As a long-term strategic partner to Simons, NATIONAL was engaged to support the announcement of the retailer’s upcoming Vancouver flagship at CF Pacific Centre – a major milestone in Simons’ continued national expansion and growing Western Canadian presence.
The objective was not only to generate awareness and excitement in Vancouver ahead of the Fall 2027 opening of Simons’ 20th store in Canada, but also to sustain the strong momentum created by the opening of two flagship GTA locations in Summer 2025 and reinforce Simons’ growing national footprint. As demand for differentiated retail experiences continued to grow in Vancouver, there was a timely opportunity to position Simons as a leading Canadian retail success story and distinctly Canadian alternative rooted in service, discovery-led retail experiences, and long-term community investment. The expansion reflected Simons’ long-term investment in Canada and strengthened its position as a uniquely Canadian brand.
The challenge was balancing multiple communications priorities at once: building a highly localized Vancouver story in a market where Simons still had moderate brand awareness, while also breaking through nationally in an intensely competitive retail and media environment. Simultaneously, the announcement was expected to generate significant attention in Quebec given Simons’ deep roots and strong brand equity in the province. NATIONAL needed to ensure the Vancouver expansion remained at the center of the narrative while still capitalizing on broader national interest.
To achieve this, NATIONAL developed a business-led earned media strategy anchored in Simons' national momentum, Western Canadian growth, and broader economic impact. The announcement was anchored in compelling business proof points, including the strong performance of Simons’ Park Royal store in West Vancouver, the successful launch of its GTA flagship locations, continued national expansion and meaningful job creation. Together, these proof points positioned the news as both a retail milestone and an economic story. CEO and President, Bernard Leblanc, was positioned as the lead voice of the expansion, helping connect local relevance with a broader narrative around Canadian growth, heritage, and retail innovation.
The strategy was executed through a phased media rollout beginning with targeted embargo outreach and one-on-one interviews with top-tier national, regional, and Quebec media ahead of launch, followed by coordinated launch-day engagement across broadcast, business, consumer, multicultural, and French-language outlets.
The response exceeded expectations.
NATIONAL secured 251 stories generating more than 46.4 million impressions, with coverage spanning major national business media, top-tier broadcast, regional B.C. outlets, Quebec media, and multicultural publications. Coverage included standout placements in the Financial Post, Vancouver Sun, La Presse, Journal de Montréal, CBC Vancouver, Global News, CityNews, and a major Toronto Star profile on Bernard Leblanc exploring how Simons is succeeding while others in the retail industry continue to struggle. Coverage was overwhelmingly positive, with strong pull-through of key messages around Simons’ investment in Vancouver, national growth momentum, job creation, and positioning as a distinctive Canadian retail destination.
Importantly, the campaign translated to measurable business impact. Following the announcement and sustained media coverage, Simons’ Park Royal store saw sales grow by more than 30 per cent, while market share increased by more than 20 per cent. The results reinforced how putting Simons at the center of consumer conversations helped drive consideration, engagement, and ultimately, business performance ahead of the Vancouver flagship opening.
The announcement demonstrated the power of grounding retail storytelling in credible business narratives and cultural relevance. By positioning the announcement of Simons’ future Vancouver store as part of a broader narrative about Canadian retail growth, evolving consumer behavior and meaningful community investment, NATIONAL reinforced Simons’ position as one of Canada’s leading heritage retailers and a Canadian retail success story.