The Body Shop Canada to close 33 stores, end online sales

The Body Shop Canada will close nearly a third of its stores and end online sales as it seeks creditor protection, the Canadian subsidiary of the U.K. beauty and cosmetics shop announced Friday. A court filing showed the company owes more than $3.3 million to unsecured creditors and about $16,400 to secured creditors. The company did not say how many … Read more

Ontario electronics retailer Factory Direct to liquidate stores

Toronto Court documents show the discount electronics and home goods retailer wanted to close its 14 stores in the province because it has found the business is “no longer viable.” Discount retailer says business is ‘no longer viable’ The Canadian Press · Posted: Feb 16, 2024 11:43 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago … Read more

Loblaw ending 50% discount on some food items raises concerns about anti-competitive behaviour

The revelation that Loblaw will end its 50 per cent discount on perishable foods like meat, fruit and vegetables as they near their best-before dates should attract the attention of Canada’s Competition Bureau, says one industry expert.  Prof. Sylvain Charlebois, the director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-food Analytics Lab, believes the action taken by the grocery chain to align its policy with other food retailers might be … Read more

How green are those Stanley tumblers that everyone wants thanks to TikTok?

A gigantic tumbler that purportedly keeps drinks cold even if it’s left in your burning car is the stainless steel status symbol of the moment.  The 40 oz. Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate tumbler (that’s 1.18 litres for us metric system folks) has become so popular that people are willing to wait outside Target stores overnight … Read more

After a tough year, Aritzia banks on U.S. expansion to keep growth humming

Improved financial performance at Vancouver-based retailer Aritzia sent the company’s stock soaring on Thursday morning by more than 20 per cent, though some experts warn the company isn’t out of the woods after a challenging year saw the company’s red-hot hype start to simmer down.  The clothing chain announced its latest quarterly earnings on Wednesday after … Read more

Walmart abandons plan to open fulfilment centre in Quebec

Walmart Canada says it is abandoning plans to open a new fulfilment centre in Quebec. The U.S. retail giant was due to spend $100 million on the facility slated for the Montreal-area municipality of Vaudreuil-Dorion. It was expected to open early this year. Walmart Canada spokesperson Sarah Kennedy confirmed the change of plans in an … Read more

Mastermind Toys stopped accepting gift cards on Dec. 24 — when most cards were still wrapped

Riverview father Rudy Walters is speaking out after Mastermind Toys stopped accepting gift cards effective Christmas Day — with signs posted on their storefronts only days before. Walters said the move raises questions about the value of gift cards and about consumer protection when a company such as Mastermind Toys heads toward bankruptcy. “I would just like to see some more … Read more

BlendJet recall of millions of blenders over fire hazard, breaking blades includes 117,000 in Canada

BlendJet is recalling millions of portable blenders over laceration and fire hazards after receiving dozens of reports of injuries, U.S. regulators said Thursday. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says the recall covers about 4.8 million blenders in the U.S. and about 117,000 were sold in Canada. BlendJet 2 Portable Blenders can overheat or catch fire, … Read more

Dollarama sales, profit way up after growing total number of stores

Dollarama reported its third-quarter profit and sales rose compared with a year ago and raised its guidance for comparable-store sales. The retailer says it earned $261.1 million or 92 cents per diluted share for the 13-week period that ended Oct. 29, up from a profit of $201.6 million or 70 cents per diluted share a … Read more

Deal to lower Visa, Mastercard processing fees will come up short for many retailers, critics say

The federal government says it has hammered out the final details with Visa and Mastercard to lower credit card transaction fees for merchants, but small business advocates say the deal doesn’t go nearly far enough. The deal concerns what is called an interchange fee, also known as a “swipe fee,” which sets aside a percentage … Read more