next decade. The City said it will require support from all levels of government to help address this 80 percent funding gap. City Council has directed the Mayor and City Administration to initiate a formal request to the federal and provincial governments.
Michael Kehoe, Broker/Owner with Fairfield Commercial Real Estate and a retail specialist, said healthy downtowns are the economic engines of Canadian cities and their return to vibrancy will be an important part of the post-pandemic recovery.
“The recovery will be dependent on workers returning to reinvented downtown work environments where the commercial viability of stores and restaurants is driven by foot traffic. The downtown core in Calgary as we all know has been severely impacted by the fall in oil prices and the pandemic,” he said.
The Tree Galleria seen from 2nd Street SW outside of La Maison Simons at The CORE in Calgary. Photo: Jessica Finch
“Any turnaround in the fortunes of the city’s downtown will take years and will require a long-term strategy driven by the private sector and a significant financial reinvestment by building owners that will be executed by their management teams. Time will tell if the recent Calgary City Council’s pledge of $1 billion with an initial $200 million to help address the problems of the downtown core will have any meaningful effect on the fortunes of their ailing downtown core. The city’s function must focus on creating a business-friendly environment with affordable taxes, limiting bureaucratic restrictions, combined with timely approval processes that encourage new investment.
Domenic Mazzocchi
“The market will decide the highest and best use for downtown space and the occupancy levels of commercial buildings. Building owners in Canadian central business districts are a creative and entrepreneurial lot and solutions will emerge as many commercial spaces I am sure will be repurposed to alternate uses. Cities need to encourage citizens and shoppers in particular to come downtown with relaxed parking fees, events, attractions, and other incentives in a post-pandemic Canada. Civic leaders across Canada need to address the social challenges of the many homeless citizens and those struggling with poverty that are evident on the streets of our downtowns.”
In the heart of corporate Calgary lies The CORE, a shopping centre with about 120 retailers, restaurants, and services in about 610,000 square feet stretching over four floors and home to such high-profile retail brands as Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, and Simons. The centre was recently profiled in a photo tour in Retail Insider.
“The CORE is excited to hear that the city has approved a plan to revitalize and energize Calgary’s downtown. We look forward to the execution of this plan to add vibrancy to the downtown through programming, residential density, and capital investments. This is a real opportunity to chart a new more positive course for the downtown,” said Domenic Mazzocchi, Director, Property Management, The CORE
Thom Mahler
When oil prices began their collapse in late 2014, it triggered an economic downturn with a vicious domino effect in Alberta, and particularly Calgary — home of the corporate oilpatch. Thousands of people were laid off from downtown offices, driving the office vacancy rate to more than 30 percent. More than six years later, the vacancy rate still hovers at that level, and, because of the pandemic as well, fewer people are downtown. On many days it looks like a dead zone.
That has impacted businesses and retailers who for years have relied on a healthy corporate world to drive their business.
“A thriving downtown where people want to live and be, and where businesses want to set down roots, means a thriving Calgary,” said Thom Mahler, program lead for The City’s Downtown Strategy. ”We have been working extensively over the past several years with our civic partners, Calgary’s real estate industry, post-secondary institutions, and the downtown business community. We’re doing what we can with what we have, but there is a definite need for broader commitments and funding to make this a reality.”
Kate Thompson
Kate Thompson, President and CEO of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation which is spearheading development in areas near the city’s downtown core, said the investment in Arts Commons underscores the value of the arts to the city’s wellbeing and will ensure the ongoing growth of Calgary’s cultural identity, adding that it “secures the long-awaited expansion of our city’s important arts and cultural centre—something essential not only to the arts community but to downtown’s renewal as a whole.”
Jyoti Gondek, a city councillor who is running for Mayor in the fall election, voted in favour of the $80 million allocation to transform Arts Commons.
“Why? Because an investment in Calgary’s creative sector is an investment in Calgary’s future,” she said.
Gondek said the creative sector has much to offer in the city’s efforts for economic diversification.
