There’s about to be a whole lot more places to thrift, as Goodwill is looking to expand in Canada with the opening of more than 40 stores within the next 5 years! Retail Insider reports.
The surge in popularity of thrifting has prompted Goodwill, the number one global brand in resale, to expand its operations in Canada.
“In the last decade I have seen a change and particularly since Covid as there has been more ethical shopping and people wanting to shop with conscience and because thrift enables reuse, recycle, and repurposing – they are obviously more ethical than fast fashion which is one of the world’s biggest polluters. We can reduce new and increase reuse and everybody knows it is better,” says Kelly Duffin, President and CEO of Goodwill, via Retail Insider.
As of now, Goodwill has three confirmed new locations in Ontario including Niagara Falls which will be opening next month, Waterloo which will open in May, and Burlington which an official date that has yet to be announced.
Within the next 5 years, Goodwill is looking to expand further into London, Cambridge, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, St. Catharines, Fort Erie, Dunnville, Welland, and Thorold. So for the near future, it looks like Toronto locals will have to travel a short distance if they want to add Goodwill to their thrift roster.
At Goodwill, customers can find a variety of unique products including clothing, jewellery, paintings, and other vintage items. Similarly to Value Village, another resale-giant, popular amongst Canadians.
Along with the store expansion, Goodwill is also aiming to open more than 75 new donation centres.
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With each spring comes a revival of life – flowers bloom, the sun emerges, warm weather returns and everything just seems brighter… Unless, you’re in the retail industry. In retail, spring signals the restructuring of the Canadian retail landscape from sector bankruptcies. After a long harsh winter, especially like those in Canada, some retailers don’t make it through. Look at Express, BCBG, Bebe, Payless and American Apparel, just a few major retailers who have all pulled out of the Canadian market within the last year.
One of the main, undeniable reasons is e-commerce. The reality isn’t that people aren’t shopping at malls anymore – they are, and retail spending continues to grow at a meager but steady pace – however, other trends have surpassed shopping malls.
Logo-driven brands, like Hollister and Abercrombie, that thrived in the early 2000s when coolness was measured by the size of the logo on your sweater, simply became uncool at an alarming rate. Logo-driven clothing was replaced with vintage fashion, something that can’t be found at local malls.
Abercrombie & Fitch (Image: Instagram/@aidanknicholson)
Also, why even go out to a mall and buy new clothes when you can purchase them online from the comfort of your own home? You can basically get anything and everything you’d ever want or need on Amazon nowadays. The rise of e-commerce, coupled with the oversupply of malls, has come to change the face of shopping for the average consumer.
Millennials have also focused their spending elsewhere. Rather than going on a shopping spree, they are spending their money on travelling across the globe and nights out with friends at fancy restaurants.
These factors lead to more and more mall spaces being orphaned by those retailers leaving Canada’s fashion market, but the situation may not be as bad as some may fear. It may seem like some sort of retail apocalypse is taking over in which shopping malls are following the dinosaurs to impending extinction, but that’s just not the case.
There are still people who go to malls because they enjoy the experience of shopping. Back in the day, the only way to shop was to go to the mall. Now, there are multiple ways to shop meaning shopping malls have taken a back seat, but they haven’t gotten out of the car completely.
The recent series of fashion failures does not signify the end of malls, but rather an opportunity for growth, making way for new retail stores and multiple expansions to the Canadian fashion market.
Multiple new retailers are filling the empty mall space, including many Canadian brands such as Canada Goose, Simons and Aritzia. In addition, newer foreign retailers are increasing their presence in Canada’s market including Uniqlo, Samsung and Christian Louboutin.
Inside Canada Goose’s Yorkdale store (Image: Grayson Miller)
There’s no denying that the current retail market is a bit rocky, but Canada is still doing much better than the US. Retailers are lucky that per capita retail penetration has been – and still remains – lower in Canada than the US. According to a study from the Retail Council of Canada, per capita penetration of shopping malls in Canada is 16.5 square feet per person, compared with 23.6 square feet per person in the US.
But it is also important to note that malls are more than just malls nowadays. They’re a place of retail-tainment; a place of both shopping and entertainment. People no longer just go to a mall to buy a new shirt, they go for an experience. They want to see a movie, go out for dinner and buy that new shirt all in one place.
Does this change what malls once were? Yes, but it’s a good kid of change. With the use of ambience, emotion, sound and activity that retail-tainment introduces, it actually gets customers further interested in the merchandise and in a mood to buy. Does it take away from the overall retail experience? No. In fact, it adds to a whole new shopping experience.
