Toronto bar and cocktail supply shop Cocktail Emporium has expansion on its mind as the unique retail offering prepares to open a new location in Union Station’s historic Front Street Promenade in early 2020, which will be its third store.
Kristen Voisey, founder of Cocktail Emporium, said the company has launched its signature line, Potion House, and executed a fresh rebrand for all properties changing the operating name from BYOB to Cocktail Emporium. It has also revamped its e-commerce site.
“My passion for beautiful, interesting barware and quality cocktail ingredients led me to open my first store in Toronto seven years ago. I feel so fortunate that people have loved what we do so much that we’ve been able to expand and take Cocktail Emporium to the next level,” said Voisey.
kristen voisey, cocktail emporium’s founder
“Shifting our business name to Cocktail Emporium and creating a new look and feel for our brand represents the ever-changing cocktail industry and our continued development as a business. And of course, we want our loyal customers to recognize us wherever they go.”
Its flagship Cocktail Emporium at 972 Queen St. W. first opened in April 2011.
“I guess there was nothing like that in the city at the time. Basically I was in Los Angeles and there was a store called Bar Keeper. It sold vintage glassware and bar tools. So I basically did the same thing but in Toronto in the west end. It was really in a hip neighbourhood in Los Angeles and Queen Street West was kind of the same. So I thought it would work really well in Toronto,” said Voisey.
She opened a second store in Kensington Market at 20 Kensington Ave. in 2016.
PHOTOS: COCKTAIL EMPORIUM
Cocktail Emporium is working with designers Iron & Ivory to create a dynamic, contemporary retail space offering an unparalleled range of unique bar and cocktail supplies at the Union Station location which the company says is one of the busiest transit hubs in North America.
“Being a part of the Union Station Front Street Promenade space is truly an honour. I love that they are creating this vibrant area filled with homegrown brands and retailers — it’s a brilliant idea and use of space, and it lets visitors to our city get a true taste of Toronto’s diversity and talent as soon as they step off a train,” said Voisey.
“Because we focus on a lot of bar and restaurant industry at the other two locations, the Union Station will be more of a basic home bar and gifting items. We are going to focus a lot on quick gifts people can buy as they’re going through to get the train. We’re going to focus on corporate gifts because we have a lot of office buildings around there as well. Because it’s such a small location, it will be the best of ingredients, glassware and bar tools. I think Union Station is going to be about 400 square feet total and about 300,000 people are going to walk through there on any given day.
From its conception, the vision for Front Street Promenade was to be Union Station’s ‘main street’ as tenants will be skewed towards local retailers, bringing a local vibe and street flair. The goal is to convey to visitors of the station a ‘sense of Toronto’ at Union, reflecting unique offerings throughout the city.
Voisey described the brand as basically a one-stop shop for everything bar and cocktail related. The stores carry a lot of ingredients, books, bar tools, new and vintage glassware – “anything to do with imbibing really.”
“When we first opened the store was called BYOB – bring your own booze – and the goal was to gear to the home bartender but as we kind of grew and the cocktail culture in Toronto was growing as well we started to get a lot of bartenders and then it became kind of two customer bases – there was the at home bartender and then there was the professional industry bartender,” she said.
“We’ve expanded a lot with the industry to sell them bar tools, and glassware, and ingredients that they need for their bars as well.”
Beyond the bar industry, the target customer is basically anyone who wants to make a great cocktail at home.
“We get a lot of people who are bar enthusiasts who have really great home bars and they’re really interested in the topic and they make great cocktails. They come back time and time again. We also have beginner at-home bartenders and we can set them up with all the tools, ingredients and glassware that they need to have a basic home bar,” said Voisey.
“I would say in our Kensington Market location, and it will probably be the same in the Union location, we do get a lot of tourists purchasing things because they always say that they don’t have a store like this in their city.
PHOTO: COCKTAIL EMPORIUM
“Expansion is always something we’re interested in. We are really interested in getting more interest in the States with our wholesale line because we have such a great selection now. We’ve got it all here from overseas. It will be really great to get the American market interested as well especially with the Canadian dollar it’s great for American customers to buy our bar tools and glassware.”
The company’s e-commerce site sells internationally. On any given day, it has orders that go all around the world. Canada is the biggest market with the U.S. the second biggest market.
“We’ve had a website for a long time and we’ve sold online since 2012 but we’ve really focused on revamping it and the growth with that for sure both industry wide and the general consumer,” said Voisey.
“I think we’ve got the Toronto market covered with three locations. We’re pretty much the only store of our kind here in the city. I think that if we do another location it might be another country such as Australia or the States.”
PHOTO: COCKTAIL EMPORIUM
The company’s Potion House signature line is curated and designed by Voisey. The collection features stylish, functional bar tools such as citrus juicers, muddlers, shakers, strainers, jiggers, mule mugs, ice tongs and mallets, glassware, bitter bottles and more. Potion House Sets are also available and can be customized.
“Potion House has been a fun and rewarding project. The line grew out of a desire to create cool, classic bar staples that are accessible and covetable,” said Voisey. “Having a house line also allows us to offer bar sets that anyone can fully customize with their own branding or identity – they make a memorable gift item.
PHOTO: COCKTAIL EMPORIUM PHOTO: COCKTAIL EMPORIUM
“A lot of the glassware I designed myself. The reason we did that is because we cater to a lot of industry we really wanted to be able to price it at something that’s accessible to them. We have wholesale on that. We sell to a lot of bars and restaurants in the country but we also sell to other stores as well.”
Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is collecting sales productivity numbers for Canada’s top shopping centres, which will be released this fall as a Special Edition Canadian Retailer: Physical Retail 2019. Contributors (paid content) and advertisers are also being sought to add additional insight into the latest trends being seen in Canada’s top malls, as well as bricks and mortar retail in general, which are seeing remarkable transformations as the industry shifts and consumer tastes change.
The study will rank Canada’s top shopping centres in terms of annual sales per square foot as in years past and will compare these numbers to previous year’s data. This year’s study will include an analysis from the study’s author, Craig Patterson, and will also expand to include editorial content those seeking to provide insight, via paid content. Topics in the study will include how shopping centres are transforming into complete communities that are creating experiences by using cutting-edge technologies while embracing entertainment, enhanced food and beverage options, and even flexible work spaces.
Retail Council of Canada’s Shopping Centre Study has become an authoritative information document for the industry. Further thought leadership will make the study an even more robust resource that will be released in the Fall of 2019 to thousands of readers and industry professionals and decision makers with spending power. The findings of the report will be of particular interest to the heads of mid-to-large retailers, operations and store planners, marketers, merchandisers, sales and real estate executives, urban planners, designers and entertainment developers.
The study’s initial findings will be showcased by Craig Patterson at this year’s Retail Council of Canada Brick and Mortar Forum, which is being held in downtown Toronto on the morning of November 19, 2019.
The Special Edition Canadian Retailer: Physical Retail 2019 will be promoted in Retail Council of Canada’s ‘Retail This Week’ weekly newsletter with more than 25,000 subscribers, through Canadian Retailer magazine’s 32,500+ subscribers, Retail Council of Canada’s website with millions of viewers annually, as well as social media channels. It will also be advertised heavily across Retail Insider’s platforms that include its website, daily newsletter, and social media channels that also see millions of viewers annually.
Be sure to act fast, as the deadlines to secure space in the publication is October 11, 2019, with material close of October 21. The launch date is set for November 15, 2019.
Well-known Canadian businesswoman Natasha Koifman is launching her unique e-commerce platform ShopNK – a curated site with a conscience where a portion of sales will be directed to certain charities and causes.
“I started it to really to encourage the next generation to wield their buying power responsibly – to remind them that simply making the mindful choice is a reward in of itself. And to build a community amongst artisans and consumers that work towards a greater good,” said Koifman, who is President of NKPR, a public relations firm based in Toronto.
“I do a lot in the cause space, in the philanthropic space, and I just thought how do we encourage the next generation to be more philanthropic while at the same time really getting to know cool artisans and new shops and have an opportunity to be exposed to new products.
“It’s really interesting actually. When we did our coming soon page, and promoted it on social media, we really got hundreds and hundreds of emails of people wanting to sign up and learn more and I was almost even surprised at the response because people seemed really hungry to be able to give back in a meaningful way while at the same time really discovering cool, new and interesting products and brands.”
Koifman curated products in three different categories under beauty, style and entertaining because it’s a big part of the NKPR brand, who it is and what it does.
“So you’re going to find things in a price range anything from $6 to $500. We’ve really curated the items,” she said.
A portion of the proceeds from every ShopNK purchase will go directly to an established charity of the buyer’s choice —one of five local and international organizations that are near and dear to Koifman. One charity will be chosen per product.
“It’s an approach that empowers our followers to think philanthropically at the personal level and give more meaning to the things they surround themselves with,” she said.
“The reason it started is because we wanted to truly educate people on the importance of giving back but at the same time recognizing that we consume goods and we are going to continue to consume them so why not consume the goods that we’re excited about and at the same time educate people about giving back.”
Koifman created NKPR in 2002 to combine her two passions: sharing stories of substance and championing important causes. Recognized as one of Canada’s most powerful and innovative women in public relations, she has been honoured with awards from the Women’s Executive Network (WXN), Notable magazine, BizBash and others. A sought-after speaker and commentator on public relations, marketing, popular culture and fashion, she writes a regular column for Huffington Post and is a frequent contributor to Entertainment Tonight Canada and Newstalk 1010 radio.
She is the President of the Board for Artists for Peace and Justice Canada and on the Board of Directors for APJ USA. She also supports various other charities working to improve the lives of others. Koifman divides her time between Toronto and New York City.
Koifman said ShopNK is committed to changing the way people engage with the shopping experience – a new extension of the NKPR brand bringing a humanitarian mindset to modern retail.
She said the curated offering is built around limited-edition pieces in the style, beauty and entertaining spaces, all sourced through coveted brand collaborations between burgeoning entrepreneurs as well as established brands.
As an extension of its mission, it is also offering limited one-on-one mentorship opportunities with Koifman with 100 per cent of the proceeds going directly to a ShopNK charity of your choice. Future sessions will tap into industry leaders and celebrities.
Koifman said the products will be available across North America as ShopNK will ship items to people’s doorstep in Canada and the United States.
“This really started because I do so much in the cause space. Our brand is known for being very philanthropic and one of the things that I noticed is that my generation considered community and giving back. And I wanted to make sure that the next generation we were able to excite them and encourage them in the same way. So that’s really the motivation,” she said.
“At the same time, I recognized that we’re all so busy. I’m a huge online shopper. I love online shopping. And it’s a great way to discover cool, interesting, new products and brands. I was able to kind of marry my three passions – cause, consumer products and how do we shine the spotlight on really cool and interesting entrepreneurs.”
No one would deny that the face of retail is changing due to the forces of e-commerce. What we may not fully grasp yet is how that pace of change is accelerating and what it will mean for many industries in even a relatively short time horizon of five to 10 years.
The truth is that technologies such as virtual reality, 3D printing, nanotechnology, and ever-expanding communications bandwidth are laying the groundwork for the next major shift in retail.
