Grand Slam Style: January 2015

Friday, January 16, 2015

Target to Pull Out of Canada

American retailer Target will be pulling out of Canada just two years after joining the ranks of Canadian retailers. Target spent millions of dollars refurbishing and building spaces for their 133 Canadian stores, but the retailer had suffered from a lack of overall sales and supply chain issues from day one, causing the company to hemorrhage money. Rather than stick it out in the market and try to adapt, Target has decided to pull out all together. They will begin to liquidate their Canadian assets soon. It is believed that Target officials incorrectly believed that they could just the Canadian market without proper research or competitive stocking and pricing to their American based stores.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Drake’s OVO store is here to stay on Dundas West

Courtesy of TorontoLife.com

Drake’s latest expression of Toronto pride is his much-hyped October’s Very Own shop on Dundas West. The store is actually the brainchild of Oliver El-Khatib, OVO’s co-founder and the guy behind the summer pop-up shop in the same space. He describes the project as his “baby,” and promises that it’ll be sticking around for good. The stark white room is currently stocked with a familiar selection of OVO merchandise, like “6” toques and t-shirts printed with label’s signature owl; however, a new collection of low-key winter basics (slouchy hoodies, leather varsity jackets) will be hitting shelves soon. For El-Khatib, though, it’s not all about the stuff: he hopes the place will become a hub for the city’s creatives, where people can stop in and “see what kids are wearing and what they’re listening to.” Plus, chance run-ins with Champagne Papi himself aren’t entirely implausible—just last week, the star dropped by the store wearing OVO’s new camo-print parka, which is part of a collaboration with Canada Goose.

899 Dundas St. W., octobersveryown.com

by Jean Grant
(Image: Kayla Rocca)

Parisian Retailer Loding Opens New Toronto Location

Parisian menswear brand Loding has opened a second location in Toronto. This modern and stylish men's wear shop offers beautiful workwear and business attire including breathable Egyptian cotton shirts, full-grain leather shoes, cashmere sweaters and silk ties. Check out the new location at First Canadian Place in Toronto's business district.