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Hudson's Bay in downtown Calgary. Photo: Google
Crossing 3rd Street SW from TD Building (left) to the Cactus Club (right) under the 'tunnel' at The CORE in Calgary. Photo: Jessica Finch
The Tree Galleria outside of IndigoSpirit at The CORE in Calgary. Photo: Jessica Finch
Holt Renfrew entrance at The CORE in Calgary. Photo: Jessica Finch
Downtown Calgary
“We need to create an even-more thriving downtown community that moves beyond the traditional office-based downtown central business district and instead is a dynamic, vibrant 24/7 centre of our city,” added Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “This means taking bold action and making intentional investments in public spaces, supporting vibrant neighbourhoods, and ensuring we continue to create a downtown that people want to live and work in.”
Jyoti Gondek
“A vibrant downtown is essential for attracting and retaining talent and our city’s long term success,” said Trent Edwards, President, Canada Land & Housing, Brookfield Properties Development and Co-Chair of Calgary Economic Development’s Real Estate Sector Advisory Committee.
“Harnessing the full potential of our city is dependent on creating a significantly improved tax base downtown which will help reduce the tax burden, where it has recently shifted outside the core, and help us to be more competitive throughout the city. These financial investments are part of a necessary take-action approach to attract people who want to spend time living, working and playing in our downtown, providing long-term benefit to all Calgarians. We simply can’t afford not to do this.”
Richard White, a Calgary blogger as the Everyday Tourist and former executive director of the city’s downtown association years ago, said city planners and politicians want this robust downtown like they see in New York or Chicago or even Vancouver.
“But my experience is that you only have a robust, vibrant downtown when you have tourists,” he said.
Trent Edwards
“You go to New York, you go to Montreal. It’s the tourists that make the downtown vibrant. Most other cities in North America and even in Europe, if you don’t have a ton of tourists in your downtown, you probably don’t have a vibrant downtown.
“I’m not sure that Calgary can do anything to become a tourist city. We just don’t have the population close by. When I was in Nashville, there was tons of people on the weekend. But they have something like 50 million that are within a three-hour drive. So people on Wednesday or Thursday can say hey let’s go to Nashville for the weekend. And they hop in their car . . . You look at places that are tourist attractions. They have that rubber tire market. Vancouver has Seattle. Toronto has the whole sort of Golden Horseshoe and Buffalo. Montreal’s got Ottawa, Quebec City and all of northern New York. You need a density of people. We only have Edmonton and people don’t go from Calgary and Edmonton because they’re perceived as the same city. They don’t have anything different to offer.”
White said another thing to consider is that the whole concept of the downtown is an early 20th Century model that is no longer valid. People don’t need to go downtown to go to the cinema. Or to go to the bank. All of those things. The suburbs have all that in place now for people.
Richard White
Also, Calgary’s culture is focused on the outdoors with people spending much of their time on the city’s pathway system and along the rivers. In some ways, that desire has taken away from the downtown appeal.
For example, he points out, the extensive pathway system along the Bow River and its rich natural landscape is only a few blocks away from Stephen Avenue, the pedestrian-friendly roadway in the heart of the downtown core.
A new report says about 85 percent of B2C businesses are lagging behind because they’re incapable of extracting actionable insights from their customer data.
“The new normal demands physical and digital excellence. While the shifts of the previous year required digital transformation across the board, successful marketing strategies of the future are not all digital or all in-person; rather, the best marketing strategies bring both worlds together seamlessly into a comprehensive omnichannel experience. However, 85 percent of organizations today lack a seamless omnichannel experience,” says the report by Forrester Consulting which was commissioned by Toronto-based DAC Group, a digital performance agency, with 12 offices in North America and Europe.
“B2C organizations face a complex conundrum — in a world that’s becoming increasingly digital, building a truly seamless omnichannel experience becomes increasingly difficult. Underscoring this tension is the belief that a 100 percent digital world is the only future, which is not the case. The future reality is an omnichannel world that brings together physical and digital experiences. CMOs and their marketing teams will only be successful in this new world if they are able to combine both digital and physical into a cohesive experience that resonates with customers throughout their entire journey.”
Nasser Sahlool, Vice President, Client Strategy at DAC Group, said there has been a huge jump in digital adoption by brands, supercharged by the pandemic.
