Canadian Retail Thread

[SpongeG]

Pop-up retail a new marketing ploy to combat consumer fatigue

TORONTO (CP) - Everyone knows there is no free lunch, but what about a free spa treatment or hugely discounted designer shoes?

The trend of businesses popping up unannounced in unexpected places, drawing in consumers by offering them an exclusive experience, is starting to make inroads in Canada.

"It's still relatively new ... I'm expecting to see a lot more," said Stan Sutter, editorial director for Marketing magazine.

"If the consumer won't come to the mountain, take the mountain to the consumer," he said adding that it is the best way to get one-on-one contact with consumers.

Making the most of a city at its busiest, the folks at Evian set up a pop-up spa in the heart of downtown Toronto, at Bay and Bloor Streets, during the Toronto International Film Festival.

Patrons could either book an appointment or walk in for a bottle of water, a hand massage, a hot stone treatment, a facial or reflexology. The minimalist white spa had a fountain of Evian water and televisions that showed features about the history of the French water company. With no crowds and lilies everywhere, the place reeked of exclusivity.

On the first day, the lineup for the spa was almost a city block long even before the doors opened.

While the Evian brand is popular, it was the price that really got consumers excited: The spa is free - until October, anyway.

After that Evian will pack up shop, and the only place to get an Evian spa treatment will be in Paris, Buenos Aires or Shanghai.

Evian isn't the only retailer to harness public buzz.

A few years back, U.S. fashion discounter Target, with no retail space in Manhattan, set up a temporary store near New York's Hudson River to make the most of the Christmas season.

Some designers rent downtown spaces for a weekend and send e-mails out to the city's fashion industry, telling of the improptu location and the unbelievable prices.

Other brands have stuffed vans, truck and Hummers full of their products and trekked across Asia and Europe hawking everything from shoes and clothes to designer toys.

Rumour has it the Joe Fresh brand will be taking the discount clothing line across Canada to cities and towns that don't have a Loblaws Super centre.

"It's definitely an attention-getting buzz ... word-of-mouth ... all of those things are where marketers are investing these days. They are not stopping doing the other stuff, but they just find they've got to find something else that builds a little interest," said Sutter.

"The old newspaper ad, magazine ad and television spot don't quite have that engagement."

The purpose of setting up a spa in Canada's most populous city was to create brand awareness, said Michael Thouin, brand manager for Evian in Canada.

"We are taking the money we usually spend on a regular campaign and putting it to something that's a little more non-traditional," he said. "Yes, it is expensive to put together a spa but what we're getting back makes it an effective spend."

Are these pop-up retailers responding to consumer fatigue, or is it simply an age-old marketing ploy all tarted up and strutting her stuff?

"There's always been pedlars and travelling little wagons going around ... tinkers selling pots and pans, travelling bazaars, farmers and flea markets," said Len Kubas, a Toronto-based retail consultant.

"That's probably more of the retail tradition ... as opposed to firm buildings and stalls locked in place forever. Having stores and firm places of business is more recent than the history of retail would have you believe."

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/060916/b091608.html

[malek]

H&M will open its second store in the Rockland Center in Montreal.

Parasuco unveiled its 5M$ flagship store on the corner of Crescent and St-Catherine.

[SteelTown]

Today in the newspaper it released some information on the redevelopment of Centre Mall, which will cost $100 million and will be the largest inner-city redevelopment in Canada.

Some stores apparently coming to Centre Mall:

Ron Jon Surf Company
Abercrombie & Fitch
Hollister Co.
Panera Bread Company
Crate and Barrel
Apple Computer
Italy's Geox (shoes)
Lush Cosmetics and Diva (jewellery);
Mango and Zara from Spain
H&M from Sweden (opened at Lime Ridge this month)
Oil & Vinegar from the Netherlands (food)
Rip Curl from Australia (surf wear)
Inglot from Poland (cosmetics)
Luxottica from Italy (optical fashion chain bought Shoppers Optical in Canada)

Surprised about H&M, which just opened one in Hamilton so I guess there going for 2 H&M in Hamilton.

[miketoronto]

Basically stores that should be opening up in downtown Hamilton instead of another mall. When is Hamilton City Council going to stand up for downtown.

Why would you redevelope a mall that is like 5min from downtown and put stores in like that.

[Simcoe]

I keep hearing a Crate and Barrel is going to open in Toronto, but so far I've seen nothing. What is Miss Sixty? What a terrible name... sounds like it is for little old ladies who never got married.
If Le Chateau intends to go the route of Zara, they have a long way to go. They are notorious for poorly made clothing, and have catered in the past to teenage club kids. That is a hard rep to shake.

[realcity]

Basically stores that should be opening up in downtown Hamilton instead of another mall. When is Hamilton City Council going to stand up for downtown.

Why would you redevelope a mall that is like 5min from downtown and put stores in like that.

exactly. It is a backwards step into a Power Centre no less.

[SpongeG]

I keep hearing a Crate and Barrel is going to open in Toronto, but so far I've seen nothing. What is Miss Sixty? What a terrible name... sounds like it is for little old ladies who never got married.
If Le Chateau intends to go the route of Zara, they have a long way to go. They are notorious for poorly made clothing, and have catered in the past to teenage club kids. That is a hard rep to shake.

Miss Sixty is an italian label - quite pricey and trendy

http://www.bluewater.co.uk/webimages/Store%20Images/M/Miss_Sixty_new.jpg

http://www.m-semba.com/images/shop_img/misssixty.jpg

http://www.coventgardenlife.com/images/photos/large/misssixty.jpg

they have a "trendy" hotel now

http://www.molblog.nl/trends/images/upload/1156412947miss%20sixty%20hotel.jpg

http://www.molblog.nl/trends/images/upload/1156412430miss%20sixty%20hotel%202.jpg


I read that Crate And Barrel plans to open in Canada in 2007 and was looking for two locations in Toronto/Ontario - it was a few months ago i read that

[SpongeG]

Canadian Tire accelerating rollout of new Concept 20/20 stores this year
TORONTO (CP) - Strong sales growth has prompted Canadian Tire Corp. (TSX:CTC.A) to accelerate the rollout of its new larger-format Concept 20/20 stores this year, says its chief financial officer.

Huw Thomas made the remarks Wednesday at a retail conference sponsored by Scotia Capital (TSX:BNS), noting the auto parts and hard goods retailer plans to undertake 300 store projects by the end of 2009.

"It really does underpin our excitement basically about our future," Thomas told delegates.

Concept 20/20 stores range in size from 65,000 to 100,000 square feet and about 90 per cent of Canadian Tire's existing store portfolio can accommodate the new format - eliminating the need for more land.

Canadian Tire Retail's store investment is $850 million to $900 million between 2005 and 2009 - its current outlook period.

Corporate investment per 20/20 store ranges from $400,000 for a basic retrofit, $2 million to $4 million for a more detailed retrofit expansion and $6 million to $8 million for a new store.

About 200 of its 300 planned store projects are expected to be retrofits, Thomas said, adding the new format is proving popular with shoppers.

"Our replacement stores are driving close to a 70 per cent increase in sales - obviously dramatic increase in an existing market," he said, referring to first-year sales growth data.

"Perhaps most pleasing is our retrofit expansion where we've expanded the store and we're seeing close to a 30 per cent increase in sales."

While most of its new stores are earmarked for suburban powercentres, the retailer also plans to pursue more "inner city development."

Observers say Canadian Tire is preparing for sharper competition from big-box rivals Home Depot (NYSE:HD), Rona (TSX:RON) and American home-improvement retailer Lowe's Cos. Inc. (NYSE:LOW) which plans to open its first slate of Canadian stores in 2007.

For its part, Lowe's was scheduled to give an update on its progress in the Canadian market Thursday, while unveiling its new executive team in Toronto.

"I think that Canadian Tire has recognized that they've got a winner in that 20/20 and you want to get them out as quickly as you can before competitors come out with something that might steal some of that thunder," said John Chamberlain, a retail analyst with Dominion Bond Rating Service.

Canada's home improvement market is worth about $28 billion and is considered "the sweet spot of retail."

But Canadian Tire's expansion drive also extends to its other banners including Mark's Work Wearhouse, PartSource and its petroleum sites, Thomas said.

Overall, Canadian Tire will undertake about 500 to 550 store projects between 2005 to 2009 to drive sales and increase its market penetration.

Its accelerated 20/20 expansion comes about a month after it boosted its full-year earnings guidance. It forecasts that earnings per share will be in the range of $4.25 to $4.40, excluding non-operating items, compared with the previous range of $4.20 to $4.35.

Canadian Tire operates more than 1,100 stores, gasoline stations and car washes. Its shares were ahead 98 cents to $69.85 during afternoon trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/060920/b092068.html

[SpongeG]

cabela slated for nov 3 opening
Mark your calendars - the great outdoors surges indoors in a big way when Cabela's opens to the public on Nov. 3.

Many moons have passed since city officials and company honchos huddled over plans for this promised land. Many rains have fallen since contractors, electricians, bricklayers and forklift drivers began their labor on the mammoth structure.

But each day's toil has realized steady progress and when the mountain-sized boutique-for-the-rugged launches its opening at 12703 Westport Parkway that Friday morning, La Vista may never be the same.

According to a press release last week, Cabela's expects 1.5 million people to visit the store annually and, in turn, campers, hunters, hikers, fishing people, birdwatchers, outdoor fashion buffs and the simply curious can expect a tourist and retail paradise - nearly three football fields worth of education, entertainment and shopping.

Along with aisles and aisles of Cabela's catalog items, two major attractions await visitors.

