Canadian Retail Thread [Archive] - Page 7

SpongeG

Nov 8, 2006, 2:33 AM

It's never too cold to go shopping

Canadian winters unlikely to cool off hot retail trend

Canadian retailers have snow reason to avoid setting up shop in new outdoor shopping centres.

Ian Thomas, of B.C.-based Thomas Consultants, said the attraction of shoppers to centres with great, well-designed stores outweighs our annual battle with blustery weather.

He was speaking at the Outdoor Centres Forum hosted by the International Council of Shopping Centres in Toronto. The topic was the move from malls to mini-villages, or new outdoor shopping meccas chock full of outdoor shops, condos, offices, big box stores and restaurants.

"Each of us are guilty in Canada of complaining about the weather but it doesn't seem to be a factor anymore. What we are seeing is the proliferation of these large-scale outdoor centres in cold climates," he said, adding Cadillac Fairview is planning a "new urbanist centre" in Toronto.

These 'lifestyle centres' have gained a toehold in the Canadian retail industry, with three recently completed in Vancouver, Edmonton and Montreal.

And it could happen here, although it might mean tearing down old malls to make way for the new.

"I think that lifestyle centres could be a located in the downtowns of middle-sized cities," Don Watt, chairman and CEO of Toronto-based DW+Partners retail consultancy.

Cold weather cities such as Cleveland or Indianapolis in the northern U.S. have already integrated them into neighbourhoods.

Yet Perry Caicco is skeptical about how the trend will translate in the Canadian retail industry.

"There's a healthy dose of skepticism," said Caicco, managing director of institutional equity research for CIBC World Markets.

He said our climate is a deterrent to outdoor shopping, as is the massive amount of capital investment needed to move these massive projects forward.

Buying power also clouds the picture as Canadian income is spread more evenly among a large middle class. In the U.S., where lifestyle centres are thriving, polarized income classes play a role.

Lifestyle centres often cater to high-income consumers.

http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1162507818143&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1112101662835

SpongeG

Nov 8, 2006, 2:38 AM

$3-million makeover to double store's size

EDMONTON - A stylish and assured clientele has convinced Harry Rosen Inc. to spend $3 million doubling the size of its West Edmonton Mall menswear store.

"There's a tremendous feeling of confidence in Alberta," says CEO Larry Rosen. "Young people are enjoying their incomes and they appreciate quality."

The 6,000-square-foot store annually sells "over $1,000 per square foot," he says -- estimating that other mall retailers average $200 to $300.

As Edmonton has become more affluent, shoppers "have gained a more international perspective," Rosen says.

While Harry Rosen is "a luxury brand," it attracts a range of ages and lifestyles. The enlarged store will have separate areas for designer lines, including Armani and Hugo Boss, weekend fashion, traditional sportswear, shoes and made-to-measure.

After closing a store in the former Edmonton Centre several years ago, Rosen hopes to open again in the downtown, perhaps in three years. "We have to get the right location."

A recent style shift is that "men are finally understanding how to use a sports jacket in their wardrobe," Rosen says.

One well-chosen jacket can be worn to the office with shirt and tie, with a sports shirt on casual Friday, and with jeans and sweater on weekends, he says. "It's so versatile."

Materials range from tweed to velvet.

"Velvet is hot," Rosen says -- but not in a gaudy, shoulder-padded look. "The jackets now are softer and unstructured."

Ten years ago, "we sold five suits for every sports jacket," he says. "Now the numbers are almost even."

The WEM expansion will be part of a two-year, $50-million upgrading and expansion of the 16-store chain.

Within five years, Rosen aims to build annual revenue to $300 million from $200 million and to expand market share, among high-end menswear stores, to 50 per cent from 40 per cent.

In Edmonton, he sees Henry Singer and Holt Renfrew as his major competitors.

Rosen's strategy depends on service. The company spends $1 million per year on training and achieves high staff retention, with an average seniority of 16 years.

That's crucial because "women tend to be search shoppers but men are reluctant shoppers," Rosen says. "If you can earn their trust, they become very loyal."

Harry Rosen founded the privately held chain in Toronto in 1954. Larry Rosen, his son, became president in 1997 and CEO in 2000. Harry Rosen retired from his position as executive chairman in 2004.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=556945f0-13b6-4ce4-82a6-eb50bfe3bcd1

Taller Better

Nov 8, 2006, 5:00 AM

That Riverdale Chinatown is a pretty scuzzy area... run down quite badly. But, it has the best place in town to get lobsters... Bill's Lobsters on the south side of Gerrard, 1/2 block east of Broadview. I was there a few times this summer, and that area was hopping. I had no idea it wasn't doing well!

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/9404/july1606broadviewscenecyp0.jpg

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9366/july1606broadviewscenecol2.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/9189/july1606broadviewscenechq2.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/6890/july1606broadviewscenecxk4.jpg

Doug

Nov 8, 2006, 5:49 AM

http://www.colliersmn.com/prod/cclod.nsf/city/5613B8F979F9A5B38725720B005DB870/$File/Q3+2006+Retail+Quarterly.pdf

Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Lacoste, Abercrombie & Fitch, Apple and Crate & Barrel, Lowe’s, Cabela’s and Whole Foods Market for Calgary.

Taller Better

Nov 8, 2006, 6:08 AM

Doug

Nov 8, 2006, 6:21 AM

^Calgary had ~50% higher retails sales per capita than Vancouver in 2004. The gap is likely even larger now.
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/info/MediaKit_Economy.pdf

Built Form

Nov 8, 2006, 10:48 AM

I can't read those darned Acrobat reports.. I hate Acrobat with passion. I can't see any reference to the above stores... Do you have any information?
The most interesting one seems to be Tiffany's. Louis Vuitton will probably open one of their small boutiques with just the basic handbags, etc.. and Crate and Barrel is supposed to open across the country. So, what is the dirt on Tiffany's in Calgary? I would have thought they would open in Vancouver instead...

You are right 'Taller Better' The 4800 sq. ft. Vancouver Tiffany's will open in 2 weeks at the corner of Alberni and Burrard. Louis Vuitton is across the street in the Hotel Vancouver and also in the hotel is Gucci which opened earlier this year and Hermes opened a large store across from the Tiffany location this year as well. Calgary will probably get these stores too, eventually. But all the luxury brand retailers are moving quickly to open or expand (as was the case for Chanel) in Vancouver first, especially with the Olympics coming. Sorry Calgary you'll just have to wait your turn before blowing your own horn.

Plus15

Nov 8, 2006, 2:02 PM

RE: Tiffany & Co. in Calgary:

Towards the very end of the report it briefly touches on the Chinook Centre expansion, and name drops. In the chart of proposed properties it lists "Tiffany's" as the proposed anchor tenant to this expansion.

I have heard rumours of this for a while, that the Chinook expansion is going to be super high-end. I don't think the deal is soldified in any way. I would be mildly dissapointed to see Tiffany's open at Chinook...that's the sort of thing that should be downtown.

Tiffany's or not, the new wing at Chinook will most certainly blow the doors off anything else in existence in Alberta.

Taller Better

Nov 8, 2006, 6:21 PM

You are right 'Taller Better' The 4800 sq. ft. Vancouver Tiffany's will open in 2 weeks at the corner of Alberni and Burrard. Louis Vuitton is across the street in the Hotel Vancouver and also in the hotel is Gucci which opened earlier this year and Hermes opened a large store across from the Tiffany location this year as well. Calgary will probably get these stores too, eventually. But all the luxury brand retailers are moving quickly to open or expand (as was the case for Chanel) in Vancouver first, especially with the Olympics coming. Sorry Calgary you'll just have to wait your turn before blowing your own horn.

Thanks, Built Form! Do you have any photos of the Tiffany's? Are they doing the classic storefront with red granite and the bronze statue? I'd love to see it. As for the Gucci and the LV boutiques, there are different kinds of shops..
there is the small boutique that opens in a hotel or within something like Holts and there is a full line free standing shop that sells the clothing as well as handbags/shoes, etc...Even those full sized shops vary in size and content in different cities of the world... the ones in Paris, London and New York are bigger than the ones in Toronto. Ditto for Cartier... they have a Le Must line of boutiques and they have the full sized shops that vary around the world. The Tiffany's in Vancouver sounds like a full sized store, while the shopping centre Tiffany's boutique in Calgary sounds like it will be a smaller type like you see in in some Australian cities.

SpongeG

Nov 8, 2006, 9:51 PM

SpongeG

Nov 8, 2006, 9:56 PM

also - I go to Crate & Barrel quite often - there are 2 just a couple hours south of Vancouver - and I was just in a few in the San Francisco area - and it really isn't that exciting of a store - it looks good and its nicely laid out but overall its just kinda meh - if you look closely at the furniture it looks no better than the Brick kinda stuff - ie they use particle board and stuff - they just have nicer styling

Built Form

Nov 8, 2006, 11:22 PM

Thanks, Built Form! Do you have any photos of the Tiffany's? Are they doing the classic storefront with red granite and the bronze statue? I'd love to see it. As for the Gucci and the LV boutiques, there are different kinds of shops..
there is the small boutique that opens in a hotel or within something like Holts and there is a full line free standing shop that sells the clothing as well as handbags/shoes, etc...Even those full sized shops vary in size and content in different cities of the world... the ones in Paris, London and New York are bigger than the ones in Toronto. Ditto for Cartier... they have a Le Must line of boutiques and they have the full sized shops that vary around the world. The Tiffany's in Vancouver sounds like a full sized store, while the shopping centre Tiffany's boutique in Calgary sounds like it will be a smaller type like you see in in some Australian cities.

http://www.opulencemag.ca/vancouver/lifestyle02.html
The above link will take you to an article in Opulance magazine concerning the news Tiffany's Vancouver store.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f58/hirtus1/lifestyle02.jpg

samne

Nov 9, 2006, 12:17 AM

H & M is a more stylish Old Navy. The clothes are bad quality, dont fit properly and last a season or two depending on how many times you wash.

Zara has better quality Spanish designed wear for cheap prices. I still have stuff I bought 4-5 years ago.

Claeren

Nov 9, 2006, 12:48 AM

^ Yuck, i hate Zara's. I can't even go into their stores, the lighting literally makes me sick.

I find nothing there fits either, it is for very small builds only (all of my Asian friends shop there without any trouble). H&M i find fits normal builds much better.

Claeren.

malek

Nov 9, 2006, 1:03 AM

Zara's xtra large is barely a north american medium.

its crazy.

samne

Nov 9, 2006, 1:38 AM

Claeren, never noticed the lighting.

I know what you mean about the sizing, Im over 6' and not everything fits either. Toronto has a couple really big stores with alot of stock with crazy sales, so sometimes you just sort through. But for inexpensive euro imports, Zara is cheap for the quality.