The big idea and driver of the Industrial Revolution was that value could be created through industrializing manufacturing and distribution. Today, less and less value is being created by manufacturing. Almost anyone can make anything and the cost of manufacturing keeps decreasing. Distribution is the next domino to fall. With virtual reality, we can experience places and things without the cost or effort of traveling to them. With 3D printing we can “print” complex products at home without the cost of going to a store to buy them or having them shipped to us.
When you boil it down then, the true value of any product is not in its manufacturer or distribution. A product’s real value can be summed up by four things: Idea, Design, Emotion, and Cause.
The first source of value is the idea that created the product, the concept, thought and intellectual capital that went into it. Next is its design. How is the idea put together? What are the specific parts and dimensions? As human beings, we are driven much more by our emotions than by reason. Neuroscientists and psychologists know that most often consumers are motivated to buy a product because of the impulse it makes them feel, and then try to rationalize it to themselves later. Last is its cause. This is the reason why a product exists. Does it serve some higher purpose? What is the story behind its conception? What is the change it, or its creator, seeks to make in the world?
In the near future, will you be able to get your martini through a Star Trek-like replicator? The short answer is yes. Gin is entirely made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules, even including the botanical compounds in it! These are three ubiquitous elements that are present in all organic matter and could easily be supplied in raw form to your home-based “replicator” or 3D liquid “printer” It’s only a matter of arranging them in the right combination and viola! You have a gin martini dispensed from your kitchen’s liquid printer. Want to taste the martini from the Bar Hemingway inside the Ritz Carlton in Paris? It’s as easy as purchasing the licensed formula and having your liquid printer produce it for you. There is no need to travel to Paris.
So why are many successful e-commerce companies investing in brick and mortar locations? It comes down to experiences. We like to experience brands and products before we buy them. It gives us a sense of connection and trust, increasing the emotional value we receive. Until we all have another Star Trek innovation—the Holodeck or full sensory virtual reality machine—in our homes, we will continue to travel to experience products. This is why high-end brands such as Gucci, Cartier, and Tiffany continue to build boutique retail locations, sometimes even competing with themselves in large cities.
GUCCI’S NEW YORKDALE BOUTIQUE PHOTO: GUCCI
The service industry is also not immune to these forces. For example, retail banks provide many financial services to consumers where no physical product is involved. There was a time when you had to travel to a branch to complete these transactions. Retail branch location—in other words, distribution—was a source of value and competition in the industry. However, with the advance of e-commerce, there is very little need to travel to a branch anymore. Almost all transactions can be completed electronically and thus banks have been closing branches for years. Nonetheless, to create a greater emotional connection with customers, some banks such as Capital One with its cafes, are creating non-branch branches where customers can experience the bank’s brand.
As a business leader in the retail, service, travel, and hospitality industries, how do you prepare for these trends? It comes back to IDEC. Think carefully about the value that you really provide if the limitations of distribution or place and manufacture were removed. What is the Idea, Design, Emotion, and Cause that you can deliver to your customer and how can you maximize those elements to differentiate yourself from your competition? That will be the basis of your success in the retail world of the future.
Rich Smith
Based in Philadelphia, Rich Smith is CMO with Chief Outsiders. He works with companies to differentiate, drive customer loyalty, and unlock profitable growth. More info at www.chiefoutsiders.com.
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Asian Grocery Chain Enters Canada with Plans for Up to 15 Stores in 3 Years
Chinese grocery chain Sungiven Foods is expanding into Canada this winter by opening three stores in the Vancouver area. The company’s Canadian senior vice president Terence Fong told BIV that Sungiven Foods Canada plans to add between 10 and 15 stores in the country over the next three years.
Sungiven Foods Canada Inc. is a subsidiary of Xiamen Sungiven Foods Holdings Ltd., based in Xiamen, China. The company operates more than 90 stores in China, most being in Xiamen. The company’s Canadian head office was opened earlier this year in Burnaby.
This winter, Sungiven Foods will open three stores in the Vancouver area, including a store at the City Square Mall near Vancouver City Hall, as well as a storefront in the city’s West Side/Kitsilano area (3301 W. Broadway) as well as a store on the 4000 block of East Hastings Street near the corner of Gilmore Street in Burnaby. City Square, which was sold last year for $225 million, lost its 25,000 square foot Safeway anchor store as part of the grocery chain’s restructuring that saw many former locations converted to FreshCo nameplates.
Despite intense competition in the market from major grocers such as Loblaw, Sobeys and Walmart, not to mention Loblaw-owned Asian grocery chain T&T Supermarket, Sungiven’s VP told BIV that he felt there was room for Sungiven Foods in Canada. It’s unclear if its expansion will include other Canadian provinces, and competition will no doubt be fierce as the big players introduce same-day home delivery and other innovations meant to create convenience amid industry and consumer shifts.
Retail Insider repeatedly left voicemails and messages for Terence Fong last week, and we have not yet heard back. We’ll update this story if we do.
Longo’s Opens 1st Small-Format Grab & Go Storefront at Canada’s Busiest Subway Station
Toronto-based grocery chain Longo’s recently opened a unique meal-kit and grab-and-go focused concept on the concourse level of the Hudson’s Bay Centre in Toronto. Called ‘Pronto Eats’, the intimate 1,000 square foot space houses offerings geared towards commuters at the busy Yonge-Bloor subway station which sees more than 200,000 daily passengers. Included are ready-to-eat items such as salads and sandwiches as well as meal kits, which is something Longo’s has been pushing in its stores including its Maple Leaf Square flagship that was featured recently in Retail Insider.
