Canadian Tire to Shutter Paderno Chain of Stores: Halifax ReTales reported this week that Canadian Tire will shutter standalone units for the Paderno brand. Canadian Tire acquired Padinox, the company which owns the Canadian rights to Paderno, in 2017. The Paderno brand includes a range of cookware, bakeware and kitchenware. The brand will eventually only be carried in Canadian Tire stores as an in-house brand, as well as online.
There are currently eight standalone Paderno stores in Canada. Two are in Western Canada, including units in Edmonton and Saskatoon. In Ontario, three Paderno stores are located in Ottawa, Kingston and Kitchener. In the Maritimes, Paderno has three stores with units in Halifax, Saint John NB and in Moncton NB.
Stores will begin liquidation in a few days, leading up to the Paderno chain’s Canadian store closure.
Canadian Tire has been aggressive with its expansion plans, both by acquiring exclusive brands and simultaneously opening, expanding, and renovating stores. The retailer competes with a wide range of retailers such as Walmart and Costco, as well as various other retailers carrying products ranging from sporting goods to automotive to home-related goods. In the spring, Canadian Tire opened its largest store to date in Grande Prairie, Alberta, spanning a whopping 173,000 square feet on one level. Prior to that, a two-level Canadian Tire store at South Edmonton Common was the largest with about 140,000 square feet over two levels.
Holt Renfrew Ogilvy Unveils new Prada and Tom Ford Shops: The highly anticipated completion of Holt Renfrew Ogilvy Montreal includes a roll-out of new vendor shops as construction progresses on the six-level, 250,000 square-foot store. Italian luxury brand Prada recently unveiled two stunning boutiques — a ground-floor accessory and leather goods boutique, as well as a men’s concession on the store’s 40,000 square foot menswear hall on Holt Renfrew Ogilvy’s fourth floor.
Luxury brand Tom Ford also recently unveiled a space on the men’s floor, joining almost 25 other luxury brand concessions that are part of the largest menswear department in the Holt Renfrew chain, by far. During a recent visit to Calgary, there were whispers that a Tom Ford shop may also be opening at Holt Renfrew’s flagship store in The CORE (downtown) in a space currently dedicated to Hugo Boss.
Holt Renfrew Ogilvy’s overhaul is expected to be completed in March of 2020. A 28,000 square-foot concourse-level beauty hall opened in the spring. An under-construction, ground-level luxury hall will feature leased concessions for some of the world’s biggest names — shops for Tiffany & Co., David Yurman and Bottega Veneta opened over the summer, and Chanel will join them in a large boutique on Holt Renfrew Ogilvy’s main floor in mid-November.
When completed next spring, Holt Renfrew Ogilvy will have opened a second floor housing a women’s footwear hall as well as jewellery and leather goods — the store’s expansive offerings are expected to see it become an international tourist attraction. The store’s third floor will be dedicated to women’s ready-to-wear, including an expansive roster of luxury brands in dedicated shops featuring the latest store design. The fifth floor ‘Tudor Hall’ will be restored and utilized for music and other events, and a Colette Grand Café restaurant will also be part of the mix — Holt Renfrew Ogilvy will become the most dramatic luxury department store space in North America outside of New York City.
Coinciding with the completion of the Holt Renfrew Ogilvy store at 1307 Ste-Catherine Street West in the spring of 2020, Holt Renfrew’s current store at 1300 Sherbrooke Street will shutter permanently. Rumour has it that part of the building will be converted into upscale residential condominium units as part of a redevelopment of the block.
Star Bédard Expanding: Quebec-based professional hairstyling products retailer Star Bédard is expanding its operations as it looks to open new locations. The company is known for its affordable prices, targeting salon owners with products such as hair care and beauty products, nail and aesthetics supplies, hydraulic chairs and other fixtures, and classrooms for salon training.
The company was founded in 1978 by France Bédard Bourdon and Gaétan Bourdon. Star Bédard remains family-owned to this day under the direction of the founders’ daughters—Marie-Christine and Marie-Danielle. The duo is positioning the retailer for significant expansion.
Headquartered in the Montreal suburb of Laval, Star Bédard has about 240 employees and operates 25 stores in Quebec, Northern New Brunswick, and Eastern Ontario. The hair care industry is estimated to be worth $1.42 billion and growing, according to market research firm Euromonitor.
Retail spaces are said to be ‘funky’ with interiors featuring a mix of black, white and red. Star Bédard is seeking retail spaces in the 2,000 to 3,000 square foot range in open-air centres as well as high streets, and is working with Tony Flanz of Think Retail on the Canadian expansion.
Indigo Launches First ‘IndigoBaby’ In-Store Department: Canadian ‘cultural department store’ chain Indigo recently launched its first IndigoBaby department on the second level of the retailer’s CF Sherway Gardens store in Toronto. The 1,500 square foot space houses 575 different baby products.
Indigo’s CF Sherway unit was also the first in the chain to see a renovation with the company’s newest look which has since been rolled-out nationally.
IndigoBaby features a range of baby-focused products such as clothing, sleep sacks, diaper bags, baby carriers, Bassinets, strollers, high chairs, car seats, nursing-related products, nursery decor, baby monitors and of course, various books for little ones as well as for parents looking to educate themselves. IndigoBay also has a dedicated website where products can be ordered online.
The IndigoBaby shop-in-store concept is expected to be rolled-out into other Indigo locations in Canada and possibly in the United States, where the retailer has launched a store expansion.
UNTUCKit Launches Wayne Gretzky Shirt: Rapidly expanding New York City-based men’s casual brand UNTUCKit, known particularly for its shirts that are meant to be worn untucked, has launched a Wayne Gretzky shirt following the recent opening of the retailer’s West Edmonton Mall store. Wayne Gretzky himself was on hand at an event in the Edmonton store last week — Gretzky is a partner in the UNTUCKit business and also attended the opening of the retailer’s first-ever Canadian store which opened at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto in September 2018.
Mr. Gretzky wears UNTUCKit shirts regularly, and the company made a special-edition version of his favourite look, which is available at all five UNTUCKit stores in Canada, as well as online. The wrinkle-free shirt has his number “99” located on the sail, and retails for $145.
UNTUCKit has expanded rapidly across Canada — after opening the CF Sherway storefront last year, the retailer has since opened four more locations over the course of about three months, with the most recent opening being last month at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Over the summer, UNTUCKit also opened at CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa as well as at CF Market Mall in Calgary.
Given the success of UNTUCKit’s Canadian operations, the company will be opening more stores in the Canadian market. We recently reported that UNTUCKit’s CF Sherway unit is the top seller in the entire chain. Retail brokerage and consultancy Oberfeld Snowcap is representing UNTUCKit as it continues to expand further into Canada, under the direction of Rob Hart.
SPINCO Marks 5 Years with Classes in Unique Toronto Venues: Canada’s largest spin studio chain SPINCO is marking five years in business with two rather unusual class venues in Toronto this month. On Wednesday, October 23, SPINCO will host ’sunrise rides’ at the top of the CN Tower and that evening, classes will be held in the abandoned Lower Bay subway station in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area. Classes will be open to the public, with four to be held in the morning and four in the afternoon, and a portion of proceeds will benefit Right to Play.
SPINCO was recently ranked as Canada’s 30th fastest-growing company. The company has 12 studios in Toronto, Halifax, Montreal, and Kelowna. Five more are set to open before the end of the year. The company told Retail Insider last year that it could eventually operate as many as 50 studios in Canada in the coming years, depending on opportunity.
SPINCO was founded by Michelle August when she was just 22 years old in Kelowna, and the chain has grown to 12 locations facilitating more than 600,000 rides annually.
Dress for Success Marks 10 Years with Charity Event in Toronto: Over the past decade, Dress for Success Toronto has provided a network of support to over 10,000 women in the Greater Toronto Area. By offering a personal consultation with a stylist to select professional attire, as well as career development programs that help obtain and keep employment, Dress for Success Toronto has empowered women to economic independence. More than 300 volunteers make it possible, including stylist Yana Brikker (who was also recently featured in this Retail Insider article).
On November 5th, Dress for Success Toronto is hosting Polished: Empower 10 at the Artscape Wychwood Barns at 601 Christie Street. A ‘VIP event will be held 5-7pm with the main event happening from 7pm-11pm that evening. VIP Tickets are $250 and Main Event Ticket are $150 each.
The cocktail fundraiser will feature a fireside chat with two of Canada’s most successful fashion and retail entrepreneurs, Kimberley Newport-Mimran and Joe Mimran, which will be moderated by Global Tv’s Crystal Goomansingh. The event brings together Dress for Success Clients and supporters, celebrating the organization’s own success with its endeavours.