Taller Better

Nov 9, 2006, 5:59 AM

vancouver's luxury brands are always changing too - mostly because they were franchises - i think the ones coming in now are corporate

years ago in the 90's we had 3 Versace Stores, Romeo Gigli, Valentino, Celine, Sonia Rykiel and Furla

The new Hermes store is really nice - and the Tiffanys should help that "luxury" block a lot

If they are boutiques within a hotel, or within Holt Renfrew they won't be a full range corporate shop. The full range shops are pretty much always free standing. A small Louis Vuitton will sell bags and small things, and the full range shop will sell the clothing. I remember shopping at a great place in Vancouver about 20 years ago... can't remember the name, was something like l'Uomo, and it was owned by some people from Hong Kong. There used to be a Versace store on Bloor, and it closed shortly after he was killed. There was a very cool Armani shop for men on Hazelton, but it closed a few years ago, too.

Builtform, thanks a lot for finding that picture for me! I appreciate it!

squeezied

Nov 9, 2006, 8:58 AM

years ago in the 90's we had 3 Versace Stores, Romeo Gigli, Valentino, Celine, Sonia Rykiel and Furla

vancouver had versace, let alone THREE versaces??? wow wat happened?

SpongeG

Nov 9, 2006, 10:34 AM

we still have one Versace - in Leone on West hastings - it carries the clothes and the home stuff

there was a Versace on Burrard and Georgia and a Versus - which was Versace's sportier line across from the VAG - they all closed in the late 90's

apparently the story is or was that Leone had the original Franchise for Versace and than some other family from hong kong got a Versace Franchise as well in the 90's and for a while the two families duked it out - but Leone prevailed and I don't know what happened to the other family but they shut down all their stores

the same family also brought Romeo Gigli to town which was next to the Versus store

Vancouver also has a Wolford - next to Coach on Burrard - a high end stocking label from Austria, St John - in the Vancouver hotel next to Louis Vuitton, chanel, hugo boss, cartier and roche bobois are on West hastings

there is also a French company that had a shop on Robson but it closed down and now there is only one in Metrotown and one in Richmond Centre and than one in toronto - Morgan De Toi - its sort of like a Zara from Paris - http://www.morgandetoi.com/ - i remember seeing them all over London - there are none in New York or the states at all

SpongeG

Nov 9, 2006, 10:44 AM

i just noticed that Vancouver is the only Canadian City to have an Armani Exchange store

miketoronto

Nov 9, 2006, 11:53 PM

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 10, 2006, 12:38 AM

i just noticed that Vancouver is the only Canadian City to have an Armani Exchange store

Huh? What happened to the one by Holt Renfrew (on Bloor) in Toronto?

samne

Nov 10, 2006, 3:39 AM

^
gone, I think for at least 5 years. I dont know whats there right now.

miketoronto

Nov 10, 2006, 4:11 AM

HMV has taken over the space :)

Taller Better

Nov 10, 2006, 7:15 AM

That is weird about Tiffany's opening up in Calgary, considering they don't even have a Montreal store yet.

To be honest all these super high end chains I don't really think show class anymore.

Tiffany's use to be something when it was only the 5th Ave store, and they had high attention to detail, etc.

Now that it is a multinational chain, I personally don't find it that special anymore. You can now find a Tiffany's in any major city. So why go dump a couple grand there, when I can go to Yorkville and dumb a couple grand at a unique Toronto only store, and get a unique one of a kind bracelet or something?

Thats just my view. Same with Gucci, and all those names now. Its just mass produced main in china stuff now. No more special attention to detail or unique items.

Tiffany's is opening a free standing, 4000+sq ft store in Vancouver (I must admit though, I am not crazy about the look), and the one in Calgary is just going to be a shopping centre boutique. It doesn't surprise me that they chose Vancouver over Montreal to open a second proper Canadian Tiffany's store.

I don't agree with the Debbie Downer attitude toward international couture and jewelry shops opening in Canada. Gives people a choice. And frankly Birks needs a kick in the ass to improve its second rate performance as a jeweler.
As for Gucci, did you think that they still hand sew all that stuff in a little shop in Milan? You are paying for the styling, not for where it was made.There is a lot more to Gucci than handbags, nowadays.

"Tiffany's use to be something when it was only the 5th Ave store, and they had high attention to detail, etc."

did you actually go to Tiffany's in NYC when there was only one store?

vancouver had versace, let alone THREE versaces??? wow wat happened?

Well, I think perhaps his dying put a damper on things. I am no expert, but I don't think Versace carries the
same weight today as it used to when he was alive.

SpongeG

Nov 12, 2006, 12:58 AM

neilson

Nov 12, 2006, 1:20 AM

there's only two Tiffanys in Canada and not that many in the states - I was looking at their web site and was surprised by how few locations there were

I can agree that as more US and European chains open up in Canada it gets less exciting to go to those stores

I hope Target never Opens in Canada - I love going to the one across the border - its always exciting
But Zellers IS essentially Target.

I feel the same way whenever I visit Zellers, just like you guys do whenever you visit Target.

SpongeG

Nov 12, 2006, 1:29 AM

what Zellers did you visit?

its crappy and each store is different

some are better than others but most suck and are awful. they are messy, un organized, prices are wrong, service is crappy, selection is boring

--------------------

Canada Post: U.S. retailers reaching Canadians at holidays

American retailers are ramping up their marketing efforts via the Internet and through catalog distribution in order to reach out to Canadian shoppers and take advantage of what’s predicted to be a strong holiday season in Canada’s direct retail industry, according to Canada Post.

Revenue figures among U.S. retail partners of Canada Post’s Borderfree service has increased more than 50 percent in 2006, and Canada Post forecasts a strong holiday season, estimating this rate will continue to the end of December.

Through Borderfree’s suite of e-commerce technology and cross-border logistics solutions, Canada Post enables direct retailers to manage their international customer shopping experience and optimize their logistics operations.

Consumer confidence, the strong Canadian dollar and the marketing efforts of Canada Post’s retail partners largely contributed to the figures. Overall retail spending in Canada during the holidays last year reached $1.9 billion, up 27 percent from the previous year.

This market is spurring an increasing trend among electronics, apparel and cosmetics retailers to double their efforts in the Canadian retail market, now estimated to be $329 billion in U.S. dollars, Canada Post said. U.S. merchants including Crate & Barrel, Sephora, Brookstone, Domestications and Casual Living are among those using Canada Post’s Borderfree service to ensure an easy “cross-border” experience.

Canada Post also mentioned that this month launched the first lookbook catalog, described as a “catalog of catalogs” which includes product lines of more than 12 U.S. retailers and is being distributed to 700,000 Canadian households.

The first retailers to participate in the lookbook include Eddie Bauer, Smarthome, Brookstone, Cabela’s and Tiger Direct.

Because of intense retailer interest, Canada Post said it has released plans to offer direct retailers the opportunity to add their product selections within the pages of the lookbook for the Spring and Holiday 2007 editions. The participation deadline for the spring issue is Nov. 27.

http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/direct-mail/38933.html

SpongeG

Nov 12, 2006, 1:31 AM

Wal-Mart revives Christmas emphasis in holiday marketing

This holiday season, Wal-Mart isn't trumpeting big bargains only. It's also bringing "Christmas" back into its marketing, after several years of playing down the term.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Christmas cheer seems to be a hot trend this season, as several other retailers, including Kohl's Corp. and Macy's, a division of Federated Department Stores Inc., are also stepping up their Christmas marketing.

The moves respond to mounting criticism from religious groups that staged boycotts of Wal-Mart and other merchants after they eliminated or de-emphasized Christmas in their advertising.

"We learned a lesson from that. Merry Christmas is now part of the vocabulary here at Wal-Mart," said Linda Blakley, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.

Wal-Mart said Thursday that it will launch its first Christmas-specific television ad in several years, feature Christmas shops, previously called Holiday Shops, and increase the number of seasonal merchandise labelled "Christmas" instead of "holiday" by 60 per cent.

U.S. department store Macy's is also adding Christmas signage in all of its department stores, and Kohl's is playing up Christmas this year in its television, print and radio advertising, according to Vicki Shamion, a Kohl's spokeswoman.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2006/11/10/walmart-christmas.html

malek

Nov 12, 2006, 2:18 AM

did anyone post something about Simons establishing in Toronto?

Taller Better

Nov 12, 2006, 5:43 AM

did anyone post something about Simons establishing in Toronto?

No, but I've long heard rumblings that they were going to open a store, and
that would be just fine by me. I think it would be the ideal tenant for the Yonge and Bloor Hudson Bay Store site. I think there is one in Ottawa, is there not?

malek

Nov 12, 2006, 5:56 AM

they are looking for a 10,000 sqm location. The Sears location in the Eaton center is in their crosshair.

they don't have a store in Ottawa.

malek

Nov 12, 2006, 6:00 AM

IntotheWest

Nov 13, 2006, 9:34 AM

But all the luxury brand retailers are moving quickly to open or expand (as was the case for Chanel) in Vancouver first, especially with the Olympics coming. Sorry Calgary you'll just have to wait your turn before blowing your own horn.

I think it's a matter of space in Calgary more than anything...Calgary did manage to get a Williams-Sonoma before Vancouver (which I wouldn't call a "luxury" store, but it does cater to the higher-end).

There is also a Louis Vuitton store in Banff, and its been there for at least 5 years.

Unfortunately, these other stores looking to get into Calgary are waiting for a supposed expansion at Chinook, instead of into downtown.

EDIT: I'm surprised Burberry hasn't opened a store in at least TO or Vancouver...It's amazing how popular the brand has become, and see it everyday (scarves, handbags, coats, etc). Holt Renfrew has some stuff, but not like it's own stores.

miketoronto

Nov 13, 2006, 3:21 PM

I think Burberry is fading now. Everyone keeps walking around with the same pattern that it is getting a little old.

But then if I get high-end stuff I am more into unique stuff, then the brand everyone else is wearing.

Taller Better

Nov 13, 2006, 3:30 PM

La Maison Simons cherche un emplacement à Toronto

Mise en ligne 09/11/2006 09h20

La chaîne de magasins Simons ne cache plus son intention de prendre d'assaut le marché de Toronto.
Le président de la Maison Simons, Peter Simons, a déclaré au journal Les Affaires qu'il a retenu les services d'un courtier immobilier pour dénicher l'emplacement idéal à Toronto.

Simons cherche des locaux de 10 000 mètres carrés en plein centre-ville, ce qui est plutôt rare. Mais l'entreprise est prête à mettre le temps qu'il faudra avant de réaliser son projet et se refuse à établir un échéancier précis.

L'un des sites possibles est le Eaton Centre qui accueille actuellement un magasin Sears.

La Maison Simons, fondée en 1840, exploite actuellement sept magasins au Québec et emploie 900 personnes.

Thanks for the article, malek! That is very heartening... I thought maybe they stopped looking. Sears would be even better than the HBC Centre at Yonge and Bloor. Very ambitious, as it is a huge store, but it would be perfect..... I keep my fingers crossed!