Malls aren’t dying, they’re just changing.
Do you agree that the death of malls is not coming? Let us know in the comment section.
Featured Image: CF Toronto Eaton Centre via Instagram/@jasonskung
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Failing malls are turning into prime condo real estate projects. With the high number of store closures, it’s the most beneficial way to keep revenues up for property owners. This might mean massive changes for department stores. Canadian mall owners seek to capitalize on a supply-constrained housing market while minimizing their vulnerability to the struggling retail market. They are creating new mixed spaces, with specialty stores, restaurants, and residential units. According to RioCan REIT, Canada’s largest property trust, this will create lively, well-located neighborhoods as well as foster a community and ensure safer spaces. “The population is growing and there’s no real land left in Canada’s biggest cities,” states RioCan Chief Executive Ed Sonshine. “Demand for retail space isn’t growing…it makes perfect sense on so many levels.”
According to the Financial Post, developers, such as RioCan REIT and the property units of some Canadian pension funds, are turning major lands that have not been put to best use historically into housing in one of the world’s priciest, supply-constrained residential markets. This includes lands containing parking lots and low-rise retail stores.
RioCan is creating ePlace in Toronto, a development with about one-fifth of the retail space typically in its other malls, 1,100 condos and apartments, and some offices. The development is expected to be finished by early 2019, and the condos have already been sold. Buyers and owners of other malls are also joining in.
Did you know that the most productive mall in Canada is Yorkdale Shopping Centre? According to a Retail Council of Canada study, the mall received $1,653 in sales per square foot for the year ending June 30. In addition, the owner of Oxford Properties plans to add as many as 1,496 residential units, offices and a hotel. “Oxford is betting that better public transit and technological changes, such as autonomous vehicles, will reduce demand for parking,” said Bradley Jones, head of retail at Oxford.
With the recent closings of big retail outlets like Sears and Target, real estate owners are rethinking how to plan and change their properties in the future.
Source: Financial Post
What do you think about these changes? Let us know in the comments!
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Calling all fall job seekers: there’s a big retail job fair happening in Toronto this September.
On Tuesday, September 12, the Retail Council of Canada will be partnering with City of Toronto for a retail job fair for youth and adults. With over 25 different retailers in tow and over 500 opportunities up for grabs, you’re sure to find something to help pay those bills.
Retailers you can expect in attendance include Hudson’s Bay, Roots, Winners, Starbucks, H&M, Pusateri’s, Calvin Klein, Foot Locker, Town Shoes and more. Check out the full list here.
Pre-registration for the fair is required, and all attendees are advised to bring 15+ copies of resumes and to dress for success.
Get full details about the retail job fair here.
Featured Image: Flickr/WOCinTech
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If you’re looking for a career in fashion, you’ll be happy to hear that there’s a massive retail job fair happening in Toronto next week. The Retail Council of Canada has partnered with the City of Toronto to offer up over 800 career and seasonal work opportunities with some of the nation’s most reputable retailers.
Taking place at the Toronto Reference Library on Tuesday, April 18th, the spring job fair is open to Toronto residents ages 16 and up. All those interested in participating must pre-register the day of the event. You can get full instructions on how to register here.
Here’s a list of some of the confirmed retailers who will be hiring at the retail job fair:
Ashley HomeStore
The Bay
The Children’s Place
Calvin Klein
Home Depot
IKEA
Kitchen Stuff Plus
Lindt
Lowes
Match Marketing Group
Michael Hill
Michaels
Microsoft Store (Eaton Centre)
Pusateri’s
Reitmans
ADDITION ELLE
Hyba
Pennigtons
RW&CO
THYME
Sirens
Sleep Country (New Addition)
Starbucks Coffee Canada
TJX (Winners, HomeSense, Marshalls)
Rogers Communications
Swarovski
T&T Supermarket Inc.
Tim Hortons
Tommy Hilfiger
White House Black Market
Old Navy
Digital Main St. (New Addition)
Get full detail about the Toronto retail job fair here.
Featured Image: Flickr/wocintechchat
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Toronto’s very own Yorkdale Shopping Centre comes in at number one, much of its success may be attributed to its $331 Million expansion bringing new stores like Nordstrom, Canada Goose, and UNIQLO to its roster of stores. This list comes from the Retail Council of Canada who released their list of Top Malls In Canada And The United States By Sales Per Square Foot in a December 2016 study. The list provides the latest information on mall productivity, size, and traffic as well as a juxtaposition between top Canadian and US shopping centres.
Here are the top 10 most productive malls in Canada by sales per square foot for 12 months ending August 31st, 2016:
