Tag Archives: Canada

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CANADA: Giant Tiger launches new women’s sleepwear, intimates, and basics brand, Carisma

OTTAWA, 2018-Feb-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — Giant Tiger Stores Limited, Canada’s leading discount retailer, is excited to announce the launch of their new exclusive women’s sleepwear, intimates, and basics brand, Carisma.

The launch is perfectly timed with “Galentine’s Day”; the day made popular by pop culture is an opportunity for women to celebrate the ‘gals’ in their lives who make a difference. Giant Tiger is honouring Galentine’s Day with a fun and sharable Facebook Galentine campaign featuring an exciting contest allowing women to give a shout out to their ‘gal pals’ who inspire and support them. To date, the contest has over 10,000 entries with more coming in every day.

Giant Tiger is also hosting an interactive Facebook live party on February 13 where women can learn more about the brand, share their Galentine’s stories, and have a chance to win some great prizes!

This new women’s brand includes every day essentials from bras and underwear to socks, pyjamas and slippers. Carisma is an approachable brand that combines the expression of versatility and comfort, all while delivering on the exceptional value that Giant Tiger is known for. These are the pieces women want to wear and can easily go from hectic mornings to relaxing at nights without sacrificing comfort or price.

“Carisma combines fresh, contemporary styles with quality, all at the great prices our customers know and trust,” says Brian Hession, VP Softgoods, Giant Tiger Stores Limited. “The pieces coming out of this brand are approachable and relaxed while being very on trend. Customers will love the attractive colours, the soft textures and comfortable fit in a range of sizes, including plus. It’s a brand that Canadian women can count on.”

Carisma is the continuation of a two year fashion evolution at Giant Tiger. This transformative journey through the softgoods departments began in womenswear, followed by the children’s department, and most recently menswear. Carisma is the next chapter in this fashion progression.

“Carisma celebrates women and recognizes their desire to look and feel good, starting from the basics. We want women to start their day comfortably with pieces that can take them from dawn till dusk,” says Karen Sterling, VP Marketing, Giant Tiger Stores Limited. “Giant Tiger knows the female shopper, and more specifically, the Canadian Mom is often busy and time starved.  With that in mind we’ve paid attention to creating cohesive and easy to mix-and-match collections to compliment any figure making shopping stress-free and affordable. These pieces are made for any occasion and will help carry women through their demanding schedules.”

“We have chosen to heavily promote this brand’s launch using digital and social media marketing,” adds Sterling. “Our research and customers are telling us that social media is where they are spending their limited free time. With our understanding of what is important to our core customer we feel that a concentration on social channels and conversations is the optimal way to share the news that we have reinvented the women’s basics experience at Giant Tiger.”

In light of the message around this new brand and with the core customer being Canadian women, Giant Tiger wants to ensure that it is supporting causes that are important to her. Giant Tiger has a long standing history of supporting women centric charitable organizations

and is delighted to embark on a multi- year partnership with the Canadian Women’s Foundation. Giant Tiger is committed to improving the lives of Canadian women and the $100,000 donation will help facilitate programs benefitting and empowering young women directly in communities throughout Canada.

#GTGalentine #GTCarisma

About Giant Tiger
Giant Tiger is the leading Canadian-owned family discount store, committed to providing on-trend family fashions, groceries and everyday household needs. Known as Canada’s best-kept secret, the privately held company has over 240 locations across Canada and employs over 8,300 team members. You can also shop online at gianttiger.com.  All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. The friendly stores with the iconic yellow logo are not only where Canadians shop more and spend less, but also are proud to be known as retailer of choice. #foryouforless #GTcommunityproud #GTCanadaproud

Join the conversation and keep up to date on all Giant Tiger news:
Like us on Facebook: Giant Tiger
Follow us on Instagram: @Gianttigerstore
Follow us on Twitter: @GTBoutique
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Giant Tiger Store
Visit our website: www.gianttiger.com

For further information:

For media inquiries contact:

Alison Scarlett
Senior Manager
Brand Communications
Email: ascarlett@gianttiger.com

SOURCE: Giant Tiger Stores Limited

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Lowe’s Canada opens its 63rd Lowe’s store in Canada

Lowe’s Canada celebrates the opening of the 63rd Lowe’s store in Canada

Boucherville, QC, 2018-Feb-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada opened today (February 1, 2018) its 63rd store under the Lowe’s banner in Canada. Located at 955 St. Albert Trail in St. Albert, Alberta, this new store marks the sixth Lowe’s location in the Greater Edmonton Area. It represents a local investment in excess of $18 million and created 137 new permanent jobs with an additional 30 to 50 seasonal roles.

“We have seen a great response from customers in the Greater Edmonton Area and we are thrilled to open this new Lowe’s location in St. Albert today,” said Guy Beaumier, Executive Vice-President, Lowe’s Big Box Retail. “Lowe’s unique customer experience and extensive product selection are what set us apart and we want to keep growing our network in 2018 to bring our offering to even more DIYers and contractor customers throughout the country.”

The St. Albert Lowe’s store features a retail offering space totaling more than 107,000 square feet, including 86,800 square feet of retail sales space and an adjacent Garden Centre of 21,100 square feet. To meet customers’ every home improvement needs, the store offers 40,000 products in-stock with thousands more available through special order and on Lowes.ca.

A Unique Customer Experience

The new St. Albert Lowe’s will offer a unique and exciting retail experience, including:

  • An extensive assortment of top-of-the line appliances, including LG, Samsung, Bosch, Kitchen Aid, Frigidaire, Whirlpool and GE.
  • A year-round selection of BBQ’s including top brands such as Weber, Broil King, Char Broil and Master Forge.
  • A wide assortment of seasonal products for patio, holidays, Halloween, etc. (i.e. the latest fashion trends in patio, great selection of outdoor heating, etc.)
  • A variety of snow blowers, and other outdoor power equipment items in brands such as John Deere, Cub Cadet, Husqavarna, and Lowe’s exclusive Kobalt brand.
  • A broad selection of fashion plumbing i.e. tubs, showers, toilets, vanities, sinks and faucets with high profile brands such as Kohler and Grohe.
  • An extensive assortment of stylish home and outdoor décor, and home organization products for the house and garage.
  • A wide range of building materials, power and hand tools to meet the needs of DIYers and contractors alike.
  • Access to more than 100,000 products on www.lowes.ca.

Today, local dignitaries and Lowe’s executives joined employees from the store to celebrate the grand opening with an official board cutting ceremony and community grant presentation. Lowe’s Canada donated $5,000 to the St. Albert Community Information and Volunteer Centre to help them promote volunteering opportunities with local youth.

Grand Opening Events

Grand opening activities for the new store, where customers can enjoy free sessions, giveaways and contests, will continue until Monday. These include:

  • Children’s Workshop for families on Saturday, Saturday, February 3 at 10 a.m.
  • Interactive autograph signing and Q&A session with HGTV’s Bryan Baeumler on Saturday, February 3, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Giveaways including: Sprite shower filter (first 75 customers, Thursday only); Sylvania A19 LED 60-watt light bulb (first 1,000 customers, Friday only); $25 Lowe’s gift card (first 200 customers, Saturday only) and a Bosch 32-pce Tough bit set (first 200 customers, Sunday only).
  • Customers can also enter to win 1 of 4 prizes.
  • Contractor exclusive VIP event on Monday, February 5 from 12 to 2 p.m. There will be a draw to win 1 of 3 $250 Lowe’s gift cards and contractors can fill out a ballot to win 1 of 4 tool prizes. To register, contractors can call the store at 780.544.5830 and ask to speak with the Contractor Specialist to request an invite.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,370 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operates or services more than 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.626.6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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CANADA: two new co-branded Penguin Pick-Up/Walmart locations opens in fast-growing Toronto neighbourhoods

Two new Penguin Pick-Up/Walmart locations in fast-growing Toronto neighbourhoods “90 seconds or less”

TORONTO, ON, 2018-Jan-16 — /EPR Retail News/ — Grocery shopping just got faster and easier for Torontonians with today’s (January 12, 2018) grand opening of two new Penguin Pick-Up/Walmart locations at Yonge and Eglinton and Queens Quay. With just a few clicks, consumers can place their grocery order online at walmart.ca/grocery, select a convenient time and location and enjoy free pickup.

With these new locations, Toronto residents now have greater access to Walmart’s fresh groceries available at low prices every day – all backed by a 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee. Customers can shop for fresh groceries, including fruits and vegetables, 100% Canadian AAA Angus beef, pork and chicken and seafood, dairy, baked goods, deli, frozen foods as well as health and beauty products, household supplies, pet food, baby food, diapers, and lots more.

“The new co-branded Penguin Pick-Up/Walmart locations allow us to better serve more Toronto households, especially those that don’t have a Walmart Supercentre nearby,” said Daryl Porter, Vice President of omni-channel operations and online grocery at Walmart Canada. “We continue to invest in services to make every day easier for busy Canadians and that includes offering greater flexibility and convenience to shop for groceries.”

Penguin Pick-Up has 76 locations across Canada, including 37 in the GTA, offering free and convenient pick-up locations for any and all online purchases. Customers can ship anything to Penguin Pick-Up from any online retailer in the world. Penguin Pick-Up offers a customer-focused drive through or walk-in experience that allows online shoppers to pick up their packages in 90 seconds or less. With extended operating hours, customers can collect their online purchases at a time that is convenient for them. Penguin Pick-Up is a “one-stop pick-up” for all e-commerce purchases, including groceries and dry-cleaning services. Penguin Pick-Up locations can store fresh and frozen food as well as hard goods such as electronics and apparel.

“The convenience of shopping for groceries online and being able to pick them up at a Penguin Pick-Up location at the time of your choice makes a lot of sense for people who live or work in dense urban neighbourhoods,” said Mitchell Goldhar, owner of Penguin Pick-Up and Chairman of SmartCentres. “Since its launch in 2014, Penguin Pick-Up has received packages from over 5,000 retailers in 11 countries and the number keeps growing.”

Today’s grand openings are the first two co-branded locations and bring the total number of Penguin Pick-Up locations offering Walmart grocery pickup in Toronto to seven. The two new co-branded locations also serve as a hub for Walmart’s direct-to-home Toronto grocery delivery orders, where customers living within select regions in Toronto can have their grocery orders delivered right to their door by local delivery partners. For more details on Walmart grocery pickup or to place an order, visit walmart.ca/grocery.

The two new Penguin Pick-Up/Walmart locations are:
Yonge and Eglinton
120 Eglinton Ave. E.
Hours of operation: Weekdays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Weekends, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Queens Quay
228 Queens Quay W.
Hours of operation: Weekdays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Weekends, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

About Penguin Pick-Up
Penguin Pick-Up is a network of 76 free, convenient pick-up locations for online purchases. Penguin Pick-Up offers a customer-focused drive through or walk-in experience that allows online shoppers to come and pick up their packages in 90 seconds or less. Since its launch three years ago, customers have shipped purchases from more than 5,000 different retailers to Penguin Pick-Up. With extended operating hours, customers can collect their online purchases at a time that is convenient for them. Penguin Pick-Up is a “one-stop pick-up” for all e-commerce purchases, including groceries and dry-cleaning services. Penguin Pick-Up locations can store fresh and frozen food as well as hard goods such as electronics and apparel. Customers can ship almost anything to Penguin Pick-Up from anywhere in the world and any online retailer. Penguin Pick-Up and Penguin Fresh selling farm-fresh food, are owned by Mitchell Goldhar, Chairman of SmartCentres. For more information, please visit PenguinPick-Up.com and PenguinFresh.com.

About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of 410 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada’s flagship online store, www.walmart.ca, is visited by 600,000 customers daily. With more than 85,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada’s extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart has raised and donated more than $300 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.

For more information, please contact:

Anne Locke
APEX Public Relations
alocke@apexpr.com
416-934-2123

Felicia Fefer
Walmart Canada
ffefer@wal-mart.com
905-821-2111 x 74466

Mitchell Goldhar
Penguin Pick-Up
mgoldhar@smartcentres.com
905-326-6400 x 7681

Source: Walmart Canada

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PetSmart opened 28 new stores in the U.S. and Canada during the third quarter of 2017

PHOENIX , 2017-Dec-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart, Inc. today (Dec. 14, 2017) announced it opened 28 new stores in the U.S. and Canada for the fiscal quarter ending Nov. 1, 2017. This adds to the 35 new stores opened in the first half of the fiscal year, bringing the year-to-date total to 63.

In support of its goal to be the most convenient provider of products and services for pet parents, PetSmart opened new stores during the third quarter in the following locations:

U.S. Locations

  • Baxter, Minn.
  • Cartersville, Ga.
  • Clovis, N.M.
  • Dublin, Cal.
  • El Paso, Tex.
  • Elk River, Minn.
  • Florence, Ala.
  • Forest Lake, Minn.
  • Gaylord, Mich.
  • Highlands Ranch, Col.
  • Hilton Head Island, S.C.
  • Hopkinsville, Ken.
  • Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Kissimmee, Fla.
  • Lawrence, Kan.
  • Nashville, Tenn.
  • New Caney, Tex.
  • New York City*
  • North Conway, N.H.
  • Oak Park, Ill.*
  • Pocatello, Ida.
  • Poplar Bluff, Mo.
  • Sacramento, Cal.
  • Westminster, Col.
  • Wooster, Ohio

Canada Locations

  • Ajax, Ont.
  • London, Ont.
  • Prince Albert, Sask.

“Continuing to expand our brick-and-mortar footprint is an important part of our strategy to be the most convenient, best-in-class pet retailer,” said Brian Amkraut, PetSmart’s executive vice president of store operations, services, supply chain and real estate. “In addition to our store growth, we continue to take steps to further enhance the customer experience. This quarter, for example, we launched The Groomery by PetSmart™ (The Groomery), our innovative new store concept focusing exclusively on pet grooming services.”

Following the close of the third quarter, PetSmart reached a significant milestone by opening its 1,600th store. The retailer now operates more than 1,600 stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and 207 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities.

About PetSmart®
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,600 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart™ Doggie Day Camp™ and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities® of Canada, invite more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.6 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017*. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

Turn your passion for pets into a career you’ll love! Visit careers.petsmart.com to learn more about corporate, retail store, and Distribution Center opportunities.

*Ends 12/31/17. 5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need. See details at petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S.

Contacts: 
PetSmart
Erin Gray
623-587-2177
egray@petsmart.com

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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CANADA: RONA’s Longueuil store first to adopt new store model

Boucherville, QC, 2017-Nov-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada, one of Canada’s leading home improvement company, has set out to make RONA the #1 banner in the building centre market (small to medium stores, also known as “proximity stores”) in the country. This segment currently accounts for close to half of Canada’s home improvement market. RONA’s Longueuil store located on Roland-Therrien Boulevard is the first of many to undergo this major transformation, thanks to an investment of more than $2.6 million. By the end of 2018, some 15 stores will have made the leap to the new RONA store model.

“As we clearly stated a year ago, we are committed to RONA and the building centre model as one of Lowe’s Canada’s pillars of growth,” said Serge Éthier, Executive Vice-President of RONA Proximity. “Our new RONA store prototype was developed with three goals in mind: better meet current needs and trends in renovation, establish ourselves as our customers’ go-to destination for projects, and enhance our offering for contractors and pros, who account for a larger portion of building centres’ client base than it is the case for big box stores.”

A transformation visible when setting foot into the store, to better meet the needs of today’s consumers Overall, the new RONA store model is designed to better reflect new trends in the residential housing market—open floor plans, brighter rooms, and outside spaces designed to become natural extensions of the interior. These trends are reflected both in the store layout and strategic placement of some departments, as well as in the product selection. The result is a brighter, less compartmentalized store, with racking entirely redesigned and not as tall, except on the perimeter of the store, which allows customers to have a 360-degree view of the store and thereby find the section they are looking for at a glance. In addition, seasonal products have been moved up near the entrance so the shopping experience is renewed on a regular basis, and household appliances now have a prime location near the kitchen project section.

RONA, the destination for projects
The new building centre model is also designed to make RONA the go-to destination for turnkey renovation projects, whether it is remodelling a kitchen or bathroom, repairing a roof, or replacing doors and windows. This means that RONA offers not only the products required for home improvement projects, including products on special orders, but also a full range of services to guide and support customers throughout their project. These include design consulting, 3D renderings, as well as installation services. The store layout, incidentally, strategically puts all these services near the appliance section and other products for kitchen remodelling projects. Eventually, all RONA building centers will feature a kitchen section, which will be bigger or smaller depending on the size of the store.

More services for contractors and pros
The new RONA store model is designed to provide contractors and other home improvement professionals with an enhanced selection of services. These include a reserved parking area, a dedicated entrance and service counter, extended business hours to fit contractors’ schedules, a special fleet of trucks for construction-site deliveries, a minimum 15,000-square-foot drive-through lumberyard, and charge-account services to speed up and simplify purchasing.

About RONA
Created in 1939, RONA is a banner of Lowe’s Canada, one of Canada’s leading home improvement company. Spanning the entire country, its vast network of more than 430 stores includes both corporate stores and independent affiliated dealers. Known for its large in-store and online product selection as well as for its installation services, RONA also provides expert support and advice to its retail and pro customers for their building and renovation projects. For more information, visit rona.caor follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Lowe’s Canada
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,370 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operates or services more than 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.626.6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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Lowe’s Canada to fill up more than 130 permanent positions for its new store in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Job Fair slated for November 9th and 10th in anticipation of new Lowe’s store opening in early 2018

Boucherville, QC, 2017-Nov-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — As part of its ongoing growth in Canada, Lowe’s Canada has announced hiring plans for its new Lowe’s store in Winnipeg, Manitoba, slated to open in early 2018. Located at 1799 Kenaston Boulevard, at the intersection of Scurfield Boulevard, this new Lowe’s store will create more than 130 permanent positions including full time, part time and seasonal roles.

Lowe’s will be holding a Job Fair on Thursday November 9, from 10 am to 7 pm, and Friday November 10, from 10 am to 5 pm, at the Canad Inns Destination Centre Fort Garry located at 1824 Pembina Hwy, in Winnipeg. The store will employ a total of more than 130 permanent roles, with about 60 of those roles being full time. Most roles will start in late November and December of 2017. Available positions include Department Managers, Sales Specialists, Customer Service Associates, a Plumbing Pro, an Electrical Pro, Head Cashiers, Cashier/Returns Associates, Night Crew, a Receiving Clerk, and Janitorial/Maintenance.

In addition, 30 to 40 seasonal contract positions will be opened in the spring and summer seasons.

Interested candidates are invited to bring their resume and attend the Lowe’s Job Fair to learn more about available employment opportunities and apply in person. The store’s management team will be onsite ready to accept applications and conduct on-the-spot interviews. Those unable to apply in person can go to www.lowes.ca/careers at any time to submit their application.

“We are excited to be joining the Winnipeg community and have a lot of great employment opportunities available,” said Fred Pagotto, Market Director, Lowe’s Canada Big Box Retail. “The new Lowe’s will create many new jobs in Winnipeg and we are committed to filling as many positions as possible locally. We are looking for passionate people who are ready to help our customers love where they live, and achieve their project goals and dreams.”

“We are excited to be joining the Winnipeg community and have a lot of great employment opportunities available,” said Fred Pagotto, Market Director, Lowe’s Canada Big Box Retail. “The new Lowe’s will create many new jobs in Winnipeg and we are committed to filling as many positions as possible locally. We are looking for passionate people who are ready to help our customers love where they live, and achieve their project goals and dreams.”

Highlights of Reno-Depot’s Click-Buy-Renovate program

What: Lowe’s Job Fair to support hiring in anticipation of the opening of the new Lowe’s store in Winnipeg, creating more than 130 permanent positions. Interested candidates can apply in person and Lowe’s management team will be onsite to conduct on-the-spot interviews.

When: Thursday, November 9 – 10 am to 7 pm Friday, November 10 – 10 am to 5 pm

Where: Canad Inns Destination Centre Fort Garry 1824 Pembina Hwy Winnipeg

Interested candidates can visit www.lowes.ca/careers for more information and are encouraged to visit the site often for details on employment opportunities.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,370 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operates or services more than 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.626.6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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CANADA: Giant Tiger to open new store in Bedford, Nova Scotia on Saturday, October 21

Celebrate fun and savings for the whole family

OTTAWA, Canada, 2017-Oct-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — Giant Tiger will celebrate the official opening of a new store in Bedford, Nova Scotia, on Saturday, October 21.

The brand new 24,000 square foot Giant Tiger will be located at 1658 Bedford Highway. Giant Tiger stores are stocked with affordable, on-trend home and family fashions, brand-name groceries, and everyday necessities at low prices. Giant Tiger is committed to saving Canadians time and money through our low prices, flyer program and our ad match guarantees. For you. For less. Every day!

The grand opening will be a fun-filled day with plenty of free activities for customers of all ages. There will be strolling entertainment, free face-painting, promotional and gift card giveaways and, of course, a visit from Friendly, the Giant Tiger. There will also be Giant Value product sampling for all to enjoy.

As a community-proud retailer, Giant Tiger Stores Limited and store manager Ben Blanchard will be making a charitable donation to support MADD Halifax and there will be a charity BBQ with all proceeds benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters.

For more information regarding the grand opening plans, visit the store’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/GTBedford

WHAT: Giant Tiger Bedford grand opening
WHERE: 1658 Bedford Highway
WHEN: Saturday, October 21, 2017
7:30 a.m.: Speeches, ribbon-cutting and charitable recipient cheque presentation
8 a.m.: Giant Tiger Bedford officially opens
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Razzmatazz for kids
10 a.m. – 3p.m.: Charity BBQ
12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Strolling entertainment featuring fun children’s characters

About Bedford’s newest Giant Tiger:

  • Manager: Ben Blanchard
  • 24,000 total square feet
  • Hours of operation: Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sunday 10 p.m. – 6 p.m.

About Giant Tiger
Giant Tiger is the leading Canadian-owned family discount store, committed to providing on-trend family fashions, groceries and everyday household needs. Known as Canada’s best-kept secret, the privately held company has over 235 locations across Canada and employs over 8,000 team members. You can also shop online at gianttiger.com.  All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. The friendly stores with the iconic yellow logo are not only where Canadians shop more and spend less, but also are proud to be known as retailer of choice. #ForYouForLess #GTCommunityProud #GTCanadaProud

Join the conversation and keep up to date on all Giant Tiger news:
Like us on Facebook: Giant Tiger
Follow us on Instagram: @Gianttigerstore
Follow us on Twitter: @GTBoutique
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Giant Tiger Store

SOURCE Giant Tiger Stores Limited

For further information: For media inquiries contact: Alison Scarlett, Manager, Brand Communications | email: ascarlett@gianttiger.com

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RILA comments on reports of Canada and Mexico’s rejection of proposals made during NAFTA renegotiations

Arlington , VA, 2017-Oct-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (10/17/2017), the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), the trade association for America’s most recognized and innovative retail brands, issued the following statement reacting to reports of Canada and Mexico’s rejection of proposals made during the most recent round of NAFTA renegotiations:

“Simply put, we cannot afford for the United States to abandon free trade.  A collapse of the NAFTA trade agreement between the United States and our two largest trading partners would be an economic catastrophe, with massive disruptions in agriculture and manufacturing and increased costs for American consumers.  As retailers, we strongly urge all parties to preserve the parts of NAFTA that work for American businesses and to avoid proposals that would damage the U.S. economy and hurt American families,” said Hun Quach, vice president of international trade policy for RILA.

RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.

Contact:
Christin Fernandez
Vice President, Communications
Phone: 703-600-2039
Email: CHRISTIN.FERNANDEZ@RILA.ORG

Source: RILA

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Toys“R”Us, Inc. Files Voluntary Chapter 11 Petitions in U.S. and Intends to Seek Protection under CCAA in Canada

  • Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us Stores and Web Stores across the World are Open and Continuing to Provide World-Class Experiences for Customers
  • Restructuring Process Expected to Enhance Financial Flexibility for Investments in Growth Initiatives
  • Company Receives Commitment of Over $3.0 Billion in Debtor-in-Possession Financing to Support Operations

WAYNE, NJ, 2017-Sep-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Toys“R”Us, Inc. (“the Company”) today (September 18, 2017) announced that the Company and certain of its U.S. subsidiaries and its Canadian subsidiary have voluntarily filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond, VA. In addition, the Company’s Canadian subsidiary today intends to seek protection in parallel proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (“CCAA”) in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The Company intends to use these court-supervised proceedings to restructure its outstanding debt and establish a sustainable capital structure that will enable it to invest in long-term growth and fuel its aspirations to bring play to kids everywhere and be a best friend to parents.

The Company’s operations outside of the U.S. and Canada, including its approximately 255 licensed stores and joint venture partnership in Asia, which are separate entities, are not part of the Chapter 11 filing and CCAA proceedings.

The Company’s approximately 1,600 Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores around the world – the vast majority of which are profitable – are continuing to operate as usual, providing customers with great service and a curated assortment of merchandise in the toy and baby categories. Customers can also continue to shop for the toy and baby products they are looking for online on the Company’s newly launched www.toysrus.com and www.babiesrus.com web stores. Customers should expect the Company’s loyalty programs, including its Rewards“R”Us, Geoffrey’s Birthday List and Babies“R”Us Registry, to continue as normal.

“Today marks the dawn of a new era at Toys“R”Us where we expect that the financial constraints that have held us back will be addressed in a lasting and effective way,” said Dave Brandon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Together with our investors, our objective is to work with our debtholders and other creditors to restructure the $5 billion of long-term debt on our balance sheet, which will provide us with greater financial flexibility to invest in our business, continue to improve the customer experience in our physical stores and online, and strengthen our competitive position in an increasingly challenging and rapidly changing retail marketplace worldwide. We are confident that these are the right steps to ensure that the iconic Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us brands live on for many generations.”

Mr. Brandon continued, “As the holiday season ramps up, our physical and web stores are open for business, and our team members around the world look forward to continuing to put huge smiles on children’s faces. We thank our vendors for their ongoing support through this important season and beyond. We also appreciate the strong support our investors have provided over time and the constructive role they are playing in this process that will allow us to create a brighter future for our company. And as importantly, we thank our team members in advance for their hard work and dedication to serving the millions of customers who will shop with us this holiday.”

The Company has received a commitment for over $3.0 billion in debtor-in-possession (“DIP”) financing from various lenders, including a JPMorgan-led bank syndicate and certain of the Company’s existing lenders, which, subject to Court approval, is expected to immediately improve the Company’s financial health and support its ongoing operations during the court-supervised process. Toys“R”Us is committed to working with its vendors to help ensure that inventory levels are maintained and products continue to be delivered in a timely fashion.

In conjunction with the Chapter 11 process in the U.S., the Company has filed a number of customary motions with the bankruptcy court seeking authorization to support its operations during the restructuring process and ensure a smooth transition into Chapter 11 without disruption, including authority to continue payment of employee wages and benefits, honor customer programs, and pay vendors and suppliers in the ordinary course for all goods provided on or after the filing date.

Additional information can be accessed by visiting the Company’s restructuring website at www.toysrusinc.com/restructuring, calling the Company’s Information Hotline, toll- free in the U.S. and Canada at (844) 794-3476, or sending an email to toysrusinfo@PrimeClerk.com. Court filings and other documents related to the court- supervised process in the U.S. are available on a separate website administered by the Company’s claims agent, Prime Clerk, at https://cases.primeclerk.com/toysrus. Information about the CCAA proceedings will be available on a separate site maintained by an independent monitor. The appointment of the monitor and address of the monitor website are expected to be announced later today.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as principal legal counsel to Toys“R”Us, Alvarez & Marsal is serving as restructuring advisor and Lazard is serving as financial advisor.

About Toys“R”Us, Inc.
Toys“R”Us, Inc. is the world’s leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 885 Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 810 international stores and over 255 licensed stores in 38 countries and jurisdictions. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, the company provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Toys“R”Us, Inc. is headquartered in Wayne, NJ, and has nearly 65,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Over the past three decades, the Company has given more than $100 million in product donations to children’s charities. Since 1992, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys“R”Us, Inc., has also donated more than $130 million in grants. For more information, visit Toysrusinc.com or follow @ToysRUsNews on Twitter.

For more information please contact:

Lenders and Note Investors:
Matthew Finigan
Vice President
Treasurer
973-617-5808
Matthew.Finigan@toysrus.com

Media:
Amy von Walter
Executive Vice President
Global Communications & Customer Care
201-815-9512
Amy.vonWalter@toysrus.com

press@toysrus.com
973-617-5900

Michael Freitag / Meaghan Repko
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Tel: (212) 355-4449

Source: Toys“R”Us, Inc.

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Lowe’s Canada opens new RONA store in Carignan, Quebec

Boucherville, Quebec, 2017-Aug-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada announced today (August 3, 2017) the official opening of a new RONA store in Carignan, Quebec. Located at 2395 Chambly Road, this is the 9th RONA store to open in Canada since the beginning of 2017, consolidating the expansion of the RONA brand in Canada. This new store, resulting from a total investment of close to $10 million, has enabled the creation of 50 new jobs in the Montérégie community.

“Lowe’s Canada’s network of stores is growing rapidly and the RONA brand is contributing significantly to this expansion. By investing in an enhanced offering, we want to make RONA the market leader in the proximity segment (small and medium-sized stores) in Quebec and Canada,” said Serge Éthier, Executive Vice President, RONA Proximity. “Led by Benoit Laganière, the seasoned team at RONA Carignan has the expertise to guide and advise consumers in all their renovation and construction projects. With a selection of high-quality products and unparalleled customer service, we are confident that this new store will quickly position itself as an essential destination for home improvement in the region.”

Strategically located in the heart of a new and growing commercial district, the new RONA Carignan store has a retail area of nearly 65,000 square feet, including a garden centre of more than 7,500 square feet. The store offers a shopping experience and a value proposition that are the hallmarks of this brand, which is greatly appreciated by consumers, as well as construction and renovation professionals.

In addition to the full range of RONA products available on rona.ca, customers of RONA Carignan have access to more than 20,000 in-store products, including home appliances. This new product category is growing fast at RONA stores in Quebec and includes major brands such as Samsung, LG, Bosch, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, Electrolux and GE. The store also offers the following main product categories: paint, lighting, hardware, electricity, tools and seasonal products. Furthermore, it includes specialty departments for building supplies, doors and windows, bathrooms and kitchens, plumbing and flooring. Services offered at the new location include installation, cutting and delivery, as well as sales to businesses and contractors. Finally, customers can benefit from the AIR MILES® rewards program and the very attractive RONAdvantages financing program.

Today, local dignitaries and RONA executives joined employees to celebrate the store’s official opening at an inauguration ceremony where a donation of $5,000 was made to the local organization J’ai faim à tous les jours. This donation will help the organization continue its mission of offering hot meals and snacks to underprivileged children at the nine elementary schools and one high school in the municipalities of Chambly and Carignan, as well as assisting many disadvantaged families in these municipalities.

To share this news on social networks, please use #RONAOpening and @RONAinc.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service 2,365 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operate or service over 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
514 626-6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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CANADA: RONA Home and Garden stores at Crowfoot (AB) and Kitchener (ON) to convert to the Lowe’s banner by the end of 2017

Boucherville, Quebec, 2017-Jul-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada announced today (July 24, 2017) that the RONA Home and Garden stores located respectively at 90 Crowfoot Way NW, Calgary, and 730 Ottawa Street South, Kitchener, will convert to the Lowe’s banner. Both locations will undergo an extensive renovation and re-merchandising of the existing store which is expected to be completed at the end of 2017.

Starting on July 31, 2017 for Crowfoot and on August 14, 2017 for Kitchener, the stores will undergo an extensive 16-week physical transformation to the new model of Lowe’s stores in Canada, which will involve construction, departmental sequencing of new racking, re-merchandising, branding and IT conversion. As well, Lowe’s is investing in its people with extensive employee training focused on new product knowledge and customer service.

“The stores will remain open during the conversion and we are committed to minimizing any impact on customers so that we can continue to offer the best shopping experience possible during the store transformation,” confirmed Guy Beaumier, Interim Executive Vice President, Lowe’s Canada Big Box Retail.

Customers of the Crowfoot and Kitchener stores can look forward to an enhanced shopping experience including expanded assortment and access to well-known brands such as Kohler, John Deere and Whirlpool, as well as the introduction of new categories such as appliances. Lowe’s also features established private label brands such as Kobalt and Allen & Roth, which offer great quality at affordable prices. In addition, Lowe’s has strong seasonal programs for its Patio and Holiday collections, top of the line installation programs across many categories, protection plans for products such as appliances, tools and outdoor power equipment, and a superior online program which includes Click & Collect for in-store pickup, local truck delivery and parcel shipping.

The new stores will also offer an enhanced shopping experience for Commercial customers including the introduction of the Contractor Rewards Program, access to a drive through lumber yard and charge accounts that will allow them to make purchases at any RONA Corporate store in Western Canada, as well as new model Lowe’s stores with only ‘one’ monthly invoice for all purchases made from these stores. Enhanced assortment in key contractor categories include lumber, building materials, millwork, tools and hardware.

The new Crowfoot Lowe’s will feature 114,570 square feet of retail sales space, an adjacent Garden Centre with 17,540 square feet, an outdoor lumber yard with 48,129 square feet as well as a covered (drive-thru) lumber yard with 8,644 square feet. The store will employ more than 155 permanent jobs and approximately 45 seasonal positions, and is currently looking to hire an additional 40 permanent and seasonal employees.

As for the new Kitchener Lowe’s, it will feature 93,064 square feet of retail sales space, an adjacent Garden Centre with 28,881 square feet, an outdoor lumber yard with 20,381 square feet and a covered (drive-thru) lumber yard with 3,895 square feet. The store will employ more than 135 permanent jobs and approximately 40 seasonal positions, and is currently looking to hire an additional 35 permanent and seasonal employees.

Interested candidates can visit www.lowes.ca/careers for more information and to apply.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service 2,365 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operate or service over 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations:
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.599.5900 ext 5271
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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L’entrepôt RONA in Sherbrooke to undergo major renovation and remerchandising project to become the 22nd Réno-Dépôt store in Canada

Boucherville, Quebec, 2017-Jul-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada announced today (July 27, 2017) that the L’entrepôt RONA located at 3400 Portland Boulevard in Sherbrooke will be converted to the Réno-Dépôt banner. The store will undergo a major renovation and remerchandising project and consequently become the 22nd Réno-Dépôt store in Canada.

“Our analysis of the market in the greater Sherbrooke region has led us to conclude that given the established strength of the RONA banner in the surrounding area, consumers would benefit from increased diversification of the home improvement offer,” said Guy Beaumier, Executive Vice President, Réno-Dépôt. “Réno-Dépôt contributes strategically to the strength of the Lowe’s Canada network, and we are pleased to continue expanding this banner with this new address in Sherbrooke.”

This project will include construction, modification of the pallet racks, re-merchandising and adjustment of the brand image. Once the conversion project is completed, individuals and commercial customers in the Sherbrooke area will find the same shopping experience and value proposition that they find at other big-box stores of this banner in Canada. The schedule for this major investment will be known in the coming months.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service 2,365 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operate or service over 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations:
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.599.5900 ext 5271
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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Lowe’s Canada teams up with Canadian Red Cross to aid victims of the wildfires in British Columbia

Boucherville, Quebec, 2017-Jul-13 — /EPR Retail News/ — Using its vast network of Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace stores across the country, Lowe’s Canada announces the launch of a national campaign, in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, to aid victims of the wildfires currently raging in British Columbia. Beginning today, customers of the various Lowe’s Canada banners will be invited, at the moment of their purchase, to make a donation of their choice to the British Columbia Fires fund established by the Red Cross.

Funds raised will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross, which will use them to provide immediate relief such as camp beds and blankets, facilitate the reunification of families, and provide financial assistance to disaster victims to allow them to purchase food and clothing and look after their personal needs.

For online donation, please go to: www.redcross.ca/BCFires/lowes_canada

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service 2,365 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operate or service over 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

Media contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
514 626-6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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PetSmart opened 18 new stores in the U.S. and Canada in the first quarter of 2017

Phoenix, 2017-Jul-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart, Inc. today ( July 10, 2017 ) announced it has opened 18 new stores in the U.S. and Canada for the fiscal quarter ending May 1, 2017. The company opened 70 net new stores in 2016 and expects to open more than this number in fiscal year 2017. This continued expansion supports PetSmart’s commitment to be the most convenient, best-in-class retailer of products and services for pet parents.

New stores were opened in the first quarter in the following locations:

  • Auburn, Calif.
  • Bourne, Mass.
  • Burien, Wash.
  • College Station, Texas
  • Duluth, Minn.
  • East Aurora, N.Y.
  • Foley, Ala.
  • Hadley, Mass.
  • Hinesville, Ga.
  • Huntington Beach, Calif.
  • Lakeville, Minn.
  • Maple, Ontario
  • Mississauga, Ontario
  • North Augusta, S.C.
  • Reynoldsburg, Ohio
  • Roseville, Calif.
  • Spring, Texas
  • Tulsa, Okla.

“We continue to execute our real estate strategy to engage new customers and improve our competitive position,” said Brian Amkraut, executive vice president of real estate, strategy, store operations and services for PetSmart. “Our new stores capitalize on exciting trends in the pet industry, including new service offerings like Dog Therapy Training, while providing a unique in-store customer experience for pet parents. Expanding our retail footprint is a key component of PetSmart’s omnichannel strategy focused on convenience, including same-day and scheduled at-home delivery, as well as the popular buy online pick up in store option.”

PetSmart now operates 1,542 stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as 205 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities.

In celebration of PetSmart’s 30th anniversary, it has launched the Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program, where any and every bag of dog or cat food purchased in its stores and online through December 31, 2017, PetSmart will give a meal to a pet in need. With a goal of 60 million meals, the unprecedented program is the largest philanthropic initiative in PetSmart’s 30-year history.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.4 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, Pet360.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017*.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

*Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S.

Contacts: 
PetSmart
Erin Gray
623-587-2177
egray@petsmart.com

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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Lowe’s Canada takes part in Habitat for Humanity Canada’s biggest build project ever

Boucherville, Quebec, 2017-Jul-05 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada will be part of Habitat for Humanity Canada’s biggest build project ever. Habitat for Humanity’s 34th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project will be taking place in every province and territory across Canada with a goal to collectively build 150 homes to mark Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, will be visiting Canada from July 9-14, 2017, focusing their efforts in Edmonton, Alberta, and in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Volunteers from some 15 Lowe’s and RONA stores as well as from Lowe’s Canada head office will work alongside the Carters and contribute to both the Edmonton and Winnipeg builds.

Habitat Canada has a long history of creating affordable housing opportunities in the country. People living in Habitat homes not only help to build their own houses, they also pay affordable mortgages. Habitat for Humanity’s innovative approach helps working families on a new path to better, affordable living conditions that lead to improved health and stronger childhood development, as well as a decrease in reliance on food banks.

“At Lowe’s Canada, our shared purpose is to ‘help people love where they live.’ We are therefore extremely proud to support Habitat for Humanity Canada’s important work because we believe that everyone in Canada has the right to a safe, affordable and decent place to live in,” said Sylvain Prud’homme, president and CEO of Lowe’s Canada. “Being involved in the communities we serve is important to all our employees across our various banners. Through this project and the several others to which we contribute each year, including through our Lowe’s Heroes program, we strive to build stronger, more sustainable communities.”

Since 1984, President and Mrs. Carter have traveled around the world with Habitat, to build and improve homes. Their time and effort helps to raise awareness of the critical need for affordable home ownership around the world. Inspiring millions over the last three decades, President and Mrs. Carter have worked alongside nearly 100,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair more than 4,000 homes.

To donate or learn more about the 34th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, please visit habitat.ca/cwp.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service 2,365 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operate or service over 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

About Habitat for Humanity Canada

In Canada, Habitat for Humanity has been working since 1985 toward a world where everyone has a decent and safe place to live. With the help of over 70,000 volunteers every year and 56 local organizations from coast to coast to coast, we believe in bringing communities together to help families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. Worldwide, more than 9.8 million people have partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. For more information, visit habitat.ca.

About Habitat for Humanity

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org

For more information, please contact:

Sarah Austin
Habitat for Humanity Canada
800-667-5137 ext. 302
saustin@habitat.ca
habitat.ca/cwp

Valérie Gonzalo
Lowe’s Canada
514-626-6976
media@rona.ca
www.lowes.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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Lowe’s Canada announces the opening of new RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson store in Casselman

Boucherville, Quebec, 2017-Jun-24 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada is proud to announce the opening of the fifth store belonging to its affiliate dealer RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson, located at 8 Racine Street in Casselman, Ontario. With this store, the team at RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson wishes to better serve the region of Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, where demand from contractors is growing. Resulting from a $6 million investment, the new RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson store in Casselman has created 25 new jobs, bringing the total number of jobs across the company to 300. The store, which has a retail sales area of 12,000 square feet, also includes a lumber yard of 150,000 square feet, which will meet the specific needs of its customers.

“On behalf of myself and the entire division dedicated to RONA affiliate dealers at Lowe’s Canada, I am extremely proud to witness the success of RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson. With its robust and strategically planned growth – five stores and three divisions –, it is a perfect example of how opportunities are unlimited for ambitious entrepreneurs, thanks to the support of Lowe’s Canada, and we are pleased to contribute to the success of the team’s projects,” said Philippe Element, Divisional Vice-President, RONA Affiliate Dealer Sales and Services, at Lowe’s Canada.

“We are a dynamic and fast-growing team that thrives on challenges! RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson has a vision for growth, and in the past five years, we have more than doubled our sales. We know that Lowe’s Canada is proud of our development and believes in entrepreneurs like us. Their support is dear to us,” said Éric and Stéphane Bailey, co-owners of the five RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson stores.

In addition to serving retail customers, RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson specializes in serving general and specialized contractors, mainly in the residential and commercial sectors. Self-builders also make up an important segment of its customer base. To ensure the satisfaction of its customers, RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson relies on flexible, precise and fast service at each stage of their projects. The team understands the issues associated with construction sites, and therefore knows how to help contractors make their projects profitable.

Matériaux Pont-Masson was founded in 1979 by Richard Bailey, father of current co-owners Éric and Stéphane Bailey. The company joined the RONA family in 1996. Richard Bailey continues to work for the company as an advisor to the management. Like the other four RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson stores, the Casselman store will offer a complete engineering and estimation service, a financing service, a sales office exclusively for contractors and self-builders, along with a lumber yard with an extensive inventory. The usual services of the RONA banner (delivery, cutting, paint recovery, etc.) will also be available.