“There is a broad consensus that things will be increasingly and in fact exclusively digital moving forward. We wanted to determine whether or not that was a fact because we certainly saw the brands that did the best during the pandemic — beyond the giant digital native brands like an Amazon or Netflix — but the ones that enacted a true omnichannel experience which is incredibly difficult to do in a pandemic with things being open and closed and limited, but those who were able from a retail perspective to do this really well had insanely outcomes in terms of growth,” said Sahlool.
Nasser Sahlool
“(The study) validated that point and it also said moving forward what people are looking for is not 100 percent digital. They are craving these omnichannel experiences and brands that do this are able to build differentiation and the ability to build market share. We’ve certainly seen it in our client base. This certainly shouldn’t be a surprise because there’s a reason we’re all sitting at home depressed. The idea that once the post-pandemic economy opens up we’re all just going to do things digitally is ludicrous. So we wanted to see how well prepared brands are for that post-pandemic omnichannel boom that’s coming.”
Forrester defined an omnichannel experience as one that is a seamless, cohesive, and contextual experience between digital and physical touch points across the entire customer journey.
Sahlool said that retail is at 92 percent in terms of struggling with this which was surprising because retail is typically at the forefront in being able to innovate and building these types of experiences primarily because they have to.
Why is this happening? Why do 92 percent of retailers say they lack any decent cohesive omnichannel experience given that that’s what they need to do?
“The core failure is they don’t know their customers. They cannot build around customer data,” said Sahlool.
The report found that 77 percent of businesses have difficulty maintaining a unified customer profile across channels; 72 percent have difficulty working with disparate data and tech tools; and 74 percent are unable to deliver consistently on the brand promise across the customer journey.
“What is most alarming about this is that retailers and brands have had years and years and years to do this. They’ve invested an enormous amount of money in enterprise tools and platforms and yet this is still the situation,” said Sahlool.
“There’s a further complication in this in that there’s big changes coming in the regulatory and data privacy landscape. Google has made big announcements about changing access to third party data — the death of the third party cookie. That’s not coming for a while but the simple fact that if we in Q2 of 2021 have all of these brands saying we can’t do this today imagine how much more difficult it’s going to be when they don’t have access to that data in a few months’ time.”
If companies don’t figure this out, there will be further consolidation, especially in the retail sector, amongst the giant pure play digital players.
The report cited three key activities for companies to bolster their omnichannel success:
Promote their brick-and-mortar locations: “Don’t write off physical stores in favor of digital strategies. Omnichannel is here to stay. 75 percent of decision-makers say their brick-and-mortar stores will be important or critical to overall business performance over the next three years. This includes maximizing the value physical experiences can provide (e.g. ability to interact with a product, have the product immediately available, and the advantage of human interaction in the sales experience), establishing trust and connection by investing in a local presence, and utilizing localized media for a more personalized touch. Brands must address the seamless customer experience now to remain profitable — but understanding where to start can be just as intimidating as addressing challenges.”;
Value both quantitative and qualitative benefits from an omnichannel strategy: “Most firms that prioritize creating an omnichannel experience generally do so because it provides a consistent customer experience (71 percent) and drives customer retention and engagement (64 percent). These reasons vary by region and industry, but the underlying motivation is the same: supporting the customer. The benefits go beyond those two goals, though, and are more qualitative than quantitative. In fact, marketers that have built their omnichannel presence cite improvements in customer satisfaction and brand awareness as the top benefits, aligning almost exactly with their priorities for the year ahead. In time, these improvements promote organizational growth by way of differentiation and a strengthened brand, further benefiting both to the organization’s bottom line and its end customers.”;
Prioritize insights generation: “Brands need greater insights to inform their omnichannel strategy and a way to effectively connect these insights to multiple data sources. To further bolster their plans, organizations are preparing to implement or expand their implementation of key supporting technology, such as data management platforms and analytics tools. Localization also becomes a critical factor. Integrating digital and physical insights is supported via listings management and reputation management. These tools will help marketers better prepare for a data-deprecated world to understand their customers, while also delivering quality experiences regardless of channel.”
