Throughout the years, the Canadian retail landscape has seen its fair share of ups and downs.
From the launches of major American beauty chains to the closures of popular brands, 2019 saw many impactful events that reshaped how Canadians shop.
Take a peek at some of the most important stories from Canadian retail 2019 below.
What’s The Deal With Toronto’s Last Zellers Store? We Take A Peek Inside
In 2019, there were two Zellers stores still open in Canada: one in Ottawa and another in Etobicoke. With the Ottawa location gearing up to shutter and the GTA location slated to close in January 2020, StyleDemocracy went inside the store to give readers one final look around. Continue reading.
Dollarama Is Listening To Shoppers Who Think Prices Are Too High
Dollarama has seen prices for items rise up to $3 or $4, something not all customers have been happy about. In 2016, the Montreal-based chain made a move towards better quality products. Using toothpicks as an example, Dollarama’s Chief Executive Officer Larry Rossy said, “it’s not so much that we can offer 500 toothpicks, but it’s more if we offer 200 very good toothpicks that the customer will be happy with, I think that’s what counts at the end. It’s a culture that we’re trying to instill in everyone. Again, it’s not quantity but quality that counts.” But now the company is singing a different tune. Continue reading.
The End Is Coming For An Iconic Toronto Footwear Store
Long-standing Toronto retailer, Davids Footwear, was placed in receivership after 60 years of business in the summer of 2019. For those unaware, receivership is when a “receiver” is appointed by a creditor to take over all of the assets, undertakings, and properties from the debtor. In the retail world, a receiver will host liquidation sales so that creditors can recoup their money. Continue reading.
A Big American Beauty Brand Is Making Plans To Open In Canada
Ulta Beauty is expected to open its first Canadian stores in late 2020 or early 2021. This is huge news for beauty lovers across the country. The Illinois-based beauty brand is similar to Sephora, but has larger stores and a wider range of prices, services, and products. Ulta carries everything from price-friendly favourites like Maybelline and Revolution Beauty, to higher end exclusives like Tarte Shape Tape and Kylie Cosmetics. Continue reading.
James Charles Will Be At Square One Shopping Centre For The Opening Of Morphe’s First Canadian Store
At the beginning of 2019, Morphe opened its first Canadian location in Mississauga at Square One Shopping Centre. To kick off the launch, the L.A.-based beauty brand pulled out the big guns, inviting YouTube beauty guru for the official ribbon cutting event. Of course, chaos ensued. Take a peek at the response the opening saw or inside the store.
A New Korean-Inspired Dollar Store Has Landed In Toronto
Who doesn’t love dollar stores? In this economy, finding anything that’s a bargain is pretty amazing so when we see something available for cheap, it’s basically love at first sight. Now, there’s a new Korean dollar store in town and we’re ready to get shopping. Korean-inspired dollar store, Mumuso has just opened its first location in Toronto at North York Centre. Continue reading.
Toronto’s First Chick-Fil-A Location Is Revealed
Over the past handful of years, we’ve seen more and more American companies infiltrate the Canadian market. We’ve seen in it retail, and we’ve seen it with many fast-food and restaurant chains as well. Notable eateries like The Cheesecake Factory, Cauldron Ice Cream, and Chin Chin have crossed the border. In the upcoming years, Toronto will also see a Nobu open their doors. But one of the most talked about openings has easily been fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A. Continue reading.
Gymboree Is Closing All Of Its Stores Across Canada
Gymboree has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in two years. In January 2019, it was announced that the children’s wear retailer was successful in its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company plans to close all of its Gymboree locations in Canada and the United States, as well as its Crazy 8 brand in the United States. Continue reading.
Dollarama Has Officially Opened Online Store In Canada
If you’re anything like us and don’t like wasting your time and money while shopping, you’ll be happy to know that Canada’s largest dollar store chain, Dollarama, launched its online store in January 2019. That means that starting today you can stock up on hundreds of Dollarama products from the comfort of your home and get them delivered right to your doorstep. Continue reading.
Take A Peek Inside Eataly’s First Canadian Location In Toronto
If your budget won’t allow you to travel all the way to Italy, then a visit to Canada’s first Eataly location at Bay and Bloor, in the newly renovated Manulife Centre, is most definitely the next best thing. Eataly Toronto opened in November 2019 and ever since, the 50,000 square foot space has been chock full with foodies alike who are filled to the brim with excitement. Continue reading.
