Laura Carinci

Mine & Yours was recently featured in Retail Insider in an article by Craig Patterson discussing our return to Calgary with a second pop-up inside Holt Renfrew. The article highlights the continued growth of luxury resale, our evolving partnership with Holt Renfrew, and the strong response from the Calgary market following our first activation. “We’re very excited to be back in Calgary,” shared our Founder, Courtney Watkins. “When we left, a lot of customers were disappointed, which told us there was clearly an appetite for what we’re doing.” The feature also explores how resale is continuing to shift consumer behaviour within luxury retail: “What was once considered alternative is becoming essential,” said Watkins. “Resale is no longer a secondary option. For many customers, it’s becoming a first choice.” We’re incredibly excited about what’s ahead for Calgary and beyond as we continue expanding the Mine & Yours community across Canada. Read the entire feature here: https://lnkd.in/gGHir-TX

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For years, Retail Insider has been documenting what’s happening across Canadian retail in real time. The challenge now isn’t access to information — it’s interpretation. We’re seeing: • Diverging sector performance • Shifting consumer behaviour • Increasing pressure on margins and formats Individual headlines don’t explain the full picture anymore. We’ve launched Retail Insider Reports to bring structure to that complexity. Initial focus: • Grocery • Food Service • Additional sectors rolling out this week The goal is simple. Provide a clearer view of how retail sectors are actually evolving.

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We were proud to host the 20th edition of the Apparel Affinity Group (AAG) Conference at LaSalle College Vancouver, uniting fashion educators, creators, and industry leaders from across Canada. 🇨🇦 This 3-day event explored innovation in apparel design and production, with conversations on how companies are integrating technology and sustainable practices into their work. Highlights included: 🔹 A fish skin leather workshop led by Janey Chang, connecting ancestral knowledge with modern material innovation 🔹 Field visits to Arc'teryx Equipment, John Fluevog Shoes, and FASHION STUDIO NO5 ,where attendees explored the latest in technical design and production strategies 🔹 A panel featuring LaSalle College alumni offering honest insight into the shift from fashion education to an evolving and competitive industry A huge thank you to the Canadian Apparel Federation for their continued support, and to all the educators, alumni, and industry partners who made this milestone event possible.

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When upstart brands find success and settle into corporate mode, they not only lose their edge, the lose the competitive advantage that got them there. This article in ADWEEK details how lululemon's slide into corporate mediocrity killed their creative soul and competitive edge. And it's not just Adweek saying that, it's Lululemon's founder, Chip Wilson. I've talked often about how brands large and small can use #creativity to get a competitive edge. But, I've never really talked about brands that use that methodology to get there but stop doing it once they achieve success. If you have a creative brand that connects with a certain audience, you can't just stop being creative. You lose your brand identity and eventually lose your audience and customers. This is a good reminder that when you build your brand on one pillar (whether it's creativity or something else), walking away from it shifts your brand image and your community will notice. Some of them will start to look elsewhere. Don't lose your brand's soul! https://lnkd.in/gGsPqhTi

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ICYMI: Chanel Opens Largest Canadian Boutique at Holt Renfrew Yorkdale Chanel has expanded its Canadian footprint with the opening of its largest boutique in the country at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The newly completed Chanel boutique Yorkdale space, located inside Holt Renfrew, spans approximately 10,600 square feet across two levels. It is now the largest Chanel concession in the world and the largest Chanel-operated store in Canada. Construction on the project began a year ago and has resulted in a highly visible new anchor presence for the department store. #Chanel #ChanelCanada #Yorkdale #HoltRenfrew #LuxuryRetail #FashionNews #TorontoShopping #LuxuryBoutique #RetailExpansion #DesignerFashion https://lnkd.in/guKTxygwI

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Ever notice how Canada’s market rewrites the rules of engagement? From heritage icons redefining their industry to homegrown brands like Shopify reshaping how we shop, we’re not just keeping pace with the world—we’re often setting it. The next era belongs to brands that don’t just communicate—they transform: improving daily life, elevating wellbeing, and creating measurable impact beyond the product itself. The breakthrough play isn’t more noise (we are saturated!) —it’s more meaning: hospitality-grade experiences, science-backed wellness, and smart services that compound value over time. The most resilient brands are expanding their role from makers to mentors: guiding healthier routines, integrating diagnostics and personalization, and turning every touchpoint into tangible progress for people and planet. Canada isn’t just watching global shifts, we’re quietly setting the pace! I genuinely believe the next era-defining brand will come from here, given our mix of diversity, wellness innovation, and community values. This is where we thrive: strategy sprints that turn purpose into programs, wellness and educational content into revenue, and brand equity into everyday value—built for Canada’s 🇨🇦uniquely demanding, diverse market. Change is coming, and it looks distinctly Canadian. #brandleadership #brandstrategy #SavoyStrategy #Canadaleadership #CanadaRetail #RetailStrategy