One of Canada’s oldest shopping centres will be shuttered entirely as the city of Montreal expropriates the entire property for a new transit line. The Le Boulevard shopping centre announced on social media on Monday that its tenure was coming to an end and that consumers will have the opportunity to shop closing-out sales in the coming months as stores exit the property.
Le Boulevard encompasses about 400,000 square feet of retail space and prior to the pandemic, saw more than 8 million annual visitors. The centre is located at the corner of Jean Talon Street and Pie IX Boulevard which sees more than 60,000 cars pass by daily. Existing tenants include Canadian Tire, Metro Plus Supermarket, Urban Planet, Jean Coutu, SAQ (Liquor Store) Dollarama, and Ardène, to name a few. Landlord Crofton Moore had been marketing the mall’s former Hudson’s Bay space for re-tenanting as part of a strategy shift for the historic centre.
The entire shopping centre property will be expropriated for the expansion of Montreal’s rapid transit ‘Blue Line’ that will extend to the Galeries D’Anjou shopping centre on the north part of the Island of Montreal. Plans had been in place to expropriate part of the shopping centre property and it was ultimately decided in February of this year that given the challenges associated with operating on only part of the site, taking over the entire property made more sense. Disruptions around construction and access were also taken into consideration as it was expected that many tenants would vacate the centre during construction regardless.
Le Boulevard was the third shopping centre to be built in Montreal, having opened on September 29, 1953, with 32 stores. The open-air shopping centre was enclosed in the 1970s and expanded in the shape of an L to house about 70 retail units.
Exterior of Le Boulevard Shopping Centre in recent times. Photo: Le Boulevard Shopping Centre
Exterior of Le Boulevard Shopping Centre in Montreal in 1961. Photo: Crofton Moore
Interior map of Le Boulevard Shopping Centre showing the mall’s main anchor stores. Image Le Boulevard Shopping Centre
When it opened in 1953, Le Boulevard was considered to be an important-enough mall to house the first suburban branch of the upscale Henry Morgan department store company. The one-level Morgan’s store was expanded to two levels in 1958 as it saw exceptional commercial success. Prior to opening at Le Boulevard, Morgan’s operated out of a massive building at 585 Ste-Catherine Street West which was rebranded as a Hudson’s Bay store in 1972.
The Morgan’s store at Le Boulevard was also rebranded as Hudson’s Bay in 1972, where it operated until its closure in September of 2018. Crofton Moore set out to redevelop the 100,000-square-foot Bay box by demising it for several new tenants including an Aubainerie store.
The Le Boulevard was one of the first suburban shopping centres in Canada when increasing suburbanization in the 1950’s saw modern shopping malls open in automobile-dependent locations on the outskirts of major cities. The expectation was that locals would patronize these instead of the massive multi-level department stores which were once staples in most larger Canadian downtown cores. The rise of the shopping centre is blamed in part for the demise of downtown retail in North America as well as the downtown department store model that was once part of every major city.
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Morgan's department store at Interior map of Le Boulevard Shopping Centre showing the mall's main anchor stores. Image Le Boulevard Shopping Centre. Photo: HBC Archives
Montreal Star newspaper advertisement from September 28, 1953
It’s a rare announcement in Canada for an entire shopping centre to close, with only a handful in recent memory. The Heritage Mall in Edmonton was demolished in 2001 for example, and Capilano Mall in Edmonton was repurposed as a big-box centre in 2013. Mall closures are far more common in the United States, which has far more retail space per capita, as well as a rapidly shrinking middle-class.
The story of the demolition of Heritage Mall in Edmonton by ‘Best Edmonton Mall’
Shopping centre redevelopments in Canada are a different story, however, as many of the mall properties in the Vancouver and Toronto areas are slated for site intensification redevelopments, as well as numerous other malls across the country. Retail Insider’s Editor-in-Chief, Craig Patterson, authored Retail Council of Canada’s 2019 Shopping Centre Study which analyzed the situation in considerable detail.
It’s not yet known what will happen to the Le Boulevard site when the Blue Line is finished. Given the size of the site and its proximity to transit, it is highly likely that a mixed-use development including residential will be part of the future mix.
*Thank you Montreal correspondent Maxime Frechette for notifying us of this development.