Forever 21 Is Closing All Of Its Canadian Stores
This was another big story for Canadian retail 2019. At the end of September 2019, Forever 21 announced that it will be closing all of its Canadian locations. 44 Forever 21 stores closed across the country, including locations in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, and more. According to Retail-Insider, Forever 21 closed close to 880,000-square-feet of retail space in Canada. Continue reading.
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2019 so far has seen the closure of many stores in Canada, including Forever21, Payless ShoeSource, Town Shoes, Home Outfitters, and our last two Zellers locations. However, we’ve also acquired some exciting and long-awaited international brands in the North this year too, balancing the scales. Though retail sales amounted to $225.8 billion in Ontario alone at the end of September, the entire country’s retail sales growth is supposedly heading for a depressing 10-year low. Hopefully, the new shopping destinations that have arrived will reverse the odds of that happening.
With that said, here are 10 retailers that opened their doors in Canada throughout 2019. Let’s cross our fingers and pray they stick around for a while.
Valentino
Luxury Italian fashion house Valentino opened the doors to its first Canadian flagship store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre this past March. The new store occupies a large 4,700 square foot space that’s filled to the brim with the brand’s ready-to-wear offerings, accessories, leather goods, and shoes.
Furla
Just this past fall, Italian brand Furla opened its first Canadian location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The luxury brand is well known for its handbags, shoes, jewellery, sunglasses, and watches. This new store is all part of the brands global expansion strategy and we’re looking forward to seeing where Furla goes next!
Eataly
With locations already in Japan and Turkey, the much anticipated Eataly has finally landed in Toronto at the Manulife Centre on Bloor Street. With 50,000 (!) square feet of high-quality Italian goodies, (a.k.a heaven), Eataly has several different cafes, restaurants, takeaway counters, and a finely curated marketplace to shop. You can also enjoy cooking classes and hard-to-resist complimentary tastings in store.
L.L. Bean
U.S. specialty outdoor retailer L.L. Bean took over a massive 14,205 square foot retail space that was vacated by Toronto-based grocery chain Pusateri’s Fine Foods at Oakville Place. The new L.L. Bean store is selling its functional accessories, outdoor essentials, and cozy clothing that will have you prepared for any outdoor adventures.
Reformation
Ref girls, unite! This celeb-loved, L.A.-based brand cut the ribbons outside its first Canadian location in July, bringing its cult-like following to Yorkdale Mall. The 100 per cent carbon-neutral company is supplying sustainable basics and timeless styles to the masses, promoting slow-fashion processes at a fast fashion pace.
Balenciaga
Another luxury fashion house, Balenciaga, expanded into Canada this year with its first standalone storefront in Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. In its open-concept space, the Kering-owned French brand is selling a range of accessories, footwear, and streetwear. A few more Balenciaga boutiques are said to be opening as the company sees growth in the Canadian market.
MUMUSO
Dollarama has a rival to compete with now that MUMUSO opened its first Toronto location at the North York Centre in July. With another two locations in Vancouver, the bargain retailer sells children’s products, apparel, accessories, kitchen items, bags, stationery, skincare, and cosmetic goods that are super-low cost.
Innisfree
Along with all the other international big-hitters that opened in Yorkdale Shopping Centre this summer, “naturalism-oriented” K-beauty brand Innisfree took over a 2,500 square foot space in the mall. The South-Korean brand has made clean-er beauty and skincare products more available to Torontonians, as 80 per cent of the company’s ingredients are natural.
Ximivogue
Chinese-owned variety store Ximivogue opened its first Canadian location at CF Fairview Mall earlier this year. The retailer sells about 7,000 Korean products at relatively low prices, including household goods, clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, beauty products, and toys.
By CHLOE.
Expansions to Canada aren’t just for fashion retailers. American vegan chain by CHLOE. made a big splash when it landed at Yorkdale Shopping Centre a few months back. Serving up tasty versions of comfort classics like nachos, hot dogs, burgers, mac & cheese, and more, by CHLOE. needs to be on your must-eat list!
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It’s no secret that Canada is a highly attractive market for international retailers. Every year we see dozens of new brands expanding to Canada in hopes of capturing the fast-growing and competitive new market.
