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BRIEF: Hudson’s Bay Shuts Last Outlet Store, Famous Kim’s Convenience Store Comes to Market

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Retail Insider
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News Brief - April 15, 2021

Hudson’s Bay Shuts Remaining Outlet Store Near Montreal

The Hudson’s Bay Outlet store at the Montreal Premium Outlets near Montreal has shut after operating for nearly seven years. It was one of two off-price outlet store locations for the Hudson’s Bay Outlet concept.

The Montreal Hudson’s Bay Outlet opened in the fall of 2014 in a 27,000-square-foot space in the outdoor outlet centre. It followed the opening of a Hudson’s Bay Outlet at Toronto Premium Outlets in 2013 which was converted to off-price retailer Saks OFF 5TH in March of 2016.

Entrance to Montreal Premium Outlets. Photo: Montreal Premium Outlets

Saks OFF 5TH was also supposed to replace the Hudson’s Bay Outlet store at Montreal Premium Outlets. An announcement for the new store was made in late 2016 and it never came to fruition. Saks OFF 5TH was also supposed to open a 45,000-square-foot store at the Montreal Eaton Centre in downtown Montreal and that too never happened — the space is now occupied by French sports retailer Decathlon.

In Canada, Saks OFF 5TH operates 18 stores in Canada with only one of those being located in Montreal. Plans had been in place for 25 OFF 5TH locations in Canada and the expansion has been halted. Competition is fierce in the off-price space in Canada with TXJ banners Winners, Marshalls, and HomeSense continuing to open stores during the pandemic, as well as Nordstrom Rack which now has seven stores across Canada with more expected.

Retail Insider’s Montreal correspondent, Maxime Frechette, noted that liquidator Continental is currently occupying the former Hudson’s Bay Outlet space at Montreal Premium Outlets.

Exterior of Kim’s Convenience store. Photo: Google

Kim’s Convenience Store Hits Market with Hefty Price Tag

The famous Kim’s Convenience store, which has starred on the hit TV show of the same name for the last five years, is up for sale. Located at 252 Queen Street East near Sherbourne Street in Toronto’s Moss Park neighbourhood, the retail property hit the market a few weeks ago with the price tag of $198,000.

It’s the first time it’s been up for sale in 35 years, and the retail listing coincides with the final season of Kim’s Convenience — a seemingly strategic move for the current owner.

A hefty price tag, perhaps, but it has been reported that the 1,300-square-foot store brings in about $15,000-$18,000 in sales every week, plus additional income from the lottery, ATM, and parking behind the store. These higher-than-normal earnings can most likely be attributed to the popularity of the show.

Further information on the property is available only to qualified potential buyers, and interested parties are being asked not to speak about it to the owner or any employees at the store.

Exterior shot of the soon-to-shutter Kartell storefront in Montreal. Photo: Kartell

Kartell Relocating its Montreal Storefront

Italian home furnishings retailer Kartell will shut its first Canadian location in Montreal’s trendy Griffintown neighbourhood according to Retail Insider’s Montreal correspondent, Maxime Frechette. The store opened in the summer of 2016 and the showroom will be relocated to Kartell’s suburban warehouse building.

The 1,500-square-foot Kartell store opened at 1120 Wellington Street in Griffintown, alongside other home furnishing retailers such as EQ3, West Elm, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Ligne Roset, and others. Kartell featured a front terrace that will be open from May to October as well as an interior with soaring ceiling to display the store’s unique products.

Kartell was founded in 1949 and sells furniture, home furnishings, lighting and home accessories. The company collaborates with famous designers such as Philippe Starck and Eugeni Quitlet to create pieces, which are often colourful and unique. Plastic is used in innovative ways in many designs.

eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee for sneakers. Photo: eBay

eBay Canada Authenticating Sneakers in New Centre

Hot on the ‘sneaker head’ trend in Canada, online sales platform eBay has announced an ‘Authenticity Guarantee’ for sneakers being sold on the website. Select sneakers sold in the eBay Canada website exceeding $100 will be vetted and verified by an independent team of industry experts, according to the company.

eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee launches in early May with the opening of an authentication centre in Toronto dedicated to sneakers. eBay says that the collectable sneaker category on its platform increased by 325% last year. A pair of Air Jordan 1 “What The” Doernbecher was bought for more than $66,000, marking the highest sale for sneakers on eBay Canada in 2021 thus far.

