General Retail News

[rocketphish]

Aegis Brands selling Bridgehead coffee business to Pilot Coffee Roasters for $3.5M

David Sali, OBJ
January 29, 2024 10:16 AM ET

Aegis Brands Inc. has signed a deal to sell its Bridgehead coffee business to Toronto’s Pilot Coffee Roasters for $3.5 million – the second time in four years the chain of Ottawa-based coffee houses has changed hands.

In addition to Bridgehead, Aegis Brands owns and operates St. Louis Bar and Grill and Wing City by St. Louis.

Aegis Brands chief executive Steven Pelton says the sale allows the company to build on the momentum of the St. Louis brand.

“We know there is significant growth yet to be realized with this brand and we are focused on creating shareholder value with this great asset,” Pelton said in a statement.

Toronto-based Pilot Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster, online retailer, wholesaler and café operator. The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024.

“With Bridgehead’s focus on organic coffee, it will strengthen even more our exceptional range of specialty coffee products and services to our customers across Canada,” Pilot Coffee CEO Bruce Miller said in a statement. “With both brands in the portfolio, it will bring the company to its continued goal of being Canada’s leader in specialty coffee.”

Aegis says proceeds from the deal will be used to reduce debt and for general working capital purposes.

The sale comes four years after Aegis acquired Bridgehead, which now operates 21 locations in the National Capital Region, from previous owner Tracey Clark. Clark bought the company from Oxfam Canada in the early 2000s and grew it into one of Ottawa’s best-known retail brands.

Aegis – whose former holdings also include the Second Cup coffee chain – planned to expand the brand into other markets, including the Greater Toronto Area.

But the COVID-19 pandemic dealt Bridgehead a heavy blow as lockdowns aimed at curbing the spread of the virus caused revenues to plummet, prompting Aegis to put its expansion plans on hold.

Bridgehead’s business began to perk up after COVID-19 restrictions eased, and its revenues in the third quarter of 2023 were up more than 20 per cent over the previous year.

Still, a prominent Ottawa retail analyst said the coffee industry is a “competitive market” and Aegis probably decided it could make more money by concentrating on its restaurant business.

“My educated guess is that the margins are better in the industry they’re staying in,” said Ian Lee, an associate professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business.

“I’m guessing that they decided (the coffee business) was never going to become that profitable or that strong for them, and so they decided to take the money and re-allocate it.”

Lee said it “makes sense” for Bridgehead to join forces with a company that is focused solely on coffee, noting the retailers can now take advantage of market synergies and build on their combined knowledge of the business.

“I think there’s a better strategic fit there,” he explained.

– With additional reporting from the Canadian Press

https://obj.ca/aegis-brands-sell-bri...roasters-3-5m/

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

The University of Ottawa Press has been publishing since 1936.

It has now moved to a storefront operation at 99 Bank Street, where it will be more visible to the public.

The new publishing studio will serve not only as a sales outlet for scholarly, literary and non-fiction works, but also as a showcase for artworks by Canadian artists. It will also serve as a venue for literary gatherings and will be a working space.

https://press.uottawa.ca/en/

From their web site

[J.OT13]

Nice to see uOttawa presence in the CBD.

[phil235]

This is really nice to see. It's also just north of the blocks that need the most help, so hopefully it starts a bit of a trend. I wonder how busy it will end up being.

[Badyouken]

Very interesting. And interesting that the French comes before the English (I guess due to the history of the university, but a rarity in this town!)

[eltodesukane]

Mind Games now closed at Rideau.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Badyouken

Very interesting. And interesting that the French comes before the English (I guess due to the history of the university, but a rarity in this town!)

Always for UofO, no?

[originalmuffins]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

Mind Games now closed at Rideau.

Guess that was inevitable with the opening of Imaginaire, it is hard to compete with the mega store that it is.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by Badyouken

Very interesting. And interesting that the French comes before the English (I guess due to the history of the university, but a rarity in this town!)

It is consistent with the way all uOttawa signs have been worded for decades.

