shopping centres

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.

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.

Q3 2026 Real Estate & Leasing: Strong Leasing Faces the Test of Delivery

Craig Patterson -
Canadian retail property conditions remained selective during Q3 2026, with near-full necessity-oriented portfolios contrasting with major former department-store vacancies. The report examines leasing spreads, committed occupancy and redevelopment requirements, focusing on the capital and execution needed to produce open, rent-paying space.

Vaughan Mills Turns 10,000-Box Pasta Tumble Into Mall-Wide Community Activation

Craig Patterson -
Vaughan Mills staged a 1.7-kilometre chain reaction using 10,000 pasta boxes before donating them to Vaughan Food Bank, extending the initiative through the weekend with its After-Tumble activation combining community programming, entertainment and retail promotions.

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.

Daily Synopsis: October 1, 2026

Retail Insider -
Tsawwassen Mills plans a large H Mart grocery and entertainment expansion while CF Chinook Centre adds Old Navy, SportChek, and Winners to boost retail offerings. In Quebec, La Cordee is shutting, and other news.

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.

Cadillac Fairview’s It’s Better in Real Life campaign targets today’s consumers

Mario Toneguzzi -
New consumer research suggests shoppers are looking for more than just stores, with nearly one-third of visits to its properties now driven by social reasons such as meeting friends or spending time together.

Aesop Expands Canadian Store Network with New CF Richmond Centre Location

Craig Patterson -
Aesop, an Australian skincare retailer, is opening a boutique at CF Richmond Centre, continuing its expansion across Canada. This move marks a significant milestone in Aesop's strategy to establish standalone stores and enhance direct-to-consumer connections.

Daily Synopsis: Jul 28, 2026

Retail Insider -
CF Toronto Eaton Centre sees washroom redesigns, grocery sustainability takes centre stage, and Just Cuts expands with location in Ontario.

Retail Insider “Discount, Value & Off-Price Retail Report”: Value Retail Becomes a Defining Force in Canadian Retail

Lee Rivett -
Retail Insider's latest report examines how discount, value and off-price retailers are reshaping Canadian consumer behaviour, retail real estate and competitive strategy as value shopping becomes a mainstream force influencing retailers, landlords and investors alike.

Retail Insider “Real Estate & Leasing Report”: Scarcity and Curation Reshape Canadian Retail

Lee Rivett -
Retail Insider's latest Real Estate & Leasing Report examines how limited retail space, selective investment, and redevelopment strategies are reshaping Canada's commercial property market, with growing performance gaps between prime retail assets and secondary centres.

Retail Insider “Consumer Behavior & Retail Economy Report”: Canada’s Market Grows Increasingly Divided

Lee Rivett -
Retail Insider's latest Consumer Behavior and Retail Economy Report examines how affordability pressures, selective spending, retail real estate polarization, and widening differences between value and premium segments are reshaping Canada's retail landscape and influencing strategic decisions across the industry.

Q2 2026 Canadian Retail Real Estate: Scarcity, Curation and Selective Growth Reshape the Market

Craig Patterson -
Canadian retail real estate entered a scarcity-driven phase in Q2 2026 as prime assets gained pricing power, international retailers targeted top nodes, Hudson's Bay space created repositioning opportunities, and well-capitalized landlords pulled further ahead.

Retail Insider “Apparel & Fashion Report”: Market Polarization Reshapes Canadian Apparel Retail

Lee Rivett -
Retail Insider’s Q2 2026 Apparel & Fashion Report examines how premium brands, value retailers, resale concepts and specialists are reshaping Canadian apparel retail while mid-market chains face growing pressure.

Primaris Looks to Unlock Up to $375 Million from Excess Mall Lands

Craig Patterson -
Primaris REIT says its excess mall lands could be worth up to $375 million as the company evaluates more than 100 acres for potential residential, hotel and seniors housing development.

Why Cadillac Fairview Is Selling CF Shops at Don Mills

Craig Patterson -
The proposed sale of one of Toronto's pioneering open-air shopping centres appears to be part of a broader strategy to concentrate capital in a smaller number of flagship assets while creating a rare redevelopment opportunity for a new owner.

Toys “R” Us Brand and Stores Head to Different Owners in Canada

Lee Rivett -
An Ontario court has approved the breakup of Toys “R” Us Canada, with the brand, stores and Vaughan Mills lease heading to separate buyers. The future of the remaining stores after January 2027 remains uncertain.

Canada’s Luxury Retail Market Enters a More Strategic Era

Craig Patterson -
Canada’s luxury retail market is evolving through flagship expansion, mixed-use development, and shifting urban retail ecosystems. Craig Patterson interviews Casdin Parr.

Q1 2026 Real Estate & Leasing Retail Report: Tight Space, Tougher Deals

Craig Patterson -
Q1 2026 saw tight vacancy and rising rents collide with higher build-out costs. Winners are landlords who can reconfigure space fast; weaker assets face stress.

Primaris REIT Repurposing Malls After Hudson’s Bay Closures

Craig Patterson -
Primaris REIT is repurposing former Hudson’s Bay stores, turning anchor closures into a strategy to reshape Canadian shopping centres.

Daily Synopsis: May 1, 2026

Retail Insider -
Canadian retailers lean into domestic produce amid trade tensions, second Renaud-Bray closes in Quebec City during strike, Toronto teen builds viral hoodie brand on TikTok, SHEIN opens in Montreal, and other news.

Cadillac Fairview Dominates Canada’s Top-Performing Shopping Centres

Craig Patterson -
Cadillac Fairview leads Canada’s most productive shopping centres, with seven properties in the national top 10 by sales per square foot.

Woodbine Mall CCAA Signals Shift to Redevelopment

Craig Patterson -
Woodbine Mall enters CCAA as lenders move to take control, signalling a shift toward redevelopment of aging retail assets in Toronto. Craig Patterson interviews Antony Karabus about the situation.

How Canadian Shopping Centre Performance Has Changed Since Pre-COVID

Craig Patterson -
A comparison of 2019 and 2025 data reveals how Canadian shopping centre performance has shifted, with top-tier malls strengthening their dominance.
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