The sneaker phenomenon is taking Canada by storm and this spring we announced that UK-based retailer Size? would be opening its first Canadian storefront this year in Toronto, with plans to expand further in Vancouver and potentially other markets. US-based online retailer StockX also expanded into Canada late last year as competition heats up.

Mobile Klinik at Guildford Town Centre. Photo: Lee Rivett

Mobile Klinik Offers At-Home Repairs with First Van Service of its Kind

Canadian smartphone and tablet repair company, Mobile Klinik, has recently launched Onsite Repair Units — the first van service of its kind to offer consumers and businesses the convenience of professional smartphone and tablet repair at the location of their choice.

Due to the changes in day-to-day life brought on by COVID-19, more Canadians are working and learning from home. The demand for at-home smart device repair services is on the rise and Mobile Klinik is now offering its expertise to over 100 communities nationwide from inside the Mobile Klinik service van or outside their homes or offices.

“The launch of Mobile Klinik’s Onsite Repair service is our latest initiative to make smartphone and tablet repair a more accessible, cost effective, and convenient option for Canadian consumers,” said Tim McGuire, CEO of Mobile Klinik. “Because we are spending so much time learning, working, and seeking entertainment at home, having reliable smartphones and tablets is paramount. We are proud to bring our services right to our customers’ doorsteps – at no extra charge – so they can resume using their device, often in less than an hour.”

Mobile Klinik says that it is committed to providing Canadians with flexible and affordable device repair options, servicing common issues like cracked screens, broken cameras, software updates, and battery replacements using high quality parts and state of the art diagnostics.

To further support Canadians during the pandemic, for a limited time, Mobile Klinik is waiving the $29.99 Onsite Repair Unit convenience fee. Customers in selected communities can book today either online or by phone to have a Mobile Klinik technician arrive at the location of their choice and service their repair in 60 minutes or less.

The company’s newest announcement comes less than a year after Retail Insider reported on Telus’ acquisition of Mobile Klinik, promising to bring with it an aggressive nationwide expansion.

To learn more visit mobileklinik.ca/onsite-repair.

The Brick storefront. Photo: The Brick

The Brick Celebrates Earth Day by Helping to Restore the Planet, Brick by Brick

In celebration of Earth Day 2021, The Brick, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leon’s Furniture Limited, has announced the company’s latest waste diversion statistics, as well as upcoming initiatives to engage Canadians in helping to restore the earth, brick by brick.

In an effort to contribute to the sustainability movement, this month The Brick is asking Canadians to document their good green deeds with a photo or video, share them on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #TheBrickEarthDay, and comment on the Facebook or Instagram contest post to be entered to win one of four $1,000 gift cards to The Brick. Two winners will be chosen from each social platform.

Additionally, for every share on social media using the campaign hashtag, The Brick will plant a tree — up to a total of 2,500 trees — through its partnership with Tree Canada.

“At The Brick, we challenge ourselves each day to be more mindful of our environmental impact. On April 22, we‘re challenging Canadians to do the same,” said Dave Freeman, President, The Brick. “Whether a community cleanup or adopting more sustainable recycling practices, we look forward to seeing how Canadians are “going green” and showing our appreciation for the positive impacts these actions will have.”

The Brick first implemented its ‘Project Green’ in 2007, serving as the catalyst for all the company’s environmental initiatives, spearheaded by a recycling program in partnership with Waste Management. Beyond this, the company is also a partner of Tree Canada — a partnership that has resulted in planting and maintaining a total of 886 trees nationwide.

The Brick is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

For more information on The Brick’s environmental initiatives, please visit thebrick.com/environmental/the-brick-goes-green/.

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5 Solutions Helping Canadian Retailers Operate As Shutdowns Continue

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Retail Insider
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All retailers should be implementing curbside pickup services into their business models.

By Devin Partida

Though vaccines are steadily reaching more people every day, the pandemic continues. While cases were trending downward for a bit, Canadian officials have recently reinstated shutdowns and closures. This prolonged experience can be detrimental to businesses as they lose sales and potential customers. With the right tools, though, retailers can succeed during this time.

At the beginning of April, some Canadian regions are hoping to slow a third wave of COVID-19 with retail shutdowns. However, some of these new regulations don’t include paid sick leave for workers. That makes it harder to maintain business and physical safety as people are left with limited resources while trying to make a profit.

It’s unclear how long the pandemic will last or how many shutdowns the country will see in the future. Fortunately, Canadian retailers can use the following methods to continue operations. That way, they can make a profit despite lockdowns and closures.

