Strategic Retail Perspectives

The retail industry is facing severe headwinds from the dual effect of the ongoing cannibalization of store sales by digital and the severe impact of covid-19.

The combination of a number of permanent major secular trends is forcing numerous retailers to restructure and/or reorganize their businesses. In some instances, retailers are using the CCAA in Canada and Chapter 11 process in the USA to allow them to reorganize their businesses and repair their balance sheets

HRC Advisory is at the forefront of helping retailers to adapt their Operating Business Models to successfully deal with these secular trends and profitably thrive post covid-19. We have assisted more than 100 large national and regional retail chains through every stage in the economic cycle over the past 30 years.

In recognition of our firm’s deep and specialized experience in the retail industry, BNN Bloomberg, Canada’s leading financial and business news broadcast TV show has partnered with Farla Efros, HRC Advisory’s President, to provide Strategic Retail Perspectives live on-air on a regular basis.

  • How retailers are approaching back-to-school in a pandemic
    Farla Efros, President, HRC Retail Advisory, is interviewed by BNN Bloomberg on Back to school trends during the pandemic—what the impact on back to school will be, what categories will be purchased and why
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  • Retailers take measures to reassure in-store shoppers
    Farla Efros shares examples of what some major retailers are doing to reassure in-store shoppers that it is safe to return to their stores. This is a crucial issue in retailers’ plans to rebuild their sales in stores and a real opportunity to redefine their marketing strategy and be ready to pivot on a moment’s notice
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  • Tactile retail experiences need rethinking as stores reopen: HRC Retail Advisory
    Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory discusses challenges facing retailers as they reopen.
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  • Aritzia's exceptional understanding of its target consumer differentiates it in the changing retail landscape: Retail expert
    Farla Efros, President of HRC Retail Advisory joins BNN to provide perspective on Aritzia's 13th straight quarter of positive comparable sales growth, and how the company is successfully navigating the changing retail landscape.
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  • Roots needs to develop a two-step plan of stabilization and optimization: HRC Retail Advisory
    Roots is reporting a large loss for Q1 and Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, says this trend of misses is starting to weigh on their successful heritage and legacy. She discusses her view on why the company needs to develop a strong turnaround and optimization strategy and business plan and to focus on improving the profitability of its e- commerce business.
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  • Retailer success will require a stronger digital business and a clearly differentiated brand
    Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss how Canadian retailers can navigate through weak consumer spending. A stronger and more differentiated brand and a stronger digital business are two key pre-requisites for success.
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  • The biggest winner from Black Friday is the consumer: HRC Retail Advisory
    Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss the decline in Black Friday sales. She believes prolonged discounting and the growing use of digital smartphones to quickly search for product availability and to price-match will radically change the retail landscape.
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  • What Aritzia is doing right in this changing retail environment
    Farla Efros, President at HRC Retail Advisory, joins BNN Bloomberg to weigh in on the sales growth streak that Aritzia is on, what it's doing right, and the new loyalty program’s plans.
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  • The retailers doing well are differentiating clearly from Amazon: Retail consultant
    Farla Efros, president at HRC Retail Advisory, joins BNN Bloomberg to provide perspective on what to expect for the holiday shopping season and 2019.
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  • HBC needs to 'reinvigorate the business': Retail consultant
    Farla Efros, president at HRC Retail Advisory, joins BNN Bloomberg to provide perspective on Hudson Bay's latest earnings results, the sale of e-commerce business Gilt and its turnaround (again) strategy.
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  • How consumer wants and needs are changing in Canada
    Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, joins BNN to discuss her insights on the latest retail sales data. She also shares her 2020 outlook for the retail industry.
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  • Black Friday starting to lose some of its lustre: Expert
    Farla Efros, president at HRC Retail Advisory, joins BNN to discuss how Black Friday is losing steam and momentum.
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  • Gen Z is becoming very important to retail spending
    Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory talks about the spending habits of the latest retail demographic: Gen Z.
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