EDIT: I'm surprised Burberry hasn't opened a store in at least TO or Vancouver...It's amazing how popular the brand has become, and see it everyday (scarves, handbags, coats, etc). Holt Renfrew has some stuff, but not like it's own stores.

I'm surprised as well... they have been opening free standing stores all over the world. But, like Mike says, the "trend" is over and people wearing it are looking a bit "naff". I saw a middle aged couple from London last week (they sounded like they were from Essex) and she was decked out in the hat, etc... and it looked totally "chavette" and cheesy. I think Burberry itself was torn about the trend, especially when all the rappers started doing it ages ago and all the knockoffs were being made, as they knew it was putting them in a dangerous position of losing prestige... sort of like Gucci found itself years ago with the knockoff bags on every street corner. But Gucci redefined itself with a top designer, and Burberry may be able to do the same.

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 5:17 AM

Armani Exchange is the lower-end line of Armani, similar to Banana Republic or Club Monaco. Vancouver's is the only store in Canada. There was an Emporio Armani store next to where HMV has been for ages. It was then a Danier Leather, and now an RW&Co.

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 5:35 AM

Versace and Versus were also in Toronto (now Guess? and their sister-store Marciano). The only store in Canada: Vancouver!

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 5:37 AM

Taller Better

Nov 14, 2006, 6:00 AM

Simons would be great, but I don't think HBC Centre is the right space. Maybe it could be the new lead tenant in 1BE? Maybe take the former Caban space (instead of the dreadful Urban Planet) on Queen West?

From what malek says, they are gunning for a bigger space, more like the downtown Montreal store, and that is just fine by me. Sears is hideous.
Is there not an Armani shop in Holts? I guess it is only women's clothing. I am truly no fashion expert, but Versace seems like such an "80's"/ early "90's" thing. I know Donatella is carrying on the design work, but it does seem a bit passé. I remember meeting Gianni Versace once in Bloomingdales in NYC, around 1980. He was a super hot designer at the time and was introducing a line of clothing. I remember how short he was! I remember all the New Yorkers saying his name like "Johnny"! LOL!

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 3:35 PM

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061107.wwalmartt1107/BNStory/Business/home
___________
What would Linda buy? Wal-Mart needs to know
MARINA STRAUSS
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
At the new Wal-Mart Supercentre, it's all about Linda.

She's the prototypical Canadian customer for whom the massive stores are being designed, right down to where the bras are displayed.

“Linda” is 30 to 45 years old, has two or three children, a husband and a career. She's a soccer mom who multitasks, and she's time-starved.

So when she heads to Wal-Mart for the family shopping, she'd like to pick up some cosmetics for herself, a prescription for her son, diapers for the baby and dog food for the pet. All in that order. Then she'd like to get some grocery shopping done at the same time.

She might even have noticed a parka or a pair of pants at the nearby fashion section. Or spotted a cellphone across the way that looked appealing.

But at her regular Wal-Mart, she's not completely comfortable in the lingerie section. It's next to a busy aisle, and across from electronics. Men often frequent that department, and that may mean that she spends less time there than she otherwise would.

Wal-Mart Canada Corp.'s research on “Linda,” who represents its core customer, has played a big role in the planning of its new Supercentres, which open today.

The object is to get customers in and out of the stores as quickly as possible, while ensuring that they buy as much as possible.

“When we put together a new service or product, we say, ‘Let's check with Linda,'” Wal-Mart Canada chief executive officer Mario Pilozzi said in an interview as he toured the new Supercentre in Stouffville, Ont., which opens Wednesday. “She's very real.... Our whole organization has to understand that customer. So we give the customer an identity.”

The identity is a quintessentially Canadian one. “Linda” is a home-grown creation, initiated a couple of years ago at Wal-Mart Canada in Mississauga, said Jim Thompson, senior vice-president of merchandising. She is the personification of the company's target customer, and she's the focus of what most of its Supercentre work has been built around.

Her picture is a familiar one at head office. She generally wears jeans and a smart sweater, and there are even cardboard cutouts of her that executives take to meetings when they talk strategy.

Wal-Mart is launching the new Supercentre concept in Canada starting with three in Ontario, with plans for about 14 more next year and what analysts expect to be dozens across the country. The new Supercentres are roughly the size of four football fields, and 30 per cent bigger than existing Wal-Marts. They include a full supermarket along with more fashions, home goods and electronics than the traditional stores. They stock about 120,000 products, compared with 80,000 at the standard outlets. That's a bigger selection under one roof than in any other store in Canada, company officials say.

In the Supercentre in Stouffville, north of Toronto, the retailer has placed cosmetics at the front, and to the right, on the supermarket side of the store (rather than by the general merchandise entrance). Shoppers tend to automatically turn to the right when they enter a store, research has found.

Cosmetics sales also provide Wal-Mart with higher profit margins than many of its other products.

The cosmetics is part of a big pharmacy section which has been moved from the right side of a standard Wal-Mart, to the front near the grocery entrance. That makes it convenient for to get prescriptions and then move on to the infant and toddler section, and then to the pet department, Mr. Thompson said. At traditional Wal-Marts, the pet department is at the other end of the store.

As for the bras, they've been moved away from the electronics, to a quieter aisle next to the shoes. The placement is strategic and could prompt women to buy more shoes, he said. That's because while lingerie is often a have-to purchase, shoes tend to be bought on impulse. When they're looking at the bras and underpants, they may just notice a pair of high heels that catches their fancy.

There have been other subtle adjustments in a bid to cater to the core customer. She is looking for healthier foods, so a nutritional honey almond crisp cereal has been placed next to the bananas — with the thinking that cereal and bananas are a natural fit.

Jams and juices have been added to the cereal aisles so that shoppers' breakfast needs are all in one place. And for a quick, simple Sunday morning family breakfast, the frozen sausages — which are typically carried in the meat department — are displayed by the frozen pancakes and other breakfast items. It's also an attempt to make it easier to find everything in the same aisle.

In the home section, bed, bath and kitchen wares have been organized in sections of contemporary, traditional and ultra-traditional styles, so that the customer can differentiate them quickly. And taking a page from IKEA and other home furnishing retailers, the Supercentres have set up small “vignettes,” such a fully made-up bed and fully set dining table, to show how products look together.

Toys have been moved next to electronics, because so many toys now have a technological twist and are becoming electronic gadgets.

“Linda” has a hectic life, and anything that Wal-Mart can do to make it easier is a feather in its cap. “Linda is like the CEO and the CFO [chief financial officer] of the family,” Mr. Thompson said. “We've got a lot of respect for this lady. She is balancing her kids, her husband, her career ... We look after her and we become her one-stop shop, her destination for all her needs. Linda wins, we win and our shareholders win.

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 3:36 PM

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1162939814807&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
__________
Wal-Mart goes supersize
Grocers brace for `battle of the brands'
Nov. 8, 2006. 07:06 AM
DANA FLAVELLE
BUSINESS REPORTER

Wal-Mart Canada Corp. says it could have as many as 17 supercentres open by the end of next year, kick-starting a potential price war that could shake up Canada's $72.5 billion-a-year grocery industry.
The retailer, which officially opens its first three supercentres today, said it could add up to 14 more next year, depending on municipal approvals.
The massive stores are nearly a third larger than a typical Wal-Mart and are the first in Canada to carry fresh produce, meat and baked goods, along with an expanded assortment of household furnishings, clothing and consumer electronics, the retailer said.
"We hope Wal-Mart supercentres will become a real one-stop shop that Canadians have been waiting for," Mario Pilozzi, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Canada Corp., told reporters during a media preview of the Stouffville supercentre yesterday.
Wal-Mart's long-expected entry into the grocery business has already taken the shine off some supermarket-industry stocks, particularly Loblaw Cos. Ltd., which is struggling to lower prices and add more general merchandise to compete with Wal-Mart.
"It's going to be a battle of the brands," retail consultant John Torella, of the J.C. Williams Group in Toronto, predicted after touring the Stouffville supercentre yesterday.
The store in Stouffville, 48 kilometres northeast of Toronto, is one of three that officially open today. The other two are in London, Ont., and the Hamilton suburb Ancaster.
Four more are scheduled to open early next year, the retailer has said previously: one each in Scarborough, Brampton, Sarnia and Vaughan. Pilozzi declined to say where the additional five to 10 supercentres announced yesterday might be located, though observers expect it will be southern Ontario.
Not every new store will be a supercentre, Pilozzi said, noting the retailer plans a total of 15 to 20 projects next year as usual, including a mix of additions, relocations and new stores. In fact, a regular Wal-Mart opened yesterday in Guelph, he noted.
Wal-Mart said its new supercentres have up to 200,000 square feet, and carry 120,000 items, 50 per cent more than normal and most in the new grocery section. Each store represents an investment of up to $15 million and employs 500 people, the retailer said.
The supercentres contain more of everything, and are housed in more spacious, upscale buildings, with hardwood floors, pastel paint colours, more high-end electronics and more department-store-like displays in the home-furnishings area.
But the biggest difference is in the grocery department. Where a typical Wal-Mart might carry up to 5,000 different canned, dry and frozen foods, the supercentres will sport full-fledged grocery stores, with fresh produce, baked goods and meats.
At up to 40,000 square feet, Wal-Mart's new grocery departments rival conventional supermarkets in size and quality, but aim to beat them on price.
Three other major supermarket chains have stores within a few kilometres of the new Wal-Mart, including A&P, Sobeys and No Frills (a Loblaw brand). None would comment on the supercentre.
Analysts, however, have predicted the supercentres will give the incumbents a run for their money. "It's a conventional grocery-store offering at discount prices," said a financial analyst on the Stouffville store tour, who asked his name not be used.
But others have said Wal-Mart will have a tough time cracking Canada's grocery market because it's already well served by discounters, such as No Frills, Price Chopper and Food Basics.
Pilozzi was careful to avoid the mistake he made when Wal-Mart launched its Sam's Club warehouse-style stores in Canada three years ago. At the time, he predicted 100 such stores could be built across the country. But only six have gone up so far, and no indication has surfaced on when more will open. The Stouffville supercentre, considered the prototype, contains many of the new features the retailer plans to add to all new stores, not just supercentres. For example, 100 of the company's 272 existing Wal-Marts got a makeover in consumer electronics and clothing, starting last July, and another 100 will be retrofitted next year.
The newer consumer-electronics departments contain more high-end and brand-name items, such as the one-gigabyte iPod released last Friday, and high-definition televisions by Panasonic and RCA. The newer clothing sections are organized by brand in miniature stores within a store.
In the home-furnishing section, the discounter has adopted a department-store concept, using floor models to show how a table might be set for the holidays or a bed made up with co-ordinating linens.
For Stouffville, the retailer's arrival signals a new phase in a transition from small town to fast-growing suburban centre. Major subdivisions are under construction and more in the approval stage, so the town of 25,000 is set to explode.
Eric Button, who chairs Stouffville's downtown business improvement area, said he is hoping the chain will bring back dollars Stouffville was losing to other high-growth communities.

