Advertisement
Advertisement
Home Blog Page 967

West Edmonton Mall Adding Exciting New Retailers and Attractions [Feature]

By
Christopher Lui
-
West Edmonton Mall's Santa Maria is an exact replica of Christopher Columbus' flagship used to sail to the Americas in 1492

A retail evolution for 2019 is happening at North America’s largest mall, West Edmonton Mall located in Edmonton. These changes are showcasing how West Edmonton Mall is adapting to the changing retail landscape while securing its place as a global leader in the realm of ‘retailtainment’ — something other shopping centre landlords are doing to bring in shoppers to spend time and spend more money.

Luxury Retailers

One of the most exciting additions to West Edmonton Mall is the recent opening of French luxury brand Louis Vuitton in Phase 3. The store officially opened on June 7, 2019. As reported by Retail Insider in June, the store took over part of the the former 6,270 square foot Banana Republic space on the upper level. Banana Republic has not relocated within the mall. Louis Vuitton occupies approximately 4,500 square feet and carries an expanded assortment of leather goods and accessories for both women and men.

There is also a dedicated jewelry, footwear and perfume selection. For the opening, in addition to the monogram collections, the Louis Vuitton store introduced a variety of exotic handbags that ranged from $9,000 to $15,000. There was even a queue for customers waiting to enter the store during its opening, as is still the case on some days. For the remainder of 2019, Edmonton will have two Louis Vuitton stores. The Louis Vuitton Holt Renfrew Edmonton store will operate until the end of December 2019. The strategy of operating two stores in the interim will help to transition existing customers to the West Edmonton Mall location as well as start building a new customer base. Partly as a result of Louis Vuitton’s exit from downtown Edmonton, Holt Renfrew will close its Manulife Place in January.

Taking over the remaining space formerly occupied by Banana Republic is WORKHALL Studio, which was relocated from beside the mall’s LOFT store. WORKHALL Studio is an Edmonton-based fashion company with the mission of transformable and purposeful clothing. The clothes are designed and tailored in-house and produced in Los Angeles. The relocated store opened in April of 2019.  It is interesting to note that many of the structural elements of the store were recycled from the previous Banana Republic store including the large pillars in the interior of the store, which saw a refresh including a salmon-coloured paint job.

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
CLICK IMAGE FOR INTERACTIVE WEST EDMONTON MALL FLOOR PLAN
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

To complement the arrival of Louis Vuitton, multi-brand premium jeweller GemOro Goldsmith relocated in May 2019 to its new upper level location across from the new Louis Vuitton store. GemOro’s previous location was on the main level in Phase 1 near the Centre Stage by Hudson’s Bay. GemOro is a premier destination for luxury timepieces and fine jewellery from brands including Cartier, Omega, Tudor, Breitling, Zenith, Tag Heuer, Gucci, and Mikimoto pearls. GemOro is also an Official Rolex Retailer and this location boasts a separate Rolex shop-in-shop.

In this up-and-coming luxury cluster, Canada Goose will open a 5,000 square foot store beside the Michael Kors Mens store soon. As reported by Retail Insider in April 2019, the large Canada Goose location will feature a ‘cold room’ where visitors can try on parkas in sub-zero temperatures. This will be the second Canada Goose store in the country to feature such an installation, following the opening of a Montreal Canada Goose flagship in November of 2018. To generate excitement prior to the open, the hoarding also has a View-Master set up displaying images of Canada Goose product. 

In the Spring 2019, there were vacancies in this area with the relocation of True Religion Jeans and the closure of Rudsak which sold outerwear, handbags, clothing, footwear & accessories. The True Religion space has been leased to Matt & Nat which is a Montreal-based eco-friendly accessory fashion brand. As reported by by Retail Insider in April 2019, Matt & Nat was founded in 1999 and its name is derived from the words “mat(t)erial” and “nature”. Matt & Nat is known for not using leather or any other animal-based materials in its bag and accessory designs. Moving into the Rudsak space is Mackage which is another Montreal-based fashion retailer focused on luxury outerwear, women’s ready-to-wear, and leather goods. Founded by Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan in 1999, Mackage is stocked in 27 markets. It has six own-brand stores in the US and Canada and 943 stockists globally. Mackage officially opened at West Edmonton Mall on Friday.

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

The addition of these new luxury retailers in West Edmonton Mall’s up-and-coming ‘luxury area’ bode well and complement the existing upscale retailers including Coach, Kate Spade, Marc Cain, Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman and Tiffany & Co.. Other high-end brands are said to be looking at spaces near Louis Vuitton as a high-end cluster of retailers develops on the mall’s upper level, according to mall management. In addition, with the closure of Holt Renfrew Edmonton in January 2020 as reported by Retail Insider in May, these West Edmonton Mall luxury tenants will help to attract the luxury customer to the mall and as a result, away from Edmonton’s downtown core.

Other luxury retailers joining West Edmonton Mall include SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker. The 2,440 square foot luxury shoe store opened on June 8, 2019 and replaces a former Town Shoes store which was located adjacent to BRBN st., a food and beverage area with a New Orleans theme. Town Shoes shuttered all of its 38 stores earlier this year after parent company DSW announced that it was closing the chain.  

The shoe styles at SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker primarily feature high-heels and are priced in the $400-$700 range per pair. To celebrate the opening of her new store, Sarah Jessica Parker traveled to West Edmonton Mall on on June 15, 2019. She hosted a fashion show and select customers had a chance to shop with her. For more details on the event see this this Retail Insider article.  

New Retailers

Other new fashion retailers joining West Edmonton Mall include UNIQLO which is a Japanese clothing retailer. As reported by Retail Insider in June 2019, this 17,000 square foot store takes over the space formerly occupied by Murale, Laura and Brown’s Shoes. UNIQLO is a popular Japanese fashion retailer that focuses on high quality affordable casual wear from underwear to outerwear. The store’s grand opening is Friday September 27. The focus for UNIQLO’s expansion in Canada was to create brand awareness in larger cities such as Toronto and Vancouver and expanding now into secondary markets such as Edmonton and soon, Montreal. Yuichiro Kaneko, CEO of UNIQLO Canada states that “Our entry in Alberta represents an important step in our company’s expansion strategy in Canada, and we are very pleased and excited to further show our commitment to Canadians by expanding in a new province. We look forward to introducing UNIQLO and our high quality, affordable LifeWear apparel to Edmontonians and the people of Alberta and welcoming them in our new store in the fall.”

Edmonton-based salon and spa concept Evelyn Charles will relocate its EvelynCharles Academy to West Edmonton Mall in the winter. The 10,000 square foot space, which will provide education in areas including hair, cosmetology and aesthetics, will be located in part of the mall’s former Target space. The EvelynCharles Academy in downtown Edmonton, located in the Edmonton City Centre shopping and office complex, will close as a result.

An education-focused retailer Scholar’s Choice will also be opening in the mall, with details to follow.

BROWNS SHOES JUST OPENED ONE OF ITS LARGEST STORES AT WEST EDMONTON MALL, IN A SPACE FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY WILLIAMS SONOMA. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

UNTUCKit opened on July 2, 2019 beside the future Canada Goose store. As reported by by Retail Insider in June 2019, UNTUCKit is a New York City-based men’s casual brand known for its shirts that are meant to be untucked. This store carries the full line of UNTUCKit men’s apparel, including shirts, sweaters, pants, outerwear and other categories. Brokerage Oberfeld Snowcap is leading UNTUCKit’s expansion within Canada.

Morphe Cosmetics opened in the former Indochino space in Phase 3 at West Edmonton Mall. Founded in 2008, Morphe is an LA based beauty retailer that offers professional-grade makeup at an affordable price. Initially launching in Canada through Sephora, Morphe is looking to grow its store count in Canada.

