Nouvelles des commerces, Retail, Insider...

[IluvMTL]

The Holt Renfrew location on Sherbrooke would be a cool site for an Eataly or similiar epicurean grocer in Montréal.

[steve_36]

The Holt Renfrew location on Sherbrooke would be a cool site for an Eataly or similiar epicurean grocer in Montréal.

 

I'd rather have something more Montréal and not a copy of something out of NYC. A different concept and something unique. But that location could be a good spot for it, yes.

[Rocco]

Eataly can go to TO. It would never survive the Montreal market!

[Habsfan]

Didn't we have that kind of concept about 17-18 years ago?? Movenpick at Place Ville Marie didn't survive very long...not sure a new one would do better!

[IluvMTL]

Not sure, but I think the market or grocer component is very strong in this concept. Altough not inexpensvie, its location would provide a service lacking for those living around and above Sherbrooke St, or those attracted to this concept. It would be a first for downtown Montréal and would attract others there I'm sure. Not everone wants to shop at IGA or Provigo.

[Carniala]

maybe I am old, but Eaton had a huge food section at metro level, and it was a great place, also L'epicurien at place ville-marie. but today with a lot more residents in the downtown core, it would be even better.

I love the food market at La Rinascente in milan

[IluvMTL]

WILL HOLT RENFREW BE DE-THRONED AS NORTH AMERICA'S MOST PRODUCTIVE DEPARTMENT STORE?

 

 

June 16, 2014

by Retail Insider

 

 

 

Holt Renfrew recently installed magenta coloured awnings to its flagship store at 50 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Holt Renfrew, via Twitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Saks Fifth Avenue stores achieve average annual per square foot sales of US $437. Saks will open as many as 8 Canadian stores over the next several years. Photo: http://thisisitjersey.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luxurious American retailer Neiman Marcus trails Holt Renfrew's productivity, with annual per square foot sales of US $575.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holt Renfrew will have to fight to maintain its status as North America's most productive department store. With per square foot annual sales exceeding $1,000, Holt Renfrew far surpasses productivity at Neiman Marcus,Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. However, competition will increase for Holt Renfrew as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom both open in Canada, and online shopping becomes commonplace. An unintended consequence could be an over-saturation of Canadian luxury retail, to be explained below.

Sources estimate Holt Renfrew's yearly sales to be in excess of $800 million. Its fleet of nine stores span a total of almost 800,000 square feet, according to our calculations from various sources. Holt Renfrew plans to expand its store footprint substantially, occupying in excess of 1.1 million square feet by 2017.

Its North American peers sell substantially less. Neiman Marcus, North America's second most productive department store, sells an estimated US $575 per square foot annually. Nordstrom is next, selling $470 per square foot, while Saks Fifth Avenue's sales estimates are $437.

 

 

By 2017, Montreal's Ogilvy store will expand to 220,000 sq ft., becoming a combined Ogilvy/Holt's. Holt Renfrew will close its current Montreal store as a result. Rendering: City of Montreal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holt Renfrew's store space is expanding rapidly. Its Toronto Bloor Street flagship, measuring over 180,000 square feet, will expand to over 200,000 square feet by the end of 2016. The combined Ogilvy/Holt's in Montrealwill measure 220,000 square feet by 2017, resulting in the closing of Holt's 84,000 square foot Montreal store. Sources say that Holt's Vancouver store, currently 140,000 square feet, will expand by as much as 40,000 square feet by 2016. As early as next year, Calgary's 121,000 square foot store could see the addition of a 25,500 square foot fourth floor. In the spring of 2016, a 120,000 square foot flagship will open at Mississauga's Square One. A replacement Edmonton location is rumoured, while the future of Holt Renfrew's Sherway Gardens store remains unclear.

