Canadian Retail Thread

[SpongeG]

Thanks for the pop responses. I'm trying to stop drinking it, slow steps so far.

Uniqlo just opened in Calgary at Chinook and rumour says a second one will open at Market Mall soon.

Insomnia Cookies is expanding into Canada and will open in Toronto, for Vancouver people you can visit the one in Bellingham in the same strip as the REI store.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Yeah, the one time I walked through Zellers at St. Vital Centre it seemed very curated and staged, as if they were expecting a bunch of 20-year olds to come in there and fill their Instagram and TikTok feeds with Zellers content...

I just realized, it’s been just over 10 years since the first Target Canada locations opened.

Those 20-year-olds might remember Zellers in its final days, but they’ll only remember the run-down experience we used to talk about on SSP circa 2008.

[casper]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I just realized, it’s been just over 10 years since the first Target Canada locations opened.

Those 20-year-olds might remember Zellers in its final days, but they’ll only remember the run-down experience we used to talk about on SSP circa 2008.

I am older. I remember Zellers as the place my parents would go to get me running shoes as a kid. They carried the Lotto brand back then. https://www.lottosportscanada.com/ It is a brand I do see anywhere else in Canada though they are popular in Italy. No idea if the modern Zellers carries them.

They were not in to being trend setters back then, just shoes that are were well built.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I just realized, it’s been just over 10 years since the first Target Canada locations opened.

Those 20-year-olds might remember Zellers in its final days, but they’ll only remember the run-down experience we used to talk about on SSP circa 2008.

My Zellers memories go back as far as the mid 80s and I can only remember the stores being run down and messy I only wandered quickly through Zellers once last winter but I might have to actually go back and take a more deliberate look before they shut it down...again.

Speaking of Target, I know Target's Canadian presence is not widely lamented, but I certainly miss them. I was a pretty loyal shopper during their brief Canadian tenure. It still blows my mind that they pulled the plug so fast after such massive investments. In hindsight, Target's venture into Canada may have coincided with peak US retail presence in Canada.

[stefanYEG]

Originally Posted by esquire

Speaking of Target, I know Target's Canadian presence is not widely lamented, but I certainly miss them. I was a pretty loyal shopper during their brief Canadian tenure. It still blows my mind that they pulled the plug so fast after such massive investments. In hindsight, Target's venture into Canada may have coincided with peak US retail presence in Canada.

My wife and I were too. Back when they opened (and closed) in Canada, we were living in a condo in Bonnie Doon near one of the first locations to open in Edmonton. I swear we were in that store 4-5 times a week. My wife now makes half-day visits to Target part of our vacation plans whenever we're within an hour of a store in the US. I like it too though—Levi's has a line of jeans that are exclusive to Target that fit me better than any designer jeans I've ever tried and can often be bought on sale for $19-$23US.

[cslusarc]

Retail-Insider reports: Hudsons Bay To Expand Zellers Pop-Ups To All Remaining Locations

*excluding clearance outlets @ Londonderry and Eglinton Square

The final Zellers pop ups within Hudson’s Bay will open by Sept 22, at the following locations:

Alberta
Calgary Downtown, Calgary
Chinook Centre, Calgary
Market Mall, Calgary
Southcentre Shopping Centre, Calgary
Southgate Shopping Centre, Edmonton
West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton

British Columbia
Coquitlam Centre, Coquitlam
Mayfair Shopping Centre, Victoria
Metrotown Centre, Burnaby
Orchard Park Shopping Centre, Kelowna
Park Royal Shopping Centre, West Vancouver
Richmond Centre, Richmond
Village Green Mall, Vernon

Manitoba
Polo Park Shopping Centre, Winnipeg

Ontario
Bayshore Shopping Centre, Ottawa
Centrepoint Mall, Willowdale
Conestoga Mall, Waterloo
Fairview Mall, Willowdale
Hillcrest Mall, Richmond HIll
Limeridge Mall, Hamilton
Markville Shopping Centre, Markham
Masonville Place, London
Oakville Place, Oakville
Sherway Gardens, Etobicoke
Square One, Mississauga
Woodbine Plaza, Toronto
Yorkdale, Toronto

Quebec
Carrefour Laval, Laval
Centre Laval, Chomedey
Fairview Mall, Pointe Claire
Montreal Downtown, Montreal

[SpongeG]

I make it to Target every two weeks, we also go to Trader Joes. The Target in Bellingham is a disaster, it's full of empty shelves and the clothing dept is usually just a pile of everything, very understaffed, the further south you go the better the stores get.

