Baltimore-based sportswear brand Under Armour has opened its first ‘brand house’ flagship retail space in Canada amid a direct-to-consumer retail expansion that will see locations open in major markets over the next several years.
Last week, Under Armour opened a 3,100 square foot retail space at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. Located on Level One of North America’s busiest shopping centre, the Under Armour store features a range of apparel for men and women as well as footwear and accessories. Included are footwear styles featuring HOVR footwear cushioning technology as well as UA RUSH and UA Recover apparel for both men and women. Product is geared towards running, training and basketball.
Josh Denton, VP Global Retail, Under Armour, said, “We know Toronto has a huge sports fanbase and the fitness community is booming with boutique gyms opening up across the city. Being located in downtown Toronto will make the store accessible to people from all over the city.”
PHOTO:UNDER ARMOUR
Under Armour’s own branding features prominently, as the US brand gears up for a Canadian expansion that will include a network of full-priced ‘brand house’ stores.
“The CF Toronto Eaton Centre brand house represents our new concept which is smaller in size than our traditional brand house. We are representing an edited assortment of our bestselling seasonal items balanced with our heritage core products for the best edit of products that make athletes better. Similar smaller footprint stores have opened recently in San Diego and Los Angeles,” said Mr. Denton.
While the CF Toronto Eaton Centre flagship is the first of its kind for Canada, Under Armour has operated a network of outlet stores in Canada for several years. The brand refers to these as ‘Under Armour Factory House’ stores with suburban locations in major markets typically located in outlet centres, hybrid outlet centres, and in big-box retail centres. Those markets include greater Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, and Southern Ontario, which has numerous locations with a focus on the Greater Toronto area. According to its website, Under Armour also operates stores in the United States, Mexico, the UK, and China.
PHOTO:UNDER ARMOUR
PHOTO:UNDER ARMOUR
Under Armour also wholesales in various multi-brand retailers throughout Canada. Sport Chek, The Running Room, and Golf Town are among larger chains carrying the Under Armour brand, while numerous other multi-brand chains and independent retailers also carry Under Armour merchandise.
It’s unclear if Under Armour’s direct-to-consumer retail strategy will result in the brand reducing distribution in multi-brand retailers. Corporately-owned brand stores are becoming more common for brands such as Under Armour, as such retail locations give brands the opportunity to showcase a wide range of product in specific retail environments housing product specialists. Margins also tend to be higher in mono-brand stores, and other sports brands are also expanding distribution through their own direct-to-consumer retail channels.
In some cases, the direct-to-consumer trend has been met with controversy. Last month it was reported that sportswear behemoth Nike had communicated to multi-brand retailers in the UK that is was planning on pulling distribution of Nike products as the brand expands its international network of direct-to-consumer mono-brand stores. As a result, some predict the demise of some multi-brand retailers relying on Nike for a substantial percentage of retail sales. As consumers increasingly turn to brand websites to buy product as well as to gain knowledge, many brands are pulling back on wholesale distribution in an effort to sell directly to customers both online as well as in stores. In Canada as well, Nike is expanding its network of mono-brand stores in a partnership with Fox Group, which will include a large Niketown flagship that will open at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre next year.
It’s not yet clear if Under Armour’s strategy will be to pull back on its wholesale accounts as it sells its goods directly to consumers, though competitors such as Adidas are already doing so. Some multi-brand retailers, which have helped create brand awareness for brands in various markets, could eventually perish if profitable brands pull-out. And the phenomena isn’t just happening with sports retailers — luxury brands have been opening stores in Canada at a rapid pace over the past five years, and fashion brand Canada Goose has been pulling back on its wholesale distribution as it continues to open its own direct-to-consumer storefronts in major markets in Canada as well as globally.
PHOTO:UNDER ARMOUR
Last week, Under Armour’s founder and CEO, Kevin Plank, stepped down from his role after the announcement that the company’s chief operating office Patrik Frisk would replace him. Mr. Plank will become executive chairman and brand chief as part of the shift. Mr. Plank made headlines recently when he spoke out against US President Donald Trump, including defending Baltimore after Trump criticized the city over the summer. Mr. Plank founded Under Armour in 1996 and moved its headquarters to the city in 1998.
Under Armour’s expansion comes at a time when the brand has struggled to maintain market share amid growth of rivals Nike and Adidas, while at the same time smaller brands such as Puma and Fila have gained market share.
We’ll continue to follow Under Armour’s expansion into the Canadian market with its ‘brand house’ stores. In the United States, Under Armour has been opening large-format ‘brand house’ retail locations which include a 53,000 square foot location in Manhattan, a 30,000 square foot flagship in Chicago, a 19,000 square foot store in Boston, and a 20,000 square foot flagship in Beijing, among others. Given the relatively small size of the CF Toronto Eaton Centre Under Armour location in comparison, larger Canadian stores could also be on the way as part of the brand expansion.
Levi’s has a rich history dating back to 1853 and the retailer has become synonymous with denim jeans, but over the years the giant retailer has adapted to the ever-changing market, tweaking its product offerings to meet customer demand.
“Levi’s created the denim category. So clearly we have a heritage and a provenance that I think the most recent entrants into apparel space don’t have,” said Nicolas Versloot, managing director for Levi Strauss and Co. in Canada. “But we’re not resting on our historic laurels. We’re continuing to innovate in terms of product. We’re also continuing to market.
“One of the reasons why we’ve been successful is we’ve managed to not only maintain absolute denim leadership position with our heritage jeans or men’s bottoms but we’ve also targeted the female consumer with a more lifestyle proposition. So if you look at our growth rates, our tops business and our women’s business is growing faster than our men’s bottoms business.
PHOTOS: LEVI’S
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“It’s been very deliberate. We’ve given that assortment more space because we were a very male-biased brand and we know that the female consumer shopper shops more, spends more. So that’s why we’ve moved more into a lifestyle proposition. The other thing worth mentioning is that we’ve really positioned the brand as the centre of culture. We target major music festivals and events – and we’re also targeting personalities like Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, etc.”
The brand began in 1853 when Levi Strauss, an immigrant from Bavaria, opened a dry goods company in San Francisco at the height of the California gold rush. He recognized that there was a need for hardworking people to have clothes that were built to last. That led to the blue jean being created in 1873. Today, the retailer has more than 500 stores worldwide in about 100 countries.
