As the TTC aims to boost its brand and the amount of money it receives outside of fares, the board has asked its staff to consider setting up a retail location for riders and tourists to buy Toronto transit merchandise. Coun. Josh Matlow, who sits on the board, pitched the idea of opening a store at Davisville station (the TTC’s headquarters) or an “equivalent, centralized location.”“This is about bringing some revenue and also taking pride in our system, having fun and enjoying the iconic TTC brand (and) the stories that go along with it,” he said.“No, it will not change the world, admittedly, but if it can bring in some revenue and act in a way like our own Spacing store to promote and celebrate the system we love while bringing in some money, I think it’s something to consider.”Matlow said other cities like New York and London have similar stores where tourists can pick up a souvenir to “remind them of a special part of the city that they visited and they loved.”Related:TTC re-launches online shop“Typical of Toronto and sadly of Canada, I find, we’re not good at promoting ourselves in the way that many other countries and cities do.”The TTC currently has an online gift shop where anyone can buy a variety of decoration items (including authentic maps and signs), clothing, accessories, children’s items and 100th anniversary commemorative items. Board member Fenton Jagdeo asked Matlow if it wouldn’t be a better idea to put more resources into online sales versus setting up a store in an effort to control costs.“The answer is evidently no because if I didn’t think we should explore this, I wouldn’t be moving the motion that I am, but … I recognize if we’re going to do this, we want to make sure that it’s the right thing to do and it makes sense,” Matlow said.“If they come back to us and they say this is a terrific idea, then we should do it, and if they come back and say this doesn’t make sense then I would want to listen to that.”In a six-to-four vote, TTC staff were directed to report back on the potential costs of creating and running the physical store along with the “benefits and implementation strategies.”Related:Questions raised about TTC ‘Between Stations’ social media videos, campaignThe proposal came after a discussion about the money the TTC receives from sources like advertising, parking, and renting out concession space and land. A report said seven per cent of all the money TTC gets comes from these sources.When it comes to advertising, which is the TTC’s top non-revenue source with $31.9 million received in 2024, staff said the demand for “static” space (areas where large paper posters hang) is that it is “just not selling anymore.” They said the demand for digital advertising (either on phones or through physical, electronic devices at TTC properties) is soaring, and there is a struggle to keep up with that.Board vice chair and former councillor Joe Mihevc asked about ways the TTC can promote itself, potentially using slogans like “the better way,” “the community way” or “the sexier way.” TTC staff said they’re looking at ways to boost the agency’s image, including through targeted ad spending, as part of an upcoming ridership growth strategy. The transit agency has seen a shift in usage and is struggling at times to get ridership back to pre-COVID-19 levels (more so on streetcars and subways while bus demand has done better). Despite that, there has been success in exceeding previous off-peak and weekend usage.However, while the TTC got $7.7 million in parking revenue in 2024, it cost almost $12.6 million to operate and maintain the lots. Agency staff proposed raising rates to close that gap, but the board voted to freeze rates in May.