A 22-foot Conservation Mountain stands inside the front doors, with dozens of wild game mounts from Alaska, the Yukon Territory, Wyoming and Canada displayed among waterfalls, streams, a trout pond and even a beaver dam.

A 34,000-gallon walk-through aquarium stocked with hundreds of fish indigenous to the region will sport information kiosks with interactive touch-screens that identify and explain each species.

Company statistics show that half of Cabela's customers come from more than 100 miles away and that an average visit lasts three and a half hours.

Take those numbers and apply some Marketing 101 concepts - it's a turkey-shoot conclusion that since shopping tends to make fellers and gals tired and hungry, nearby hotels and restaurants will prosper and area retailers will be blessed by the accompanying while-we're here-let's-see-what-else-there-is-to-do attitude.

An imperfect but revealing calculation of income generated just by sales taxes shows why city and state officials might also feel economically exalted.

Estimate on the paltry side that each customer (1.5 million of them, remember) purchases $25 of merchandise. Do the math figuring in city and state sales tax - La Vista's at 1.5 percent and Nebraska's at 5.5 percent - and $2.6 million dollars ostensibly clang into city and state coffers.

Unless you're a mayor, a city administrator or an economic forecaster, knowing how government entities will split this enormous amount probably doesn't cruise front and center in customers' minds.

Here's a more understandable concept - 43 days 'till you can cruise through Cabela's.


Other adventures at Cabela's:

· Displays of hundreds of big-game trophies and other wildlife mounts throughout the store - including western prairie, northern woodlands, Alaskan tundra and Arctic ice settings.

· Walking path through landscaped grounds with native trees and plants.

· An indoor archery range where archers can test their equipment.

· Full-service fly-fishing shop

· World-class gun library

· Dog kennels so customers can shop while their animals are cared for.

· Conference rooms and educational center for school groups, seminars, conferences and conventions.

· Bargain cave of discounted merchandise, laser arcade, specialty furniture store, art gallery, country store with homemade fudge.
http://images.zwire.com/local/Z/Zwire2712/zwire/images/2006/09/story/WEB9-21Cabela's_6201--mb_story.jpg


http://www.bellevueleader.com/site/tab5.cfm?newsid=17225293&BRD=2712&PAG=461&dept_id=556329&rfi=6#music%20begins%20here

[SpongeG]

Goodbye department store, hello superstore
Over the coming months, superstores will be beefing up their product lines and stocking their shelves with some surprising items in an attempt to stay on top of the ever-diversifying Canadian marketplace.

In the past decade, department stores have struggled for survival as consumers flocked to a growing number of niche-market superstores. Now, in an ironic twist, superstores are answering customers' demands for one-stop shopping by expanding their product lines.

Retailers have been forced to adapt to changing shopping patterns and intensely fierce competition, Peter Sharpe, the vice president of the Canadian division of the International Convention of Shopping Centres, told delegates Tuesday at their annual conference in Toronto.

"In this competitive environment, it's not surprising to see large retailers adopting and testing new strategies — including diversification, adding new and exclusive lines of products and increasing sales from offshore sourcing — in efforts to win new customers and improve sales performances," Sharpe said.

The supermarket chain Loblaws, for example, is expanding its product line beyond groceries to include a wide range of discount general merchandise items including clothes for men and women.

Wal-Mart has also forced competitors to make changes as it continues to make inroads in the food and pharmacy markets.

Shoppers Drug Mart has responded with plans to enlarge 75 per cent of its existing stores, Sharpe told delegates. The drug store chain has begun stocking a wider variety of general merchandise, including food.

Despite a bustling economy these are trying times for Canadian retailers who must continually attempt to remain relevant to consumers, said Bill Gregson the president and CEO of the Forzani Group, which operates Sport Chek, Sport Mart, National Sports and Coast Mountain Sports.

"The Canadian consumer gives you zero sympathy for being a Canadian company," Gregson said at a panel discussion at the conference Wednesday. He noted that Canadians are unwilling to protect homegrown companies on the basis of patriotism alone if there are better deals elsewhere to be found.

Despite being a late entry to the home improvement market in Canada, U.S.-based home improvement store Lowe’s has big plans for the Canadian market. Doug Robinson, president of the Canadian division of Lowe's, said the company is scouting out new locations and searching for the products that appeal to Canadian consumers.

"It's a very complicated art, it's not a science," Robinson said of carving out a place in the crowded Canadian market.

Meanwhile, Home Depot is attempting to strengthen its position with plans to open more superstores and smaller urban stores that offer a blend of traditional and high-end products.

Rona similarly plans to add convenience stores and gas bars to one-third of its outlets.

Retailers must also contend with e-commerce pressures. Canada’s 2,298 shopping centres have been forced to diversify in part because of moderate but growing competition from online retailers. A 2003 Statistics Canada survey found that an estimated 3.2 million households actively participated in e-commerce, up from 2.8 million the year before.

"Consumers have so much choice," said Indigo CEO Heather Reisman at the conference. She noted that it's a challenge to meet and anticipate consumers' needs. "The reality of the information age is upon us and I think it's a challenge and an opportunity."

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2006/09/20/superstore-consumer.html

[officedweller]

I heard that H&M will be leasing the former Caban space on Granville Street (South Granville) in Vancouver.

[miketoronto]

Goodbye department store, hello superstore



I am sorry, but if people want one stop shopping then go to a department store. I see no use in a place like LOBLAWS having to sell clothing and all that stuff. If I want to go clothes shopping, I will go shopping for that.
I don't need to do it while buying food at a supermarket and choosing from what really is not even a good selection.

These stores have gotta focus on what they are good at. For LOBLAWS that is clothing. Trying to be everything does not work in my opinion.

Actually I noticed REXAL DRUGSTORES has a commerical on TV actually stating that all they do is drugstore stuff, and how its so better to go to them where people know about the stuff, then a place like LOBLAWS trying to sell everything. Interesting commerical but very well done, taking a jab at the supercentres who really can't decide what they want to sell.

[Simcoe]

Actually I noticed REXAL DRUGSTORES has a commerical on TV actually stating that all they do is drugstore stuff, and how its so better to go to them where people know about the stuff, then a place like LOBLAWS trying to sell everything. Interesting commerical but very well done, taking a jab at the supercentres who really can't decide what they want to sell.

But ironically, Rexall stores sell all sorts of foods. One night I walked past a
Rexall pharmacy with a big sign in the window.. it was a photo of peaches, and the text went something to the effect of "Why would you buy your medicines in a place that sells peaches?", and right below it they had stacks of Campbell's Soup on special. They sell cookies, and all sorts of foods now.

[SteelTown]

Lowe's breaks ground with women-friendly Home Improvement Warehouse opening next fall

By Deirdre Healey
The Hamilton Spectator
(Sep 22, 2006)
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/images/hs/hs1480247_1.jpg

Nothing is sacred. Not even a man and his home improvement projects.

Women are taking over the do-it-yourself phenomenon and changing it to do-it-for-me.

The men who once marched into a home improvement store in search of nails and 2 X 4s are being replaced by women who sift through counter-top samples and pick out decorative light fixtures before making their way over to the store's installation service counter.

Chamberlains said Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse is the first to pick up on the important role women play in home improvement, leaving the two other giants, Home Depot and RONA racing to catch up.

"Lowe's is to Home Depot what Target is to Wal-Mart," he said. "The demographic is more female."

Local women will be happy to hear the North Carolina company is opening its first Canadian store in Hamilton next fall. The official groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday at the future location for the 145,000 square foot store at the corner of Barton Street and Woodward Avenue.

Canadian Lowe's president Doug Robinson told the crowd gathered at the construction site that Hamilton was chosen as the site for the $20.5-million project after a one-year study of the local market. Population growth, home construction, home ownership and renovation spending were all considered, he said. The future Red Hill Expressway also made the chosen corner an accessible location.

Lowe's also plans to build four more stores in Brantford, south Brampton and Toronto by the end of 2007. The expansion into Canada is the company's latest move in the home improvement battle with all three giants -- Home Depot, RONA and Lowe's -- fighting for a piece of Canada's $28-billion market.

While Home Depot is the largest of the three home-improvement goliaths, Lowe's is ahead of the game with its female-friendly stores.

Lowe's stores are eye driven with bright lighting and displays, Torella said.

"They are moving away from the warehouse setting," he said.

Products are pulled out of boxes, assembled and put on display because women like to know what the product will look like in their home. Women are also comparison shoppers and like to stand back and compare one product to another, said Chris Ahearn, Lowe's spokesperson.

The aisles are wider so carts or baby strollers can easily pass each other. And more feminine products like carpeting and cabinets are placed at the front.

[bc2mb]

I can see Lowe's buying Rona within the next few years...

[neilson]

But Rona's gonna be expanding into the USA next year.

[pegcity]

I enjoy choices and options, but do we really need another hardware store. I mean if I can't find it at Canadian Tire wouldn't Rona,Home Depot, Home Hardware or Mcdiarmard lumber have it, now I guess Lowes will have it too. Someone will eventually pack up shop, and i'm thinking it will be canadian.

P.S. Can someone explain to me the Candian Tire smell...

later
pegcity

[Simcoe]

I'm happy that BestBuy is opening a location downtown in Toronto. I don't have a car so have never gone to one. Also handy having a new Canadian Tire store downtown. Could spend hours walking around a CT.

[Rusty van Reddick]

P.S. Can someone explain to me the Candian Tire smell...

later
pegcity

Tires?

[SpongeG]

I like Lowes

go to the one across the border often

[Simcoe]

Tires?