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Whether you’re stepping into a brand leadership role or collaborating on a cross‑functional team, strong brand planning is essential to driving meaningful impact. This course will offer practical insights and tools to help you confidently lead or actively participate in brand planning, including: ✔️  How to navigate Canadian promotional regulations ✔️  Strategies to shape and accelerate brand success throughout its lifecycle ✔️ Insights into pricing, reimbursement, and environmental influences impacting commercialization ✔️ Approaches to leveraging data and channels to maximize performance ✔️  Techniques for effective audience segmentation and targeting ✔️ Real-world case studies from seasoned industry executives If you’re looking to strengthen your strategic thinking, enhance cross-functional collaboration, or simply bring more impact to your brand planning efforts, this course is an incredible opportunity to learn, apply, and grow alongside industry leaders. 2026 Spring Toronto 🗓️ April 13, 14 & 27, 28 👉 Enroll now and elevate your impact: https://lnkd.in/gNzjir48

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🎯 Planning for Legacy: Business Succession & Employee Ownership in Canada I had the pleasure of attending a powerful and forward-thinking session hosted by Kingston Economic Development Corporation, focused on business succession and the role of employee ownership in building resilient companies and communities. As the Chief Marketing Officer at ZOMORODI JEWELRY Inc., an emerging startup expanding into the Canadian market, this session gave me fresh insights into how long-term ownership strategies and inclusive models like Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) can drive not only sustainable growth but also community trust — a key factor in brand positioning in Canada. The session featured a group of remarkable speakers: 🔹 Judith Pineault – shared real-world lessons from her own transition journey as a business owner. 🔹 Michael Ras (Employee Ownership Canada) – highlighted the urgent need for succession planning, especially among small businesses, and explained how EOTs are reshaping ownership in Canada. 🔹 Justine Janssen (CommonShares) – explored innovative, founder-friendly paths to succession that preserve company culture and empower teams. 🔹 Faseeh Qayyum (BMO) – provided excellent financing insights that apply directly to startups preparing for scalable growth and future equity planning. 💡 What I Took Away as a Startup Leader: ✅ Employee ownership models are not just for exits — they’re a strategic tool for building engagement, retaining talent, and establishing deep roots in the community. ✅ As we position ZOMORODI JEWELRY Inc. for long-term success in Canada, aligning business growth with community prosperity has never felt more relevant. ✅ These conversations helped me rethink how we can build a legacy brand, not just a business. Huge thanks to Kingston Economic Development Corporation for creating a space where emerging founders, financial experts, and policy leaders come together. I left the session not only more informed — but more inspired. #EmployeeOwnership #BusinessSuccession #EOT #KingstonEconomicDevelopment #CanadianStartup #ZOMORODIJEWELRY #LegacyThinking #MarketingLeadership #StartupCanada #InclusiveGrowth #StartupVisaCanada #JewelryDesign #CADCAM #Innovation #Brilliant Catalyst Kingston Economic Development CorporationBrilliant Catalyst Zomorodi Jewelry Inc.Judith Pineault CEPAMichael Ras Justine Janssen Faseeh Qayyum Amir Nazemzomorodi Hesam Hassan Nejad Lina Hamouda Leen Jaber Keanu Barrage Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada Hafiz Saleem GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Canadian Jewellers Association Canada Startup Association Dr. Osman Hamid Richmond Hill Public Library

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It's not another fad. Live stream selling continues to disrupt the retail landscape in 2025, driven by rapid adoption of AI-powered personalization, new social commerce features, and interactive content across major platforms like TikTok Shop, Instagram, and YouTube. Brands and influencers are leading shoppable broadcasts and on-demand video campaigns as live commerce grows at a 36% annual rate, capturing a much larger share of total online sales. The latest coverage underscores the importance of engagement, real-time analytics, and authenticity, with platforms racing to add embedded shopping tools and meet younger consumers' demand for social-first ecommerce experiences. #livestreamselling https://lnkd.in/gJ5wHJdR https://lnkd.in/gUY6uNX9

