It is love at first sight. The first mention of the expansion of the Yorkdale Shopping Centre heard squeals of joy across the city. It had many playing the guessing game of what retailers will be joining the already stellar line up of retail offerings. Yorkdale is the mecca of shopping malls for style lovers. This is no shopping mall for the meek. If you were to describe it’s personality you could say it’s the leader of the pack. Their confidence radiates and there is no one that can rival it. I guess that’s why they’ve been able to capture the attention of world famous brands who have taken Yorkdale as a launching pad into the Canadian retail market and in some cases, internationally.
The buzz was ecstatic at the exclusive “by invitation only” opening night celebration of the new expansion. I can tell you that several people I know cancelled out of previous engagements once they had received this invitation. It was not something to be missed.
Security was tight. Media check in was the golden ticket. In pure style, the management team, heads of companies, and honoured guests including Fashion Journalist Glenn Baxter unveiled the 140,000 square foot expansion complete with fireworks and champagne.
Among the store unveilings were several “firsts” including Tesla Motors, kate spade new york, LOFT, Microsoft, Ted Baker London and All Saints (soon to come – and one of my favourites!!!!!!). Other retailers within the expansion inlcude Ann Taylor’s second Canadian store, Anthropologie, Best Buy Mobile, David’s Tea, Diesel, Joey Yorkdale Grill & Lounge, the North Face, L’Occitane, Papyrus, an exclusive Rolex boutique at Raffi Jewellers, Ta-ze, and Wilfred Boutique. Apple, Bell, Bluenotes, Champs, Club Monaco, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Lululemon, Mappins, Starbucks and TELUS now have refurbished and larger locations within the expansion and Holt Renfrew will be opening a flagship store within 2013.
Club Monaco’s new store is stunning! Women and Men stores are ajoined by a door mid way but with completely different feels. While the women’s is warm and bright that showcases textures, fabrics and accessories well, the adjoining men’s shop is rich in dark wood and has more of a cozy, Canadiana feel. The cash desk feels more like a bar than a payment point. Store reps mentioned that they did extensive research into what men and women prefer when it comes to an appealing shopping environment when they were designing these shops. Men didn’t enjoy having to meander through aisles of women’s clothes to get to their department. At Club Monaco, the dedicated men’s shop offers easier access and more options.
TELUS Next Generation store unveiled their first store in Toronto (7 others are now also open across Canada with more to come) bringing customer service to the forefront. With individualized attention and with a more cohesive way of comparison shopping for devices, TELUS sets themselves apart from the competition. Let’s face it, everyone has the same devices, however, it’s the customer service that they deliver as well. No longer is there one central area to ask for assistance. There are several working stations where customers can have more personalized attention. Devices are grouped under brands and all are LIVE for true demonstration. What caught my attention was their in-store recharging station. You can safely leave your device in a locked compartment to charge while you tend to the shopping needs in the store or in the mall! (just before this event I felt like a mole trying to sniff out an electrical outlet in the food court to juice up my iPhone). The shop also offers learning experts to customers who are invited to book one-on-one sessions to assist with anything needed on the device! Customer service is where it’s at! From the TV embedded in the floor, to the portal monitors, to the live twitter feed, the store is engaging. It’s designed as a living canvas. It’s empowering customers through support and education, and From now until the end of December 2012, the TELUS location at Yorkdale is offering a $100 savings on smartphones and accessories (details in store)! I should also mention that every single TELUS corporate store across the country donates to a charity of choice. The Critter Campaign sells the adorable stuffed animals in store and donates all proceeds to the charity of choice. The TELUS Yorkdale store has selected Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto as their charity of choice. Critters are priced at $8 each. (ahem, great stocking stuffers!) TELUS is also matching up to $50,000 of charity critter sales. (SEE BELOW FOR A CONTEST!)
Kate Spade New York – is every bit gorgeous as you would expected it to be. As I spoke with a few friends about the expansion at Yorkdale, everyone seems to have been most excited about Kate Spade. And I can see why! The colours are cheery and vibrant! The store has a feel that is not like any other in the mall. It’s fun and bubbly with playful sophistication. Drool worthy handbags, clothes, jewellery shoes and more will make you forget that winter is on it’s way!
