The Canadian Gift Association is excited to present you with new products, new trends, new ideas and a new show. The Toronto Gift + Home Market is now exclusively under one roof at the Toronto Congress Centre. Retailers will enjoy a categorized, easy to navigate floor plan with some fresh perks along the way.
The changes on the show floor are meant to add a little fun and a lot of knowledge to the buying experience. With an inspiring Opening Keynote Presentation by Michael “Pinball” Clemons and more breakfast seminars and lunch & learn sessions than ever before, retailers will leave the show empowered to take on new challenges in their business.
Michael “Pinball” Clemons’ presentation is geared toward generating positivity by changing your attitude, perspective and business in order to adapt to new ideas, approaches and concepts. While reflecting on your own experiences as a retailer, you’ll become motivated to create a positive outlook and appreciate what you can accomplish when you embrace what’s new. Pre-registration is required to attend.
As for the fun elements, new and favourited promotions include the Market Mixer industry party, exciting giveaways, complimentary massages, WiFi and three well-appointed buyers’ lounges. The LUXE Lounge offers plush seating, light refreshments, charging stations and work areas. The Hashtag Lounge is a comfortable spot to unwind and upload photos to social media (#TOGiftMkt). Le Jardin is a space that’s budding with bright ideas, whimsical décor and a refillable water bottle station.
PHOTO: CANADIAN GIFT ASSOCIATION
If you’re wondering where to begin when everything’s new, the Toronto Gift + Home Market has developed five fantastic feature areas that will motivate retailers to find their next best-sellers. Just in! New Arrivals is a section dedicated to exhibitors joining the show for the first time. Not only will you discover brand-new exhibitors here, you will also find a feature area with highlighted products exclusively from these exhibitors. Other feature areas include the New Product Showcase, located inside the LUXE Lounge, and the Canadian, Sustainable and Living merchandise displays curated by Market Ambassador Andrew Pike, located in the North Lobby.
To celebrate the launch of the new show, CanGift invites you to mix and mingle on opening night at the industry event of the summer. The Market Mixer is a free event open to all exhibitors and retailers (pre-registration is required). Enjoy 1 complimentary drink, cash bar, gourmet food stations, appetizers and music by Toronto’s premier DJ Conor Cutz.
Qualified buyers can register online or by phone: togifthomemarket.ca/800.750.1967
Pre-registration for featured presentations and the Market Mixer is also available online: togifthomemarket.ca
Innovative eco-friendly US-based women’s fashion brand Reformation has opened its first Canadian location at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre as the retailer kicks off an expansion that could see several storefronts in this country. It’s the first time that Reformation has opened a storefront outside of the United States as the brand kicks off a significant international expansion.
Last week Reformation announced that it had sold a majority stake to Permira Funds, a private equity firm known for investing in labels such as Valentino and Proenza Schouler. Permira is expected to take Reformation global as consumers embrace eco fashion trends.
Reformation’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre store spans 1,650 square feet on one level, and is located in Yorkdale’s Nordstrom-anchored expansion wing that opened in 2016. Reformation is located between OVO and Zadig & Voltaire and is across from retailers Williams Sonoma, Woolrich, Muji and Uniqlo.
Reformation’s Yorkdale storefront (source says signage will be changed). Photo: Jeff Berkowitz via LinkedIn.photo: michael muraz
Reformation, known for its sustainability focus, is also known for being a “cool girl” clothing company (as stated in Allure). Reformation has become popular amongst celebrities such as Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and model Karlie Kloss and the celebrity endorsements have reportedly led to the brand seeing sales of US $150 million annually. The company says that its goal is to create designs that are ‘sexy, edgy and feminine’, utilizing sustainable methods and materials.
The Yorkdale Reformation location features a simple interior or white walls, metal racks, wood shelving and bleached wood accent shelves and tables. Several small plants are showcased in the space along with an expansive range of women’s fashions, many of which feature a floral motif. The store offsets 100% of its electricity usage with wind energy, according to the company.
Much of Reformation’s fashions are vintage-inspired with products such as maxi dresses with high slits and button-down dresses with kitschy slogans. Prices are mid-range with prices in the Toronto store ranging between $45 and $375. Reformation’s best sellers include summer dresses, denim, jumpsuits and tops. In May, Reformation also announced that it had also expanded into footwear including sandals, espadrilles, flats, and heels (designed with a nod to the 1990s) made from materials like chrome-free leather and jute.
photo: michael muraz
New fashion designs are released regularly, sometimes as often as every week. About 60% of Reformation’s clothing is manufactured in its Los Angeles factory, and the company continues to seek ways to increase production while staying true to the brand’s ethos.
Viscose, which is a man-made fibre made from renewable plant material, is used in most of Reformation’s woven fabric. About half of the viscose fibre is manufactured by Austrian company Lenzing, and the other half comes from an Indian manufacturer. They’re the only two such suppliers that Reformation has deemed worthy, given their high score in a CanopyStyle audit (which certifies that trees are sourced sustainably and that ancient/endangered forests weren’t harmed, amongst other considerations). Several other fibres are used in Reformation’s fashions, including TENCEL™ Lyocell and viscose (a wood based fibre), linen, and Recover® yarns that are made from old clothes and fabric waste.
In-store displays provide information on products using a ‘RefScale’, which is a measure of the garment’s manufacturing process which includes water usage, carbon emissions, and waste generated in manufacturing.
photo: michael muraz
Almost 15% of Reformation’s products are made out of “deadstock” fabrics with the company buying old, leftover, and over-ordered fabric from other designers and fabric warehouses. As well, between 2% and 5% of Reformation’s products are made from vintage clothing, which is purchased from wholesalers in the United States and repurposed.
The new Yorkdale Reformation store lacks many of the tech-heavy innovations found in some of the retailer’s US stores, leading us to believe that larger Canadian units are on the way. Reformation partnered with brokerage Aurora Realty Consultants for the Canadian store expansion and on the brokerage’s website, it states that Reformation is targeting retail spaces in the 2,000 to 3,000 square foot range on high streets, meaning future locations could be significantly larger than the Yorkdale store.
We’d predict targeted locations for larger Reformation stores could include Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville and Queen Street West, as well as an important shopping street in or near the downtown cores in Vancouver and possibly Montreal.