The town I grew up in had a Zellers and was pretty much where everyone would shop, it really hurt the coop in town which was the main shopping spot before that.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I make it to Target every two weeks, we also go to Trader Joes. The Target in Bellingham is a disaster, it's full of empty shelves and the clothing dept is usually just a pile of everything, very understaffed, the further south you go the better the stores get...

Do you think it might be because it's overrun with Canadian shoppers from the BC lower mainland in addition to the locals?

[SteelTown]

There's an American store in Hamilton that sells American products. Well, it's now my source to get Skippy Peanut Butter, Ragu and now Delissio (it's called DiGiorno in America). Ugh, I never thought I would have to go to a specialty store to get frozen pizzas.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

There's an American store in Hamilton that sells American products. Well, it's now my source to get Skippy Peanut Butter, Ragu and now Delissio (it's called DiGiorno in America). Ugh, I never thought I would have to go to a specialty store to get frozen pizzas.

Delissio pizzas taste like cardboard.

[GeneralLeeTPHLS]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Delissio pizzas taste like cardboard.

Agreed. It turned me off pizza for years. I still don't have pizza much at all because of it.

[le calmar]

The Rustica brand should basically be the same as Delissio but under a different name since they used to manufacture them in the Canadian market. At least the stuffed crust variety from what I hear. Haven’t tried them, but from the pictures I saw they look very much like Delissio.

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

There's an American store in Hamilton that sells American products. Well, it's now my source to get Skippy Peanut Butter, Ragu and now Delissio (it's called DiGiorno in America). Ugh, I never thought I would have to go to a specialty store to get frozen pizzas.

What’s so special about those things anyway? Is Skippy peanut butter superior quality? If it is I never noticed. Can’t speak for Ragu though since I am only vaguely aware of their existence.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Do you think it might be because it's overrun with Canadian shoppers from the BC lower mainland in addition to the locals?

My theory about Bellingham retailers is that they use sales projections based on the past two years to determine inventory levels, and the sales figures they have from that time includes a period of time when Canadians weren’t travelling across the border to shop. Even a year ago ArriveCan was still in place, so that would’ve had a negative impact on sales for Bellingham retailers.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Do you think it might be because it's overrun with Canadian shoppers from the BC lower mainland in addition to the locals?

yes, I think so, It's very picked over, such as the Studio McGee Threshold line and the Magnolia Heart & Hand line compared to a Seattle store. It was never that bad pre-pandemic. We usually point out the BC plates in the lot and it's generally 25% or so at any given time. Trader Joes has a higher number of BC plates.

Also, most of the grocery stores in Bellingham will put up signs or staff may mention to you if you are going to Canada about certain products saying that you cannot take them across the border, a while ago chicken and egg products were banned due to bird flu but it seems they are allowed across again. The last time we were going to buy a case of apricots the cashier told us that stonefruit was banned from the crossing border so we didn't get them.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by le calmar

What’s so special about those things anyway? Is Skippy peanut butter superior quality? If it is I never noticed. Can’t speak for Ragu though since I am only vaguely aware of their existence.

I never really thought about peanut butter or had a preference but in recent years I have discovered Jif and that's the only PB for me, it's so good. but my go-to toast thing is marmite, mmm.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

There's an American store in Hamilton that sells American products. Well, it's now my source to get Skippy Peanut Butter, Ragu and now Delissio (it's called DiGiorno in America). Ugh, I never thought I would have to go to a specialty store to get frozen pizzas.

Hamilton is so close to the US that it might make more sense to just go directly to the source to load up on this stuff. Or is this shop intended for people with criminal records?

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

My theory about Bellingham retailers is that they use sales projections based on the past two years to determine inventory levels, and the sales figures they have from that time includes a period of time when Canadians weren’t travelling across the border to shop. Even a year ago ArriveCan was still in place, so that would’ve had a negative impact on sales for Bellingham retailers.

The number of Canadians shopping in the U.S. is way down which is likely hurting Bellingham retailers. Most items are now cheaper in Canada or very close in price that it is mostly not worthwhile crossing the border just to shop.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

There's an American store in Hamilton that sells American products. Well, it's now my source to get Skippy Peanut Butter, Ragu and now Delissio (it's called DiGiorno in America). Ugh, I never thought I would have to go to a specialty store to get frozen pizzas.

You live in a city with a large Italian-Canadian population and likely many good pizzerias. I find Delissio/DiGiorno to be nothing great.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by esquire

Hamilton is so close to the US that it might make more sense to just go directly to the source to load up on this stuff. Or is this shop intended for people with criminal records?

Or people who choose not to get passports. My parents, for example.