Bingo. Got it in one, furry!:tup:

[SpongeG]

i was at a CT yesterday looking for am air filter

and i couldn;t find the one i needed so i left

walk into wal-mart and had no trouble finding what i needed

its sad that CT is such a mess and unorganized - they had open boxes, misplaced things on the shelves etc. and no one around to help and the parts guide book was missing

[SSLL]

From: http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2006/09/18/daily14.html?b=1158552000^1348080
_________________
Canadian chain expanding to state
Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) - September 19, 2006

A Canadian Greek restaurant chain, Mr. Greek, said it plans its first U.S. restaurant in Puyallup.

The Mr. Greek chain expanded from its first Toronto location in 1988 to 22 locations in southern Ontario. The Washington restaurant will be located at 4301 Meridian St. S. in Puyallup and is expected to open in December. Two others are planned for the area by franchisee Nadar Morcos, according to a statement.


"Greek cuisine is right behind Italian, Asian and Mexican food in popularity but unlike those saturated segments, the Greek segment is wide open with very little competition," said George Raios, president and CEO of Mr. Greek Restaurants Inc., in a statement.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060922.wxrwalmart22/EmailBNStory/Business/home
___________________
Wal-Mart is trying to go chic, by George
MARINA STRAUSS
From Friday's Globe and Mail
It's a destination for cheap underwear, pyjamas and children's overalls, but now the country's largest discounter wants to be known for cheap chic too.

After all, shoppers are already heading to Wal-Mart Canada Corp. for a wide range of their everyday needs, said Chris Johnston, vice-president of apparel. Why not entice them to spend more by offering more stylish clothing at low prices?

So Wal-Mart is quickly expanding its edgy George line to more of its stores, and moving into more categories. But it's not just pitching the fashions in its usual way, by showing its own staff wearing the styles in its flyers.

Instead, Wal-Mart for the first time has hired svelte models to showcase the styles. They're appearing in separate catalogues within its flyers, and in a wide-ranging advertising campaign. The George tagline: "It's about style."

On the shop floor, the apparel sections are changing too. Fewer styles are being displayed, in a bid to give each one more prominence. Five racks of the George clothing are labelled "fast fashion." The pieces are replaced every four to six weeks with updated looks, copied from the runways by in-house designers.

"Wal-Mart historically has done a great job in addressing the needs of the consumer in apparel," said Mr. Johnston, an apparel retailing veteran who arrived at Wal-Mart early last year to help boost the business. "But there are 'wants' out there that we should address as well if we're going to be what we've set out to be, which is the total apparel destination for the Canadian consumer."

As rival Loblaw Cos. Ltd. beefs up its apparel sections with the trendy Joe Fresh Style line, Wal-Mart is stepping up its quota of fashionable offerings. It's competing with specialty stores, many of which are specializing in the cheap chic sector.

Kaileen Millard, fashion director at market researcher NPD Group, said Wal-Mart is making headway in its rush to capture more of the apparel market. "It is providing strong competition for Joe Fresh."

She said Wal-Mart's core customers, between 30 and 55, are in the stores anyway for their purchases. But they don't want the frumpy clothes that the chain has often been associated with.

"I wouldn't say it's risky," she said. "Wal-Mart already has a strong hold on this age group." What's more, it's an age group that has been underserved, she added.

The George line targets women between 25 and 45, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Christi Gallagher said. However, it's finding that customers beyond this age group are embracing the styles because "today fashion is more about attitude than it is about age."

By next year, the fast-fashion line will be in all 272 Wal-Mart stores. It was launched last November in 50 outlets and now is in 150.

Wal-Mart decided to put more emphasis on the George line after its research found that its customers wanted more styling, colour, timeliness -- as well as affordability -- in its clothing, Mr. Johnston said.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=e57e9259-0828-48a4-b4f0-9894c1c3c9bf&k=89712
_____________________
Slew of U.S. retailers scouting Canadian sites
Seeking untapped niches

Hollie Shaw, Financial Post
Published: Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Spurred on by the success of Abercrombie and Fitch and American Eagle, a new slate of U.S. retailers, including Brooks Brothers, Pacific Sunwear and the owner of the Lane Bryant plus-size women's clothing chain, have been looking at locations in Canada, says the country's biggest shopping mall owner.
"Lane Bryant is interested," Peter Sharpe, chief executive of Cadillac Fairview Corp., confirmed yesterday in between leasing sessions at an International Council of Shopping Centres convention in Toronto.
"Brooks Brothers also sees an opportunity in between the [upscale] Holt Renfrew/Harry Rosen segment and the Tip Top/Grafton Fraser/Moores market" for men's suits and dress casual wear, he said. "I think it's a big niche that has great potential and there's nobody hitting that middle spectrum on the national scale."
Brooks Brothers, one of the most storied brand names in men's suits that has expanded more recently into men's and women's casual fashions, is owned by Retail Brand Alliance Inc., a spinoff of Italian conglomerate Luxottica Group, SpA. It has 170 outlets in the United States and another 70 worldwide.
Lane Bryant is owned by Charming Shoppes, Inc., the largest specialty retailer of plus-sized clothing in the United States, with 2,265 stores. It also owns the Fashion Bug and Catherine's Plus Size banners.
In Canada, Lane Bryant would face stiff competition from Montreal clothing giant Reitmans Canada Ltd., which is the top retailer of plus-sized apparel in Canada and owner of the Penningtons and Addition-Elle banners.
"A huge portion of youth are overweight and when you look at Addition-Elle and Penningtons combined, they have captured about 40% to 45% of the plus-size market in Canada," said David Howell, president of retail consultancy Associate Marketing International.
"Sears has really backed away from it, so somebody new like a Lane Bryant would have a huge opportunity."
While Brooks Brothers and Lane Bryant cater to older customers, Pacific Sunwear targets the 18-to-30 demographic most coveted by advertisers.
The success of youth fashion retailers Abercrombie and Fitch and its teen surfwear banner Hollister in Canada has inspired many U.S. retailers to consider the market, Mr. Howell noted.
Gar Jackson, director of investor relations for Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc., said the company "hasn't really made any public comment about our expansion plans in Canada."
Retail leasing experts have also been searching for sites to expand U.S.-based teen retailers Forever 21 and Aeropostale into Canada.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1159221038964&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
______________________
George, Joe in fashion fight
Sep. 26, 2006. 07:35 AM
DANA FLAVELLE
BUSINESS REPORTER

You could call it Joe versus George in the latest battle of the goliaths.
As two of Canada's largest retailers — one a supermarket chain, the other a discount department store — prepare to duke it out on each other's turf, more than the price of lettuce will be at stake.
As Loblaw Cos. Ltd. pushes into Ontario's general-merchandise market in a bigger way and Wal-mart Canada Ltd. prepares to add fresh food to the aisles this fall, one of the battlegrounds will be fashion: not just any fashion, but high fashion at low prices.
In a grocery store and a discount mass-merchandise retailer?
You bet.
Wal-Mart has "George," its fashion-forward line designed in Britain, while Loblaws has Joe Fresh, named for Canadian designer Joseph Mimran, known from Club Monaco.
The implications for other retailers could be enormous as two of Canada's largest retailers aim to take a bigger bite out of the $18.7 billion a year apparel market. Even Sears Canada, the leader in women's wear, is watching the contest closely.
"There's a lot more competition in retailing than there was 10 or 15 years ago," said Sears spokesperson Vince Power.
It's partly the H&M effect. The fast-growing Swedish specialty retailer built a global empire making runway knockoffs at cutthroat prices and using celebrity models to flog them. The season's must-have Madonna tracksuit springs to mind as the latest example.
Now, it seems that every apparel retailer worth its salt, from Fairweather to the Bay, feels it has to have an entry in the "cheap chic" category. Fairweather is touting Isaac Mizrahi, a designer label that Target launched in the United States. The Bay has borrowed a page from Bloomingdales by adding edgier lower-priced labels, like I.N.C., to the high-fashion floor.
Both Loblaws and Wal-mart are putting big pushes behind fashion brands this fall.
Joe Fresh, first unveiled in March, will finally hit some Toronto-area Loblaws stores in the next few weeks. Wal-Mart, meanwhile, is promoting George with ads in hip urban magazines such as Toronto Life and a fashion show in Toronto's funky theatre district.
George is dressier, while Joe Fresh is more casual and everyday, but they have things in common: the low price point, good design and exclusivity to the stores. The idea is to discourage consumers from comparison shopping national brands to get the best price.
The low price tags on Joe Fresh and George could make some eyes pop out.
From Joe Fresh, this season's grey, down-filled vest is just $29. Or, for a little fun, how about the "fur-ocious" tote — a fake-fur-covered handbag — for just $12? A website, http://www.joe.ca, shows you how to wear it and an email list will keep you current.
From George, there's a grey checked jumper for $39 over a $17 white turtleneck and short black-patent boots for $29.
Blouses run $15 to $20, while outerwear is $79 to $99, Wal-mart said.
Consumers appear to like what they're seeing.
George is Wal-Mart's fastest-growing clothing brand, said Chris Johnston, the company's vice-president of apparel. Looking at sales in stores open more than a year, without the impact of new stores, "We've had double-digit growth," he said. "We're frankly excited and chasing that right now."
George aims to capitalize on the "fast fashion" trend by bringing the latest looks from the catwalk to the floor within eight to 12 weeks, he said.
Loblaws plans to expand Joe Fresh into more stores, including two former Caban locations, one at Queen's Quay and Jarvis St., the other at St. Clair Ave. and Bathurst St.
Industry watchers say it's too soon to tell how well either brand will perform. It depends on how much of the merchandise the stores actually stock and in what sizes, said Kaileen Millard, vice-president of apparel for market-research firm NPD Canada. The fastest-growing market for women's wear in Canada is women over age 45, who can't always wear the smallest sizes, she noted.
While younger women still like to shop, the impact of the "fast fashion" trend has driven prices so low that, even though people are buying more items, they're spending less.
As a business model and from a consumer perspective, fast fashion is a really neat concept, said Rick Wolfe, a retail consultant with PostStone Consulting, in Toronto.
For the retailer, it's a way to drive traffic to the store on a regular basis, by promising something new and fresh every time, he said. For the style-conscious customer, it's attractive "because I don't have to buy only four items a season. I can stay current on a monthly basis, and I can do it affordably."
Whether Joe Fresh and George will appeal to the same customer is doubtful, he added.
"Certainly, the Joe Fresh customer and the George customer is someone looking for `cheap chic.' But, arguably, the Wal-mart customer is lower income than the Loblaw customer," he said. "My hunch is that in one way their targets overlap, and in another way they don't."
NPD's Millard said not all consumers even want cheap chic. Some are just looking for good old-fashioned basics that fit and wear well.
One of the fastest-growing Canadian clothing chains is Mark's Work Wearhouse, Millard noted. Mark's sells what many would consider wardrobe staples, from relaxed fit denims to pre-shrunk canvas shirts. Other retailers, such as Sears, maintain their positions by offering something for everyone, in every size, from petite to plus.