Amazon introduces its IP Accelerator to the Canadian market. Photo: Amazon
Retail giant Amazon has launched the Intellectual Property Accelerator to help Canadian businesses — of small and medium size — secure a trademark and protect their brands.
The initiative connects these businesses with a network of Canadian IP law firms charging reduced fees on key services and participating businesses can access Amazon’s brand protection tools months before their trademark registration is issued.
Mary Beth Westmoreland, VP, Brand Protection at Amazon, said more than 30,000 Canada-based third-party sellers have grown their business with Amazon, reaching millions of customers while grossing more than $2 billion on Amazon’s stores around the world.
Mary Beth Westmoreland
“IP Accelerator is a program that helps businesses that sell on Amazon more quickly obtain intellectual property rights to protect their brands, both in Amazon’s stores and in the broader marketplace,” she said.
“IP Accelerator connects businesses with a curated network of eight trusted Canadian IP law firms that provide high quality trademark registration services at reduced rates to help them secure a trademark with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. This is important because IP rights are vital to businesses to help them protect their brands, and stop bad actors from copying and infringing on their ideas.
“Amazon is committed to the success of our SMB sellers. We know that seeking IP protection can be a time-consuming, daunting process, and we want to facilitate and expedite the process for as many brands as possible, working with Canada’s most skilled legal professionals.”
The list of participating Canadian firms includes Bereskin & Parr LLP, Chari Prenol Slaney & Turco, Palmer IP, Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP, JZC, Ridout & Maybee LLP, Brouillette Legal Inc., and Clancy PC. These firms are located in Vancouver, the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa, and Montreal. Participating law firms can serve clients in several languages including English, French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Japanese.
“What’s also exciting is that IP Accelerator provides SMBs with early access to Amazon’s brand protection tools even before their trademark is officially registered. For example, Amazon’s Brand Registry is a free service that provides SMBs with powerful tools that help them manage and protect their brand and IP rights in Amazon stores, with more than 350,000 brands enrolled to date. Participants benefit from Amazon’s automated, data-driven protections that proactively remove suspected infringing or inaccurate content as well as tools that enable brands to report suspected infringement,” said Westmoreland, adding that the IP Accelerator is very much a program that sets SMBs up to grow over the long term.
She said Amazon created IP Accelerator to help SMBs build and protect their brands by relieving the time and challenges that can be associated with filing an application for IP protection.
“We know how critical it is for a brand to protect its IP, and we want to help remove barriers by connecting our SMB sellers with Canada’s top IP legal talent,” explained Westmoreland.
“We also want to help as many brands that sell in our store as possible have access to protections which were previously only available to brands with registered trademarks. These protections include powerful features to find and report potential infringing listings, automated brand protections that remove suspected inaccurate content, and eligibility for brand-building tools. IP Accelerator provides brands with these protections even before their trademark is issued, and we believe that this can have a significant impact.”
IP Accelerator was launched in the United States in 2019, and has since expanded to Europe, Japan, India, and now Canada. Since the program’s initial launch, more than 6,000 trademark applications from participating brands have been submitted to trademark offices including the US Patent and Trademark Office, the European Union Intellectual Property Office, the UK Intellectual Property Office, India Trade Marks Registry, the Japan Patent Office and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
Jennifer Pratt
“We’re working with more and more SMBs, and what we’re hearing from our sellers is that they have so many urgent day-to-day priorities involved in running a small business that things like trademark protection are falling by the wayside. We’re proud of the innovations that our SMB sellers bring to Amazon and our customers, and we want to help our sellers protect their unique ideas and grow with us over the long term,” said Westmoreland. “For example, one of our sellers based in BC, Seeding Square, has created a unique gardening tool that has become very popular with urban gardeners. We want to help this seller protect her invention. That’s why we’re working with some of Canada’s top legal talent, who have agreed to reduce their rates to make it as easy as possible for SMBs to have access to the expertise they need.
“It’s worth noting that more than 30,000 Canada-based third-party sellers have grown their business with Amazon, reaching millions of customers while grossing more than $2 billion on Amazon’s stores around the world. IP Accelerator allows our SMB selling partners to build on that success by protecting their valuable IP and setting them up for long-term growth.”