The brand has 33 retail stores in Canada with the most recent being Levi’s in Ottawa which opened August 31 at the CF Rideau Centre.
“We’re continuing to expand,” said Versloot. “What we would typically do is we do a market mapping exercise and we identify opportunity based on malls, power centres, and when vacancy becomes available, we will pursue them. But we’re quite prescriptive about size, traffic, footfall, location. We may have a plan to open a certain number of doors but we might not be able to fulfill that plan because the opportunities don’t come up,” said Versloot.
He said Levi’s appeals and resonates with both adults and a younger demographic.
“We frame that as being very democratic, very approachable, not pretentious. I think the other thing we’ve done is we’ve continued to make it relevant. Drawing an emotional connection to the brand. We say that people wear jeans but you live in Levi’s. There are lots of people with amazing anecdotes about their first pair of Levi’s and they talk very emotionally about it. Even when they can’t wear them anymore they still hang onto them. So there is that very strong emotional connection,” said Versloot.
PHOTO: LEVI’S
“The other way we’ve kept it relevant is through innovation. We have a waterless platform which is part of our sustainability discussion which resonates with young people.”
The company’s latest Canadian store in Ottawa features a tailor shop which takes up a fair bit of real estate at the location which would normally be used for selling product. But the company has invested in elevating the consumer experience, said Versloot, “because our trend research and our consumer insights have identified that sort of mega trend of mass customization as being replaced by personalization.”
PHOTO: LEVI’S
PHOTO: LEVI’S
“So people really want to make a statement about who they are as an individual.”
People are trying to carve out an identity for themselves as individuals and so the tailor shop gives them that opportunity. Clothing can be embroidered. People can have patches put on the clothing. They can be distressed in a particular way to their liking.
“That really resonates with young people,” said Versloot. “We like to describe it as the tailored trucker jacket is the apparel equivalent of a tattoo. That captures the essence of the tailor shop opportunity. That’s a very distinctive feature of the Rideau store. Not all of our stores have a tailor shop.”
PHOTO: LEVI’S
PHOTO: LEVI’S
He said in the future Levi’s could introduce a system where a consumer could come into the store, scroll through an iPad looking at clothing items, identify a design they like, and personalize it to their liking.
“One of the things we are trying to do in Canada, across the board, is really elevate the consumer experience and that’s why we opened the store in the Rideau Centre, that’s why we’re doing tailor shops, that’s why we opened the Toronto Eaton Centre flagship store. But we’ve also put a tailor shop in a couple of our wholesale partner stores as well because I don’t think the consumer necessarily differentiates. If we can elevate the experience online, offline, wholesale, retail, outlet, I really think that’s the recipe for future success,” said Versloot.
As an industry, we often discuss “customer experience” and its importance. Although this term is vast, brand-centric, and qualifies many customer-facing dynamics, I find there’s one crucial element that we spend far less time developing and better understanding: engagement.
1: an arrangement to meet or be present at a specified time and place
2: something that engages : PLEDGE
3a: the act of engaging : the state of being engaged, and
b: emotional involvement or commitment
To me, engagement speaks to a greater emotional opportunity to develop a meaningful connection with customers. Today, as we all know, that attempt for connection can occur anytime and anywhere, which creates fantastic fidelity if done in proper context, but most often can generate noise and distraction. Hence, we see the importance of using the best strategies and tools to build engagement, create meaningful touch points, and increase customer contact. Now, more than ever, this concept is crucial to any business that seeks to build a positive ongoing relationship with its clients, not to mention increase customer database size in order to pursue those opportunities.
PHOTOS: RAANGE
In this context, I had the privilege to speak with Lisa Challis, Vice President of Sales and Operations at a leading Canadian female fashion retailer Suzy (aka Suzy Shier), as well as their Director of E-Commerce, Nathalie Mansouri. I asked them how they see this opportunity and how they work on building out that engagement, more specifically the tools that allow them to best engage with their Suzy customers.
It’s not often that I’ve heard a long-standing retail executive refer to a technology as “our most powerful vehicle to impact sales and create loyalty,”but those were the exact words Lisa used when describing her use of Raange’s mobile marketing solution.
In a time where customer engagement requires resources spread across multiple channels for retailers, there is a crucial need to have a simple yet effective tool to allow the brand to rapidly engage customers with a true call to action. Like many other retailers, Suzy has several initiatives involving larger technology integrations occurring at once. All that is necessary, but takes up considerable resources. The importance of enabling a simple solution that would require minimal set-up and configuration to allow them, when needed, to be either proactive or reactive in real-time.
However simple, the Raange solution is also powerful, allowing for a great depth of data capture, massive list building, precise data segmentation, and each contact is tracked to the store-level and localized mobile messaging. This is accomplished without long technology integration cycles.
The optimal workflow facilitated by a best of class mobile marketing solution like Raange would go as follows:
PHOTO: RAANGE
Lisa also noted, “We recognize that our customers who are entering our store are often pressed for time. This no longer allows for those longer sales processes that we had in the past, yet they still are looking for that human experience.”
Like most of the retail industry, Lisa spoke about how more informed their customers are when entering the store, often looking for a specific product discovered online. This makes the notion of building loyalty that much more important in an era of near-instant gratification. As she put it, “The engagement opportunities need to be clear, rapid and concise.” Lisa went on to discuss the importance of making this task accountable to everyone on the sales floor and to ensure that it is properly attributed and measured among the sales team’s key performance indicators (KPI’s).
PHOTO: SUZY SHIER
Nathalie spoke to two digital phenomenons provoked by this mobile marketing solution that I found fascinating. On one hand, they discovered that their online conversion driven by SMS was increasing with a younger demographic. This is something all brands, especially those with a long heritage like Suzy, are constantly striving to do to maintain a solid customer base. On the other hand, there was a considerable increase in both online and in-store traffic, literally moments after an SMS message was sent.
Lisa and Nathalie noticed that both digital successes weren’t achieved using other messaging tools. These had the added benefit of being accomplished with owned first-party data, allowing them to continuously build their customer database all while facilitating privacy compliance.
Today, Lisa considers the Raange adoption, along with the subscription to their Prestige Loyalty program, as the two most important factors that correlates to business success. They foresee a day, as they transition into deeper more complex technologies, when they can leverage tools like Raange and Prestige to better understand and segment their customers in order to increase personalization. This will, in turn, deliver even greater and more meaningful engagement opportunities.