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 3:37 PM

From: http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/287454702601451.php
______________
Big-box stores in Orleans will compliment, not hurt mall biz
By Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Wed, Nov 8, 2006 1:00 PM EST

Although it might seem like the exploding Innes Road business strip of stores and businesses is sounding the death knell for Place d'Orléans, an Ottawa retail sales expert says development is good news for the regional mall.

Barry Nabatian, general manager of Market Research Corp., says the two business areas work together to complete the needs of area shoppers and combine to keep shopping dollars in Orléans.

"Initially, Place d'Orléans will lose some minor market share, depending on what kind of stores there are on Innes Road, but in the longer term everyone will benefit, including Place d'Orléans, because people will no longer decide to leave Orléans to shop somewhere else," says Nabatian, who has studied the area in the past for the City of Ottawa and other clients.

"What happens is that when people leave Orléans to shop for one item the chances are that they will shop for at least two other items. When one client is lost three purchases are lost," he says.

Merchants will also be more interested in setting up shop in the east end now that they have more options, Nabatian adds.

Some merchants want to set up on the "main street" type of outdoor situation found on Innes Road, whereas others need the indoor environment offered by Place d'Orléans.

Nabatian says the commercial development on Innes Road has likely had a huge impact on insulating the local economy.

"I think the leakage of shopping dollars has been reduced by at least 50 per cent," he explains.

There are still problems to overcome, however, including a more diversified offering of services along Innes Road. Nabatian says a study done about a year ago showed the strip needs bakeries, butcher shops, health food stores, more large supermarkets as well as a furniture store, high end fashion store and a high end "table service" restaurant.

"There are some of things but not enough for the residents. As a result there are lots of opportunities there for people to start businesses in these areas, there is no question in my mind."

Nabatian notes that the same study showed Orléans on the whole has too many pizza shops and places which sell X-rated films.

Nabatian says merchants, landlords, the community, and local government all have to work together to make a business area grow.

He cites the Westboro Business Improvement Area as a good example of this. Commercial rents in Westboro have tripled in recent years, and business is so good that renters don't have a problem keeping up with the increases.

Nabatian says the pending development of the Orléans Town Centre - a $220-million project announced a few weeks ago - will help strengthen the foundation of the local economy.

He adds the weakness in the economy of Orlèans exists because so many people leave the area to work elsewhere during the day and then leave again at night for entertainment. He says the Orlèans Town Centre will counteract that.

"There aren't enough jobs, not enough daytime jobs in Orléans. More jobs have to be created," Nabatian says. "But on the whole, the Orléans Town Centre is going to be very positive by adding to the momentum and make Orléans a far more self-sufficient community. These things are going to happen."

By David Gonzcol

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 3:39 PM

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1162897449167&call_pageid=968867496431&col=969048867839
_________________
Suburban smorg
Nov. 8, 2006. 06:24 AM
KIM HONEY

The heart of the Oakville Entertainment Centrum resembles a contrived village, like Whistler without mountains or Disneyland without rides.
Instead of stores or houses, there are restaurants painted various shades of pastel and primary colours, with contrasting awnings.
The bright red posts of the street lamps line no boulevards or avenues. Rather they beat a path to the 24-screen AMC theatre, a 95,000-square-foot behemoth that breaches from the concrete and dwarfs everything in its shadow. It is a place of such excess that not only is the Becel topping free, but you can pump it onto your popcorn yourself.
The neon AMC logo is the most prominent part of the centrum visible from the nearby Queen Elizabeth Way at Winston Churchill Blvd., where 125,000 cars whiz by each day. A Family Fitness centre occupies one corner, while the Putting Edge — a popular, glow-in-the-dark mini-putt spot for birthday parties — is tucked away off the pedestrian walkway.
There's a rare spot of green space smack dab in the centre, complete with mature trees and a small stream, volleyball courts and picnic tables. You can't see it from the vast parking lot, mainly because it's sunken, so far below street level it is positively subterranean. The four access gates are locked.
Neither shopping malls nor power centres, centrums — which have been popping up in suburban spaces from Kanata to Oakville in the past decade — are a strange hybrid of food and entertainment. They're like a plaza for the perpetually hungry and a smorgasbord for those starving for celluloid.
"It's sort of like a streetscape turned inside out in terms of the pedestrianization," says University of Toronto sociologist Joe Hermer, who has studied a movement called town centre management in British urban areas. "They're trying to co-opt the feeling of walking down a lively downtown street. The irony of it is you have to drive to it."
Hermer, a Toronto resident, has never heard of the centrum before, and neither have some of the students and colleagues he asks. "It sounds like an Oxford quad gone crazy," he quips, referring to the square of green space commonly found at the heart of university campuses.
Even after a recent lunch hour visit, he can't quite get a bead on it, saying it has a transient feel.
"These are spaces in which you don't do anything, but you travel through," he explains, pointing to the lack of benches or any common space where people could congregate. "They're sort of conduits for transportation."
In 2000, when the Town of Oakville conferred an urban design award on the centrum, the jury described it as "totally unusual and extraordinary," and noted the architects and developers were being recognized for using the pedestrian space as an organizing feature. The jury did feel the centrum could benefit from more trees "to reinforce the urban street character" and a more "animated" architectural design.
The outdoor entertainment complex is a modified version of an American phenomenon that developer PenEquity Management Corp. calls an "open-air lifestyle centre." (PenEquity's next project is the Metropolis, an indoor mall across from Dundas Square that will house a 24-screen AMC theatre and four restaurants.)
PenEquity coined the word centrum as a branding device, choosing the word to convey its vision of the outdoor plaza as a focal point for the region.
The U.S. concept originated in Dallas in 1995 when AMC Theatres opened its first 24-screen megaplex. For years, big cinemas had been relegated to the basements and back lots of shopping malls. But the megaplex, with 4,700 seats, demanded bigger space and a bigger population to draw from. The theatres became anchor tenants for large outdoor developments.
When AMC decided to expand into Canada in 1996, the chairman of PenEquity Management (an asset manager of pension funds) struck up a personal relationship with the theatre chain. That's how it became its developer of choice, according to PenEquity president and CEO David Johnston.
The idea was to entice moviegoers into repeat visits. PenEquity studied the Block at Orange in Los Angeles, which employs retail, food and entertainment venues as bait, though the theatre is the main draw.
By situating the Oakville development next to major highways, it allowed the theatre to cater to a region, rather than any one city. And so the Oakville Entertainment Centrum, which opened in 1998, attracts patrons from Burlington to the west, Mississauga to the east and Milton to the north.
The Kanata Centrum outside Ottawa, the largest in PenEquity's stable at 92 acres, looks the most like the American version, with a mix of retail and restaurants. The AMC theatre opened there in 1999. The Whitby Centrum opened the same year. And the Mississauga Centrum opened in 2001 at Hurontario St. and Courtney Park Dr.
But the locations in Canada, designed to draw in that regional crowd, weren't typically in areas zoned for retail. And so the Canadian version was born.
"You want to create a sense of place for the pedestrian," says Johnston. "You want to walk through the centre without feeling threatened by cars."
Indeed, it's something that is not lost on Oakville parent Christine Rzepecki. "Parents can drop their kids off and arrange to pick them up, and they've got so much money to spend. They can go to the movie and then get something to eat. What can they get into around here?"
Her family of five doesn't eat out often because it's expensive. But the kids love East Side Mario's, and she and her husband sometimes visit Tasty Thai.
The 32-acre Oakville site was further constrained by the "green space," otherwise known as a 100-year storm pond, so named because, once in a 100 years, there is a storm of such magnitude that it floods.
That's one of the reasons the site was available for development.
"It was something people couldn't work out," says Leger Xavier, PenEquity's vice-president of leasing and marketing. "We tried to use it as a feature." It's typically open in the summer, but it's locked off-season to prevent loitering.
Hermer describes the mix of uses as "a bit of a dog's breakfast ... trying to figure out what people want," but to PenEquity, it all makes perfect sense.
"The idea is not about working out and going to eat and then going to a movie," says Xavier. " ... It's about repeat visitation."
There are nine restaurants now, and only four — Tasty Thai, Crazy Sushi, Rosie McGee's Irish Pub and the Souvlaki Hut — are not chains. Boston Pizza, East Side Mario's and Alice Fazooli's have Italian food covered off, while Subway Sandwiches and Caffé Demetre, which offer lunch and brunch, round out the card.
Another big chain restaurant, the steak-and-rib joint Baton Rouge, is now under construction, and the Oakville institution Trattoria Timone is renovating the old Wolfgang Puck space right now.
PenEquity says it is trying to offer variety at different prices. And so you have the soccer teams trooping in to Boston Pizza on Sunday at lunch for pitchers of pop and slabs of pie, and office workers celebrating a colleague's birthday at the mid-range Italian eatery, Alice Fazooli's. The latter even offers Italian lessons over the speakers in the restrooms, while the waiter may recommend a glass of Australian shiraz or a Coor's Light in the same breath.
The same principle behind the multiplex theatre is at work. In other words, says Johnston, it's about choice: "If I go there with my family and I can't get into East Side Mario's, I can walk to Alice Fazooli's."After open-air entertainment complexes were built in the late '80s and early '90s, Johnston says they proved that offering more choice actually helps individual restaurants to bump up their sales.
That's what the upscale Trattoria Timone is banking on. Mike Fronteddu is moving his restaurant from Lakeshore Rd. E. to the centrum space and expects to open Feb. 1.
"I'm really pumped up about it," says Fronteddu.
His seating space will almost double, from 84 to 154, but a third of that will be devoted to a lounge, where he plans to cater to the pre- and post-theatre crowd with a smaller menu and wines by the glass. He's mulling over a children's menu, and is encouraged by feedback from regulars who work near the centrum and say they'd definitely go there for business lunches.
"There's a lot of restaurants there, but not high-end restaurants," the restaurateur says. As for the fact that Puck, Gordon Biersch and Café Tu Tu Tango all failed in the centrum, Fronteddu notes all three were owned by the same company. "There shouldn't be a reason why we don't succeed here. Unless we're not good and, in that case, that's what happens."

