Covering all bases with identity branding
Cool As A Moose, Vancouver Canadians cashing in on growing hunger for Canadiana
Nobody needs to tell Chris Cudmore about the unpredictability of Canada’s retail landscape. The Prince Edward Island businessman, once an integral stakeholder in the renowned Charlottetown clothing department store Henderson and Cudmore, watched as the 97-yearold “P.E.I. institution” faded to black in 2001.
“It was really weird. Things were going very, very well for three generations and then the concept just kind of died as the chains and other competitors moved in with the so-called next big things,” the 61-year-old Cudmore said last week from Charlottetown.
“I grew up in retail and remember folding Christmas boxes for my grandfather when I was six years old. It was sad what happened, but anyone in retail knows life can literally change overnight,” Cudmore said.
A casual trip to Maine 10 years ago became life-changing for Cudmore when he happened across the fun clothing, gifts and souvenir store, Cool As A Moose. After striking a licensing agreement in 2006 with Cool As A Moose, Cudmore opened stores in Halifax and Quebec City.
“We were successful right away, but the royalty cheques just kept getting bigger so in January 2012 we wrote the big cheque to acquire the Canadian rights, and then opened stores in Whistler Village (four years ago), Banff (two years ago), another store in Halifax and two in P.E.I.”
Cool As A Moose is one of many local retailers cashing in on shoppers’ hunger for Canadiana.
Cudmore, who says customers also love bears, beavers and the maple leaf, estimates 95 per cent of his business comes from tourists. Cudmore’s company — which he runs with wife Beryl, daughter Chelsea and son Devon — has enjoyed its best year, thanks in part to U.S. tourists taking advantage of the dollar’s attractive exchange rate.
“As long as we identify hot tourist locations, have great merchandise, great staff and keep our stores exciting, we will be successful ... I firmly believe that if our name is on it, it has to be great.”
Cool As A Moose Canada employs more than 75 people in peak tourist season. Cudmore travels to Whistler every winter to ski and help run the busy store there. Cool As A Moose Whistler has also shown an offseason spike in business thanks to an increasing number of golfers, adventure and road cyclists, runners and convention-goers.
“You have to keep a real close eye on trends. We attend a lot of trade shows, we make factory visits and we constantly keep an eye on our competitors.
“In the past, we had a lot of balls in the air with our department store. The key to Cool As A Moose Canada is staying focused and being able to adjust on the fly.”
The Vancouver Canadians baseball club has embraced change off the field, too.
Communications Director Rob Fai says the single-A, short-season affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays — which plays at the venerable Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium — has become “very progressive” with its ballpark store merchandising.
“We’ve gone through a couple brand changes, but I think we have all the bases covered now, so to speak,” said Fai, who for the past 10 years has also been the C’s play-by-play broadcaster.
“We’ve got cool and fashionable clothes now for the everyday Joe, not just the hardcore ball fan. Our clothes embrace Vancouver, Canada, the historical salute and appreciation of the Mounties, and Blue Jays. The apparel appeals to locals and tourists. I don’t think you can drive around the stadium neighbourhood without seeing someone in C’s clothing.”
The team set an attendance record in 2015 with 215,595 fans (97 per cent capacity) taking in the 38 Northwest League home dates at the 6,013-seat ballpark, but it also hit a bat-flipping-worthy home run by breaking every record in merchandise sales.
“We’re not going to fill our store with key chains, dog collars or cheap novelty things. We want merch that makes you look cool and sharp and things you’ll want to wear to a bar, on a date, to work, to the game or to the playground.”
He said the newly designed hats are “no brainers” on most shopping lists, along with the team’s new fashion line of Distressed Clothing.
“If you want to take home a piece of Vancouver or Canada, we’ve got you covered. If you want to hang around the city and look sharp, we’ve got that, too.”
“You have to keep a real close eye on trends. We attend a lot of trade shows, we make factory visits and we constantly keep an eye on our competitors.
CHRIS CUDMORE COOL AS A MOOSE CANADA OWNER