The evolution of specialty leasing from revenue filler to strategic retail laboratory is transforming how Canadian shopping centres approach temporary spaces, with Cadillac Fairview (CF) at the forefront of this shift.
“We pride ourselves, whether it’s specialty, temporary or permanent leasing, on being great partners to our clients,” said Jeff Simmonds, Director of Specialty Leasing at Cadillac Fairview, who marks his 10-year anniversary with the company this year. “We aim to connect before they call us to be ahead of the trend.”
With his background in experiential marketing for brands including Toyota, Lexus, and Nike Canada, Simmonds brings valuable perspective to his role. “I worked for years trying to get brands I was responsible for into shopping centres,” he noted during an interview with 6ix Retail. “I’m now in the seat of the person I used to call.”
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The Greater Toronto Area serves as ground zero for much of this innovation. At CF Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke, a recent two-day test with Andrea’s Cookies demonstrated the evolving role of specialty leasing as a retail incubator. CF didn’t just provide court space but supplied activation assets to showcase the concept’s potential to West End consumers, lowering barriers to entry for the emerging brand.
“The test was a massive success,” Simmonds reported. “She sold out product every day and our shoppers loved it and we had lineups pre-mall hours, which is rarely seen, especially in the F&B category.”
This approach reflects CF’s deeper investment in temporary retail partners. “Sure, we’d love to have a future conversation,” said Simmonds, explaining their approach to Andrea’s Cookies. “If we can bring a client in from a specialty leasing perspective and they end up becoming something permanent, that’s a feather in my team’s cap.”
This agility extends to identifying emerging patterns. When multiple dairy brands sought mall space within months of each other — what Simmonds dubbed “the year of milk” — his team proactively approached competing brands to create category momentum across properties.
CF’s approach challenges industry norms through their team structure. Rather than assigning managers to specific properties, CF’s five-person specialty leasing team represents all 16 shopping centres nationwide, offering brands a single contact for national activations.
“It’s not this person represents two properties or anything like that. We all represent all of our properties,” explained Simmonds. “When a client knows they can come to one person and get information for 16 properties at once, that certainly helps.”
The definition of leasable space itself has expanded. TD Insurance recently transformed parking garage columns into “Pole Pillows” — cushioned seating that created unexpected brand touchpoints in utilitarian spaces at four CF properties.
The rise of “edutainment” represents another significant market shift. At CF Chinook Centre in Calgary, a VR experience called “Horizon of Khufu” offers visitors a journey through ancient Egypt in a former Nordstrom space.
“We’ve just recently extended them through the end of October, and the ticket sales are increasing weekly,” Simmonds said. “Having something with edutainment is driving additional traffic, which helps the surrounding retail.”
Measuring success has evolved beyond traditional metrics. A Subaru activation at Sherway Gardens for the Soltera EV SUV prioritized test drives over immediate sales.
“Fast forward to maybe two months ago, and we saw a report that Subaru reported an all-time sales high in Q4 for that vehicle model,” noted Simmonds, suggesting the activation may have contributed to these results.
When the Professional Women’s Hockey League launched last season, CF worked with agency partners and their clients at Royale to showcase a hockey sculpture by Toronto artist Briony Douglas at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. The installation, called “The Inaugural Six,” was crafted from hockey sticks used in the PWHL’s first season and shaped into a four-foot-tall, six-foot-wide hockey helmet.
“Come to me with three months or come to me with three hours. If you need to be somewhere, I can help you,” Simmonds emphasized, noting that some activations, while not typical, can be implemented within hours.
Looking ahead, Simmonds identifies a growing trend of permanent retailers extending into common areas, as demonstrated by a recent Foot Locker and Nike collaboration at CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s Centre Court ahead of Air Max Day.
“A big trend we’ll continue to see over the next 12 to 18 months is retailers looking to activate more in our common area to drive back to store,” predicted Simmonds.
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Despite e-commerce growth, Simmonds maintains that physical retail experiences remain irreplaceable for creating meaningful brand connections: “Digital and social media definitely have a place, but to be in front of somebody and have an intimate conversation to establish a brand connection is key.”
This transformation of specialty leasing reflects the broader reimagining of shopping centres — not as static showcases for goods, but as dynamic environments that give consumers reasons to visit beyond mere transaction, a shift that appears poised to accelerate across the Canadian retail landscape.
Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, The Canadian Opera Company, Starbucks Canada and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024, 2025 and 2026, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.