General Retail News

[Norman Bates]

I have three pairs of Tateossian cuff links. They're splendid!

[citydwlr]

Mikaza Home mentioned on Twitter that they will be re-opening at City Centre by the end of this year, or early next year. They once had a location on Bank Street (Old Ottawa South) at least a year ago if I recall, but they have since closed that location and opened one in Gatineau.

[1overcosc]

My sister lives around Marier, and I've noticed that Marier certainly has all the right bones to be another traditional mainstreet with mixed retail & residential. Would love to see it happen.

[Radster]

Mikaza did have a store in Gatineau, but that closed over a year ago. It was on Portage Ave in Hull.

[canabiz]

Cabela's will open a shop in Kanata next year

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...land-in-kanata

[rocketphish]

Whole Foods for thought: Ottawa still short stores, expert says

Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: November 18, 2014, Last Updated: November 18, 2014 5:39 PM EST



We need Whole Foods like a hole in the head, one would have thought, but the experts say otherwise.

Look around, blind Everyman. Nothing but stores rising from the Earth: The Tanger outlet brought 75 new ones to Kanata (cost $120 million), with expansions at Rideau Centre ($360 million) and Bayshore ($150 million) on the way or done, and Whole Foods opening at Lansdowne on Wednesday.

Along areas of Barrhaven in the west, and Innes Road in the east, if you turn your head, another fleet of starship malls has landed overnight in a field. The Ottawa Train Yards, for pete’s sake, seems like a heritage project.

But Barry Nabatian, who studies these things for a living for Shore-Tanner & Associates, says Ottawa is not “over-stored.” The capital, overall, is actually under-served by retail.

Amazing.

Absent his long history monitoring and dissecting these things, you might think Nabatian was mistaken, but he makes the case with numbers.

The conventional thinking, he said, is that cities need roughly 30 to 40 square feet of retail for every resident — man, woman or child. (No word on pets.) Ottawa, with roughly one million souls, has about 30 million square feet of retail, meaning we are at the low end of “acceptable.”

Just to keep up with population growth, said Nabatian, we need to build 300,000 to 400,000 square feet of space every year — the equivalent of a new Billings Bridge shopping centre every 12 months.

There are regional disparities, he explained. Of our three big suburbs, he says, Barrhaven is the most under-served.

Since 1993, the amount of retail there has grown from 300,000 square feet of mostly service shops to 1.6 million, but this figure is still 500,000 short of typical, said Nabatian. “Shopping dollars are still leaving Barrhaven.”

Kanata, too, still has room to grow. He expects a couple of new shopping centres to crop up in the north end in the next three years, despite the opening of Tanger near the 417. On top of this, he says about a million square feet of new retail is under construction now or on the drawing board.

One of the reasons why retail is robust here is because of our relative wealth, with one of the highest household median incomes in Canada (in 2012, it was $98,000, virtually tied with Calgary at the top, well ahead of Toronto at $71,000).

(We are probably over $100,000 today; fat cats with nine lives and six figures.)

The effect of this is that our high-end malls do quite well. The Rideau Centre, said Nabatian, does about $1,000 per square foot, in annual sales, with Bayshore at $700 and St. Laurent at $650, well above the national average in the $300s.

Vacancy rates, too, are quite tiny.

If Holt Renfrew made any mistake, said the analyst, it was not moving into the Rideau Centre. Instead, when it arrived at a crossroads at 240 Sparks, it looked at the upstart Nordstrom moving in (opening March 6), examined its options, and decided to move out.

It is not all rosy, however.

Nabatian believes that inside the Greenbelt, especially downtown, the city is over-stored.

Whole Foods will probably thrive because of its specialty brand and cachet, he added, but he wonders about a Winners outlet (also at Lansdowne) when it has suburban sisters with plenty of free parking.

For smaller, independent shops, the pressures are many. Rents can be high, municipal taxes, when compounded, have risen some 25 per cent in eight years, water rates are up, and hydro costs have jumped.

Throw in rising food costs and it begins to make sense why even a Juniper Restaurant can’t survive selling $25 lunches.

Well, it’s all madness in a way. A new mall or store is described in a positive light, using words such as “investment” and “progress”, as though making do with the existing stores was a shortcoming.