So, if your business is looking for a rapid, and simple solution to more effectively engage with customers, this is one solution that I highly recommend you consider.
Seattle-based online behemoth Amazon has announced the launch of ‘Amazon Business’ in Canada, which is part of an effort by Amazon to gain market share from competitors also targeting business clients. As a result, Amazon could steal market share from retailers such as Staples, Best Buy, Walmart, and (online retailer) Grand & Toy, all of which have made substantial investments to maintain business customers. Some delivery companies could also take a hit as Amazon grows its own logistics network.
Amazon’s Business is described as a membership program designed for Amazon Business customers “who want fast, free delivery” for business account users, in addition to providing “convenience, value, analytics and control in the procurement experience”.
Prices for Amazon Business vary depending on the number of users of the business account. The ‘Essentials’ level costs (Canadian Dollars) $109 annually, the ‘Small’ level costs $499 per year for up to 10 users, ‘Medium’ costs $1,299 for up to 100 users, and ‘Enterprise’ is priced at $10,099 annually for more than 100 users. Amazon is offering a free 30-day trial as part of the Business Prime launch in Canada.
Businesses falling under the ‘Small/Medium/Large’ classifications get access to “enhanced purchasing policy controls” as well as analytics dashboards. That includes ’Guided Buying’, which allows account administrators the ability to identify certain suppliers and preferred products, as well as restrict certain product categories in order to reduce ‘rogue spend’ while improving compliance with internal policies while consolidating suppliers. ‘Spend Visibility’ is made possible through AWS QuickSight, providing company spending visualizations in the form of ready-to-present graphics. Amazon says that this reduces the time needed to download and analyze data in order to determine spending trends.
The pricing differential between the ‘Medium’ and ‘Enterprise’ level is tenfold, and it remains to be seen if some of the steep pricing will catch on with businesses in Canada of various sizes. Regardless, many businesses will no doubt consider switching to Amazon following its Business announcement. Amazon Business also launched in the United States with similar pricing to that of Canada, though its lowest tier is considerably higher than that of Business Prime Canada. In the United States, the ‘Essentials’ tier is priced at $179 annually while ‘Small’ is $499, ‘Medium’ is $1,299 and ‘Enterprise’ is $10,099 annually. Those prices are all in US Dollars.
Amazon has seen considerable success with its Amazon Prime offerings in Canada, with millions of households having signed up over the past few years. Canadians are getting a bargain in terms of Amazon Prime membership pricing when compared to the US. Amazon Prime in Canada currently costs $79 annually, which is remarkably lower than the US $119 charged by Amazon for US households.
Amazon doesn’t provide information on the number of Amazon Prime members in Canada. In the United States, it is estimated by Statista that more than 105-million households are Amazon Prime members, which makes up a substantial portion of the population. As a result, Amazon earns billions of dollars annually on its Prime memberships alone, not to mention revenue from sales made to loyal customers. At the same time, Amazon incurs the cost of shipping which eat into profits. Amazon’s revenue was said to be nearly US $70-billon last quarter, though its profits are shown to be about 3% of that, if not lower. Amazon is playing a ‘long game’ according to analysts as Amazon looks to gain market dominance which will ultimately lead to profitability as competitors begin to falter.
Amazon’s Business memberships in Canada could result in significant revenue gains for Amazon in Canada. Membership programs create loyalty and as a result, Amazon could take a chunk of sales from competitors that are also targeting business customers.
In Canada, several retail chains cater to business customers. Staples Canada recently launched an initiative that includes newly designed stores with co-working spaces, as well as quick delivery that is free over a certain amount. Staples is investing millions of dollars to be the dominant office supply retailer in Canada, and the investment is a risky one. Renovating its stores costs a fortune, and other product and e-commerce innovations as well as shipping are eating into its bottom line. Staples offers tech services, printing and marketing services, education, and even incorporation services, which in theory could give it a competitive edge. Large businesses such as Telus currently utilize Staples as a service provider and may look to switch to Amazon Business Prime if cost savings can be found.
One source at Telus explained how Amazon could have an advantage over Staples, given Amazon’s ease of use in terms of web interface and checkout process. The Staples business website requires a password to log-in that some employees may have difficulty locating, according to the source, sometimes requiring a password reset. After perusing a catalogue, one has to determine if shipping will be made available to a particular location, creating friction points to the purchase process. At the same time, the source noted that given Staples ships for free over a certain amount, Amazon’s Business Prime fees could be seen as an impediment for some business.
Best Buy Canada also targets businesses with its ‘Best Buy for Business’, which offers a personal account manager as well as Geek Squad business solutions, volume purchasing options and an online business hub that offers special pricing, tracking services and convenience in use and payments. Appliances, audio-related products, computers, cell phones, office furniture, smart devices and other items are available on its website. Best Buy’s customer-centric approach, at the same time, could see it retain many existing business customers that are already loyal to the retailer. However Amazon Business, which will no doubt seek to innovate where it can, may launch similar services.
Walmart Canada offers business services and products ranging from large furniture items to smaller items such as writing instruments and printers. As with competitors, Walmart offers access to invoices and order history as well as various payment options. Walmart is also being aggressive by offering fast shipping while incurring costs that also eats into potential profit margins and may launch new initiatives in order to go head-to-head with Amazon. Following Amazon’s announcement, Walmart may also expand its services in order to maintain its own market share.
The office supply market has seen the closure of many smaller providers over the years, as larger retailers such as Staples have dominated the market. Staples is a diverse retail operation selling various product categories being known as the biggest seller office laser copiers Canada. Grand & Toy, which once operated a network of stores across Canada, shut its remaining brick-and-mortar storefronts in the spring of 2014 after financial difficulty. The company continues to operate online, and Amazon’s Business Prime could gain enough market share that could put retailers such as Grand & Toy out of business altogether.
For business owners, Amazon Business Prime could be good news. Amazon says that Amazon Business serves millions of business customers as well as hundreds of thousands of business selling partners worldwide, which has resulted in more than $10 billion in annual sales globally. About half of that comes from Amazon’s selling partners who stand to benefit from increased business. In total, hundreds of millions of products have been made available on Amazon’s platform, which includes a range of private-label Amazon products as well as from other brands. Amazon Business operates in nine countries including Canada, the US, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and India.