TESLA Motors – reinventing the car-buying experience, California based Tesla Motors has positioned its showroom with the first Canadian location inside Yorkdale that features interactive displays and design studios where customers can design their own Tesla Model S on a touchscreen and then view it on a large 85 inch video wall at the back of the store. Model S is the worlds first premium sedan built as a luxury electric vehicle. Motor Trend Magazine has named it the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year. According to the magazine “It drives like a sports car, eager an agile and instantly responsive. But it’s also as smoothly effortless as a Rolls-Royce, can carry almost as much stuff as a Chevy Equinox, and is more efficient than a Toyota Prius…and it’ll sashay up to the valet at a luxury hotel like a supermodel working a Paris catwalk.”
L’Occitane is a favourite skin care company that I was first introduced to over 10 years ago when I had the luxury of staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. The Verbena line has been a staple in our house ever since. The company is from France and has some of the most beautiful products around. The Yorkdale store is gorgeous with the tall ceilings and displays and extremely helpful staff. Inside this Yorkdale post is a men’s shaving station, a face and skin care consult station. Products are made with essential oils and natural ingredients.
JOEY’S Restaurant – wrap you way around the outside of the new entrance to the expansion zone and you’ll find the dark, sultry and very inviting JOEY’s Restaurant. They hosted the reception party this evening sparing no expense on their food offerings and bar service. With stunning wait staff and delicious appetizers this Canadian restaurant chain from out west has clearly set themselves in the right locations in the city. While I enjoyed my Santa Rita wine that evening my friends Chantel and Emma swear that I should have the Super Sonic Gin and Tonic! BTW, the bar menu is a must read!
Now, I could continue on …but I won’t give it all away.. you must go check out the mall for yourself! They’ve extended hours for the holidays so if anyone wants to meet me at the mall on a Saturday night, just let me know! That’s my favourite time in the mall!
For more information and the latest news from Yorkdale Shopping Centre please visit their official website at www.yorkdale.com
CONTEST ALERT!
So, back to TELUS…
Our friends at TELUS love our UrbanMoms readers and have offered up the latest SAMSUNG GALAXY RUGBY LTE (retail $460) for us to giveaway in celebration of the Yorkdale TELUS Next Generation store opening! ! This device is the perfect combination of brains and brawn. It offers protection from the elements and can take whatever your active lifestyle throws at it! Dust will not harm it and the device has total protection against immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes! This shock resistant device boasts a 5 megapixel camera, 4-inch WVGA display and much more! So, as the holidays approach… let’s help out a bit shall we?
Tell us, why you, or someone you know, needs this Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE by commenting below this post. One lucky reader will be chosen at random as the winner! Just in time for the holidays!
Contest closes December 1st.
Click here for Contest Rules and Regulations
UrbanMoms.ca members are eligible to win so don’t forget to sign-in. Not a member yet? Click here to join.
UrbanMoms.ca members are eligible to win so don’t forget to sign-in. Not a member yet? Click here to join.
I could really use a new phone. My friends laugh at how old my phones. I need a smartphone so that I can text, take pictures and be connected with the world.
my mom has an old cell phone which is basically terrrible and archaic. this would be an amazing gift for her and would bring her into this decade of tech!
I don’t have a cell phone.
We could really use a new phone but with a 5 week old baby our financial priorities are elsewhere so winning this phone would be an ideal solution.
I keep missing calls on my phone because it is so old that the back falls off and the battery falls out.
It would make my daughter happy to have a new phone and it would make me happy that she would stop asking me for a new one.
My cellphone is so old that all it can do is make phone calls!
Our grandson, who is 15, is at a critical point in his adolescence. This would be a Godsend for him (and his parents!) because it would allow them all to communicale more. 🙂
Well, I have not owned a phone in more than 3 years….everyone tells me I should finally get a line! I just came to depend on it way too much and without it I was ok..now I realize that I do need one especially for emergencies. So to appease my family, this would be a great start…
My partner could really use this. He keeps dropping his phone!
My son-in-law’s phone died and he really needs a new one. This would be the perfect gift for him.
It would be a perfect gift for my wife for Christmas.
I seriously need a SAMSUNG GALAXY RUGBY LTE to replace an old dinausor ,Telus has been good to me thanks again
My grandson could REALLY use this phone. We never know where he and his friends are and would love a way for him to contact home!