The IP Accelerator is available to any brand selling in Amazon’s stores.
Amazon does not charge selling partners to use IP Accelerator — SMBs pay their law firm directly for the work performed at reduced, pre-negotiated rates. Businesses interested in IP Accelerator can visit brandservices.amazon.ca/ipaccelerator. Law firms that are interested in participating in the program should contact IPAcceleratorWaitList@amazon.com.
Paula Clancy
“For any small business, but particularly for one like mine, whose invention is becoming increasingly popular, there is a significant risk of competitors copying or stealing your hard work and capitalizing on your growth,” said Jennifer Pratt, Founder and Owner of Seeding Square, the colour-coded seed spacer for vegetable gardens. “As a small business owner, I have many urgent day-to-day priorities that can prevent me from pursuing complicated matters like trademark protection. I am encouraged to see initiatives like IP Accelerator, which connects businesses like mine with specialized legal expertise at a reduced cost.”
Paula Clancy, Founder and Managing Attorney at Clancy PC, said that in today’s competitive marketplace, your brand is one of your most valuable assets as it represents your reputation in the eyes of consumers, directing them to your products and services.
“Brand protection on a store like Amazon, which reaches millions of customers worldwide, is essential, not only to prevent unauthorized use of your marks, but also to protect you from potential claims by third parties. Amazon’s IP Accelerator helps small businesses connect with trusted trademark professionals to protect their brands. Clancy PC is excited to be part of the program and to assist small businesses through the trademark registration and Amazon Brand Registry process,” she said.
Disney Store at SouthCentre Mall. Photo: Jessica Finch
April 26, 2021, 11:35am
Multiple sources have informed Retail Insider that US-based mass media and entertainment conglomerate Disney will be shutting almost all of its standalone retail stores, including all 18 locations in Canada. Two Canadian locations already shuttered last month. The move comes as Disney re-evaluates its operations amid a challenging time for retail and landlords in North America as the pandemic increasingly shifts consumer shopping patterns to online channels.
Landlords in Canada with properties housing Disney stores are said to have been working with the company on the exit strategy for the past several weeks. Sources said that Disney is paying out monies owed to landlords on the remaining duration for its Canadian leases so as to bypass any potential litigation. The remaining duration of leases for the Disney stores in Canada vary from one year to more than five. Store staff have not yet been notified officially of the Disney store closures according to sources Retail Insider spoke to over the weekend, which means that this article brings with it unfortunate news requiring action. Landlords said that they were not permitted to comment on the record for this story.
Sources tell Retail Insider that the Canadian Disney stores will all shutter by the end of the summer, with one source noting that a date of August 1st had been set for at least one store location in Ontario. Discussions with landlords are said to be ongoing according to another source noting that the landlord is hoping to have one of the storefronts leased to a new tenant by July.
Disney Store Canada Mickey. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
One source noted that in the United States, Disney is expected to keep a handful of stores open including a flagship location on Times Square in Manhattan. Over the weekend word began getting out on several US stores that will shutter, and we’re told that there will be many more. Our sources based in Canada were otherwise unable to confirm other details pertaining to global Disney store location closures.
Most of the Disney stores in Canada are in the 4,000-to-5,000-square-foot range, with one in Winnipeg being under 3,000 square feet and one at West Edmonton Mall spanning more than 5,600 square feet. Landlords will look to fill these spaces at a challenging time when many brands are seeking smaller retail spaces. At the same time, some of the Disney stores are in exceptional locations in some of the country’s top malls, and will be leased quickly. The current Yorkdale Disney store was already expected to be demolished for new retail space according to a building application. The new space would be geared towards luxury brands, being across from recently opened Louis Vuitton, Golden Goose and Thom Brown stores.
Disney’s Canadian stores are located in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba.
Eight of Disney’s stores in Canada are located in Ontario. That includes stores in the Toronto area (at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Scarborough Town Centre, Vaughan Mils, Upper Canada Mall), Hamilton (CF Lime Ridge), Ottawa (CF Rideau Centre), and London (CF Masonville Place). A ninth Ontario location at Square One in Mississauga shut last month.