1. Expand Purchase Methods

Canadian retailers have already had to adapt to new ways to sell their products and services. Delivery and curbside pickup are becoming the norm, especially as this third round of shutdowns comes into play.

When the pandemic began, 17% of Canadians started using curbside pickup. Any retailer that hasn’t expanded its purchase methods should start now. It offers contact-free ways for customers to get their items.

Once they pay ahead, they can pick up their orders in a hassle-free manner. This appealing process simplifies shopping as consumers don’t have to wait in lines or come near anyone.

2. Use Shipping Wisely

Shipping is invaluable for e-commerce, but retailers must know how to use it correctly. Inefficient practices can lead to losses owners can’t afford during the pandemic.

Specifically, retailers should focus on how they ship. If they mail to different parts of the country or elsewhere in the world, it may be cheaper to use freight forwarding instead of air travel. On the ground, it’s wise to get insurance for shipments so that, if a package goes missing, the retailer can get reimbursed.

In addition, it helps to have tracking numbers. That way, the retailer and customer can keep an eye on the package at all times to make sure it gets delivered.

3. Offer New Deals

A helpful way to engage new and existing customers is to offer creative deals. A discount or sale can draw people in, but consistent promotions and offers may be a more long-term solution.

Retailers can offer single or multi-use coupons for transactions, discounts, bundling, savings, and shipping. Other brands turn to a loyalty points program to keep customers coming back to buy and save. Retailers can use the method that most suits their business model to provide a more engaging approach to shopping.

From there, they can personalize deals. If a loyal customer keeps returning, the retailer can reward them with extra savings.

4. Diversify Partnerships

The pandemic is a trying time for many retailers, which means no business owner is alone with their struggles. At times, the best solution may be to partner with other companies — even ones that have historically been competitors.

A partnership can help with marketing and promotion, allowing retailers to share costs. Pooling resources can be a mutually beneficial experience as businesses share client lists or services for the public.

For instance, if two home furnishing small businesses are struggling, they may combine marketing tactics to reach more people for both stores. In some cases, a merger may even be the best idea for success.

5. Sell the Store

Any company that’s facing complete closure because of shutdowns should consider selling. Due to lower in-person shopping and with Canadian e-commerce set to surpass $33 billion in sales by 2024, offloading the store can ultimately make a profit as retailers switch to a completely online dynamic.

Retailers who don’t have a binding contract or are at the end of their lease might find selling the store immediately and focusing on e-commerce the best option. However, if a business owner does have a binding contract, they can also repurpose their store as a distribution center or sublease it.

That way, they won’t have to pay for the costs of having a store. Instead, they can focus on marketing and selling products online.

Devin Partida is a writer and blogger, as well as the Editor-in-Chief of ReHack.com

Success During the Pandemic

These five solutions can help Canadian retailers think outside the box during this new phase of shutdowns. From expanding curbside pickup and delivery to looking for new partnerships, retailers can still thrive in creative ways. Integrating these steps can help them succeed both during and after the pandemic.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For April 15, 2021

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Oxford Properties Announces Same-Day Delivery From Shopping Centres in Canada

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Craig Patterson
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South-side expansion of Square One Shopping Centre. Photo: Square One

Landlord Oxford Properties announced this week that it is launching same-day delivery from its shopping centres in an effort to gain consumer market share amid a changing world and the COVID-19 pandemic. The new ‘ShipNow’ initiative launches initially at the Square One shopping centre in Mississauga and will be rolled out to other Oxford-managed shopping centres in Canada in due course.

Oxford Properties partnered with GoFor Industries to offer ShipNow, which is descried as being a same-day delivery service that will ship goods from Square One’s retailers to almost one million customers in the shopping centre’s catchment area. The ShipNow service will be available to all of Square One’s retailers to fulfill in-store, online, and phone orders from the store to the local trade area.

Bradley Jones

“Our malls are exceptionally well-located and easily accessible to large catchment areas within a short-driving distance. This means that the reverse is also true, so goods shipped from our shopping centres can quickly and cost-effectively reach a large customer base on the same day,” said Bradley Jones, Head of Retail at Oxford Properties. “When you also consider that our malls, like Square One, have millions of square feet that currently hold merchandise and products, we already have the critical infrastructure to offer seamless same-day delivery on behalf of our retailers.