My son really needs a new phone and this would be the perfect Xmas gift for him
I would love to win this to give it to my husband. His cellphone has been stressing hime out lately because it hasnt been working right and he needs it for work. Unfortunately because of our contract we havent been able to afford a new one so he has to use his crappy old one. He is already stressed out enough from a lot of things and this is just one more thing that he doesnt need. I really hope I win. For him 😀
I could really use this phone it looks amazing, but i know my younger brother would probably talk me into is as he has wanted a phone for a while now, but either way its marvelous
I would love to win the Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE we have an old cell that is 6 years old. I would love a phone you could read ebooks, and get fun apps. this would make a perfect christmas gift. thank you
I would love to win the Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE since the one we have now is a 6 year old cell and doesnt do any of the fun things this phone does. This would really be a great christmas gift. thank you.
Thanks for the giveaway. I really need this phone for the family as we currently function with a pay-as-you-go dinosaur. I love the features of this phone and the fact that you can use and abuse it and it’ll still do what it needs to do. The fact it has total protection against immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes is really cool. A 5 megapixel camera and 4-inch WVGA display are features we’d all use to the full. This would be a much welcome addition to our family.
I don’t own a cell phone of any kind. I feel so out of touch. I need a Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE to put me back into the swing of technology and what is possible 😀
I need a new phone for my husband! His is broken, and it costs so much for a new one!
My husband and I share an old phone that still has an antenna on it, our teenage daughter is horrified that we don’t have a new phone, so winning this would be an up to date Christmas gift for our family. Thanks
I’d love to share this with my daughters. They love to read ebooks and it would be helpful with schoolwork.
I would love to win this phone because I think it looks fun. My grandchildren have one and they’re always showing me stuff on it. I would like to get all my own apps and start showing them some stuff
I would love to win this item. I just have a regular phone and it seems so ancient. I want to get up with the times and this Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE seems to be the way to go.
I would love to win this for my husband as a Christmas gift. He work as a sander and is always covered in dust. His phones always get mucked up and they usually only last a couple of months or he has to leave it in the car so it doesn’t get dusty and I can’t get a hold of him. I hear that this phone is dust proof….. I would love to be able to put it to the test. Thank you.
I would love to win this Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE. I think it’s an amazing piece of technolgy that I don’t have and would love to be part of it. I hear it’s got all the bells and whistles and you know that if it’s Samsung and good quality.
I would love to win this Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE because it’s not just a phone. I have just a phone….it does nothing more than what a phone does. Then there’s the Samsung Galaxy and it does everything a phone can’t do. It’s a camera, it can fall into water, all the apps you can put on it… that’s why I would love this item.
I’ve been thinking about switching to a Galaxy phone. Would love to win this!
I would give it to my Mom would still isn’t using a smart phone.
I would love to win the Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE from Telus as my mini-me just dropped my phone and the screen no longer works. Having a new phone especially one that can stand up to my mini-me would be great!!!
While my old phone works o.k. This phone would greatly improve my productivity for work and also in my personal life. Being a multi-tasking Momma who works part-time this new technology would make my life so much simpler and efficient. Samsung is the cutting edge phone right now and that means happiness, efficiency, productivity and looks all around!
I would give the phone to my dad. He is a wood carver, so he tends to be around dust a lot, and he is very active, so this would suit his lifestyle.
I’d love to win this for my husband for his work. He does a lot of work outside in bad weather so the fact thats it’s extra durable would be great for him.
I’d love it for going running AND being able to stand up to my toddler!
I would love a new phone as mine is getting pretty old.
I would like this phone because it’s more then just a phone. It can keep me entertained on my 1hr GO train ride to work in the morning (Not coming home I usually sleep like 90% of the other passengers)
I think my pay as you go phone should go the way of the dinosaur and be extincted
My phone is several years old and getting unreliable.
My partner always drops and damages his phone so the Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE would be perfect!
I am looking for a good phone and the reviews on Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE are great.
I want to learn to text finally so that my kids will communicate with me.
I need this because my phone is so old it is going to die any day now.
My phone will stop working for no reason and then start again. It is very frustrating to never know when it will work.
I need one because my phone just died!
I would love to win this for my son. He is asking for his first cell phone for Christmas and he would be so shocked and excited to get such a nice one!
I don’t have a cell phone at all so this would be really useful to me.
This would either be perfect for myself or my wife. We share a cell right now and that is quite difficult for the person that doesnt have the phone that day. This would help tremendously with all the activities we take the girls to.