Amazon selling partners have the opportunity to grow sales by reaching millions of business customers worldwide — in effect, Amazon opens the market far beyond Canada’s borders. Other benefits to Business Prime include special bulk pricing where selling partners can offer quantity discounts, including tiered discount levels depending on purchase amounts. Tax calculation and tax invoicing is also provided, while business reports aim to offer sellers the ability to understand and manage business activities via ‘sales snapshots’. Organizations eligible for tax-exempt purchasing can make such purchases automatically from participating sellers.
Large Amazon selling partners such as 3M expect to see a boost in business. Lisa Citton-Battel, Director of Consumer Business Group at 3M Canada, explained how the company will be able to enhance its existing distribution model to reach a broader range of business customers. “For our own procurement, we look forward to a more streamlined approach to identifying, approving and tracking delivery of the products our teams need both in the office and in our manufacturing plants,” she said.
Restaurant chain Earls sees benefits to Amazon Business Prime as well. “Earls started off seeing Amazon as a supplier of low volume specialty items in the United States that we could not easily access through our supply network, and as we worked through this process, we explored new ways to work with Amazon,” said Claudia Vorlaufer, Vice President of Procurement and Logistics at Earls. “With the simplicity of placing and receiving orders, and the vast selection of products, Amazon Business will create solutions to help Earls receive larger and consolidated shipments, making Amazon a choice for us to discover new procurement opportunities in the future.”
Amazon uses a variety of distribution partners to ship products under its Prime model, and Amazon itself has been expanding its own distribution capabilities. As Amazon continues to gain market share in Canada while it grows its own distribution network, other transportation suppliers could take a hit unless they partner with Amazon.
Some have expressed concern that Amazon is running some retailers out of business. Already, about a quarter of all fashion purchases in Canada are made online, and the online channel is growing faster than brick-and-mortar retail. Amazon continues to launch new product categories and services, which includes streaming music and video, which further makes Amazon an integral part of people’s lives.
Lately, Amazon has also been accused of not being able to control products from third party sellers. Amazon, which began as an e-commerce book seller, continues to do robust business in the category, which includes textbooks. Some authors have noted that unscrupulous third-party sellers have reproduced pricey textbooks to sell at a fraction of the price on Amazon, which in turn has caused a financial hit to the authors and publishers. Amazon has said that it is monitoring its third-party sellers, though problems remain. Counterfeit designer goods continue to be available on Amazon as well – type “Louis Vuitton” or “Fendi” in the search bar at Amazon.ca to see for yourself.
Amazon Business Prime will be good news for businesses seeking value-priced product that is delivered quickly, and third-party sellers will also see a boost as a global market becomes a reality. Competing retailers such as Staples could take a hit, however, and the future of some struggling retailers could be threatened as Amazon continues to make inroads and gain market share.
Calgary-based Landmark Cinemas, which has been operating for 52 years, continues to expand its operations across the country with its recent opening in Regina and two more theatre sites under construction.
“We have 45 locations (in Canada) with two more under construction,” said Bill Walker, CEO of Landmark. “We don’t have a particular number in mind (for future expansion). It’s more just continuing to look at new opportunities where the population is growing and we think they’re under serviced from a theatre perspective.
“So we don’t have growth as the objective. We more just kind of have strategic opportunities as they arise. We’re seeing one or two a year that I think will be interesting.”
PHOTO: BRANDON HARDER, REGINA LEADER
The company is hoping for a Christmas opening at CF Market Mall in Calgary. The other location currently under construction is at The Grove on 17 in the Tamarack area of southeast Edmonton.
“We’ve been in Western Canada for a long, long time. It’s really just in the last kind of six years that we’ve expanded and gotten a much broader footprint but Landmark was originally founded in Edmonton back in 1965 and moved down to Calgary at some point in its evolution,” said Walker.
The most recent opening for the company was Forster Harvard Development Corp’s Aurora, Regina’s newest regional retail site located at Victoria Avenue East and the new TransCanada Highway Bypass.
“As the second largest player (to Cineplex) but a really distant second, it creates some interesting geographic opportunities for us where there’s places that might not be attractive to the bigger competitor in Cineplex, they’re quite attractive to Landmark,” said Walker.
PHOTO: LANDMARK CINEMAS
“So we’re trying to look at where there’s a growing population and where we believe there’s an under-serviced movie-going population that we can strategically position ourselves and so the new one we built in February of last year was up in St. Albert (Alberta) where it was an area where that population had grown to up to 80,000 people and there was no theatre in that community which is quite remarkable when you think about it. We were able to target that and get a deal done in St. Albert as our first new build in quite a while.”
Walker said there’s a broad range of demographics that still go to the movies.
“It really is content based. For us families and younger populations with a little bit of higher household income is obviously our target but generally speaking in the type of real estate we draw from and the vast areas that we draw from we’re going to end up with all demographics being part of our mix,” he said.
PHOTO: KELOWNA CAPITAL NEWS
“Everything we’ve built with our own control has been eight screens and the real differentiator Landmark has brought to the market is recliner seating. So we were the first one in Canada to lead in on recliner seating starting in Ontario before going West. That’s really been transformative both for the customer and for Landmark. In those prototypes we’re building eight screens. All reserve seating – 880 recliner seats. Every auditorium has fantastic sounds, image and just a modernized experience with a whole lot more personal space that those recliners bring.”
The company has 10 theatres in Ontario, five in Manitoba, three in Saskatchewan, with the rest in Alberta and British Columbia.
The typical size of the new theatres is about 36,000 square feet.
Walker said people these days have access to more content and more ways to consume that content.
PHOTO: LANDMARK CINEMA LINKEDIN
PHOTO: LANDMARK CINEMA, REGINA
“The one universal norm that we really believe in is that there is value that’s created and there is something about that shared experience of getting out of the house and doing something that frankly watching a movie at home or watching a movie on your iPad just doesn’t deliver,” said Walker.
“I challenge you to watch a two and a half hour movie on your iPad without checking your phone or going to the bathroom or going to do something. There’s something that really is an escape of immersing in that story and there’s nothing else you’re focused on for an hour and a half to three hours. That you’re just focused on that story that’s in front of you.
“As long as consumers are still social beings that do want to get out and have those shared experiences, I think the theatre business has a place in our society for a long time to come.”
