Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 8

RETAIL CURRENTS

RESEARCH

WOMEN NEEDED IN THE BOARDROOM
TO HELP DIVERSIFY WORKFORCE

PRESENCE OF FOREIGN APPAREL CHAINS IN CANADA`S
LARGEST MALLS ON THE RISE

Twenty years ago Bank of Montreal
published a report around the advancement of women within the Canadian
workforce. Findings of the report suggested that progress was being made.
Two decades later, however, it`s painfully obvious that there has been little
progress made with respect to boardroom diversity.
The percentage increase between 2003
and 2011 of women
on Financial Post`s 500 public company
boards. The increase translates into a
10.3% representation of women on public
company boards. And, nearly 50% of all
FP500 public company boards are void
of any female directors.
In 2011, the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) adopted a “comply or explain” diversity disclosure requirement
with an emphasis on gender diversity.
Findings from the 2012 Australian Census of Women in Leadership suggest
that the provision is having an impact.

In a survey conducted last year, Trendex reported that there
were 62 foreign chains operating in the country, accounting for
32% of all the country’s apparel specialty chains.
Trendex’s research also revealed that foreign retailers account for
41% of the apparel specialty chains in Canada’s ten largest malls.
CANADA’S TEN LARGEST MALLS
OWNERSHIP OF APPAREL SPECIALTY CHAINS February 1, 2013
Mall

Apparel
Specialty
Chains

%
Domestic
Ownership

%
Foreign
Ownership

West Edmonton Mall, AB

44%

56%

Metropolis, BC

61%

39%

Square One, ON

56%

44%

Eaton Centre, ON

37%

63%

Yorkdale, ON

37%

63%

Galeries de la Capitale, QC 61

84%

16%

Bramalea City Centre, ON

58%

42%

Pacific Centre, BC

30%

70%

Chinook Centre, AB

53%

47%

Carrefour Laval, QC

71%

29%

Based on total retail floor space, excluding chains with less than five stores.

CANADIAN HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURES FOR CLOTHING
DECREASE FROM 2010 TO 2011

As part of a long-term trend, clothing decreased in importance for the average Canadian household during 2011. Recently
released data based on Statistics Canada’s 2011 Household
Expenditure Survey revealed that, while total household expenditures on goods and services increased by 2.7% from 2010 to 2011,
household expenditures for clothing decreased by 3.9%.
AVERAGE CANADIAN HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURES FOR CLOTHING*
Province

2010

2011

% Change

Atlantic Canada

$1,723

$1,692

-1.8%

Alberta

$2,252

$2,201

-2.3%

British Columbia

$1,739

$1,820

+4.7%

Manitoba

$1,869

$1,725

-7.7%

Ontario

$2,035

$1,971

-3.2%

Quebec

$2,071

$1,869

-9.8%

Saskatchewan

$1,771

$1,766

-0.3%

$1,992

$1,915

-3.9%

Canada
*Excludes footwear and accessories
Source: Statistics Canada

canadian retailer | spring 2013 | www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

1.3%

46%
30%

The percentage
increase of the representation of women
on ASX 200 boards between 2010 and
2012, from 8.4% to 12.3%.
The percentage
increase of the
representation of
women on corporate boards in the U.K.
as a result of voluntary pledges made by
a group of board chairs calling themselves the ‘30% Club’. Since March 2012,
48% of FTSE-100 non-executive director appointments—30 out of 62—have
reportedly gone to women. A similar
initiative was recently launched in Canada called the Catalyst Accord.
The U.K. and Australian examples
suggest that voluntary initiatives such as
the Catalyst Accord can work, but only
with the support of committed companies, executives and board chairs.

Source: Research conducted by the Catalyst Accord

For more information about the Catalyst
Accord and ways to join in the project
to diversify Canada’s workforce, visit its
website at www.catalyst.org.

http://www.catalyst.org http://www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013

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