And even though 2018 wasn’t the most successful year, with many local and international retailers filing for bankruptcy and closing their stores for good, there are still plenty of highly-anticipated bricks-and-mortar store openings waiting for us in 2019.
From restaurants to retail stores, below you will find some of the most anticipated international brands and retailers that will be opening stores in Toronto this year.
Eataly
Italian food concept Eataly represents a lively open-concept European market where visitors can shop, taste, and learn about high-quality Italian food at fair prices. Eataly will be offering everything from everyday groceries, cured meats, a selection of homemade cheeses to cooking workshops and in-shop eateries. As we reported earlier, Eataly will be a part of a $100 million Manulife Centre expansion and will span 50,000 square feet, and is slated to open some time in 2019. Founded by Italian Native, Oscar Farinetti, the first location was opened in Torino, Italy in 2007. Currently, there are Eataly outposts in such countries as Japan, China, and America, with locations opening in Australia, England, and more.
Chick-Fil-A
If you’re a fan of breaded chicken sandwiches and chicken in general, this news is for you! Last year the iconic American restaurant chain Chick-fil-A announced plans to open more than a dozen restaurants in Canada over the next few years and we couldn’t be more excited. The first Toronto location is set to open in the GTA this year at Bloor and Yonge. At the moment the company operates more than 2,300 restaurants in the United States.
L.L. Bean
Instagram/ @llbean
This American company that specializes in clothing and outdoor recreation equipment was launched in 1912 in Freeport, Maine. The company started with just one product: their famous Maine Hunting Shoe (also known as Bean Boots). While there are no standalone L.L. Bean stores in Canada yet, the brand already launched a Canadian e-commerce site and is currently selling its products at 24 Canadian retailers including Sporting Life, MEC, and SportChek. You can expect to see the store open at Oakville Place, where it will reportedly be taking over the old Pusateri’s space later this year.
Innisfree
Instagram/@lilynotlouise
Innisfree is an all-natural cosmetic brand based in South Korea with over hundreds of stores across the globe, which promotes 33 health, beauty, and personal brands. The company’s concept is “Clean Island, where clean nature and healthy beauty coexist happily.” Innisfree uses 80% natural ingredients, and the best part is that all their products are fairly affordable, ranging from $20-30. Expect to see the K-beauty brand’s first Canadian store to open at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in 2019.
Reformation
StyleDemocracy
Calling all cool girls! Popular sustainable L.A.-based brand Reformation is going international, with its first retail location outside of the United States based in Canada. Reformation opened its doors to Canadians at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in July 2019 and shoppers can expect to see the brand’s beautiful dresses, denim, footwear, and more.
HEMA Amsterdam
Facebook/HEMA
Known for its high-quality design and competitive pricing, HEMA is a popular European retailer that sells household goods, beauty products, clothing, and more. Earlier this year, the value-based retailer announced that it would be launching in Ontario later this year through a partnership with Walmart. If all goes to plan, you’ll soon start to see HEMA stores inside of larger form Walmart stores.
Ximivogue
Instagram/@ximivogue.official
It seems like many value-based variety retailers have eyes set on Canada this year, as Korean-inspired Ximivogue is reportedly opening stores at both Sherway Gardens and CF Fairview Mall later this year. Expect to see lots of beauty and skincare, home accessories, electronics and home decor all at low prices.
MUMUSO
Instagram/@mumuso_ca
And Ximivogue isn’t the only Korean-inspired variety Torontonians will be able to shop this year. MUMUSO, a Korean-inspired dollar store, opened its first Canadian location in July 2019 at the North York Centre. Though the brand is based in China, its business and products are marketed as Korean. Offerings include apparel, kitchen items, accessories, and much more.
Featured image: Facebook/HEMA
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In a city as bustling as Toronto, there’s never a shortage of new places and spaces to check out. And with the warm weather finally here to stay, there’s no better time than now to explore all of the gems that the city has to offer.
Take a peek at six notable Toronto openings to check out this July.