I’d love a new phone since the one I’m using, which has been off contract for 4 years, runs out of battery power very quickly.
My husband has had to replace the battery on his current phone twice already and it still won’t hold a charge. He definitely needs a new phone!! What a great Christmas present it would be for him!
I have never had a smartphone and it is time I tried one to be connected to the world.
I don’t need it my brother does. He ran his over with his truck 🙂
I would love to own this phone — I have had my phone for almost 3 years and it’s time to have something new and updated!!!
I would love to win a Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE phone because I have an old phone. I have a large flip phone that you can only phone & text . Even my 10 year old grandson has a newer phone than me. It’s time to update.
my daughter-in-law would love to have one of these for Christmas as she is on the road alot with her work
I have my own small business, which requires me to be on the move quite a bit. And since I deal with animals, I need a phone that can take a beating. Dogs love to grab and bite at my coat while playing; I have to be outside in all manner of weather conditions; etc!
I would love this because I think when it comes to cell phones, or technology in general everyone is ahead of me. Even my 11-year old is mastering his ipod touch. It’s time for me to get with it and have a smartphone of my own!
I really need this Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE phone since I’m weary of living in slow mo with my current dinosaur of a phone.
I would love to win this phone because it seems very strong (I tend to drop my phone a lot). I can use it when I’m standing at the bus stop when it is pouring rain.
I would like to win this phone because they look like fun
I need this phone because I don’t even have a phone….am I one of the only ones left. My kids always ask me why I don’t have one. I tell them that I spent all my money buying them theirs so enjoy. lol
My son could use this phone as he is now getting more busy with school and his social life that he can stay in contact with us while he is on the go or if we need to contact him.
I could really use this phone because I don’t have a phone. My husband carries one, but when we are not together, I have no way of communicating. It would be so awesome to be able to text my children and use the other many features
I would love to get this phone because I could get a camera and phone in one!
My phone is an antique.I need a new one.
I need a cell phone so bad I have the very first Sony Eriksom that was out and it does not take pictures or anything, and does not even charge properly anymore! I would give this to me as a gift from my family because this is something I could really use! What a great phone I can’t even imagine being able to do all that with my phone!
My husband would love this phone; he is not very happy with his current phone.
My cell is 13 years old. It can’t text or take pictures. It’s so not smart. I could use a new one and Samsung is the brand to have.
I would love to win this for myself!
I am probably the very last person to not have a smart phone! Yup, I’m still texting using the pin pad and wifi hotspot means nothing to me and my Motorola Razr flip phone!
My husband is using an old phone and it is not working well. When he makes a call he has to speak to the person on the speaker phone as it will not work otherwise. I keep telling him we should get a new phone but he says……. next week. That was a year ago. He is a welder and and needs a up to date but sturdy decent phone
I would love to win this Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE phone.. I use an older phone that is not very reliable and this phone has it all..
I’ve never owned a smartphone so it would be totally awesome to win this prize.
Thank you Urbanmoms and Telus for this great contest.
This would be a terriffic gift for my hubby who does not own a cell phone. I often have needed to get in touch with him during the day and have not been able to as he is away from the Shop where he works and does not have a cell I can call him on. He used to have the pay as you go type, but let it expire and lost all of his prepaid minutes.
my husband Rick could use this he is crazy busy!
my husband desperately needs a phone with better capabilities than he has now. he needs something with a useful calendar to keep track of all our kids appointments and activities – it’s like running a marathon around here!
This would help me keep up to date while on the go
Well I moved to Calgary and the weather here is crazy – could use a new cell phone that is tough enough for this new environment
I have a very old phone and could certainly use an upgrade like this one!
We have always had a basic cell phone so this would be lots of great new technology for us.
My teenage daughter would so love this. Her friends of course all have very fancy phones with all kinds of cool features and she has been asking for a long time for something more like theirs. This would be amazing and as she is graduating next year this would be really great for her in her last year of high school.
I have a blackberry that keeps dying and could use a new phone
I would love to have this phone for my husband because he doesn’t have one and often borrows mine.
My wife’s phone is so old she can’t txt on it so yea she needs a new phone.
I need to win this for my son who cant send pictures to me of my precious grandson!
I would be sooo grateful to win this as I do not have a cell phone ( but my children do)
sigh!