The new Longo’s Pronto Eats is also the first Longo’s location to go cashless, which is part of an effort to streamline the purchase process. The store accepts debit and credit cards as well as Apple Pay. Customers can order food through Ritual or Grocery gateway for same-day pickup at the new Hudsons’ Bay Centre storefront. As part of an effort to reduce single-use plastics, the store has a ‘Take it Back’ program where customers can return used used plastics for recycling.
A cafe serving coffee is located at the back of the store. Two more Pronto Eats locations will open this fall in Toronto’s Liberty Village area, as well as north of Toronto in the community of East Gwillimbury, according to the retailer.
Last week, it was announced that $500-million was earmarked for an overhaul of Toronto’s Bloor-Yonge TTC subway station.
First Passen Lounge to Pop Up at Oshawa Centre
State-of-the-art digital measurement platform Passen will open a pop-up Passen Lounge at Oshawa Centre, east of Toronto, from September 12-22nd. Visitors will be able to create their own 3D profile to create the ‘best fit’ in clothing. Passen says that its digital fitting room technology is the future of fashion retail where customer measurements are scanned and kept on file, and can be used to determine if a garment will fit based on measurements.
It will be Passen’s first public showcase of its Passen Lounge concept, which is expected to be rolled out nationally as the company negotiates deals with landlords. Retail Insider featured an article on Passen in the spring of this year showcasing the technology.
Passen partnered with a denim event at Oshawa Centre called Rebelle Rebelle for the pop-up. In early January, Passen will showcase its next lounge location at Square One in Mississauga.
“Our mandate is to increase brand sales, reduce waste from returns, and to provide a fun, memorable, and valuable consumer experience,” says Passen in a release.
Innisfree Opens 1st Canadian Storefront
Photo: Innisfree (Yorkdale)
South Korean ‘naturalism-oriented’ cosmetic brand Innisfree has opened its first Canadian storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. A second location will open soon at CF Toronto Eaton Centre as the company kicks off its Canadian store expansion that will soon also include stores in the Vancouver area.
The 2,500 square foot Yorkdale Innisfree is located in the mall’s Nordstrom-anchored expansion wing across from Uniqlo and Muji’s large stores, and near other beauty and fragrance brands. L’Oreal-owned French fragrance brand Atelier Cologne is located next to Innisfree with Israel-based Laline being one storefront over. Across from Laline is a newly rebranded location for ‘Nature Collection’, a VDL-owned Korean beauty chain that was formerly known as ‘The Face Shop’.
Innisfree partnered with brokerage CBRE for its Canadian stores expansion. The Yorkdale Innisfree lease deal was negotiated by Arlin Markowitz and Selina Tao. In Vancouver, CBRE’s Martin Moriarty and Mario Negris are handling negotiations in that part of the country as Innisfree prepares to enter British Columbia.
Innisfree operates hundreds of stores globally and is part of the Seoul-based AmorePacific Corporation, which features 33 health, beauty and personal brands under its corporate umbrella. AmorePacific launched the Innisfree brand in 2002 and it now has stores in Asia, Australia and it recently expanded into the United States where it currently operates seven stores, with more to come.
Hermes to Open Massive Vancouver Flagship Friday, September 13
NEW HERMES FLAGSHIP AT 717 BURRARD STREET IN VANCOUVER. PHOTO: LEE RIVETT
French luxury brand Hermes will unveil its second large-format flagship concept in Canada this month with a new storefront at 717 Burrard Street. The store will span about 6,000 square feet over two levels with a similar amount of retail space as the Toronto Hermes flagship at 100 Bloor Street West that opened in November of 2017 (the Toronto flagship is housed in a leased space of nearly 13,000 square feet, including back-of-house and offices).
Hermes’ investment in Vancouver signals confidence in the market, which has seen luxury flagships open to cater to affluent locals and tourists. Some of the luxury stores in the nearby Alberni Street ‘luxury zone’ see astronomical sales numbers, though some have said sales have softened a bit over the past year.
The current 2,300 square foot Hermes location at 755 Burrard Street will be closed with the opening of the new two-level flagship at the southwest corner of Burrard Street and West Georgia Street. Cartier will replace Hermes after its parent company Richemont purchased the retail strata several years ago. Hermes will also be opening a new storefront this year on the ground level of the overhauled ‘Holt Renfrew Ogilvy’ in Montreal, and sources have said that a Toronto Yorkdale location could be in the works for the mall’s highly productive Holt Renfrew flagship.
Canada Goose and Mackage Opens at West Edmonton Mall
Image: Canada Goose at West Edmonton Mall
Further to last weeks report on West Edmonton Mall in Retail Insider, Canada Goose and Mackage have opened units in North America’s largest shopping centre. The Mackage store reflect’s the brand’s beautiful store design that includes black marble that contrasts with warm woods. The store showcases Mackage’s fall/winter 2019/20 outerwear and fashion collections for both men and women, as well as accessories.
Canada Goose also opened a 5,000 square foot store nearby, and is the second in Canada to feature a ‘cold room’ where visitors can test jackets in -25 degree temperatures (Edmonton’s ‘cold room’ is larger than the one in the Montreal flagship). Both Mackage and Canada Goose are located on the second level of the main run of West Edmonton Mall, which includes luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. as well as upscale retailers such as Coach and Michael Kors. UNTUCKit also recently opened nearby on the upper-level main run, and Matt & Nat is set to open nearby as well.
Canada Goose operates five stores in Canada including locations at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Montreal on Ste-Catherine Street, Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre, Vancouver’s CF Pacific Centre. Two more will open soon at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto as well as at the Cascade Shops in Banff, Alberta. Sources say that Canada Goose will announce a storefront at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in a retail space currently occupied by Apple, which will relocate downstairs into a substantially larger retail space this fall/winter.