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

Alternative retailers are opening up in West Edmonton Mall as well. This fall, Aurora Cannabis is slated to open in Phase 4 in the former MyPet space. Although hoarding is up, the official opening date has not been announced. The opening of the store is impacted by two factors, previous zoning bylaws and the provincial licensing process has been suspended by Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission since November 2018.

As of February 2019, the City of Edmonton has updated it separation distances for cannabis stores allowing them to open in shopping centres. The provincial government has not yet begun to release new licenses. According to Heather MacGregor, Director of Communications for Aurora Cannabis, the vision for the West Edmonton Store is to create a retail space which incorporates an educational experiential environment along with selling cannabis in accordance with all regulations.

A smaller electronics retailer Markit10 opened in Phase 1 in June 2019. An Edmonton based company, its focus is being a destination for all things mobile with a focus on price and shoppers who prefer an in-person shopping experience. This is a marked shift from other retailers who are shifting to an exclusively online presence. The retailer’s website does not include online shopping. This is an interesting strategy and time will tell if they are successful as their target market must visit the mall. The retailer’s main point of differentiation will need to be customer service as they are an exclusively in-person shopping experience.

Akianne Styles is another fashion retailer opened in Phase 1 in the previous Perisan carpet store. The Edmonton-based retailer focuses on fast fashion and carries women’s, men’s and kid’s wear and also wigs and weaves.  

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

Adding to the mix of food retailers, an Edmonton based French style bakery, Reinette Cafe & Patisserie opened in the former DNA Tea space located in Phase 1. Previous to DNA Tea, this space was occupied by Teavana which was shuttered by Starbucks in 2017 and was subsequently sued by Cadillac Fairview for vacating CF’s mall properties. DNA Tea briefly relocated to a kiosk location near the Ice Palace, however it closed in the spring of 2019. Reinette serves a variety of French pastries, specialty coffee, and even nitrogen infused cold brew coffee and tea. Customers can order items to go or enjoy them in a cozy seating area.

The former Sweet Jesus Ice Cream shop in Phase 2, which opened to much fan fare, has been replaced with another ice cream shop, Dragon’s Breath. The new concept’s point of differentiation is adding frozen liquid nitrogen to its treats so that when customers consume the ice cream and breathe through their nose, the vapour is expelled similar to a dragon creating a smoke effect. The mall has two locations of Dragon’s Breath with another store also in Phase 2 near the Galaxyland amusement park. Time will tell if this is another food fad or if this trend is here to stay.

BRBN st. is adding a new restaurant to the mix. Japanese Village, which is an Edmonton based chain of Teppanyaki restaurants, is opening soon. Teppanyaki is an interactive dining experience where food is cooked on an iron griddle in front of diners. This restaurant fits perfectly for the shoppers at West Edmonton Mall since it appeals to both young and old looking for a unique dining experience. In a mall filled with international brands, it is great to see Edmonton based companies also opening up shop.

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
  • PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

  • PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

  • PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

SWEET JESUS ICE CREAM WAS REPLACED BY A UNIQUE CONCEPT. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

New fast food retailers also have joined the Food Courts in both Phase 1 and 3. In Phase 1, Explore India, which is local Edmonton food truck turned brick and mortar, opened on Tuesday August 13, 2019. Explore India specializes in East Indian Cuisine. Also joining the Phase 1 Food Court is Basil Box which serves Southeast Asian Thai and Vietnamese flavours. This concept is following in the customization and personalization trend in retail, as they offer a mix and match concept in building your entrée.

Gangnam Street Food, which is an Edmonton based restaurant, opened in Phase 3 earlier in August 2019 and serves Korean street food. In addition, a fast food concept called Bourbon St. Grill is also opening soon. However this concept has no affiliation to Triple Five Corporation, which is the developer and owner of West Edmonton Mall. Innovated Restaurant Group, Inc. (IRG) operates Bourbon St. Grill, which serves Cajun and Creole cuisine. These new food retailers add additional international flavours to the food court in a fast food style. In addition, they are in tune with 2019 Food Trends focusing on Pacific Rim and international flavours which will appeal to shoppers.

Adding to its entertainment offerings, West Edmonton Mall is converting the former West 49 space which had 2 levels and an underground skate park into a Go Kart track. In its former life, this was a movie theatre space. The development permit from March 7, 2019 indicates that the mall is developing the space. There is hoarding around the space with a race track theming however an opening date has not yet been announced. To keep shoppers onsite, entertainment options are a great way to enhance their shopping experience.

YET ANOTHER ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT COMING TO WEST EDMONTON MALL’S PHASE 3. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

Relocated and Renovating Retailers

The addition of new retailers in the mall also involves relocating existing tenants. The addition of Matt and Nat meant that True Religion Jeans needed to be relocated. The new store is now on the main floor in Phase 3 beside The Gap combination store which includes both Men’s, Women’s and Children’s fashions.

Filling the second level space of the former 149,000 square foot Sears space will be The Brick. The Brick is currently located in Phase 3 near Professor Wem’s Adventure Golf. The current store is a massive 45,000 square feet with three levels. As an original tenant to West Edmonton Mall in 1985 with the mall’s Phase 3 expansion, this store was expanded in the 2000s into a larger concept store which was one of ten in Canada at the time. To accommodate the additional space required by The Brick, the additional floors were added by digging underneath the main level. This decision was made as the mall did not want to expand upwards as it would have impacted the Europa Boulevard themed section that is directly above the store. There are currently two levels of selling space with the remaining third level used as warehouse space. According to then The Brick President, Kim Yost, The Brick faced an issue by adding a basement floor, “everybody in furniture retail knows that you don’t want anything off the entrance-level floor.”

Founder Bill Comrie created a unique main entrance from within the mall. The main entrance is a suspended floor-lit catwalk which opens below to the lower floor. This creates a feeling of openness so that customers can see that there is an additional floor below. To create additional impact, a bank of 96 television monitors was added to the back wall. By creating a unique entrance, The Brick is able to draw shoppers into their store. During the initial opening, there was even a wall completely covered with mattresses. In addition, there was scale model house built in the store with a series of galleries with professionally decorated rooms. The relocated store in Phase One opens on Friday September 6, 2019 at 5:00 pm.

West Edmonton Mall management says that it is exploring options for the former Brick space, and is close to a lease deal for the main floor of the mall’s former Sears space.

To celebrate the grand opening, of the newly relocated Brick, shoppers will have the chance to meet Tessa Virtue, the 2018 Olympic Champion and 3-Time World Champion, on Saturday September 7. Additional grand opening events will continue all weekend. With their relocation to Phase 1, it will be interesting to see what retail concepts will be used for this new space as the store will be on the second level. The footprint of the Brick store has also been evolving during the renovation. It does not appear that The Brick will be occupying the entire second floor footprint of the former Sears space.

To accommodate the space required by UNIQLO, Melanie Lynn and Laura operated by Laura Canada moved into the former Express location — Express closed its Canadian stores in 2017. This 15,000 square foot space is ideal as Laura Canada’s strategy is to position Laura, Laura Petites and Laura Plus all under one roof. In addition, there is enough space for their Melanie Lyne brand to be located beside as well. This strategy allows shoppers to have access to a wide variety of sizes within the same store. In addition, it also allows Laura Canada to maximize operational efficiencies including human resources.

With the influx of luxury retailers to the mall, Hugo Boss renovated its current location in Phase 2 to reflect its newest branding and store design.

