RETAIL CND
Your Retail Real Estate Partner
The Retail Experts
Professionals with Loads of Experience
Experienced retail experts with tenant representation knowledge across North America. In the ever evolving and dynamic retail industry, we use our well-developed relationships and expertise to ensure that our retail partners continually make well informed, strategic real estate decisions. We are proud to partner with world class retailers including TJX, Indigo, ULTA Beauty, Nordstrom, Whole Foods and Sporting Life.
Meet the Team
Sam Winberg
Principal / Broker
Sam Winberg is the President of Retail CND. A retail tenant focused brokerage and consultancy company based in Toronto, Canada. In 2018 Jones Lange Lasalle purchased Northwest Atlantic (Canada) Inc. a brokerage and consultancy company Sam co-founded in 1991.
With over 35 years of industry experience, Sam has exclusively represented some of North America’s most recognized retailers and interacted with Canada’s most prominent landlords and developers. His understanding of Canada’s constantly changing retail landscape has helped retailers implement their Canadian real estate strategies by allowing them to outsource their real estate function while receiving superior local market knowledge.
His experience and understanding of leasing, consulting, and operational issues have proven to be invaluable tools for retailers who are both expanding and/or re-evaluating their Canadian and American operations. Additionally, over the past 15 years, Sam has forged relationships with a diverse base of European and Asian retailers looking to enter the North American market. In doing so, he has become an authority on Canada and the logistical issues surrounding international expansion into Canada and the United States.
Sam has exclusively represented some of the greatest retailers in the world in their Canadian expansions including: Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Whole Foods, !ndigo, Marshalls, HomeSense, Crate & Barrel, Bed Bath & Beyond, L’Occitaine, ULTA Beauty, Panera Bread and Chipotle Grill to name a few. Sam is actively working with a number of international retail brands as they investigate expanding into North America.
As a result of Sam’s strong industry relationships, he has also guided Canadian retailers with their expansion into the United States and the UK. With an exceptionally strong network of like minded, retail focused brokers and consultants, Sam has been instrumental in guiding North American wide expansion strategies.
For the last ten years Sam has led mixed use, shopping center and market tours across the United States, the UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo and The United Arab Emirates.
Contact Information
E-mail sam@retailcnd.com
Direct 416-230-3310
Justin Pearlstein
Director / Sales Representative
Justin holds a commerce degree with a specialization in finance from the University of Western Ontario. He has a love of numbers and the analytical side of real estate.
Justin is an accomplished real estate professional with almost a decade of experience in the retail leasing industry. He has worked on many successful real estate projects and property listings throughout his career while maintaining strong relationships with both tenant and landlord clients.
More recently, Justin has been instrumental in the ongoing Canadian wide expansion of Ulta Beauty.
Justin’s values and work ethic are ones shared with the rest of the RetailCND team. He continues to drive himself and others towards growth and success in the retail industry. Justin is touring the Eastern Canadian market with an eye to establishing himself as an expert in these markets.
Justin joined Retail Ventures CND in 2019 and holds the role of Director.
Contact Information
E-mail justin@retailcnd.com
Direct 647-627-5237
Emma Barker
Executive Assistant / Deal Coordinator
Meet Emma Barker, our EA and Deal Coordinator.
Emma joined Retail Ventures CND in January 2023, and has since maintained a variety of responsibilities within the office. Some of which include tracking the company’s finances, coordinating new deals, conducting market research, and producing maps and tour packages for our clients. She is also responsible for managing day-to-day correspondence, and the overall upkeep of the office.
This is Emma’s first official venture into retail real estate but she has worked in several different industries that have led her into the position she is in today. For many years, Emma has held positions at numerous retail stores, with varying positions from Associate, Supervisor, and Store Manager. Most recently, for several years Emma has also had a career as a Legal Assistant. The skills required in both industries ultimately led her to working as an Executive Assistant in Commercial Real Estate at Retail Ventures CND.
Emma graduated from university with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, specializing in Anthropology and Sociology. She has always wanted to work in an industry that prioritizes building inter-personal relationships. The combination of this and her ability to adapt and stay organized under any circumstances result in Emma being a major asset to our team.
Contact Information
E-mail emma@retailcnd.com
Retailers We Represent
TJX Canada
We began our relationship with Winners in the early 1990’s. At that time Winners had 14 stores operating in Canada. As of today's date, Winners, Marshalls and HomeSense have over 520 stores collectively operating in Canada. Our role includes new store acquisitions, relocations, enlargements and downsizing. Our focus is Eastern Canada but in the early days we transacted all across Canada.
Stores size is 14,000 sq. ft. - 60,000 sq. ft.
ULTA Beauty
We began our relationship in 2017 when ULTA began their due diligence on entering Canada. Our role has included a Canada wide expansion strategy, sourcing office space, multiple tours and providing guidance and local market intelligence.
Store size is ideally 10,500 sq. ft.
Indigo
We have been working with Chapters since 1995 when they opened their first stores in Canada. In 2001, Indigo purchased Chapters Books. Since the acquisition we have worked on and off on new stores, dispositions and strategy. Indigo has transformed itself from a book and music store into a Lifestyle Department store that has necessitated some rethinking of the real estate. We have worked with Indigo since they entered the United States market in 2018.