[Rusty van Reddick]

From: http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2006/09/18/daily14.html?b=1158552000^1348080
_________________

I don't get why they are skipping over western Canada before they open in WA state.

[harls]

I am sorry, but if people want one stop shopping then go to a department store. I see no use in a place like LOBLAWS having to sell clothing and all that stuff. If I want to go clothes shopping, I will go shopping for that.
I don't need to do it while buying food at a supermarket and choosing from what really is not even a good selection.

These stores have gotta focus on what they are good at. For LOBLAWS that is clothing. Trying to be everything does not work in my opinion.


huh? you mean food, right?

I wouldn't go clothes shopping in Loblaws either, but I suppose some people who are too busy to run from store to store and don't care about where their clothes come from like to do it. What's the difference if your 'one stop shopping' is in a department store or not? Most people spend more time buying groceries than shopping for clothes. Seems weird to put a shirt and a pound of ground beef in the same shopping cart though.. but that's just me.

[MolsonExport]

The real fashionable people know that Canadian Tire is where to go for high fashion.

[SpongeG]

they sell Columbia clothing at Canadia Tire here

superstore is cool - they have some good stuff beside groceries

has anyone been to Fred Meyer? they are a groecery store, clothing store, hardware store, garden, home etc. all on one

[SpongeG]

btw H&M doesn't seem to be opening in the old Caban spot on granville - a clothing store called urban planet has already opened there

[SSLL]

I don't get why they are skipping over western Canada before they open in WA state.

It does seem strange. I don't even recall them in Ottawa!

Maybe some of the owner's family live there? Or there are an astonishing large amount of Greeks in Seattle?

[SSLL]

Eww...Urban Planet? I haven't gone down to Queen Street to see what's happening to the Caban site there. If Crate & Barrel were sharp, they would've snatched the flagship sites in Toronto and Vancouver, since they've announced their entry into Toronto already. There's no H&M in Queen Street either, but already a Zara. I wonder if they're just waiting for the right location to free up.

[Taller Better]

I am sorry, but if people want one stop shopping then go to a department store. I see no use in a place like LOBLAWS having to sell clothing and all that stuff. If I want to go clothes shopping, I will go shopping for that.
I don't need to do it while buying food at a supermarket and choosing from what really is not even a good selection.

These stores have gotta focus on what they are good at. For LOBLAWS that is clothing. Trying to be everything does not work in my opinion.

Actually I noticed REXAL DRUGSTORES has a commerical on TV actually stating that all they do is drugstore stuff, and how its so better to go to them where people know about the stuff, then a place like LOBLAWS trying to sell everything. Interesting commerical but very well done, taking a jab at the supercentres who really can't decide what they want to sell.

The man that owns Loblaw's also owns Holt Renfrew, and Selfridges in England, so I think he is a good person to deal with a low end line of clothing like Joe to be sold in a place like Loblaw's.

[CMD UW]

i was at a CT yesterday looking for am air filter

and i couldn;t find the one i needed so i left

walk into wal-mart and had no trouble finding what i needed

its sad that CT is such a mess and unorganized - they had open boxes, misplaced things on the shelves etc. and no one around to help and the parts guide book was missing
Sorry about your luck, but I've had good experiences at CT.

In fact Canadian Tire is a very well run company, just take a look at its stock you'll know what I mean.

[CMD UW]

The man that owns Loblaw's also owns Holt Renfrew, and Selfridges in England, so I think he is a good person to deal with a low end line of clothing like Joe to be sold in a place like Loblaw's.
Loblaws is owned by the George Weston Group

http://www.weston.ca/en/abt_corprof.html

[neilson]

Loblaws is owned by the George Weston Group

http://www.weston.ca/en/abt_corprof.html
And they own Holt Renfrow and some Department Store chain in Ireland.

[SpongeG]

the Caban store in Vancouver is pretty small - far too small for a Crate and Barrel - the C&B's in Seattle must be 4 or 5 times the size that Caban in Vancouver was

[SpongeG]

Sorry about your luck, but I've had good experiences at CT.

In fact Canadian Tire is a very well run company, just take a look at its stock you'll know what I mean.

well i never have any good experiences with them

they never have enough flyer sale items in stock - you get there and its all sold out and you ask someone and they say sorry.

Once while thinking about paint the girl at the paint counter stayed talking on the phone the whole time we waited at the thing trying to grab her attention. so we just left and got it at home depot.

the stores i have been to here other than cambie are all very cramped feeling and the aisles are narrow and crowded - they have a lot to do to win me back

[Taller Better]

Loblaws is owned by the George Weston Group

http://www.weston.ca/en/abt_corprof.html

Yes, and they own Holt Renfrew, Selfridges (a very exclusive clothing
store in England) and Fortnum & Mason. Galen Weston is one of the wealthiest men in Canada, and is married to our former Lieutenant Governor
(and extremely stylish) Hilary Weston. I think the group has enough expertise in retail clothing to sell a low end fashion line like Joe in Loblaw's.

[SpongeG]

i don't know what a loblaws store is like - but the RCSS here in vancovuer are ver big - i would say the stores are split 50% groceries/produce/deli/meat etc and 50% home goods, bedding, bath, electronics, pharmacy, clothes, toys, car things, soaps etc.

they have over the last few years been expanding and renovating the stores

so the new joe line fit in no problem - the stores that have renovated to fit them in look very nice - the older ones have the Joe stuff but its just in with the clothes

[SSLL]

I went by the Toronto Caban store. It's now an Urban Barn or Planet or something like that.

[alps]

King of Donair, a popular pizza/donair chain in Halifax, will expand beyond Nova Scotia by opening 70 new stores across Canada soon. (As well as 30 more stores in N.S.)

[Boris2k7]

My little brother is working at Crappy Tire right now. Always have to laugh at crappily run companies. The management in this particular store is piss-poor (read: non-existant), the merchandise is shit, the staff at a minimum, and organized in such as a way that it is impossible to find anything.

CT is such a joke. It's the same at most stores here.

Seriously, if I actually needed help with my car, I went to Auto Value, where there are people who actually know what the hell they are talking about, and a large stock.

[SpongeG]

I went by the Toronto Caban store. It's now an Urban Barn or Planet or something like that.

is it clothes or Furniture?

Urban barn is a western company that i heard was planning to expand into ontario

they do furniture

[BlackRedGold]

King of Donair, a popular pizza/donair chain in Halifax, will expand beyond Nova Scotia by opening 70 new stores across Canada soon. (As well as 30 more stores in N.S.)


There are already King of Donair locations outside of Nova Scotia. I know there's one in downtown Saint John.

I just hope that one shows up in Ottawa.

[Arriviste]

Nothing worse than a chain Donair place. I doubt that it will ever make it out to Calgary. The thought of it gives me chills. I'll stick to Sammy's on 17th. Jimmy's A and A is a gem aswell.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Arriviste- did you notice that Falafel King is opening where grabbajabba vacated (16th St/10 Ave)? With Sammy's, Shawarma King on 14th and now Falafel King we might rename the west side of 17th the Donair District.

[neilson]

Nothing worse than a chain Donair place. I doubt that it will ever make it out to Calgary. The thought of it gives me chills. I'll stick to Sammy's on 17th. Jimmy's A and A is a gem aswell.
What's a Donair? Looks like a Taco Salad to me.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Donair=Gyro, but with this kind of sweet sauce instead of tzaziki. Personally, I always get shawarma with real chicken, beef or lamb, not donair mystery meat (now a good GYRO can tempt me but I've never had anything close to a good gyro, as at Parthenon in Madison Wisc, in Canada).

[malek]

King of Donair, a popular pizza/donair chain in Halifax, will expand beyond Nova Scotia by opening 70 new stores across Canada soon. (As well as 30 more stores in N.S.)


donair:haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha:

[malek]

donair:haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha:


how do you guys say it ??:haha::haha:

[BlackRedGold]

Nothing worse than a chain Donair place.

Then you've never eaten at King of Donair. Their donairs are the best donair/schwarma/gyro sandwich that I've ever had. The only sandwich experience I've had that can compare to it is an authentic Philly cheesesteak.

[Built Form]

Re: Pacific Centre Shoppers' Drug Mart.
Spoke to the pharmacist and she said the new Shoppers' (northeast corner of Granville and Dunsmuir) will open end of November. However the old location will continue to operate till the end of their lease sometime in the new year.