Bentley Leathers is breathing new life into the 30-year-old brand as it is developing new concept stores as part of the company’s strategy to become the authority on travel and life on the go.
Bentley Leathers is Canada’s number one destination for luggage and everyday purses, backpacks, and business bags.
The company says it plans to transform the brand into a solution and experience company with the goal of helping Canadians create lasting memories and supporting the communities they have catered to for so many years.
“We want to be the Google for everything travel and day-to-day solutions for life on the go,” said Walter Lamothe, President and CEO of Bentley Leathers, which is based in Montreal.
Bentley began in 1987 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and today has more than 250 stores across Canada. The company also has repair centres — five in Canada.
“Our target market customer is a bit wide as far as demographics is concerned. We are for life on the go. We kind of live by that. If you look at it, for back to school, which is a short period of time, but the kid that’s going back to school that’s their first journey of memory. They’ve got our backpack on their back. And right up and through all of my first business, my first travel for business, my first vacation as a married couple, my first retirement vacation. Whatever it is, even the trip to the grocery store. We really now categorize ourselves as a travel destination but also travel in day to day,” said Lamothe.
Lamothe said the company understands the day-to-day life of Canadians and it is providing products to meet that need to make it as easy as possible for people to carry things around.
“By next spring we’ll have everything RFID (radio-frequency identification) which means we protect personal data. All within your wallet is protected. Your wallet inside of a handbag. We’re going to have a compartment that’s protected. We have most of them now but it will be 95 per cent by the time we get to the spring. Basically we’re saying for every travel short or small you can trust us to come and give you something of quality, value-oriented. If you come into our shop what you should be able to get is quality, value for money. If you say you want security, then I should be educating you as to how you can secure yourself and even the security if something does happen to you with this luggage, we’re behind everything we sell. Your personal data is secure. We have bags that you can’t even cut open with an exacto knife.”
The new store re-design in CF Fairview Pointe-Claire shopping centre in Montreal, for example, features simplifying the overwhelming task of finding the right product for the customers’ needs and at the right price, says the company.
There are two new moment zones — travel and day-to-day — which depict snapshots that serve as inspiration to the customer for their life on the go. Bentley has also reduced the number of brands they carry focusing on a select curated assortment that is relevant and in line with their brand standards. They are also investing in the growth of their own brands with innovative new designs including eco-conscious options, standardized anti-theft features, timeless contemporary collections, and new relevant partnerships.
There are two new moment zones — travel and day-to-day — which depict snapshots that serve as inspiration to the customer for their life on the go. Bentley has also reduced the number of brands they carry focusing on a select curated assortment that is relevant and in line with their brand standards. They are also investing in the growth of their own brands with innovative new designs including eco-conscious options, standardized anti-theft features, timeless contemporary collections, and new relevant partnerships.
“Fashion doesn’t have to stop at your handbag. You should make a statement even when you’re carrying your luggage. You need your basic road warrior luggage that’s one definition of something. But you know what, a week away with the girlfriends in New York have some fun with. We’re finding a lot of customers coming in and saying, ‘what I need is one thing and what I want is something else’. And we can cover those too. It’s the direction that we’re heading,” said Lamothe.
The company’s stores across Canada are primarily situated within malls but it does have some locations at other places such as airports and downtown office towers.
“We’ve embarked on a new strategy. We’re transforming the organization into what I’m defining today as travel and day to day. We’ve opened up the new store in CF Fairview Pointe-Claire. We also have a new one opening up in a couple of weeks in Place d’Orleans in Ottawa. We have a brand new one that opened up in Laurier Quebec in, Quebec City. And a version of it in downtown Montreal in Gare Centrale,” said Lamothe. “So these four are basically well lit. They allow the product to speak for itself rather than the store to be too heavy.
Lamothe said lighting is a key differentiator with the new concept stores and more stores in the future could be retrofitted. The key is letting the product speak for itself by using light and clear spaces to highlight the product.
Products have also been categorized very clearly.
“The customer is walking in saying ‘hey I get how to shop this store’,” said Lamothe.
“We started off with four this year. We’ll probably do as many again next year or more depending on how successful we see these are.
“We will also be looking at concepts that will allow us to also expand. Probably not next year but beyond that I think there’s other possibilities in our hamper. For us it’s a moving target all the time. I think we’re re-adjusting to the market, and we will always keep our network healthy. In the short term what I really want our customers to know is come in and see us maybe for the first time even if you’ve been before – and walking in even a store that is not the prettiest store in the world the product is going to be speaking for itself.”
Equivalenza to Enter Canada with 1st Store at overhauled Montreal Eaton Centre: Spanish fragrance and cosmetic brand Equivalenza is entering the Canadian market with its first store set to open at the overhauled Montreal Eaton Centre in downtown Montreal. More Canadian locations are expected to follow.
Equivalenza is known for its reasonably priced fragrances for women, men, children, and the home. A range of innovative scents are profiled on the retailer’s website with names such as PURE White Tea & Musk, Woody Amber, Fruity Floral, and many others. The company said in a statement, “The mission of Equivalenza is to provide Canadian consumers with high-quality fragrance, cosmetic and aroma products by creating emotions and unique experiences. We also promote the refill system for our fragrances to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce the product price.”
According to its website, Equivalenza has stores in Spain as well as in other parts of Europe, Latin America, and Africa (Mozambique and Angola). The Montreal store appears to be the first for the brand in North America, which could also include a US store expansion. In Spain, Equivalenza is the number one perfumery in terms of commercial area. The company has more than 725 stores in 27 countries.
Maxime Frechette, who notified us of Equivalenza’s opening, visited Montreal Eaton Centre this week and provided an update on new stores. New retailers will include Samsung, Ernest, Change Lingerie, and others.
PHOTO: WILLIAMSON SOURCE
Motherhood Maternity to Close Many of its Canadian Stores: Struggling US-based retailer Destination Maternity has announced that it will be closing some Canadian stores as the company restructures after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In total, 13 Canadian locations are currently on the list of stores that will shutter, including 11 Motherhood Maternity stores and two Destination Maternity locations. On the chopping block are the the following locations:
Winnipeg – Destination Maternity (Polo Park North)
Winnipeg – Motherhood Maternity (Kenaston)
Edmonton – Motherhood Maternity (either West Edmonton Mall or South Edmonton Common)
According to its website, Destination Maternity operates 31 stores in Canada, including a handful of shop-in-stores at buybuyBaby locations. As of October 28, the company’s Canadian website shows that there are 12 stores in Ontario, seven in Alberta, six in British Columbia, two in Manitoba, two in Saskatchewan, and one each in the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. A Motherhood Maternity store at Avalon Mall in St. John’s Newfoundland is now closed, according to Motherhood Maternity’s Canadian website.