Spending is good, more spending is better, more places for more spending being some kind of summit of civic pride.

Makes you wonder. A Bass Pro Shops has announced it is opening near the Tanger outlet fairly soon. The store will be 120,000 square feet and contain a bowling alley and, presumably, some fishing rods.

One store, we’re fairly certain, bigger than Ottawa’s first shopping mall, Westgate, that opened in 1955.

That’s a whole lot of food, whole worlds really, for thought today.

To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896 or email [email protected]

Twitter.com/kellyegancolumn

http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/col...es-expert-says

[rocketphish]

Rooftop cow going back in the ring for Round 2

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 12:41 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 05:36 PM EST



Time is running out before Ottawa’s most famous plastic cow is put out to pasture.

The rooftop Holstein atop Orléans food boutique Cheddar Et Cetera has less than a year to stand -- that is, if the city follows through on a council direction from three years ago.

But before bylaw officers raid the roof of the Watters Rd. plaza next summer, there could be a new campaign to make sure the cow remains.

“People are still asking about it,” store manager Jacques Leury said Tuesday. “They want to make sure it stays.”

The cow conundrum started in early 2010 when the city said the statue contravened a rooftop sign bylaw. Council ordered a review of the policy and a year later agreed to keep the status quo.

A deal was brokered at City Hall in mid-2011: Council would let the cow stay until after the next group of politicians take office after the 2014 municipal election. A drop-dead date of July 13, 2015, was entered into the minutes.

The cow generated discussion about what’s considered a “sign” and some feared that if the bovine was allowed to stay, there would be a proliferation of rooftop signs and statues in Ottawa.

The ordeal even convinced a fringe candidate to drop out of the 2010 mayoral election because he was frustrated the city wasn’t booting the cow to protect “the rule of law.”

The next council takes office Dec. 1.

The new planning committee, which will be established in December, and council will decide if the cow restriction is bull, or if it’s necessary to maintain the integrity of city bylaws.

Newly re-elected Orléans Coun. Bob Monette said he’ll fight to save the cow.

“I support leaving it there. There hasn’t been any issues,” Monette said. “It shows the public supports it. Just leave it the way it is.”

Leury originally collected an amazing 9,000 signatures just to save the cow, and it paid off.

He said a new petition will begin if there’s wind that the city will enforce the reprieve deadline.

“We’re going to do the same thing,” Leury said.

Leury said the cow is more than an advertisement for the store.

“That’s an icon in eastern Ontario,” he said. “Not too long ago this was all farmland. The cow is part of our heritage.”

[email protected]
Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/11/18/...ng-for-round-2

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by canabiz

Cabela's will open a shop in Kanata next year

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...land-in-kanata

Interesting...they are opening a mini-store (by Cabela's standards) right next to a fully featured Bass Pro. I wonder what the angle is there...

[eternallyme]

Agreed that the outer urban area (i.e. within the Greenbelt, but outside the core area - which I would consider to be the Rideau River, Ottawa River and O-Train corridor) is over-retailed, since it is not seeing much (if any) population growth right now, and it was the most plentiful area for retail already.

[1overcosc]

I would also argue that the entire Suburban East (both inside and outside the Greenbelt) is also over-retailed. It's the south end, Kanata, and the Downtown area that are the most lacking, IMO.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

I would also argue that the entire Suburban East (both inside and outside the Greenbelt) is also over-retailed. It's the south end, Kanata, and the Downtown area that are the most lacking, IMO.

Not too familiar with the Gatineau retail scene, but from modest observations, I would say Aylmer and the eastern part (Buckingham/Masson) are also lacking. I know Aylmer has fought tooth and nail to keep big boxes out though.

[rocketphish]

Bass Pro still a go? Company says so

Robert Bostelaar, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: November 19, 2014, Last Updated: November 19, 2014 6:22 PM EST



Bass Pro Shops says it still plans to dip a line in the Ottawa market — it just can’t say when.

“We’ve announced we’re coming, we’re excited about coming to the area, and that’s the only update I have right now,” spokeswoman Katie Mitchell said Wednesday from the outdoor and sporting-goods chain’s headquarters in Springfield, Mo.

Bass Pro announced a year ago it would open one of its signature giant hunting, fishing and camping stores by mid-2015 in a fast-growing retail zone on Highway 417 in Kanata. But work has yet to start at the site across from the Canadian Tire Centre, prompting speculation the Ottawa store has been dropped.