For full event details and to buy tickets visit : https://bit.ly/DfSTEmpower10
Retailer Hosting Unique Outdoor Dog Fashion Show in Toronto’s Church St. Village on Thursday: To celebrate the launch of Fall/Winter season, Zendog Pet Services is hosting an outdoor Doggie Fashion Show on Thursday, October the 10th at 7:00pm. The front yard of Zendog’s retail space at 584 Church Street (one block north of Wellesley Street) will feature a runway with a variety of ‘Pooper Models’ strutting the latest in accessories, outerwear and even Halloween costumes.
Zendog offers a variety of services including training (puppy and adult classes), daycare, dog walking, boarding, grooming, and informative seminars. Over the last two years the company says that it has built a reputation in providing the best care and products for its clientele. The retailer also supports various rescue organizations like Save our Scruff.
Zendog has just expanded its retail square footage to include the front half of the second floor of a heritage building that, like many on the street, were homes in decades past. A colder than normal winter is said to be in the forecast for the GTA and the retailer encourages pet owners to dress their little ones accordingly.
Mississauga’s Square One to Host 1st Ever Diwali Market: The massive Square One shopping centre in Mississauga continues to engage the community with a range of events catering to the centre’s multi-cultural trade area in an effort to grow visitor traffic. From October 17th to the 20th, Square One will host a Diwali Market that will be light-filled and highly interactive on the mall’s second level across from H&M.
Visitors will be able to experience the food, fashion, beauty, dance, and traditions of Diwali as part of a Festival of Lights that is expected to attract thousands of visitors during the activation. The Diwali Market will feature vendors representing some of the most notable South Asian food, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty brands, including Vasanti, Candy Crate Events, Mani Jassal, Brars, Banglez, Served Co., and Poppy Lane. Special programming is scheduled throughout the market days, including live dance performances, henna art, and food sampling.
On the October 17 opening night, Nav Bhatia (Toronto Raptors/and 905 ambassador) will kick-off festivities with a guest appearance. DJ Andre 905, the official DJ of Raptors 905, will help kick-off Diwali festivities. Other events and guests will be held over the course of the festival, and more information is available on its website.
Attendees are asked to donate a non-perishable food item to Seva Food Bank upon entering the market to help build stock for the coming winter season. The Seva Food Bank is a not-for-profit organization in Mississauga that provides safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to low-income families.
Events production company Culture Market Co. is hosting the event, which will be the first Diwali Market at Square One. Culture Market Co. creates culturally-inspired events and expos celebrating ethnic customs and traditions.
Canadian Design Firm figure3 Wins Award: Prominent Canadian firm figure3 was honoured with an Award of Excellence at the VODAs (Value of Design Awards) in Vancouver recently, as part of the Interior Designers of Canada 2019 Design Symposium. The Toronto-based firm was awarded for Innovation in Retail Design for its design of the Surterra Wellness dispensary in Tampa, Florida. The smart design was not only hugely successful for the Surterra, but also influenced legislation toward cannabis retail in the state of Florida.
figure3 is one of Canada’a largest independently owned interior design firms, and is behind such notable projects as the internationally acclaimed Penguin Shop, and more recently for Inscape’s new Experience Centre in Toronto as well as Virgin Mobile’s newly designed kiosks. The firm is excited to have begun work on numerous additional cannabis retail projects, to be announced soon.
Canada’s Busiest Shopping Days for 2019 Start Next Month: Sensormatic Solutions’ ShopperTrak provided Retail Insider with data on what the company predicts will be the busiest shopping days for 2019. As expected, all are either before or immediately after the busy Christmas season.
In November, ‘Black Friday’ takes place November 29 and November 30 and is also predicted to be another very busy shopping day. The momentum continues in December with Saturday, December 14th expected to see hoards of shoppers in stores across Canada. ‘Super Saturday, which is the Saturday before Christmas Day, is on December 21st and is expected to see more shoppers than any other day, until Boxing Day on December 26, which sees thousands of bargain hunters seeking out deals.
The period leading up to Christmas and other winter holiday shopping-related dates is in many cases a ‘make it or break it’ situation for retailers. Given that Forever 21 will be liquidating its Canadian stores beginning this week, some are predicting that other apparel and accessory retailers may also offer deeper discounts than usual in order to also attract shoppers. While that may be good news for consumers, it poses a challenge to retailers at a time when some are already seeing declining sales numbers.
