Have Downtowns Become Victims of Their Own Success?
This year’s International Downtown Association (IDA) Annual Conference was held in Winnipeg, MB. Having been to more of these conferences …
Category Archives: Retail
Amazon and Whole Foods… as the Dust Starts to Clear
“OMG!” “The food industry is doomed!” “It’s not a big deal in Canada.”—And so forth. Here’s J.C. Williams Group’s take …
Retail Innovations Blog Series: Hot Trend #4 — Responsibility
Welcome to J.C. Williams Group’s Retail Innovations Blog Series where we celebrate global retail innovation, concepts, and trends! This series is based …
Amazon Keeps Pushing Retail – Canadian Food Retailers are Up Next for this Disruptor
This past week, Amazon surprised many by buying Whole Foods in what was a massive deal worth more than USD$13 …
Retail Innovations Blog Series: Hot Trend #2 — Interactions
Welcome to J.C. Williams Group’s Retail Innovations Blog Series where we celebrate global retail innovation, concepts, and trends! This series …
Retail Innovations Blog Series: Hot Trend #1 – Smart Shopping
Welcome to J.C. Williams Group’s Retail Innovations Blog Series where we celebrate global retail innovation, concepts, and trends! This series …
Grocery Shopping—High Tech, High Touch
Who could have imagined that the weekly grocery shopping chore that every household goes through could inspire some of the …
Nike’s New Brand Shrine in Soho, NYC Sets New Standards
Jammed into crowded lower Broadway, it’s hard to take the full measure of Nike’s exciting temple to the essence of …
The New adidas Brand Shrine on Fifth Avenue BOMBS!
Sometimes companies get “just too clever for their own good.” And this is one of these times. Who at adidas …
Two “Must-see” Shopping Centers in New York City!
New York never ceases to amaze! Its two new shopping centers at the former World Trade Center and 911 site …
New Canada Post Retail Concept Store
Canada Post has introduced a new and great-looking branch centrally located on Georgia Street in Vancouver. While the bull may …
Ethnic Retailing – Moving from Niche to Mainstream
Retailing is driven by people. It is a simple fact. The more people there are in a given area, the …
Defining the Future of Retail – The 7 Key Drivers of Innovation in 2016
Each year, J.C. Williams Group and Ebeltoft Group publish Retail Innovations; our annual compilation of global retail trends, concepts, and …
Nordstrom’s Big Bang Toronto Opening!
First it was Saks’ turn to hit Toronto at the CF Eaton Centre. Now it is Nordstrom’s. There is a …
Buy Groceries Online? Never In Canada!
This is the time of the year when the data geeks at J.C. Williams Group get to dive into the …
Why Brands Like Canada Goose Are Opening Retail Stores
In late May, Canada Goose announced its plans to open two of its first retail stores next Fall—in Toronto and …
Retail Disruption: “It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times”
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” This quote from Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two …
5 Reasons Why I Attended RECon 2016
RECon is the International Council of Shopping Center’s annual global convention for retail real estate professionals. This year’s event took place on May 22-25, …
The Art of Sari Retailing
The adventure of sari shopping is an experience that non-South Asians rarely have. Here is a peek at what millions …
Brands Going Retail — Sporting Goods Leads the Way
A couple of weeks ago, we at J.C. Williams Group had the opportunity to meet with our Ebeltoft Group partners …
Is There Too Much Luxury Retail in Canada?
One of the big questions that we have heard from many of our clients and retail reporters is –“Is there …
A New World Champion?
Speed! It’s all about unbelievable speed. Jack Ma got Alibaba off the ground in 2000—just 16 years ago. Now the …
February: A Hotbed of Activity in Canadian Retail
February was very eventful in the retail world. In a month that produces some of the lowest monthly retail sales, …
Simons – Can A Private Canadian Retailer Compete With the Big Guys?
If you have not heard of Simons, the Quebec City-based fashion retailer, you are about to hear a lot more. …
J.C. Williams Group’s 2016 Retail Outlook – Please Pass the Aspirin!
The Canadian retail industry continues to experience dramatic change as we plunge into another year. Often retailers are optimistic and …