There’s no word yet if more Canadian locations will be closing — as part of the restructuring, Destination Maternity announced last week that it was closing 183 stores in Canada and the US. As of last week, the company had 62 Destination Maternity stores, 40 A Pea in the Pod Stores, and 344 Motherhood Maternity stores, which includes outlet stores. The retailer also operates 491 shop-in-stores.
The company was founded in 1982 as a mail-order catalogue business called Mothers Work, and after going public in 1992 it acquired the Motherhood Maternity and A Pea in the Pod brands, leading to rapid expansion.
The closures come at a time when landlords are grappling with store closures in Canada. Several chains have shuttered this year including Gymboree, Payless Shoes, Town Shoes, David’s Footwear, Home Outfitters, and Green Earth, among others. Forever 21 announced last month that it will shutter all 44 Canadian units before the end of the year.
PHOTO:MAXIME FRECHETTE
Danish jeweller Pilgrim moves to Place Montreal Trust after seeing success at Quartier DIX30: By Maxime Frechette: Danish jeweller Pilgrim is testing the waters in Canada with pop-up shops including a new downtown Montreal storefront that will remain open until March 2020. The beautiful space features a Nordic concept interior, paying homage to the retailer’s country of origin. Included are touches of wood and greenery, all in a traditional Scandinavian minimalistic style.
Pilgrim is expected to open popup stores in Ottawa and Toronto within the next two years, although dates are yet to be determined. The brand is said to be expanding its understanding of the Canadian market in the hopes of possible future permanent stores.
Pilgrim has been established in Europe since 1983 and now operates in 72 countries.
PHOTO: SACORI
Arlene Dickinson Launches Eyewear Line: Canadian business guru Arlene Dickinson has launched a line of frames by the brand name Sacori, in a partnership with FYIDoctors.
The frames are designed and assembled in Canada, as are the lenses which are made with an ultra-protective, anti-scratch, anti-glare, and HD+ lens coating that repels water and is easy to clean.
Some frames feature bold, multi-dimensional colours due to the Italian Mazzucchelli acetate that they are made from. German wax is used in the finishing process to create a smooth material, at a cost that ensures top-quality glasses and one that competitors may not be willing to incur.
Frames are assembled with premium coated screws, making them less likely to loosen, and the European-made spring hinges ensure easy mobility of arms which in turn provides superior comfort. The steel used on all Sacori frames is 100% hypoallergenic surgical stainless steel, making the brand ideal for consumers with sensitive skin.
Only 32,400 pairs of the current Sacori by Arlene Dickinson line have been produced, making these frames a highly sought after product.
To round out the launch of Sacori, a donation will be made from each frame sold to the Enhancing Life foundation.
The Shutter Professionals Launches Canadian Expansion: The Shutter Professionals is the first 100% owned and operated, full-service window covering franchise offering blinds, shades, and shutters to Canadian consumers and companies. With all of its products custom-made locally in the Toronto area, The Shutter Professionals is pleased to support Canadian manufacturers.
John Goodish, Director of Franchise Development for The Shutter Professionals, says, “Some window covering franchises do operate in Canada, but they are all owned by US companies. Our franchise opportunities will further help to support Canadian business and boost the economy.”
In addition to supporting Canadian business, The Shutter Professionals also employs in-house installers, providing more jobs for Canadians. Goodish says, “If you want to open a franchise with an all Canadian Business, the opportunities available for franchisees in this industry are plentiful; the window covering industry is a 15-billion-dollar industry and growing.”
Founded in 2014, The Shutter Professionals continue to operate in a niche market, with design consultations available in a showroom, through the convenience of your own home or business, or digitally through online correspondence.
Franchises are available with multiple revenue sources, low overhead, no inventory, unique lease spaces, reputable brands, custom software and community initiatives that help give back to the community within the franchisee’s territory. They also offer training and support, so no business or design background is needed. “Our lease requirements are very unique since we have no inventory on hand we don’t need large spaces typically size is 500-900 square feet to keep overhead cost low we have a real estate team.”
PHOTO: COSTCO
Costco Business Centre due to arrive in Montreal next spring: Costco will open its second Canadian Costco Business Centre retail location next spring in the Montreal suburb of Saint Hubert — the concept caters to businesses such as restaurants, for example, and follows a suburban Toronto location that opened in the spring of 2017.
The Costco Business Centre plans to open its Saint-Hubert store in “April or May” depending on the speed of construction. That’s according to Ron Damiani, Costco’s Vice President of Marketing, who provided a French language interview to La Presse. The exterior walls of the current building will be left as is, but inside the spaces for optometry, pharmacy, bakery, and tire center will have to be demolished.”We will add a 12,000 square-foot walk-in refrigerator with coats at the door,” says Damiani, as an example of the changes they plan to make.
In Longueuil, Nathalie Boisclair, municipal councillor and President of the borough of Saint-Hubert, says that the Costco project has not yet been accepted by the borough council, but that only “a minor derogation” will be requested at the next meeting.
Costco Business Centre will welcome all membership cardholders to shop at the new warehouse, however the target market will be businesses and restaurants. Mr. Damiani said that 80% of the items are not in the usual warehouses of the chain, and are quite specific to larger needs.
Purchases will be possible online with deliveries available to companies established within a 50km radius of the centre, something Mr. Damiani says could be expanded. Delivery will be provided by Costco employees with their own fleet of trucks.
Canada’s first Business Centre was inaugurated in the spring of 2017 in Scarborough, just outside of Toronto. Two other openings were then planned for the following autumn though to date, there is still only one business centre. Costco plans to open Business Centres “in all major Canadian cities within 3-5 years” according to the report in La Presse.