The four other RONA Matériaux Pont-Masson stores are located in Valleyfield, Rigaud and Mirabel, Quebec, and in Alfred, Ontario. In addition to its five stores, Matériaux Pont-Masson also consists of three divisions: Matériaux Design, a showroom for interior and exterior home finishes; Arctic Supplies, a division for exporting to the Far North; and Structure du Nord, a factory for manufacturing roof trusses.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service 2,365 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operate or service over 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.626.6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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The new model of Lowe’s stores opens in Canada

Boucherville, Quebec, 2017-Jun-24 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (June 22, 2017), Lowe’s Canada opened its first store under the new model of Lowe’s stores in Canada which offers an enhanced shopping experience. The store, located at 9603 165 Ave NW in Edmonton was converted from the former RONA Home and Garden, and was designed by taking the best of Lowe’s and RONA’s offering, to create the new model of Lowe’s stores.

“The conversion of our Edmonton store marks the evolution of the Lowe’s Big Box in Canada, says Jim Caldwell, Executive Vice President, Lowe’s Big Box Retail. “We are thrilled to offer this new shopping experience for our customers by taking the best of what both banners have to offer to create a new Lowe’s Big Box model. The Edmonton North location marks many firsts for Lowe’s on the Contractor side that will significantly benefit our Commercial customers with enhanced offers in product, pricing, services and financing.”

The store underwent an extensive 16-week physical transformation from the former RONA which involved construction, departmental sequencing of new racking and re-merchandising, branding and IT conversion, as well as a significant investment in our people with extensive training that is focused on new product knowledge and customer service.

New Retail Experience

The new Edmonton North Lowe’s will offer a new retail experience including:

  • A wider assortment of Seasonal products such as Patio, Holiday and Halloween including the latest fashion trends.
  • The introduction of entirely new product categories including Appliances, Lowe’s private labels, and top brands such as John Deere, Husqvarna, and Cub Cadet.
  • Broader selection of Fashion Plumbing products such as tubs, showers, toilets, vanities, sinks and faucets with the introduction of high profile brands such as Kohler and Grohe.
  • Incredible floor displays featuring the latest fashions in wood flooring and tiles – larger displays allow customers to better visualize their projects. Also, eye level displays allow the customer to better experience the texture of flooring products.
  • Access to more than 100,000 products on www.lowes.ca

Enhanced Contractor Experience

The new Edmonton North location marks an enhanced shopping experience for Commercial customers including:

  • The introduction of the Contractor Rewards Program (i.e. loyalty and pricing program)
  • Access to a drive through lumber yard – a first for Lowe’s in Canada – where contractors can load their vehicles directly to save time, as well as have access to a broader lumber assortment.
  • The Edmonton North store will be the first Lowe’s store in Canada to introduce charge accounts that will allow Commercial customers to make purchases at any RONA Corporate store in Western Canada, as well as at this new model Lowe’s store in Edmonton. Customers will receive only ‘one’ monthly invoice for all purchases made from these stores.
  • Introduction of corporately owned and operated delivery truck at the Edmonton North store to provide a more personalized level of service for deliveries to Contractors – another first for Lowe’s in Canada.
  • Enhanced assortment in key contractor categories including lumber, building materials, millwork, tools, hardware, etc.

The new Edmonton North Lowe’s marks the company’s 57th store in Canada under the Lowe’s banner and the banner’s fifth Lowe’s location in the Edmonton market. The store represents an approximate local investment in excess of $8.6 million and created 46 new jobs – in total the store employs 143 permanent positions with an additional 30 seasonal roles.

The store will offer about 40,000 products in-stock to meet customers’ home improvement needs, and features approximately 73,000 square feet of retail sales space, an adjacent Garden Centre which includes approximately 28,000 square feet, a covered lumberyard of 14,000 square feet, and an additional outdoor drive thru lumberyard of 24,000 square feet.

Today, local dignitaries and Lowe’s executives joined employees from the store to celebrate the grand opening through an official board cutting ceremony and community grant presentation. Lowe’s donated $5,000 to the John Bosco Child and Family Services Foundation to support renovations and improvements to the rental facilities that are provided to select organizations and agencies concerned with the welfare of vulnerable children, youth and adults.

Grand Opening Events

Grand opening activities for the new store will continue throughout Monday where customers can enjoy free sessions, giveaways and contests including:

  • Children’s Workshop for families on Saturday June 24th at 10:00 a.m.
  • Interactive autograph signing and Q&A session with HGTV’s Bryan Baeumler on Saturday June 24th from 10am-12pm.
  • Giveaways including: Purdy Paint Kit (first 100 customers Friday only), free Lowe’s $25 gift card (first 200 customers Saturday only), and a Sylvania A19 LED 60-Watt Light Bulb (first 1,000 customers Sunday only).
  • Customers can also enter to win 1 of 4 Grand Prizes.
  • Contractor exclusive VIP event on Monday June 26th from 12:00-2:00 p.m. There will be a draw to win 1 of 3 $250 Lowe’s gift cards and Contractors can fill out a ballot to win 1 of 4 Tool prizes. To register, Contractors can call the store at 780-406-8600 and ask to speak with the Contractor Specialist to request an invite.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service 2,365 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operate or service over 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.626.6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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Co-op Community Spaces Program to support community-based projects across Canada with increased funding of $2 million

Saskatoon, SK, 2017-Jun-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — In 2017, Canadians will celebrate the places and people that bring communities together — and Co-op is joining the party.

Donations totaling $2 million from the Co-op Community Spaces Program will support 27 community-based recreation, conservation and urban agriculture projects across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“With increased funding in 2017, Co-op Community Spaces will reach more organizations and communities in a single year than ever before,” said Vic Huard, Executive Vice-President of Strategy with Federated Co-operatives Limited, which administers the program on behalf of the more than 190 independent retail co-operatives that form the Co-operative Retailing System in Western Canada.

“For generations, Co-op has invested in Western Canadian communities and we’re proud to continue that tradition through this innovative program, which is empowering local organizations, fostering community and enriching the places we call home.”

Local results

Since launching in 2015, Co-op Community Spaces has provided $4.5 million to more than 60 projects, including parks, community gardens and sports fields. Each is operated by a registered non-profit, charity or community service co-operative.

The 2017 Co-op Community Spaces projects include a waterfront park in Port Alberni, B.C, an outdoor athletic facility in Grande Prairie, Alta., a winter recreation hill in Saskatoon, Sask. and an educational farm in Brandon, Man.

Complete details about all of this year’s recipients are available at communityspaces.ca.

Source: CO-OP

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Starbucks celebrates journey in Canada over the past 30 years

Starbucks celebrates journey in Canada over the past 30 years

 

Seattle, 2017-May-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — When Starbucks first store in Canada opened its doors for the first time on March 1, 1987, its success was anything but assured.

“In Seattle, we were well established, everybody knew us whether they drank our coffee or not. But quickly we learned how little Vancouver knew about Starbucks,” said Dave Olsen, a 27-year Starbucks partner who became senior vice president of culture and leadership development before he retired in 2013.

For its first 15 years, Starbucks had been a retailer of whole-bean coffee, where customers could buy, hand-scooped coffee in brown bags to brew at home. But Starbucks executive chairman Howard Schultz had a different vision, and he teamed up with Olsen to launch new Italian-style cafés. After opening two successful bars in downtown Seattle, they turned their eyes north to Vancouver to prove their concept.

Their first location would be at Waterfront Station, a grand old rail building that had recently been converted into the downtown terminus for SeaBus passenger ferry and the new SkyTrain. Week after week, Olsen drove his pickup truck over the border to interview store manager candidates and baristas, and get the equipment set up and installed. He trained the new partners, teaching not only the craft of coffee but also sharing the company’s culture and values.

“Those first stores were like children,” Olsen said. “You hope for the best for them, and you worry about every little detail.”

The early days were nerve-wracking.

“We had thought our location was very conspicuous,” Olsen said. “But it was only 600 square feet, and you could walk by us in three steps. Our customer count was about 220 on our first day. A good start, but not quite where we needed to be.”

But before long, the store began to attract a loyal following. Word got around.

“The baristas who opened our first store were terrific. They were really interested and attentive to the coffee and the customers. And the customers were also very appreciative of our efforts. Those are the two essential ingredients for success – the people behind the counter, and willing and discerning customers on the other side,” he said.

Two years later, the company opened a larger café nearby on Robson Street, which quickly became the busiest store in the company. Starbucks in British Columbia continued to grow, and served as a springboard for its expansion to Toronto in 1996, Saskatchewan in 1998, and on to Quebec and Atlantic Canada in 2000.

There are now more than 1,400 stores across Canada, and the SeaBus store has become a tourist attraction in its own right.

“People know we’re the first Starbucks store here and they take photos – we’ll pose for them, make it fun,” said Trevor Fitzgerald, a 22-year partner and store manager of the SeaBus Starbucks. “We’re close to the cruise ships, and get customers who are traveling from all over the world. For many, this could be their first trip to Canada, and we love that they can have an experience with us.”

Now, just a short ride on the SkyTrain from Canada’s first store, Starbucks is opening its doors to one of its new store experiences. The Starbucks store in Mount Pleasant is Vancouver’s first to feature an immersive Starbucks Reserve® coffee bar, bringing connection and theater to the company’s rare, small-lot Starbucks Reserve® coffees. The expansive bar features state-of-the-art brewing techniques; siphon, Black Eagle, Clover® brewed and ceramic pour-over as well as featuring Nitro Draft taps.

“This new experience places coffee craft at the center of the conversation,” said Caroline Ternes, vice president, Starbucks Western Canada. “We are thrilled to offer our customers an elevated experience where they can share in our partners’ passion and expertise.”

Reflecting on the company’s journey in Canada over the past 30 years, longtime partner Lisa Essinger, Starbucks Canada’s vice president for operations and licensed stores, sums it up this way:

“While the culture has evolved, the core of it around connection and humanity hasn’t changed,” Essinger said. “That’s what we’ve always been about.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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PetSmart opened 30 stores across the U.S. and Canada in Q4 2016

Phoenix, 2017-Apr-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart, Inc. today (April 12, 2017) announced it has opened 30 stores across the U.S. and Canada for the quarter ending January 29, 2017. This adds to the 43 new stores opened in the first three quarters, bringing the total number for fiscal year 2016 to 73 new stores.

New stores were opened in the fourth quarter in the following locations:

  • Albemarle, N.C.
  • Houston, Texas
  • Aspen, Colo.*
  • Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
  • Bloomington, Ill.
  • Charleston, S.C.
  • Brunswick, Maine
  • Jonesboro, Ark.
  • Cedar Hill, Texas
  • Kamloops, B.C.
  • Chula Vista, Calif.**
  • Lexington, N.C.
  • Dawsonville, Ga.
  • New Braunfels, Texas
  • Denham Springs, La.
  • Naples, Fla.
  • Dunkirk, N.Y.
  • Roanoke, Texas
  • El Paso, Texas
  • Saint John, N.B.
  • Encino, Calif.
  • Sheridan, Colo.
  • Fairfield, Calif.
  • Springfield, Mo.
  • Franklin, N.J.
  • Walnut Creek, Calif.
  • Greenfield, Ind.
  • Washington, Mo.
  • Hendersonville, N.C.
  • West Long Beach, N.J.**

“PetSmart has undergone significant store growth in the last year,” said Brian Amkraut, executive vice president of real estate, strategy, store operations and services for PetSmart. “We continue to execute on our real estate strategy, which focuses on continuing the expansion in current growth markets and establishing stores in new markets with the goal of providing increased convenience for our pet parents.”

