Move to Cranberry Mews Spurs Double-Digit Growth for Collingwood Businesses

COLLINGWOOD, ON, CANADA, December 12, 2010 (Press-News.org) They came, they saw... the location and the drive-by traffic that is... and that was all that was needed to convince them to move their respective businesses to the Cranberry Mews retail centre in Collingwood.

And these businesses are reaping the benefits at a time when retail sales and business growth across the province are relatively flat.

In the case of Linea Spa and Salon (formerly know as Tangles and Whiskers), which for years was located on Hurontario in downtown Collingwood, the move to Cranberry Mews has translated into a 50 percent growth in business since they relocated five months ago.

According to owner Brenda Bullions "we're getting a lot more walk in traffic and many of these people are becoming regular customers." She attributes the spike in traffic in part due to the fact that Cranberry Mews is right on Highway #26, between the north end of Collingwood and Thornbury - a road that averages 18,000 commuter cars per day. And in part due to the fact the retail centre has 3,000 residents and weekenders in the north end of Collingwood within walking distance. "The fact that we're totally wheelchair accessible helps as well," she adds.

Sarah Applegarth of Active Life and Conditioning says her business has grown dramatically since relocating to Cranberry Mews - to the tune of 40-50% to the point where she has had to hire additional coaches to accommodate the increased demand.

And two other businesses - Ladies Designer Fashions and Home Zone Bed and Bath - both owned by entrepreneur Kathy MacDonald have also experienced double-digit growth - up 20% over their previous location of 13 years. Ironically, MacDonald's previous business was also located on Highway #26 in Craigleith... but didn't have the same neighborhood density as Cranberry Mews. "I think the fact that we're experiencing 20% growth in today's times is most impressive," notes MacDonald "it truly speaks to the location."

MacDonald says she's seeing a younger demographic coming into her store than the previous location, coming from the immediate Cranberry area.

Andres Paara of Lush Realty, the company responsible for renting the newly business retail centre, which is now more than 50% occupied, says he's not surprised by the results the new tenants are experiencing.

"Cranberry Mews has many of the same attributes of a desirable downtown retail location... big traffic numbers, excellent parking and accessibility and it's close to a captive community of potential customers," says Paara. "But in the case of Cranberry Mews, there are also some unique synergies due to the fact that most of the business locating there is focused on providing products and services tied to personal care and quality of life services." In addition to the above-mentioned businesses, other complementary tenants include: Collingwood Sports Medicine, which offers everything from physiotherapy to an onsite general practitioner specializing in sports injuries and rehabilitation; Dr. Henry Koo - who specializes in knee and hip surgery, One Tooth Active Wear, Pure Organic Food and Juice Bar, Hasty Market and soon to open, Cabin Bistro and The Best You.

"What we're hearing from all of the tenants, is they're getting a lot of spillover traffic as a result of people visiting one business and then exploring some of the other establishments while they're there," notes Paara.

Cranberry Mews is operated by Foremost Financial Corp., a Toronto-based real estate lender and financier with over 20 years of operating experience. Businesses interested in leasing space in Cranberry Mews should contact Lush Realty by phone at 1-705-444-7653 or 1-800-265-3949, or by e-mail at info@lushrealty.com.

Media Contact: Mark Wessel, Bullpen PR, 705-445-2733, mwessel@bullpenpr.com