*Paper over the windows at the soon-to-open CF Shops at Don Mills location. Photo: The Ten Spot.*

Toronto-based beauty concept The Ten Spot is celebrating 10 years in business with a brand refresh, as well as announcing plans that it will look to expand both nationally and internationally. The concept seeks to offer quality services while being efficient and convenient.

Kristen Wood (originally from Winnipeg) founded The Ten Spot in 2006, noticing a void between the city's inexpensive 'chop shop' nail salons and pricier high-end spas. She set out to create an "anti-spa" beauty concept space on Toronto's trendy Queen Street West, offering three main services -- manicures, pedicures and waxing.

*CF Shops at Don Mills front desk. Photo: The Ten Spot*

The concept took off and today, The Ten Spot boasts 18 Canadian locations, 14 of which are franchised. Fifteen of the company's locations are in Ontario, two are in British Columbia, and one is in Charlottetown, PEI. All are freestanding, though one of Ten Spot's locations is a Hudson's Bay partnership, located on the concourse level of Hudson's Bay's Toronto Queen Street flagship.

The company also expanded to include its own lacquer and beauty line called 'Get Nailed'.

*Treatment area at CF Shops at Don Mills. Photo: The Ten Spot*

*Private treatment room at CF Shops at Don Mills. Photo: The Ten Spot*

Ms. Wood explained that for the company's 10 year anniversary, branding was modified across all channels -- from its website to its in-store service menus. The Ten Spot's branding now features a simple white background with primary colour orange, with stainless steel/grey used as an accent to reflect The Ten Spot's updated retail interiors. To celebrate 10 years on August 10 of this year, the company also offered free services to mark the anniversary -- Ms. Wood said that it was a hit, with people lining up and in some cases, waiting several hours.

Moving forward, Ms. Wood said that The Ten Spot will be expanding its operations rapidly, with a goal of having about 50 Canadian locations in all major centres within the next two years. Tomorrow, The Ten Spot will open its 19th location at Toronto's CF Shops at Don Mills, with four more Ontario locations under development (in Aurora, Unionville, Sault St. Marie and Mississauga's Port Credit). She also revealed that about 10 Ten Spot locations will be opening in the province of Quebec under a master franchisee, with Montreal acting as a launch point. Ms. Wood said that she's also looking at moving The Ten Spot into the United States, first focusing on Florida and California, where longer summers mean more leg-and-toe business.

The Ten Spot works with brokerage Oberfeld Snowcap when securing retail locations in Canada. Ms. Wood said that the retailer's ideal size is about 1,500 square feet, to accommodate front-end operations as well as a staff room/office and onsite laundry facilities.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: September 6, 2016