In Montreal, a planned Bass Pro was cancelled after a huge retail and entertainment complex envisioned for Mirabel failed to get backing. A smaller outlet-store development recently opened at the site.

Meantime, rival chain Cabela’s Inc. said this week it will open a 70,000-square-foot store near the Bass Pro property in Kanata by spring 2016.

Developers are eager to fill a stretch that just months ago was empty fields with stores, hotels and restaurants. Tanger Outlets Ottawa was first to open with 350,000 square feet of retail space.

The Kanata Bass Pro outlet, at 120,000 square feet the size of seven NHL ice surfaces, is meant to anchor a Broccolini/Laurentides Holdings development east of Huntmar Drive.

Bob Perkins, Ottawa vice-president of Broccolini Construction, said he was unable to comment Wednesday on Bass Pro or other tenants for the 53-acre property but hoped to be able to offer an update shortly.



Bass Pro’s 2013 announcement triggered excitement in Eastern Ontario’s outdoors communities. Its huge stores are famous for elaborate indoor waterfalls and bowling alleys and for a huge selection that includes a proprietary line of boats. The company says its average U.S. customer spends 2.5 hours in a store.

Still, some shoppers at Canadian outlets opened by both Bass Pro and Cabela’s have expressed disappointment with what they say are higher prices and different product lines in Canada. U.S. retailer Target met similar criticism when it expanded north of the border.

Both Bass Pro and Cabela’s chains have expanded rapidly to serve a sporting goods market expected to be worth $266 billion U.S. around the globe by 2017.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal in September, Bass Pro is seeking to raise funds, possibly through the sale of a minority stake in the family-owned chain. Founder Johnny Morris, who started the company from a rented trailer in the 1970s, has a net worth of $4.5 billion, according to Forbes. The chain opened its 90th outlet Wednesday in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., with customers reportedly camping outside for early deals.

Cabela’s is publicly traded, with its stock rising 2.2 per cent to $52.60 U.S. Wednesday in New York. The company has a market value of $4.3 billion U.S. It operates 64 stores in North America and plans to open another 19 over the next two years, including the Ottawa outlet and a Gainesville, Va., location also announced this week.

In Ottawa, the chains would compete with large established retailers such as Sail and Le Baron, smaller shops and department stores and newcomers such as Sporting Life, set to open in a 43,000-square-foot store in Lansdowne Park on Thursday. Sporting Life puts a big emphasis on fashion, offering Canada Goose and other premium brands.

[email protected]
twitter.com/robt_bostelaar

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...ny-says-not-so

[canabiz]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Interesting...they are opening a mini-store (by Cabela's standards) right next to a fully featured Bass Pro. I wonder what the angle is there...

I have never shopped at either store (was tempted to order something from Cabela's website before) but I believe the market can support both stores...the location is key as this is very appealing to folks in the Valley. My colleague, who lives in Aylmer, simply can't wait for any of these guys to open, needless to say, he's big into outdoor stuff

[rocketphish]

Quebec-based Simons' Gatineau, Ottawa openings part of national expansion

The Canadian Press ~ OBJ
Published on November 25, 2014

After 175 years, Quebec-based Simons is primed to make a major expansion push beyond the province with stores in five new cities across Canada.

The family-owned company will launch in Ottawa, Gatineau, Vancouver, Calgary, and Mississauga beginning next year and into 2017. With the exception of West Edmonton Mall, the eight other existing Simons stores are based solely in Quebec.

"We had a vision of what we wanted to accomplish and be able to do in terms of design and innovation in retail, and I felt that we had to enlarge," CEO Peter Simons said in a phone interview.

"We'll still be a very small company in the context of competition today, but we had to expand our footprint a bit to give us the freedom and flexibility to accomplish what we wanted to do."

Mr. Simons didn't offer specifics on the number of people they plan to employ, but reasserted the company's commitment to quality service.

"We understand you have to have people there. So I can tell you the density of service per square foot is way more intense than any other store our size in the country."

The new stores will range from 80,000 to 113,000 square feet and will be built within both new and existing structures.