[SpongeG]

ah

they had a shoppers drug mart on scott rd and than they built a brand new shopping plaza thing and in went a brand new shoppers drug mart - but the old one had a different franchisee owner - so he was competing with the same store but his store was old and crappy and the new one was nice and all that. His store closed down after a few months

not that this relates to anything but it made me think of that

[SteelTown]

Mark's likes women
By Carmela Fragomeni
The Hamilton Spectator
(Oct 19, 2006)

Hamilton's retail market is supersizing again.

The largest Mark's Work Wearhouse store in Canada opens today on Upper Wentworth Street.

Shoppers at the new flagship store that sells casual and work clothing will see more women's casual wear among the work clothing that gave the company its name.

Helen Kanold, a company district manager for the Golden Horseshoe, said that while demand for the store's work clothes hasn't diminished, the call for women's wear has skyrocketed.

That demand, coupled with the city's continued growth, was the driving force in choosing Hamilton for the flagship store, said Kanold.

"We chose Hamilton because the demographics are telling us it's a very fast growing community."

The women's section at Mark's Work Wearhouse was small 15 years ago, accounting for less than 10 per cent of a store's space. Work clothes and work boots made up most of the merchandise.

Today, one-third of the new store across from Lime Ridge Mall is devoted to women's wear and that department at the new store "is larger than in most retail stores," said Kanold.

The rest of the merchandise is divided evenly between men's wear and industrial work clothes.

Mark's Work Wearhouse stores in Ancaster, Stoney Creek and on Upper James Street will remain open.

The super store is part of a trend to large store developments in Hamilton, including the expanded 170,000 sq. ft. super Wal-Mart in Ancaster which has added a full grocery complement and the new 145,000 sq. ft.

Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse currently under construction in Hamilton is also catering to women.

[Plus15]

Harry Rosen sets sights on Calgary's 'premier' market
'We are very, very bullish' about the city

Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, October 19, 2006

Canada's largest retailer of high-end men's fashion wear is planning an ambitious and aggressive expansion in the Calgary market to take advantage of the city's growing wealth and youthful population.
"We are very, very bullish about Calgary," said Larry Rosen, chairman and CEO of Harry Rosen Inc., in an interview with the Herald on Wednesday. "This is a city that has really come into its own. It's a very unique city. It's got a very strong business, head-office component. It's got a youthfulness to it. It's a young city.
"We see the opportunities for growing our business in the city. Certainly it's the premier market for growth in the country for us."
The Harry Rosen location in downtown Calgary in TD Square has doubled in business in the last five years and Rosen said the company would like to "substantially" expand the current store from its 18,000 square feet to about 30,000 square feet. It is in negotiations with TD Square administration to expand the store.
"Clearly it's a hot market in getting the kind of space we want downtown. It's not easy, but we'll find a way of doing it. We're determined to do it because there's an old adage 'you've got to fish where the salmon are swimming.' Calgary is an exciting market. It goes without saying it would make perfect sense for us to invest a good chunk of our capital budget here," said Rosen.
The company also wants to open one or two new stores in the city in late 2007 and in 2008.Rosen said the company has seen a "remarkable change" in Calgary since the store's opening more than 20 years ago.
"Calgary has truly become a very world-class city," he said. "The people here are looking for good wines. They're looking for the good cars. They're looking for the good theatre. Good restaurants. And obviously quality clothing. And they're prepared to pay for it. It's a city that's really matured."
Lynne Ricker, marketing professor at the University of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business, said Calgary is a very attractive market for a retail store like Harry Rosen.
"Calgary is a head office town so it's very business oriented and they sell a lot of business clothing. So there's a market for them there," said Ricker.
"The demographics in Calgary are it's younger and quite affluent. That group tends to like higher-quality products. They have an interest in style and lifestyle."
Naheed Nenshi, a marketing instructor specializing in retail at Mount Royal College's Bissett School of Business, said Calgary is an appealing market these days for any retailer because of its booming economy with its population explosion and increasing levels of disposable income.
Harry Rosen has 16 stores across the country, with a presence in seven major markets -- Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
The company is projected to surpass $200 million in sales this year and is aiming to hit $300 million in annual sales within five years.
Rosen said the company estimates it has about 40 per cent of the quality men's fashion market in the country and is projecting that within five years its share will increase to 50 per cent.
A $50-million capital plan includes the expansion of seven or eight of its existing stores and the opening of four or five more.
"Our intention is to invest a lot of our capital in enlarging our business here in Calgary," said Rosen. "We think the opportunities are wonderful."
The Calgary store was established in the early 1980s and it has expanded three times.
"We have obviously here a major flagship. This is considered one of our key flagship stores," said Rosen.
Rosen said Calgary is a city that has a "great sense of confidence."
"Quite frankly, it's being underserviced in that (high-end retail market)," he said. "That's why we feel so bullish about it.
"We know cities like for example Toronto, where we've operated since 1954, are not going through the renaissance that Calgary is in. . . . It's got a lot of younger executives because there's a lot of people who have been transferred here or moved here. It's quite a cosmopolitan city.
"It is the lowest-taxed jurisdiction in Canada and it has the same number of household incomes over $100,000 as for example Vancouver, which is a city with twice the population. So per capita it's a relatively wealthy city and obviously we cater to the better end. It makes sense that we would expand here.
"One of the things that's happened to Calgary is that it's become so much more sophisticated that they're very appreciative of an international perspective like we bring."
Rosen said the most remarkable change for the company in the last few years has been a growing interest by the younger consumer.
"We describe our clients -- we call them MOPES: managers, owners, professionals, entrepreneurs. And to that we add athletes and entertainers," said Rosen. "We've been very, very pleased in the last five years about how much interest there is in the new younger fashion. And Calgary has been a bit of a leader in that because it is really a remarkably young city."
mtoneguzzi@theherald.canwest.com
Harry Rosen Inc.

- 16 stores across the country in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal;
- Calgary store located in downtown TD Square;
- The company's stores combine for a total of 240,000 square feet of retail space;
- Annual sales for 2006 are projected to surpass $200 million;
- Company has a $50-million capital plan to add new stores and expand several current ones;
- Founded in 1954 by Harry Rosen as a single 500-square-foot store in Toronto;
- Current average store size is 15,000 square feet.
© The Calgary Herald 2006

[miketoronto]

I like Harry Rosen. I had to buy something there a couple weeks ago and their service is amazing.

I don't like the idea that they want to expand outside of downtown Calgary though. Harry Rosen is the kind of store that it makes sense to make the trip downtown to visit, because they have amazing flagships. The Toronto flagship has like three floors.

[neilson]

I like Harry Rosen. I had to buy something there a couple weeks ago and their service is amazing.

I don't like the idea that they want to expand outside of downtown Calgary though. Harry Rosen is the kind of store that it makes sense to make the trip downtown to visit, because they have amazing flagships. The Toronto flagship has like three floors.
Harry Rosen is good, but why shop there when you've got Moore's all over the place?

A Suit's a Suit, and Moore's proved that concept.

[SpongeG]

harry rosen sells more than suits

they sell designer and casual

at least here in Vancouver they do

[neilson]

harry rosen sells more than suits

they sell designer and casual

at least here in Vancouver they do
Well, Moore's does more then just suits too.

[miketoronto]

Harry Rosen is good, but why shop there when you've got Moore's all over the place?

A Suit's a Suit, and Moore's proved that concept.


A suit is not just suit. There are all different kinds of patterns, cuts, etc. And Harry Rosen has the best :)

[neilson]

A suit is not just suit. There are all different kinds of patterns, cuts, etc. And Harry Rosen has the best :)
And what does that make Moore's?

[SteelTown]

Wal-Mart goes gourmet

By DANA FLAVELLE
Toronto Star
(Oct 20, 2006)

From sushi to organic baby food, Wal-Mart's newest Canadian store is a notch above what some analysts say they expected from a discount mass merchandiser.

The Ancaster store is the first Wal-Mart in Canada to offer fresh food alongside frozen and packaged goods and general household merchandise.

Called Your Fresh Market, it's one of several the country's biggest retailer plans to open between now and the end of January.

One analyst said the new stores may take a bigger bite out of the $70 billion a year grocery industry than originally expected.

"We would describe it as discount plus," Perry Caicco, an analyst with CIBC World Markets, wrote in a research note to clients. "This will be a formidable grocery entry."

A Wal-Mart spokesperson declined to comment on the report, which was written after Caicco got a sneak peak at the Ancaster store.

The focus of the report was the store's impact on supermarket leader Loblaw Cos. Ltd., which Caicco immediately downgraded to underperform.

Caicco was one of four analysts to issue reports on Loblaw this week, including Michael Van Aelst, at TD Newcrest, who initiated coverage of the company with "reduce" recommendation.

Scotia Capital's Ryan Balgopal rated it "underperform" while National Bank Financial's James Durran maintained his "sector perform" rating. The other analysts' reports were not immediately available.

The Ancaster store is remarkably different from any other Wal-Mart in Canada, or any of its U.S. formats, with the exception of its upscale experiment in Plano, Texas, Caicco said.

Eschewing the Supercentre name, the company instead called the grocery side of the store "Your Fresh Market" and gave it a separate entrance off the parking lot.

The store is bigger than its nearest discount competitor, which is a Food Basics, and charges lower prices than the nearby full-service supermarket, a Fortino's, Caicco said.

Recently, Loblaw Cos. signed a new four-year contract with its unionized workers across Ontario. The deal gives Loblaw the right to convert more stores to lower-cost formats and bought four years of labour peace, moves that should have been good news for retailer.