Reformation’s larger store formats are said to be akin to a tech-heavy showroom, where one of each item is on display in the retail space. Shoppers can browse samples and select what they’d like to try on through touchscreen monitors in the store (in a cheeky fashion, some monitors say ‘I like to be touched’). Sales associates bring shoppers the items they’d like to try on through double-sided wardrobes in dressing rooms. If an item doesn’t fit, shoppers can request a different size using a tablet, and a voice in the device’s speaker guides the shopper to close the wardrobe door — in 90 seconds or less, new items are added. If shoppers choose to not interact with store employees, items can be ordered to a fitting room using one of the monitors, which updates the store’s inventory in real-time.
photo: michael muraz
Given the excitement already being seen on social media after Reformation’s opening late last week, the brand is expected to be a hit. More than ever, consumers are seeking out eco-focused brands with a mission statement of being environmentally friendly, which is in contrast to fast-fashion. Textile dyeing is said to be the second-largest polluter of clean water globally, after agriculture, and the waste associated with fast-fashion is on the minds of many consumers who are re-evaluating their choices.
We’ll continue to track international brands that are entering the Canadian market by opening stores. Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre launches more first-to-Canada retail brands than any other place and we’re aware that several more retailers will be opening their first Canadian locations in the highly productive Toronto shopping centre.
Hungry Torontonians will soon enjoy one more option for tasty and quick Paesano-American food with the announcement of Famoso Italian Pizzeria + Bar Restaurant franchises in the greater Toronto area.
The franchise-based pizza purveyor already has a strong foothold in Western Canada with plans for growth, adding up to 20 new locations in the next 5 to 6 years.
The company focuses on delivering a comfortable yet refined dining experience with a modern and slightly upscale look and feel, paired with a tried-and-true fresh menu that can be served quickly to hungry guests.
Famoso Partners With Toronto Franchise Development Group
Frank Di Benedetto, CEO of FDF Restaurant Brands, the company that owns Famoso, cited Ontario as the focus of the franchise expansion. FDF has also announced seven new locations planned to open before June 30th, 2020 — just under a year’s time.
Clearly, the efforts are off to a good start as the company’s plan calls for three to four new franchise locations per-year in Western Canada for the next five to six years to meet company goals. Labreche Group, a Toronto-based franchise-development firm will serve as strategic partners to FDF in executing the expansion. The group is lead by the brothers Chad and Dean Labreche, who own and manage the Annex and Waterloo Square Famoso locations currently in operation.
While existing Famoso establishments have all used a similar full-service format, the Labreche Group plans to roll out a “fast-casual” take on the Famoso menu in the form of Famoso Pronto franchises. These will be smaller 1200-1600 square ft. restaurants with offerings derived from Famoso’s original menu and a focus on a speedy turnaround. Current Famoso restaurants use a 2500 square ft. model.
CHAD (L) AND DEAN (R) LABRECHE OF THE LABRECHE GROUP
Wood Fire and Pomodoro for All
Just how do the Labreches plan to keep the tables full at all these new restaurants? They’ve got Famoso’s famous Pomodoro sauce, which helped Famoso feed scores of hungry Canadians just last year through fundraising efforts, to help draw people in. That alone should be enough to entice many pizza-seeking Torontonians. The Famoso menu is famous for featuring the sauce on various dishes including pasta, not just pizza.
Speaking of pizza, the pies at Famoso are made using a 900-degree-capable bell-shaped oven imported from Italy. Famoso dough uses real ‘00’ Flour and Campania tomatoes to give it that just-right texture that crunches when you bite in, but gets chewy after. Menu offerings range from traditional Margherita to more creative “fusion” pies that express a more Western influence. And you can watch all the pizza-making action at the exposed pizza-prep station.
Of course, when you go out for pizza, there’s always room for extra munchies. The Famoso menu is expansive and includes everything from appetizers to fire-grilled sandwiches to soups and salads to meatballs. You can see why the franchise has been so successful — there’s something there for anyone. Add to that gelato for dessert and a full bar with rotating craft beers, and no one’s going home unsatisfied.
Franchise Opportunities
Famoso uses a franchise model which means that while these plans are fresh, there’s room for interested parties to join in the action. FDF and Labreche Group say that the estimated costs of starting a Famoso Italian Pizza + Bar Restaurant lie between $650,000 and $700,000 while the smaller Pronto Franchises are scoped at between $375,000 and $425,000. You can find more information about starting a franchise by looking on their site or emailing partner@famoso.ca. One thing’s for sure — it’s a great time to be a pizza lover in Toronto.
Versace Yorkville in November of 2020. Photo: Craig Patterson
Italian luxury brand Versace has opened its Canadian flagship store in a purpose-built retail complex on Yorkville Avenue in Toronto. It is Versace’s second store in Toronto and its third in Canada.
The two-level Versace store spans about 3,000 square feet over two levels and is located between a recently opened Brunello Cucinelli flagship (Cucinelli’s largest in North America) and a soon-to-open Stone Island flagship in the brand new 102-108 Yorkville Avenue complex. The Versace store is LEED Certified.
The store’s bold design features an interplay of light and mirrors as well as a combination of different materials with areas divided for different product categories. A brass grid on the ceiling creates a dramatic effect — gold dominates the space which contrasts with different metals and marble accents. One notable feature is a three-dimensional medusa head on the ceiling of one of the main-level dressing rooms. The store was designed by noted interior designer Gwenael Nicolas.
MAIN LEVEL OF THE NEW STORE. PHOTO: VERSACE
SHOE SALON. PHOTO: VERSACE
WOMEN’S READY-TO-WEAR. PHOTO: VERSACE
The main floor features dedicated areas for men’s and women’s ready-to-wear fashions as well as separate accessory and footwear areas. The footwear salon, featuring blue accents, is reminiscent of a jewel box. The store’s second level includes Versace children’s wear as well as the Versace Home line.
First Capital Realty is developing the fully-leased 102-108 Yorkville Avenue block, which will also feature a location for chic entertainment concept Her Majesty’s Pleasure on its top level. A high-end Japanese restaurant will also soon be announced for the lower level. Across a pedestrian laneway from the complex is luxury brand Chanel, which opened its store at 98 Yorkville Avenue in November of 2017 featuring a heritage facade that was once part of the Mount Sinai Hospital (First Capital Realty also owns that building, as well as several neighbouring properties including a recently shuttered space for Diesel).
ACCESSORIES. PHOTO: VERSACE
READY-TO-WEAR. PHOTO: VERSACE
Across the street from Versace and the other retailers is Canada’s only standalone store for French luxury brand Christian Louboutin, which opened at 99 Yorkville Avenue in the summer of 2016. The entire Yorkville Avenue is seeing an influx of luxury brands — pricey streetwear brand Off-White opened at 83 Yorkville Avenue in early 2017, joining the likes of Kiton and Richard Mille, which recently relocated to a stunning second-level space at 135 Yorkville Avenue. As well, Chinese luxury brand Sheng Tang Peony recently opened a storefront at 99 Yorkville Avenue next to Christian Louboutin.
Versace’s first standalone Canadian boutique, spanning 2,820 square feet, opened in the summer of 2014 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in the mall’s original ‘luxury run’. Versace’s second Canadian store, measuring 1,875 square feet, opened in December of 2015 at 747 Thurlow Street in Vancouver at the base of an office tower at the edge of the city’s Alberni Street ‘Luxury Zone’ that also houses Canada’s first standalone Brunello Cucinelli store. Mr. Vyriotes and Mr. Wedemire represented both Versace and Brunello Cucinelli in the Vancouver deals.
The Versace brand, which was founded by the late Gianni Versace in 1978, is considered to be one of the world’s hottest brands currently, and it’s seeing a resurgence globally that also includes an expansion of its home furnishings division. In the summer of 2014, Versace partnered with a local Vancouver group to open the world’s first Versace Home flagship store in Vancouver’s Gastown area at 310 Cordova Street. A licensed Versace shop-in-store has also operated at multi-brand luxury store Leone at the Sinclair Centre at 757 West Hastings Street in Vancouver since 1987.
GROUND-FLOOR DRESSING ROOM WITH A 3-D MEDUSA HEAD ON THE CEILING. PHOTO: VERSACE
WOMEN’S READY-TO-WEAR. PHOTO: VERSACE
PHOTO: VERSACE
Gianni Versace S.p.A. is one of the leading global fashion design houses. Under the Artistic Direction of Donatella Versace since 1997, the brand designs, manufactures and distributes fashion and lifestyle products including haute couture, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, jewelry, watches, accessories, fragrances and home collection.
Founded in 1978, the Gianni Versace S.r.l. is one of the leading global fashion design houses. Under the Artistic Direction of Donatella Versace since 1997, Gianni Versace S.r.l. designs, manufactures and distributes fashion and lifestyle products including haute couture, women and men ready-to-wear, jewelry, watches, accessories, fragrances and home collection.
Gianni Versace S.r.l. is part of Capri Holdings Ltd. global fashion luxury group, formerly Michael Kors Ltd., which also owns UK luxury footwear brand Jimmy Choo. Capri Holdings (then ‘Michael Kors’) acquired Versace for US $2.12 billion in September of 2018. In June, Versace announced that it planned to open 100 new stores by 2022 with an annual revenue goal of US$2 billion, more than twice its current US $775 million in yearly sales.
Versace’s US and Canadian storefronts are all expected to be renovated to reflect the aesthetic of the new Yorkville flagship.
As my two Gen Z daughters and I walked into the Fantasy Fair section in Toronto’s Woodbine Centre mall to check out the promotional Baskin-Robbins shop turned Scoops Ahoy rebrand, the irony of the situation was not lost on me. Back in the mid–to- late 1980’s this mall was my hangout. I fondly remember late one summer Saturday evening when my buddy and I had a couple of wobbly pops at the bar on the first floor and proceeded to walk through the kids train tunnel. We tripped a few censors and were swiftly thrown out by the night security guard.
As you all know, the third season of Netflix’s wildly popular “Stranger Things” takes place in the mid 1980s, home to the new Starcourt mall in Hawkins, Indiana. One of the major locations in the series is the local ice cream hangout Scoops Ahoy, where Steve and Robin work. The mall also pays homage to a retro Gap, JC Penney, Orange Julius and many more retailers from that era.
The rebrand is a brilliant move on the part of Baskin-Robbins as it creates an excitement that is often lost in today’s retail environment. One could argue that “Stranger Things” is one of the hottest properties at this moment and connects with so many generations at once. The promotion mixes entertainment with bricks and mortar, which is an emerging trend. Although this rebrand is only temporary (runs from July 4th to July 16th) it catapults Baskin-Robbins from a sleepy legacy brand to one that is on point and topical. After all, the ice cream store business has changed a lot.
HOARDING DISGUISING THE SURPRISE TRANSFORMATION PHOTO: WOODBINE MALL VIA FACEBOOK
A few shops down from the former Baskin-Robbins is a Sweet Jesus location. Sweet Jesus is just one of the many new ice cream concepts that target Gen Z and millennials with exotic, premium, Instagram-worthy portions. For the moment anyway, the crowd was all around Scoops Ahoy and not its competitor. We even saw a family that had on their Stranger Things shirts and no doubt made this a planned Saturday afternoon adventure. Most of the customers spent as much time snapping photos as enjoying the ice cream. As one of only 2 Baskin-Robbins stores to rebrand during this time (the other is in Burbank, California) in which July is also national ice cream month, the promotion adds a flavour of exclusivity and sense of urgency that plays on the FOMO (fear of missing out) phenomenon.
Overall, the rebrand was nicely done within a reasonable budget. Overhead signage was changed as well as the look of the menu board. The menu was modified for the promotion to include a few special Stranger Things flavours and desserts such as: U.S.S Butterscotch Sundae, Byers’ House Lights Polar Pizza, Upside Down Pralines, Elevenade Freeze and a Demogorgon Sundae.
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The only major disconnect I walked away with was, why Woodbine Centre? The Baskin-Robbins management team says they chose Woodbine because it felt very 80s. Although I have a personal affinity for the mall, sadly it has lost much of its lustre from over 30 years ago. More of a value mall, it offers a home to numerous tier 3 or 4 chains or independent start-ups. Compared to its rich cousin just a few minutes south, luxury CF Sherway Gardens, Woodbine Centre seems an odd place for such a high profile promotion. Maybe like the characters on Stranger Things, this 80s jewel is having a moment in the sun.
Bruce Winder is a retail expert, speaker, professor and entrepreneur. He has been interviewed dozens of times on main stream media such as BNN – Bloomberg, CBC, CTV News, CP24, Breakfast TV and more. Bruce has also been quoted hundreds of times in publications such as The Washington Post, BBC, The Globe & Mail, The Financial Post, The Toronto Star, Strategy, Adweek and many more. Bruce has 25 + years experience in big retail, manufacturing and consulting and holds an MBA from The Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. He offers keynote, session and moderator services on topics such as: retail, e-commerce, online shopping, consumer trends, cannabis and Amazon.
In today’s retail world, stores are wrongly labeling sales associates as stylists; misleading consumers to believe that they are one and the same. How do we make the distinction between the two, and more importantly, why is it so important?
To be successful in Canada’s ever-changing retail market versatility and a deep understanding of our societal habits and realistic needs are required. As society becomes increasingly busier, less time is allocated in day-to-day life for shopping or styling. Finding your schedule full, your closet empty, and yourself wandering around department stores unsupervised is a situation I’m sure most can relate to. Have you ever heard the term “use it or lose it”? Well that can also be applied to understanding how to shop.
HOLT RENFREW’S WOMEN’S FOOTWEAR HALL AT 50 BLOOR ST. W. IN TORONTO. PHOTO: GEORGE PIMENTEL
The less we put something into practice the less confident we are in our ability to do so, therefore leaving one feeling jaded just at the thought of finding appropriate work attire. Avoiding this unnecessary strain stems from one’s understanding that, in retail, there are sales associates, and then there are personal stylists. People often assume or are led to believe, that these terms are interchangeable. The service provided by each is starkly different, and bringing awareness to this misconception is vital for those who are struggling to find their way in the often fickle, and seemingly inauspicious world of fashion.
Sales associates man the floor. They are the face of the store; the first people customers interact with and are responsible for ensuring the comfortability and ease at which the walk-in consumers shop. They are knowledgeable about fashion and trends, and require the ability to create excellent customer relations and close sales. Their positions are important, yes, but are disparate from that of a personal stylist.
Personal stylists are not merely people who understand fashion and know how to make a sale. They have the ability to create a transformational experience for the client. They strive to overhaul a client’s whole wardrobe, instilling confidence in the wearer and ensuring that the idea of shopping is not an overwhelming one. Their services vary, both in-store and outbound, with frequent at-home visits and personal pick-ups if necessary. Hiring a stylist is an extremely personal experience and the client needs to be able to rely upon and trust their stylist.
VALENTINO AT TORONTO’S YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE. PHOTO: MICHAEL MURAZ
A major aspect of a stylist’s job is to cultivate client-stylist relationships. These often result in close personal friendships, thus providing the stylist with a loyal following. In order to be trusted, however, stylists need to be able to connect to both the clients and the brands that they are endorsing. Without a commitment to the customer or a passion for the brand, a stylist is without ammunition.
Often, stylists largely work on commission, and so their client base is vital to their success. They have an insatiable passion for style and for making others feel confident in their clothes. Their selling strategies need to be flawless and altered for each individual. A stylist’s credibility is everything and often it can take years to accumulate a loyal and large enough following to make a good living.
Yes, stylists and sales associates have the same end goal: a successful sale and a happy customer. They both require a passion for fashion and a flair for igniting customer relations. What sets them apart, however, is their level of commitment and expertise. Creating, maintaining, and cultivating client relationships is what enables a stylist to become successful. This means truly understanding the value of selling strategies and the importance of providing clients with their undivided attention. A stylist’s purpose is to provide the consumer with a transformational experience, and ultimately, stylists are selling a service and not just a new item of clothing, and that makes all the difference.
Mina Ely
With twenty years in the luxury retail industry, Mina Ely has a broad understanding of the retail and fashion world. As a Luxury Retail Sales Specialist, Retail Strategist and Luxury Wardrobe Consultant, Mina provides a wide range of services to her portfolio of executive clients. Mina firmly believes that retails core values stem from the overall experience of the consumer and her goal is to ensure that the clients expectations are exceeded every time. Mina brings expertise that span the width of the business. Giving back to the community is important to Mina so she is passionate about partnering with charity organizations and hosting private events with the theme of “Fashion Cares for a Cause” in mind.
Canadian makeup lovers erupted into a collective cheer when the rumours of Ulta Beauty’s expansion north of the border became reality following an official press release from the company on May 4th, 2019. The focus of the release is not the confirmation of a Canadian expansion, rather it is the reveal of the company’s first quarter results – talk about burying the lede. The first quarter results are cool for the investors but we knew the real news was Ulta preparing for their Canadian launch. Now that our wishes have gone from our glossy lips to CEO Mary Dillon’s ears, where exactly does Ulta fit into the Canadian beauty retail landscape?
Competition in the beauty industry is fierce, and it continues to intensify as more brands enter the market whether they be lines like Rihanna’s Kendo-backed Fenty Beauty or independently funded start-ups like Trixie Cosmetics, brought to us by well-known drag queen, Trixie Mattel. A combination of e-commerce and a smart influencer marketing strategy has enabled digitally native brands like Kylie Cosmetics, Morphe, and Dose of Colors to break into the retail world. Whether it be via their own brick-and-mortar stores, wholesale contracts with companies like Ulta and Sephora or a combination of the two, these brands have managed to maintain their e-commerce operations in addition to their retail expansions.
GRAPHIC: ULTA
My point is, though the market for beauty brands is saturated, the market for beauty retailers is not – it is an oligopoly, dominated by a handful of major retailers. To pinpoint one true competitor for Ulta is difficult because their offerings span several categories across both products and services. In Ulta’s 2018 Annual Report, the company describes their competitors as: “traditional department stores, specialty stores, drug stores, mass merchandisers… the online capabilities of national retailers, as well as pure-play e-commerce companies.” So… basically anyone that sells beauty products, got it.
In the Canadian market, Ulta’s main competitors will be: Sephora, Walmart, and Shoppers Drug Mart. Let’s take a deeper dive into each of the three retailers.
Sephora
SEPHORA AT CF CHINOOK CENTRE PHOTO: AMACHRIS CONSTRUCTION
The retail version of the ultra-cool French exchange student who wears red lipstick and no other makeup, Sephora first opened the doors of their its first Canadian store in 2004. Since then, the French retailer has opened 72 locations across Canada and has a presence in nearly every province. In 2016, Sephora embarked on a “Toronto Takeover”, which saw it open four new stores in record time; Sephora’s North American store count is up to a whopping 430.
Sephora is definitely the more luxe or premium retailer of the bunch, with a heavy focus on client service. Sephora’s price points range from mid-range to ultra-high end, the Sephora Collection private label brand being the most “entry-level” of price points. The company added Volition Beauty to their product assortment; a unique brand that harnesses the power of crowdsourcing to find their next beauty innovation. They also offer select services from full makeup applications, “express services” like false lash application, to mini skincare services at the in-store Beauty Studio.
SEPHORA’S TIP STORE AT YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE ALL PHOTOS: SEPHORA
The brand made headlines recently for its in-store treatment of Grammy-nominated artist, SZA and the makeup artist of Saturday Night Live’s Leslie Jones (on separate occasions). Despite the controversy, Sephora continues to be a destination for popular and cutting-edge independent beauty brands.
Walmart
PHOTO: WALMART CANADA
Walmart is the kind of girl whose makeup routine consists of exclusively mascara and tinted moisturizer. She’s known George since kindergarten and thinks YSL is short for “Y Study Late.” Though Walmart lacks the glitz and glam of shopping at Sephora, they offer a wide range of mass-market beauty, haircare, and skincare products. Due to Walmart’s savvy corporate buyers, they are able to offer the lowest prices on all our mass-market beauty, haircare, and skincare favourites.
Ulta and Walmart are similar in that they both carry mass-market beauty brands, but that is where the similarities begin and end. The product assortment is classic “drugstore makeup,” meaning you will almost always find brands like Revlon, L’Oréal, and Covergirl. Walmart is the exclusive retailer of Hard Candy, who in a previous life, was a sister brand to Urban Decay and sold in Sephora. Though the line is no longer available in Canada, Walmart was also the exclusive retailer of Drew Barrymore’s FLOWER Beauty.
Retail Insider reported on Walmart’s newest store concept, the “Urban Supercentre,” that launched at the Toronto Stockyards. One of the many features is an element similar to the Amazon Go store – the “Fast Lane”. The new technology allows customers to use their My Walmart app to checkout seamlessly and without the use of a traditional checkout. Shoppers must show their digital receipt to a greeter as they exit, utilizing a similar strategy to Costco. Beauty product shopping at Walmart may not be as exciting as visiting Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart, but the low prices and convenience offered are appealing for the “no muss no fuss” shopper.
WALMART’S NEW FAST LANE CONCEPT AT THEIR TORONTO STOCKYARD’S LOCATION PHOTO: WALMART CANADA
Shoppers Drug Mart
PHOTO: BEAUTY BOUTIQUE AT CF RICHMOND CENTRE VIA FACEBOOK
Not afraid to pair her Gucci sneakers and Louis Vuitton bag with her Old Navy jeans and Zara blouse, Shoppers Drug Mart showcases a mixture of high and low price points like Ulta. She doesn’t believe in paying more than $10 for mascara but has no problem dropping $50 or more on a serum or moisturizer. Of the three, Shoppers Drug Mart is the closest competitor to Ulta in Canada because they both house mass and prestige beauty brands under one roof.
In terms of product offering, there is quite a bit of cross over between Sephora, Walmart, and Shoppers Drug Mart. Consumers can find prestige brands like Benefit, Smashbox, and Stila at both Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart. They can also find drugstore brands like Maybelline, Almay, and Rimmel that are sold in both Walmart and Shoppers.
Though their list of exclusive brands is not quite as robust as Sephora’s, Shoppers Drug Mart carries some great product lines that aren’t available in other retailers like PÜR, Soap & Glory, and Pixi Beauty.
PHOTO: CONFEDERATION COURT MALL
Like Sephora, you can book an appointment to have your makeup done at Shoppers Drug Mart but services are not a key part of their offering. The Loblaws-owned retailer appears to be taking steps in a new direction though, with the launch of their Beauty Clinic concept. Beauty Clinic is a cosmetic services center offering treatments like laser, cosmetic injectables, and microdermabrasion. Currently there is only one Beauty Clinic in all of Canada; the concept is still fairly new so it is possible we could see more in future.
Shoppers Drug Mart appears to be shuttering their Murale concept – a standalone prestige beauty store that first opened in 2008 and at its height had 8 locations in Canada. Over the last few years, Shoppers seems to have made bolstering their prestige beauty business a priority. In 2013, the company unveiled an amplified beautyBOUTIQUE at Bayview Village in Toronto around the same time Sephora debuted their renovated CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship.
BEAUTYBOUTIQUE BY SHOPPERS AT CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE ALL PHOTOS: GRIDCAST
Ulta is still in the early stages of their Canadian expansion; Sam Winberg of Retail CND has reportedly been tapped by the US company to help find their first Canadian home. Ulta is unlike any beauty retailer currently available to Canadian shoppers. The combination of mass and prestige beauty, haircare, and skincare along with their exclusive branded services makes for a truly unique offering that Canadian beauty lovers will embrace with open arms.
So where will Ulta open its first Canadian store? Only time will tell, and once time tells Retail Insider I’ll be sure to share it with all of you. In the meantime I’ll start drafting my shopping list and setting aside a small fortune.
Retail expert and consultant, Julia Marchionda, is a graduate from both the University of Toronto and Humber College. She spent most of her educational career honing her skills in critical thinking, marketing communications, and finding her unique voice in her writing. With tenures in several areas of retail under her belt, Julia has lead teams in achieving sales goals and allowed herself to become consumed in understanding retail business.
Montreal-based Lightspeed, which is a leading cloud-based provider of omnichannel point of sale software, solutions and support systems primarily for independent retailers and restaurants, has added new inventory-focused features to Lightspeed Retail’s extensive suite of tools. It’s all part of Lightspeed’s goal of helping retailers better manage their product stock while giving more control over daily operations.
New features to Lightspeed Retail that will help independent retailers with this include negative inventory reports, a home data-driven dashboard, vendor returns, and newly supported images, dimensions and formats. Lightspeed says that this will help it deliver unparalleled inventory management control, offering retailers added insight into how a business is truly performing.
“There has been an increasing demand for a measurement tool to help retailers in complex verticals better manage the surplus or shortage that frequently arises as a result of product shifts,” said Dax Dasilva, Founder and CEO of Lightspeed. “These features help our customers fully understand what factors are affecting their stock, from overselling items to purchase orders, so that they can plan their product operations accordingly.”
With the Negative Inventory Report, Retailers can determine the source of common issues resulting in stock deficits through comprehensive inventory reports, accounting for product both through Lightspeed Retail and Lightspeed eCommerce to maintain updated, accurate inventory information. The omnichannel impact is smart and seamless management of pre-orders and back orders, whether in-store or online, which can be accessed through the negative inventory report.
LIGHTSPEED FOUNDER AND CEO DAX DASILVA
The Home Data-Driven Dashboard focuses on the shop’s overall goals, including revenue, margin, profit, sales, discounts and refunds, providing independent businesses a clearer picture of their operations.
Lightspeed’s Vendor Returns are designed to make it easier for merchants to manage inventory, including quantities on return orders, again providing an enhanced level of operational convenience.
As well, Lightspeed Retail’s new Supported Images Dimensions and Formats enables merchants to showcase their products online in more detail, thus helping the luxury verticals to deliver compelling experiences and increased sales.
Lightspeed says that its existing Lightspeed Retail customers have already seen a positive impact on their daily operations from using the newest features. “The negative inventory feature in Lightspeed has made my stock control absolute heaven,” said Theresa Pederson from lingerie retailer, Bodacious Bustlines.
Tim Black from outdoor guide service and retail store, NOC Adventure Center, said, “With the improvements that Lightspeed has made to their inventory controls we are able to maintain a more accurate picture of what we truly own.”
“I live by my numbers; the inventory and the margins must be correct,” said Lori Ashcroft from baseball organization, West Michigan Whitecaps. “Using the negative inventory report, I can see at a glance where my negative inventory is. Using negative inventory has also worked really well with our eCom backorders. Ever since we started using it, I haven’t had a single problem; it’s worked perfectly,” she said.