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 3:41 PM

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1163026212623&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
_____________
U.S. stores eye Web sales in Canada
Growing online market appeals
J.C. Penney sending catalogues
Nov. 9, 2006. 07:39 AM
DANA FLAVELLE
BUSINESS REPORTER

American department store giant J.C. Penney is ramping up its marketing efforts in Canada with more catalogue deliveries to promote its Canadian website, according to Canada Post.
Meanwhile, U.S.-based online shoe retailers are reporting sharply higher sales in Canada, the post office also said yesterday.
And a U.S. firm that has been testing the Canadian market with an online site is planning to open its first physical store in Canada, said officials at Borderfree, the post office's cross-border shopping service.
"What we are seeing, partly because of the strength of the Canadian dollar, is very, very strong growth among American retailers online," Borderfree president Patrick Bartlett said in a telephone interview.
While Canadian consumers make more purchases on Canadian websites than on foreign-owned services, according to Statistics Canada, Bartlett said a growing number of U.S. retailers are eyeing the Canadian online market.
The postal service, which helps foreign retailers set up seamless cross-border sites, is actively soliciting new U.S. clients.
Borderfree's message is simple but appealing in the United States where slumping house sales threaten to dampen consumer spending this Christmas. In contrast, Canadian consumers are feeling confident and ready to spend, said Borderfree marketing manager Paulina Sazon.
The post office says American retailers like what they're hearing.
J.C. Penney, which quietly opened its website to Canadians late last year, plans to drop half a million catalogues on Canadian doorsteps this holiday season to promote the business, Sazon said. The department store operator is one of 135 cataloguers now delivering in Canada, she said, up from 35 two years ago. Research has shown catalogues help drive online sales.
Three U.S. shoe retailers that use Borderfree's service, puma.com, naturalizer.com and shoebuy.com, are all reporting sharply higher sales in Canada this year, Bartlett said.
As well, American outfitting firm Cabela's has announced plans to open its first Canadian store, in Montreal, after testing the market electronically, the post office noted. Cosmetics giant Sephora followed a similar formula, starting with an online store and then opening a chain of mall-based stores across Canada.
And it's not just the Borderfree effect, he said. The service provides shoppers with a landed price in Canadian dollars, making it easier to order from U.S. sites.
Other established U.S. retailers, like Lands' End, which has its own Canadian infrastructure, is enjoying stronger Canadian sales this year as well, Bartlett said.
"Clearly, Canadian retailers, like Chapters (Indigo), Future Shop and Sears dominate the space," Bartlett acknowledged, referring to some of the biggest Canadian owned online retail sites in the market.
Indeed, research by Statistics Canada shows consumers prefer to shop Canadian sites. Last year, consumers made 57 per cent of their online purchases at Canadian sites and spent 63 per cent of their online dollars there, the federal agency said.
As well, two Canadian Web operators, Sears Canada and Canadian Tire Corp., score in the top 10 most visited retail sites in Canada, according to ComScore Media Metrix Canada, which tracks online traffic.
However, many other Canadian retailers have yet to open fully interactive sites, especially in the clothing category, Borderfree's Bartlett said. Canadian consumers still buy fewer items online than Americans and have just started adding more than travel, tickets and books to their online shopping lists, he noted.
"We believe one of the critical reasons Canadians don't buy more online is lack of supply," Bartlett said.
Despite this, Canadians are spending more online as time goes by, according to Statistics Canada. In five years, online spending jumped from $1.1 billion in 2000 to $7.9 billion last year, the federal agency reported last week — a 618 per cent increase. Still, online spending represents just over 1 per cent of the $729 billion Canadians spent on all goods and services last year, the agency noted.

SSLL

Nov 14, 2006, 3:47 PM

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061114.wxrbaskin14/BNStory/Business/home
____________
Baskin-Robbins targets a melting market share
Ice cream maker retools to win over younger generation

MARINA STRAUSS
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
It's a brand that's deliciously familiar to baby boomers. Too bad their kids don't seem to care.

Baskin-Robbins, a long-time synonym for takeout ice cream, has watched its U.S. market share melt as a generation picked up a taste for café lattes. Now, the company is retooling itself to win a younger generation with new drinks and other ice cream concoctions. It's redesigning its stores to add a shot of entertainment, with a server preparing customized sundaes and milkshakes at a counter bar as customers watch the show.

"We are trying to bring in the younger kids as well, because they are going to be the future clientele for us 10 to 20 years from now," says Michael Gooding, the chain's Canadian franchise manager. "We need to start attracting them. We're trying to make Baskin-Robbins more of a hangout."

It was time for an update. The chain has continued to trumpet 31 ice cream flavours, even when touting a wide array of options no longer gave it an edge. While Baskin-Robbins was an innovator in introducing multiple flavours when it was founded more than 60 years ago, it's now old hat in the industry.

The numbers point to strains. The company's share of the $2.8-billion (U.S.) ice cream food service market in the U.S. fell 1.1 percentage points to 19.8 per cent in 2005 from 20.9 per cent in 2003, according to market researcher Euromonitor International. The chain's revenue rose 10 per cent to $561-million over that period.

In Canada, Baskin-Robbins' share remained at about 10.7 per cent of the $446-million ice cream parlour market, while revenue dropped 4 per cent to $47.9-million, the figures show.

Baskin-Robbins has been shedding market share to fledgling U.S. players such as Cold Stone Creamery, which has become a magnet for a new generation, Euromonitor analyst Rob Tullock says. Now Cold Stone is looking to make a splash in Canada, putting the heat on Baskin-Robbins to woo younger customers. "You need to have young people, otherwise you really don't have any future," Mr. Tullock says.

Ice cream parlours have moved well beyond the 31-flavour universe; they have become something like entertainment centres, with employees mixing custom-made treats with loads of extras. The process has become more interactive to cater to a younger demographic. The customer participates by picking ingredients, which adds to the price and the company's revenue.

Not to be left out, Baskin-Robbins began testing its own version of ice-cream-tainment last year. It opened more jazzy looking, colourful parlours with a focal bar area where customers can sit at the counter and watch their sundaes, shakes and other creations being made, says Ken Kimmel, brand officer at the Glendale, Calif.-based parent. So far the revamped stores are generating more sales, he says, without disclosing numbers.

Last month, Baskin-Robbins launched its first refurbished ice cream parlour in Canada, and the chain plans to double its 133 stores here over the next four years, using the new model, Mr. Gooding says.

Industry observers say the changes can't come too soon. "Baskin-Robins has been tired for years," says Douglas Fisher, president of food services consultancy FHG International. "We grew up with it as baby boomers. I would think a lot of younger people are going to Starbucks now."

Mr. Tullock, a Canadian, agrees that Baskin-Robins faces a demographic challenge. "I'm 27 and I've got a peripheral awareness of them. They're certainly not a destination that would occur to me under most circumstances."

In Canada, ice cream retailers are further challenged with cold winters that put a chill on sales, he says. And the burgeoning popularity of coffee shops has stolen business from ice cream parlours. Dairy Queen fought back by putting more emphasis on burgers and fries and has experienced a healthy growth in its business, Mr. Tullock says.

Baskin-Robbins has also faced internal pressures. It was owned by Britain's Allied Domecq PLC until late last year, when U.S. equity firms scooped it up. Allied had been looking for a while to shed its non-core assets, including Baskin-Robbins. The situation caused some turmoil in management, Mr. Tullock says. With the new owners, "hopefully that should give them a little bit more management focus on building the business," he adds.

For Baskin-Robbins, a key to success is the introduction of new products, Mr. Kimmel adds.

Cold cash

Baskin-Robbins has been shedding market share to other players, such as Cold Stone Creamery.

Revenue ($U.S.-millions) Market share Growth
CANADA 2003 2004 2005 2005 2005
Dairy Queen $254.30 $274.80 $283.60 63.50% 3%
Yogen Früz 51.4 45.8 29.9 6.70% -35%
Baskin-Robbins 50 45.9 47.9 10.70% 4%
Others 59.5 67.9 84.8 19% 25%
U.S.
Cold Stone Creamery $152.30 $283 $420.50 14.80% 49%
TCBY 155 145 144.5 5.10% 0%
Baskin-Robbins 510.3 535 561 19.80% 5%
SOURCE: EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL 2006

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 14, 2006, 5:51 PM

So is the Baskin Robins on 17th Ave in Calgary undergoing this transformation, or did it simply close?

I think the problem with traditional ice cream chains is not just competition (and a much better product) from Cold Stone and Marble Slab, but also from the explosion in gelato places. It was hard enough for the B-R to compete with Philip's Forbidden Flavours across the street; when Fiasco Gelato opened their glam new place two blocks east, who bothered to go to sad old B-R?

BlackRedGold

Nov 14, 2006, 5:56 PM

I think the problem with traditional ice cream chains is not just competition (and a much better product) from Cold Stone and Marble Slab, but also from the explosion in gelato places. It was hard enough for the B-R to compete with Philip's Forbidden Flavours across the street; when Fiasco Gelato opened their glam new place two blocks east, who bothered to go to sad old B-R?

I don't think that's it at all. I think the problem with B-R is the increase in choice of ice cream at the supermarket. Back in the day, if you wanted something reallly different then Chocolate, Vanilla or Strawberry you had to go to a place like B-R. Now you can get a Haagen-Daaz or Ben & Jerry's from the grocery store that has is just as good and unique as any of the 31 flavours.

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 14, 2006, 6:16 PM

I don't think that's it at all. I think the problem with B-R is the increase in choice of ice cream at the supermarket. Back in the day, if you wanted something reallly different then Chocolate, Vanilla or Strawberry you had to go to a place like B-R. Now you can get a Haagen-Daaz or Ben & Jerry's from the grocery store that has is just as good and unique as any of the 31 flavours.

Then why are gelaterias so popular? Why is Pure Gelato doing so well in your own city whereas the traditional Cow's is closed? You have been able to get Gelato Fresco for the last 15 years (at least) in Ontario supermarkets.

Gelato and Marble Slab (et al) are new things that can account for the recent demise (or decline) of Baskin Robins. Supermarkets have had "choice" in ice cream since Haagen Dasz and Frusen Gladje (anybody remember that?) broke in the early 1980s.

BlackRedGold

Nov 14, 2006, 10:21 PM

Then why are gelaterias so popular? Why is Pure Gelato doing so well in your own city whereas the traditional Cow's is closed?

Then what about Lois & Frima's or Rocky Mountain in the market? I don't know why Cow's closed but I know that Piccolo Grande used to have multiple locations around the city and now they have one. For the most part the gelaterias are located downtown. In the suburbs there's DQ.

You have been able to get Gelato Fresco for the last 15 years (at least) in Ontario supermarkets.

And how many people even realise it? It's never been marketed, many supermarkets don't carry it and the packaging does a poor job of attracting attention.

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 14, 2006, 11:21 PM

And how many people even realise it? It's never been marketed, many supermarkets don't carry it and the packaging does a poor job of attracting attention.

OK, maybe Fresco is more of a niche product than I realised (we always had it in our freezer in Toronto), but still, haagen dazs has been around for 25 years or so.

And I have to add- I love to talk ice cream! :)

IntotheWest

Nov 15, 2006, 1:09 AM

Gelato and Marble Slab (et al) are new things that can account for the recent demise (or decline) of Baskin Robins.

Mmmmm....Marble Slab. Good stuff. I was surprised to see a new one opened way down in the big box shops of Shawnessy, beside an M&M. Are they that popular that they think they can survive in such an area??

They are good, but are pricier than BR.

