by Annette Quinet | Mar 31, 2016 | Shopping |
Footwear…. DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) comes to Ottawa Trainyards
Women have been having a love affair with shoes forever. Proof is the numbers of pairs most of us have in our closets and/ or under beds, on shelves, in spare closets and even in shoeboxes awaiting that inaugural walk outside. The great thing about shoes is how they can make us feel. Shoes can complete an outfit, elevate our look from ok to outstanding, slim us down, make us taller, and change our body language. And on those days when despite feeling bloated or having put on a few pounds they always fit!
DSW, part of Town Shoes Ltd opens today at the Ottawa Trainyards. This is the first store in the Ottawa region and the company website states that “DSW is all about the thrill of finding the perfect shoe at the perfect price”. Last evening, we attended the cocktail celebration hosted by Blackbook Lifestyle, an Ottawa based event-planning company, to welcome and celebrate the opening of DSW.
The large warehouse store has thousands of shoes for men and women, as well as handbags and accessories. The aisles are wide and the merchandise is displayed well with easy access to boxes containing different sizes. The shoes are merchandised in groupings, heels, flats, athletics, sandals etc. therefore easy to navigate. Replacing bulky shopping carts that can impede the shopping process, are heavy-duty shopping bags, dispersed throughout the store, which comfortably carry several boxes of shoes. Also available throughout the store are “sockets” for those that did not wear socks yet want to try on shoes. Ottoman seating is conveniently located within the aisles to try on shoes and there are several mirrors available to see how they look! Can’t find your size…there are shoe associates who carry tablets and can check inventory or another location for availability.
The Clearance section, located at the back of the store, was in frenzy last night with many shoppers looking for the deal of deals. This is an area where further reductions are offered on limited quantities of shoes. Substantial discounts can be found, some pairs boasting 80% off original prices. Some noteworthy labels at varying discounts could be found amidst these racks organized by size. Such as Birkenstock, Sorel, Ted Baker, Dolce Vita, Cole Haan and the hugely popular comfort and funky shoes by Bernie Mev.
Leaving the store last night carrying an “I am a Shoe Lover“ bag, inside 2 pairs of fabulous shoes purchased at great prices, I now enthusiastically await their upcoming inaugural walk. Last night there was shoe success at DSW.
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by Annette Quinet | Mar 30, 2016 | Shopping
Ottawa’s Fashion Footprint
With the recent opening of Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th in the Tanger outlets , fashionistas and those looking for designer wear at off the rack prices have a new option. Winners and Marshall’s have been the dominant player in this discount designer niche for many years and by the sheer volume of these stores in the National Capital region (14 stores) it appears that Ottawa folk like their discounted designer garb. By all appearances this past weekend the Sak’s Off 5th was were designer bargain hunters lined up and sorted through the racks. For those who are not familiar with Sak’s Off 5th it is a discount designer retailer with ties to Saks Fifth Avenue one of the leading premier destinations for anything designer. The idea is that when previous season items do not sell they go to the less swanky ie no bells , whistles and no service sister store which are offered at discounted prices. With the 2013 HBC purchase of Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Canadians now have the ability to shop in these stores, on our own turf and the merchandise is priced in Canadian dollars. It appears that HBC is a taking on a competitive role in trying to change the Canadian retail footprint with the introduction of Saks 5th Avenue (presently only in Toronto) and the Saks Off 5th in Ottawa (new store to open fall 2016 in Rideau Centre)….the retail landscape is changing.
I visited Sak’s Off 5th at Tanger outlets this past Easter weekend. I had mixed feelings, usually I love this store when I am traveling in the US however I found there to be some differences . The store is smaller therefore not as many offerings and labels to choose from, hence fewer sizes and colours . The premier labels , think Armani, Akris, Jill Saunder etc occupied 5 rolling racks and ironically most of these pieces still had sku’s from The Room (which is the upscale department of the Bay) obviously previous seasons garments that were overstock and/or simply did not sell…browsing through you kind of get why! The children’s section was underwhelming only offering a few pieces in each size category as was the accessories area, once again limited selection. The shoe department which occupies a large amount of space was the place to be …lots of designer shoes in many current styles, however very limited area to try anything on……Handbags also had the usual offerings Rebecca Minkooff, Valentino, Tory Burch etc.