There are further enhancements in the pipeline, says lightspeed, including the following:
iOS for Retail POS App: A sleek redesign for an elevated mobile POS experience with new smoother workflows
Retail Sales Ledger: Newly designed and easy-to-use, this feature allows cashiers, and store owners to get quick access to open sales and sales data for an improved sales workflow.
New import improvements: Aimed at helping customer reduce the time it takes to get set up, importing items into Lightspeed has never been easier thanks to the improvements to data migration from other platforms and increasing the available sku limit.
Existing inventory-focused client favourites, according to Lightspeed, include:
Manage stock through cost and margin tracking
Take full control of inventory ordering from purchase orders and transfers to vendor returns and special orders
Keep inventory moving and stay on top of stock quantities by using reorder points and inventory levels
Access to over 14 million pre-loaded supplier catalog items to find new products to buy and sell
LIGHTSPEED CEO AND FOUNDER DAX DASILVA PUSHING THE BUTTON TO COMMENCE TRADING ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 8, 2019. PHOTO: LIGHTSPEED VIA NKPR.
Lightspeed’s recent Summer Shopping Habits Survey, as discussed last week in Retail Insider, showed that in-store retail is still preferred by North Americans over online shopping, making inventory-centric software key for apparel retailers to creating positive customer experiences. New features to Lightspeed Retail will further assist independent retailers with this. As competition continues to grow and costs escalate, efficiency in processes will be critical to independent retailers’ success.
Montreal-based Lightspeed is a cloud-based commerce platform powering small and medium-sized businesses in over 100 countries around the world. It’s considered to be an ‘all-in-one solution’ that includes smart, scalable, and dependable point of sale systems, it’s an all-in-one solution that helps restaurants and retailers sell across channels, manage operations, engage with consumers, accept payments, and grow their business. Lightspeed has grown to over 800 employees, with offices in Canada, USA, Europe, and Australia, and its platform is now in 49,000 customer locations globally. The company issued a highly successful IPO in March of this year. Dax Dasilva also launched a book on leadership called ‘Age of Union’ and Retail Insider attended his talk/Q&A at Indigo at Toronto’s Manulife Centre on the evening of Wednesday, July 10.
London UK-based lifestyle brand Cath Kidston is looking to enter Canada by opening stores, making it the latest international brand looking to enter the market. Cath Kidston sells a range of moderately-priced ‘modern vintage’ designs including women’s and kid’s fashions as well as accessories and home goods. The brand is known particularly for its nostalgic floral patterns and its designer, Catherine Kidston, has also published several books.
The Cath Kidston brand was founded in 1993 with a single store in London’s Holland Park area, selling hand-embroidered tea towels and brightly renovated furniture. The brand has seen remarkable success and now has more than 200 stores globally including in the UK, Ireland, Asian and the Middle East. Cath Kidston currently does not operate locations in the United States, which means Canada could see the first Cath Kidston location in North America.
In Canada, Cath Kidston is working with brokerage Aurora Realty Consultants, and is seeking retail spaces in the 800 to 1,200 square foot range in large enclosed malls. This fall, Cath Kidston will open three pop-up retail locations in the Toronto Area.
La Maison Simone Opens 1st Standalone Home Store
La Maison Simons PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
Retail Insider was recently in Montreal and visited the first standalone home furnishings retail space for large-format fashion retailer La Maison Simons. The 4,800 square foot ‘Simons Maison’ is contained on the lower level of the 200,000 square foot Carrefour Industrielle Alliance complex at 977 Ste-Catherine Street West in downtown Montreal, which houses a multi-level La Maison Simons fashion flagship store upstairs from the new standalone home store. Designstead was behind the design of the new Simons home store.
Simons relocated its homewares department as it expands other departments in its busy downtown Montreal flagship store, which is expected to see renovations. The store’s historical facade is already seeing updates including new awnings, updated lighting fixtures and revolving doors. The Carrefour Industrielle Alliance complex was formerly a Simpson’s department store which was built in 1928, and now houses Simons as well as a cinema, boutiques and restaurants that are connected to neighbouring shopping centres via underground walkways.
LA MAISON SIMONS “MAISON” STORE PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
Louis Vuitton Sets Foot into Montreal’s Holt Renfrew for the First Time, and a Short Time
Last month, Louis Vuitton relocated its Montreal concession to Holt Renfrew’s 1300 Sherbrooke Street West store in Montreal for the first time. Prior to that, Vuitton occupied space in Ogilvy on Ste-Catherine Street, where is has had a presence since 1989.
The Sherbrooke Street Louis Vuitton pop-up occupies the northern half of the historic Holt Renfrew building in a large space formerly occupied by beauty and cosmetics. It is accessed directly from Holt Renfrew’s main entrance at 1300 Sherbrooke Street West. Despite being a pop-up, the Louis Vuitton space features an impressive high-quality design with ample use of wood cut-outs and expansive branding for the space. Toronto-based dkstudio designed the pop-up and Montreal-based Planit Construction, known for its exceptional work both in Canada as well as in the United States, built-out the Louis Vuitton shop.
Louis Vuitton will relocate into the new ‘Holt Renfrew Ogilvy’ in a few months once renovations there are completed. Holt Renfrew Ogilvy, which recently unveiled a 25,000 square foot concourse-level beauty hall as well as a 40,000 square foot men’s store on its fourth level, continues to be renovated. Next spring, the 250,000 square foot Holt Renfrew Ogilvy building at 1307 Ste-Catherine West will become the largest in the Holt Renfrew chain. Next spring, as well, the 1300 Sherbrooke Street West Holt Renfrew store, which opened in 1937, will close permanently.
Michael Kors Opening Massive Montreal Flagship
Canada’s largest Michael Kors store will be opening soon in downtown Montreal. The three-level store will even feature a restaurant, and will be located at 1133 Ste-Catherine Street West at the corner of Stanley Street.
HOARDING AT THE FUTURE MICHAEL KORS MONTREAL FLAGSHIP STORE PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON
While it’s unclear how much space will be dedicated to retail, the building Michael Kors will locate in spans approximately 12,000 square feet over three levels. No other Michael Kors store in Canada even comes close in terms of size — the Yorkdale Shopping Centre flagship in Toronto, which we profiled last year in Retail Insider after it saw an impressive renovation, is the largest in the country spaning just over 5,700 square feet on one level.
We’ll update this story once details on the Montreal flagship are released. We have yet to receive a response from the retailer’s PR team after requesting information.
One of the world’s priciest watch brands, Richard Mille, saw the opening of a partner-owned storefront at jeweller Maison Birks’ downtown Vancouver flagship located at 698 West Hastings Street. The Richard Mille boutique opened earlier this year and last week, a new branded doorway was unveiled facing onto Granville Street, which involved modifying the exterior of the large heritage building that was once a bank.