I still prefer the trip to Cochrane for MacKays though..:)

Boris2k7

Nov 15, 2006, 1:27 AM

I still prefer the trip to Cochrane for MacKays though..:)

:tup:

I would take commuter rail to Cochrane (had we any such thing) just to get ice cream!

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 15, 2006, 2:11 AM

Mmmmm....Marble Slab. Good stuff. I was surprised to see a new one opened way down in the big box shops of Shawnessy, beside an M&M. Are they that popular that they think they can survive in such an area??

They are good, but are pricier than BR.

I still prefer the trip to Cochrane for MacKays though..:)

You can get Mackay's at My Favourite Ice Cream south of Marda Loop if that's more convenient for you- I love to go to that place in winter because there's never a lineup (unlike summer), they don't have their freezers screwed up like Philip's where the ice cream is ruined by ice crystals, and the prices are great (versus, say, Amato Gelato on Kensington Rd- now THAT is some expensive shit).

Marble Slab is good, and with that one in Shawnessy that means 4 location in Calgary (w/ Chinook, Market Mall, and Crowfoot). Thing is- have you ever tried Coldstone Creamery in the US? It is better, to my taste. And when you get ice cream with fruit (eg sweet cream mixed w/ black cherries), unlike at Marble Slab, the fruit isn't frozen solid so you cannot even taste it- I hate that about Marble Slab, everything is too damn cold. Ice cream is not supposed to be painfully cold like that.

Boris2k7

Nov 15, 2006, 2:16 AM

SpongeG

Nov 15, 2006, 2:31 AM

how close are the big American stores to other Canadian cities?

for Vancouver - there is Bellis Fair Mall - basically set up to Canadians - its only 15 minutes from the border so getting there is easy - it is probably much easier - distance wise - to get from most of surrey/langley than it would be to get to Metrotown or downtown Van. and bellis fair has all the big US stores Canadians want like - Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Victorias Secret, Target, Suncoast, Bath & Body Works, Express, Kohls, Macys, Old Navy, Gap, Hot Topic, Aeropostale etc.

and than the seattle outlet mall is about 90 minutes from the border - you can see in the parking lot that there are a ton of Canadians who go down

and just north of the outlet mall - new Kohls, Costco and Target stores have opened in the last few months

so how easy is it for people in Toronto or Calgary to get to big US malls/shops?

mersar

Nov 15, 2006, 3:10 AM

Calgary is a 3+ hour drive just to get to the border... and there isn't that much around the border for quite a distance, at least the last time I went that way.

neilson

Nov 15, 2006, 3:26 AM

Calgary is a 3+ hour drive just to get to the border... and there isn't that much around the border for quite a distance, at least the last time I went that way.
I heard Lethbridge is really coming up in the world though.

Doug

Nov 15, 2006, 4:28 AM

The cloest US outlet mall to Calgary is in Post Falls, ID about 7 or 8 hours by car. The nearest large regional indoor mall is Northtown in Spokane, about half an hour further than Post Falls. Calgary is very isolated geographically from large US population centers despite being hugely influence by American culture and economics.

Washington State exempts Alberta residents from sales tax:).

BlackRedGold

Nov 15, 2006, 4:53 AM

how close are the big American stores to other Canadian cities?

for Ottawa - I can get to the US in 45 minutes. Once across there's a Wal-Mart, Lowe's and a Price Chopper right there in Ogdensburg. I like to go over since I can usually get either HD or B&J ice cream for half the price I can get it in Ottawa.

The closest malls would be Salmon Run Mall in Watertown or the St Lawrence Center in Massena which are both around a 2 hour drive from Ottawa. There's not much of interest in them though. The closest major mall would be the Carousel Center in Syracuse that's a 3 hour drive. It's the typical big regional US mall with all the usual stores.

The closest outlet mall would be Finger Lakes located between Rochester and Syracuse which would be about a 3.5 hour drive. But for a 6 to 7 hour drive you can be at Woodbury Common, possibly the best outlet center in the US.

Taller Better

Nov 15, 2006, 6:00 AM

for Ottawa - I can get to the US in 45 minutes. Once across there's a Wal-Mart, Lowe's and a Price Chopper right there in Ogdensburg. I like to go over since I can usually get either HD or B&J ice cream for half the price I can get it in Ottawa.

The closest malls would be Salmon Run Mall in Watertown or the St Lawrence Center in Massena which are both around a 2 hour drive from Ottawa. There's not much of interest in them though. The closest major mall would be the Carousel Center in Syracuse that's a 3 hour drive. It's the typical big regional US mall with all the usual stores.

The closest outlet mall would be Finger Lakes located between Rochester and Syracuse which would be about a 3.5 hour drive. But for a 6 to 7 hour drive you can be at Woodbury Common, possibly the best outlet center in the US.

You drive to the States and go through customs to save a couple of bucks on ice cream? How much can you bring back? How much is HD ice cream in Ottawa? I think it is $5.99 here, but am not sure.

neilson

Nov 15, 2006, 6:57 AM

For Calgary ppl, can you confirm that Lethbridge is coming up in the world?

CMD UW

Nov 15, 2006, 7:22 AM

/\ As an Edmontonian I can confirm that Lethbridge is not coming up in the world. Sorry, but the action is in Medicine Hat!

ibz

Nov 15, 2006, 8:22 AM

Oh I dunno, Lethbridge does killer cross border trade.....The Top Hat is always packed with 18 year olds from Montana looking to drop their hard earned USD$ on D class strippers and Kokanee!!

Kilgore Trout

Nov 15, 2006, 8:41 AM

speaking of ice cream, when i moved to montreal i was a bit shocked to find that ice cream parlours here are almost entirely seasonal. there is some fantastic ice cream and gelato in this town but it's impossible to get between november and march (luckily the best gelateria in montreal -- possibly in all of canada -- is open year-round).

is this just a quebec thing or do ice cream shops in the rest of eastern canada close in the winter, too? getting ice cream (or slurpees) in the middle of winter is almost a western canadian tradition.

also, dairy queen does not serve food here, only ice cream. and they, too, shut down in the winter.

BlackRedGold

Nov 15, 2006, 2:35 PM

You drive to the States and go through customs to save a couple of bucks on ice cream? How much can you bring back? How much is HD ice cream in Ottawa? I think it is $5.99 here, but am not sure.

I don't just go down for ice cream. I'll get stuff shipped to Ogdensburg from places that won't deliver to Canada, like amazon.com or Zappos and go to the grocery store at the same time. I don't just pick up ice cream down there either. You can get turkeys at half the price down there also. Plus there are plenty of products you can get that aren't available in Canada.

You can pretty much bring back as many groceries as you want. There is a one turkey per person limit though but the grocery stores have signs that let you know this. And customs is a breeze going to Ogdensburg. I've never seen more then three or four cars at a time waiting to get across. Most of the time I don't even have to go in and pay tax or duty coming back.

HD is usually about $6 each but it can go on sale occasionally for about $4.29. Across the border there's usually a deal on B&J or HD that's 2 for $5.

BlackRedGold

Nov 15, 2006, 2:50 PM

server problems caused a double post

SteelTown

Nov 15, 2006, 2:57 PM

how close are the big American stores to other Canadian cities?

I know a lot of people who go to the states for shopping since the border is only about 30-45 minutes away from Hamilton. With the higher currency and cheaper products in the states people go for cheaper gas as well and sneak in a few booze and cigarettes.

Also A LOT of people that go for cheaper grocery shopping. But seriously the quality is different. If you buy American cheese it's not as creamer as ours. Stuff like that.

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 15, 2006, 5:22 PM

sync

Nov 15, 2006, 5:27 PM

speaking of shopping in the states, i bought a couple of pairs of shoes when i was down there last, and paid about $40 each for them.

up here in canada the same shoes are $130 each.

WTH!

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 15, 2006, 5:41 PM

speaking of shopping in the states, i bought a couple of pairs of shoes when i was down there last, and paid about $40 each for them.

up here in canada the same shoes are $130 each.

WTH!

You buy one shoe at a time?

Taller Better

Nov 15, 2006, 8:10 PM

You buy one shoe at a time?

LOL! Maybe he is an amputee! ;)
As for ice cream places, I have never paid attention if they are seasonal
or not. I know places like Baskin Robbins are year round, but I don't know about Italian gelato places, etc... I am pretty sure most of them are year round but I don't know.....

IntotheWest

Nov 15, 2006, 8:28 PM

You can get Mackay's at My Favourite Ice Cream south of Marda Loop if that's more convenient for you- I love to go to that place in winter because there's never a lineup (unlike summer), they don't have their freezers screwed up like Philip's where the ice cream is ruined by ice crystals, and the prices are great (versus, say, Amato Gelato on Kensington Rd- now THAT is some expensive shit).

Marble Slab is good, and with that one in Shawnessy that means 4 location in Calgary (w/ Chinook, Market Mall, and Crowfoot). Thing is- have you ever tried Coldstone Creamery in the US? It is better, to my taste. And when you get ice cream with fruit (eg sweet cream mixed w/ black cherries), unlike at Marble Slab, the fruit isn't frozen solid so you cannot even taste it- I hate that about Marble Slab, everything is too damn cold. Ice cream is not supposed to be painfully cold like that.

Yes, I'd love for MFIC to be more convenient for me (i.e. living in Garrison Woods)...but maybe I can stop there on my weekly trip to the farmers market.

Haven't tried Coldstone, but the name sounds familiar - were they possibly opening shops out east? Toronto?

Winnipeg's BDI (Bridge Drive Inn) I believe closes as well in the winter.

sync

Nov 15, 2006, 9:39 PM

You buy one shoe at a time?

of course?

you mean you can get both the left and right AT THE SAME TIME? :D

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 15, 2006, 10:28 PM

of course?

you mean you can get both the left and right AT THE SAME TIME? :D

Yeah! It's cheaper to buy in bulk.

SpongeG

Nov 15, 2006, 10:46 PM

haha

yeah my friend bought a pair of Sketchers on a clearance sale rack at MErvyns for $17 USD - the exact same pair was at Sears up here and they wanted $90 Cdn for them

I always buy my shoes down there - you can save at least 50% if not more down there

also we were at a mervyns in California that was clearing out stuff at $1

clothes, jewlery, bags etc. all for $1!!

so if it was previously clearance priced at $13.98 it was marked down to $1! people were walking out with bags and bags

SpongeG

Nov 15, 2006, 10:52 PM

Border booze shopping on Sundays irks N.S. business

A convenience-store owner in the Amherst area says she's tired of watching customers drive past her store every Sunday to buy booze in New Brunswick.

Sherry Pitcher operates K's Korner convenience store in Tidnish, a 10-minute drive from Port Elgin, N.B.

The store is licensed by the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. Although it's open Sundays, the NSLC does not permit its outlets to sell booze that day.

"I know I have regular customers who go to Port Elgin on Sundays," Pitcher said.

Pitcher wants the Nova Scotia government to consult with residents, most of whom, she said, want to be able to buy booze seven days a week.

"It would definitely increase our sales."