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

  • NEW MELANIE LYNE. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
  • NEW LAURA STOREFRONT PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
THE NEW HUGO BOSS STORE AT WEST EDMONTON MALL FEATURES A SIMILAR DESIGN AS THE NEWLY OPENED CANADIAN FLAGSHIP AT TORONTO’S YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE. IMAGE: WEST EDMONTON MALL
FORMER WILLIAMS SONOMA SPACE, WHICH IS NOW OCCUPIED BY BROWNS SHOES. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

Store Closures

West Edmonton Mall has seen a few store closures this past year. However they do not seem to impact the mall overall. Most notably, high end kitchenware retailer Williams Sonoma closed its only Edmonton location several months ago. The store opened to much fanfare in September 2012. Starting in 2017, Williams Sonoma Inc. said that it was in the process of closing 80 underperforming stores across North America as the retailer’s leases expire within the next three years. From the perspective of the mall, the space was quickly leased by Brown’s Shoes which relocated from its previous space beside Pottery Barn, creating one of the largest Brown’s stores in the company.

Located in Phase 2, Murale closed in March 2019. Murale is a free-standing luxury beauty chain owned by Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. This space was 5,000 square feet over 2 levels, including a mezzanine. Shoppers Drug Mart has been slowly closing Murale stores across Canada and is expected to shutter the chain entirely in the coming months. This high traffic space has already been allocated to the new UNIQLO store.

In Phase 3, an Edmonton luxury women’s boutique Rozah Boutique closed at the end of July 2019. The retailer carried European high end brands including Versace, Seventy and Chiara Boni. It occupied a space that was formerly an HS Henry Singer store, which is a high end men’s retailer. Both retailers have consolidated their locations to Downtown Edmonton with Henry Singer in Manulife Place and Rozah Boutique in Commerce Place.

Henry Singer was supposed to vacate Manulife Place for ‘The ICE District’ for an expansion of downtown Edmonton’s Holt Renfrew store, which never ended up materializing.

Food and beverage concept Cacao 70 recently closed at West Edmonton Mall, though it could reopen under the ownership of a different franchisee, according to mall management.

  • SHUTTERED ROZAH BOUTIQUE. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
  • SHUTTERED MURALE STORE IN THE SPRING PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
  • PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
  • PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LUI

Social Media

To attract the millennial shopper, West Edmonton Mall has also added Instagram Walls right outside Galaxyland and Guest Services in Phase 2. Branded as the Photo Shoppe at West Edmonton Mall, there are four rooms that have various themes around colour as per photos above. There is currently a pink and blue room.

Shoppers are encouraged to take photos and upload them to social media using the hashtag #WEMPS with a chance to win weekly prizes. Currently the space is also being used to promote a Back to School promotion. This is a great way to attract shoppers to this section of the mall and also create Instagrammable moments that will be widely shared online. Although the mall is large, there are not too many Instagrammable walls throughout.

Conclusion

There has been an accelerated pace of change for West Edmonton Mall in 2019 which features an impressive assortment of retailers, restaurants and entertainment concepts. According to the Retail Council of Canada Shopping Centre 2018 Study, the mall ranks in number 2 with over 28 million shoppers visiting in 2018 and number 30 with sales per square foot at $767.

Landlord Triple Five confirms that the mall’s central corridor delivered annual sales averaging $1,182 per square foot for the 12 months ending June 30, 2018. With all of these changes, it will be interesting to see if West Edmonton Mall can top these numbers.

West Edmonton Mall’s landlord Triple Five Group also owns the massive Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis, as well as the American Dream retail and entertainment complex that is set to open in suburban New York City in late October. The developer also plans to open another mega-complex (co-owner Don Ghermezian prefers to not use the word ‘mall’) in suburban Miami, Florida, and more could follow in the years to come, according to sources familiar with the developer.

Calgary-Based C&C Candle Co. Inc. Seeing Success

By
Retail Insider
-
PHOTO: C&C CANDLE COMPANY INC. VIA FACEBOOK

By Kayla Matthews

A small business reaching a successful milestone is a heartwarming story for anyone to hear. In Canada, one such business has reached new heights by selling candles, essential oils and other bath and body products both locally and online.

Demand grew so much in 2019 alone that production has ramped up further than ever before. Now, its retail partners are having a hard time keeping their products on shelves. For any business looking to make it big, C&C Candle Co. is a fantastic success story to learn from.

  • Offerings From C&C Candle Co.
  • Offerings From C&C Candle Co.
  • Offerings From C&C Candle Co.
  • Offerings From C&C Candle Co.

Offerings From C&C Candle Co.

The Alberta, Canada-based C&C Candle Co. makes wide range of products. It carries three different collections of candles, three different types of essential oils, bath bombs, bath salts and a whole range of supplies to make candles. Helping other candlers learn to make DIY products has been a significant boost for C&C Candle Co.’s target demographic.

Another lesson we all can learn from C&C Candle Co. is how open the company is to questions and feedback. If you’re trying to learn how to make candles or have recommendations for new products, their lines are always open. They even offer a men’s line called Gentlemen’s Torch that’s still new, but has products most other candlers don’t usually carry.

THE GENTLEMAN’S TORCH PHOTO: C&C CANDLE COMPANY INC. VIA FACEBOOK
PHOTO: C&C CANDLE COMPANY INC. VIA GOOGLE MAPS

Growing Demand

The owner of C&C Candle Co., Bridget Calvank, has been making these candles for 15 years. Only when demand rose to staggering heights in early 2019 did she decide to branch out into full-scale production. Now she has two locations, one being a 6,400-square-foot manufacturing facility.

“In the last year we have grown very quickly due to the overwhelming success we have had with London Drugs,” Calvank told Retail Insider. “We started out with five products in September 2018 and have quickly expanded to 24 products in all 80 of their locations as of August 2019!”

“I believe one of the biggest reasons for this [success] is we custom design the product to go into the stores so it’s always different and unique for each retailer,” Calvank says. “Making their clients come back to them for that product again and again.  Plus we manufacture the products right here in Calgary, so we can control the quality and it matters to the customer that we are Canadian. We have also recently engineered our packaging to be 100% recyclable as of July 2019 we are the first in our industry to do this.”

C&C CANDLE COMPANY INC. PRODUCTS AT LONDON DRUGS PHOTO: C&C CANDLE COMPANY INC. VIA FACEBOOK

Contact

“When I started out in my basement almost 20 years ago it started as a hobby,” Calvank says, “but I always knew I wanted to make it into more because I loved the idea of making people feel great when they used our products.”

If you’re in the Calgary area, you can find C&C Candle Co. at Unit 19 2015 32 Avenue Northeast. If not, you can still buy any of their products online, but don’t forget discount codes. All online orders are 2% off when you use the promo code ONLINE. You can also get 5% off online orders of over $300 by using the promo code 300.

No matter what you decide to order or how you want to buy, C&C Candles Co. makes the shopping experience easy, personal and fun. For those thinking about getting into candle-making, this might be one of the best resources you could find. C&C Candle Co. already helps out its local community.

Calvank says C&C Candles Co. will be at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market all three weekends in November this year. “[I]t’s our first year there and we are hoping for a great success,” she says.

If you want to follow their journey, connect to C&C Candle Co. on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email or just use the chat menu option on their website. Depending on your circumstances, you can find them wherever or whenever you need help.

Kayla Matthews

Kayla Matthews is a researcher, writer and blogger covering topics related to technology, smart gadgets, the future of work and personal productivity. She is the owner and editor of ProductivityTheory.com and ProductivityBytes.com. Previously, Kayla was a senior writer at MakeUseOf and contributing freelancer to Digital Trends. Kayla’s work on smart homes and consumer tech has also been featured on Houzz, Dwell, Inman and Curbed. Additionally, her work has appeared on Quartz, PRNewswire, The Week, The Next Web, Lifehacker, Mashable, The Daily Dot, WIRED and others.

Inside Inscape’s Hip Financial District Retail Showroom [Photos]

By
Retail Insider
-
Image: Inscape

By Kayla Matthews 

Since its establishment in 1888, Toronto-based furniture manufacturer Inscape has built a reputation on innovative designs and pieces that meet a business’s evolving needs. Inscape knows that change is the only constant, and it’s crucial to build furniture to match that reality.

In other words, companies should feel that they can confidently navigate changes without feeling limited by their furniture.

Those business ideas helped drive Inscape’s decision to open a new multipurpose retail space in the heart of Toronto’s action-packed downown Financial District.

Image: INSCAPE

Turning Consumers Into Confident Purchasers

This new space on the 13th floor of the TD Centre at 220 Bay Street is primarily a retail showroom. It features dedicated zones such as a kitchen and a client waiting area. Many of the sections have nature-inspired elements, such as plants and natural wood. Also, the furniture arrangements help people envision how they might use the pieces in their workplaces. That approach could help drive sales.

“The multi-functional showroom-meets-office-meets-event space truly articulates Inscape’s promise to its customers: flexible design,” says David Gerson, Chief Brand Officer at Inscape. “The showroom highlights the many ways businesses lay out their offices based on function, whether as individual workstations, hotel desking, or closed collaboration or executive offices. However, what is unique about Inscape is that each system can adapt to business’ many changing needs.”

Image: INSCAPE

Research from Google indicates that consumers move through various stages of the furniture-buying process. Many of them happen online first. For example, people watched more than 13 million hours of home furnishing-related YouTube videos in 2016. Many of them do that because they want to visualize how pieces would look in their space.

Inscape has a YouTube channel, but the opening of its new space means people can visualize the options in ways that are more helpful than merely watching a video. They can request product demonstrations, analyze the dimensions of the pieces that interest them most, feel textures and more.

Getting this informed about furniture helps the showroom’s visitors feel excited and well equipped to purchase things for their offices. They also have the opportunity to immediately have questions answered by the showroom’s employees.

PHOTO: INSCAPE

More Than a Showroom

Inscape also had other things in mind when planning how to use its showroom. It tasked figure3, an interior design firm, with designing the 6,000-square-foot space to meet multiple needs.

“The space needed to be truly multi-functional, as not just a corporate furniture showroom, but an office and co-working space for employees, training hub, and event venue,” says Gerson. “In addition to a variety of uses, Inscape wanted to create an environment where clients would feel welcomed and at home.”

One of the standout features is a meditation room surrounded by a dichroic glass film. That design element adds a continually changing colour spectrum to the boundaries of that peaceful area. Additionally, people can perch on the window seats of the veranda and marvel at views of the Toronto skyline and nearby Lake Ontario.

PHOTO: INSCAPE

People Can See for Themselves

Inscape’s business focuses on customizable office furniture. This new showroom is an extension of Inscape’s brand promise that individuals can experience firsthand.

If consumers are in the market for appealing, purposeful office furniture or want to learn more about the options Inscape offers, it’s worth checking out the showroom at 220 Bay St. First, however, people should book a showroom tour by emailing toshow@myinscape.com.

Kayla Matthews is a researcher, writer and blogger covering topics related to technology, smart gadgets, the future of work and personal productivity. She is the owner and editor of ProductivityTheory.com and ProductivityBytes.com. Previously, Kayla was a senior writer at MakeUseOf and contributing freelancer to Digital Trends. Kayla’s work on smart homes and consumer tech has also been featured on Houzz, Dwell, Inman and Curbed. Additionally, her work has appeared on Quartz, PRNewswire, The Week, The Next Web, Lifehacker, Mashable, The Daily Dot, WIRED and others.

How ‘Wellness Retail’ Concepts are Expanding in Canada Amid Consumer Shift

By
Retail Insider
-

By Marcella Au and Shannon MacLean, Quadrangle

There is no denying that recent years have seen a huge shift in the Canadian retail landscape. Values and consumer habits have moved away from the cut and dry materialism of the 20th century and now experiences are the new cultural currency. We have also seen other trends take root, such as the overload of hyper immersive “Instagrammable” pop ups, and we’ve lived through the disruption of the digital age which has led to the “retail apocalypse” and the downfall of the department store.

This year, 2019, is the first year that millennials have outnumbered baby boomers, according to the Pew Research Centre. We also have Gen Z, the school-age young adults of the next generation, poised to shake up the industry even more. While we can’t predict the future, the statistics of how and where we shop are telling of what consumers these days find necessary as part of their retail journey. To begin to understand what comes next, we must first thoroughly understand our consumers.

Canadians today are focused on self-care and living a more balanced life. They are also now consciously seeking natural alternatives and companies that are environmentally responsible. There are creative ad campaigns plugging everyday items that have been reinvented for a generation that wants to give back to the community, demands transparency and would rather pay an extra dollar to ensure that what they’re buying into is the real deal.

This has resulted in the rise of singular branded, formerly mundane household items now reframed as their own niche markets that can elevate our experience. For example, we can now treat ourselves to toothbrushes made with sustainable bamboo handles and organic charcoal bristles. Before making a purchase, we ask ourselves: Would we rather support mega corporations? Or would we rather support small businesses and those that care about sustainable development and strive to enhance health and wellness? What will make us feel better?

Most of our current retail clients are ones that operate from a wellness-based perspective. The retail market in Canada is recognizing this shift in shopping habits and companies that are experiencing growth are offering products and services which are focused on the foundations of health and wellness or embed it into their brand identity.

Here’s a snapshot of some retailers who are shaping the future of retail in Canada and how they’ve incorporated wellness into the design and roll-out of their projects.

Wellwise, formerly known as Shoppers Home Health Care, was known for selling utilitarian medical aids but has recently repositioned their brand. Their new bright and uplifting spaces empower Canadians to age powerfully and to live active and healthy lifestyles. We designed accessible stores with homey elements like warm wood flooring and millwork and drum shade lighting. Each product category is clearly defined with a corresponding bold colour and icon, making the store easy to navigate. Adjustable store fixture components and shelving provide flexible merchandising options for product displays.

The large-format stores include a mock-residential apartment, helping shoppers visualize how they can adapt their homes to accessible living while also allowing the store to push typical merchandising boundaries. We also included a garage space with an open car trunk where customers can test out loading their mobility devices.

Mad Radish is a quick service restaurant geared towards busy professionals who want quick and healthy alternatives to the typical fast food fare. They work with local farmers to source organic and sustainable ingredients, their packaging and cutlery are 100% compostable, and they donate fresh produce to low-income communities when you order through their app. The design of the space complements the fresh and organic menu with light-coloured, clean finishes that pay homage to natural elements. Biophilia is referenced in the design, emphasizing the use of fresh ingredients in the menu. We helped the client find efficiencies for the floor plan layout, finding a natural and efficient flow for customers looking to maximize their precious time.

Saje Natural Wellness promotes healing through plant-based sources with their essential oils. The stand-out design feature of their stores is a living wall. While there are many brands that incorporate floral walls in a bid to entice shoppers with an Instagrammable backdrop, the purpose of Saje’s living wall is to reflect the value they place on biophilia. Instead of the typical photogenic flora and fauna often seen on social media, they opt to fill their stores with plants and herbs that complement their product lines, such as sage, lavender, and eucalyptus. Light finishes in natural oak wood further support the company’s plant-based focus.

These brands are now at the forefront of creating a standard for design and wellness in the retail market in Canada and capturing how that translates from the store to our everyday lives at home, at work and on the go. Designing for health and wellness in retail allows us to connect with the public at large and allows us to relate with consumers on all levels. We look forward to continuing this journey with our clients and future collaborations that transform traditional retail store formats and elevate them to unique lifestyle experiences.

 Marcella Au and Shannon MacLean are designers at Quadrangle, the firm responsible for the design and roll-out of Wellwise and roll-outs of Mad Radish and Saje Natural Wellness, pictured above.

Tepperman’s Furniture Chain Takes Over Vacant Sears Retail Space

By
Mario Toneguzzi
-
PHOTO: TEPPERMAN’S VIA FACEBOOK

The history of Tepperman’s home furnishings store started as a dream when Nate Tepperman began his peddling career selling door-to-door in Windsor, Ontario in 1925.