In addition to expanding its brick and mortar locations, PetSmart also recently launched the new PetSmart.com, which now includes a responsive design optimized for mobile devices and new tailored home delivery options, among a range of additional features. The new delivery options include subscription-based shipping, as well as same-day and scheduled delivery in 17 U.S. markets – all aimed at letting pet parents shop how, when and where they wish.

*Only Natural Pet second flagship store. The Only Natural Pet lifestyle brand is owned by PetSmart, which is also the national exclusive retailer of the brand.
**Relocated store.

About PetSmart®
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart®  PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption.  PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home.  Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.3 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, Pet360.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com,  AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S.  In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017.  For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017***.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

***Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at petsmart.com/giveameal.

Contacts:
PetSmart
Erin Gray
623-587-2177
egray@petsmart.com

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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CANADA: Giant Tiger Stores to open second location in Brampton

OTTAWA, 2017-Apr-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — Giant Tiger Stores Limited is pleased to announce the opening of a second location in Brampton. This new store will be located at 499 Main Street South and will occupy approximately 25,000 square feet of retail space. It is scheduled to open on November 4, 2017.

“We are very excited to be growing in Brampton,” says Thomas Haig, President and COO of Giant Tiger Stores Limited. “The City of Brampton has shown Giant Tiger much support throughout the years and having a second location will be a wonderful complement to the existing Giant Tiger family of stores.”

Giant Tiger is proud to make a difference in the communities we call home by building lasting relationships with local organizations to benefit causes that directly affect customers and communities. Giant Tiger Stores Limited donates more than $2 million annually to more than 700 community associations and charities across Canada. Giving back is deeply rooted in the corporate culture and makes Giant Tiger a community-proud retailer.

As the Canadian discount retailer of choice, Giant Tiger is committed to saving Canadians time and money through everyday low prices, an incredible flyer program, ad match guarantee and a focus on exceptional customer service. For you. For less.

A grand opening and community event will be planned to celebrate this new location.  To keep up to date on the new store development, follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/GTBramptonMain

For a complete listing of communities where Giant Tiger is soon to open, visit NEW STORES

About Giant Tiger
Giant Tiger is the leading Canadian-owned family discount store, committed to providing on-trend family fashions, groceries and everyday household needs. Known as Canada’s best-kept secret, the privately held company has over 225 locations across Canada and employs over 8,000 team members. You can also shop online at gianttiger.com.  All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. The friendly stores with the iconic yellow logo are not only where Canadians shop more and spend less, but also are proud to be known as retailer of choice. #foryouforless #GTcommunityproud #GTCanadaproud

Join the conversation and keep up to date on all Giant Tiger news:
Like us on Facebook: Giant Tiger
Follow us on Instagram: @Gianttigerstore
Follow us on Twitter: @GTBoutique
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Giant Tiger Store
Visit our website: gianttiger.com

Media Contact:
Alison Scarlett
Manager
Brand Communications
email: ascarlett@gianttiger.com

SOURCE: Giant Tiger Stores Limited

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CANADA: Giant Tiger to open its newest location in Nova Scotia on October 21, 2017

OTTAWA, 2017-Apr-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Giant Tiger Stores Limited is pleased to announce the opening of its newest location in Nova Scotia. This new store in Bedford will be located at 1658 Bedford Highway and will occupy approximately 23,500 square feet of retail space. It is scheduled to open on October 21, 2017.

“We are thrilled to be bringing another Giant Tiger to Nova Scotia,” says Thomas Haig, President and COO of Giant Tiger Stores Limited. “We are confident that we have answered the needs of the community and that our unique shopping experience with friendly customer service will continue to make Giant Tiger the one-stop shop for everyone in this area.”

Giant Tiger is proud to make a difference in the communities we call home by building lasting relationships with local organizations to benefit causes that directly affect customers and communities. Giant Tiger Stores Limited donates more than $2 million annually to more than 700 community associations and charities across Canada. Giving back is deeply rooted in the corporate culture and makes Giant Tiger a community-proud retailer.

As the Canadian discount retailer of choice, Giant Tiger is committed to saving Canadians time and money through everyday low prices, an incredible flyer program, ad match guarantee and a focus on exceptional customer service. For you. For less.

A grand opening and community event will be planned to celebrate this new location.  To keep up to date on the new store development, follow us on Facebook at:
facebook.com/GTBedford

For a complete listing of communities where Giant Tiger is soon to open, visit NEW STORES

About Giant Tiger
Giant Tiger is the leading Canadian-owned family discount store, committed to providing on-trend family fashions, groceries and everyday household needs. Known as Canada’s best-kept secret, the privately held company has over 225 locations across Canada and employs over 8,000 team members. You can also shop online at gianttiger.com.  All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. The friendly stores with the iconic yellow logo are not only where Canadians shop more and spend less, but also are proud to be known as retailer of choice. #foryouforless #GTcommunityproud #GTCanadaproud

Join the conversation and keep up to date on all Giant Tiger news:
Like us on Facebook: Giant Tiger
Follow us on Instagram: @Gianttigerstore
Follow us on Twitter: @GTBoutique
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Giant Tiger Store
Visit our website: gianttiger.com

Media inquiries contact:
Alison Scarlett
Manager
Brand Communications
email: ascarlett@gianttiger.com

SOURCE: Giant Tiger Stores Limited

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CANADA: Giant Tiger to open second location in Mississauga on November 4, 2017

CANADA: Giant Tiger to open second location in Mississauga on November 4, 2017

 

OTTAWA, 2017-Apr-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Giant Tiger Stores Limited is pleased to announce the opening of a second location in Mississauga. This new store will be located at 1131 Dundas Street West and will occupy approximately 27,300 square feet of retail space. It is scheduled to open on November 4, 2017.

“We are very excited to be expanding in Mississauga,” says Thomas Haig, President and COO of Giant Tiger Stores Limited. “The City of Mississauga has shown Giant Tiger much support throughout the years and having a second location will be a great complement to the Giant Tiger family of stores.”

Giant Tiger is proud to make a difference in the communities we call home by building lasting relationships with local organizations to benefit causes that directly affect customers and communities. Giant Tiger Stores Limited donates more than $2 million annually to more than 700 community associations and charities across Canada. Giving back is deeply rooted in the corporate culture and makes Giant Tiger a community-proud retailer.

As the Canadian discount retailer of choice, Giant Tiger is committed to saving Canadians time and money through everyday low prices, an incredible flyer program, ad match guarantee and a focus on exceptional customer service. For you. For less.

A grand opening and community event will be planned to celebrate this new location.  To keep up to date on the new store development, follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/GTMississauga

For a complete listing of communities where Giant Tiger is soon to open, visit NEW STORES

About Giant Tiger
Giant Tiger is the leading Canadian-owned family discount store, committed to providing on-trend family fashions, groceries and everyday household needs. Known as Canada’s best-kept secret, the privately held company has over 225 locations across Canada and employs over 8,000 team members. You can also shop online at gianttiger.com.  All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. The friendly stores with the iconic yellow logo are not only where Canadians shop more and spend less, but also are proud to be known as retailer of choice. #foryouforless #GTcommunityproud #GTCanadaproud

Join the conversation and keep up to date on all Giant Tiger news:
Like us on Facebook: Giant Tiger
Follow us on Instagram: @Gianttigerstore
Follow us on Twitter: @GTBoutique
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Giant Tiger Store
Visit our website: gianttiger.com

Media inquiries contact:
Alison Scarlett
Manager
Brand Communications
email: ascarlett@gianttiger.com

SOURCE: Giant Tiger Stores Limited

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Lowe’s Canada introduces on-demand virtual reality skills clinic — Holoroom How To

Preliminary studies by Lowe’s Innovation Labs reveal multi-sensory virtual reality can increase engagement and retention in home improvement education

Boucherville (Québec), 2017-Apr-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada is proud to introduce Holoroom How To, an on-demand virtual reality skills clinic and the latest iteration of Lowe’s Innovation Labs’ Holoroom experience, their immersive design and visualization tool. Debuting this month in a Lowe’s store in Burlington, Ontario, and in a few weeks in a RONA store in Beloeil, Québec, the simulated experience explores the relationship between virtual reality technology, engagement and retention in learning. The Holoroom How To proof-of-concept made its first appearance at a Lowe’s store in Framingham, Massachusetts (in the Boston area). Lowe’s is the first retailer to apply augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology beyond design assistance to address the evolution of home improvement learning and skills.

We are excited to be a partner of Lowe’s Innovation Labs and to make the Holoroom How To experience available to our Canadian customers, as it clearly illustrates how innovation can enable us to go one step further in supporting and inspiring our customers in their renovation projects,” mentioned Claire Bara, vice-president, Strategy and Business Insights for Lowe’s Canada. “The Canadian market represents a great platform for the Lowe’s Innovation Labs to test some exciting new projects. With its diverse portfolio of brands and store formats, Lowe’s Canada offers many varied opportunities for learning,” said Claire Bara.

“During the past three years, we have been exploring real-life applications of augmented and virtual reality experiences to directly help our customers solve everyday problems,” said Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, the company’s disruptive innovation hub. “Our experience has shown that customers are embracing AR/VR as part of their home improvement journey, and now, we are using immersive VR to help our customers learn the required skills to complete challenging home improvement projects.”

The Holoroom How To experience provides a more effective training tool so customers can learn DIY on their own terms. When users put on the virtual reality headset and hold the controller in each hand, they will be immersed in a DIY project — such as tiling a shower — and given step-by-step instructions to complete the task. From mixing the mortar to laying the pattern, the simulation walks the user through each step of the process. Haptic feedback, such as feeling the vibration of a drill through the controller, adds to the life-like experience, without the waste or mess of testing a DIY project in the real world. Initial testing of the technology has not only proven an increase in recall, but also that training through VR using Holoroom How To boosts customer confidence and enhances motivation to take on DIY projects.

Over the course of several months, Lowe’s will evaluate customer response to this experience, gauging how this technology impacts customer learning and confidence. From this pilot, Lowe’s will learn how innovations like Holoroom How To will enable instantaneous learning moments and massively scalable training opportunities that empower both customers and employees around the world.Download photos and video here.

More About Lowe’s Innovation Labs

Lowe’s Innovation Labs (LIL) uses story as a strategic tool to map out the future, then builds technology to bring those stories to life in the real world. By leveraging stores as living labs, LIL rapidly tests the prototypes they build, continually learning while technology evolves. Holoroom, a VR home improvement design and visualization tool, was the first proof-of-concept LIL developed, available in Canada in 2014. Several years of testing customer response to this technology uncovered the power of AR/VR as a tool for teaching and learning, resulting in the creation of Holoroom How To.

