SPOTLIGHT ARTICLES

Tissot Opens First Canadian Boutique at Montreal Eaton Centre

News Craig Patterson -
Swiss watchmaker Tissot has opened its first Canadian boutique at Montreal Eaton Centre, marking a key milestone in its North American retail expansion.

Galerie de Bellefeuille Expanding to New York and Miami

News Craig Patterson -
Galerie de Bellefeuille marks 45 years with plans to open new gallery locations in New York City and Miami in 2026.

Hike in retail sales in November: Statistics Canada

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Core retail sales rose 1.6% in November after decreasing in the previous two months.

Fairmont partnering with Truman for new luxury Calgary downtown area hotel

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The new mixed-use development when complete, will house beautifully appointed guest rooms; a signature spa and wellness offering; a robust meetings and events program supporting Calgary's burgeoning convention demand and 100 luxury branded residences.

Canadian holiday shoppers getting savvier: NerdWallet

News Mario Toneguzzi -
33% of 2025 holiday shoppers shopped only during sales, deals and promotions and 23% used loyalty points or cashback to pay for holiday gifts.

Tourisme Montréal, Palais des congrès secure slate of major conventions worth nearly $100M

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The organizations said the bookings, spread over several years, add to Montréal’s pipeline of large-scale business events and are all slated to take place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

EQ3 Appoints Jim Hunt as President

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Hunt will now focus exclusively on EQ3, with a clear mandate to strengthen profitability, drive long-term growth, and continue building on the brand’s strong design-led foundation.

Dr. Phone Fix expands to 44 stores after rapid late-2025 growth, reports higher same-store revenue

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The company said it continues to benefit from strong consumer demand for device repair services, citing rising device replacement costs, increased reliance on mobile technology and a growing focus on repair and sustainability over replacement.

Canadian Soccer Business names EB Games Canada exclusive video game retail partner

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The agreement makes EB Games Canada the Official and Exclusive Video Game Retailer of Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League, positioning the retailer within the national soccer business structure that oversees commercial partnerships and media rights for the sport in Canada.

Reebok names KAROL G global brand ambassador as it relaunches Classics line

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The agreement places KAROL G at the centre of Reebok’s global marketing and brand storytelling as the footwear and apparel maker rolls out a new campaign, “Born Classic. Worn for Life.”

CFIB Business Barometer: Small business confidence remains steady in January

News Mario Toneguzzi -
More businesses reported struggling with tax and regulatory costs (70%), followed by insurance (69%) and wage costs (62%).

Zellers Sets Sights on National Expansion After Edmonton Debut

News Craig Patterson -
Zellers plans national expansion after strong Edmonton launch, marking the next phase of its Canadian retail revival.

VIDEO: Inside Canada’s Retail Shakeup: Malls, Hudson’s Bay, and What Comes Next: Michael Kehoe

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Kehoe explains that the closure of legacy department stores, including Hudson’s Bay, doesn’t just represent store shutdowns, but signals the end of the traditional department store model as Canadians once knew it.

Canada’s Best Digital Retail Experiences Revealed: WOW 2026

News Craig Patterson -
Léger’s WOW Digital 2026 study reveals which Canadian retailers lead online, why digital performance has stabilized, and what consumers now expect.

Most Hudson’s Bay Boxes Likely Leased Within Two Years: JLL

News Craig Patterson -
JLL forecasts that 65% of former Hudson’s Bay retail space in Canada will be committed within two years, largely through multi-tenant retail strategies.

Well Played Opens Inside Fairgrounds Leaside, Redefining Wellness With Recovery, Movement, and Community

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Modern wellness has become performance driven and often leaves people depleted.

Ontario Job Posting Rules Raise the Stakes for Retail

News Craig Patterson -
Ontario’s new job posting rules are now in force, reshaping pay transparency, AI disclosure, and hiring follow-up for many retail employers.

Good Protein sees rapid growth through Costco relationship

News Mario Toneguzzi -
In Good Protein’s first year in retail, they  expanded from zero to over 3500 stores, including Costco, generating eight-figure retail revenue.

Zucora offers AI powered training platform for Retailers

News Retail Insider -
Zucora is offering Champions, an AI-driven RSA training platform, free to SmartOne partners to boost sales performance and engagement.

Northland Properties acquires full Canadian rights to Denny’s brand

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Northland has operated Denny’s in Canada since 1990 and previously held the role of master franchisor.

Collective Arts Carves Out a New Space in Clean, Functional Energy with Botany

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Collective Arts, the Canadian craft beverage company known for pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, has launched Botany Energy, a new line of...

Heartland Town Centre adds first-to-Canada concept as leasing surges

News Craig Patterson -
Heartland Town Centre expands with new tenants and strong sales, including a first-to-Canada family attraction and key anchors joining the Mississauga hub.

WOW Index Shows In-Store Experience Slipping in 2026

News Craig Patterson -
Leger’s WOW Index finds in-store experience scores fell in Ontario and edged down in Western Canada, with price and staffing issues leading irritants.

Casavogue Pays the Taxes This January

News Retail Insider -
Casavogue’s New Year promotion lets clients pay only for the furniture, with taxes covered and 12-month interest-free payments available.

Nadège Nourian Launches Chez Nad in Toronto

News Lee Rivett -
Nadège Nourian expands her pâtisserie brand with Chez Nad, a modern French bistronomie table opening on Queen Street West in Toronto.