Even before the government lifted the ban on Sunday shopping last month, specialty wine stores and breweries used legal loopholes to sell their products.

Premier Rodney MacDonald has suggested that Nova Scotians are not interested in having NSLC outlets open seven days a week.

He said cabinet will make a decision later this fall.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2006/11/15/liquor-nb.html

West_aust

Nov 15, 2006, 11:56 PM

how close are the big American stores to other Canadian cities?

From Montreal there is Plattsburgh, NY that is about 45min/1h drive, although it was a pretty crappy mall, it's getting better with the better state of the economy in Plattsburgh, as well as the increased CAD

You can find a Lowes, soon Victorias Secret, PacSun...

There is also Burlington, VT about 2h drive which has better store selection (Abercrombie&Fitch, Pacsun, William Sonoma...)

SpongeG

Nov 16, 2006, 12:06 AM

does anyone ever count the Canadian plates when they go down?

On a saturday at most parking lots in bellingham it seems every 3rd car is from BC

its gone up a lot since the dollar bounced back up

malek

Nov 16, 2006, 1:24 AM

:rolleyes:

Victoria's Secret achète La Senza
Presse Canadienne /images/logo/logo_lpa.gif (http://www.lapresseaffaires.com/)
15 novembre 2006 - 17h54 La chaîne canadienne de boutiques de lingerie fine La Senza (LSZ (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/accueil/cotes/index.php?sym=t.lsz)) est l'objet d'une offre d'achat de l'entreprise américaine Limited Brands, propriétaire de la chaîne concurrente Victoria's Secret, dans le cadre d'une entente de 710 millions $.

Selon une convention de soutien définitive, Limited Brands a convenu d'acheter la totalité des actions en circulation de La Senza en contrepartie de 48,25 $ CAN par action, en espèces, au moyen d'une offre publique d'achat (OPA), ont indiqué mercredi les deux entreprises dans un communiqué conjoint émis après la fermeture des marchés.

Le prix d'offre représente une prime de 47,8 pour cent par rapport au cours de clôture de 32,65 $ des actions de La Senza à la Bourse de Toronto le 14 novembre 2006, indique le communiqué.

«Nous avons pris notre temps pour choisir le bon partenaire et la meilleure occasion dont notre société pourrait bénéficier, et ce, non seulement au Canada, mais partout dans le monde, a déclaré dans le communiqué Irv Teitelbaum, président du conseil et chef de la direction de La Senza. Cette offre est convaincante, car elle reconnaît immédiatement la valeur de nos marques, de notre stratégie et des membres talentueux de notre équipe.»

Selon M. Teitelbaum, les ressemblance entre les deux entreprises en font des partenaires «partenaires idéaux».

«Ce regroupement représente une étape stratégique majeure qui nous permettra de repérer d'autres occasions de croissance pour La Senza», a-t-il dit.

Dans le cadre de l'entente, M. Teitlebaum, le vice-président du conseil de La Senza, Stephen Gross, et le président et chef de l'exploitation, Laurence Lewin, demeureront tous trois en poste au sein de l'entreprise, qui conservera son siège social à Montréal.

Les trois dirigeants, de même que tous les autres porteurs d'actions à droit de vote multiple, représentant au total 48 pour cent des actions et options de La Senza, ont conclu une convention de dépôt rigide ainsi qu'une convention de soutien définitive.

Limited Brands prévoit mettre à la poste une offre publique d'achat relative à l'offre sous peu.

La Senza est propriétaire-exploitant de 318 magasins au Canada, tandis que des titulaires de licence exploitent 327 autres magasins dans 34 autres pays.

Limited Brands est propriétaire-exploitant de 3534 magasins sous différentes bannières, dont Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Express et Limited Stores, aux Etats-Unis.

À la Bourse de Toronto, mercredi, le titre de La Senza a clôturé en hausse de 5 cents, à 32,70 $.

Coldrsx

Nov 16, 2006, 1:27 AM

"There is also Burlington, VT about 2h drive which has better store selection (Abercrombie&Fitch, Pacsun, William Sonoma...)"

plus their krispy kremes taste better.

SSLL

Nov 16, 2006, 1:30 AM

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061115.wlasenza15/BNStory/Business/home
________________
Posted AT 5:10 PM EST ON 15/11/06
Limited Brands buys La Senza
Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Canadian lingerie retailer La Senza Corp. is being acquired by Limited Brands Inc., the owner of long-time American rival Victoria's Secret, in a $710-million (Canadian) deal.

The friendly deal, announced late Wednesday, would see Columbus, Ohio-based Limited Brands scoop up all the outstanding shares of La Senza for $48.25 per share in cash.

The offer represents a premium of 47.8 per cent based on the $32.65 closing price for La Senza shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

The transaction continues a recent trend of well-known Canadian companies in retail, mining and energy being acquired by foreign buyers.

Earlier this year, iconic miners Falconbridge and Inco Ltd. were bought by Swiss and Brazilian companies. As well, CP Ships, Fairmont Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels. Centurion International Energy and Hudson's Bay Co. have all been bought by companies or investors in Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

La Senza, which dominates the Canadian market for lingerie and related products, had put itself up for sale earlier this year.

“We have been careful to choose the right partner and the right opportunity to benefit our organization, not only in Canada, but throughout the world,” said La Senza chairman and CEO Irv Teitelbaum in a release.

“Given our companies' similar characteristics, we believe Limited Brands, together with Victoria's Secret, are ideal partners for us. This combination represents a major strategic step forward enabling us to continue to further pursue La Senza's growth opportunities.”

As part of the deal, Mr. Teitelbaum and vice-chairman Stephen Gross will remain in their respective positions, together with Laurence Lewin, president and chief operating officer who co-founded La Senza in 1990.

The trio together with all of the other holders of multiple voting shares, representing an aggregate of 48 per cent of La Senza's outstanding stock, have signed a lock-up agreement in connection with the deal.

La Senza will remain headquartered in Montreal. The company owns and operates 318 stores in Canada, and licensees operate a further 327 stores in 34 other countries.

“La Senza is a great strategic fit with our intimate apparel business, and their international infrastructure, real estate expertise, and operating model will also be great assets to us as we look to enhance our capabilities to meet our strategic growth initiatives internationally,” said Leslie Wexner, chairman and chief executive officer of Limited Brands.

Limited Brands owns and operates 3,534 stores under the Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Express, Limited Stores and other brand names in the United States.

SpongeG

Nov 16, 2006, 2:13 AM

ah - maybe Victoria's Secret can finally open in Canada - I heard they have wanted to expand here but were having troubles getting in

Taller Better

Nov 16, 2006, 4:46 PM

La Senza was always a kind of "poor mans'/woman's" Victoria Secret.

Kilgore Trout

Nov 16, 2006, 9:24 PM

i dunno. when i told my girlfriend the news, she seemed disappointed. i would trust her judgement, since she's the one who actually wears lingerie. that is, unless you...

West_aust

Nov 16, 2006, 10:41 PM

ah - maybe Victoria's Secret can finally open in Canada - I heard they have wanted to expand here but were having troubles getting in
Doesnt seem it will happen soon

By: LUANN LASALLE

MONTREAL (CP) - La Senza (TSX:L) stores will continue to operate independently and there aren't any immediate plans for Victoria's Secret to open stores in Canada now that its parent company has struck a deal to buy the Canadian lingerie retailer.

Shares of La Senza (TSX:LSZ) soared by almost half in Thursday morning trading after the U.S. owner of Victoria's Secret announced it will pay C$710 million for the Canadian lingerie rival.

The friendly takeover by Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD) was announced late Wednesday.

"The short answer is there's no particular plan for Victoria's Secret coming to Canada," La Senza president Laurence Lewin told a conference call.

Asked if the two store brands could co-exist in the Canadian market, Lewin replied: "There's a lot less lingerie stores in Canada than there are fashion and clothing stores. It's possible, but it's not part of this strategy. I don't think anybody is thinking about it at this time."

La Senza shares were up 48 per cent, or $15.02, to $47.72 on trading volume of 700,926 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Limited Brands plans to scoop up all the outstanding shares of La Senza for $48.25 a share. The offer represents a premium of 47.8 per cent, based on the $32.65 closing price for La Senza shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

La Senza chairman and CEO Irv Teitelbaum said there aren't any anticipated changes in leadership, strategy or management of his company.

He said the friendly takeover will open up "interesting growth opportunities" for both companies.

"La Senza will continue to operate in the normal course of business," Teitelbaum told the conference call.

Retail analyst Wendy Evans said Victoria's Secret had been expected to be involved in Canada long before this deal.

"There's going to be a period of testing the waters, seeing how different the market is, maybe there is some co-branding in stores that could be done or there's certain locations that might be Victoria's Secret and others La Senza," said Evans of Toronto-based Evans and Co.

It also could be an opportunity for the La Senza banner to re-enter the U.S. market with bench strength, she added.

She said it could be "six months to a year before we see anything" in terms of getting Victoria's Secret lingerie into La Senza stores.

The transaction continues a recent trend of well-known Canadian companies being acquired by foreign buyers.

Earlier this year, iconic miners Falconbridge and Inco Ltd. were bought by Swiss and Brazilian companies. As well, steel giant Dofasco, CP Ships, Fairmont Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels. Centurion International Energy and Hudson's Bay Co. have been bought or targeted by companies or investors in Europe, the Middle East or the United States.

The trend of globalization in the apparel market is taking place not only in Canada but around the world, Teitelbaum said Wednesday.

The Ohio-based company announced its takeover plan while also reporting it returned to profitability in the third quarter, thanks to higher sales.

The purchase will be financed from cash on hand plus $400 million in new debt and a bridge loan.

Limited Brands reported a profit of US$23.5 million, or six cents per share, for the quarter ended Oct. 28, compared with a loss of $683,000, or nil per share, last year. Sales rose 12 per cent to $2.1 billion.

Taller Better

Nov 17, 2006, 6:38 AM

i dunno. when i told my girlfriend the news, she seemed disappointed. i would trust her judgement, since she's the one who actually wears lingerie. that is, unless you...

LOL! Definitely not... I am bored stiff just buying regular old underwear and socks. :haha: .. I was just going by what the girls at work were saying, who had travelled to the States. They like VS a lot more than LS.

Built Form

Nov 17, 2006, 11:33 AM

RE: Vancouver
Now that Inform has opened their new location in Gastown the old store will become B&B Italia furniture in the new year. It'll be their first location in Canada.

SpongeG

Nov 18, 2006, 8:54 AM

ahh - that will be nice ^^^

Kilgore Trout

Nov 19, 2006, 9:38 AM

Bassic Lab

Nov 19, 2006, 10:56 AM

okay, my girlfriend clarifies: she does not particularly like la senza and she admits that victoria's secret is probably better, but her disappointment stemmed from a sense of (canadian) nationalism (this despite the fact that she is technically, um, an american citizen).

