Exclusive: U.S. CFO shares Canadian pricing formula
In a recent conversation with a CFO the Daily was told how one U.S. retailer establishes their Canadian prices. The formula:

U.S price x 20% x 1.24 exchange rate x 13% Canadian tax = Canadian Price.

The 20% represents increased cost of labor (minimum wage + increased holidays) + shipping and customs charges. With the variable exchange rate and the 13% taxes in Canada. According to this CFO this formula is a widely accepted standard and explains the increased cost of goods for Canadian consumers.

Retail is booming in Canada - First-Quarter Consumer Spending Rose 5.8%, Moneris Says  The gain from January to March was faster than the 3.8 percent Moneris reported in the fourth quarter, and greater than any other period since at least the start of 2012, according to Bloomberg calculations based on past press statements. Spending remained strong after the holiday season, with notable increases in the retail and restaurant categories," Moneris Chief Executive Officer Angela Brown said in the report. "Spending in these categories suggests that consumers feel confident enough to continue to spend on non-essentials. The retail gains included rises of 9.3 percent at shoe stores and 6.1 percent for women's clothing. Restaurant receipts rose by 6.8 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier. bloomberg.com

Police in Canada patrolling truck stops to prevent cargo theft
As cargo theft continues to be a pervasive issue, law enforcement agencies are ramping up efforts to curb the number of stolen freight. Halton Regional Police in Ontario, Canada, is patrolling truck stops as part of an ongoing program to stop cargo theft. Police officers in Milton and Halton Hills, located in the southwest part of the Greater Toronto Area, are spending more time at truck stops to prevent cargo theft. landlinemag.com

Class action lawsuit seeks $2B from Loblaw's Joe Fresh for Bangladesh garment factory collapse  A Toronto law firm is seeking $2 billion in damages from Loblaw Cos. and its Joe Fresh clothing line in a proposed class action lawsuit related to the 2013 Bangladesh garment factory collapse that killed more than 1,100 workers. Filed two days before the two-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza catastrophe, the April 22 notice of action filing came a day before a similar action was filed in the District of Columbia court against retailers including Walmart, The Children's Place and J.C. Penney, which were among the 29 manufacturers who had clothing made in the building. financialpost.com

11-year-old boy detained for shopping without adult at Calgary Lego Store
An 11-year-old boy's father says his son was detained by security for shopping by himself at Calgary's Lego Store. When Dunlop went to pick up Tadhg, he found a security guard watching over him. Dunlop says the guard and the store's manager told him children under 12 are not allowed in the store without an adult because of safety concerns. He says they called him a bad parent for not accompanying his child. "Yeah, that's a personal slight against me, that's not really a problem for other people and other people's kids, but I've heard from dozens now of parents who've sent their nine and 10-year-olds to Lego stores unattended, who bought Lego successfully, and there's no reason why they shouldn't," said Dunlop. Dunlop says he was told it was part of their policy for child safety; he says a Lego manager told him it's for situation such as a mall evacuation. I'm not going back to that store. So since he's not allowed in alone, they've effectively banned him from the store. And he's a good customer." globalnews.ca

British Columbia retail sector is struggling to stay afloat as a tidal wave of changes squeezes margins  alters real estate decisions and fuels pushback against municipal policies and tax hikes. Challenges include a Canadian dollar that has lost about 14% of its value against the U.S. greenback in the past 10 months, rising minimum wages, a growing consumer preference for online shopping and a hollowed-out brick-and-mortar landscape. We're in a time when the retailers are having the most profound changes that I've seen in 25 years," said Sitings Realty CEO Stephen Knight, whose company represents retail tenants. "We've got a ton of space coming into the market.  biv.com

With HBC's Saks Fifth Ave. on their heals & coming to Canada in a big way - Holt Renfrew plans 'major expansion' in downtown Vancouver

28 retailers which are either new to Canada or are expanding

Vancouver's Saje to open 50 stores by 2018

Vancouver Emerges as "critical" Money Laundering Hub for International Criminals

Short-lived Edmonton Police web series triggers $1-million lawsuit

Regina Shoppers Drug employee facing charges over theft of medications

RCMP seek suspect in Musquodoboit Harbour drug store robbery

2 suspects sought in Lawton's Drugs theft in Clarke's Beach

$200,000 in jewelry stolen from Hudson's Bay store in Langley  RCMP are hoping that the release of store security footage will lead to arrest of the two suspects who stole $200,000 in jewelry from the Hudson's Bay in Langley. During the early morning hours of April 7, CCTV shows a black Toyota pickup driving into parking lot of Willowbrook Shopping Centre. The suspects stopped just outside the store and crashed the truck's rear into the store entrance doors. A 2 X8 post was also on the truck's back bed to penetrate the double doors. The men are then seen rushing into the store, using a crow bar to smash display cases, and dumping jewelry into a large bag. Two days later on April 9, a similar smash-and-grab occurred in the Hudson's Bay store at Coquitlam Centre. The two men broke into the store, looted jewelry from display cases, and then fled in a black pickup truck. Police did not release the total value of the jewelry stolen from the Coquitlam location. vancitybuzz.com

Retail Fast Facts: April 2015 
Highlights:
● Total monthly retail sales changed by 2.0 per cent over the comparable month last year. 
● Total sales excluding food, automotive and gasoline changed by 5.7 per cent over the comparable month last year.  Read more