Today, Tepperman’s has become one of Canada’s largest home furnishing stores with a unique way to do business going back to the company’s roots.

Andrew Tepperman, grandson of the founder and current company president, said his grandfather left Russia right after the Revolution in that country and came to Canada.

“I think he had a Grade Five education. English was not his first language. No money. I think he worked at odd jobs. We don’t know a lot and then in 1925 he started going door to door selling rugs and blankets,” said Tepperman.

RIBBON-CUTTING AT THE ANCASTER MEADOWLANDS LOCATION PHOTO: TEPPERMAN’S VIA FACEBOOK

“This is really interesting. He needed to differentiate what he was doing. So he would sell it on credit and every week he would go back and collect a nickel and what’s amazing fast forward to today we use that exact same model and we still do in-house credit where everyone else uses banks. We follow the exact same thing he did from 1925. So, when times get tough, we work very closely in a different way with our customers and that’s always been a differentiator for us.”

Tepperman said his grandfather eventually got a bicycle so he didn’t have to walk door to door and then got a pickup truck and eventually opened his first brick and mortar store – all within the same area in Windsor.

“He never expanded. He went from 1925 to 1970 one store, one location in Windsor. And he unfortunately drowned in 1970 when he was 70 years old. He was on vacation in Florida. So my father Bill Tepperman was 36 at the time and was kind of thrust into the leadership position of the business and my father continued to build up on the legacy and then in 1983 he expanded to Chatham and then 1992 expanded to Sarnia and in 1997 expanded to London,” he said.

“In 2006, my father retired, and I took over as president and my brother took over as secretary-treasurer. We had four stores at the time, and we continued to grow the stores. We outgrew London so we closed the store that we had been in for 10 years and in 2008 we built a very large facility in London just down the street and today it’s our largest store. It’s 85,000 square feet of showroom and 150,000 square feet of distribution space. It’s pretty large. It’s joined together.”

PHOTO: TEPPERMAN’S VIA FACEBOOK

In 2016, the company moved into Kitchener and recently it opened in Ancaster, taking over an old 40,000-square-foot Sears Home store and renovating it. Don Gregor of Aurora Realty Consultants negotiated the lease deal on behalf of Tepperman’s.

Within each of the six Tepperman’s stores, a second brand operates that used to be called the Bargain Annex, which was developed in 1984, but today is called Outlet at Tepperman’s.

“The Outlet is a separate entity. Different salespeople. Different dress codes. Different products. Everything’s completely different. It’s located within the store and a lot of the stores have separate entrances too,” said Tepperman.

The company carries furniture, appliances, bedding and electronics.

“In terms of what we do, if you combined Leon’s, The Brick, Best Buy, Sleep Country, and put them all together, that’s really the type of categories of what we sell and a very similar demographic,” said Tepperman.

“What’s different with us – it’s not just history as we’re 94 years old and Leon’s is 105 years old – but about four years ago we hired a designer out of New York who gave us this really interesting concept that we tested in Kitchener and it was so inspirational, the showroom, that we’ve rolled it out now to all of our stores. So there’s this consistent approach.”

“With all the online challenges going on today, we had to make a choice. Invest more in the online world or are we going to create an amazing store experience? We put a lot of money into the showrooms so when you walk in everything from the treatments – the lighting, the colours – we try to create a really nice, inspirational fun environment.”

Tepperman’s has courtesy electric car chargers, free popcorn and coffee all day, a kids’ movie and colouring area. There is a welcome information centre when customers arrive. Courtesy candies.

PHOTO: TEPPERMAN’S VIA FACEBOOK

“It was interesting. I was doing some work with Junior Achievement the other day and I was teaching some Grade Five students about business and there were 25 kids in the class, so I asked them all have you heard of Tepperman’s. And all of them put their hands up because we’re in Windsor and we’ve been here forever, and I asked what do you like about it. And every one of them said popcorn,” said Tepperman.

“It was amazing. It’s sort of like this is my farm team for the future. Twenty years from now they’re going to remember that and come back I think.”

Tepperman said there is a lot of vacant retail space that keeps popping up. Ancaster was not on the company’s radar initially as it was looking more towards Guelph or Brampton for expansion. But when Sears went out of business, all of a sudden this “amazing location next to Costco” was too good to pass up.

“We always operate on a 10-year plan. Our current 10-year plan ends in the year 2025. And it’s more let’s wait to see what comes up, what opportunities come up, rather than us aggressively going into Burlington or Barrie or something,” he said.

PHOTO: TEPPERMAN’S VIA FACEBOOK

Stores start at about 40,000 square feet up to 85,000 square feet for the showrooms.

The company also has two distribution centres. One in Windsor which is 100,000 square feet which has been in the same location since 1950. The London distribution centre is 150,000 square feet.

Tepperman said two other big differentiators for the company are its work within the community and environmental leadership.

“We do a ton in the community. We would need days for me to tell you everything we do. Some big things would be like our scholarship program where we’ve given out almost $700,000 in post-secondary education scholarships to kids,” he said.

“Also our sustainability programs are really interesting. One of our six guiding principles is about environmental leadership. One of our goals is to divert 100 per cent of our waste from landfills by 2025.”

COS to Open 2-Level Vancouver Flagship Amid Canadian Store Expansion

By
Craig Patterson
-
COS WILL OCCUPY 9,000 SQUARE FEET IN TWO RETAIL SPACES. THAT WILL INCLUDE THE ENTIRE A/X ARMANI EXCHANGE SPACE AT 1070 ROBSON STREET THAT SPANS 6,000 SQUARE FEET OVER TWO LEVELS, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 3,000 SQUARE FEET ON THE SECOND LEVEL OF A SPACE FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY BCBG. IMAGE: GOOGLE STREET VIEW

H&M‘s upscale fashion brand COS (‘Collection of Style’) will open a two-level flagship store on Vancouver’s Robson Street in late 2019. Construction is already underway for the store that will occupy two high-profile retail spaces on the busy shopping street. It will be the second COS storefront in Vancouver, and the brand’s seventh location in Canada. 

In all, the new Robson Street store will occupy about 9,000 square feet in a unique configuration. That includes the entire two-level retail space at 1070 Robson Street that was formerly occupied by retailer A/X Armani Exchange that closed last year, as well as the upper level of the adjacent 1080 Robson Street storefront that was formerly occupied by women’s retailer BCBG. 

COS will occupy about 3,000 square feet on its main level in the former A/X Armani space, as well as about 6,000 square feet on the second level in the adjoining spaces formerly occupied by A/X Armani and BCBG. This week, construction commenced to join the two second-level retail spaces which will require removing an elevator shaft in the former BCBG space. Negotiations are ongoing for a tenant to occupy the 3,000 square foot street-level former BCBG space at 1080 Robson Street. 

COS representatives said that the Robson Street flagship would have about 5,000 square feet dedicated to retail space.  Martin Moriarty and Mario Negris of CBRE in Vancouver negotiated the deal for both the retailer and the landlord. 

The Robson Street COS store will be the second in Vancouver. In March of 2017, COS unveiled a store at 18 Water Street in the city’s historic Gastown area. That store occupies 4,130 square feet with just over 3,000 square feet dedicated to retail space on one level, and has a basement area of an additional 2,330 square feet. 

In Canada, COS currently operates six stores, including three in the Greater Toronto Area, two in the Montreal area, and one in Vancouver as mentioned above. 

COS launched its first Canadian store in September 2015 in Toronto at 85 Bloor Street West (former Tiffany & Co. space), followed by a second store in October 2015 at 1310 Sainte Catherine Street West in Montreal (formerly occupied by Le Château). A third location opened in October of 2016 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. 