Peloton Secures Permanent Mink Mile storefront
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT 151 BLOOR ST. W. IN TORONTO
New York City-based fitness company Peloton, known particularly for its luxury stationary bicycles that live-stream spin classes, has relocated its Bloor Street location in Toronto into a more permanent space. Peloton opened its first Canadian location at 130 Bloor Street West in a space formerly occupied by Hermes in October of 2018 which was intended to be a pop-up. The new storefront has opened at 151 Bloor Street West and the deal was negotiated by Arlin Markowitz of CBRE Toronto.
In Canada, Peloton has six retail spaces in shopping centres in Ontario and Alberta. That includes Greater Toronto locations including Bloor Street, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, CF Sherway Gardens and Square One in Mississauga. In Alberta, Peloton showrooms are located at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton and at CF Chinook Centre in Calgary. At least one Vancouver location is said to be under negotiation, with details to follow.
Foodtastic Acquires Quebec-Based Chocolato
Chocolato (Image: L2 CONSTRUCTION)
Foodtastic Inc., the Quebec-based franchisor of several marquee restaurant concepts, recently acquired Quebec-based Chocolato. Chocolato is known for its 20 dipping choices made from 100% pure high-quality chocolate, and it also serves dessert pizzas, fondues, handmade chocolates, drinking chocolate, ice cream and gelato, as well as other sweets. The first Chocolato opened on boulevard du Versant-Nord, in Sainte-Foy (Québec) in August 2015. There are now 22 locations in Quebec that include stand-alone stores, mall kiosks and express counters.
Foodtastic operates 58 restaurants under 11 banners, including Au Coq, La Belle et La Boeuf, Monza, Carlos & Pepe’s, Souvlaki Bar, Nickels, Vinnie Gambini, Blossom, Gatto Matto and Bacaro Pizzeria, as well as Big Rig Brewery and Big Rig Restaurants (Big Rig), which it added to its portfolio earlier this summer.
Founded by entrepreneurs Peter Mammas, Lawrence Mammas and Jacques Gaspo, Foodtastic is a leader in the restaurant franchising business with $125 million in annualized sales. Its recent growth is fuelled by a $47-million investment in December 2018 from Restaurant Royalty Partners and the Chocolato acquisition is part of Foodtastic’s vision to accelerate growth through new and existing brands. Foodtastic is working with Tony Flanz of Think Retail for its Canadian expansion except in the Quebec market, where Richard Gareau is working with the company. David Cantor of Cantor Realty Corp. is representing the brand for Ottawa.
Chick-fil-A Opening 1st Canadian Location Friday
Chick-fil-A at Yonge & Bloor (Image: Craig Patterson)
Popular US-based chicken-focused restaurant concept Chick-fil-A will officially open its first Canadian location on Friday at 709 Yonge Street at the corner of Hayden Street in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville Area. The corner retail space is part of the First Capital Realty-owned 1 Bloor East mixed-use complex that is anchored by Nordstrom Rack and a McEwan grocery store.
Chick-fil-A occupies about 4,400 square feet of retail space on the ground floor of the Yonge/Hayden intersection, offering exposure to thousands of pedestrians and vehicles daily. It’s also connected to Canada’s busiest subway station. Michael Calderone and Bryce Dymond of Urban Reform Realty Inc. Brokerage represented Chick-fil-A in the lease deal with First Capital Realty with Eric Sherman negotiating the deal on behalf of the landlord.
The restaurant chain is the third largest American fast-food restaurant and it’s growing quickly. The company is headquartered in College Park, Georgia, and was founded as the ‘Dwarf Grill’ in 1946 prior to changing its name to Chick-fil-A in 1967. The company operates more than 2,300 restaurants in the US and is planning a significant cross-Canada expansion as it gains brand awareness.
We got a chance this week to sample the menu and see the expansive space which was built by BUILD IT by Design. We learned that most Chick-fil-A locations are franchised and that most franchisees only operate one location. A cross-Canada expansion is expected for Chick-fil-A after testing the waters in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Montreal Eaton Centre on Ste-Catherine Street in Montreal’s downtown core is seeing a $200 million overhaul that will make the centre almost unrecognizable when it is completed before the end of this year. Landlord Ivanhoé Cambridge confirms that about 90% of the space at the new Montreal Eaton Centre has been leased out, and almost all of the stores in the new centre will feature their most updated store concepts. The project will be completed before December of this year.
Confirmed anchors at the new Montreal Eaton Centre will include a massive Time Out Market food hall, as well as French sports retailer Decathlon and large storefronts for retailers such as Sephora, the Gap and Old Navy. Some are speculating that a popular large-format Japanese fashion retailer could be joining the mix, though nothing is confirmed by parties involved.
Background: The newly formed Montreal Eaton Centre involves joining two adjacent shopping centres that both have unique histories. The former Complexe Les Ailes was created out of a former Eaton department store flagship store that once spanned nearly one million square feet. When Eaton closed in 1999, the lower floors of the building were converted into a shopping centre called ‘Complexe Les Ailes’, which was anchored by an impressive 225,000 Les Ailes de la Mode department store. After failing to capture shopping dollars, Les Ailes was downsized to a mere 75,000 square feet at the back-end of the Complexe Les Ailes — the chain continued to flounder and morphed into a discount concept before shuttering.