“Physical retail has become important for retailers in driving brand loyalty, customer experience, and building the top of the sales funnel. Stores have become a medium to acquire customers and we’re now providing our retailers with fulfillment strategies to transact online sales,” Jones went on to say. “Our partnership with GoFor assists us in playing a larger role in the entire customer journey and unlocking the enormous potential of shopping centre stores to play an integral part of the distribution network, particularly at a time when logistics space is in short supply.”

The ShipNow from Square One with GoFor initiative says that it enables local shoppers to access mall retailers with convenient, same-day delivery which was previously unavailable or only possible with extended delivery times. The program also allows retailers to place local inventory into the e-commerce space to get orders delivered to shoppers with same day delivery.

“Global consumer delivery patterns and shopping habits have shifted fundamentally as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Brad Rollo, CEO of GoFor. “We don’t expect to see customers’ desire for fast delivery to disappear and malls like Square One are leading the way and adapting to meet their customers where they are. We are excited to work with Oxford Properties to provide scalable, on-demand and same-day delivery to the retailers’ customers and look forward to assisting the retailers in owning their last mile fulfillment and keeping up with consumer demand.”

Brad Rollo

Plans are in place to roll out ShipNow to other Oxford-managed malls in Canada, including Yorkdale and Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto, Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill, Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, Promenades Gatineau near Ottawa, Les Galleries de la Capitale in Quebec City, Southcentre Mall in Calgary, and Kingsway Mall in Edmonton.

Retail supply chain expert Gary Newbury, who is also a Senior “Exec On Call” at Toronto-based Retail AID, said, “This is another great collaboration bringing the mall as an entity temporally closer to the community, especially during the COVID times of lockdown. It facilitates retailers, who might be facing a closed mall with limited options to continue to grow their sales in some of the most toughest conditions faced in Canadian retailing.”

Newbury went on to say, “We can probably thank Amazon’s shift to next day, and for some items same day, in 2019, the pandemic’s effect to force partners to work together in different ways, and also the appetite to look at more risk sharing revenue models between retailers and landlords for such a development.”

“As landlords re-evaluate their revenue models and focus on added services, this will herald a new age of collaboration rather than combative relationships in this highly inter-dependant relationship. Malls were designed for retail and such moves are genuinely a step in the right direction,” Newbury went on to say,  “Imagine Square One becomes the ‘everything mall’ locally and shoppers can shop across the mall and have one delivery. Imagine a 3PL such as GoFor being able to assemble high density routes driving the “delivery cost” to be a smaller part of basket spend, and for the consumer, they win by a consistent same day service, complete with tracking and courteous delivery drivers.”

ShipNow is the latest innovation form Oxford Properties. In September of 2019 the landlord launched Search. Find. ShopNOW, a platform which allows customers to see what products are offered by selected retailers in one online search. If a shopper was looking for a black dress, for example, Oxford Properties’ shopping centre websites showcase all products that fit the search, allowing consumers to contact to the store to check availability, visit the store itself, or purchase the item directly from the retailer’s online website.

Foodservice Concept Pür & Simple Launches Cross-Canada Expansion

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Rendering of future Pür & Simple restaurant. Rendering: Pür & Simple

Quebec-based Pür & Simple, a popular breakfast, brunch, and lunch restaurant, has launched its first location in Alberta at the Kingsway Mall in Edmonton with plans to continue to grow the brand across the country.

The concept is one of Canada’s fastest growing breakfast chains with its first location in September 2016 in Laval, Quebec. It introduced a franchising model in September 2017 and today has 20 locations in Canada.

The first franchise location was in Moncton, NB, which opened in March 2018.

And the company is growing despite the challenges presented by the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Ritou Maloni

“We’re one of those companies that is not going to take no for an answer. We’re going to fight through it. We’re opening stores and our franchise partners are excited to open,” said Ritou Maloni, Pür & Simple Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer.

“We’re small but we’re a growing company. We’re looking at a Canada-wide expansion.”

Growth plans include the brand’s next opening in Paradise, just outside of St. John’s in Newfoundland. From there, plans are to open in Port Coquitlam, BC, then Dartmouth Crossing, just outside of Halifax, then Waterloo in June followed by Bayers Lake, outside of Halifax, Woodbridge, Ontario, Mississauga, another one in Nova Scotia and one in Calgary.

Recently the company opened in Vaughan and North York in Ontario. The plan is to open about 12 additional locations in Canada this year.

Pür & Simple is known for its modern design and unique menu, bringing a modern twist to the classic ‘diner’ experience. With strategic partners like Nespresso, Ocean Spray, and The Martini Club, Pür & Simple has elevated daytime dining and has introduced a winning combination of luxury and affordability to its customers.

