‘Pre-sale in progress.’ Inside the aggressive new strategies of Canadian department stores

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Caitlin Agnew finds creating buzz is the primary goal as department stores here import some clever tactics from their American counterparts

If you've been in one of Canada's high-end department stores recently, you may have noticed an unfamiliar type of promotion. A recent visit to the Saks Fifth Avenue's downtown Toronto flagship revealed signs reading "Pre-Sale in progress," a popular sales technique south of the border that this Canadian shopper had never heard of. As an associate with an iPad kindly explained to me, the items on the pre-sale rack would soon be discounted by 40 per cent, and could be put on hold with a credit card until the sale officially began, at which point I could collect my purchase.

In uncertain retail times, pre-sales are part of an overall plan to generate buzz, says Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, a strategic advisory firm based with offices in Canada and the U.S. "Saks in general needs to generate more awareness into Canada because they're still fairly new in comparison," she says. "Pre-sales are all about generating awareness and then obviously creating a buzz for the instant gratification."

Efros points to the feeling of exclusivity that comes from having access to an early sale price, which translates to shoppers promoting the sales on their personal social-media channels and through word of mouth. "This gives the retailer an opportunity for people to preview the product, buy the product, get really excited and then tweet about it, talk about it, Instagram about it so that people then get more foot traffic in the stores." Some stores will offer even earlier access to sales for clients with a minimum spend on their loyalty cards – once you've reached a certain level, you get a preview of the preview.

Retailers, both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce alike, continue to promote sales well in advance via electronic newsletters and on social media, which Efros says act as a save-the-date for shoppers, prompting them to plan their purchases ahead of time. Promoting in-store exclusives, however, aim to lure luxury shoppers back into stores and away from online shopping. "The more you get them into stores, the more likelihood that you're going to sell solutions and more garments," says Efros. "This is really to drive the traffic and the wallets back into the store and to create some excitement."

THIS WEEK'S STYLE HAPPENINGS

• Canada’s only sustainable fashion award Design Forward brings its 10 semi-finalists to the runway on May 27 in Toronto. Each designer will present three looks before facing a jury of industry experts, including Globe Style fashion editor Odessa Paloma Parker, who will evaluate them on both their design and sustainability initiatives for the chance to be awarded a top prize valued at $50,000. For tickets and more information, visit www.fashiontakesaction.com.
• The 18th DesignThinkers conference will be held in Vancouver for the first time on May 30 and 31. More than 500 communication designers, design managers, educators and related communications professionals from across North America will attend to discuss the future of design communications and its impact on business and society. For more information, visit www.designthinkers.com.
• Calgary’s stylish cinephiles are taking over the city’s downtown with the Canadian International Fashion Film Festival. Running May 27-28, the festival includes a packed schedule of screenings, awards and parties for fashion film lovers. This year’s event features 309 film submissions from 34 countries, for a total of 29 nominations for 13 awards. For more information, visit www.canifff.com.
• At Rise: A Show For Change, 10 of the industry’s most recognized artists come together to showcase hair and fashion inspired by water and created from earth-friendly materials to raise funds for WaterAid Canada. Taking place in Toronto on May 29 at Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas St. E.), 25 new designers will create fashion pieces and partner with Aveda artists to compete in the Catwalk for Water. For more information, visit www.collegaearthmonth.com/rise.
• Taking place at the Yellow Warehouse in Calgary's historic community of Inglewood this weekend is PARKshow. This runway experience brings together emerging Canadian fashion designers, artists, musicians and culinary talents. For more information, visit www.ourparkonline.com.