 

 

American Nordstrom stores achieve annual per square foot sales of about US $470. Photo: indystar.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Canadian luxury retail expands, affluent Canadians are more likely to shop at home. Some of the nation's wealthy currently prefer to shop abroad. Holt Renfrew wants to change this, upgrading its stores and adding about 40% to its existing store space. Productivity will likely suffer as a result, given that the Canadian market is unlikely to grow at the same rate. Substantial new retail space for Saks and Nordstrom could see Holt's sales productivity reduced substantially.

Holt Renfrew will soon be contending with fierce competition. Saks Fifth Avenue will open as many as eight Canadian stores, and has already announced its first two locations. In 2016, a 150,000 square foot Saks flagship will open within the Hudson's Bay building at the Toronto Eaton Centre, while a 130,000 square foot Saks will open at Sherway Gardens. A third Toronto Saks location, as well as stores in Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, are expected to follow. Given the expected size of Saks Fifth Avenue's Canadian stores, Canada could eventually see between 800,000 and over 1 million square feet devoted to Saks.

Nordstrom, for its part, has already announced six Canadian store locations, totalling approximately 1,067,000 square feet. As many as four more stores could be announced, adding substantially more space to Canada's increasingly crowded upscale department store market.

It will be interesting to watch Holt Renfrew's strategy vis-a-vis the new competition. Saks and Nordstrom both anticipate strong Canadian online sales. At the same time, Holt Renfrew is expanding its own online offerings. Website sales aside, it will be interesting to watch as Canada's upscale department store market grows from its current 800,000 square feet to more than triple that size within the next three years. Fallout is likely, and market saturation is possible, as Canada could soon exceed the United States in terms of upscale department store retail space per capita.

CANADIAN RETAIL NEWS: Monday, June 16, 2014 (Updated Continuously)

[IluvMTL]

NORDSTROM'S CANADIAN STORES WILL LOOK DIFFERENT THAN MOST US LOCATIONS [WITH SLIDESHOW]

 

 

June 17, 2014

by Retail Insider

 

Windows abound: Nordstrom's location in The Grove, Los Angeles, provides insight into the look of Canada's new Nordstrom stores. Photo: Caruso Affiliated (Click to enlarge)

 

 

Nordstrom store interiors are traditionally beige/brown, lacking natural light. Photo: Style Forum (click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nordstrom's Canadian stores will look somewhat different than most of its American locations. The company will adopt a more contemporary look for its store interiors, with windows providing natural light, while most American Nordstrom stores feature a conservative cream-colour aesthetic, void of sunlight. New and recently renovated Nordstrom stores provide insight into the look of its Canadian stores, including a recently overhauled Los Angeles location. Images in this article can be clicked to enlarge, and an annotated slideshow of Canadian Nordstrom stores is provided below.

 

 

Canadian Nordstrom stores will feature lighter interiors with black trim like this new Nordstrom store, as opposed to traditional cream-coloured interiors. Photo: Desert News (click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources tell us that Nordstrom's extensively renovated location at The Grove in Los Angeles gives insight into the look of Nordstrom's new Canadian stores. Natural light floods portions of the Los Angeles location through a point-supported glass exterior, a first for the company. Its interior, characteristic of new and recently renovated Nordstrom stores, features a clean black-and-white aesthetic. Although tiled ceilings are still present in some departments, smooth ceilings characterize its pricier departments, including designer handbags and its costly womenswear department, Collectors. White marble floors characterize its pricier departments, while high-gloss ceramic tile covers much of the rest of the store.

For years, Nordstrom's store design was conservative and formulaic: tiled ceilings with protruding spotlights, cream-coloured floors, wood accented menswear departments, and a generally conservative feel. Contrasting sharply is competitor Bloomingdale's, typically featuring a glamorous shiny black-and-while store aesthetic, bright interior lighting and dramatic high ceilings. Interestingly, Bloomingdale's seemingly upscale store interiors lead many to believe that Bloomingdale's stores are more 'exclusive' than Nordstrom, despite the fact that Nordstrom stores generally carry more luxury labels than most Bloomingdale's locations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR A SLIDESHOW)

 

Natural light bathes designer handbags at Nordstrom's Naples, Florida store. Photo: Callison Architecture (click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Renderings of Canada's Nordstrom stores indicate that windows will feature prominently in several of the store's locations. Its 230,000 square foot three-level Vancouver flagship, scheduled to open in the fall of 2015, has windows on all three levels. Its ground floor will have windows along much of the Granville Street frontage, possibly exposing its handbags department in a similar way to its Naples, Florida store (photo to the right). The protruding glass box on the store's third level is for a restaurant concept which we'll discuss shortly.