The big window display looks good, but I feel that the sign above the door is pretty mundane. For a commercial enterprise like this I think they could come up with a jazzier design that appeals to the public eye. I do hope that this venture is a commercial success.

[rocketphish]

‘No longer viable’: Ontario electronics retailer Factory Direct to liquidate stores

The Canadian Press
February 16, 2024 10:36 AM ET

An Ontario court has given Factory Direct permission to liquidate its stores as it begins winding down the business. The retailer has two Ottawa locations, with one on Merivale Road and one in Gloucester.

Court documents show the discount electronics and home goods retailer wanted to close its 14 stores in the province because it has found the business is “no longer viable.”

Factory Direct says it has experienced declining sales and increased costs that led to operating losses of about $1.7 million in the 11-month period ended Nov. 30.

The Vaughan-based retailer says inflation has resulted in falling demand for its products, which include many non-essential goods like televisions.

It also notes that it has seen increased competition as more online marketplaces and wholesalers launch direct-to-consumer businesses.

Factory Direct, which was founded in 1995, has about 200 employees who will be terminated as business operations wind down.

https://obj.ca/ontario-electronics-r...ect-liquidate/

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

The Body Shop has announced that they are restructuring and will close 33 Canadian stores.

The stores at Place d'Orleans and the Rideau Centre are on the list of stores to be closed.

[rocketphish]

Body Shop Canada files for bankruptcy protection, plans restructuring

The Canadian Press
March 1, 2024 12:42 PM ET

The Body Shop Canada Ltd. says it will close 33 stores, including three stores local to Ottawa, and halt its e-commerce operations as it seeks to restructure itself under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

The Canadian subsidiary of the international cosmetics brand announced Friday that it will immediately begin liquidating almost a third of its 105 stores.

The company did not say how many workers would lose their jobs as a result of the store closures that span locations in cities including Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon and Saint John. Among the closures are two Ottawa stores, which are found in the CF Rideau Centre and in Carlingwood Mall, as well as one in Place d’Orleans and one in Kingston.

The company’s U.S. arm has also ceased operations, The Body Shop Canada said Friday.

<more>

https://obj.ca/body-shop-canada-bank...restructuring/

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

The Body Shop has announced that they are restructuring and will close 33 Canadian stores.

The stores at Place d'Orleans and the Rideau Centre are on the list of stores to be closed.

Full list of affected Body Shop stores:

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...ose-33-stores/

[J.OT13]

St. Laurent location lives another day.

[Marcus CLS]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

St. Laurent location lives another day.

Actually IMO geographically it makes sense. St. Laurent can serve Ottawa Central East and Bayshore can serve Ottawa Central West while dumping the Rideau centre which most likely has the most expensive lease.

[kingedward]

Coles at Billings Bridge is closing on March 9

Source

It’s been our pleasure to serve you at Coles Billings Bridge. After more than 27 years in our community, we regret to announce that this location will be closed as of March 9, 2024.

I want to start by saying that any decision to close a store is so difficult. We know well that every one of our stores becomes a living, breathing part of the community, and of course this is the case with your store. It has  connected all  of  you who live here with members of our store team and, by extension, the writers whose books you love.

We look forward to serving you at our other nearby location, Indigo South Keys, or 24/7 at indigo.ca. And starting now, our closing sale at Coles Billings Bridge has begun. Get an additional 50% off bargain books*, and an additional 25% off select toys and gifting items.**

[acottawa]

I didn’t know Coles still existed.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Have the Costco rumours for that area been confirmed yet as well?

Originally Posted by acottawa

I didn’t know Coles still existed.

Neither did I. Maybe that's the problem.

Is Chapters in Gloucester the last one left? As in, not rebranded as Indigo.

[Acajack]

I think there is also an Indigo on Innes in Orléans.

[kingedward]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Is Chapters in Gloucester the last one left? As in, not rebranded as Indigo.

I’m pretty sure the locations in Carlingwood and Bayshore are still Coles. As for Chapters, the Pinecrest and South Keys locations have definitely been Indigo-fied, at least on the outside. I’m not sure about Kanata.