“We wanted a new take on breakfast. The trend where everybody wanted things a little bit healthier but not too healthy. I think in general when people eat in a restaurant they want to indulge a little bit and have that restaurant experience. We wanted it to be simple. We wanted that mix of traditional, authentic breakfast with a little bit extravagant ‘wow’ plates,” said Maloni.

Pür & Simple offers a wide variety of breakfast, brunch, and lunch items – from homemade waffles and crêpes, to savoury Benedicts and skillets, to sandwiches and burgers. With an ever-evolving menu of health-forward offerings, Pür & Simple is constantly introducing fresh new items for customers to enjoy, while ensuring fan-favourites remain in consistent rotation. In addition to a selection of fruit-filled smoothies and specialty coffees, the Pür & Simple menu also includes an array of alcoholic beverages. Customers will find a number of menu items that cater to specific dietary needs, including gluten free, dairy free, keto, and vegan alternatives.

“If you walk into one of our restaurants the decor just in itself sets us apart. It’s crisp. It’s warm. It’s very green. We have a lot of nice greenery. It feels modern but yet inviting to anybody,” said Maloni. “We definitely have a great design.

“And our food is Instagramable to say the least. When you get a plate in front of you, most people if they don’t say ‘wow’ their tongues are out and their mouth is watering. Our portion sizes are huge and we really give that value.

“Our menu offerings are much more varied than a diner style breakfast. We really reinvented breakfast in the sense of what it was before in a diner. If you were going to go for breakfast it was greasy, eggs, bacon. We refined breakfast. We put a finesse to it. But yet we still target everybody. It’s an affordable luxury. I think we just made breakfast sexy.”

Edmonton franchise partner, Anjum Vadia, said he quickly became a believer in everything the company does and felt strongly that the opportunity to open his own location in Edmonton was one that he could not pass up.

“Pür & Simple differentiates itself from other brands by serving up not only delicious, healthy meals, but also by creating a warm and welcoming environment that truly makes you feel at home,” he said.

“We are thrilled to welcome Alberta’s first Pür & Simple location to Kingsway Mall and look forward to introducing the Edmonton community to this one-of-a-kind restaurant experience,” said Susan Lovie, Director and General Manager at Kingsway Mall.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For April 14, 2021

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Forever 21 Returning to Canada with Physical Stores

By
Craig Patterson
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Exterior of Forever 21 storefront in the US. Photo: Forever 21

Los Angeles-based fast fashion retailer Forever 21 will make its return to Canada this year with physical stores after shuttering all locations as part of a bankruptcy filing in 2019. Toronto-based YM Inc. is leading the expansion after establishing a partnership last year that included announcing a new Forever 21 e-commerce site for the Canadian market.

YM Inc. acquired many of Forever 21’s leases after the retailer exited Canada. YM subsequently opened stores under various banners in the former Forever 21 locations including Urban Planet, Urban Behaviour and Stitches. Many of the Forever 21 stores saw few changes to the retail spaces following the shuttering of the original chain, possibly in anticipation of re-introducing the Forever 21 banner to the Canadian market. Now some of the former Forever 21 locations will be converted back to the original banner as the brand again re-enters Canada.

It’s not yet clear how many Forever 21 locations that YM will open in Canada, though locations are confirmed already for Metropolis at Metrotown near Vancouver, as well as Devonshire Mall in Windsor, Ontario. The Windsor store will be located in a space most recently branded as Urban Behaviour.

YM had been in negotiations to lease the former 17,000 square foot Gap store space at 60 Bloor Street West (corner of Bay Street) and the deal is said to have ultimately not gone through.

Interior of Forever 21 store. Photo: Forever 21

Oberfeld Snowcap is said to be handling leasing for the standalone Forever 21 locations under the direction of Andrew Laudenbach.

Forever 21 closed all of its 44 Canadian stores in November of 2019 after its US-based parent company filed for bankruptcy. In total, about 900,000 square feet was vacated, with much of it being scooped up by YM Inc. as temporary leases for its own banners.

Exterior of soon-to-open Forever 21 store at Metropolis at Metrotown. Photo courtesy of Srushti Gangdev on Twitter

YM Inc. launched Forever 21’s Canadian e-commerce website in early 2020. Forever 21 partnered with cross-border e-commerce solutions provider Global-e to launch the international offering, which included localized websites for the Canadian market as well as sites for Asia, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America.