 

 

Bloomingdale's: bright and black-and-white. Photo: Maum Design (click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nordstrom's Calgary and Ottawa stores both appear to feature some windows, though not as many as in renderings of its Yorkdale Shopping Centre store. Opening in the fall of 2016, Yorkdale's Nordstrom appears to have ample windows on all of its levels. Being east-facing, the store will be sun-flooded on a bright summer morning.

 

Nordstrom's Sherway Gardens location, scheduled to open in spring of 2017, appears to have extensive windows over much of its exterior. Its ground floor appears to be wrapped in windows, while its second level features some windows as well. Facing south, much of the Sherway store's ground floor will be bathed in natural light.

 

Although some departments at Nordstrom's Canadian stores will feature smooth ceilings and marble floors, sources tell us that Canada's Nordstrom stores will still have tile ceilings in several of its departments. It will be interesting to see how Canadians react to Nordstrom's Canadian store interiors, as competition from Holt Renfrew and Saks Fifth Avenue will be fierce.

[IluvMTL]

EATALY COMING TO CANADA: UPDATE

 

June 12, 2014

by Retail Insider

 

Eataly, Manhattan. Photo: http://www.pizzasicilia.it

 

We're updating our previous article where we discussed Eataly's coming to Canada. The article gained a lot of attention, speaking to the immense popularity of the large-format Italian food retail concept. Several sources told us that Eataly was in talks to partner with a large Canadian retailer, in an effort to come to Canada. We were also informed of ongoing talks with a landlord for retail space in Toronto's Yorkville area. New information has come to light since then, possibly confirming Eataly's future Toronto opening, as well as plans for Eataly locations in other Canadian cities.

 

Our February article reiterated what sources were telling us: that Eataly was in partnership talks to open in Toronto. We were asked to keep the identity of the potential Canadian business partner private, as well as the possible Yorkville-area Eataly location. Eataly initially denied the reports of a Toronto location, only to retract and tell online food website, Eater, that a Toronto location wouldn't open for "another three years or so". Then in April, a source at Chicago's Eataly told Toronto Star food reporter Jennifer Bain that Toronto's Eataly would open in about three years. We've since heard from sources that a Toronto Eataly is still in the works, though it won't likely open before 2017.

 

A source at Eataly, speaking on the condition of anonymity, provided us some interesting details. Although uncertain of the progress of its Toronto negotiations, the source confirmed Toronto to be a "high priority" for the company. The source went on to explain that other Canadian cities were possible Eataly targets and that Montreal, specifically, could some day see Eataly in its downtown core. When Vancouver was discussed, the source cited the city's increasing sophistication, as well as its thriving tourism. The source also revealed that into the more distant future, other Canadian cities could house Eataly locations, provided that landlords made conditions favourable and local markets met Eataly's criteria for culinary sophistication.

 

 

Photo: Eataly

 

Eataly wants to be in Toronto's Yorkville area. Yorkville is experiencing an unprecedented level of retail expansion and redevelopment of existing retail space. Examples of this abound. Hazelton Lanes is renovating and expanding, while One Bloor Street East is currently under construction. Sources say that the Manulife Centre may see renovations, and that the Holt Renfrew Centre will be redeveloped with an expanded Holt Renfrew flagship, as well as substantial new retail below a tall residential tower. Neighbouring Cumberland Terrace is expected to eventually be redeveloped, and some large new retail spaces will accompany several massive residential towers to be built near Toronto's new Four Seasons Hotel. Redevelopment of 80 Bloor Street West will see substantially more retail, and thefuture of some of 100 Bloor Street West's tenants is uncertain as well. Furthermore, the Hudson's Bay Centre, at the northeast corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets, is ripe for redevelopment: Saks Fifth Avenue recently abandoned plans to replace Hudson's Bay with a 300,000 square foot store.

