By Craig Patterson

Retail industry veteran Catherine Abela recently opened the first permanent retail space for her concept store STYLEARTIST, which is located on an upscale stretch of Avenue Road in Toronto, a short walk north of Davenport Road.

STYLEARTIST began in 2016 as an online business with a range of brands including some well-known names as well as some unique niche brands that may be difficult to find elsewhere. The initial business model was an online personal styling and shopping service with a curated selection of brands and styles that Ms. Abela was fond of.

As a test last year, she opened a waterfront pop-up store in the Muskoka area in Port Carling, Ontario, which proved to be an immediate success. While the online business continued to thrive, customers began asking if there was a physical retail space where they could try on product, particularly in Toronto.

Ms. Abela chose a 950 square foot retail space at 214 Avenue Road in Toronto’s ‘Ave & Dav’ area for a permanent storefront, which features a simple interior with product grouped by lifestyle. Included are racks of clothing for ‘work’, ‘rest/relaxation’, ‘play’, and other activities. Clothing is grouped by ‘look’ and is colour coordinated for shopping simplicity, with footwear and accessories placed nearby to complete an entire outfit. At a time of unprecedented selection, the STYLEARTIST retail space aims to simplify the shopping process for time-starved women, while pairing staple pieces with some trendier items that Ms. Abela says helps boost a woman’s confidence.

After opening over the summer, the Avenue Road retail space has already seen strong sales numbers. Many pieces have sold out quickly, including a popular sneaker style as well as a range of sweaters. Brands carried in the store include well known upscale names such as Zadig et Voltaire, Rebecca Minkoff, Vince, and others, while a range of lesser-known brands are also carried in the store. Some Canadian brands feature prominently, including Montreal-based Soia & Kyo and Vancouver-based Brunette.

A denim area features a wide range of jeans from brands such as J Brand and Mother Jeans — both brands have been very successful at STYLEARTIST, according to Ms. Abela.

Catering to the customer is key to a multi-brand retailer’s success, said Ms. Abela. That includes opening the store off-hours for some clients, who may come into the store for a private shopping appointment while having a glass of wine for example. The space is also available for shopping parties, with the host receiving a store credit depending on the amount spent during the event. Stylists are also welcome to bring clients to the store — local stylist Yana Brikker, who was recently featured in Retail Insider, attended the store’s grand opening event last month and was enthusiastic about the new concept store.

The name STYLEARTIST came to be from a partnership with Ms. Abela and an artist who co-launched the retail operations in 2016. Ms. Abela has a history in the retail industry that spans more than two decades, including merchandising roles at Town Shoes as well as at Hudson’s Bay. She created and launched several private labels during her career and worked closely with Canadian fashion icons such as Jeanne Beker and David Dixon to develop, market and sell exclusive product lines.

*photo: style artist (founder, Catherine abela)*

STYLEARTIST’s launch included an online proprietary personal shopping engine called STYLEWIZARD, which is a free one-of-a-kind online styling tool that women can use to assemble a range of looks depending on lifestyle. She said that she found that large retailers sometimes had difficulty reacting quickly to the changing needs of clients and thus, she created the online styling tool that helped grow traffic to the website while helping gain brand awareness.

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Our #fallfavourites include fall foliage in Muskoka, farmer's markets, and cozy sweaters 🍂 Comment below with your favourite thing about fall.⠀ ⠀ #sweaterweather #fallfashion #shoptoronto #discoverunder5k #stylecollective #outfitlook #ootdguide #mywhowhatwear #stylehunters

A post shared by STYLEARTIST (@shopstyleartist) on Oct 20, 2019 at 7:23am PDT

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It's all in the details ✨ Tap to shop. #DoInStyleArtist⠀ ⠀ #momentsofchic #torontoboutique #shopnewarrivals #jewlrystyle #jewlrytrends #accessoryoftheday #fashiondetails #accessorize #instaaccessories #jewlrylover #jewlrylove #trendyjewlry #necklaceoftheday #outfitdetails #ootddetails

A post shared by STYLEARTIST (@shopstyleartist) on Oct 29, 2019 at 7:35am PDT

By giving women the option of shopping online as well as in a physical space, Ms. Abela explained that sales have also increased on STYEARTIST’s e-commerce site, while at the same time increased face-to-face interaction in the retail store has led to relationship marketing. She noted that in a physical retail space, it’s also easier to up-sell clients on different products, such as a pair of shoes or jewellery that might work well with particular garments. Several months ago, Retail Insider discussed ‘the halo effect’ in an ICSC study that found when e-commerce retailers open physical storefronts, sales increase across both channels.

While there are currently no other storefronts planned for Ms. Abela’s STYLEARTIST retail concept, she says that she is considering markets such as Florida. It’s also an excuse to spend some time in a warmer climate, though she says her “happy place” is still Ontario’s Muskoka, where she and her husband also have a home.

Now located in Toronto, Craig is a retail analyst and consultant at the Retail Council of Canada. He's also the Director of Applied Research at the University of Alberta School of Retailing in Edmonton. He has studied the Canadian retail landscape for the past 25 years and he holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws Degrees. He is also President & CEO of Vancouver-based Retail Insider Media Ltd. Email Craig: craig@retail-insider.com

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