H&M, CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE. PHOTO: H&M
H&M continues Canadian store expansion as it looks to sustainability: Fast-fashion retailer H&M is growing within Canada, both online and through new stores and digital market places. “We know fashion retail is a large market with growth potential and that the industry is rapidly transforming,” says Country Manager, Frederic Tavoukdijian. “We continue to see growth in Canada. Last month we opened our 5th location in Edmonton at Londonderry Mall, and last week we opened our 39th store in Ontario at Lynden Park Mall in Brantford. We’ll close out 2020 with 89 stores in nine provinces.”
H&M’s recent collaboration with celebrated American football wide receiver Jarvis Landry showcased a collection of trendy menswear items, including cashmere roll neck sweaters, smartly tailored trousers, checkered peacoats, and shearling collared jackets in a warm range of navy blue, camel, grey, and off-white colourways.
As H&M continues to grow, sustainability appears at the forefront. “Our collaborations with designers, influencers and style icons communicate our business concept: fashion and quality at the best price – in a sustainable way, and clearly show that design is not a matter of price,” says Tavoukdigian. “As part of our evolution as a brand we are committed to only using recycled or other sustainably sourced materials by 2030. This share was 35% 2017, up from 26% for 2016. Currently, we’re working with 95% more sustainable cotton and by 2020 our aim is for 100% of our cotton to come solely from sustainable sources.”
H&M has focused its vision towards circular and renewable fashion, attempting to decrease its dependency on virgin recourses and maximize its use of recycled materials. “To achieve this, we have developed an ambitious strategy with a broad range of external and internal experts.”
In 2013 H&M became the first company in the world to launch a global garment collecting initiative, allowing customers to drop off used clothing in any store for its reuse. In 2014, H&M introduced the first pieces made with 20% recycled cotton from garments collected in stores.
New markets for H&M Canada in 2020 will include St. Johns, Newfoundland and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA
Montana’s Smokin’ Hot Ribs Now Available at Your Local Grocery Store: This October, Montana’s BBQ & Bar restaurant chain is firing up the retail scene across Canada with the launch of its first-ever retail offering – fully-cooked and ready-to-eat succulent smoked ribs.
Available in the refrigerator section of supermarkets from coast to coast, the Texas-style, fall-off–the-bone BBQ pork back ribs take 25 minutes to heat in the oven or even less on the grill.
The ribs are marinated and cooked to perfection in Montana’s unique and authentic Texas-style BBQ sauce with a smoky taste and hint of spices. “And what better time than Grey Cup season to introduce Montana’s ribs to your home parties and score big with friends and family,” said Chelsea Kellock, Director of Marketing.
“We’re excited to introduce our popular ribs in grocery stores so Canadian BBQ lovers can enjoy the great, signature taste of Montana’s ribs from the convenience of home,” said Ms. Kellock. She explained that the ribs are pre-cooked for a couple of hours “sous-vide,” a cooking technique that uses precise temperature control to deliver consistent, restaurant-quality results.
Montana’s opened in 1995 and now has more than 100 restaurants across Canada. A casual BBQ & Bar eatery, Montana’s is famous for fall-off-the-bone ribs, 100% Canadian steaks and burgers, and a variety of other favourites.
Montana’s ribs come in 650g packs and retail between $12.99 and $14.99.*
*Retail Insider now accepts partner content in its Briefs as well as standalone editorial content. For more information, email: craig@retail-insider.com
Grocery giant Sobeys unveiled what it calls Canada’s first ever “smart” shopping cart at a store in Oakville, Ontario.
Sobeys has partnered with U.S.-based Caper for this pilot. Essentially, the cart you pick up as you enter the store will have high-tech devices attached to it. These devices will allow customers to shop, get recipe ideas, obtain information on where to get ingredients, weigh and pay for their food. It has a built-in GPS so you can find whatever you need in the store. Great idea for people looking for some assistance and who want to be on their way as soon as they can. The “smart cart” has been developed to enable shoppers to bypass traditional checkout lanes, one of the most unpleasant moments for any grocery shopper. The shopping cart helps you to pay without dealing with lineups and cashiers. Your cart is your friend, your shopping buddy, if you will.
Most have talked about Amazon Go’s model, a cashier-less store with millions of sensors allowing you to pick, choose the products you need, and walk away. The money is automatically withdrawn from your bank account, as a pre-registered shopper. Amazon is currently opening as many as 3,000 new AmazonGo cashier-less stores over the next few years. To put things into perspective, Ontario has about 5,500 grocery stores, so this movement toward a cashier-less industry is real.
PHOTO: SOBEYS
Caper, an artificial intelligence (AI) company, has a different spin to a futuristic cashier-less world. Instead of installing all kinds of high-tech cameras and sensors in ceilings and on shelves, all that purchasing automation is part of the grocery cart itself. The cost to equip a store with multiple sensors can be prohibitive, especially for a low-margin industry like the grocery business. The smart cart allows the legacy of a brick-and-motor outfit to adopt state-of-the-art technology without any costly adjustments to its infrastructure. This makes Caper’s value proposition for grocers quite attractive, but time will only tell if consumers are willing to embrace a model which requires little or no human interaction. Zero.
The intrusion of all these new technologies have made some uneasy. Consumer-focused AI, or in-store customer experience technologies, are slowly becoming a disruptive force within the food industry, as we have seen in other sectors of our economy. Technology is replacing humans. AI is slowly taking its place in our lives to serve us, to make our economy more robust. However, whether these technologies will allow grocers to generate more revenues remains to be seen. Monetizing convenience is not easy in this sector. If not, these measures are all about cutting costs, labour-costs specifically.
The rise of automation and its supplanting of jobs done by people has increased over the years, and a number of these positions are female-dominated roles. Legal frameworks have barely looked at how technological-enabling features impact the food industry, let alone society in general. The socioeconomics of these technologies should also be considered. Almost one million Canadians have no bank accounts or credit cards, making a smart cart a nonstarter for many Canadians. A cashless economy could be deemed discriminatory, which is why grocers are considering AI-enabling technologies with extreme caution. Sobeys’ initiative is indeed a pilot. Some legal cases are arising in the U.S. right now.
History has shown that AI will not completely replace people but it will amend peoples roles so that they can devote more time developing strategy, getting new leads, and building relationships with vendors. There is currently a huge strategic deficit in the grocery sector. Most of us wouldn’t see it, but experts and industry dealers are the first one to admit it. AI will enable retailers to better understand consumer psychology by helping industry to better understand how the human brain is thinking at any given moment. In turn, inventory management can be greatly enhanced. Unlike Amazon, the grocery sector was never good at it. Now, it’s playing catch-up.