In Alberta, Disney currently operates four stores, two of which are located in Edmonton at West Edmonton Mall and Kingsway Mall as well as two stores in Calgary at CF Market Mall and Southcentre. A location at CrossIron Mills near Calgary shut last month. In British Columbia, Disney’s three storefronts include CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby and Guildford Town Centre in Surrey. Disney also operates its smallest Canadian location at CF Polo Park in Winnipeg.
Disney Stores in Canada
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Guildford Town Centre Disney Store. Photo: Lee Rivett
Guildford Town Centre Disney Store
CrossIron Mills Disney Store. Photo: Jessica Finch
CrossIron Mills Disney Store
Disney Store at the Toronto Eaton Centre - Photo by Dustin Fuhs
CF Pacific Centre Disney Store (Closing July 14th 2021). Photo: Lee Rivett
Landlord Cadillac Fairview is left most exposed to the closures with 11 of the 18 Disney stores being housed in its Canadian shopping centre properties.
Disney never launched an e-commerce presence in Canada despite promises to do so, nor did it secure warehouse space for product fulfillment in terms of ship-to-store or otherwise. If consumers ordered online from the company’s global website, taxes and duties would be charged. One source noted that several of the Canadian Disney store units, including the CF Toronto Eaton Centre and West Edmonton Mall locations, were among the company’s top-selling stores.
“Over the next year Disney will focus on providing a more seamless, personalized and franchise-focused ecommerce experience through its shopDisney platform which will be complemented by greater integration with Disney Parks apps and social media platforms,” Disney said in a statement in March. “This will be coupled with an assortment of new and elevated merchandise from the Company’s full range of brands, including adult apparel collections and artist collaborations, trend-forward streetwear, premium home products and collectibles.”
“While consumer behaviour has shifted toward online shopping, the global pandemic has changed what consumers expect from a retailer,” said Stephanie Young, President, Consumer Products Games and Publishing in a statement last month. “Over the past few years, we’ve been focused on meeting consumers where they are already spending their time, such as the expansion of Disney store shop-in-shops around the world. We now plan to create a more flexible, interconnected e-commerce experience that gives consumers easy access to unique, high-quality products across all our franchises.”
Disney Store Yorkdale - March 2021 - Photos by Dustin Fuhs
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Disney Store Yorkdale. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Disney Store Yorkdale
Disney Store Yorkdale. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Disney Store Yorkdale. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Disney Store Yorkdale. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Disney Store Yorkdale. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Disney Store Yorkdale. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Disney Store Yorkdale. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Disney Store Yorkdale. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
Disney said last month that guests will continue to have access to Disney shopping experiences in over 600 Disney Parks stores, shop-in-shops, lifestyle and outlet locations, as well as third party retailers around the world.
The Walt Disney Company reacquired the Disney Store business from Children’s Place Retail Stores Inc. in 2008, with 231 locations being purchased in Canada and the United States. Operating under the Disney Consumer Products division of the company until 2018, the stores were merged under a new division called Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products, which was previously under the leadership of Bob Chapek. Mr. Chapek was named the Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company in February 2020 and subsequently named Josh D’Amaro as his successor in the Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. The Vice-President of Stores for North America is Jonathan Storey, who assumed his role in 2012 after previously leading the marketing for Disney Store Europe’s e-commerce and brick/mortar retail across 120 stores in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal.
Retail Insider’s Editor-in-Chief Craig Patterson recently interviewed fashion icon Jeanne Beker in a two-part podcast. Ms. Beker was host of Fashion Television between the years 1985 and 2012 and the conversation includes a discussion of some of the most memorable moments, including exclusively announcing the retirement of iconic fashion designer Valentino.
Jeanne Beker captured the hearts and minds of Canadians by showcasing a glamorous world that Fashion Television also aimed to make accessible to the masses. Fast forward today and we see a democratization of designer brands in Canada and beyond.
Watch the Part 2 Video directly below. As well, last week we published the first video podcast where Jeanne Beker discusses the future of retail in Canada as well as some highlights from her past, including her first job which was at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre [See the Jeanne Beker video podcast #1 here].