Adjacent to Complexe Les Ailes was the original Eaton Centre Montreal, which was designed to be an adjacent shopping centre for the massive Eaton department store. Such an arrangement was common in cities across Canada, though most have been renamed over the years except for the iconic CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
What’s to Come: The new Montreal Eaton Centre will be highly experiential with ample food and beverage offerings as well as spaces that will change to keep things fresh. Included will be three spaces for brand activations. That includes a ‘central square’ as well as two other areas to host temporary tenants. The overall look of the space will be grander and with broader sight-lines, including large windows overlooking Ste-Catherine Street as well as large atriums to create visibility and connectivity between the floors. The centre’s overall design will be modernized with a colour palette that will be gray and pale white, with touches of wood.
The centre’s Old Navy flagship store will relocate to the back of the second floor in the overhauled complex, while the most recent Old Navy space will become home to a 10,000 square foot restaurant that will overlook the newly pedestrianized McGill College Street. The City of Montreal announced last year that it would transform the block of McGill College into a public square that will become a focal point for the city.
Ste-Catherine Street Flagships: Four large retailers will occupy the Ste-Catherine Street facade of the new Montreal Eaton Centre. Sephora is confirmed to be one of the tenants. The 10,337 square foot store will feature an entrance from Ste-Catherine Street, as well as from within the shopping centre itself. The store opens later this month.
The Gap will be another tenant with a prominent Ste-Catherine Street frontage at the Montreal Eaton Centre. Another street-facing tenant has yet to be announced for a two-level corner space facing Ste-Catherine Street.
Forever 21 recently closed at the Montreal Eaton Centre with a Ste-Catherine Street doorway, and reopened in a location nearby. A new tenant will occupy the former Forever 21 space at Montreal Eaton Centre space, which will feature two retail levels that will include frontage onto Ste-Catherine Street. Whispers during a tour last week included a rumour that Japanese retailer Uniqlo might be the tenant to take that space, though nothing was confirmed by Ivanhoé Cambridge. Sources confirm that Uniqlo has signed a lease on Ste-Catherine Street and the former Forever 21 space would be a logical choice. As well, for the past several months Uniqlo has been advertising jobs in the Montreal market.
Time Out Market: The highly anticipated Time Out Market will span 40,000 square feet and will consist of 16 restaurants and three bars — one will focus on beer, one on wine, and one on cocktails. There will be two stations for soft drinks, a demonstration kitchen with 27 seats, a retail space selling local products and clothing such as t-shirts, and a cooking academy. Included in the mix will be a breakfast counter where breakfast will be served all day.
Each of the restaurants in the Time Out Market will operate on one-year leases and will offer between eight and 10 dishes, which will generally be priced between $8 and $20. The Time Out Market has control over pricing, though there may be exceptions for special seasonal dishes.
A wide range of food options at the Time Out market will include vegetarian, Mexican, Thai, pizza and other offerings.
The space will aim to be zero waste with porcelain plates and bowls as well as reusable cutlery and glasses. Any aluminum used will be recycled.
The Time Out market will include impressive stainless-steel kitchens as well as glossy grey ceramic walls, concrete columns, and hardwood flooring. Uniformity will be key, with each restaurant’s branding being in the same black font.
What’s interesting is that the Time Out market won’t be accepting cash for purchases, except at its bars. Instead, credit and debit cards and mobile payments will the primary payment methods in the massive new space. Cash will also not be accepted in the mall’s new Decathlon store — the goal is to get customers moving quickly through both spaces. Mobile payments are expected to take hold in Canada quickly and retailers at Montreal Eaton Centre will be at the forefront.
The Time Out Market will have a seating capacity of 550 and will utilize elongated wooden tables, with a further 225 seats contained within an indoor terrace where alcohol will be permitted. The Time Out Market will be open until 9:00pm daily, while its bar space will be open until midnight.
Recently announced restaurants at the Time Out Market Montreal include: Burger T by Normand Laprise, Montreal Plaza by Charles-Antoine Crete and Cheryl Johnson, Hunting & Fishing Club by Claude Pelletier, Romados (roasted Portuguese chicken), Restaurant Moleskine (Neapolitan pizza), Red Tiger (Vietnamese), Il Miglio (fresh Italian pasta), and Hof Sucrée (dessert) by Hof Kelsten.
What’s interesting, as well, is the former ninth floor restaurant in the former Eaton department store could re-open under a new service provider. Upgrades will be required for the space that closed about 20 years ago with the closure of Montreal’s massive Eaton flagship store, which was at one time the largest in the company in terms of square footage.
Decathlon: The two-level Decathlon store will span more than 38,000 square feet over two floors. As a comparison, the Brossard Decathlon location in suburban Montreal spans more than 60,000 square feet on one level. The Montreal Eaton Centre Decathlon location will feature two entry points. One will be on the first floor via a central corridor, and another through the Time Out Market itself. Decathlon will include window displays showcasing its wares on Maisonneuve Boulevard, though it will not include an entrance onto the street. For the first time, Ivanhoé Cambridge and Decathlon provided renderings of the entrance to the new store for Retail Insider and other media.
At Decathlon, as mentioned above, only debit and credit cards will be accepted, as well as mobile payments — sales associates will have mobile terminals to process payments so there will be no registers to line up at, other than several self-service registers at the front of the store. About 50 people will work at the new Montreal Eaton Centre Decathlon store and its e-comerce site is being launched this month.
Retail Insider will continue to report on the progression of construction at Montreal Eaton Centre, which is part of an incredible transformation of downtown Montreal. Other adjacent shopping centres, many connected via underground walkways, are also seeing updates. La Maison Simons, for example, recently opened a standalone home store in the shopping complex below its Ste-Catherine Street storefront.