The company also announced plans to begin reinvesting in its traditional food stores, which have been languishing since Loblaw shifted its focus two years ago to adding more general household goods in a bid to compete with Wal-Mart.

Instead, Loblaw's stock continued to slide in each of the four days since the contract was ratified.

[Taller Better]

I despise that corporate cliche: "We are very bullish on".. makes me ill.

[neilson]

Can someone get some pics of the new Ancaster Store?

[SteelTown]

Here's the new supermarket Wal-Mart in Ancaster

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2006/10/18/walmart-yourmarket.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Appster/ancasterwalmart.jpg

I dunno just doesn't seem right to shop for fresh food at a place that sells clothes too.

[neilson]

Here's the new supermarket Wal-Mart in Ancaster

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2006/10/18/walmart-yourmarket.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Appster/ancasterwalmart.jpg

I dunno just doesn't seem right to shop for fresh food at a place that sells clothes too.
Nice, and if any pics of the full front of the store show; that'd be awesome too.

Eh, it's all good to have 1-stop shopping. Look at how well Superstore's been doing that.

[SpongeG]

Well, Moore's does more then just suits too.

but they don't carry designer like Rosen

you can get Iceberg, Versace, hugo boss, ralph lauren, armani etc. at harry rosen

[SpongeG]

Nice, and if any pics of the full front of the store show; that'd be awesome too.

Eh, it's all good to have 1-stop shopping. Look at how well Superstore's been doing that.

yeah - i like to go to the super walmart in marysville - just north of seattle - the deli food is so cheap compared to other places

and its handy to get everything you need in one place it seems as its always jam packed even at 11 pm

plus its open 24 hours.

is the one in Ancaster open 24 hours?

[SteelTown]

Honestly I've only been to Wal-Mart once so I haven't got a clue if the Ancaster Wal-Mart is 24hrs. All I know is when I drive by the place it was pretty big and now after construction it's a monster size.

[neilson]

but they don't carry designer like Rosen

you can get Iceberg, Versace, hugo boss, ralph lauren, armani etc. at harry rosen
At Moore's you can get Alfred Sung, Wilke-Rodriguez, Lineage, Pronto-Uomo, and Joseph & Feiss International.

http://www.mooresuit.com/english/moores.htm

I just don't see the point of hyping Harry Rosen when Moore's has been around for a long time too.

[miketoronto]

Moores is totally different. They don't have a nice 30,000 sq foot flagship like Harry Rosen with a vast selection. Moores is very small. Its an o.k. place. But it does not have the same style or selection like Harry Rosen.

[bc2mb]

superstore is really going to have to step it up with wal-mart doing fresh food now..
their pricing is a joke.. always changing, and the quantity thing? wal-mart is going to trample them.

[CMD UW]

Here's the new supermarket Wal-Mart in Ancaster

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2006/10/18/walmart-yourmarket.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Appster/ancasterwalmart.jpg

I dunno just doesn't seem right to shop for fresh food at a place that sells clothes too.
/\ Then you should dislike shopping at Superstore / Loblaws among other 'large' grocery / retain chains.

[Coldrsx]

walmart and tim hortons...the death of our world as we know it.

[SteelTown]

I go to Fortinos for groceries, which was later taken over by Loblaws. Fortinos is a Hamilton based grocery store that's expanded all over the Greater Hamilton area. But with Fortinos they don't sell clothes, toys, appliances, electronic, etc. They do sell pots and pans but not clothes, well Halloween costumes counts?

[SpongeG]

Moores is fine - i don't shop at harry rosen or moores so i could really care less

but moores is down market and harry is up market

its like comparing jimmy choos and nine west

[miketoronto]

What amazing looking district. I think these pics prove that Winnipeg has energy and is not dead like people think :)

Great pics.

[BlackRedGold]

I go to Fortinos for groceries, which was later taken over by Loblaws. Fortinos is a Hamilton based grocery store that's expanded all over the Greater Hamilton area. But with Fortinos they don't sell clothes, toys, appliances, electronic, etc. They do sell pots and pans but not clothes, well Halloween costumes counts?

According to Fortino's website, the Main St W store in Hamilton sells both electronics and clothes.

[CorporateWhore]

Harry Rosen is good, but why shop there when you've got Moore's all over the place?

A Suit's a Suit, and Moore's proved that concept.

man, you'be obviously never tried on a good suit. it totally changes your outlook....and believe me, i'm not a suit person by any means.

[neilson]

man, you'be obviously never tried on a good suit. it totally changes your outlook....and believe me, i'm not a suit person by any means.
Which is why I can get a good quality suit at the American Cousin to Moore's.

Down here we call it Men's Warehouse and the quality and value are unbeatable. If they have good suits at Men's Warehouse, then I would expect the same at Moore's.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1161294617554&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
_____________
Retailer takes aim at Loblaw
Wal-Mart enters fresh food market
Analyst predicts pressure on prices
Oct. 20, 2006. 07:25 AM
DANA FLAVELLE
BUSINESS REPORTER

From sushi to organic baby food, Wal-Mart Canada Corp.'s newest Canadian store is a notch above what some analysts say they expected from a discount mass merchandiser.

The store, which is the first Wal-Mart in Canada to offer fresh food alongside frozen and packaged goods and general household merchandise, opened this week in Ancaster, a suburb of Hamilton.

It is one of several the country's biggest retailer plans to open between now and the end of January, including stores in London, Ont., Stouffville, Scarborough, Sarnia and Orleans.

The Ancaster store is remarkably different from any other Wal-Mart in Canada, or any of its U.S. formats, with the exception of its upscale experiment in Plano, Tex., analysts said.

Eschewing the Supercentre name, the company instead called the grocery side of the store Your Fresh Market and gave it a separate entrance off the parking lot.

The store is bigger than its nearest discount competitor, Food Basics, and charges lower prices than the nearby full-service supermarket, a Fortino's, said Perry Caicco, an analyst with CIBC World Markets.

And he said the new stores may take a bigger bite out of Canada's $70 billion a year grocery industry than originally expected.

"We would describe it as discount- plus," he wrote in a research note to clients.

"This will be a formidable grocery entry."

The focus of the report was the store's impact on supermarket leader Loblaw Cos. Ltd., whose stock Caicco has downgraded to "underperform."

He was one of four analysts to issue reports on Loblaws this week, including Michael Van Aelst, at TD Newcrest, who initiated coverage of the company with a "reduce" recommendation.

Scotia Capital's Ryan Balgopal rated the stock "underperform" while National Bank Financial's James Durran maintained his "sector perform" rating. The other analysts' reports were not immediately available.

In the short-term, each new Wal-Mart is likely to spark a price war in its immediate market, Caicco said, though he also forecast that Wal-Mart won't necessarily be the low-price leader in all categories.

Instead, the new stores would likely try to match existing food discounters, such as No Frills or Food Basics, on a range of goods, Caicco said.

But the new Wal-Marts offer more fresh fruit and produce than a typical food discounter, along with a full-service bakery and deli counter, he said.

The Wal-Mart opening comes days after Loblaw Cos. signed a four-year contract with its unionized workers across Ontario. The deal gives Loblaw the right to convert more stores to lower-cost formats. The company also announced plans to reinvest in traditional food stores, which have languished since Loblaw shifted its focus to adding more general household goods in a bid to compete with Wal-Mart.

The pact also bought four years of labour peace, which should have been good news for the retailer.

Instead, Loblaw's stock continued to slide in each of the four days since the contract was ratified.

Wal-Mart had to do more to compete in Canada's sophisticated grocery industry than simply replicate its U.S. supercentres, Caicco wrote in his report, referring to the large combined food and household goods stores that it operates south of the border.

Canadian consumers expect a more sophisticated offering, are more culturally diverse and already well served by discounters, like No Frills, Price Chopper and Food Basics, Caicco said.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1161467438882&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
__________
One-stop shopping a myth: Grocery guru
Retail's big players are sold on it, but this researcher argues picky consumers do what they always did - shop around
Oct. 22, 2006. 07:51 AM
DANA FLAVELLE
BUSINESS REPORTER