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the Hudson’s Bay brand is about to get a new life — under Canadian Tire. After scooping up the iconic retailer’s intellectual property for $30 million earlier this year, Canadian Tire says it will start rolling out “fun initiatives” tied to the brand later this year, with a bigger relaunch set for 2026. That includes everything from the iconic Bay stripes and “Bay Days” slogan to its housewares and apparel lines. While the full plan is still under wraps, CEO Greg Hicks says the response from Canadians has been “overwhelmingly positive” and the company is taking its role as brand steward seriously. The acquisition comes as Canadian Tire restructures for growth with its $2B “True North” transformation program. Despite a dip in profit, the company saw a revenue bump this quarter — and it’s betting big on nostalgia, national pride, and strategic reinvention to carry that momentum forward. #HudsonsBay #CanadianTire #RetailReinvention #BuyCanadian #TorontoCulture

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Gwynne Fane, VP of Marketing at LGM, was recently featured as a guest author in Sustainable Biz Canada. Gwynne shares how brands can move beyond just reporting metrics to telling an authentic #sustainability stories that stick. She offers practical guidance on: 🔹 Aligning purpose with profit 🔹 Using real people as storytelling protagonists 🔹 Translating data into narratives that resonate It’s a must‑read for marketers and leaders looking to communicate #ESG commitments with both credibility and heart. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gQfQh6mt #MarketingInsights #PurposeDrivenBusiness #SustainableBusiness #BrandStrategy

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ICYMI: Aritzia reports Q4 and Fiscal 2026 financial results, record net revenue Aritzia Inc., a design house with an innovative global platform offering covetable styles online, on its app and in its boutiques, announced Thursday its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended March 1, 2026. Founded in 1984 in Vancouver, the retailer has 140+ boutiques throughout North America. https://lnkd.in/gbGc4UKK #Aritzia #RetailNews #RetailIndustry #FinancialResults #CanadianRetail

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WE-CAN Profile: Alyson Charrette and Lisa Taylor are the founders of Lake + Main, a luxury, natural Canadian skincare brand based in Westport, Ontario. The two entrepreneurs began manufacturing their handcrafted, small-batch products using 100 percent ethically sourced, toxin-free ingredients in Lisa’s kitchen in September 2023. “It quickly became clear that we needed a larger manufacturing space,” Lisa recalls. “So we opened the doors to our beautiful Westport location in April 2024.” After relying on the same natural skincare line since 1998—formulas that became essential to their daily rituals—Lisa and Alyson were saddened to learn that the original formulator was closing her business to pursue a new chapter. Having tried countless alternatives, and finding nothing comparable, they knew they could not live without the products that had supported their skin for most of their adult lives. Determined to preserve what they loved, the friends purchased 10 of the original formulas, rebranding and marking the beginning of Lake + Main. “The original formulator generously mentored us, teaching us the foundations of formulation and sharing decades of hard-earned knowledge,” Alyson explains. “Since then, we have both completed formal training in formulation and aromatherapy, and we’ve thoughtfully expanded the original line-up with many additional formulas of our own.” Today, Lake + Main’s primary customers tend to be peri- and post-menopausal women. “Really, people like us,” says Lisa. The brand has also built a strong following among younger women (and some men as well) who understand that what they put on their skin is just as important as what they eat. The brand’s most popular offering is the Original Six facial skincare line, which includes a cleanser, exfoliator, toner, hyaluronic acid serum, a cream-based moisturizer, and an oil-based moisturizer. Lake + Main also offers a range of body care, shower, bath, and home wellness products. “The most exciting part of Lake + Main is the community growing around it,” these entrepreneurs agree. “The conversations, the stories being shared, and the curiosity around our products make this journey incredibly rewarding.” Reflecting on their experience with the WE-CAN Project, Lisa and Alyson share, “WE-CAN has already connected us with the right people and resources at critical stages of our growth. These introductions have given us access to targeted expertise in areas like operations, financial planning, intellectual property, and strategic scaling, allowing us to move forward with greater clarity, confidence and efficiency.” We’re excited to support you as you continue to grow your inspiring business, Lisa and Alyson! To learn more, visit www.lakeandmain.ca.

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ICYMI: Three Ships challenges ‘natural’ and ‘clean’ beauty claims in Toronto campaign Toronto-based skincare brand Three Ships has launched a city-wide OOH (out-of-home) campaign that challenges one of beauty’s most widely used — and least regulated — claims: “natural” and “clean.” Despite driving billions in sales, these terms have no legally binding definition in cosmetics in the U.S. or Canada, meaning brands are free to interpret them individually. The campaign brings this tension to life through bold posters across Toronto with lines like “Natural. According to who?” and “Clean. Based on what?” https://lnkd.in/eAZgdAwT #BeautyIndustry #CleanBeauty #MarketingCampaign #BrandTransparency #TorontoBusiness

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