The Hudson’s Bay department store, located east of the Montreal Eaton Centre, recently saw upgrades to its main level beauty hall that includes more prestige brands in a beautiful space. Sources say that at least the ground floor of that Bay flagship will be renovated over the next year, though plans for a proposed 200,000 square foot Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store at the back end of the 650,000 square foot building has been shelved, according to reports. As well, the overhaul to the highly anticipated Holt Renfrew Ogilvy at 1307 Ste-Catherine Street West is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the spring of 2020, introducing some of the world’s leading luxury brands to the market in a collection of leased shop-in-store concessions.
Retail giant Nike will be opening a massive Niketown flagship store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in November of 2020, according to a report in Israel-based news publication Globes. According to a rendering, the 32,000+ square foot Niketown store appears that it will occupy part of the mall’s former Home Outfitters storefront as well as two main level retail spaces. It will be operated by Israel retail fashion chain Fox-Wizel Ltd which already operates sports and beauty stores in Canada.
According to the news report, Fox-Wizel will invest about $12 million in the construction of the new Nike store, with a substantial amount of the financing coming from Yorkdale’s landlord, Oxford Properties. A ten-year lease for the store was reportedly signed with an option to extend it for five years. Annual revenues for the Yorkdale Nike store are projected to be in excess of $20 million annually. Given that that mall’s annual productivity per square foot is approaching $2,000, that sales projection could be conservative.
According to a rendering, the new Yorkdale Nike flagship will occupy mall-level space currently occupied by a Zara Home store, as well as Le Chateau. It will be located next to the mall’s Massimo Dutti store as per the floor plan above. The second level of the Niketown flagship will be made possible by taking space formerly occupied by home furnishings retailer Home Outfitters. Parent company Hudson’s Bay Company recently shuttered the Home Outfitters chain as part of a corporate restructuring.
The Yorkdale Niketown will be Fox-Wizel’s largest storefront in the world, and will contain an expansive assortment of Nike products including fashions as well as technology and gadgets. Fox-Wizel already operates seven Nike stores in Canada through its subsidiary Fox Canada that also includes Israeli beauty chain Laline, which is also expanding aggressively into the Canadian market.
In 2017, Fox-Wizel signed an agreement with Nike Canada to set up a chain of stores in this country over a period of seven years. As a result, a chain of Nike stores have rapidly opened in Canadian cities, including at Toronto’s Yorkdale. One source said that the current Nike space at Yorkdale could be repurposed for a high-end concept for the brand, with details to follow.
In years past, Nike operated Niketown locations in major cities globally, though the concept was scaled back. Included was a Niketown location that once occupied nearly 40,000 square feet of space at 110 Bloor Street West in Toronto, which is now part of a Brooks Brothers store.
CHANGE LINGERIE AT LES PROMENADES GATINEAU PHOTO: LES PROMENADES GATINEAU VIA FACEBOOK
At a time when many retailers are closing stores in Canada, some that offer unique value propositions are continuing to see success and are opening new locations. One example is Danish lingerie and fashion brand Change (formerly ‘Change of Scandinavia’), which has announced that it will open four more Canadian stores this fall as it continues with a national expansion strategy that could see many more locations in years to come.
Change lingerie has seen considerable brand loyalty in Canada which is due in part to its expansive range of bra sizes that are unavailable in other retailers. Change offers more than 110 different sizes, with about three quarters of them being in the DD to M cup size range. The company’s mission is “to provide the perfect bra to as many women around the world as possible.” Change’s boutiques are bright and welcoming and feature a modern edge, which partner brokerage Think Retail says makes Change an ideal tenant for busy shopping centres as well as on high streets.
Most of the other retailers in Canada selling bras only offer sizing in the B to D size range and interestingly, some of the retailers that one might expect would compete with Change lingerie actually refer business if sizes in their own stores are less robust.
CHANGE LINGERIE CANADA VIA FACEBOOK
Prices at Change’s stores are kept reasonable and personalized service is also part of the retailer’s value proposition. Brand loyalty is also driven by its ‘Club Change’ loyalty program. At all Change locations, customers are provided free bra fitting to ensure perfect fit. In order to meet the needs of its customers, Change stores also feature loungewear, swimmer, nightwear and stockings, though the majority of product in its stores includes bras and underwear.
Change is confirmed to be opening four more store locations over the next 14 months. This month, two storefronts will open in suburban Montreal, including a 700 square foot storefront at the Place Rosemere shopping centre as well as a 750 square foot location at the Galerie Rive Nord.
In December of this year, Change will unveil a 1,000 square foot location at the Guildford Town Centre in Surrey (suburban Vancouver), which is one of Canada’s most productive shopping centres in terms of sales per square foot. In November of 2020, Change has confirmed that it will enter the London, Ontario market with a 775 square foot store at CF Masonville Place, which is also a productive shopping centre that is considered to be a leader in the region. More store announcements in the meantime could be made as negotiations are ongoing.
Change, which launched in Denmark as a private label brand in 1995 and opened its first retail store in Copenhagen in 2001, plans to continue growing its base of Canadian stores. In 2020, the brand plans to enter the Alberta market and is seeking spaces in the 600 square foot to 1,000 square foot range, while also looking to further penetrate markets where it already has stores and resultant brand awareness. Change is working with Tony Flanz of brokerage Think Retail on its Canadian store expansion and is the contact for enquiring landlords.
Globally, Change operates more than 250 corporate and franchised stores in 15 countries across three continents (Europe, Asia and North America), as well as an international e-commece website. Change opened its first store in Canada in 2006 and after retaining Mr. Flanz, the brand began to expand rapidly into markets across the country. Most recently, Change opened an intimate-sized 650 square foot store at CF Galeries d’Anjou in Montreal. Change operates 25 units in Canada in markets including the British Columbia/Lower Mainland, Greater Toronto Area/Southern Ontario, Ottawa, Greater Montreal and Quebec City.