PHOTO: GROCERY BUSINESS MAGAZINE
PHOTO: CITY NEWS TORONTO
However, for grocers these days, hiring people is hellish. Finding people to work in a grocery store can be a challenge. The challenge for food retailers is to hire and retain personnel while offering a great grocery experience to consumers. Self-checkout lanes made their way into grocery stores almost 20 years ago. Even if the usage rate of self-checkouts in grocery stores in Canada has increased by 17% this past year alone, some work is required by consumers. Many have wondered whether patrons themselves should be compensated for work which was traditionally done by a store employee.
What Sobeys and Caper are proposing has none of that baggage. The consumer’s role doesn’t really change if the technology works and offers a frictionless experience. It’s a step forward, but our path to more AI in grocery retail will remain challenging for a while. Yet there will be a day when most of us will grocery shop without talking to anyone.
Toronto-based drug store retailer Shoppers Drug Mart continues to innovate in an effort to maintain market dominance amid increased competition in the industry. That includes a pilot partnership that could see a rollout of shop-in-stores housing a US-based dental concept, following similar innovations that include in-store botox clinics.
Smile Direct Club, the industry pioneer and first direct-to-consumer medtech platform for teeth straightening, announced a pilot launch of the brand’s signature SmileShop experience within Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Ontario.
As part of the partnership, Shoppers Drug Mart has become the first pharmacy retailer in Canada to offer the SmileShops retail spaces. To date, two locations exist within Ontario — one at Shoppers Drug Mart at The East Mall in Toronto’s Etobicoke area, and another in the Shoppers Drug Mart store at Kingspoint Plaza in Brampton.
Shoppers Drug Mart and Smile Direct Club Launch Pilot to Expand Access and Affordability to Canadians Seeking a Straighter, Brighter Smile (CNW Group/Shoppers Drug Mart)
“SmileDirectClub and Shoppers Drug Mart have a shared commitment to innovation in healthcare services and customer-led convenience,” said Alex Fenkell, Co-founder of SmileDirectClub. “Collaborating with one of Canada’s most trusted retail brands allows SmileDirectClub to deepen our impact and broaden our footprint in Canada. The confidence that comes from having a great smile is transformative in every aspect of your life, and we’re thrilled to give more people the opportunity to get the smile they’ve always wanted.”
“Our Shoppers Drug Mart stores offer our customers a wide range of products and services to meet their unique healthcare needs,” said Matthew Carr, Vice President, Merchandising, at Shoppers Drug Mart. “This pilot with SmileDirectClub allows us to further diversify our offerings to make innovative health and oral care solutions convenient and accessible to Canadians.”
PHOTOS: SMILE DIRECT CLUB
PHOTOS: SMILE DIRECT CLUB
The Smile Direct Club SmileShops, located within these specific Shoppers Drug Mart locations, are staffed by SmileGuides who provide customers with a 3D digital image of their teeth, free of charge. A profile is then created for the individual, and this, along with the 3D image of their teeth, is uploaded onto a proprietary teledentistry platform. This allows Smile Direct Club’s affiliated network of licensed dentists and orthodontists in Canada to review, prescribe, and manage a custom clear aligner treatment plan based on the needs of that customer. Aligners are sent directly to your door upon approval of the dentist’s clear aligner therapy plan.
“We’ll send you a preview of your new smile and begin production of your BPA-free clear aligners, as unique to you as a fingerprint. We then deliver your clear braces right to your doorstep allowing you to conveniently straighten teeth at home. We also send you our bright on™ premium teeth whitening so you can show off those pearly whites.” The do-it-yourself treatment costs $2495 or $110 a month.
Smile Direct Club’s clear aligner therapy is doctor-directed, doctor-prescribed, and doctor-managed from start to finish, and costs an average of 60% less than traditional orthodontic treatments. Since 2014, 700,000 people across Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Ireland have availed of Smile Direct Club’s SmileShops to achieve a straighter smile. Smile Direct Club took on Canadian expansion in 2018 and SmileShops now exist in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Montreal.
PHOTO: SMILE DIRECT CLUB
Smile Direct Club uses cutting-edge teledentistry technology and vertically integrated models, with the aim of revolutionizing the oral care industry and making cosmetic dentistry affordable and convenient to the general public. Smile Direct Club was founded by Alex Fenkell and Jordan Katzman in partnership with Camelot Venture Group and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
If the Ontario pilot is a success, Smile Direct Club SmileShops are expected to be rolled-out in Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada. It’s part of an effort for Shoppers Drug Mart to gain market share at a time when competitors such as Rexall are opening new stores.
Earlier this year, Shoppers Drug Mart announced that it was launching a ‘Beauty Clinic’ concept in correlation with Canadian stores which include non-surgical skincare treatments including Botox, cosmetic injections and dermal fillers, microdermabrasion, peels and laser treatments. These clinics are standalone locations. The move was met with controversy, given that such procedures wouldn’t be done by licensed doctors.
Shoppers Drug Mart remains the largest drug store chain in Canada, and has also innovated by opening full-service grocery stores in some locations in an effort to increase foot traffic as well as frequency of visits. The company’s Loblaw PC Optimum Rewards loyalty program has also said to be highly successful after an initially bumpy rollout in early 2018.
Registration is now open for Retail Council of Canada’s signature Quebec conference, DTL Quebec. Due to be held on November 5 at Le Westin Montreal. DTL Quebec 2019 is focused on personalization in retail, exploring the latest technologies, marketing strategies, and privacy considerations for forward-thinking retailers in Québec and nationwide. With its cutting-edge insights, powerhouse speakers, and unprecedented networking opportunities, DTL Québec 2019 is the ultimate retail industry conference for the Québec market.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from many well-known speakers comprised of Canada’s leading industry professionals.
Speakers and guests, discussing the following topics, include:
The many educational sessions due to take place plan to examine topics such as retail personalization through the lens of organizational culture, customer intelligence, in-store experience, technology enablement, and much more. Simultaneous translation will be offered. The majority of sessions will be held in French, with some offered in English.
To learn more about Retail Council of Canada’s DTL Quebec conference, visit the full agenda and to register for the event visit www.dtlqc.com.
*Retail Insider has partnered with Retail Council of Canada on events. To work with Retail Insider, email: craig@retail-insider.com