YM Inc. owns several fashion retail banners in Canada including Urban Planet, Urban Behaviour, Sirens, Bluenotes, Suzy Shier, Stitches, West 49, and Amnesia. In 2019 Retail Insider reported that YM was bringing the Aéropostale retail banner back into the Canadian market after the US brand’s bankruptcy in 2016. YM Inc. was founded in 1975 with the opening of a Stitches store in downtown Toronto and the company has since grown rapidly with more than 650 stores across its banners and thousands of employees.

Forever 21’s re-launch in Canada comes at a time of intense competition amongst fashion retailers with various fast-fashion and value-priced retailers continuing to operate within Canada. Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M had been opening stores yearly in Canada before the pandemic in an effort to gain market share, as has Spanish chain Zara and Japanese retailer Uniqlo. At the same time, value-priced retailers such as TJX Group’s Winners and Marshalls have been expanding further into Canada, offering designer product at discounted prices.

Harry Rosen Sees Ecommerce Explosion Amid Pandemic: Ian Rosen Interview

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Mario Toneguzzi
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Exterior of Harry Rosen store at Square One. Photo: Harry Rosen

Iconic luxury menswear retailer Harry Rosen has built its successful business over the last seven decades focused around personalized interactions with clients.

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with its mandatory closures and public health measures, has dramatically changed the retail landscape in the country, and Harry Rosen has been at the forefront in the industry in accelerating its digital transformation to meet the changing marketplace.

Ian Rosen, Executive Vice-President of Digital and Strategy for the company, said its online sales grew in 2020 by almost three times.

“Our online storefront is now our largest storefront and we don’t expect it to go back. And it shot up to just over 20 percent of our business,” he said, adding that the e-commerce site has more sales than its flagship stores on Bloor Street in Toronto and CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver.

Rosen, who has been in his current role since June 2018, said the company was seeing sales growth in its e-commerce initiatives prior to the pandemic.

“We just happened to hit 2023 targets in 2020,” he said.

Harry Rosen (Founder), Ian Rosen (Vice President of Digital and Strategy), and Larry Rosen (Chairman and CEO). Photo: CNW Group/Harry Rosen Inc.

“I think there will be a level set but the way in which our business has grown has been I think a little bit different than others who have seen the big increase in e-commerce. So obviously we’ve seen a number of transactions move onto our digital channels and we’ve acquired a number of new clients who have never shopped with us before through our online channel.

“But we’ve also digitized a lot of our relationships between our clothing advisors, our team that works in the stores and their clients, and moved those online. One of the things that we were working on pre-pandemic and optimized during the pandemic is the idea that if I were your clothing advisor, rather than you going to the website and browsing for things, we’ve actually enabled our team to be able to curate the website, down to your sizes. Perhaps you have a particular style. I can send it over to you with a few clicks of a button and you can check it out.”

Recently, Harry Rosen chose the Qualtrics XM Platform to digitize and scale its retail model and deliver more targeted and personalized experiences to shoppers and employees across the business.

“Our philosophy as a company has always been to listen to the client. What made my grandfather so successful when he started the business was starting to collect modern CRM-type information from a client. He’d put that on a Post-It note and he had a big Rolodex. He would remember your birthday. He would remember your significant other’s name and he’d remember your kids’ names and their birthdays. That kind of led to a lot of loyalty,” said Ian Rosen.

“So kind of embedded in our DNA has been this idea of know your customer, listen to your customer, always be there to reach out to them. However, one of the things that’s become more and more challenging as our business has grown is getting real time, consistent, in the moment feedback from our teams and being able to act on that in a coordinated way.

“So when we started to look at our strategy moving forward we asked whose guidance are we going to follow. Are we going to work off of the customers giving us feedback or are we going to go proactively ask for more feedback? Our executive team as well as our leaders in the customer experience side of the business said we learn 10 times more when we get unsolicited feedback or when we send out a quick survey and we’ll learn two or three things and a steady manageable stream of that would be insanely valuable for us.”

Highly-interactive Harry Rosen website.

Ian Rosen said the company has partnered with Qualtrics to integrate their solution into its business with a commitment to getting customer feedback.

With Qualtrics, Harry Rosen will use deep customer insights from areas such as shopping preferences, packaging, and delivery and post-purchase to continuously elevate both its in-store and online experience. The retailer will apply these insights across the business, including — but not limited to — merchandise selection, store & e-commerce experience, marketing communications, and clothing advisor training.