Regina, Saskatchewan-based jewellery company Hillberg & Berk is expanding its retail operations this fall by opening new stores in British Columbia and Manitoba. The company has seen rapid growth which includes operating storefronts in cities in Saskatchewan and Alberta, as well as a network of retailer distributors in several Canadian provinces.
It’s part of a national expansion for Hillberg & Berk that could eventually see stores open across the country. Hillberg & Berk’s styles include a ‘Sparkle Collection’ that acts as a core for the brand, while also featuring gemstones and statement pieces as well as everyday basic designs that can be layered depending on the occasion. The brand has also embraced the personalization trend where pieces are meant to be meaningful to the consumer, including birthstones and charms that can be representative of family members of the wearer.
And while the merchandise is geared towards women between the ages of 25 and 40, the brand tends to appeal to a broad demographic, according to founder Rachel Mielke. “It’s very feminine and bold and classic,” she told Retail Insider in 2017. “We’re really trying to create pieces that are timeless and on trend, but they still have a longevity to them; they’ll still be relevant and beautiful in the future.”
PHOTO: HILLBERG & BERK VIA GOOGLEMAPS
HILLBERG & BERK’S “SPAKRLE BAR” AT CORNWALL CENTRE PHOTO: HILLBERG & BERK
Moving forward, Hillberg & Berk’s stores will feature a design beyond its traditional black-and-white aesthetic, by adding pops of colour including blush pink and burgundy. Stores will also be more open-concept — rather than product being contained behind glass cases, customers can browse products in the stores either on their own or with the assistance of one of Hillberg & Berk’s in-store client ambassadors.
Hillberg & Berk currently operates six stores and two kiosk-like ‘Sparkle Bars’ in Saskatchewan and Alberta. In Regina, Hillberg & Berk operates a flagship store at 2169 McIntyre Street, which is contained in a historic house painted yellow that is located just south of downtown Regina. In Saskatoon, Hillberg & Berk has stores at the Midtown Plaza in the city’s downtown core, as well as at the Centre Mall, which Retail Insider recently reported was seeing upgrades. In Edmonton, Hillberg & Berk operates stores at Southgate Centre and Kingsway Mall. In Calgary, the retailer also has a store at CF Market Mall. Hillberg & Berk’s ‘Sparkle Bars’ are located at Cornwall Centre in downtown Regina, as well as at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton.
HILLBERG & BERK’S MIDTOWN PLAZA LOCATION ALL PHOTOS: 1080 ARCHITECTURE
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In October, two inline retail spaces for Hillberg & Berk will open in two entirely new markets. That includes a 1,063 square foot store at the Coquitlam Centre in suburban Vancouver, which will boast a prominent location next to the mall’s Sephora store and across from high-traffic retailers including Uniqlo and H&M.
In Winnipeg, Hillberg & Berk will open its largest storefront to date in October at CF Polo Park, which will span 1,453 square feet. That store will be located next to the mall’s Coach store and near other popular retailers including Michael Kors, H&M and Lululemon.
In 2020, Hillberg & Berk will open a second permanent location in Calgary which continues to be a key market for the brand.
Hillberg & Berk already has brand awareness in British Columbia and Manitoba, where it is carried in various retailers that include the brand’s range of jewellery designs. Many of the retail locations carrying the brand are in smaller markets, which means the standalone direct-to-consumer storefronts in cities are less likely to affect sales at its wholesale partners.
HILLBERG & BERK’S SOUTHGATE CENTRE LOCATION ALL PHOTOS: 1080 ARCHITECTURE
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In Ontario, the Hillberg & Berk brand is also carried in smaller retailers as the brand continues to gain consumer awareness. The Ontario market will also be a priority for Hillberg & Berk’s retail expansion into 2021 and beyond, according to Kelsey Shannon, Manager of Retail at Hillberg and Berk. Possible Toronto locations could include CF Sherway Gardens and Square One in Mississauga, for example. Ms. Shannon will be at the ICSC Toronto Conference in September to further strategize Hillberg & Berk’s expansion through discussions with landlords, which could also possibly include a retail expansion into the Ottawa market as well.
Hillberg & Berk is also looking to expand into the United States after receiving a grant from the Saskatchewan government for women entrepreneurs. The brand is recognized for supporting the women’s empowerment movement through its branding, design and distribution of jewellery and accessories. The US expansion is expected to include a dedicated e-commerce site, as well as wholesale distribution in various retailers.
Entrepreneur Rachel Mielke Founded Hillberg & Berk in 2007 by creating designs intended to be “modern and timeless, practical and functional” that are crafted from sterling silver, gold, and high-quality gemstones. Prices are considered accessible with many pieces priced at under $250, and prices can go higher for some designs featuring various gemstones.
HILLBERG & BERK’S KINGSWAY MALL LOCATION PHOTOS: 1080 ARCHITECTURE
RACHEL MIELKE, FOUNDER AND CEO OF HILLBERG & BERK PHOTO: HILLBERG & BERK
In 2008, Ms. Mielke went on CBC’s TV show Dragon’s Den, where she partnered with business mogul and philanthropist W. Brett Wilson for financing. Mr. Wilson is still involved in the business as an investor and consultant. In 2014, Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant Governor commissioned Hillberg & Berk to make a tourmaline floral-design broach surrounded by diamonds for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has been photographed wearing it several times. In 2017, Hillberg & Berk was commissioned to create a second piece for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II which falso gained the jewellery brand positive press. Hillberg & Berk has also been popular with a wide range of celebrities, and the brand itself has collaborated with various other retail brands and well-known individuals.