Goodfood reports Q1 2026 results with net sales dropping to $28 million, gross profit falling to $12 million

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Net loss of $3 million compared to $2 million in the same period last year.

Yonge North York BIA launches tourism website, self-guided food tours

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The website is positioned as a central digital hub highlighting businesses, public art and events in the Yonge North York district, while the food tours are designed to encourage residents and visitors to explore local restaurants clustered around major transit stations.

Kinton Ramen’s Uniqlo Drop Shows How Food Brands Can Win in Fashion Retail

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Kinton has had a soft launch for its Sainte-Catherine x Guy location in the heart of Montreal with grand opening scheduled for January 24.

IBM study finds executives expect AI to drive revenue growth by 2030 despite uncertainty

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The research found that 79 per cent of surveyed executives expect AI to contribute significantly to their revenue by 2030, compared with 40 per cent today.

Small businesses must be top priority as MPs return to Ottawa: CFIB

Retailer News Mario Toneguzzi -
“2025 was a rollercoaster for small businesses."

Richelieu adds Klassen Bronze to retail brand portfolio

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Richelieu described itself as a leading North American importer, manufacturer and distributor of specialty hardware and complementary products.

Economic Uncertainty and High Prices Keep Canadian Consumers Pulling Back, Bank of Canada Survey Finds

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Expectations for near‑term inflation remain higher than they were before the pandemic, while those for long‑term inflation eased below pre‑pandemic levels.

Calgary Co-op closing two of its food stores

News Mario Toneguzzi -
"We are working closely with the union and our team members to ensure affected employees are supported."

Kit and Ace to Open Store in Downtown Victoria

News Craig Patterson -
Kit and Ace will open a new store on Government Street in Victoria on this spring continuing its national retail expansion.

Canada’s Food Inflation Problem Is Getting Worse

News Sylvain Charlebois -
Canada now leads the G7 with 6.2% food inflation, signaling deeper structural and policy challenges in the food system.

Consumer prices on the rise in December: Statistics Canada

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Year over year, higher restaurant prices were the largest contributor to faster growth in the all-items CPI in December 2025.

HelloFresh survey highlights role of home cooking in combating winter blues

News Mario Toneguzzi -
According to the survey, 35 per cent of Canadians say they skip or delay a meal at least once a week because they cannot face cooking or deciding what to eat.

Post-Holiday Returns Spike Sharply Across Canada: Omnisend

News Mario Toneguzzi -
For years retailers have been using data or AI tools more effectively to reduce preventable returns in high-risk categories such as apparel and beauty.

Toronto-founded HBFace frames beauty brand around resilience and mental health on Blue Monday (Photos/Video)

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Linking its operations and brand identity to mental health awareness and daily self-care routines

More than half of Canadian shoppers open to AI completing purchases, Adyen report finds

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Adyen’s 2026 Retail Report, found 51 per cent of Canadian consumers are open to allowing AI to manage the entire shopping process, including final checkout, once preferences such as budget and brand are set.

New Walmart Supercentre coming to southwest London, Ontario

Retailer News Mario Toneguzzi -
Walmart Canada said it will become an anchor tenant in this expanding commercial development serving southwest London and the surrounding region.

From the Desk: Retail Expansion, Financial Resilience, and Innovation in Early 2026

News Craig Patterson -
As the new year unfolds, the Canadian retail landscape is defined by bold strategic moves, cautious optimism amid economic pressures, and innovative responses to evolving consumer behaviours.

Apple Opens New Sainte-Catherine Store in Downtown Montreal

News Craig Patterson -
Apple opens a new Sainte-Catherine Street store in Montreal, relocating its longtime downtown location into a restored heritage building.

Bubble Skincare targets deeper Canadian expansion as affordable skincare gains traction

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The company, which launched in Canada in late 2022 and early 2023, is now sold through Walmart Canada and Shoppers Drug Mart, with four new products set to hit shelves at both retailers starting Feb. 1.

Calgary retail vacancy rate continues to fall: Barclay Street Real Estate

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Retail development is increasingly being integrated into residential communities through mixed-use formats, extending a trend observed since year-end 2024.

Recipe outlines next phase of Olive Garden expansion in Canada

News Mario Toneguzzi -
The planned openings follow Recipe’s recent acquisition of all eight Olive Garden restaurants operating in Western Canada and the signing of a national development agreement with U.S.-based Darden Restaurants Inc., the owner of the Olive Garden brand.

Booster Juice opens first drive-thru location in Ontario

News Mario Toneguzzi -
With more than 470 locations across Canada, the company described the opening as a significant step for the franchise system.

L’Oréal Canada appoints Laurie Bouchard as chief corporate affairs and engagement officer

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Bouchard brings experience in communications, leadership and public policy to the newly announced role, which oversees corporate affairs and engagement activities.

Canada’s retail property markets expected to remain tight as commercial real estate outlook stabilizes: Morguard

News Mario Toneguzzi -
Canada’s retail leasing market is expected to remain tight, with strong demand for high-quality space driving retailer expansion.

Richelieu reports higher 2025 sales, completes 10 acquisitions across North America

Retailer Data Mario Toneguzzi -
The Montreal-based hardware distributor said sales reached $1.96 billion in fiscal 2025, up 7.2 per cent from the previous year, as it completed nine acquisitions during the year and a further deal shortly after year-end.
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