Shortly after the opening of COS’s Vancouver Gastown location, the retailer opened its second Montreal-area store at CF Carrefour Laval in the summer of 2017. In the fall of 2017, COS opened a location at Square One in Mississauga. 

The three-level Bloor Street COS flagship is the largest in the country to date, occupying a four-level building with more than 13,000 square feet, with three-levels above grade. The retail space itself spans 6,738 square feet, according to COS. 

COS’ Canadian stores include fashion collections for women, men and children. Store designs are open featuring minimalist white walls and mid-century modern furniture. 

Parent company H&M launched the COS store concept on London’s Regent Street in March 2007. The brand has a wide product range that is divided into a number of different concepts, incorporating fashion essentials, reinvented classics and modern trends for men and women. 

In the Vancouver area, sources confirm that COS is in discussions to open another location that would span nearly 7,500 square feet on one level. The retailer has yet to expand into secondary markets such as Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa. 

Canadian Furniture Retailer Leon’s Unveils Innovative Tech-Heavy Concept Store [Photos]

By
Helen Siwak
-
PHOTO: LEON’S

Leon’s Furniture, Canada’s largest retailer of furniture, appliances, and electronics, has officially launched a new tech-heavy concept store at 1395 United Boulevard in the Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam. Similar concept stores could be rolled-out into other markets.

Though typically known for its large-scale stores, the new reduced-in-size 15,000-square-foot space includes a curated collection of affordable on-trend furniture and appliances while additional technological features allow customers to shop the full product range.

This advanced retail technology gives customers access to a selection usually reserved for larger Leon’s locations. Shoppers can browse through the entire collection and obtain any desired product QR codes on one of four touchscreen stations. The interactive experience also introduces customers to additional products and custom colours not available on the showroom floor.

The cutting-edge showroom has an 11-foot video wall that allows shoppers to view any product from Leon’s in real size and in any colour the product is available in. This installation aims to provide a new way for shoppers to interact with Leon’s product line.

With the use of a standard tablet, Leon’s Sales Associates also show customers products in augmented reality (AR) alongside other pieces in the showroom to help with room planning. This feature is fantastic for visualizing room composition without being overwhelmed, as is sometimes the experience in large showroom environments.

  • PHOTO: LEON’S
  • PHOTO: LEON’S

The use of e-tags (electronic) on appliances assists customers in getting the best, most competitive price, along with Leon’s 60-Day Price Guarantee. Checking out is also more efficient with new mobile point-of-sale tablets, which are voice-activated to help speed up the completion of order/payment/delivery forms.

Leon’s smart service continues with its delivery program. Customers have access to delivery management online or on their phones with Clear Destination, which gives a more accurate delivery window.

The new flagship will act as a test store for other locations, with the potential of implementing the latest tech advantages to existing stores across the country.

  • PHOTO: LEON’S
  • PHOTO: LEON’S

Leon’s opened its first store in Ontario in 1909 and then became Canada’s first ‘Big Box’ retailer in 1973 after introducing its first large-scale store. The company now has 51 corporately owned retail stores across the country, with 34 franchise locations. Moreover, with a focus on expanding in British Columbia, this is Leon’s fifth store in the province.

With multi-million-dollar inventory levels, Leon’s can provide customers with quick delivery and its computerized systems and procedures are on the leading edge of retail technology. 

The company has been in business for over 100 years with retail banners including The Brick, Brick Outlet, and The Brick Mattress Store.  Leon’s employs 10,000 people and operates 302 retail stores from coast to coast.

The new concept store, which is expected to be replicated in other markets in Canada, includes tech innovations and experiences not found in other furniture retailers in Canada. Leon’s is innovating at a time of unprecedented competition in the Canadian furniture segment. Vancouver based Article, the online home furnishings retailer, is seeing explosive growth from its web channel. Other brick-and-mortar retailers ranging from Ikea to Bad Boy Furniture are also expanding their presence in Canada. Armani Casa and King Living are opening stores in Canada, addressing the high-end consumer. Retail Insider also recently reported on Montreal-based Bois & Cuir, which could open as many as 10 more stores over the next 16 months, according to the retailer.

How OPM Tailors its Warehouse Sale Events for Every Season

By
Retail Insider
-

By Retail Insider

OPM Sales, a well established warehouse sale facilitator in Newmarket continues to work with vendors and major brands by hosting warehouse liquidation sales at its massive facility north of Toronto. The company hosts several large events each year, including its next 5-day back to school sale, taking place August 21-25, 2019.

OPM Sales has been in business for nearly 10 years, and it has been the choice of a wide range of businesses to liquidate their product.

OPM Sales facilitates these sale events by being able to provide a turnkey solution. Businesses are drawn to OPM Sales events, as they have a full-time management team and fully trained, reputable staff at each sale.  This includes full-time cashiers, sales associates and floor supervisors. 

They also employ a full-time merchandiser, who has over 20 years of experience in retail to help you effectively display your product through merchandising and signage. The merchandising team does an outstanding job formatting the store for the season, resulting in great sell-throughs and higher revenues.

Another important factor of a successful warehouse sale is the ability to plan for the seasons upcoming. OPM Sales August Sale will feature tons of Back-To-School merchandise. In fact, they’ve planned to have over 130+ styles of backpacks and over 150+ styles of shoes!

Back-to-school shopping is big business in Canada. Parents will spend an average of $158 per child this year before school starts in September, while university-aged students will see an average spend of nearly $200. Those funds won’t go as far as they once did, so OPM Sales is encouraging shoppers to attend their 5-day back-to-school warehouse sale! 

Marketing is key to getting the word out about these sales.  Their marketing team works diligently to spread the word, getting the maximum amount of exposure.  From being active on social media, to digital and traditional print advertising, to holding contests, and in-store email sign ups, they do it all! OPM Sales’ email database includes more than 50,000 and the company has close to 12,000 Facebook subscribers.  The marketing is working — their parking lot is often full at OPM Sales’ events, as the company boasts a loyal following of returning customers.

OPM Sales has grown to become one of Canada’s largest and most highly respected inventory clearance businesses.

For those seeking to experience one of OPM Sales’ premium warehouse events themselves, the Back-to-School August Sale event takes place from Wednesday, August 21, 2019 to Friday August 23, 2019 from 10:00am to 8:00pm, and Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 from 10:00am to 6:00pm. For directions and a map, click here

OPM Sales’ General Manager Matthew is a point of contact and can be emailed at: matthew@opmsales.com. For more information, please visit: opmsales.com.

*Partner Content. To work with Retail Insider, contact: craig@retail-insider.com

BRIEF: Ashley HomeStore Quebec Shuttering, Ted Baker Opening Massive Yorkdale Storefront

By
Craig Patterson
-
BRIEF: Ashley HomeStore Quebec Shuttering, Ted Baker Opening Massive Yorkdale Storefront

Ashley Furniture HomeStore Quebec Shuttering All Stores

PHOTO: ASHLEY MEUBLES

All three of the remaining franchised Ashley Furniture HomeStore locations in the province of Quebec are in the process of being liquidated as the company is advertising a $20 million store closing sale. It follows the company’s filing for creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in June of this year. Franchised Ashley HomeStores in other parts of Canada are unaffected by the announcement, and will remain operational as far as we’re aware. 

All of the Quebec Ashley Furniture HomeStores are all located in suburban Montreal. One location closed at the end of June at 6875 Rue Jean-Talon Est in St-Leonard. The other three locations are in the process of being liquidated, including units at 3615 Autoroute 440 Ouest in Laval, 1959 FX Sabourin in St-Hubert, 400 Rue Lamontage in St-Jerome. Staff at the Laval location confirmed to Retail Insider that the Laval and St-Hubert Ashley Furniture HomeStores will close towards the end of September, while the St-Jerome location will shutter in October. The Quebec franchise employed about 70 people, according to the company.  