My cell phone is older than me, sure would love to have an up to date model, and this one sounds perfect. Thanks
My cell phone is old and is not working properly.
I would love to get this phone, as my phone is from the dark ages. Everyone I know has a smartphone, so it would be great be able to use this!
My son is old enough to have his first phone and this would be perfect for him!
The Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE would be perfect for my partner who is a gardener. He really needs a phone that can survive the elements like he does.
well I still have an old flip phone I would love a smart phone
my cell is ancient
I would love to win a new phone for my daughter.
Since my ancient Blackberry is driving me crazy with random lock-ups and shut-downs – not to mention that the camera autofocus and the “H” button have quit working – I REALLY need a new phone.
I could really use this phone for my husband who’s taken over my Galaxy Note (my daughter seems to think it’s at her disposal as well) lol! In July after a year of agonizing over whether to get cell phones for my daughter and I, as well as the costs of plans etc. I finally gave in and bought my dream cell phone. Ever since it seems Hubster & daughter have had more time with it than I have. So if I won this Galaxy Rugby LTE for my Hubster I could have my beloved Galaxy Note back and my daughter will have someone else’s phone to fuss over lol.
I would love to give this to my inlaws, they have old phones that can’t text or take photos. It would help to keep in touch and send photos to them of their grandkids!
This phone would be really beneficial for me to connect with my mother. We live in separate countries and I have not had a phone since february. I simply do not have the resources at the time to purchase a phone or much less think about payments. This would really be idea for me because I would use it for more than talking/texting. It would be my connection to the rest of the world. My computer, TV, Social HUB, Something that can keep me safe, and most of all its one of the coolest phones out there!!
My wife could really use it for the water proof quality as she seems to drop her phone(s) either in the sink, toilet or mud puddles … can’t remember how many I have had to replace!
My mom could really use a new cell phone. The one she has is probably ten years old and she refuses to purchase a new one. Whenever she makes a call it has to be connected to the charger, it kind of defeats the purpose of having a cell phone.
I need to update my phone, Almost impossible to text with my old nokia flip phone. Need help.
I need this because my partner just got a new phone (Galaxy II) and I have been wracked with jealousy since.
I need this phone because it takes me for ever to send a text with my old crappy flip phone!
I need a phone, believe it or not I do not have a cell phone. I have been looking into all the phones available and plans. It does get a tad confusing. Having this phone would save me searching out pay phones!
Many of my friends and family are raving about the new Samsung phones. My phone is three years old. I am a mother and a grandmother and everyone in my family, including grandchildren, have newer phones than I. I would love to be able to impress my family and friends with the awesome phone!
This would be a great phone, my phone is so old I’m sure it should be in a museum.
I would love to have this Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE phone because the time has come – for me to own my 1st ever cell phone. Yup – I think I’m done with being teased for never owning one and still using a pay phone – they’re 50 cents now! I really need one now to keep in touch with others while at: the rink, on the court, in the gym, or on the field most days of the week with my 3 kids.
Thank-you!!!!
I’m still using an old Motorola Krazr dumb phone!
I could use this because I don’t own a cellphone.
I have never owned a cell phone, so starting out with the latest and greatest would help me adapt to the brave new world of such technology.
I have an ancient Virgin Mobile phone from days gone by, I need to update!
I have never had a cell phone that does anything more than make and answer calls. I would love a new phone.
This would be a great way to upgrade my (older) Samsung smartphone & let me keep up with the times without either paying a small fortune or having to lock into a long contract!
I need this phone because I don’t have a smart phone
My dad could use one. He is deaf so it is hard to communicate with him. I’d love for him to have a phone so I can text him.
I need a new phone- mine is very old.
my old cell phone is as dead as a doornail, I could really use this fancy new one 🙂
I need a new phone and this one looks like it just might be IT!
I am way behind when it comes to new technology. I have had my cell phone for a few years. I would love to win an updated Samsung phone that has the latest tech advances.
I still have an old Nokia phone and all my friends own the smartphones nowadays. I feel really embarresed to check my phone in front of friends and family. This would really help. Thanks
While attending She’s Connected Conference in Toronto this past October, I realized how behind the times I really am for someone in my field of work. I would like to win this Samsung for myself. I will then be able to connect while on the go to my network, blog, email and social network sites. It would be most valuable to my job! Thank you for the chance.
My dad could really use a new phone!