Western Expresso - Page 124

Riverman · #**2461** Posted **Dec 3, 2014, 7:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Because I'm sure the new operator won't change a single thing

Yeah, Loblaws knows nothing about how to operate grocery stores. Back at you with the eye rolling.

It is an impossible situation, they are just trying to get revenue out of an unusable building at someone else's expense. Good for Loblaws, bad for the poor franchisee.

Riverman · #**2462** Posted **Dec 3, 2014, 7:25 PM**

Great fly-through on MLSE's expansion of BMO Field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJfXwBxqu4M

Simplicity · #**2463** Posted **Dec 3, 2014, 7:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

What do you mean? There are many of them, ranging from 7-Elevens/Macs, to independents, to corner store type operations.

For all the talk you hear on CBC about downtown Winnipeg being a food desert, I'd say it's actually reasonably well covered by food stores ranging from supermarkets to corner stores. There is only IGA, Giant Tiger and a few small (but still useful) grocers right downtown, but there are several larger retailers that are on the periphery of downtown and at least one is within walking distance for many downtown residents... like Safeway in Osborne Village and on Ellice, Young's Foods, Extra Foods on Marion, and soon No Frills.

Let's not forget Notre Dame is a high traffic route and there are many people living in the area. Extra Foods did a pretty lousy job of reminding people it was there. Even a slight bit of No Frills marketing will make an impact.

As for the shoplifting, surely there must be a plan in place to deal with it. The old Extra Foods always had one uniformed security guard in view... maybe No Frills will step it up.

There have been numerous 7-11s that have closed over the past 15 years. Fewer Macs' because they're franchised. A parent company is not as willing to put up the nonsense because they don't have to. A franchisee has their livelihood invested in it.

And I'm not saying that it absolutely won't work. I'm just saying that the grocery environment has changed in an unfavourable way and nothing else has. I think it's great that the area is getting a grocery store back, but the model is telling: Loblaws isn't interested in the territory, but they'll happily take lease payments and orders from a franchisee on a zero-risk basis. I'd go so far as to say the situation is now worse because corporations generally don't leave money on the table. If they thought they could make money at the retail level, they would; They don't lack for resources. But they've chosen not to. It's worth at least following the logic...

esquire · #**2464** Posted **Dec 3, 2014, 8:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simplicity

There have been numerous 7-11s that have closed over the past 15 years. Fewer Macs' because they're franchised. A parent company is not as willing to put up the nonsense because they don't have to. A franchisee has their livelihood invested in it.

And I'm not saying that it absolutely won't work. I'm just saying that the grocery environment has changed in an unfavourable way and nothing else has. I think it's great that the area is getting a grocery store back, but the model is telling: Loblaws isn't interested in the territory, but they'll happily take lease payments and orders from a franchisee on a zero-risk basis. I'd go so far as to say the situation is now worse because corporations generally don't leave money on the table. If they thought they could make money at the retail level, they would; They don't lack for resources. But they've chosen not to. It's worth at least following the logic...

The only 7-Elevens I can think of off hand that have closed in the past 15 years are the ones at Ellice near Langside, and on Salter near Redwood. Both promptly reopened under local ownership. Am I missing any?

As to No Frills, all I can say is that there are plenty of operators, corporate and local, running food stores big and small in what might strike us as unlikely locations in this town. I don't see what makes Notre Dame so special that it can't sustain a grocery store. Perhaps the margins are not worth Loblaws' time and energy, but to a local operator (and I've known a few who have spent their lives in the business as franchisees/owners in Winnipeg) who has expertise, it may well be worth it. I'm sure the circumstances surrounding the store and the location factor their way into the franchise agreement too.

Let's face it, if things were really that dire then the store would have remained shuttered and that would have been that. But that clearly isn't the case.

blueandgoldguy · #**2465** Posted **Dec 4, 2014, 6:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I would give the franchisee the benefit of the doubt and assume that they're not like some innocent lamb that has no idea what they're getting into.

I used to shop at that Extra Foods regularly, and while Riverman may not believe this, it was for the most part fairly busy and filled with regular people doing their routine grocery shopping. It's not like it was some crazy free for all with people pillaging the meat section and running out the store with roasts coming out of their pants.

Profit margins for grocery stores are thin. It doesn't take free for all theft to put a grocery store in the red

Edit: I see Simplicity already covered this

cllew · #**2466** Posted **Dec 4, 2014, 2:44 PM**

Are these stores going to be UFCW wage staff? If not a union store then it helps the bottom line to absorb a bit more shrink.

Simplicity · #**2467** Posted **Dec 4, 2014, 4:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

Are these stores going to be UFCW wage staff? If not a union store then it helps the bottom line to absorb a bit more shrink.

The No Frills model- because of the franchisee agreement - doesn't use union labour. That's part of their low cost proposition.

Cyro · #**2468** Posted **Dec 4, 2014, 6:41 PM**

LOL..Who deleted the Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall thread and Why?