The first location is set to launch at Les Promenades Gatineau next August, followed in October 2015 by the opening at Park Royal in West Vancouver. In 2016, Simons stores will open at Square One in Mississauga in March and Ottawa's Rideau Centre in August. Simons is slated to open at The Core in Calgary in March 2017.

John Simons originally founded the company as a dry goods store in Quebec City in 1840. Brothers Peter and Richard Simons are now at the helm. Simons has more than 2,000 employees and offers an extensive range of apparel from moderately priced separates to higher-end offerings from a stable of homegrown and international designers.

The retailer also has sub-departments spanning the spectrum of sartorial tastes. On the women's side, there's the youthful, style-forward Twik, Icone for the young professional urbanite and classic elegance from Contemporaine. Menswear offerings include chic eveningwear in Le 31, and trendy streetwear in DJAB.

Accessories, leisurewear and a vast array of products for home are also carried, but Peter Simons eschewed the "department store" label.

"We're unique," he said. "I don't do cosmetics. I don't do hard goods and washers and dryers. I'm not a department store. I'm a large-scale specialty retailer."

Mr. Simons said customers are savvy in how they pair fast-fashion pieces with pricier garments, and that the breadth of items available at his stores correlates to existing consumer habits.

"You can mix up a Dries Van Noten jacket if you want with a basic T-shirt," he said. "That's how people are shopping, and at some of the pure private label players that are coming in from overseas, you can't do that.

"I like that about our assortment. I think it's very customer-centric, and even if you don't buy the higher-end pieces, there's a whole educational value and fashion interest. It's about creativity and beauty and expression and stylism."

Despite its lengthy history, Simons said the transition from regional player to the national stage marked a big change. He was also candid in acknowledging the retailer still remains unknown in much of the country.

"After 175 years, people really understand our exclusive merchandise and appreciate the value and quality that's there. And in new markets where people don't really know us, there's a discovery process that has to go on that just doesn't fall from the sky."

Simons is joining an increasingly crowded field of retail players expanding within Canada.

Holt Renfrew recently launched its first stand-alone store for men, with plans to update flagship stores in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto and to unveil new stores in Montreal and Mississauga. It is closing it's Ottawa location at 240 Sparks at the end of January. A Quebec City location is also set to close in 2015.

American companies are also clamouring for a slice of the Canadian retail pie with the anticipated launch of the first two Saks Fifth Avenue stores north of the border in the spring of 2016. Seattle-based Nordstrom Inc. has already opened its first Canadian location in Calgary, with new stores coming to the Rideau Centre in March. It will also open in Vancouver and Toronto.

Mr. Simons said the company will be "globally competitive in all of the core things" and expressed pride in being a homegrown brand at a time when many competitors are headquartered outside of Canada. He pointed to Simons' support of the arts community – which includes showcasing works by homegrown talents – among the retailer's distinguishing characteristics.

"We're part of the fabric here. We want to participate in the community," said Mr. Simons.

"We're not owned by Wall Street; we're not being driven by the next quarter. And when your name's on the door, it makes a difference."

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Retail/2014-...al-expansion/1

[citydwlr]

Frank & Oak has opened a new shop in Westboro (297 Richmond Road), according to Twitter:

We're happy to announce our second #FrankandOakColour shop is now open at 297 Richmond Rd, #Ottawa Spread the word!

* Not sure if this is temporary or not...

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by citydwlr

Frank & Oak has opened a new shop in Westboro (297 Richmond Road), according to Twitter:



* Not sure if this is temporary or not...

They're having an opening party next Wednesday so it seems to be permanent, but the front window says seasonal shop. It would've been nice to have this on Sparks since it needs the help, but it's good for Westboro. Hopefully other clothing stores of this calibre are attracted to Richmond Road. It still has so much potential to become a shopping destination.

[rocketphish]

Elgin Street has to get patios right

Jonathan McLeod, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: December 8, 2014, Last Updated: December 8, 2014 6:00 AM EST

In what is setting up to be another tired, myopic “city that fun forget” lament, the city’s pilot project that brought patios to Elgin Street did not go as smoothly as hoped. There were complaints. There were issues with mobility. There were issues with stores taking up more space than they were allotted.

The project was a worthwhile initiative. For an area with a number of bars and restaurants, there were few patios along Elgin Street. Having people outside on the street eating, drinking and enjoying themselves and each other should be a real boon to the life of the street. It’s a good idea.

But for the street to thrive, it’s also an idea that the city has to get right, and there were problems with the implementation.

Elgin Street does not have wide sidewalks. During busy hours (which tend to coincide with busy hours for restaurants), the sidewalks can get clogged with pedestrians … who also have to dodge hydro poles, parking meters, folding signs and newspaper boxes. These new patios pinched off the sidewalk, even when they adhered to the zoning regulations. There simply was not enough room for everyone to walk by. Pedestrians would spill out into the street to be able to move (possibly even when they were walking to one of the other bars down the street). You can’t claim to be making the street livelier and more people-friendly and then make the sidewalks unwalkable.

(Well you can, but you shouldn’t be taken seriously if you do.)

There’s a simple solution to this problem, and it is not to get rid of the patios. Elgin needs to be a two-lane street. If we were to get rid of the curb-side lanes (which are really just long narrow parking lots most of the time), there would be ample room for patios and pedestrians. There are two way we could accomplish this. We could put the patios in what is now the street, having the sidewalk pass through it; or we could let the patios take up most (or all) of the sidewalk and turn the curbside lanes into pedestrian areas.

We could even offer a bit of room for bicyclists. It would keep them out of car traffic and encourage more cycling. It would only make sense. We’re talking about a business initiative, and cyclists tend to spend more money than drivers.

It’s a fairly simple fix, and it actually improves the lot for both pedestrians and restaurants. They each could have more room than they had this past summer.

The sticking point will be, of course, cars. There will be complaints about the lost parking spaces. BIAs and individual businesses are often notorious for their hostility to removing parking spots for cars. But let’s look at it this way: the patio initiative was intended to increase business, and, from all accounts, it did. It is reasonable to believe that increasing the size of the patios — which were pretty small last summer — would be an added boon to the Elgin Street businesses.

Plus, we can give them little choice. If the city just decides to enact this new initiative, no reasonable bar or restaurant proprietor is going to turn down an expanded patio out of spite.

We should commend city staff and politicians who supported the patio project. It was certain to have some hiccups. We should also commend the businesses that pushed for the new patios. They were absolutely correct that getting patrons out onto the street would create a new vibe, new life on one of our prominent downtown streets.

Now let’s make it bigger and better.

Jonathan McLeod is a general fellow with the Canadian Council for Democracy.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...t-patios-right

[Urbanarchit]

They'd only been open for a few months, but I walked by today and noticed the Studio Cafe on Somerset in Hintonburg closed as of a month ago. There doesn't seem to be much of a push for businesses in Hintonburg lately. The storefront beside the LCBO where Yasir Naqvi has his campaign office has been vacant ever since (around 6 months).

The Story of an Entrepreneur in Kitchissippi
Novemebr 14, 2014

“See a need fill a need.”
“If you build it they will come.”
The Studio Café & Gallery which opened in May of this year in Hintonburg was built on those two adages.

Over the last few years, in my travels as an artist, teacher, business owner (and wannabe interior designer), I’ve observed a shift in trends in the service industry and leisure spaces. Singular function businesses are becoming a thing of the past, people are staying closer to home or looking for a home away from home – a comfortable, familiar local spot to hang out and chat or participate in an activity like making art with your child or getting a group of girlfriends together to drink wine and paint. Corporate work, meetings and networking are taking place outside of the office and boardroom. The economy and template of the often intimidating austerity of the traditional gallery is waning. That the multitude of cookie cutter laminated coffee shops where overcaffeinated patrons shakily step away from their laptops only to order up their next espresso is not enough for some. There is a return to the art of a great cup of coffee as well as the art of great conversation.

Why not create a space like this in Ottawa?

This was the premise for The Studio Café. To create a micro arts community space in the nation’s capital that fused artist studios with working artists, professionals, designers, writers, architects and performers where they could commune over coffee in a beautiful, well designed, light filled space – different from the small, glum basement studios and abandoned warehouses.

Sure there are many pubs that fill that gap, but as a mother I wanted to do this outside of a bar scene making it possible for youth to feel welcome; classes for teens, classes for parent and child, inclusive groups that bridge the gap and unify artists of all disciplines and ages.