The franchised Quebec locations are operated by Laval-based Groupe Opex, which is owned by Groupe Marchand. The company also shuttered a franchised store in Sherbrooke, Quebec, in 2014. The franchisee brought the Ashley Furniture HomeStore concept to the province of Quebec in 2007. 

In a now-deleted French language post to social media, Ashley Furniture HomeStore Quebec said that the reason for the closure was a result of a difficult retail climate, with “many” businesses in Quebec facing daunting challenges, according to the post. At the time of the post in June, the three other Ashley Furniture HomeStores were expected to remain open as the franchisee looked to restructure its operations, though the company now confirms that all units will be shuttered in the fall. 

Ashley Furniture HomeStore locations can be found across Canada, and all are operated by different franchisees. In July of 2015, Retail Insider reported that Winnipeg-based Dufresne Group was planning to open as many as 16 Ashley HomeStore locations in Ontario and Alberta. Ashley HomeStore operates more than 700 showrooms globally with billons of dollars in annual sales. 

Earlier this month, we reported that Quebec-based Maison Ethier was liquidating its two stores in suburban Montreal after also filing for CCAA protection. Last year, as well, we reported that home furnishings retailer Pier 1 Imports was exiting its Quebec operations entirely. While it’s bad news for some brands, others are expanding. Last month Retail Insider reported that Montreal-based furniture retailer Bois & Cuir is planning to expand from five locations to as many as 15 across Canada by the end of 2020, and it recently opened an impressive 7,500 square foot flagship in Montreal. As a comparison, Ashley Furniture HomeStores often span more than triple that size. 

Ted Baker to Open Large Yorkdale Flagship

Ted Baker Yorkdale (Image: Craig Patterson)

Popular mid-priced UK fashion brand Ted Baker is building a large new store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which could become its second-largest storefront in North America when open. Ted Baker will replace the North Face, which exited its Yorkdale space several months ago. 

TED BAKER CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE BOUTIQUE PHOTO: ALI MOSLEH VIA GOOGLE MAPS

According to construction plans, the new Ted Baker will span about 4,320 square feet in Yorkdale’s 2012 expansion wing that includes an expanded Holt Renfrew anchor store as well as Apple and Microsoft. Landlord, Oxford Properties, is positioning the wing for new luxury retailers — Valentino and Bottega Veneta opened nearby several months ago, and Hugo Boss has opened its Canadian flagship across from the new Ted Baker. Two more luxury brands will soon be announced for spaces nearby. 

Yorkdale became home to Ted Baker’s first store in Canada in October of 2012, when it opened in a 3,230 square foot space. Ted Baker currently operates nine standalone stores in Canada in markets including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, suburban Montreal and Ottawa. Two are considered to be outlet stores. Ted Baker also operates shop-in-store leased concessions at Hudson’s Bay stores in downtown Vancouver and Toronto. The CF Toronto Eaton Centre location, which re-opened twice after flooding, is one of the company’s top-selling units anywhere.

Brokerage JLL represents Ted Baker in Canada under the direction of Dianne Lemm, who also negotiated the Yorkdale lease deal. 

The Ted Baker brand, which is headquartered in London UK, was founded in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1987. Originally a men’s brand, Ted Baker’s women’s line launched in 1995. The brand operates nearly 500 stores globally and has expanded extensively in the United States over the past several years, both with standalone units as well as shop-in-store concessions in many Bloomingdale’s stores. Ted Baker’s largest standalone storefront in North America is on 5th Avenue in New York City, and spans about 7,000 square feet. 

Uniqlo Announces Edmonton Opening Date

Uniqlo West Edmonton Mall (PHOTO: JOHN KERBY)

Popular Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo will enter the Alberta market this fall when it opens a storefront on September 27 at the popular West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton.

Uniqlo will locate in a second-level retail space at West Edmonton Mall spanning just over 17,000 square feet with about 15,000 square feet of retail space that will overlook the mall’s indoor skating rink called the ‘Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace’. Uniqlo will occupy three retail spaces formerly occupied by Murale, Laura and Browns Shoes — Laura relocated in the mall, Browns Shoes will replace a vacated Williams Sonoma space, and the Murale concept, owned by Shoppers Drug Mart, is being phased-out.

The Edmonton Uniqlo store will carry product tailored to the chilly northern Alberta climate, including plenty of thermal products and jackets. And while the store won’t include a full UT t-shirt shop like the one which recently was unveiled at Uniqlo’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre location, the Edmonton unit will include various limited-edition t-shirt offerings.

Jeff Berkowitz of brokerage Aurora Realty Consultants is handling Uniqlo’s search for retail space in Canada.

The store is the first in Canada for Uniqlo outside of the Toronto and Vancouver markets, kicking off the brand’s national expansion that could eventually see as many as 100 stores in the coming years. Uniqlo has been posting jobs for a new Montreal storefront, and the Alberta expansion is expected to include an announcement for Calgary, though the company wouldn’t confirm any new locations to Retail Insider in a telephone conversation last week.

Mattress-in-a-Box Sleep Brand Casper Opens Calgary Showroom

PHOTO: CASPER

New York City-based Casper is in the process of opening showrooms across Canada after opening its first retail space last year. Earlier this month, Casper unveiled a 2,200 square foot showroom space at Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre, which is the company’s fourth location with more to come. 

The Calgary Casper showroom is located on the main level of CF Chinook Centre near the entrance to the mall’s Nordstrom anchor store. A large Microsoft store is located next door and retailers Birks and Tumi are located across the way. Alberta’s only Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom stores are also in the mall, and Louis Vuitton opened a standalone store in the centre last year as CF Chinook Centre continues to go more upscale. 

Casper opened its first Canadian location in the spring of 2018 at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens. That was followed by its Canadian flagship at 342 Queen Street West in Toronto, which also houses the brand’s Canadian headquarters. Casper recently announced that a Canadian manufacturing facility is now producing mattresses for the local market. In the spring, Casper opened a 2,900 square foot showroom in Vancouver’s Kitsilano area. Construction hoarding is now up at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre for a new Casper showroom, and the brand is also said to be targeting the Quebec Market for at least one storefront. 

Casper’s showrooms feature several ‘nap houses’ displaying the brand’s range of products that include mattresses-in-a box as well as pillows, bed sheets, bed frames, bedside tables and pet items. Casper was founded in New York City in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer online retailer and has celebrity backers including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Adam Levine and Ashton Kutcher. The company boasts sales in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. 

Montreal-Based Fashion Brand Frank And Oak Launches Sustainable Denim Line

GRAPHIC: FRANK AND OAK VIA FACEBOOK

Last week Frank And Oak launched a new sustainable denim line called Circular denim™, which involves using a new waste-reducing production method in the brand’s denim assortment that incorporates recycled denim fabrics. Frank And Oak launched eight styles for men and women, and the line’s goal is to create a “circular product lifecycle” utilizing a sustainable production process that brings old jeans back to life by utilizing post-consumer waste. The goal is to reduce waste that ends up in landfills.

Scraps of denim are used to create new durable denim fabrics, using a four step process: ‘Collect, Cut, Combine, and Create’. Landfill-bound worn-out denim jeans are collected and redirected to a fabric recycler, where the post-consumer waste denim is disintegrated into fibres while impurities are removed. Recycled fibres are then mixed alongside new fibres to ensure structural integrity and durability, creating a new denim fabric.

Circular denim™ joins Frank And Oak’s sustainable denim assortment, and is now available in three of the brand’s existing fits. For men, that includes the slim/straight fit ‘Dylan’ lines as well as the skinny/narrow fit ‘Tyler’ line, both  available in a variety of washes. For women, the wide-legged/high-rise fit ‘Nina’ line is now made with Circular denim™ and is available in five washes. 

