Nada Shepherd, MBA, BSc

Canada's fastest-rising brands are rewriting the rules of growth. While headlines focus on challenges, our #KantarBrandZ 2025 Most Valuable Canadian Brands report reveals an inspiring story: brands that dare to be different are thriving. Aritzia leads the charge with exceptional 55% brand value growth, transforming from boutique brand to inclusive luxury powerhouse. By expanding strategically into the US and strengthening ecommerce, they've built a $2.1B brand that currently ranks number 25 in for brand value in Canada. What unites this year's fastest risers? Being Meaningfully Different to more people. Whether it's Dollarama expanding its value retail, Loblaw Companies Limited's Maxi broadening its reach in urban environments, or financial services brands building deeper consumer connections, growth follows distinctiveness. Ready to discover what sets Canada's most valuable brands apart? Read the full report from Kantar to find out: https://lnkd.in/geNwycYs

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This seems like a good fit. Toronto Star: Canadian Tire Corp. has expressed interest in purchasing Hudson’s Bay’s intellectual property, which may include its iconic stripes and logos, according to a source close to the beleaguered retailer’s restructuring plans. https://lnkd.in/ezJJ7K_8

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What a Decade of Industry Leadership Taught Me It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade at the helm of IAB Canada—and it’s been anything but ordinary. The role demands grit, diplomacy, and a willingness to pick yourself up daily and keep going. It’s been challenging, humbling, and deeply meaningful. If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: the work only matters if it’s rooted in something bigger. As Einstein said, “Love is the answer.” Some key lessons…. Big moves come at a short-term price. Long-term vision requires short-term sacrifices. If you believe in what you're building, you need to be unflinchingly “plan-broke” to see returns. The best decisions often feel the hardest in the moment. Get to the finish line. Developing products and solutions is tough—if it weren’t, we wouldn’t be so busy building them. Detractors will try to distract, derail, and even sabotage. Keep your head down. Do the work. Finish. If you were wrong, nothing was wasted—you’ve still built something, learned something, and moved forward. There’s no glory in opaqueness. Transparency is everything—in products, services, and leadership. The best business decisions aren’t just about quick wins; they’re about laying solid, transparent foundations that will hold up over time. Stay true to the mandate. It’s easy to get distracted by corporate dopamine—projects that bring social accolades but don’t serve the real goal. The path of least resistance? Doing the work that directly supports your mandate. That’s where real impact happens. Love is the answer. Gossip, cliques, backchannel meddling—workplace toxicity shows up in many forms. Don’t get pulled into it. More importantly, look out for those who might be quietly bearing the brunt of it. A little support goes a long way. We’re all navigating life at our own pace, often with unseen challenges. Over the past ten years, I’ve faced my own. It’s made me deeply aware that showing up with empathy isn’t just kind—it’s necessary. Own your mistakes. Learn. Keep moving. I’ve made plenty (and will make more), but that’s part of growth. The best lessons come from the stumbles. I’m grateful for every colleague who’s been there as I broke things and figured them out, and I’ve been honoured to witness so many peers build their own paths as well. I’ve never held a role more challenging—or more invigorating. It’s an honour to serve an industry I owe so much to, and a privilege to help sustain it for those building their livelihoods in digital media. It hasn’t been without its bumps, but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. In the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy building a network of good people doing good things for the industry. To my fellow peers, I see you and quietly toast to the commonalities we share. And to all the great individuals who made and continue to make IAB Canada what it is today, thank you. #Leadership #CareerLessons #WomenInLeadership #Transparency #TenYearsStrong

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Personalized & simplified experiences drive purchases and loyalty. 👆One of the many themes from Retail Council of Canada's #STORE2025 Over the 2-days of Canada's largest retail conference, I was drawn to sessions discussing consumer shopping behaviour (not surprisingly!). Nearly 90% of Canadians have changed how they buy in the past month, whether its due to inflation or seeking Canadian in response to tariffs. Interestingly, Moneris / Angus Reid Group found the average monthly grocery transaction size has stayed relatively flat since 2021.... meaning Canadians are making choices about how to maximize their frozen budgets. Along with a nearly 7% drop in travel and entertainment spending, 71% are looking for deals/promotions while another 47% are switching to private label/store brand. The % who shop at locations that offer loyalty rewards decreased to 39%. While consumers are favouring saving $$, delivering the right perks & value can also drive loyalty. Combining savings and personalization yields big results per Loblaw Companies Limited when done right... and it's important to do so with 2/3 ignoring non-personalized offers. American Express has long leveraged experiences to engage their card holders and have focused on delivering delight to smaller audiences vs the scale brands typically aim for. It's working particularly well with Gen Z, 64% of whom say exclusive access & experiences are the key reasons they stay loyal to a brand. Linked to this, 69% of Gen Z are discovering brands through partnerships/collabs, making them a good way to stay relevant while also spreading costs across brands. Consumers are discovering brands faster and easier than ever before thanks especially to social and digital... but with that comes new challenges for brands. There's now too much choice with 60% saying it takes more effort to make a purchase now than it used to and 67% delaying or avoiding decision due to analysis paralysis. It's important to make it easy for consumers to find you in both process and speed. A picture is worth a 1000 words...and Google has seen a 65% increase in visual searches over the last year, 20% of which had a commercial intent. YouTube and other video-based social platforms are similarly rapidly becoming the top channels for product and brand discovery.... although well placed in-store activations are in the top options as Canadians still overwhelming prefer to shop in-store after doing their pre-shop research online (in-app, social, etc). ------------------------------------------ Get more product off shelves and into baskets with the latest in CPG, retail & consumer trends at 10:30am Mon, Wed & Sat by following Jared! From learning about your consumer to post-purchase rebate promotions to product feedback & reviews, Caddle has a solution for you! DM me to learn more. #retail #CPG #retailtrends #consumerbehaviours #consumertrends