Store size is 20,000 sq. ft. - 25,000 sq. ft.
Sporting Life
Our relationship began in 2011 when Fairfax Financial bought an interest in the company. We were asked to devise an expansion plan across Canada and have been fine-tuning and executing on that plan since. To date, 11 stores operate in Canada with a plan to grow to 14 stores.
Store size is 30,000 sq. ft. - 40,000 sq. ft.
Whole Foods
We began our relationship in 2004 when Whole Foods was looking at entering the Canadian marketplace. Our focus has been Eastern Canada. Food stores physical requirements are very specific, there are many factors to consider not only competition, but traffic, demographics & ease of access. There are now 7 Whole Foods Stores operating in Ontario.
Store size is 30,000 sq. ft. - 40,000 sq. ft.
Nordstrom & Nordstrom Rack
Our relationship began in 2009 when we worked with Nordstrom to understand the Canadian retail market and plan the strategy for growth Canada-wide. Our focus was Eastern Canada.
Executing on new department stores was new to us and the stores ranged from 130,000 square feet to over 200,000 square feet. Nordstrom Rack was looking for 35,000 square feet.
To date they have opened 6 full line Department stores and 7 Nordstrom Rack stores across Canada.
Real Estate Tours
DUBAI
Since 2015 we have hosted an annual 4 day tour which visits some of the most iconic and impactful retail centers ever created in one place. Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, City Place, Dubai Downtown as well as the Burj Khalifa are some of the stops. Culture tours include a desert safari, The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and a visit to The Louvre. We tour both developments that are successful and those that are not. To date over 40 Canadian and American real estate developers, landlords and retailers have taken the Dubai tour.
ASIA
Tours in Asia have focused on mixed use development. The tours have included some of the most dynamic world markets and the densest integrated developments in the world. In Seoul Korea, stops include Lotte, COEX, Times Square and D Cube City. In Hong Kong, stops include K-9, IFC and Harbour City and in Tokyo Japan, stops include Ginza 6, Roppongi Hills, Omotesando Hills and Tokyo Midtown. Culture is an important part of these tours. Food markets, sumo wrestling, sporting events and cultural monuments add depth to these tours.
UNITED KINGDOM
Focusing on mixed-use developments and the integration of retail into existing shopping areas. Creative use of grade changes and manipulating foot traffic to all levels of the development. Those tours include iconic London retail destinations, Canary Wharf, Westfield London and Bluewater. Further afield we have toured Bullring, Touchwood, Cabot Circus, Liverpool One and Trinity Leeds. In Ireland, Titanic Quarter & Victoria Square. These are some of the most creative urban redevelopments in Europe.
EUROPE
Shopping centre tours of the greater Paris area & the greater Madrid area have showcased some creative redevelopments of train stations, utility substations, former jails and transit led schemes. We visit dense mixed use developments like La Defense, Les Quatre Temps and Carrousel du Louvre, as well as more traditional centers like Aeroville and Beaugrenelle are toured. Urban developments Westfield Forum des Halles and Bercy Village are also visited. In Madrid dynamic properties include: Principe Pio, La Vaguada, Plenilunio and Plaza Norte 2. Madrid's retail developments showcase architecture as varied as the retail offering within them.
UNITED STATES
Tours of the US have focused on both retail driven schemes and mixed-use driven developments. Cities toured include: Columbus, Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Washington DC, Seattle, Chicago and Boston.
A surge of development starting in 2010 has created some iconic mixed use developments with the creative integration of hotels, residential, office and retail uses. Retail driven schemes include: Akbati, Astoria and Istinya Park. Mixed use developments: Istanbul Sapphire, Istanbul Forum, Kanyon and Trump Towers have all been toured. Culture includes: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and The Blue Mosque.
ISTANBUL
Retail Consulting
Master Plan
Our Master Plan consulting work has included: Devimco’s Griffentown, CarbonLeo’s Royalmount, First Capital Realty’s Christie Cookie, RioCan’s The Well and First Gulf’s Unilever site. In all assignments, after working with the development team to hire the right “retail” expertise we consulted on retail tenant mix and retail strategy execution.
Our love of retail and shopping centers led to more real estate tours.
R.F.P.’s for Master Plan Architects
International Mixed Use Tours
In 2009 we had our first assignment. We ran a real estate tour through the UK which included Ireland and then back in London to introduce the group to the three architects whose properties they had toured. That led to the creation of a Request For Proposal and subsequent hiring of one of the architectural firms. We were involved in the creation of the RFP, the selection of candidates, the review of submissions and the hiring of the architect. Our role was then expanded to being a member of the development team and attending all meetings.
Tenant Mix
Developers need to understand what works and what does not. As Canadian urban markets intensify, our tours have focused on world class cities that have a variety of mixed use developments to visit. Our tours have often included behind the scenes tours by property managers, architects & owners. It is very informative to understand the operations side including garbage disposal, loading & tenant flow.
A well conceived retail tenant mix is integral to the long term success of a development. Retailers who cater to the primary trade areas, demographics and culture will succeed and add value to the customer experience. Understanding the trade area's existing offering as well as consumer trends are drivers of the ultimate mix. Space and tenant allocation in addition to the physical space configuration and have a direct impact on the projects pro forma.