The menswear brand is also boosting its employee experience program, leveraging Qualtrics to get to the heart of workforce feedback and concerns and quickly identify where action needs to be taken.

“For 67 years, everything we’ve achieved has been anchored by our people doing whatever it takes to help our clients in big and important moments,” said Ian Rosen. “Qualtrics allows us to scale up what we’re good at by keeping us focused on what matters — and by getting us the data and information to help us mobilize and act as quickly as possible.

“The pandemic has really pushed us as leaders to understand that the reality our employees are facing is changing, it’s uncertain, and having a feedback mechanism for them to give us input, for them to bring light to where perhaps somebody’s leadership style isn’t translating into a remote environment as well as they were in person, and their team is feeling a little bit stressed by the situation, we can pick that up in surveys and action against it. We also could just monitor morale.

Interior of Harry Rosen store at Square One Shopping Centre. Photo: Harry Rosen
  • Interior of Harry Rosen Store at the Rideau Centre. Photo: Harry Rosen
  • Interior of Harry Rosen Store. Photo: Harry Rosen

“One of the benefits we have of being a ‘legacy’ company . . . we’ve reinvented ourselves before. We’ve had to confront market conditions and changes and client behaviours and changes maybe not to this level of acceleration but it actually was the muscle that we had built over the years. So we had a pretty big ship to turn and pivot with and we actually were pretty successful in orienting people around it at different ways of thinking of our business. Digital is going to be the first touch point that we prepare for. So we need to make sure that we’re encouraging customers to engage with our digital properties, we’re encouraging our staff to engage with it, we’re encouraging the information to be up to date, accurate, and translate into the different systems. That’s kind of like the marketplace and the stores are a place where people come to pick things up or have a different type of shopping experience. I prefer the word transformation than pivot because I think pivot means you can pivot back. It’s true transformation in the way we think about our business.”

Qualtrics is the world’s No. 1 Experience Management (XM) platform and creator of the XM category, with over 13,500 organizations around the world using it to listen, understand, and take action on experience data — the beliefs, emotions, and intentions that tell you why things are happening, and what to do about it. Its platform is a system of action that helps businesses attract customers who stay longer and buy more, engage employees who build a positive culture, develop breakthrough products people love, and build a brand people are passionate about.

“The companies who have emerged as leaders in the face of COVID-19 are constantly listening to their customers and employees, acting quickly on the insights, and closing feedback loops at a higher rate than others,” said Jay Choi, Chief Product Officer, Qualtrics. “Harry Rosen has always shown an industry-leading commitment to creating flawless experiences — and with Qualtrics, they can leverage the digital tools and insights necessary to broaden their reach and drive meaningful results by serving customers at every step of the journey.”

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For April 13, 2021

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Hudson’s Bay Reveals Store Design Shift with Montreal Flagship Redevelopment Announcement

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Craig Patterson
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Rendering of the newly-renovated Hudson's Bay store and office building extension. Rendering: Menkes Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux
Rendering of the newly-renovated Hudson's Bay store and office building extension. Rendering: Menkes Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux

The Hudson’s Bay Company has provided some initial insights into the future of its physical department stores in Canada. On Monday in a joint statement, HBC and RioCan formally announced the redevelopment of the downtown Montreal flagship Hudson’s Bay store which will see an overhaul to become a ‘store of the future’ as consumers increasingly shift spending online.

“We are reimagining the Hudson’s Bay retail experience in Downtown Montreal, creating a digitally-connected store with elevated service and a curated assortment to showcase the best of what Hudson’s Bay has to offer,” said Iain Nairn, President and CEO of Hudson’s Bay.

“This project presents an opportunity to establish a multi-functional store that continues to offer the brands and services that Canadians trust us to deliver, while developing new uses for space — such as showrooms or concierge services — that reflect the modern lifestyles of our customers and the vibrancy of Downtown Montreal.”

Iain Nairn

The shift addresses a rapid consumer movement online at a time when Hudson’s Bay is also enhancing its overall digital operations. TheBay.com is launching a new Marketplace with more than 500 vendors as the retailer continues to shift its operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hudson’s Bay Company is already capitalizing on its ecommerce assets, including spinning off Saks Fifth Avenue’s Saks.com website into its own business. No similar announcements have been made for the Canadian website which is one of the most visited in Canada in terms of overall web traffic.