All in all I am happy that Saks albeit a Saks Off Fifth now has a presence here. An eagerly awaited opening weekend with no doubt a great deal of merchandise been picked through and purchased . I will go back but most probably will wait for the Rideau Centre location to open.
With that being said shopping online at Saks.com and Saks Off 5th is open 24/7 sans the line-ups. These websites offer a fabulous selection, a great filter to help you shop your specific needs/wants in Canadian currency. After returning from the Tanger outlets and Saks Off 5th I went online to browse and in the clearance section found some great deals on cashmere, coats…have a look at the Jane Post Gramercy Mixed-Media Coat was $450.00 now $112.00 75%off, (perfect for April showers) ….I also ordered some over the knee black leather boots for my daughter who adores this style at a steal “ Gentle Souls Edgefield Leather Buckle Boots for $97.24 original price $575.00 ( 76% off) … if you have the time and patience to surf the site there are lots of bargains available. Sak’s Off 5th uses Borderfree which calculates taxes, duty and shipping at checkout but be sure to visit the correct site for Canadians.
The Ottawa Department store retail landscape is changing. Holt Renfrew is gone but now there is Nordstroms , Saks Off 5th, , Sportinglife and La Maison Simons in the National Capital region joining existing fashion department stores The Bay, Winners and Marshall’s providing options for everyone and every budget. It appears that Ottawa people really like their Designer brands and with this current retail footprint it seems most prefer to purchase at discounted prices! Welcome Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th to Ottawa.
by Annette Quinet | Mar 30, 2016 | Media |
Check out “Living In Style” with AQ On Your Mark Images in Ottawa Home Magazine!
by Annette Quinet | Mar 30, 2016 | Shopping |
In Canada , most provinces observe Good Friday as a statutory holiday except for Quebec. In Ottawa basically everything was closed however across the river in Quebec , Les Promenades Gatineau was open. It has been recently renovated and with the opening of Simons in September 2015 it was worth the traffic congestion and crowds of shoppers from both Ontario and Quebec.
I love Simons and prior to the store opening in the National Capital Region , I would frequently visit the downtown Montreal store. Simons has been in business for 175 years starting in Quebec City as a dry goods store and now as described by Peter Simon, CEO and president of La Maison Simons a “uniquely different and inspiring fashion retailer” consisting of 12 stores.
After dealing with the traffic gridlock and finding a parking space I sauntered into this beautiful contemporary store and immediately was happy. The displays, the merchandising and the garments were eye catching. Simons carries an assortment of home accessories, clothing, shoes, accessories for men and women. They also offer 3 exclusive labels and which are merchandised beautifully with the other lines they carry. For a customer you can mix and match and personalize your look and style by incorporating pieces from the Contemporaine or Icone lines and for the younger demographic with the Twik line.
As a Image consultant I talk a great deal about wardrobe modules. Simply stated a wardrobe module consists of 9 pieces of clothing that all mix and match. Putting together these modules is a great way for people to save money and time and they work brilliantly for work and travel!
While sashaying through all the racks and displays on the women’s side it was abundantly clear that there were some fabulous pieces to create an entire wardrobe module or purchase a few pieces to incorporate into an existing wardrobe. What caught my attention immediately were the pieces in the Contemporaine line, which Simons describes as elegant, professional and dynamic. The colour story was done in heather grey and classic black ; however there were several other colours available (solids and prints) and style options from other lines and departments.
What I particularly loved was the Contemporaine grouping in Heather grey. Dresses , skirts, blazers, pants and vest options mixed with the basic yet classic black dresses, pants, skirts, blazers etc you have a polished classic and stylish wardrobe to work with. The style lines had updated silhouettes which would be complimentary to many different body types. The sizes range form 2-14 and the fabric has a stretch weave ensuring a great fit. All Contemporaine pieces were priced below $150.00 with most in the $80 range, there were even a few pieces on sale. Despite having an online store my suggestion is to go into the store as there are many more options available plus you can try them on. From my experience, personalized service is hard to find ,yet the staff tend to be pleasant at the fitting rooms and when making a purchase. I am looking forward to Simons opening in the Rideau Centre this August!
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