It’s the second Richard Mille boutique for Canada. In 2017, Toronto jewellery retailer Louis Black opened a Richard Mille boutique in the Hazelton Hotel on Yorkville Avenue, which it soon relocated to a large second-level space at 135 Yorkville Avenue. Both the Toronto and Vancouver Richard Mille boutiques only carry a few timepieces in their stores — some styles are known to sell out despite prices usually being in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some styles have been known to sell for well over $1-million.
PHOTO: GRANVILLE STREET TWITTER
Montreal-based Maison Birks has been updating its operations in Canada, including dedicating more space to shop-in-stores for various brands. Several months ago Birks reopened its impressive Bloor Street flagship in Toronto and last summer, it unveiled a stunning renovated historic downtown Montreal flagship that also includes an adjacent restaurant and boutique hotel in the same building. The Vancouver store is expected to see further renovations as Birks modernizes its flagships with a design in line with a Millennial-targeted concept storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre that opened in the fall of 2016.
Ontario Science Centre hosts its first-ever pop-up shop
Toronto-based turnkey pop-up shop activators, pop-up go, teamed up with Indigenous artist James Simon Mishibinijima of Manitoulin Island to launch the first-ever short-term retail activation at the Ontario Science Centre last week. The installation ran from June 27 – July 4 in the Centre’s Common Area space, where visitors could view the pop-up free of charge.
PHOTO: ZENERGY COMMUNICATIONS
The pop-up exhibit featured a retail component as visitors could purchase a wide selection of the artist’s work from original pieces to prints and books. Mishibinijima is an Ojibway artist whose works often depict natural scenery and urge onlookers to respect and nourish the world around them. The Science Centre pop-up was his second short-term retail activation following one in Whitby in 2018.
The pop-up was the first activation of what pop-up go projects to be a busy summer for short-term retail installations at the Ontario Science Centre. Due to the Centre’s heavy summer foot traffic and primary demographic of children and families, the location is ideally suited for brands looking to get their product out to the masses in Ontario this summer.
Mobile Klinik Acquires Device Care
PHOTO: DEVICE CARE
Canada’s leading walk-in device repair retailer has announced the acquisition of Device Care – a smartphone accessories and repair chain with six locations in Ontario and Québec. Mobile Klinik has 52 locations across Canada and offers no-appointment-needed, professional smartphone and tablet repair.
As part of the acquisition, Mobile Klinik will maintain the following existing Device Care locations:
Dawood Shahid, Device Care’s Managing Director, added “We are excited about the growth opportunities that joining the Mobile Klinik team will provide to our store managers and associates – being part of a large and growing national network will give all the Device Care team members room to learn, contribute and grow that we would not have been able to achieve on our own. Mobile Klinik is the clear leader in the Canadian market and our people are excited about joining the winning team.”
The company intends to expand both the Mobile Klinik and Device Care brands to push forward their vision of providing Canadians with the best smartphone and tablet repair, care, sales, and services. By joining forces, Mobile Klinik and Device Care will be able to offer more products and services than any other retailer of its kind.
Mobile Klinik works with brokerage Oberfeld Snowcap for its real estate needs.
GEE Beauty Opens 1st Muskoka Pop-Up Store
The popular Toronto-based store has opened their first pop-up in scenic Muskoka, ON. The cottage country shop will be open until July 15th, 2019 and features a selection of beauty and fashion items. Located in the Dukes Building at 2 James Bartleman Way in Port Carling, ON, shoppers will find it between Lakes Muskoka and Rosseau.
PHOTO: GEE BEAUTY
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PHOTO: GEE BEAUTY
Those who call Muskoka home all summer long can pop in to Gee Beauty to receive all of their favourite treatments and services like: brow and lash treatments, express facials, and makeup applications for your most important dock parties. Shoppers can also stock up on products from brands like: Goop, Le Labo, Xirena, and GEE Beauty’s private label collection.
GEE Beauty operates a storefront in Toronto’s Rosedale area at the corner of Roxborough Street West and Yonge Street, with an adjacent lifestyle shop called 6 by GEE Beauty. The retailer also has a storefront in Miami Beach, Florida.
Nordstrom Hosting Anniversary Sale as it Launches Pop-Ups
Seattle-based Nordstrom, which entered the Canadian market in 2014 with its first store in Calgary, is holding its Anniversary Sale on July 19 (starting at 12:30pm EST) and it continues through to August 4. Once it’s over, prices go up again on August 5. Nordstrom says that it’s the largest fashion sale of the year for Nordstrom’s mainline stores, and ‘Nordy Club Ambassadors’ are able to shop earlier. Rather than holding seemingly continuous sales like competitor Hudson’s Bay, Nordstrom hosts a handful of events and otherwise clears out product in its Nordstrom Rack stores. Nordstrom Rack has six stores in Canada with three in the Greater Toronto Area and one each in Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa.
PHOTO: NORDSTROM
The Anniversary Sale is being marketed by a campaign featuring a bright and open art gallery studio, and a high-energy, diverse mix of professional dancers and models. The cast dances to the 1979 underground funk/disco classic “Get Up” by Vernon Burch, which was re-worked by DJ Premier. On Saturday, July 20, Nordstrom is hosting an Anniversary Sale Beauty Bash event in all stores.
This month, as well, Nordstrom launched new pop-ups in its CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship as well as its CF Pacific Centre flagship in Vancouver. Called ‘Powers Up!’, the pop-ups feature a curation of more than 250 tech-themed products. The main floor pop-up spaces, called ‘Pop-In@Nordstrom Powers Up’ is stocked with innovations, accessories with options ranging from $6.50 to $975. Nordstrom regularly hosts pop-ups in the Vancouver and Toronto flagships to keep things fresh, which is a trend seen in some of the top department stores globally.
Kiosks have become a popular and growing trend in the retail industry in recent years as different brands, beyond cellphone companies, are using the unique space to sell everything from sun glasses to specialty foods.
Manufacturer Pan-Oston, based in Peterborough, Ontario, has capitalized on this trend by creating and pre-making kiosks for an assortment of retailers.
Today, kiosks are being used for all kinds of products and services such as banking, wine, insurance, heavy tools and travel, said Greg Butler, president of Pan-Oston, which is a leading Canadian retail store fixture manufacturer with about 40 years’ experience.