Chotto Matte
Instagram/@chottomattetor
Nestled in the heart of Toronto’s financial district is Chotto Matte, a new upscale restaurant that’s bringing Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to the city. The beautiful space spans over 10,000-square-feet and is designed to give its visitors a modern-day Tokyo feel. In addition to indoor seating, the new resto features a heated terrace, so there’s plenty of space for guests to linger. While the space is stunning, what’s most impressive are the menu of offerings by Executive Chef Jordan Sclare, who has worked at many Michelin-Star restaurants in the past, including Gordon Ramsay’s. Chotto Matte is worth the visit, and almost every day has its own special. Enjoy two-for-one drinks from 4-7 p.m. daily; buy one, get one free sushi rolls on Mondays; limitless tostaditas and margaritas for $35/person on Tuesdays; all day two-for-one drinks on Wednesdays; Moët Minis for only $35 on Thursdays from 4-11 p.m.; and buy one, get one free Bentos on Sundays.
Black Market Vintage
Instagram/@347queenwest
Earlier this summer, iconic Toronto vintage store Black Market announced that it was closing its basement location for good. However, at the time of the announcement, the retailer already had a backup location in place. Located directly across the road from Black Market’s former location at 347 Queen St. West, the new location features all of the same incredible deals and steals as the OG, with vintage finds for just $10 or less. And while the basement location was slated to close at the end of June, they’ve extended the stay to clear out the location — everything in-store is just $5 a piece. Head there quick — the original location won’t be open long and the good stuff is sure to go fast.
Knockout Ice Cream
Instagram/@6ix.foods
From the creator of Bang Bang Ice Cream and the OG of the HK waffle with ice cream is Toronto’s newest ice cream shop, Knockout Ice Cream. Located at 342 Westmoreland Ave. North, the shop features mouthwatering and inventive flavours like Matcha Oreo, Ube, Black Sesame, Lychee, and London fog. Served in a homemade Hong Kong-style waffle cone, Knockout Ice Cream is a great addition to your summer bucket list.
LCBO
Instagram/@LCBO
If you were a frequent visitor of the King and Spadina LCBO, you’ll be sad to hear that the location is closing. However, fret not, a bigger and better store is now open just blocks away from the former location. Located inside the sprawling Steele Briggs Seed Company building at 49 Spadina Ave is the new and approved neighbourhood LCBO. Sitting a 22,000-square-feet, the LCBO calls it “one of the most impressive and enticing stores to-day,” with same day pick up, a tasting bar, tasting stations, and product expansion.
MUMUSO
Instagram/@mumuso_ca
Move over, Dollarama, there’s a new low-cost store in town! MUMOSO recently opened its first Toronto location at 5150 Yonge St. in the North York Centre. Shoppers can expect to find Korean-inspired lifestyle products, including apparel, accessories, stationary, skincare, kitchen items, cosmetics, and more.
Miss Pippa’s
Instagram/@misspippas
Part wine bar, cafe, flower shop, and boutique, Miss Pippa’s is a new destination at 1158 College St. where you can truly have it all. The eclectic space is furnished with antiques and has locally made giftables such as tote bags, earrings, Swedish gummies, candles, plants, bouquets, and more up for grabs. Once you’re done shopping, you can also grab a cocktail and a bite to eat. It’s a magical little one-stop shop that can’t be missed!
Featured image: Instagram/@misspippas
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Who doesn’t love dollar stores? In this economy, finding anything that’s a bargain is pretty amazing so when we see something available for cheap, it’s basically love at first sight. Now, there’s a new Korean dollar store in town and we’re ready to get shopping.
Korean-inspired dollar store, Mumuso has just opened its first location in Toronto at North York Centre.
View this post on Instagram
Though the brand is based in China, its business and products are marketed to consumers as Korean. The brands website says, “MUMUSO is a Korean brand with the focus on fashion. Its products are manufactured in China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and so on, providing clients with a wide range of fine goods to choose from.”
Consumers can expect to shop items like children’s products, apparel, accessories, kitchen items, bags, stationery, skincare, and cosmetic goods.
Mumuso Toronto is located at 5150 Yonge Street.
Instagram/@mumusoindia
The brand already has two locations in British Colombia and is super popular in Asia with intentions of opening more than 300 locations in India by the year 2020.
If you’re thinking that Mumuso seems extremely similar to Chinese dollar store retailer Miniso, you’re not alone.
With all the similarities, only time will tell how this new addition to Toronto’s retail scene will perform.
Featured Image: Instagram/@mumuso_canada
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