It has become a cliché that the time-pressed modern consumer is looking for value, price and convenience.
That's why you see firms like Loblaw Cos. Ltd. adding everything from furniture to shoes to their aisles, while retailers like Wal-mart Canada Corp. are bringing fresh food to their newest stores.
Yet, despite efforts by a growing number of retailers to be all things to all people, some experts believe one-stop shopping is a myth.
Most consumers actually split their weekly errands among a bunch of different stores, says Shelley Balanko, an ethnographer and consultant with The Hartman Group.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the grocery business, Balanko said in an interview. Today, she will deliver the keynote address at Grocery Innovations Canada.
The industry's annual trade show is taking place amid unprecedented change in Canada's $71.8 billion a year food retailing industry.
"The idea of the traditional marketplace is pretty much dead," said Balanko, who came to the conclusion by observing differences between what consumers say they want and what they actually do.
Though consumers say they like one-stop shopping, that's not the way they behave, said the Canadian-born Balanko, whose research is from the United States but is probably relevant to Canadians.
The days when mom or dad did a week's worth of groceries in a single trip is pretty much over, she said.
Instead, we see the modern family stocking up on staples such as toilet paper at large discount retailers but turning to local fruit stands or bakeries to buy fresh items, she said.
It's driven partly by consumers' changing tastes in food. Instead of buying mainly processed and packaged foods they want more organic, exotic, and fresh ingredients, Balanko's research has found.
"Whereas many years ago consumers were actually attracted to the convenience, predictability and reliability of processed and packaged foods," those same features now repel (if not repulse) most consumers, she suggested.
And, despite the intense time pressure on modern family life, people are willing to spend time getting what they want.
"Consumers' pickiness supersedes their sense of time famine," Balanko said.
Many modern families substitute some home-cooked meals with take-out food, she noted. Other nights, dad prepares the steak and salad he picked up on the way home from work.
Does that mean food retailers, like Loblaw and Wal-Mart, who are trying to be all things to all people, are headed in the wrong direction?
Not necessarily, Balanko said.
"You should concentrate on what you do best. As you add more things, consumers will continue to shop your store, but every consumer will shop your store for different reasons," she said. "Some people might be doing their weekly shop, others might be grabbing a quick product for workout fuel, and others might be picking up the fixings for a party."
All retailers need to be aware that consumers' tastes are changing. And that globalization is driving new tastes in food.
While some of our grandparents might have considered ethnic food weird, the baby boomer thinks nothing of ordering in Pad Thai, and their children have grown up with sushi and want to know how to make it at home, Balanko said.
Consumers care less about brand names, she maintains, finding they're looking for fresh and interesting experiences and that those who can fill that demand will get their business.
Balanko suggested stores try getting rid of candy and magazines at the cash register, and put grab-and-go fresh foods, such as bakery bread or cheese, near the front of the store.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1160475127021&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
____________
Quebec pharmacy chain eyes Ontario
Oct. 10, 2006. 03:45 PM
LUANN LASALLE
CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL — Quebec-based drugstore chain Jean Coutu Group Inc. (TSX: PJC.A) is looking to Ontario for expansion after announcing Tuesday a quarterly loss of $108.8 million (U.S.) related to the pending $2.55-billion (U.S.) sale of its stores in the United States.
Francois Coutu, president of Canadian operations, said drugstores are changing and his organization has to keep an eye on trends and opportunities in Ontario.
"We're getting prepared," he told a conference call with analysts about expansion in Ontario. "There's no question about this.
He said the pharmacy chain has to "make the required analysis for our expansion into the very neighbouring markets for us, which would make sense."
Jean Coutu Group, which reports in U.S. dollars, said the net loss amounted to 42 cents per share in its first quarter ended Aug. 26. This contrasted with year-earlier net income of $11.1 million or four cents per share.
The major asset writedown and restructuring charge is related to the recent sale of 1,859 Eckerd and Brooks stores to Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) in the United States.
Earnings per share before one-time items were reported at seven cents, up from five cents a year ago. The analyst consensus expectation was 11 cents, according to Thomson Financial.
The sale of the group's Eckerd and Brooks stores to Rite Aid Corp. resulted in an asset impairment of $120 million after taxes, or 46 cents per share, plus restructuring charges of $10.6 million.
Under the deal — announced in August and still under review by U.S. competition regulators, with a shareholder vote expected in December — Jean Coutu gets $1.45 billion in cash and a 32 per cent equity stake in the expanded 5,000-store Rite Aid operation, and Rite Aid assumes $850 million of Jean Coutu debt.
Analyst Cynthia Rose-Martel said that once the Rite Aid deal is closed, the issue will be whether Rite Aid can generate a profit.
"We all know that these U.S. assets are out the door, it's old news," said Rose-Martel, of Jennings Capital Inc. "We're waiting for the deal to close."
As for possible expansion into Ontario, Rose-Martel said there's not much choice for Jean Coutu Group because "they're kind of landlocked."
"If they're going to grow, they've got to go east and west," she said, adding that Ontario is the biggest market in Canada.
"You're not going to hopscotch over Ontario and go to Alberta. So by default, that's what they're going to have to do."
She noted that Jean Coutu has a distribution centre in Hawkesbury in eastern Ontario and that could facilitate expansion, but she said ``Ontario is a well-developed, highly competitive market."
It could be challenging to differentiate its stores from Shoppers Drug Mart (TSX: SC) pharmacies, she said, adding, "To me, one pretty much looks like the other."
Francois Coutu also told analysts the quarter showed "improved trends in pharmacy." However, sales of higher-margin front-of-store items lagged — largely because of the continued rapid fading in the photographic film category.
"Other than that, all categories are up, and that's a very good sign," he said.
The Canadian store network recorded a 9.1 per cent year-over-year increase in pharmacy sales and a 3.5 per cent rise in front-of-store sales, focusing on health and beauty products.
The front-of-store segment is "truly a women's world, I would say," Coutu said, and the cosmetic department "needs to improve even more."
Jean Coutu Group shares were off 20 cents to $11.90 in afternoon trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, with a 52-week high and low of $18.60 and $9.91.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1160475127021&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
_______________
IHOP lines up Ontario franchisee
Oct. 23, 2006. 10:10 AM
CANADIAN PRESS

GLENDALE, Calif.—IHOP Corp. (NYSE: IHP), the operator of the International House of Pancakes restaurant chain, is spreading into Eastern Canada with the announcement of an Ontario franchisee.
IHOP said Monday that Pancakes Canada Ltd., controlled by the Alfieri Group, a longtime operator of Italian-themed family restaurants in Niagara Falls, Ont., will develop three IHOP locations over five years in the Niagara region and Barrie, Ont.
IHOP said it signed agreements covering a total of 20 new franchise locations during the third quarter, adding to its roster of 1,278 restaurants in the United States and British Columbia.

[SpongeG]

i heard H&M just opened in London Ontario

[malek]

Banana Republic s'installe sur Ste-Catherine
Michel Munger (michel.munger@lapresseaffaires.com) http://www.lapresseaffaires.com/images/logo/logo_lpa.gif (http://www.lapresseaffaires.com/)
27 octobre 2006 - 10h02Le détaillant états-uniens de vêtements Gap (GPS (http://www.lapresseaffaires.com/accueil/cotes/index.php?sym=GPS)) annonce vendredi qu'il ouvrira son magasin-phare montréalais portant la bannière Banana Republic sur la rue Sainte-Catherine dès le 31 octobre.



(http://www.lapresseaffaires.com/accueil/cotes/index.php?sym=GPS) En s'installant dans un édifice historique situé à l'angle de l'avenue McGill College avec une superficie de 20 000 pieds carrés sur trois étages, le détaillant de luxe à prix plus populaire promet une expérience de magasinage «unique».

Banana Republic y vendra ses collections pour hommes, femmes ainsi que des accessoires et produits personnels.

«Le luxe au quotidien s'est avéré si populaire au Québec que nous avons choisi Montréal pour ouvrir un espace phare», explique Marka Hansen, présidente de Banana Republic.

«Nous pensons que ce lieu est parfait dans le sens où non seulement, ajoute Mme Hansen, il représente une partie de l'histoire de Montréal mais aussi parce qu'il procure un environnement dont le niveau d'architecture est à la hauteur du design d'autres magasins phares tels que ceux du centre Rockefeller à New York, de l'Avenue Grant à San Francisco ou encore de l'Avenue Michigan à Chicago.»

Quatre magasins de la bannière sont déjà ouverts au Québec, soit au Centre Rockland, au Carrefour Laval, aux Promenades Saint-Bruno et à Fairview Pointe-Claire.



=========



Banana Republic brings modern design and affordable luxury to Ste-Catherine Street flagship location

TORONTO, Oct. 27 /CNW/ - Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) today announced the opening
of a flagship Banana Republic location in Montreal. Located on the corner of
Ste. Catherine Street and McGill College Avenue, the 20,000 square foot store
will house three levels of the women's collection, men's collection,
accessories and personal care products. The new Banana Republic will open on
October 31.
Banana Republic's elevated designs and luxurious fabrications have found
a home in one of Montreal's most historic buildings. In partnership with the
Historical Review Board, Banana Republic Store Design worked to create a
shopping environment that would preserve the history of the building while
showcasing the modern design elements of the brand, providing customers with
the ultimate shopping experience.
"Banana Republic's affordable luxury offerings have proven to be so
popular in Quebec that we've selected Montreal to open a flagship space," said
Marka Hansen, President of Banana Republic. "We believe this setting is
perfect because not only does it represent a part of Montreal's history, but
it provides an eminent architectural setting that elevates this location to
the design realm of other flagship stores such as Rockefeller Center in New
York, Grant Avenue in San Francisco and Michigan Avenue in Chicago."
On the main floor, dark stained walls and custom wood cabinetry offer a
rich setting for Banana Republic's holiday palette. Many of the building's
classic details have been retained and new modern design elements have been
added such as a contemporary carrera marble floor.
The store will feature new warmer furnishings with detailed fixtures,
sophisticated stone tables and embossed leather furniture and props. Special
artwork and custom designed wallpaper are being added to enhance the space and
give the distinct architecture a residential feel.
The top floor mezzanine features a custom designed smoked glass
guardrail. This modern element is juxtaposed with the traditional wood
architecture. A series of gold leaf carved Coats of Arms represent each
Canadian province along the mezzanine wall. The mezzanine's open windows are
intended to create visual allure from the outside, specifically at night.
In renovating this flagship space, Banana Republic retains the building's
rich history while adding both contemporary and traditional elements to evoke
the brand's essence of modern luxury.
There are currently four Banana Republic stores in Quebec including
Carrefour Laval, Fairview Pointe Claire, Promenades St-Bruno and Centre
Rockland.
Banana Republic, which currently has nearly 500 stores and annual sales
of more than $2 billion in North America, is known for offering modern
interpretations of classic fashion for women and men through elevated design
and luxurious fabrications at affordable prices.

About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer offering clothing,
accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies
under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Forth & Towne brand names. Fiscal
2005 sales were $16.0 billion. Gap Inc. operates about 3,000 stores in the
United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Ireland and Japan. For more
information, please visit gapinc.com.

