Grand & Toy to close all 19 retail stores, but keep selling products online
OfficeMax Grand & Toy says it will close all of its 19 retail stores across the country over the next few months. But the company will continue selling merchandise through its website. About 160 full-time and part-time staff will be impacted by the closures. (Source sasklifestyles.com)

Embattled Sears Canada ‘open’ to more real estate sales

Canada retail sales up in February
Canadian retail sales grew for the second consecutive month in February, by 0.5 percent from January, but still have not completely recouped December's weather-induced losses, according to Statistics Canada data released on Wednesday. (Source reuters.com)

Lethbridge, Alberta man sentenced for Mac’s Armed Robbery
A 33-year-old Lethbridge man has been sent to prison for robbing a convenience store earlier this year. Matthew Justin Farrell pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lethbridge provincial court to one count of robbery and was sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary. Armed with a knife, Farrell entered Mac’s convenience store on Bluefox Boulevard North about 3:40 a.m. Feb. 13 and ordered the lone female employee to open the store’s vault. The employee told Farrell she didn’t have access to the vault but she opened the cash register and handed him $75. He demanded again that she open the fault, but when she said she couldn’t he ran from the store. (Source lethbridgeherald.com)

Ridiculously photogenic guy wanted for stealing stuff from Winners store in Toronto  Toronto Police want to find a man who walked into a Winners department store at Laird and Eglinton in Toronto on March 14 around 8 p.m. and stole a bunch of children’s clothes and large boxed items. What is unique about the security photographs released of the suspect is how cheerful he seems in the process of lifting the goods — even giving a peace sign salute on the way out the door at the store located in the extremely sedate neighborhood of Leaside, where in-store security might have been light on a Friday night. The expression on his face is reminiscent of the “Ridiculously Photogenic Guy” who became a meme two years ago after being snapped in action at the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, South Carolina. (Source canada.com)

Surrey, British Columbia RCMP needs help to solve cell phone store robberies  Surrey Mounties are seeking help to put the bag on the criminals who recently robbed four cell phone stores in Whalley and Newton. Police believe these daytime robberies are related. Two robbers hit a store in Cedar Hills on March 25th. Another store in Newton was robbed on April 3rd and 11th, and on April 17 a third store was robbed in the 13500-block of 88th Avenue. Store Owner Rob Riarh said in three of the robberies, a man and woman forced staff to the back rooms, “where they tie them up and get access to products like expensive phones. Riarh said it’s the same crew doing the robberies, and they carry machetes. (Source thenownnewspaper.com)

Kitimat, Terrace RCMP Investigate Jewelry Store Robberies
RCMP in both Kitimat and Terrace are investigating a pair of jewelry story robberies that happened yesterday afternoon. The first happened at 1:12pm at Cook's Jewelers in Kitimat, in which a man smashed a display cabinet with an implement and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of jewelry. Despite a police search of the area involving the dog unit from Terrace, it's believed the suspect may have fled by vehicle from the Lahakas Boulevard area. Shortly after 3pm, someone smashed out a glass display at Carter's Jewelers in Terrace, stole some jewelry, then fled east on Lakelse Ave toward the Royal Bank. (Source cfktv.com)

Toronto Police request assistance with theft investigation, Security camera images of suspect released, Laird Drive and Eglinton Avenue East

Retail Fast Facts: March 2014

Highlights:
• Total monthly retail sales changed by 3.8 per cent over the comparable month last year.
• Total sales excluding food, automotive and gasoline changed by 3.0 per cent over the comparable month last year. Read more (Source retailcouncil.org)