REGINA-BASED JEWELLERY BRAND ‘HILLBERG & BERK’ HAS BEEN UTILIZING A KIOSK STRATEGY TO EXPAND ITS BASE OF STORES. THIS LOCATION IS AT CORNWALL CENTRE IN REGINA. PHOTO: HILLBERG & BERK
“Our impression why we’re seeing more kiosks located not only in malls but also within large retailers – they’re setting up standalone kiosks within stores as well – the cost of real estate of course is the biggest driver,” said Butler. “Some of the chains out there now logically go in and take over a retail space, four walls, and with that they’re paying for the complete renovation of the space to set it to their brand, their shape, their size. Fixture it all out. Light it, include signage and increasingly digital.”
“Nowadays the cost of that versus a small cost of rental for a centre aisle within a mall is much, much cheaper. Now when they look at a pre-manufactured kiosk like we’re providing from a factory – for the sake of argument putting it in simple terms comes in, plug and play – it’s installed, instant store.”
Manufacturer Pan-Oston, based in Peterborough, Ontario, has capitalized on this trend by creating and pre-making kiosks for an assortment of retailers.
KOODO KIOSKS AT THE PAN-OSTON FACILITY IN PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO. PHOTO: PAN-OSTON
“Pan-Oston has been able to produce and roll out Koodo Kiosks – Initially using our designs, but over time they have improved our modular cabinets so they are easier to install and more staff friendly. They have added the installation of third party vendor components on the shop floor to save time.”
“We have worked together to implement improvements, continually review how we can improve or add impact. Something I particularly respect and appreciate in a supplier”. Lewis Holmes: Business Analyst Store Development Koodo.
Pan-Oston’s efforts result in far less time to install kiosks at locations anywhere in Canada. This has reduced not just on location set up significantly, but reduced costs overall and it has also helped ensure continuity at each location.
BEST BUY MOBILE KIOSK AT CF MARKET MALL IN CALGARY. PHOTO: BEST BUY
“The concept of free-standing kiosk retailing in the common areas of shopping centres has been around for a generation or more and has gained widespread acceptance with shopping centre landlords and retailers alike since the early 1970’s,” said Michael Kehoe, broker with Fairfield Commercial Real Estate in Calgary.
“Retail landlords enjoy the income created from virtually ’found space’ in previously unproductive common areas with the addition of kiosks and the merchandising opportunities they provide. Retail, food service and telecom service type shopping centre tenants capitalize on exposure kiosk locations provide in locations with high levels of footfall. The sophistication of kiosk design has evolved in the recent past to comply with higher levels of mall design criteria.”
TECH INDIDE A KIOSK AT PAN-OSTON’S FACILITY IN PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO. PHOTO: PAN-OSTON
TORONTO-BASED ICE CREAM CONCEPT ‘SWEET JESUS’ HAS USED KIOSKS TO EXPAND ITS RETAIL LOCATIONS IN CANADA AS WELL AS IN THE UNITED STATES. PHOTO IS IN VAUGHAN MILLS NORTH OF TORONTO. PHOTO: SWEET JESUS ICE CREAM
Landlords benefit from increased revenue and can offset some of revenue that may be lost when stores in regular space close. For the retailer, operating out of kiosk, gives the business more access to customers as they are walking by – more face to face opportunity.
Kiosks can also be ideal for new and smaller retailers to develop their brand. The potential for kiosks is beyond retail stores and malls. They really can be used anywhere.
Darryl Schmidt, vice-president of national leasing for the Western Portfolio Office of Cadillac Fairview, said the use of kiosks has been a growing trend for a couple of reasons. With the rash of bankruptcies and store closures, mall owners have been trying to find innovative ways to replace that income because the demand hasn’t been there to backfill all the vacant units.
CF MARKET MALL IN CALGARY CURRENTLY HAS 16 KIOSKS AND THREE CARTS IN THE SHOPPING CENTRE. PHOTO: CADILLAC FAIRVIEW
There has also been a conscious decision to activate the common areas in appropriate spots to create a better shopping experience and allow people to have longer dwell times in common areas.
For example, CF Market Mall in Calgary currently has 16 kiosks and three carts in the shopping centre.
“I liken it to fishing. You’re in the middle of the stream where all the fish are swimming. You get maximum exposure to the maximum amount of footfall,” said Schmidt.
Dr. Aaron Patel, who operates Second Specs, an eyewear retailer, said his first kiosk opened in West Edmonton Mall in 2013. Today, the retailer has two locations in West Edmonton Mall, one in CrossIron Mills in the Calgary area, one in Market Mall, one in Sherwood Park, one in St. Albert and one in the Londonderry Mall in Edmonton. All are kiosks with the exception of the location in Sherwood Park which is in a regular store format.
SECOND SPECS RETAIL KIOSK AT WEST EDMONTON MALL. PHOTO: SECOND SPECS
SETTING UP A VENDOR KIOSK, INCLUDING POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEM AT PAN-OSTON’S FACILITY IN PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO. PHOTO: PAN-OSTON
“The nice thing about a kiosk versus the in-line I find is the approachability. Everyone has a different personal space so they feel comfortable at approaching. We have a lot of people we notice will hover at a distance quite far away and they are just checking it out and feel safe there and approach when they’re ready. Some people come straight up to it and try things right away,” said Patel.
“When you’re in an in-line store, as soon as you cross that threshold of being in the store you’re kind of fair game. You’re committed to engage in a conversation about the product. (Kiosks) give people this sense of looking before committing. Certainly the traffic going by is important.”
Another retailer that has experienced great success with kiosks is the national brand Mr. Pretzels.
Carmine Di Fruscia, president of Mr. Pretzels in Canada, said part of the company’s charm is the show it puts on for customers as it makes the pretzels from scratch right in front of their eyes.
“I love being in the kiosk because we do the show and tell. We do the whole show in front of the people,” he said. “For me, the experience of a client it’s much better in a kiosk than anything else.”
MR. PRETZELS HAS BEEN USING KIOSKS TO RAPIDLY EXPAND ITS LOCATIONS INTO VARIOUS CANADIAN SHOPPING CENTRES. PHOTO: MR. PRETZELS
As more retailers see the potential of using a kiosk to sell their products and services, a manufacturer like Pan-Oston is developing efficient and effective ways to facilitate the installation of kiosks across Canada.
“What we’re able to do here in the plant – it’s a bit like the pre-fab home idea – where we can make it square, make it consistent, make it right for the purchaser on a consistent basis all across Canada,” said Butler, adding that Pan-Oston installs all the components of a kiosk in the plant. “You cut a lot of the logistics concerns for the buyer . . . Some of the outside contractors physically come into our plant and do the installation before it goes to the mall.
“We also provide the installation crew. Somebody who has been trained on installing that kiosk already and has immediate access to our people here for questions, concerns, problems, issues, whatever they might be. The comfort level for that purchaser of the kiosk goes way up because now he knows it’s going to be supplied complete in a consistently built way.”