Other recent LIL projects include LoweBot, a retail service robot that walks the aisles of Lowe’s stores to help customers find what they’re looking for and provides employees with real-time inventory monitoring, and a partnership with Made in Space to launch the first commercial 3D printer to space.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2015 sales of $59.1 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,355 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 285,000 employees. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA, inc., operates over 535 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 24,000 employees, as well as more than 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.626.6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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Starbucks® launches Blonde® Espresso Roast in Canada

Starbucks® launches Blonde® Espresso Roast in Canada

 

Seattle, 2017-Feb-16 — /EPR Retail News/ — Since 1975, the signature Starbucks® Espresso Roast has been at the heart of Starbucks® handcrafted espresso beverages, known for its intense, caramelly flavor.

Starting today (February 15) customers in Canada can experience a new twist on classic beverages with Starbucks® Blonde® Espresso Roast as a second core espresso option. The new espresso offers beverages a lighter roast that provides a balanced and sweet flavor with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.

Starbucks Coffee specialist Anthony Carroll was part of the team that created the new espresso, a unique blend of Latin American and African coffee beans roasted to bring out the lighter side of espresso. Blonde Espresso is also a delicious option for iced espresso beverages, creating smooth, balanced drinks.

“With our signature Starbucks Espresso, the caramelly roast comes through in the beverage while Blonde Espresso is a sweeter, gentler flavor,” Carroll said. “It’s a great way to invite new espresso drinkers to try our beverages, while also offering our seasoned coffee drinkers a way to experience our beverages in a new way.”

Customers in participating stores in Canada can request Blonde Espresso with any handcrafted espresso beverage, including:

Starbucks® Blonde® Vanilla Latte

Starbucks® Blonde® Vanilla Latte is a smooth and creamy beverage with subtle sweetness.

Starbucks® Blonde® Latte Macchiato

Free-poured steamed milk marked with slowly poured Starbucks® Blonde espresso shots, adding one extra shot to each size, for full espresso flavor.

Iced Starbucks® Blonde® Almondmilk Vanilla Latte

Starbucks® Blonde Espresso Roast, cold Almondmilk and Vanilla syrup, served over ice.

Customers in Canada have embraced Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee since it first launched in 2010, including Starbucks® Willow Blend® and Starbucks True North Blend® (known as Starbucks® Veranda Blend® outside Canada). It is available as whole-bean packaged coffee, K-Cup® Pods, Verismo® Pods and VIA Instant®.

Media Contact:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

Source: Starbucks

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PetSmart Charities issued more than $11 million in grants to fund no-cost or low-cost spay and neuter surgeries across the United States and Canada

  • Grants will help facilitate more than 200,000 spay and neuter surgeries in local communities 
  • across North America to proactively prevent unplanned litters and reduce pet homelessness

PHOENIX, 2017-Feb-03 — /EPR Retail News/ — Pet overpopulation is a serious issue, but there are solutions.  February is National Spay and Neuter Awareness Month, and leaders in the animal welfare industry are aiming to raise awareness of the significant impact spay and neuter surgeries can have in reducing the overpopulation of pets.  PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, is continuing its work in this area and today announced it has issued more than $11 million in grants to over 200 animal welfare organizations over the course of two months. The grants will help fund more than 200,000 no-cost or low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for pets in need – both owned and free-roaming – across the United States and Canada in 2017.

While spaying and neutering pets is essential to curbing unplanned litters, veterinary care is not always affordable nor accessible for all pet parents and families.  With these grants, animal welfare organizations in local communities across the continent will offer free or low-cost surgeries – about $20 – for a procedure that can traditionally cost as much as $100 or more.

“Spaying and neutering pets is key to reducing the number of pets entering shelters, lowering euthanasia rates and proactively preventing pet homelessness,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities. “By partnering with more than 200 animal welfare organizations, PetSmart Charities can help provide accessible spay and neuter services for pets and pet parents in need across North America.  This brings us one step closer to ending pet homelessness and finding lifelong, loving forever homes for all pets.”

PetSmart Charities provided the grants to more than 200 animal welfare organizations. Below are examples of the impact of this significant funding support across North America:

  • Altered Tails (Phoenix, Ariz.) received more than $300,000 to provide low-cost services for at-risk breeds, Pit Bulls, cats and Chihuahuas for $20.  Funding will also help cover critical vaccinations and support 4,450 surgeries at the organization’s facilities in Phoenix, Mesa and Tucson, Ariz.
  • Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Newmarket, Ontario) will use $135,000 in grants to provide pet transfers, food, supplies, spay and neuter procedures and wellness services to pet parents in remote First Nations communities across Ontario, Canada.  The grant will support an estimated 250 pets in need.
  • Second Chance Animal Shelter (East Brookfield, Mass.) was awarded a grant for more than $180,000 to secure essential clinical equipment for its third subsidized veterinary clinic and low-cost spay and neuter program with the goal of assisting an estimated 2,500 pets.
  • Spay-Neuter Assistance Program, Inc. (SNAP) was awarded two PetSmart Charities spay and neuter grants. A grant of $158,000 will make it possible to provide an estimated 1,200 free spay/neuter surgeries for dog and cat companions of income-qualified residents of the Greater Houston Area. A second grant of $52,000 will fund approximately 500 free surgeries for residents in and around the San Antonio, Texas, metropolitan area.
  • University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Philadelphia, Penn.) secured more than $450,000 to fund a three-year spay and neuter surgical program with Penn Vet’s Surgical Outreach Program. This grant will be used to secure a mobile clinic and nursing/technical staffing to execute surgeries for 4,000 rescue, shelter and community pets in need per year. In addition, the program is predicted to train at least 200 veterinary students per year while spearheading medical and education outreach to the community and shelters.

Thanks in large part to the support of generous PetSmart® shoppers who donate in stores using the pin pad at checkout, PetSmart Charities, along with its Canadian counterpart, PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, has contributed more than $300 million to date to directly help pets in need – more than any other funder of animal welfare in North America.  With the help of its animal welfare partners, the organization has funded more than 1.4 million spay and neuter surgeries in the U.S. since 2009.

In 2016, PetSmart Charities introduced a new focus on strategic grant-making and unveiled an expanded mission, allowing it to reach beyond its core efforts to end pet homelessness and help pets in need to include connecting pets and people.  In late February, the organization will unveil an enhanced online application process and its 2017 grant cycle calendar with more information on how to apply across 10 new grant categories.

For more information on how to make a donation to PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada or to apply for a grant on behalf of a deserving animal welfare organization*, please visit PetSmartCharities.org or PetSmartCharities.ca.

*Must provide documentation verifying status as a 501(c)(3) organization for the US or registered charity in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets.  Each year nearly 500,000 dogs and cats find homes through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and sponsored adoption events.  Each year millions of PetSmart shoppers contribute to PetSmart Charities to help pets in need by making donations on a pin pad at the register.  PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar to support its mission of finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets.  PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation.  PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, independent from PetSmart, Inc.  PetSmart Charities has received the Four Star Rating for the past 13 years from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets in Canada.  Each year more than 20,000 cats and dogs find Canadian homes through our adoption program in nearly all PetSmart stores across Canada and our sponsored adoption events. A leading funder of animal welfare, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted more than $10 million to help pets in need with a funding focus on adoption, spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation, and providing emergency relief funding and supplies to pets and pet parents impacted by natural or man-made disasters.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered charity, independent from PetSmart.

Contact:
Lauren Sawyer
lsawyer@petsmart.com
623-295-3238

PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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Nordstrom announces the appointment of Michelle Haggard as VP, regional manager for Canada

Seattle, 2017-Jan-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Nordstrom, Inc. today (January 9, 2017) announced that Michelle Haggard will take on the role of vice president, regional manager for Canada. Karen McKibbin, who previously served as president, Nordstrom Canada, has taken on a new leadership role in the company as president, Nordstrom Rack.

“Over the past four years, Nordstrom was fortunate to successfully expand into Canada and open our doors to serve customers there,” said Jamie Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom. “Now, with a solid infrastructure in place, we can move to the next part of our strategy, which was to create a regional structure focused on operating our stores. We’re excited that we have a seasoned store leader like Michelle Haggard who will lead our efforts.”

The Canada region supported by Haggard and her team based in Toronto, will be comprised of Nordstrom full-line stores that have already opened in Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary and Toronto (two), as well as a sixth store set to open in Toronto next year. Haggard will also manage opening and operating the company’s five announced Nordstrom Rack locations.

Haggard is a seasoned Nordstrom leader who joined the company in 1991. She started as a salesperson in our store in Riverside, California, and then was promoted to department manager before taking on buying roles in the Womens and POV/Sportswear departments. Haggard managed four full-line stores around the country and was an assistant regional manager for the Northeast, helping lead the company’s expansion in Boston. In 2010 she was promoted to Southeast Rack regional manager and in 2013 she was named full-line vice-president, Southeast regional manager.

Karen McKibbin previously lead the company’s Canada expansion efforts since 2012.

“Karen was instrumental in building the foundation that allowed us to enter the Canadian market and we’re so appreciative of her efforts,” continued Nordstrom. “The entrepreneurial spirit, flexibility and creativity that she brought into that role will serve us well in our Rack business, and we know she’s paved a great path for Michelle to take this area of our business forward.”

About Nordstrom and Trunk Club

Nordstrom, Inc. is a leading fashion specialty retailer based in the U.S. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 349 stores in 40 states, including 123 full-line stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; 215 Nordstrom Rack stores; two Jeffrey boutiques; and two clearance stores. Additionally, customers are served online through Nordstrom.com, Nordstromrack.com and HauteLook. The company owns Trunk Club, a personalized clothing service serving customers online at TrunkClub.com and its seven clubhouses. Nordstrom, Inc.’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.

CONTACT:
Tara Darrow
Cell: (206) 310-8016
Office: (206) 303-3016

Source: Nordstrom, Inc.

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PetSmart opened 20 stores across the U.S. and Canada in third quarter

Phoenix, 2016-Dec-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart, Inc. today (Dec. 14, 2016) announced it has opened 20 stores across the U.S. and Canada for the quarter ending October 31, 2016. This adds to the 23 new stores opened in the first and second quarters, bringing the total number for the year to 43 new stores.

New stores were opened in the third quarter in the following locations:

Bakersfield, Calif.
Blaine, Minn.
Berlin, Conn.
Calgary, Alberta
Chandler, Ariz.
Charlottesville, Va.
Garfield, N.J.
Houston, Texas
Howell, Mich.
Kearny, N.J.
Menifee, Calif.
Oceanside, N.Y.
Penticton, British Columbia
Rio Rancho, N.M.
St. Albert, Alberta
Toronto (2)
Tsawwassen, British Columbia
Washington, D.C.
Westerly, R.I.

The new stores feature service offerings including grooming and pet training.