 

 

Photo: Eataly

 

Eataly boasts 27 worldwide locations, though only two in North America: a 58,000 square foot space in Manhattan, and a 63,000 square foot location in Chicago. Its 2013 Manhattan sales targets were estimated at a whopping $85 million. In December, its notoriously busy Chicago location had to temporarily close because it ran out of food. Eataly has 10 locations in Italy, 13 in Japan, one in Dubai and one in Istanbul, Turkey.

 

Eataly was founded in Turin, Italy, in 2007. Founder Oscar Farinetti wanted to combine elements of a lively, open environment with a learning centre to create an atmosphere conducive to shopping, tasting, and learning about high-quality Italian foods. Inspired by the European food-hall concept, its massive stores are populated with tasting areas and gourmet restaurants to complement the upscale food offerings. Customers can taste the artisan products, learn about them from educated staff, and buy the ingredients to recreate Eataly’s restaurant food at home, all at fair prices.

[IluvMTL]

SPORTING LIFE TO OPEN STORES ACROSS CANADA

 

June 18, 2014

by Retail Insider

 

Rendering: Cadillac Fairview

 

Upscale sporting goods retailer Sporting Life plans to open stores across Canada. Its goal is to open two stores a year, with locations sought in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Montreal. Its stores will be large, measuring in the 30,000-50,000 square foot range. Its expansion goals are lofty, especially considering that Sporting Life hasn't opened a new store in 14 years.

 

 

Sporting Life's Toronto flagship. Photo: Reich+Petch (click to enlarge)

 

Founded in 1979, Sporting Life sells apparel and footwear, as well as equipment geared towards runners, cyclists, skiers, snowboarders and hikers. Some items can cost into the thousands. It has a large selection of outerwear, fleece and coats from popular brands Moncler, Canada Goose, and The North Face, among others. It also carries a mix of high-end and casual clothing brands includingBarbour, Bogner, Hugo Boss, Grenoble, Mackage, John Varvatos and others.

 

Given the size of its current and recently announced locations, we expect Sporting Life's new stores to span 30,000 to 50,000 square feet. Its current and proposed store locations and sizes are as follows:

Current Stores:

 

• Toronto: flagship at 2665 Yonge Street: about 36,000 square feet,
  
• Toronto: bike and snowboard shop, at 2545 Yonge Street: about 10,000 square feet,
  
• Toronto: Sherway Gardens: currently 42,000 square feet, to be replaced with a 40,000 location in 2015, and
  
• Collingwood, Ontario: 10,000 square feet.
  

Announced new store locations:

 

 

Photo: Reich+Petch (click to enlarge)

 

 

 

• Markham, Ontario: Markville Shopping Centre: 32,000 square feet, opening late September, 2014,
  
• Ottawa: Landsdowne Park: 43,000 square feet, opening in October, 2014,
  
• Richmond Hill, Ontario: Hillcrest Mall: 44,000 square feet, opening in 2016.
  
• 
  

President and CEO David Russell told the Toronto Starthat Sporting Life sells about $100 million annually. Its current expansion plans were made possible after Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. bought 75% of Sporting Life in December of 2011.

When Sporting Life expands into Western Canada, its merchandising will be modified. Mr. Russel said:

“When we open a store in the lower mainland of British Columbia, for example, the clothing will be perhaps a little different; more layers as opposed to big heavy down parkas. And when we go to western Canada the skis are wider and there might be more emphasis on mountain biking as opposed to road biking.”