Watch the part 2 of the video podcast below (Advertising Blockers need to be disabled as they may block video player):
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Alternatively, listen to the ‘audio only’ version of the video podcast here:
Exterior of Cobs Bread on Bloor Street in Toronto. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
COBS Bread is looking to aggressively expand its footprint across Canada in the next few years.
The company’s first COBS Bread location was in North Vancouver in 2003. The concept originated about 45 years ago in Australia as Bakers Delight.
Brad Bissonnette
“We continue to grow and expand with a focus on franchising,” said Brad Bissonnette, VP of Marketing and Franchising with COBS Bread. “What really truly hasn’t changed over the 45 years is our value proposition which is to deliver a very high quality product with outstanding customer service and ensuring that we also take care of the communities that we do business in by franchising with local franchisees and donating all of our leftover bread and baked treats to various charitable organizations across Canada.”
The company currently has 128 locations in six provinces. It has 26 commitments to open new locations in Canada over the next year.
“We had some incredible momentum prior to COVID. We were trending along very, very well with same store sales growth in and around six percent. Transaction growth at three percent. COVID ultimately hit back in March of last year and there was a significant amount of uncertainty for a couple of weeks there. But what we found over the last year in the way that Canadian consumer habits have changed has really allowed for the stars to align for our brand. Consumers are now eating more at home,” said Bissonnette.
Interior of COBS Bread store on Bloor Street, Toronto. Photo: Dustin Fuhs
“There seems to be a stronger effort to really take care of our communities which truly is part of the DNA of COBS Bread. There’s significant opportunity here with changing consumer demand and a need for fresh baked bread and treats. What we’ve found whether it’s through a recession or the global pandemic is that demand for bread and baked treats is a staple. It’s an essential. And it’s never been stronger.
“Over the last 52 weeks, we’ve been very pleased with the performance of our bakeries. We went from about six percent store sales before the pandemic and now same store sales is close to 17 percent.”
Average transaction has also grown slightly in the past year.
“We believe the market in Canada can support anywhere from 400 to 500 locations. Currently we haven’t put an exact number on where we want to expand but we do think we can double our footprint in the next five years,” said Bissonnette. “We believe we can be anywhere between 20 to 30 openings a year for the next four to five years.
“Since March of last year, we’ve had 37 commitments to either open a new location or to purchase an existing location. We currently have 26 commitments to open new franchises and have sealed deals in a lot of great markets across the country.
Photo: Dustin Fuhs
“The overwhelming interest in the COBS Bread brand has never been higher. What we’re very proud of is the brand’s ability to not only be able to provide fresh, high-quality products and great customer service, but we’re also very proud of the fact that the brand has been able to deliver a very healthy return to our franchisees. As well, with operating profit really driving high since the global pandemic, and because of all those consumer trends, we don’t feel it’s going to subside significantly post pandemic. Our current rolling 12-month operating profit is $263,000 and so when you take into consideration that the average build is between $700,000 and $750,000, the average franchisee is getting a return on their investment in just under three years. I don’t think there’s too many brands out there that can articulate and create a return like that.”
He said the company is seeing incredible growth in the Ontario market.
Recently, COBS launched a pilot for its new program called COBS Club which is a digital loyalty program that will grow to more locations in the future.
“We have a saying at COBS Bread that we want to deliver a customer experience that cannot be matched. This is now transcending to ensuring that customers can ultimately order COBS Bread whether that’s in bakery or wherever and whenever they would like to purchase COBS Bread. So we’re now on a journey to deliver a customer experience that cannot be matched across all platforms including digital platforms,” said Bissonnette.
“With the pandemic, we really had to take a look at our business to ensure that we were positioned to work our way through the pandemic, deliver a high-quality product and good customer service. We also wanted to ensure that our customers had an avenue to order COBS Bread during the uncertainty. The global pandemic really expedited our work on the digital customer experience side. Early last year we started partnering with delivery companies to ensure customers could receive COBS Bread if they weren’t able to leave their homes.
“We also rolled out an online ordering platform as well. We (recently) rolled out our COBS Club which will in time become a fully-immersive club that provides loyalty and rewards for all of our amazing customers. We’re moving into the digital age when it comes to loyalty, transitioning from a COBS Bread club card to a digital loyalty program.”