The Circular denim™ line was developed as part of the ‘Frank And Oak Responsible Denim Lab’, which also introduced Frank And Oak Hydroless denim and other lines. Frank And Oak co-founder and CEO Ethan Song, who was at a launch event last week at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, explained that the company would be launching more eco-friendly innovations as the brand looks to reduce waste and be better for the environment. The recently-opened dual-gender CF Toronto Eaton Centre Frank And Oak Store, which spans about 3,000 square feet on one level, replaces a former M0851 storefront. In keeping with the eco-ethos, the store’s interior saw minimal renovations from the previous space, save for new dressing rooms and fixtures for Frank And Oak’s product. Given that almost 54 million people pass through CF Toronto Eaton Centre annually, the space is as much a brand awareness initiative as it is a retail space. 

Frank And Oak was founded in 2012 in Montreal as an online men’s brand and began opening stores in 2014. The brand became known initially for its subscription service where for a cost, shipments of clothing would arrive in the mail for customers. The company now has 22 stores across Canada as well as hundreds of thousands of online members. 

Square One shopping centre in Mississauga hosted another first at a shopping centre

the Eid ul Adha Market presented by Muslim Market Co. which was held from August 8 to 11.  This was the the 2nd market organized by Sudduf Wyne at Square One, who also did the Ramadan Market in April. 

The Eid ul Adha Market showcased top Islamic lifestyle brands, complimentary henna, complimentary cotton candy, and a hajj passport activity for kids to learn more about the holy pilgrimage.  Another unique feature was a community gift exchange where people can drop off a gift and take a gift to promote sharing and community.  The black and gold theme is inspired by the Kaaba, and highlighted in the vendor tables, floral décor and displays. 

More information can be found in this website: https://www.ramadanmarket.ca/eid-ul-adha-market

‘Baby Gourmet’ Donates $150,000 Worth of Consumable Goods to School-Age Children in Calgary and Toronto

PHOTO: BABY GOURMET

Last week, organic baby food brand Baby Gourmet donated a whopping 161,000 organic fruit and vegetable pouches, called ‘Slammers Snacks’, to school-aged children through the Calgary Food Bank, Toronto’s Salvation Army, and Daily Bread Food Bank.

It’s part of Baby Gourmet’s “Heart of Baby Gourmet” social good program, in an effort to fight food insecurity. According to Food Banks Canada, 13% of Canadians live in a state of food insecurity and do not have reliable access to adequate amounts of safe, nutritious food. Last week’s donation marks one of the largest donations to date for the company’s “Heart of Baby Gourmet” initiative. 

Baby Gourmet, which was founded in 2005, has given away more than 500,000 meals to organizations in need across Canada. The social good initiative launched earlier this year. The goal, according to Baby Gourmet’s co-founder Jen Carlson, is to make the brand’s organic food accessible to everyone. The company plans to donate in excess of one million meals by 2025. 

Baby Gourmet is distributed across Canada in a variety of retailers, including hundreds of Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall locations. It is also carried in speciality retailers. The company was founded in Calgary 2005 by entrepreneurs Jennifer Carlson and Jill Vos. The company was first in Canada to launch baby food pouches in 2010 and in 2013, the company launched baby cereals. The company became the largest organic baby food retailer in Canada in 2012. 

Student-Founded Cannabis Accessory Business Surpasses $1 Million on crowdsourced campaign

PHOTO: BRNT DESIGNS

Following the legalization of cannabis in Canada, last year, four University of Alberta grads saw the need for aesthetically pleasing and functional cannabis accessories. They launched a company called BRNT Designs and its recent crowdsourced campaign surpassed $1 million in revenue. 

BRNT’s products are said to be functional and also eye-catching — the company says that the attractive design means that its products can also be used as home decor. The ceramic design is freezer-safe and the cooling effect is said to be softer on the lungs when used for smoking. 

Prices range from $30 for a glassware set to $180 for a handmade ceramic water pipe called ‘Hexagon’. The product’s positioning is decidedly upscale with both its prices and design. Other designs include a concrete storage jar called ‘Malua’, a concrete ashtray named ‘Briq’, a walnut rolling tray called ‘Yaketa’, among others. 

The campaign was hosted independently on BRNT’s site due to Kickstarter’s restrictions on cannabis paraphernalia. The campaign launched in November 2017 and ran until the end of the year. Over $24,000 was raised in Hexagon pre-orders across both Canada and the world. Fun fact: a number of pre-orders were made from places like Luxembourg, Australia, South Africa, and the USA. As of October 2018 when cannabis was officially legalized in Canada, BRNT products were sold in 30 stores across Canada. 

Co-founders Simon Grigenas, Paige Hodgins, and Andrew Feltham began their studies at the University of Alberta in 2015. Grigenas and Hodgins attended the Alberta School of Business while Andrew majored in Engineering. After BRNT’s rapid success in the cannabis industry, they began working full-time on expanding the business in the Fall of 2018.

The University of Alberta, located in Edmonton, has seen the launch of numerous businesses both by students and staff. It’s also home to the University of Alberta School of Retailing, which encourages students to see the retail industry as a viable career choice though various student-led initiatives as well as business-related curriculum. 

World’s Largest Sticker Store With 3 Storey Graphic Feature Opens in Toronto [Photos]

By
Patricia Viscount
-
PHOTO: STICKERYOU

After more than a decade of e-commerce success, Toronto-based customized die-cut sticker company StickerYou has just launched the world’s largest sticker store in trendy retail area of ‘West Queen West’.

Located at 677-679 Queen Street West near Bathurst Street, the new store features a stickerbombed interior, with a custom experience center where shoppers can touch and feel the stickers and be inspired by the unique creativity and customization of the featured designs. Kiosks are available where customers can place personalized orders on the spot, as well as a sticker art museum that showcases the history of stickers through the ages.

PHOTO: STICKERYOU

“We are proud to open the world’s largest sticker store in Toronto,” said StickerYou founder and CEO Andrew Witkin. “We are excited to give customers the chance to interact with our products and experience the creative potential of stickers for business or personal expression. At StickerYou, we make what matters stick.”

The physical building itself is also worth viewing, with a unique, 3-storey high stickerbombed design on the storefront, installed in collaboration with applied sciences giant 3M.

PHOTO: STICKERYOU
PHOTO: STICKERYOU
PHOTO: STICKERYOU

Although its origin is Canadian, StickerYou has become a global e-commerce leader in custom-printed, die-cut products that empower businesses and consumers to create professional-grade materials for marketing, packaging, décor and personal expression.

Throughout the last 10 years, the company has grown from using one machine and coded software to using proprietary die-cut technology; creating high-quality, customized stickers, badges, decals, magnets and much more.

With the opening of its first retail location, and fuelled by a creative and passionate team, StickerYou says that it is dedicated to “growing the most engaged and talented people in Toronto”. They proudly use advanced digital manufacturing to produce locally – in orders of one to hundreds of thousands.

PHOTO: STICKERYOU

Retail Insider first brought its readers this story last October when StickerYou announced that it would be opening its first permanent retail space. The West Queen West area of Toronto is home to various unique retailers and restaurants. Several years ago, Vogue Magazine ranked the West Queen West area as one of the world’s ‘coolest neighbourhoods’, and the area continues to see a buzz fuelled by its many visitors as well as a high-density residential population that includes a substantial percentage of Millennials.

1...966967968...1,283Page 967 of 1,283

FEATURES ON RETAIL INSIDER

spot_img
spot_img

About

Contact

Media

Follow

© 2025 Retail Insider Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The content on this website is protected by the copyrights of Retail Insider Media Ltd. or the copyrights of third parties and used by agreement. No part of any of the content of this website may be reproduced, distributed, modified, framed, cached, adapted or linked to, or made available in any form by any photographic, electronic, digital, mechanical, photostat, microfilm, xerography or other means, or incorporated into or used in any information storage and retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the prior written permission of Retail Insider Media Ltd. or the applicable third party copyright owner.