The Oakridge Centre Hudson’s Bay store in Vancouver, which shut early this year and is set to reopen in 2024 after the shopping centre overhaul is completed, will also feature the ‘store of the future’ fit out, with digital technology being used to enhance the overall customer experience. This will include a showroom concept that connects to HBC’s extended aisle and marketplace offerings with enhanced pick-up and return options to create a more seamless consumer experience. Given the significant investment required to update its stores, analysts are saying that it’s unlikely that Hudson’s Bay will continue to operate all 87 of its current stores. Locations in downtown Winnipeg and Jardins Dorval in Montreal shuttered recently and a downtown Edmonton location is set to close next month according to staff.

Prior to the pandemic, sources confirmed that Hudson’s Bay was in talks to launch concession departments within its stores, including bringing in outside operators to manage jewellery and footwear departments. It is unclear if the private company will continue on that path given the pandemic and some of the financial challenges that the company has faced amid declining sales at its stores that were shut due to lockdowns.

Hudson’s Bay is taking advantage of its vast real estate with plans to capitalize on the value through redevelopment and other means. “As consumers continue to evolve the way they live, work, and shop, we are committed to capitalizing on these shifts, while unleashing the full potential of our prime properties throughout North America and reinvigorating the urban districts in which they are situated,” said Ian Putnam, President and CEO, HBC Properties and Investments. “HBCPI is excited to lead the way to unlock the value and potential of our joint venture portfolio for our most significant flagship properties throughout Canada.”

The Montreal store redevelopment, which Retail Insider reported on in February, will see an overhaul of The Bay store that will include a reduction in size to about 295,000 square feet. The retail building currently spans 655,000 square feet and was built in phases between 1891 and 1960 for retail tenant, Henry Morgan, which operated there until 1972 after being acquired by the Hudson’s Bay Company.

The Hudson’s Bay Company and RioCan own or control 10 properties comprising more than three million square feet in Canada, including the downtown Montreal Hudson’s Bay store. Costs for redevelopment will be shared on a proportionate basis with Hudson’s Bay owning 79.8% of the partnership and RioCan having the remaining 20.2%.

Jonathan Gitlin, President and CEO, RioCan, said, “RioCan is looking forward to the transformation of this iconic property to meet evolving consumer and office user expectations. This highly-attractive, transit-oriented site in the heart of Downtown Montreal will be revitalized and expanded with resilient uses and offer forward-thinking amenities driving value creation for the long-term.”

The Downtown Montreal mixed-use redevelopment project will include the construction of a 25-storey office tower of approximately one million square feet as well as the transformation of Hudson’s Bay’s existing retail space. HBC says that it is working closely with the City of Montreal and other stakeholders to finalize details.

The heritage building’s original architecture will be protected, including restoration of the facades, the reopening of windows, and the return of display window showcases to their original state. Four tiered terraces will be created on the four green roofs of the office tower. The main entrance and tallest part of the tower will be on the de Maisonneuve Boulevard side of the complex which had been intended for a 200,000-square-foot Saks Fifth Avenue store that never came to fruition after being announced in 2016.

A public consultation process is now underway for the downtown Montreal Bay redevelopment. The project is expected to be underway by 2023 with completion targeted for 2027. The Hudson’s Bay flagship store on Sainte-Catherine Street will continue to operate throughout the construction process according to the company.

The office tower, which will be clad in a glass curtain, will be “among the most avant-garde in Montreal and will represent the future of the workplace”, according to HBC in a statement.  “The Partners will focus on employee well-being and concern for the environment, while respecting the heritage of the flagship building.”

The new tower will satisfy LEED standards and will feature large, flexible floor plates of up to 60,000 square feet as well as high ceilings and a biophilic design that will allow for maximum natural light exposure.

“The Hudson’s Bay redevelopment project represents the next chapter in HBC’s retail history and its continued commitment to Montreal,” said Richard Hamori, COO, Streetworks Development, the real estate development arm of HBC Properties and Investments. “We intend to honour the heritage of our flagship building, as well as that of historic Sainte-Catherine Street, while expressing our confidence in the future of Montreal’s downtown. This project is another step towards our goal of maximizing the value of our portfolio of downtown properties throughout North America, while diversifying our holdings to a mix of retail, residential and office space.”

The Montreal redevelopment is part of a larger revitalization of the area surrounding Philips Square which itself is seeing significant improvements. Sainte-Catherine Street is undergoing a multi-year overhaul as are Ivanhoé Cambridge properties such as Montreal Eaton Centre and Place Ville Marie.

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