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Back in January, I shared my predictions for Toronto’s marketing job market in 2025. Below is a summary of where we are today -the detailed report is available here --> https://lnkd.in/gfu6kMtm Eight months later, here’s how those forecasts have played out — and what job seekers should focus on in the final stretch of the year. ✅ What’s Happened So Far • Specialist skills are winning — Digital strategy, analytics, UX, and marketing automation roles remain in high demand. • Hybrid is the default — 2–3 days in-office is now the norm, with some remote flexibility for digital-first roles. • AI is everywhere — From recruitment screening to campaign optimization, but human oversight is still key. • Economic pressures linger — Inflation has eased, but salary growth hasn’t kept pace. Negotiation matters. ⚖️ The Market Right Now We’re seeing a split: • In-demand skill sets → Candidates still have leverage. • Oversupplied roles → Competition is fierce, and employers can be choosy. 🔮 The Next 4 Months: Hopeful and Pragmatic Opportunities are there — but they’re selective. The winners will be those who adapt quickly and position themselves strategically. 💡 My Advice for Job Seekers 1. Upskill now — AI tools, analytics, and automation are worth the investment. 2. Target growth sectors — Financial services, SaaS, healthcare, luxury retail. 3. Be hybrid-ready — Flexibility is a hiring advantage. 4. Network with intent — Connect before jobs are posted. 5. Negotiate beyond salary — Flex time, development budgets, wellness perks. Bottom line: The Toronto marketing job market isn’t bleak — it’s selectively strong. If you have the right skills and a clear strategy, you can finish 2025 on a high note You can read the full Fall update here --> https://lnkd.in/gfu6kMtm

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𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?  That's what we discussed on stage at the NRF + Stratacache Retail Media event with CVS Media Exchange (CMX) and Loblaw Advance. Huge thanks to Kristen DiCorleto and Sarah (Bartoldus) Reynolds of CMX, Robyn Sullivan, CPA, CMA of Loblaw Advance, the retail media arm of Loblaws, Canada's largest food and pharmacy retailer. Well, what does it take? Here are some of the topics we talked about: #1 What Do You Need To Make The Leap From Successful Pilot To ‘All-In’?   -> 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯: This comes from organisational alignment on seeing instore retail media as BOTH a positive for shopper experience as well as seeing retail media as a growth engine for the business. #2 How Do You Get Buy-In From Leadership?   -> 𝘛𝘪𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦.  If the screens contribute corporate and divisional goals, buy-in is much easier. You need to measure the outcomes that campaigns drive and how they enhance the customer experience. Take the learnings from these and share them. #3 You are creating new 'playbooks' all the time. With an instore retail media network, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 '𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴' 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩.  There are no easy playbooks how to do instore retail media well - you are always learning across four or five dimensions: ·      The Technology ·      The Operations ·      The Measurement ·      The Creative ·      The Organisation Rather than say there is 'one playbook' that is set in stone, you will need a few playbooks - and be ready to update your thinking all the time. #4 Be Ready to Get Down and Dirty! Instore retail media network rollouts work best when you are ready to 'roll up' your sleeves as Russell Young of STRATACACHE pointed out. Its all about making sure the plug works, the wifi works and hoping one of the team does not set off the fire alarm to drown the store with water! Lots more nuggets exchanged on stage that were perfect for the audience - thanks to Jonathan Rosen and Kate Dickson for asking me to host the panel. Great event with a great agenda!

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🛍️ Back-to-School Isn’t One-and-Done- It’s a Journey! New research from Retail Council of Canada and Caddle, reveals what really drives parents during back-to-school shopping-and it’s more emotional, more multi-step, and more price-driven than ever before. 📆 Planning starts early, but it’s not always strategic-especially as kids get older. 💸 Price rules. 89% of parents are deal hunters, and mass merchandisers are still the first stop. 🤯 Emotions matter. Stressed or overwhelmed parents lean harder on product reviews-and change their minds more often. 🛒 One trip? Think again. Only 1 in 5 plan to wrap it up in a single round. Most expect 2–3 visits to get it done. 🏬 In-store still reigns. Nearly all parents (99%) plan to shop in physical stores for essentials. 👟 Brands shift with age. Younger kids = private label. Older kids = brand loyal-but the right price still wins. It’s clear: retailers that understand emotion, timing, and value are best positioned to win the season. 📥 Get the full insights and strategy takeaways now-see link below. https://lnkd.in/g5v_JDr4

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Aritzia acquired Fred Segal. Genius move — or expensive nostalgia? 👀 In a retail era obsessed with AI, margin discipline, and inventory productivity… this feels almost rebellious. But that’s the point. Aritzia isn’t buying inventory. They’re buying cultural equity. They’re buying a Melrose address that once defined West Coast cool. They’re buying mythology. The real question isn’t whether Fred Segal will sell. It’s this: 👉🏽 Can Aritzia convert legacy cool into modern growth? This is a strategic bet on: • Experience over pure efficiency • Heritage as a growth lever • Physical retail as brand theater Here’s the risk: nostalgia without reinvention becomes a museum. Here’s the upside: if Aritzia layers its disciplined merchandising engine onto Fred Segal’s cultural DNA, this could be a case study in brand resurrection. Retail doesn’t reward timid moves. It rewards conviction. Revival — or reinvention? https://lnkd.in/ejGiibGb #RetailStrategy #BrandEquity #ExperientialRetail #Aritzia #FredSegal #FashionBusiness #TheSatchellView

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