The Vintage Trend - Boutique Carole

Boutique Carole landed on Mail Champlain following a chance encounter between one of the boutique's co-founders and Cominar's Vice President of Leasing and Retail. While the VP was busy with his garage sale, the co-founder, who was looking for unique pieces for his boutique, couldn't help but ask the VP if he could purchase... the shirt he was wearing!

Although our VP decided to keep his shirt, a very informative discussion ensued. The Cominar VP learned that Boutique Carole was operating out of the bedroom of one of the co-founders at the time, and was born out of a desire to counteract fast fashion by offering carefully selected second-hand garments to today's consumers. Their adventure started on Instagram before taking the internet by storm with an online store, a brand, and an attractive marketing strategy.

Cominar immediately identified a business partnership opportunity and offered the young business owners a competitive 12-month lease at Mail Champlain. This would enable them to get closer to their clientele, simplify their operations by managing their inventory (which was starting to pile up in the parents' house) more efficiently and increase their visibility. Vincent Legros, Zachary Reffo and Xavier St-Onge-Leduc, the three brains behind Boutique Carole, decided to take the plunge and signed the lease with Cominar.

The first month of operation was a rousing success. Sales were much higher than expected and the excitement surrounding their first store exceeded the expectations of the new tenants. Their clientele kept coming back for more!

After making their mark on the South Shore, where they are originally from, the founders took on the challenge of conquering the North Shore and began their adventure in Laval by testing the waters with a pop-up at DUO Centre Laval in April 2023. The reception was just as positive and suggests an incredible future for Boutique Carole. One thing is certain, the vintage trend is here to stay.

Through this partnership, Cominar has seized the opportunity to partner with a young company that shares the community's eco-responsible values and to accompany it in its business development.

... Their adventure started on Instagram before taking the internet by storm with an online store, a brand, and an attractive marketing strategy.

Cercle Achetons plus ici

With the rise of the local purchasing trend, especially during the global pandemic, our specialized leasing team was able to seize the opportunity to quickly respond to the evolving needs of our customers.

In December 2020, Cominar joined the Cercle API (Achetons.Plus.Ici) initiative of the Centre québécois d'innovation en commerce (CQIC), which aims to promote local purchasing and accelerate the digital transformation of businesses through the adoption of Quebec-based technological solutions. This partnership reflects our desire to support our retailers and improve their appeal, thereby revitalizing our shopping centres.

"We are proud to support our retailers in their digital transformation," said Jean-Marc Rouleau, Vice President, Retail Operations, Cominar. "By putting them in touch with CQIC and their local purchasing initiative, they will have access to the tools and resources they need to tackle this important shift.”

What is the Cercle API?

Initially, teams of students go meet with retailers to capture data and present them with various technological solutions to help them in their digital transformation.

A living lab is also established in the shopping centre to offer both a new gift shopping destination for consumers and a hub of innovative solutions for retailers. This living lab includes:

• A smart pop-up store featuring Quebec-based products,
• A full showroom of Quebec-based technological solutions made for retailers,
• Specialized support to accelerate the technological transformation of a business,
• A live shopping studio, to allow you to experience this new sales channel. The API advisers will take care of training you and filming your session, and;
• Training on-site.

The Cercle API stopped at Centropolis, DUO|Centre Laval, and Alexis Nihon, and will continue its journey to other Cominar shopping centres across Quebec. Stay tuned by following our networks to know the next stops.

... promote local purchasing and accelerate the digital transformation of businesses through the adoption of Quebec-based technological solutions.

Plan M

The opening of Plan M at Galeries Rive-Nord marked a turning point in the career of its founder, Marie-Claude Pelland, and in the growth of her business. The project started in 2017 as an online shop with pop-up events, and quickly became a success, driven by Marie-Claude’s passion for décor and trends. However, in 2020, during a time of recession and pandemic, a strategic decision was made: to move Plan M into a shopping centre to reach a broader audience.

From the start, Cominar played a key role in the success of this transition by showing flexibility and understanding. Marie-Claude was able to personalize her store, adding straw light fixtures, tables to display her products, and a beautiful, themed mural.

The establishment of Plan M at Galeries Rive-Nord was a real springboard for the founder, allowing her not only to understand better how a shopping centre operates but also to gain the confidence and experience needed to open a second store in Rosemère. "Moving to Galeries Rive-Nord was necessary to push forward," she explains.

For Cominar, the integration of Plan M into Galeries Rive-Nord not only enriched the shopping centre’s retail offering but also reinforced its commitment to supporting local entrepreneurs. Plan M quickly became a community favourite, offering a unique selection of local products, gift ideas, and affordable décor items. Cominar’s customer-focused and flexible approach enabled Marie-Claude to realize her dream of expansion while enhancing Galeries Rive-Nord’s appeal to local shopping enthusiasts.

Thanks to this partnership, Marie-Claude continues to offer a personalized and warm experience to her customers. Today, Plan M is more than just a store—it’s a story of perseverance and passion, supported by the trust and backing of a committed shopping centre.

Sport Primal

The recipe for Sport Primal’s success rests on a few key ingredients: an authentic presence on social media, a selection of products that resonate with customers, accessible physical locations, and an undeniable passion.

It’s no surprise that the two founders of the store decided to establish themselves at Rockland Centre. After their success in downtown Montreal, they wanted to get closer to their clientele in the northern part of the city, and the centre offered all the qualities they were looking for.

One of those qualities was the flexibility to transform the space to reflect their brand. With Cominar, they were able to adapt the location to their unique aesthetic, creating an atmosphere that perfectly embodies their vision and mission: to offer a genuine and dynamic shopping experience.

Sport Primal continues to capture attention and build its reputation as the go-to spot for sports enthusiasts while staying true to its Montreal roots. A true local success demonstrating the importance of a collaboration focused on flexibility and innovation.

Cineplex Digital Media’s Digital Signage Solutions

A success story is usually a win-win arrangement between two parties. But in the case of this customized digital signage agreement between Cineplex Digital Media and Cominar, there are more parties involved—as it includes five of our shopping centres in Montreal, Laval, Brossard and Repentigny, it benefits dozens of retailers and their thousands of customers. That makes them all winners!

Those five shopping centres are Alexis Nihon, Mail Champlain, Centre Rockland, DUO Centre Laval and Galeries Rive Nord. A total of 40 large double-sided vertical screens were installed in the hallways in summer 2024 and are now operational. In addition, Alexis Nihon will soon be equipped with one of the largest LED screens installed in a shopping centre in Canada.

In addition to advertising by Cineplex Media customers, these digital screens display information from the five shopping centres, their retailers or Cominar. Digital advertising sales are managed by Cineplex Media.

The results? A new way for retailers to thrive, and better-informed customers on sales, contests, new retailers, etc., for a richer shopping experience.

As Marie-Andrée Boutin, Cominar’s Chief Development and Real Estate Operations Officer, aptly summarized, “these state-of-the-art screens help make the shopping centres modern destinations of the future, providing unrivalled experiences. The locations become more inspiring by enabling our communities to enjoy enriched and diverse content”.

Specialized leasing isn’t just about providing retailers with customized space solutions. It’s also about communication solutions that benefit a wide range of partners!