I hadn’t realized at the time, but a stranger (now friend) told me what I was creating was Ottawa’s first THIRD PLACE a term coined by American Urban Sociologist Ray Oldenburg. He states:

“Third places, then, are anchors of community life and facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction. All societies already have informal meeting places; what is new in modern times is the intentionality of seeking them out as vital to current societal needs.” (The Great Good Place Da Capo Press, August 1999)

Real experiences. We as a society are hungry for this. And it worked. For 8 months.

With so much community support pouring in I was off to a great start. I discovered hundreds of talented savvy entrepreneurs, who were curious, invigorated, inspired by this concept and willing to help and participate. Our comment book was filled with uplifting sentiments, and classes were filling up to the point of waiting lists.

Sadly, it was not enough. Although classes were picking up and word was getting out, once my coffee retailer left, the overhead became too much for me to carry on my own. I’m an artist, not a mathematician but it wasn’t long before the simple economy of the space became too much to bear.

The reality is, doing business in Ottawa is expensive. The cost of leasing commercial or retail space in Ottawa is prohibitive. Parking restrictions make it difficult and sometimes impossible to take classes of any kind. Imagine leaving in the middle of your yoga session just to go move your car from its 1-hour zone, or coming out of a blissful art class, canvas in hand only to find a $50 parking ticket on your windshield. With a poor infrastructure and high costs, patrons and business owners are easily discouraged or scared off. They close, they go bankrupt, they move cities or don’t even try at all.

Minister of Finance Maxime Bernier said:

“The determination and innovative spirit of Canada’s small business owners are what drive our economy forward. Small businesses make up 98 percent of all companies in Canada, employ nearly 70 percent of the private sector labour force and contribute about 40 percent to the gross domestic product.” (Oct. 20, 2013)

However finding funding, start up grants or financial support for small business is nearly impossible. Rent control, rental relief or subsidies, seeking out private backers and investors to keep it up-and-running is a very different story. As in my case, I finally found some leads a little too late. The media, too, seems to be all over business when it opens and then when it closes… what small business really need, is sustenance through those precarious middle months or years.

Kitchissippi has been very kind to me. West Wellington BIA is amazing, the business around me supported me and pushed and encouraged me all the way. I could not have gone this far without you. I thank you. I had no idea how this concept would be received and what would happen, but my world is bigger and brighter knowing you. I am in awe and inspired by your generosity and incredible determination.

As customers we need to get out there, join in and support small business – not just click a “LIKE” button. Participate, bring friends, be part of a real experience.

Look around you today. Who have you been meaning to check out? You can make a difference. You might BE the difference.

Above all we need the infrastructure to make it easier for entrepreneurs to take chances, raise the bar and give a new business not just a fighting chance, but protect and nurture them throughout those first few months and hopefully years. For so many their “small” business is not just a first, second or third place – it is their life and contributes to the enriching of other lives within a community.

Crystal Beshara is an award winning artist, illustrator and writer. She teaches workshops abroad as well as in her home studio in Ottawa. Her show “Life on the Rock” will be at The Studio Café until Nov. 25. An inventory clearance party will be taking place Nov. 22 and 23 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information go to crystalbeshara.com.

Kitchissippi Times

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

There’s a simple solution to this problem, and it is not to get rid of the patios. Elgin needs to be a two-lane street.

Alternatively: favour patio locations just off Elgin, on the east-west streets, for bars, restaurants, or cafes that are on corners.

[rocketphish]

Supermarket spruce-up in aisle four

David Sali, OBJ
Published on December 15, 2014

As a food retailer, Rebecca McKeen knows keeping things fresh makes good business sense.

That dictum doesn’t just apply to fruits, vegetables, milk and other staples that account for a hefty chunk of supermarket sales. It’s also essential when it comes to marketing.

It’s probably no coincidence then that the family business she now manages, McKeen Metro Glebe, chose to unveil a new look and logo last month around the same time the Whole Foods Market chain opened its first Ottawa location a few blocks south at Lansdowne Park.

“I think what it meant for us is that we needed to change,” Ms. McKeen says of the arrival of Whole Foods, a U.S.-based chain that specializes in organic and natural foods and body care products.

“We needed to evolve. And I think we have. It really motivated us to take it to the next level. That’s a positive thing.”