It was entertaining and informative. Maybe these threads need moderation rather than deletion? Just a thought.

bomberjet · #**2469** Posted **Dec 4, 2014, 6:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyro

Maybe these threads need moderation

Now there's a concept. A three word mod response to how ever many pages of bashing people, dick showing etc is not moderation.

Cyro · #**2470** Posted **Dec 4, 2014, 8:47 PM**

^ I'd assume a mod would do a multiple deletion of posts and/or warnings , possible suspensions if it continued after the initial warning ? Who knows.

Simplicity · #**2471** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 1:24 AM**

Heard the Asper joint in One Wellington sold the other day. 8000 square feet for $1.75M. Which one of you splurged?

The Jabroni · #**2472** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 4:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

Are these stores going to be UFCW wage staff? If not a union store then it helps the bottom line to absorb a bit more shrink.

The whole point of No Frills was the name itself, including non-unionized workers, in which the UFCW put up a big stink about it when most of the Extra Foods locations were closing down.

In the end, No Frills is basically Extra Foods, without the unionized staff, and this is coming from a former employee of another banner under the same Loblaw brand (Superstore).

Right before I left the company last year, No Frills was going to open up the former Extra Foods locations within 2 years, or so the grape vine said at the time.

With all that said, with franchisees coming in, there will be a lot riding on them, because even though Loblaw says they're cutting costs, they're also cutting corners, which in reality, shouldn't surprise anyone when a company says they're "cutting costs".

bomberjet · #**2473** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 2:26 PM**

No matter what business you're in, cutting cots is never easy. And can be quite messy. Company I work for has been "cutting costs" to the tune of 40% of staff. Be it through firings, attrition, quiting/forced retirements. Not easy on company moral that's for sure.

Crisis · #**2474** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 2:31 PM**

Interestingly, here in Saskatoon, the ex-Extra Foods are now being ran as Independent (your independent grocer), as opposed to No Frills. Similar idea, as they are ran by franchisees rather than corporate Loblaws stores.

steveosnyder · #**2475** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 3:04 PM**

Has anyone else seen this flaming pile of turd? Dear god, I wonder if the video editor actually believes any of this will come to fruition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKk3M8240mI

drew · #**2476** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 3:18 PM**

^ meh. It looks nice, but I can't see it ending up like that...more like a divided road with some bike paths, a giant parking lot and a grocery store.

The area isn't getting a school (cancelled), so maybe they deserve a faux main street?

Biff · #**2477** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 5:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

^ meh. It looks nice, but I can't see it ending up like that...more like a divided road with some bike paths, a giant parking lot and a grocery store.

The area isn't getting a school (cancelled), so maybe they deserve a faux main street?

I have to say, that I drive through there every day to get to the South Perimeter and so far it is looking surprisingly just like that. I had never seen that video before and I am amazed that any development like this ever turns out like the renderings. I think they will be hard pressed to find the commercial tenants to populate Centre Street like that but they appear to be building exactly to the design............like it or not.

Bdog · #**2478** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 5:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

Has anyone else seen this flaming pile of turd? Dear god, I wonder if the video editor actually believes any of this will come to fruition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKk3M8240mI

Flaming pile of turd? Isn't this the exact type of development we're clamouring to see in the City's newest suburbs? Mixed-use, walkable, relatively dense, pedestrian friendly, parking at the back, buildings up to the sidewalk, good connectivity (via pathways), good urban form - what else are you looking for?

If it's that you don't think the guidelines and agreements will be followed, and that this won't get built, that's another story - but not sure what you mean by "flaming pile of turd"...

bomberjet · #**2479** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 5:27 PM**

Roads are too wide. Can't just step of the sidewalk, across a small trail to the next sidewalk. There's parking. Nevermind all the the 3 story mixed use buildings. My goodness.

steveosnyder · #**2480** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 7:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bdog

Flaming pile of turd? Isn't this the exact type of development we're clamouring to see in the City's newest suburbs? Mixed-use, walkable, relatively dense, pedestrian friendly, parking at the back, buildings up to the sidewalk, good connectivity (via pathways), good urban form - what else are you looking for?

If it's that you don't think the guidelines and agreements will be followed, and that this won't get built, that's another story - but not sure what you mean by "flaming pile of turd"...

Ya, I suppose that is true -- I should have said that it's a flaming pile of turd because it's not what will be built. Sure, they may have buid-to lines that address the sidewalk, but I have my reservations as to how they will address the pedestrians that could theoretically walk there. Until shown otherwise, I will assume they will be built much like the Royal Bank on Sage Creek -- nothing but a few windows, mostly blank wall, and a fire exit. I should also add that google maps isn't up to date and all the other buildings along that stretch are the same way, they are built to the sidewalk but don't have any entrances there.

"Hey Guys, look here -- we're urban! We build our buildings right to the sidewalk with parking in the back."