H&M becomes first apparel company to partner with Instacart

Users in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan who are within driving distance of an H&M location can now get clothes delivered from Instacart. Customers can shop a limited selection of basics and other fashion pieces from the fast-fashion retailer, and have them delivered in the same day, or at a later date they choose. Frédéric Tavoukdjian, country manager for H&M Canada, says this is a way for the retailer to “renew” itself, giving customers safe and different way to get the fashion they are looking for.

For Instacart, the partnership is a way for the service – known for its services in the grocery category – to differentiate its offering in what has become a highly competitive space this year. That’s a strategy other food delivery services have been pursuing as well: competitor Inabuggy recently launched a new offering that allowed users to get 30-minute delivery from non-grocery local businesses like convenience stores, butchers and flower shops. Uber Eats is currently piloting Uber Grocery in Toronto and Montreal, which also includes products from H&M, as well as the likes of Staples, Canadian Tire, Sephora and Chapters.

Pigeon adds two more to leadership team in pursuit of growing mandate

Elyse Boulet, who was named the president of design firm Pigeon Brands over the summer, has added to the leadership team in the Toronto office, naming Ania Russocki as general manager and Greg Clark as director of finance. Russocki, a former president at Allard Johnson and Arnold Worldwide, has been working as a management consultant in recent years, while Clark was most recently director of finance at Anomaly.

In their new roles, Russocki and Clark will be supporting Boulet in driving Pigeon’s new mandate. In addition to supporting the growth of its current clients’ businesses, driving the development of high-calibre work and ROI and exploring new business opportunities, the two will be further supporting Pigeon in expanding beyond its roots in design into new product ideation, brand strategy, identity development, in-store activation, content and digital communications.

Doug & Partners picks up Sault Ste. Marie assignment

Following an RFP process, the City of Sault Ste. Marie has picked Doug & Partners as its strategic and creative agency partner. The agency will created a destination marketing strategy for the city, handling market research, strategy, creative ideation and execution. The focus will be on positioning Sault St. Marie as an outdoor adventure destination, with the bigger strategy not only driving short-term interest, but a platform that will thrive with audiences in the long-term when the border with the U.S. eventually reopens.