Makes sense, then again I just saw DOA and my head hurts for some reason so, um yeah, I have no idea what your girl friend is thinking.

Taller Better

Nov 19, 2006, 4:48 PM

okay, my girlfriend clarifies: she does not particularly like la senza and she admits that victoria's secret is probably better, but her disappointment stemmed from a sense of (canadian) nationalism (this despite the fact that she is technically, um, an american citizen).

That sort of jives with what I heard... the girls were quite excited about VS coming to Canada (as they are all gorgeous I doubt if there would be a shortage of guys here who would like to judge their new outfits when VS opens!). I will fully admit I am not much of a judge of *ahem* frilly underthings ;).

SpongeG

Nov 20, 2006, 1:56 AM

Victoria's secret also sells mens underwear and mens cologne - the cologne is pretty good too

and vic sec has a spin off store called Pink which is more clothing - like loungewear, pyjamas - than lingerie

the funny thing is la senza set itself up to be like Victorias secret was - so there is no "canadian" thing there other than it was in Canada

Taller Better

Nov 20, 2006, 6:42 AM

^^ Oh yeah, no secret about that... it was intentionally set up as a Canadian version of VS. I have to admit I feel less nostalgic about a store like that selling out than something that is home grown like HBC or even Roots.

SpongeG

Nov 21, 2006, 12:57 AM

it doesn't even look finished from the outside yet... I wonder how they are gonna pull this off...

BURNABY, BC, Nov. 20 /CNW/ - Future Shop, Canada's largest national
retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics, is set to open a brand new
store in Surrey, British Columbia located at Unit 3200 - 10045 King George
Avenue. The Grand Opening kicks off the morning of Friday, November 24, with a
$2500 donation presentation to the local Boys & Girls Club, and $2500 to the
Surrey Food Bank Society. A ribbon cutting ceremony will officially open the
store. All weekend long there will be festivities, sales, promotions and
celebrity appearances including Grey Cup winners from the BC Lions' Geroy
Simons and Brent Johnson. As well Canadian bands, Theory of a Deadman and
Mobile will visit the store for pictures and autograph signings.
Visitors to the store will have access to 31,000 square feet of the
latest technology in a comfortable, interactive environment. The Surrey
Central store provides an outstanding range of products and offers many
additional features and services including car audio install bays, DVD preview
stations, music listening stations, in-store computer technicians and home
theatre displays that include plasma and LCD televisions.
"Future Shop is thrilled to open our new and improved store within the
Surrey community in time for the holiday season," says Moe Amirie, V.P. Store
Operations. "Future Shop truly is the place to Get it First and receive Expert
Advice for the holidays. We not only provide customers with access to the
latest technology gifts topping everyone's wish lists, but our Associates are
on hand to demonstrate all the available options and help you find the perfect
present for your friends and family."

<<
SURREY CENTRAL FUTURE SHOP STORE HOURS FOR WEEKEND OF
NOVEMBER 24 to NOVEMBER 26

Friday, Nov 24: 10 AM - 9 PM
Saturday, Nov 25: 9 AM - 9 PM
Sunday, Nov 26: 10 AM - 6 PM

OVERVIEW OF SURREY CENTRAL STORE GRAND OPENING EVENTS

- Donation Presentation to local Boys & Girls Club and Surrey Food Bank
Society - Nov 24
- Everyone's a Winner! - Scan & Win Future Shop Cards - Street teams
distributing Nov 20- 26 - Win a Future Shop $5000 Shopping Spree!
- Line-up and Win! - Future Shop Gift Card Giveaway - Every morning
Nov 24 - 26
- BC Lions' Geroy Simons and Brent Johnson Visit the Surrey Central
Future Shop Store! - Starting at 7 PM Nov 24
- Canadian Bands, Theory of a Dead Man and Mobile will be signing
autographs at the Surrey Central Future Shop Store! - Starting at
2 PM Nov 25
- Test your XBOX 360 Skills - late afternoon/evening Nov 25
- Vancouver Canuck Legends Cliff Ronning and Richard "The King" Brodeur
Visit the Surrey Central Future Shop! - Nov 26
- XM Satellite Radio Give-Away - Enter all weekend Nov 24 - 26

COMPLETE DETAILS OF WEEKEND LONG EVENTS AT SURREY CENTRAL STORE
>>

Future Shop Donation Presentation to Boys & Girls Club and Surrey
Food Bank Society

As part of the grand opening, and within Future Shop's work to support
Youth & Education across Canada, the Surrey Central store will present the
Boys & Girls Club of Lower Mainland with a $2500 donation to assist with their
outstanding work in Vancouver communities, including ongoing support programs
for kids and families in the Surrey area. A second donation presentation will
be provided to the Surrey Food Bank Society, to support their hamper program
and the various support they provide those in need. $2500 will be donated to
support their efforts within the upcoming holiday season. Each month, 14,000
residents receive assistance from the Food Bank, and over 56,000 hampers are
distributed throughout the year. Donations will be presented before the store
opens its doors on Friday, Nov 24.

Everyone's a Winner! - Scan & Win Future Shop Cards
Street teams will be out and about in the community from Nov 20-26,
distributing Future Shop 'Scan & Win' cards offering customers the opportunity
to win prizes, gift cards and a grand prize of $5000 Future Shop gift card!

Line-up and Win! - Future Shop Gift Card Giveaway: Every Morning this
Weekend
Future Shop Gift Cards will be given away this Friday, Saturday and
Sunday at the Surrey Central store. The first 100 people in line before the
Surrey Future Shop opens will receive a $5, $25 or $100 Gift Card! Full
details of the giveaway will be provided at the store.

Geroy Simons and Brent Johnson of BC Lions Visit Surrey
Future Shop Store!
Fresh from the Grey Cup, fans will have a chance to meet BC Lions' Geroy
Simons and Brent Johnson, at the Surrey Central Future Shop, Friday, November
24 starting at 7:00 pm. These fan favorites will be in-store to sign
autographs. Media Alert - Opportunities for brief interviews and pictures
directly after the autograph session.

Theory of a Deadman and Mobile Visit the Surrey Central
Future Shop Store!
Fans of these two Canadian bands will have a chance to receive an
autograph starting at 2 pm on Nov 25.

Canuck Legends Cliff Ronning and Richard Brodeur Visit the Surrey Central
Future Shop Store!
Canuck legends Cliff Ronning and Richard "The King" Brodeur" will be on
hand to meet fans and sign autographs starting at noon on Sunday, Nov 26.
Media Alert - Opportunities for brief interviews and pictures directly after
the autograph session.

XM Satellite Radio Give-Away
Satellite Radio is revolutionizing what we think of 'radio', by providing
Canadians with an alternative to traditional radio full of chat and
commercials. Satellite Radio offers an inexpensive subscription-based service,
with an extensive channel selection of music, plus news, sports, talk and
entertainment. 13 XM satellite radio packages will be given away during the
Grand Opening weekend including a Delphi SkyFi2 XM Satellite Radio with 3
months of free service included! Enter at any Lower Mainland Future Shop
store.

Test your XBOX 360 Skills on Saturday Afternoon!
From 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Saturday, Nov 25, visit the new Surrey Central
Future Shop store to see this amazing system. If you haven't checked out the
new XBOX 360 system yet, this is your opportunity to see what all the hype is
about. The XBOX 360 is the Future of entertainment with the ability to play
games, watch DVD movies and enjoy digital music, photos and videos in one
extraordinary entertainment system.

Win a Les Paul Studio Guitar!
All weekend long, customers will have an opportunity to enter to win a
Les Paul Studio Guitar. Draw will take place Monday Nov 27. Full details
provided at the store.

About Future Shop

With 121 stores across the country and the nation's premier web store
(www.futureshop.ca), Burnaby, BC-based Future Shop is Canada's largest,
national retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics.
Future Shop and it's more than 11,000 employees are dedicated to
providing consumers with expert service and offering the latest digital
products, including a wide selection of brand-named televisions, computers,
audio, entertainment software and hardware plus appliances - all backed by a
low price guarantee.
The Company is committed to kids and communities, supporting non-profit
organizations that help youth develop their skill set, discover their talents
and sustain a lasting interest in education.
For more information about Future Shop, including store locations, visit
www.futureshop.ca.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2006/20/c6600.html

SSLL

Nov 22, 2006, 4:25 AM

From: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=cc7e50dd-5a14-4ca6-81df-46e3c21af66d
__________
Retail metro looking to go national
Q4 profit jumps 57%: 'We would look at any opportunity to expand out west'

Hollie Shaw, Financial Post
Published: Thursday, November 16, 2006
Halfway through a two-year integration of the A&P supermarket chain in Ontario, Quebec-based grocer Metro Inc. would like to extend its reach across Canada.
"We first have to complete the integration of A&P and following that, we would look at any opportunity to expand out west," chief financial officer Richard Dufresne said after the company posted strong third-quarter earnings yesterday.
"That's if [a chain] becomes available, which is, to me, the biggest question."
Analysts say Metro would face a tough fight with Nova Scotia-based Sobeys Inc. if either Canada Safeway Ltd. or Overwaitea Food Group were put on the block. Vancouver-based billionaire Jim Pattison owns the 124-store Overwaitea business and industry watchers predict he would be more likely to sell his chain than U.S.-based Safeway Inc., which operates 215 stores between B.C. and Manitoba and would give Sobeys or Metro a much-desired national reach.
Metro has been running a close third behind Sobeys since acquiring A&P's 236 Ontario stores last year for $1.7-billion. Industry leader Loblaw Cos. has seen its core food business suffer as it built large superstores during the past two years to compete with Wal-Mart Canada Corp.'s new grocery stores in Ontario.
Fourth-quarter profit soared 57% at Metro to $78.9-million, or 68 cents a share, from $50.2-million (48 cents) in the same period a year ago. Sales in the quarter ended Sept. 30 shot up 37% to $2.67-billion from $1.95-billion.
Excluding the one-time costs and gains, profit would have risen 41% to $71-million (61 cents). Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call were anticipating earnings per share of 57 cents.
Sales at stores open at least a year, a key measure of retailing strength, rose 1.4%. Gross margin, the percentage of sales left after operating expenses, rose to 6.5% from 5.4%.
"It's impressive how quickly they have been able to improve the margins," said John Chamberlain, retail analyst at Dominion Bond Rating Service. "I thought the Ontario market would be too tough to do it so quickly, but they have surprised us there."
Metro has been able to reduce costs by improving operating efficiency and cutting better deals with its suppliers. The company increased its cost-cutting goals in August but said yesterday that it could beat its earlier estimates of trimming annual operating costs by $70-million next year.
The retailer has renovated or expanded 49 stores in the past year and is aiming to have its entire store network in a more modern format in three years.
"There is no doubt that we have a big year ahead of us," chief executive Pierre Lessard told a conference call with analysts. In addition to renovating and relocating stores, the retailer is working on a large-scale integration of its IT systems and will also improve its private-label food program, he said.