[CorporateWhore]

Which is why I can get a good quality suit at the American Cousin to Moore's.

Down here we call it Men's Warehouse and the quality and value are unbeatable. If they have good suits at Men's Warehouse, then I would expect the same at Moore's.

I've never been to Men's Warehouse so I can't comment on that, but if they are anything like then suits at Moore's, then I still stand by my statement that you haven't tried on a good suit. Moore's is alright, but it definitely doesn't transcend you into that category where you finally realize what a great suit truly is.

But who knows, perhaps Men's Warehouse is better.

[Coldrsx]

H&M has chosen its Edmonton location, it will be...drum roll....West Edmonton Mall..hahaha.

Looks quite large, cant tell how deep the store is, but the length is quite long.

Also, G-Star Raw and Lacoste just opened in WEM.

[m0nkyman]

I've never been to Men's Warehouse so I can't comment on that, but if they are anything like then suits at Moore's, then I still stand by my statement that you haven't tried on a good suit. Moore's is alright, but it definitely doesn't transcend you into that category where you finally realize what a great suit truly is.

But who knows, perhaps Men's Warehouse is better.
It comes down to appreciating quality. I'm in jewellery, so I'll relate it to that.
Men's Warehouse, Moore's is like People's Jewellers. It's mass produced crap. It's OK, and it's consistent and cheap.
Harry Rosen is like Birks, a step up in quality and service, but it's still a chain.
The next step up in solely in service, a good independent like Henry Singer in Edmonton has similar quality to a Harry Rosen, but much better service IMHO. The kind of independent jeweller that carries stuff by Scott Kay or Tacori.

The next step up from there is actually having a tailor, and up from that is haute couture tailoring. That last is where my store fits. ;)

[bc2mb]

are we still talking about cheap suits? :p

[neilson]

are we still talking about cheap suits? :p
I'm a college student; Moore's/Men's Warehouse is about all that I can afford.

I'm sure once I enter the jobforce and build up my income, I'll be able to upgrade to better suits; but for now I have to stick to the Moore's and Mens Wearhouses of the world.

[squeezied]

wen's vancouver gonna get its own H&M???

[Overground]

On Wiki it says expansion into Western Canada will start in 2007 with the first stores opening in Edmonton and Calgary, followed by Vancouver. I also read somewhere that a manager at a Toronto H&M said that the Vancouver location will not be until the end of '07. Presumably to do with the Pacific Centre Holt shuffle.

[malek]

Arc'teryx Flagship Lands In Montreal

« Back to Daily News (http://www.skipressworld.com/ca/en/)
October 31, 2006

http://www.skipressworld.com/images/daily_news/2006/10/arcteryx%20logo-thumb.jpg (http://www.skipressworld.com/images/daily_news/2006/10/arcteryx%20logo.jpg)
Vancouver, B.C. (Ski Press) – Arc’teryx is opening its flagship store in Montreal’s Ste-Catherine Street shopping district.
Why Montreal?
“We wanted to test a retail concept away from our home base in Vancouver,” says Director of Consumer Sales, Larry Pluimer. “But being a Canadian company, we also wanted our first store to be in Canada. Montreal seemed like a natural place to start; it has a large, active outdoor community and a high degree of appreciation for design and fashion,” Pluimer says.
Designers and manufacturers of technical apparel, backpacks and climbing harnesses, this is Arc’teryx’s first venture into full-scale retail. Housed within the architecturally renowned Concordia University Design and Engineering building, the store features a high-end boutique-like atmosphere with an emphasis on the design aesthetic of the brand.
“Arc’teryx sees itself as a design company dedicated to solving problems through artful innovation,” says Pluimer. “The pleasing architecture of the Concordia building provides an outstanding context from which we can present our brand. The Montreal store will be a showcase emphasizing the clean lines and colors of the signature Arc’teryx style.”
Along with its custom-built stainless steel floor merchandisers, the store features interactive informational kiosks where consumers can learn about products and inventory availability by scanning a product barcode. The store also hosts a 40-foot wall displaying the entire Arc’teryx line of Gore-tex products.
—Lori Knowles

[Taller Better]

uhmmm.... parkas n' tuques n' things? University would be the best place for a
sporting goods store. Smart move.

I want a Crate and Barrel!! NOW!

[SSLL]

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061104.CHINATOWN04/TPStory/TPEntertainment/Ontario/
_____________
Chinatown blues
Business is down and For Sale signs are popping up on a once-vibrant strip

SARAH ELTON
Special to The Globe and Mail
The front window of the former Chinese bakery is thick with dust. The cardboard of a For Sale sign droops in the same spot where, not long ago, fresh egg tarts were sold. The bakery is one of more than two dozen buildings that are either for sale, for lease or simply lying vacant in Chinatown East, the strip of Asian grocers, bakeries and restaurants around Broadview and Gerrard.

The area's long-time residents, a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese-Chinese Canadians who started to buy aging Victorians on the nearby side streets in the 1980s, are leaving for the suburbs. The generation who grew up here is coming of age and, instead of buying close to home, settling in places like Scarborough and Mississauga. Those who did own houses are selling their downtown properties to trade up for newer homes in the 'burbs with backyards and even parking. The few who remain are largely the elderly, and so the area is hollowing out as landlords try to cash out and shopkeepers take their businesses elsewhere.

"The neighbourhood is dying," says Alex Lien, whose family owns the Tung Hing Bakery chain. Mr. Lien opened the Broadview location 15 years ago, and in the past five years has watched business drop dramatically. In the past year alone, he has personally seen a 30-per-cent drop in profits. In a few months, Mr. Lien plans to assess whether his profits in Chinatown East are high enough to warrant staying put for another season. Across the street at the Rose Café, a take-away joint selling spring rolls and Vietnamese subs, it's the same story. The owner, Rose Thi Hoa Pham, has also noticed a 30-per-cent slump.

Judging by the crowds that flock to buy the low-priced fruit and vegetables displayed in crates along the sidewalks, you'd never guess that business is down. But Mr. Lien says the new people who are moving in are predominantly recent immigrants from mainland China who don't have a lot of money.

"People aren't willing to spend. You have to sell everything cheap," he says. "And yet the cost of living has gone up. It squeezes your profits." His baked goods sell on Broadview for a third less than they do in the company's other locations in Mississauga, North York and at Dundas and Spadina.

The newcomers from mainland China who are drawn to Broadview and Gerrard tend to be refugee claimants or people sponsored by family members and have come with very little, says Lillian Li, a settlement counsellor at the Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre, who is from mainland China herself. She says that in China, these people tended to be peasants or labourers, largely uneducated, who toiled for meagre earnings. For them, Toronto is Golden Mountain, an opportunity to break free from poverty by saving their money to buy a house.

And so the prices are cheap anywhere you go in Chinatown East. A haircut is $6, a sandwich at the Rose Café is $1.50 and bubble tea will set you back a mere $2, as compared with more than $4 downtown.

Some of the local real estate is also a bargain. In the so-called Riverdale Village, a brown brick complex just north of Dundas where tiny townhouses were built cheek by jowl in the 1980s, you can pay as little as $190,000 a unit -- as opposed to upward of $400,000 for a renovated semi on nearby side streets.

But if one group is moving out, that doesn't mean Chinatown East is on the road to extinction, says James So, a real-estate broker who has run an office on Broadview since 1976. Rather than a decaying neighbourhood and suburban flight, he sees a neighbourhood in transition as the old crowd moves out.

While the newcomers arrive with little money, Mr. So says, they are extremely hard-working. He has found that, in very little time, they are able to save up enough money to buy a home in the area.

And anyone who has lived in Toronto for a while has seen how the waves of history shape the city and its Chinese areas. The city's first Chinatown near Bay and Dundas has all but disappeared, buried under City Hall (residents and shop owners were relocated in the early 1960s). What is now Chinatown downtown used to be a Jewish district; its vestiges remained on Spadina until the late 1980s in places like Switzer's Deli. And Markham's Pacific Mall, one of the largest Chinese malls in North America, was a farmer's field not that long ago.

As for the future of Chinatown East, Mr. So believes it is on the cusp of major change. The Toronto (Don) Jail that looms on the corner is scheduled to close and Bridgepoint Health, the rehab and long-term care facility, is expanding. Condominiums are planned, and the restaurant chain Spring Rolls is about to open up on Broadview.

"This area, in no time, will come up again," he says.

[miketoronto]

That is so sad about Toronto's Chinatown on Spadina.

Yes I know cities are always in change, and that makes them unique and vibrant.

But it also is sad that Toronto can not maintain a central chinatown for the city. We have one of the largest asian populations in North America, but if this trend of chinatown fading continues, then you will never know it walking through central Toronto.

So while cities do change, I do feel bad that the inner city is losing most of its ethnic areas to the suburbs. There is something about having ethnic areas on nice walkable strips all clustered pretty close to each other in the inner city. And that just is not the same in the suburbs.

Other cities maintain vibrant downtown chinatowns. A shame Toronto's will probably not continue long. I believe Victoria's chinatown has been in the same general area for over a hundred years.

I think Chinatown retail sales could be helped if the transit commission ran express buses from Scarborough to downtown and Chinatown. On a Saturday in my area you see tons of older chinese residents cramming the subway for the one hour ride to Chinatown. I am sure many more would make weekly visits to Chinatown if they knew a bus could get them there in 20min instead of sitting on the subway for one hour.

Maybe thats something the Chinatown BID could fund?????

[Rusty van Reddick]

That is so sad about Toronto's Chinatown on Spadina.


Mike, the article is clearly about the chinatown on broadview.