The Women’s Sport Initiative (WSI) is a multi-million dollar investment that will earmark 50% of the company’s sponsorship spending for women’s professional sports by 2026. In addition, the WSI includes a dedicated media fund that will create more visibility for women’s sport across broadcast, digital and social platforms. (Strategy Online)
"It is folly to suggest that an unprofitable grocery business is somehow better for customers," Medline said. "Like all Canadians, we look forward to seeing the end of this tough inflationary period." (CBC)
"When a retailer is trying to be too many things, what we've seen happen is assortment rationalization," Lecoq said, explaining why some stores don't carry female protective gear for hockey or women's cleats for soccer. (Vancouver is Awesome)
“As we strive to continue expanding our brand, we understand the importance of connecting with digital audiences. With Stadium Live, we can integrate the physical and digital realms to engage more effectively with the crucial Gen Z demographic,” (Retail Insider)
One big question is who will come along to fill all that retail space; Cadillac Fairview will have more to deal with than most, as they own five of the six malls where Nordstrom stores are located across Canada. (Toronto Sun)
You see people searching for Canada Goose secondhand or pre-loved or whatever the term you use, [and] we’ve seen that grow significantly over the last year. It’s something that we’re really excited about. Like a lot of brands, there’s going to be a learning curve to this because it’s not a very established channel. (Modern Retail)
Digital marketing mavens and ReShift Media founders Kirk Allen and Steve Buors with the latest strategies and tactics in digital and social marketing for retailers and sharing their recent win making them the world’s best franchise marketing firm
“I actually have a training session for all my employees coming up in March just to stay on top of social media and know how to post properly and consistently so it’s the same kind of vibe that we’re giving across all the stores,” says Bonfield. (Ottawa Business Journal)
“But while shopping for a new wardrobe as a, then, 46-year-old woman, I became very disappointed in the selection and very frustrated by the shopping experience. It sucked. So when I launched Grit & Grace, I wanted to create a gathering space for women of all ages who enjoy what I do – yoga, books, travel, poetry, fabulous fashion, music, meaningful conversation and learning new things. (Retail Insider)
Long-time RCC member Reshift Media Voted Best Franchise Marketing Firm at the 2023 Global Franchise Awards
For more than a decade, Reshift Media has been developing digital marketing strategies, processes and technology custom-tailored to the unique needs of franchise organizations. Although headquartered in Canada, Reshift Media’s footprint in the franchise community is vast, working with more than 200 clients in 20 countries across all aspects of digital marketing including software development, social media, search and website/mobile development.
Be sure and check out Michael LeBlanc's interview with founders Kirk Allen and Steve Buors onThe Voice of Retail podcast!
Do you have an employee who is currently studying in a business, fashion, marketing or retail-related program? Encourage them to apply for a Retail Education Scholarship!
Some of the change, they hope, will be positive – particularly the design of products such as the wooden children’s toys, scented oil diffusers and heavy enamelled cookware. “It’s incredible styling,” Ms. Hwang-Judiesch says. “We’re saying ‘value’ versus ‘discount.’ I think there’s a lot of white space in the market for that.” (The Globe & Mail)
“It wasn’t a good fit for Ottawa. And Nordstrom’s exit will force Cadillac Fairview to be creative and reinvent the Rideau Centre. This is a good thing, not a bad thing. (Ottawa Business Journal)
"LockBit attacks typically employ a double extortion tactic to encourage victims to pay, first, to regain access to their encrypted files and then to pay again to prevent their stolen data from being posted publicly," (The Canadian Press)
Before launching on TikTok on March 1, the “#IKEACanada” hashtag had already been viewed over 50 million times by customers and fans, showing there was a vibrant and growing audience for the retailer to tap into. (Strategy Online)
“If you use too much referential imagery, then [the platform] could over-design in one direction,” Gonzalez explained. “But if you build a database or library of materiality, and the things that you can call upon referencing different styles, you still have a vision. The tool just interprets that vision quickly.” (Retail Touchpoints)
CEO Lauren Hobart said on a call with analysts that the company has seen a “shift in consumer behavior” toward prioritizing fitness even more than they did pre-pandemic. Shoppers are now starting to see sports and fitness products “more as necessities than discretionary,” she said. (CNBC)
"Despite an increasingly volatile macroeconomic climate, through the ongoing execution of our Polaris strategy, we remained agile, pivoted to meet customer demand and elevated our approach to inventory management,” said Jeff Gennette, Macy's chairman and CEO. "In the fourth quarter, we benefited from our disciplined inventory approach." (Yahoo Finance)
Card spend on clothing fell by 1.2% compared with the same month last year. Spending in restaurants dipped 3%, while pubs, bars and clubs experienced annual sales growth of 7.7%, significantly lower than the 18.1% annual growth rate in January. (The Guardian)
In 2022, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) received fraud and cybercrime reports totaling a staggering $530 million in victim losses – nearly a 40% increase from the unprecedented $380 million in losses in 2021. That’s why Retail Council of Canada offers resources, events, and guidance to support businesses in preventing and dealing with fraud in retail. View our Fraud Prevention Month page to learn more.
Interested in hearing from Canada's Loss Prevention community in person? Join us on March 21, 2023, atRCC's Retail Secure Conference.