Among last quarter’s new store openings were the PetSmart Pet Spa in Oceanside, N.Y., and PetSmart at the Beach in Toronto – new concept stores where the company is testing innovative ways to combine pet services and an enhanced pet lifestyle experience in a smaller retail footprint. The stores feature a unique, modern design with 5,000-8,000 square feet of space – a smaller footprint than PetSmart’s typical stores, which average approximately 18,000-20,000 square feet.

A first for PetSmart stores, the PetSmart Pet Spa store concept includes a self-service dog wash, a new grooming salon design and a coffee bar-lounge area with complimentary coffee and comfortable seating for pet parents, among other amenities.

“We are excited about our continued growth in key markets across North America,” said Brian Amkraut, senior vice president of real estate, strategy and initiatives. “These new stores allow us to build on the continued trend of premiumization in the pet industry. We are able to reach more pet parents by expanding in new growth markets and providing more convenient locations and options to our pet parents.

In addition to continuing to expand its brick and mortar locations, PetSmart recently launched its new and improved, built-for-the-future PetSmart.com with a mobile-responsive design and a commerce-meets-content experience with key enhancements that reflect feedback from pet parents. The site includes features including a one-page checkout and new tailored home delivery options such as recurring subscription-based shipping, as well as same-day and scheduled delivery in 16 U.S. markets – all aimed at letting pet parents shop how, when and where they wish.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate approximately 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and 204 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet adoption services in-store. Our portfolio of digital resources for pet parents – including PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Pet360.com and petMD.com – offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. Through our in-store pet adoption partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the lives of more than 500,000 homeless pets each year.

Contacts:
Melissa Wenzel
PetSmart
623-587-2177
mwenzel@petsmart.com

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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CANADA: Whole Foods Market opens at Victoria, British Columbia

Store features dozens of ‘Island Local’ products, in-store venues run by Victoria-based restaurateurs and 141 team members hired from Vancouver Island

VICTORIA, British Columbia, 2016-Nov-02 — /EPR Retail News/ —Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic grocer, will open Wednesday, Nov. 2, in Victoria, British Columbia. The 40,000-square-foot store is located in the Uptown Shopping Centre, at 3587 Blanshard Street, in Saanich. It is the first Whole Foods Market store on Vancouver Island and is the company’s 12th location in Canada.

The store will host a bread-breaking ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell will join Whole Foods Market leaders, local suppliers and community partners to welcome shoppers. Doors open at 9 a.m.

“For more than a decade, we’ve been building relationships in the communities we serve throughout British Columbia, and we’re excited to continue this growth on Vancouver Island,” said Angela Lorenzen, president of Whole Foods Market’s Pacific Northwest Region. “We’ve long believed that Victoria would be a wonderful home for a new store because of our shared values. Like us, this community is a champion for strong, local food systems and believes in environmental stewardship. Our team members, many of whom come from Vancouver Island, have been working hard to create a store experience that reflects what island residents tell us they want and need. We look forward to continuing to build relationships here and serving Greater Victoria.”

The new store will provide an unmatched selection of high-quality natural and organic goods, as well as a wide variety of island-sourced products and delicious dining options.

Store features:

  • Fin & Pearl, an in-store seafood venue with seating at the bar, and ample café seating, offers a place to gather and enjoy fresh, local seafood and local beers and cider on tap. At opening, the 12 local taps will feature selections from Hoyne Brewing Co., Driftwood Brewery, Phillips Brewing Company and Tod Creek Craft Cider.  The menu includes favorites such as B.C. oysters on the half shell, steamed mussels and clams, and tempura-battered fish and chips.
  • Top-notch customer service: Out of 154 team members working at the Victoria store, 141 are from Vancouver Island.
  • Whole Foods Market has partnered with Victoria-based Discovery Coffee to run a full-service coffee bar inside the store. Discovery Coffee uses Island Farms dairy milk, features seasonal teas from island local tea company, JagaSilk, and serves an assortment of fresh donuts, made every morning at Yonni’s Bakery.
  • The Victoria store is also home to Bliss Juice, a juice bar run by the creators of Café Bliss and Be Love restaurant. Bliss Juice offers seasonally inspired, made-to-order juices, super food smoothies, wheatgrass shots, live-food lunches, healthy snacks and raw desserts. Bliss Juice products are 100 percent animal-product free, wheat free, gluten free and are made from scratch.
  • Local product offerings: On top of the more than 300 B.C. vendors shoppers already find in all B.C. Whole Foods Market stores, more than 40 products from new Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands vendors were added as a result of Whole Foods Market’s Local Producer Fair held in March 2016.
  • All 365 Everyday Value food products are enrolled in the Non-GMO Project.

During the store’s grand opening festivities, Whole Foods Market will present B.C.-based Terra Breads with a $100,000 Local Producer Loan. To date, Whole Foods Market has made five loans to B.C.-based, independent food producers, and has contributed more than $400,000 to the local economy through this program alone. Past Local Producer Loan Program recipients include Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt, Le Gateau Bake Shop, Harker’s Organics and Lina’s Garden.

Shoppers visiting Whole Foods Market’s Victoria store can look forward to a full-service experience:

  • An industry-leading seafood team – Whole Foods Market’s quality standards for seafood lead the industry. All wild-caught seafood sold in the store is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and is entirely traceable from the fishery to store. The seafood department takes the hassle out of prepping seafood, and in-store fishmongers will fillet whole fish, skin and debone fish, peel and devein shrimp, shuck oysters, and with 48 hours’ notice, smoke fish per customers’ requests.Look for “Island Local” products, including Salt Spring Island mussels and Fanny Bay oysters, in the seafood department. The store also features a bivalve tank to ensure the highest quality, live shellfish.
  • Quality standards and selection in the meat department – All products in the full-service meat department come from animals raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones. Whole Foods Market’s animal welfare standards are industry leading and include the Global Animal Partnership’s (GAP) 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating standards. Whole Foods Market’s Victoria store is proud to offer Canadian beef from Northern British Columbia and local poultry, including turkeys, sourced from the Fraser Valley. Other British Columbian producers include McLean Meats and Black Forest Meats.
  • Highest quality produce– The Victoria store features locally sourced produce from growers such as Saanich Organics, Kildara Farms, Longview Farms, and Blue Root Farm.
  • Prepared foods galore – A wide range of grab-and-go meal options, including burritos and tacos, artisan sandwiches and pizza, are available daily. A rotating hot bar and a salad bar with plenty of organic vegetables and fresh-cut fruit makes mealtime decisions quick and convenient. Everything made and sold by the prepared foods team complies with Whole Foods Market’s ingredient standards.
  • Specialty department – Shoppers can find the finest local and organic artisan cheeses and a wide variety of pickles, olives, pates, fresh pastas, dips and nitrate-free cured meats. The specialty department has a thoughtfully curated selection of Island Local and B.C. produced products, including Paradise Island cheese, Little Qulicum cheese, Happy Days goat cheese, Kootenay Alpine cheese, Salt Spring Island cheese, Edible Gardens balsamic condiments, Natural Pasture cheese, Farm House Cheese, Golda’s Pesto, and Old Country Pasta.
  • Bakery department – One of the highlights of the new Victoria store is the bakery department, featuring products from True Grain, and locally sourced ingredients such as Anita’s Flour, B.C. eggs, and Canadian milk.
  • All cage-free eggs – Whole Foods Market sells only eggs that come from cage-free hens and will carry Island-sourced, free range and organic eggs from Island Egg.

Giving back to the community is one of Whole Foods Market’s core values. For the past several years, Vancouver Island residents and Whole Foods Market teams have discussed the community’s priorities and where Whole Foods Market resources might make the greatest impact outside the store. From those conversations, Whole Foods Market has identified several local nonprofit organizations and is building long-range partnerships with the groups to support their great work. One of these partners is The Mustard Seed, a nonprofit devoted to fighting hunger and supporting food access work in Greater Victoria. On opening day, the store’s team members will present a $2,000 contribution to The Mustard Seed. Whole Foods Market will continue to collaborate with The Mustard Seed on food rescue and advocacy work.

In 2016, the Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods Market foundation, awarded garden grants to four Vancouver Island schools; 17 Vancouver Island K-12 schools have received garden grants from the foundation since 2012. Whole Kids Foundation also funded farm-to-school grants at nine Vancouver Island schools in 2016. These grants engage students in gardening, cooking, preserving, purchasing and serving healthy local foods at school.

Store Information:

Hours: Open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Location: 3587 Blanshard Street, Victoria, B.C.

Telephone: 250-382-9800

Website: www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/victoria

Contact:

Ann Marie Ricard
annmarie.ricard@curatorpr.com

Susan Livingston
susan.livingston@wholefoods.com

425.457.0090 (mobile)

Source: Whole Foods Market

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Starbucks will be the first retailer in Canada to offer Nitro Cold Brew at scale

Starbucks will be the first retailer in Canada to offer Nitro Cold Brew at scale
Starbucks will be the first retailer in Canada to offer Nitro Cold Brew at scale

 

Canada, 2016-Oct-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks Canada has announced that Brookfield Place in Toronto is the first location to launch Nitro Cold Brew, with more locations to come across Canada over the next several months. Following the roll out, Starbucks will be the first retailer in Canada to offer Nitro Cold Brew at scale.

Nitro Cold Brew is Starbucks newest take on its signature Cold Brew, infused with nitrogen for a smooth, creamy texture. After handcrafting the Cold Brew recipe, baristas perfect the pour by pulling the tap and allowing the Cold Brew coffee to mix with the nitrogen to deliver an entirely new cold coffee experience. Nitro Cold Brew is deliciously cold right out of the tap so it is served without ice and as with Cold Brew, it’s served unsweetened to highlight the flavour the cold brewing process brings out in the coffee.

While premium handcrafted espresso continues to be a best seller; the company is experiencing an increased shift in consumer preference to cold versions of these beverages. Iced beverage sales saw approximately 30 per cent growth over the past two years and represents one of the fastest growing areas of the business. Approximately one in two beverages sold out of home in Canada are cold and Starbucks expects to more than double the size of its cold beverage business in Canada within five years.

“Our success is rooted in delivering exceptional customer experiences through significant investments in technology, new store formats and coffee-forward product innovation. We know that our customers are seeking flavour experiences that are unique and Nitro Cold Brew delivers on a cold coffee experience that we know they will enjoy,” said Rossann Williams, president, Starbucks Canada. “When we combine innovation with an engaging barista who is skilled in making handcrafted customized beverages, it produces something really special.”

The introduction of Cold Brew in March 2015 was received with an exceptional Canadian response, fueling +65% Cold Coffee growth at launch time. Following the highly successful nationwide launch the company introduced new innovation with the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew in June 2016, which is now available throughout the year, and is now offering Canadians even more coffee-forward innovation with the introduction of Nitro Cold Brew.

“For over 40 years we have perfected the craft of roasting and brewing the finest hot coffee and while we have always offered our customers new options in cold coffee, nothing will compare to the pace of flavour, craft and brewing innovation we will see in the next few years,” Williams added.

Media contact:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

Source: Starbucks

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