Craig Patterson

Toronto Fashion Label Demascaré Expands Into Ready-to-Wear as Shaun Mascarenhas Eyes Retail Growth

Craig Patterson -
Toronto designer Shaun Mascarenhas is expanding Demascaré into ready-to-wear, with local production, selective retail growth and broader ambitions.

Aritzia’s Stronger Store Performance Supports Continued North American Expansion

Craig Patterson -
Aritzia is reporting stronger boutique productivity and customer traffic as it expands across North America. The Vancouver-based fashion retailer plans additional U.S. openings and repositionings in Quebec and California while continuing to invest in larger stores and digital commerce.

Montreal’s Transformer Table Reaches $145 Million in Revenue as U.S. Retail Expansion Accelerates

Craig Patterson -
Montreal-founded Transformer Table is expanding its U.S. retail footprint with new microstores and a Maryland flagship as CEO Chris Wantlin discusses the company's revenue growth, retail partnerships and future expansion plans.

Canada’s Menswear Market Is Being Rebuilt as Retailers Invest in Premium and Luxury

Craig Patterson -
Canada’s premium and luxury menswear market is attracting major investment as Harry Rosen, Holt Renfrew, Simons, independent retailers and global fashion houses expand, renovate and rethink physical retail across Canada, even after the loss of major department-store capacity.

Ralph Lauren Home Joins Maison Territo in Montréal

Craig Patterson -
Maison Territo adds Ralph Lauren Home to its curated catalogue, bringing the American brand’s furniture and distinctive design aesthetic to Montréal.

Scarce Retail Space Gives Canadian Landlords New Leverage

Craig Patterson -
Canada’s tight retail real estate market is shifting negotiating power toward landlords as limited construction and high occupancy constrain available space. JLL, Primaris, RioCan, McDonald’s and Empire executives discuss the implications, including the temporary opportunity created by former Hudson’s Bay locations.

Lululemon Overhauls Leadership, Taps Walmart Canada Executive as North American Sales Slide

Craig Patterson -
Lululemon is restructuring its leadership team just 29 days into Heidi O’Neill’s tenure, recruiting senior executives from Walmart Canada and Athleta as the Vancouver-based retailer focuses on product, brand and operational execution.

Entertainment Becomes a New Anchor for Canadian Shopping Centres

Craig Patterson -
Entertainment operators are taking larger positions in Canadian shopping centres as landlords redevelop former department stores and add attractions designed to extend visits. JLL is tracking a 16.5-million-square-foot North American pipeline as concepts including Playdium, Activate, Splitsville and Forever Young expand.

Imaginaire Targets National Expansion with 2–3 New Stores Annually

Craig Patterson -
Quebec-based hobby and collectibles retailer Imaginaire is prioritizing Ontario as it plans two to three new stores annually beginning in 2027 and builds toward a national footprint.

Replacement Tenants Now Identified at All Former Nordstrom Stores in Canada

Craig Patterson -
More than three years after Nordstrom exited Canada, replacement tenants are now known at all six former full-line stores. From SportChek, Winners and Old Navy in Calgary to Simons, Aritzia, Eataly and Splitsville elsewhere, the former department-store boxes are taking on very different configurations.

Wild Fork Exits Canada, Abandoning Ambitious Ontario Expansion Plans

Craig Patterson -
Wild Fork is exiting Canada and closing four Ontario stores after once planning nearly 30 locations and broader national expansion.

Sleep Protein Expands Across Canada Through Loblaw Retail Rollout

Craig Patterson -
Canadian wellness brand Sleep Protein is expanding across Loblaw banners as founder Marc Boudreau targets pharmacy, natural health and future U.S. growth.

George Sully Reflects on Building Canadian Fashion Brands, Retail and Resilience

Craig Patterson -
Canadian designer George Sully discusses his memoir Designing in the Dark, lessons from building fashion brands, working with major retailers and the challenges of scaling in Canada.

Jollibee Sees Potential for Hundreds of Restaurants in Canada as Expansion Accelerates

Craig Patterson -
Jollibee sees potential for hundreds of Canadian restaurants as 26 franchised locations are committed in B.C. and Edmonton.

TM Wander Eyes Canadian Expansion as Central Walk Seeks Mall Partners

Craig Patterson -
Central Walk is exploring Canadian expansion for TM Wander, with Toronto, mall partnerships and large-format retail spaces among potential opportunities.

Square One Reshapes Retail Mix with New Tenants

Craig Patterson -
Square One in Mississauga is seeing a major tenant refresh as Tiffany prepares a standalone boutique, Rolex expands, and SUPER MINISO, POP MART, LEGO, Flying Tiger Copenhagen and other retailers move in.

Canadian Retail Construction Hits Decade Low as Scarcity Reshapes Expansion

Craig Patterson -
Canadian retail construction has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, but the national slowdown masks major differences across the country: JLL data.

Bayview Village Unveils Major Interior Transformation as QuadReal Advances Mixed-Use Redevelopment

Craig Patterson -
Bayview Village unveils its redesigned Toronto shopping centre as QuadReal advances a major mixed-use redevelopment of the 22-acre property.

From The Desk: Polarized retail growth, evolving formats and AI-driven customer engagement

Craig Patterson -
Canadian retail faces polarization between value and premium tiers, driving format changes, franchising growth and AI tools to sharpen differentiation and customer eng...

Joseph Tassoni Calls ‘Natural Authority’ His Best Show Yet as Canadian Brand Builds

Craig Patterson -
Canadian designer Joseph Tassoni discusses his Natural Authority runway show in Toronto, his Oakville showroom and his strategy for controlled brand growth.

Toronto Waterfront Retail Market Evolves as Eastern District Builds Out

Craig Patterson -
Toronto’s waterfront retail market is evolving as new businesses, experiential concepts, transit investment and major eastern waterfront development create new commercial opportunities.

Why Canadian Retailers Are Losing Sales They’ve Already Won

Craig Patterson -
Checkout friction can cost Canadian retailers thousands in sales. Konek can help merchants offer a simple and trusted payment experience.

Tsawwassen Mills Marks 10 Years with H Mart, TM Wander and New Entertainment Uses

Craig Patterson -
Tsawwassen Mills marks 10 years as Central Walk expands the 1.2-million-square-foot centre with TM Wander, recreation and entertainment uses. A roughly 30,000-square-foot H Mart anchor is also targeted to open around Christmas 2027.

Salesforce Brings AI Agents Closer to Checkout and Store Inventory at Dreamforce

Craig Patterson -
Salesforce expands agentic commerce at Dreamforce 2026, connecting AI agents with checkout, store inventory and customer data as adoption grows in Canadian retail.

Preparing Retail for the Age of Autonomous Commerce: Why Trust and Fraud Prevention Matter

Craig Patterson -
As AI shopping agents emerge, retailers face new challenges around fraud, trust and authentication. Here's what merchants should know about preparing for autonomous commerce.
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