On Nov. 29 the neighbourhood grocer held an open house, where 16 of its 30 or so local food suppliers cooked up samples for customers. The store also highlighted its slogan, “Think Fresh. Think Local” in promotions for the event.

Though the slogan has been around for about six or seven years, Ms. McKeen says “it’s something we’ve kept in our back pocket.”

The store spent about a year and a half on its latest rebranding effort, hiring local marketing agency gordongroup to design a new logo and colour scheme. In September, McKeen launched an extensive renovation project, repainting the store and installing new flooring, counters and fridges to give the 10,000-square-foot space a more contemporary look and feel.

McKeen is just one of many businesses in the Glebe gearing up for new competition from retail outlets at Lansdowne Park.

Whole Foods opened its 41,000-square-foot location on Nov. 19, a few weeks after the Lindt chocolate boutique became the first retailer to debut at Lansdowne. Sporting Life and Winners have also added their names to the growing list of retailers gradually filling the space near the Ottawa RedBlacks’ home at TD Place.

Over the next couple of months, they will be joined by more than a dozen other businesses ranging from banks and restaurants such as Milestones, to a new 10-screen VIP Cineplex cinema where moviegoers can have alcoholic beverages delivered right to their seats.

Darren Fleming, a managing principal at Cresa Ottawa who keeps a close eye on the city’s retail scene, says smaller, locally owned stores such as McKeen must adapt or face the consequences.

“The retail landscape in the Glebe has changed dramatically,” says Mr. Fleming. “The retailers who are going to be successful are the ones who recognize the challenges they face going forward. I’m pretty sure if someone thinks that what’s going on at Lansdowne is not going to affect their business and takes no pre-emptive action, I think they’re going to find themselves in a pretty challenging situation.”

Retail expert Barry Nabatian agrees, saying the arrival of Whole Foods and other big chain stores at Lansdowne has been a wakeup call for local shop owners who have grown complacent, the same way Walmart shook up the retail market when it rolled into town two decades ago.

“Sometimes, when there is a giant coming to Ottawa, it frightens people and it makes them do things that they should have done a long time ago,” says Mr. Nabatian, a market analyst with Shore Tanner & Associates. “I think the same situation has happened with Whole Foods coming in, and particularly in the Glebe.”

He expects other local retailers to follow McKeen’s lead and step up their marketing efforts, but says it won’t be easy.

“I think a number of the Glebe stores will have to do that,” he says. “They will have no choice. If they want to stay in business, they have got to differentiate themselves from what’s going in Lansdowne. To me, Lansdowne is a catalyst for renovation, for upgrading, for increased use of social media. Doing it is easier said than done because it costs a lot.”

Other local retail veterans say successful businesses are constantly looking at new ways to attract and retain customers, even when they aren’t faced with a major influx of new competitors.

“(Rebranding) is going on regardless of Lansdowne,” says Glebe BIA chair Greg Best, whose organization represents about 300 neighbourhood businesses. “There are always new things taking place.”

Ms. McKeen, who took over the day-to-day operations of the store two years ago, says it’s too soon to tell what effect Whole Foods will have on sales. She says the family-owned supermarket has been part of the community for generations and has a loyal customer base, adding she thinks there is room for both stores.

“We’re two different offerings,” she says. “People feel at home here and they know the staff. I think we’re pretty confident in who we are and what we offer. If we have to adapt a little bit in order to differentiate ourselves, then we will. But I think we offer something that’s different.”

Mr. Best agrees, adding many customers prefer the experience of shopping in a smaller store.

“You can’t be everything to everybody,” he says. “There’s a certain kind of clientele or a certain scale of business that people want to experience. I would say that most people are looking at the convenience factor. I’m basically half a block away from Metro. Why would I go four blocks down the street?”

In the long term, Ms. McKeen says, Whole Foods and other bigger stores like it could actually improve her bottom line. If curious Lansdowne shoppers decide to check out the rest of the neighbourhood, they might just pick up a few items at her store, she hopes.

“I think there are, at Lansdowne, destination stores,” she says. “That can only be a positive thing for us because it brings new people to the area – and people that we hope will come back, not only for those destination stores but to take advantage of the atmosphere of the Glebe in general.”

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Retail/2014-...n-aisle-four/1