Regina Retail

[yveseluj]

There's work going on in the former Bentley location in the Cornwall.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by yveseluj

There's work going on in the former Bentley location in the Cornwall.

Yeah, Bentley is re-opening in the same spot. Their sign is up as of this morning.

[Draftsman]

As I was walking through the former Sears store this morning I noticed a PCL employee walking near me. I asked him if anything was going in there, and he said he couldn't tell me. I then asked him when 'it' might open. A year? He told me 'it' might be open around Christmas but it could be later. He told me they should put a go-cart track in there, and laughed. Didn't someone in here already suggest that a while back? Considering the bare bones state of this space it would take a long time to build new retail, so if 'it' might be opening by Christmas, it can't require much in the way of upgrades. Maybe it will be a go-cart track?

[Dan0myte]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

so if 'it' might be opening by Christmas, it can't require much in the way of upgrades. Maybe it will be a go-cart track?

[Mike328]

Does anyone know when Landmark Cinemas will be opening in the east? Last date I heard was August 1st or has that been pushed back?

Seems like they still have some work to do, from looking at the outside.

[Missinglink]

Originally Posted by Pinus

That is how they pronounce their roadways in the US. Why would you want something that sounds so American?

Why are you so insecure?

[yveseluj]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

Yeah, Bentley is re-opening in the same spot. Their sign is up as of this morning.

Huh, interesting. Was their plan always to re-open in the same spot? It's probably been boarded-up for over a year now for sure.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by yveseluj

Huh, interesting. Was their plan always to re-open in the same spot? It's probably been boarded-up for over a year now for sure.

I was wondering too. The Calendar Club had set up in that vacant space for the past two holiday seasons.
From what I recall, someone in here mentioned that MAC Cosmetics was going to go in that space but for whatever reason, that never happened. This is just a scenario in my mind, but malls like to increase rents when leases are up, and perhaps Bentley decided to move out because of that? Now, with several empty stores maybe the mall offered them a better deal to come back, seeing that no one else wants that small, oddly shaped space? Also, the Calendar Club has opened what appears to be a year 'round location further down the mall, so they will no longer be interested in the Bentley space.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Entirely possible. I'm not sure what legs the mall owners have to stand on because the demand for retail space is not exactly high these days.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

“Doesn’t ring true for me so it must not be true” is such a typical Boomer response lol. Here’s a start for you but how much more evidence do you need than what I already said in my original comment? (plus the rise of right-wing populism, household debt and drug addiction - which are all connected with economic inequality caused by globalization and automation, which are necessary and inevitable) The fact housing and post-secondary costs have FAR outpaced incomes, coupled with the fact real incomes have barely increased in the past 40 years, should make it obvious why department stores that catered to the middle class have died or are dying and are being replaced by Walmarts and dollar stores (Walmart and the like also caused an off-shoring of good paying jobs that have yet to be fully replaced, further weakening the middle class). It’s not the fault of the internet because places like Sears and Eaton’s were dying well before Amazon came about. Even if real incomes in Saskatchewan have improved, housing and post-secondary costs have still risen more dramatically and our small province isn’t enough to keep places like Hudson’s Bay alive.

I just want to mention that economic inequality is the most significant issue facing the West, including Canada, only behind climate change. Its obvious that otherwise intelligent posters are ignorant to the realities facing a large portion of people today. This is expected when we are living in an ever-more isolated world caused by social media and information bubbles. If you want to learn more about how economic inequality is going to affect us and for details of one of the solutions, I invite you to listen to a podcast Sam Harris did with tech-investor and Democratic presidential nominee, Andrew Yang.

I perused a very well reason study on the issue that concluded that the view of rising inequality in Canada and middle class being worse off is largely based on the U.S. experience and rhetoric coming from south of the border. Here is one interesting chart that shows how the failure of pundits to account for tax differentials, government transfers to families and shrinking family size has skewed the perception of how the middle class has faired since the 70's. This is all based on actual StatsCan data.

[djforsberg]

Originally Posted by Stormer

I perused a very well reason study on the issue that concluded that the view of rising inequality in Canada and middle class being worse off is largely based on the U.S. experience and rhetoric coming from south of the border. Here is one interesting chart that shows how the failure of pundits to account for tax differentials, government transfers to families and shrinking family size has skewed the perception of how the middle class has faired since the 70's. This is all based on actual StatsCan data.

The link I sent you showed the US is much less equal than Canada, but we are still far less equal now when you compare to our own history. The whole reason I bring this up is to explain the closing of stores that served the middle class and in between the Walmart’s and Saks of the retail world. Feel free to give us your theory as to why those stores serving the “middle” have been disappearing from Canada since the 90s.

[bourbonandbranch]

Originally Posted by Mike328

Does anyone know when Landmark Cinemas will be opening in the east? Last date I heard was August 1st or has that been pushed back?

Seems like they still have some work to do, from looking at the outside.

I think it has been pushed back a bit. I noticed an ad in the Leader Post this morning looking to hire management for the Landmark Cinemas.

[PhotoJim]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

The link I sent you showed the US is much less equal than Canada, but we are still far less equal now when you compare to our own history. The whole reason I bring this up is to explain the closing of stores that served the middle class and in between the Walmart’s and Saks of the retail world. Feel free to give us your theory as to why those stores serving the “middle” have been disappearing from Canada since the 90s.

Wal-Mart isn't as low-class a shopping environment in Canada as it is in the US. Remember that Wal-Mart doesn't have Target as a competitor in Canada.

Also, between warehouse shopping (such as Costco) and online shopping, much of the traditional middle-class department store experience has moved elsewhere.

[djforsberg]

Originally Posted by PhotoJim

Wal-Mart isn't as low-class a shopping environment in Canada as it is in the US. Remember that Wal-Mart doesn't have Target as a competitor in Canada.

Also, between warehouse shopping (such as Costco) and online shopping, much of the traditional middle-class department store experience has moved elsewhere.

Shopping malls and middle class stores have been dying since the 90s, well before the ubiquity of online shopping.

[PhotoJim]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Shopping malls and middle class stores have been dying since the 90s, well before the ubiquity of online shopping.

Shopping malls were replaced with strip malls. Middle-class stores are thick in strip malls. But really, it was the late '90s before the decline really started in earnest.

Costco was founded in 1976. One could argue the 1990s were the beginning of their most disruptive effect.

[yveseluj]

Bentley has already re-opened in the Cornwall.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by yveseluj

Bentley has already re-opened in the Cornwall.

Wonder why they left in the first place, but glad that second floor corner space is leased again.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by PhotoJim

Shopping malls were replaced with strip malls. Middle-class stores are thick in strip malls. But really, it was the late '90s before the decline really started in earnest.

Costco was founded in 1976. One could argue the 1990s were the beginning of their most disruptive effect.

Big box stores have largely replaced department stores, mall stores and many small local retailers. Regina has far more retail space than it has ever had, but one would think growth will be modest going forward.

[StealthGirl]

Originally Posted by Stormer

...Regina has far more retail space than it has ever had...

A good chunk of that is duplication of the same stores. Ton of retail space under the Dollar-something banner (Dollarama, Dollar Store, Dollar Tree , etc). The same ladies clothing retailers in Southland, Cornwall, Northgate, Harbour Landing. Multiple big box retailers with multiple stores.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by StealthGirl

A good chunk of that is duplication of the same stores. Ton of retail space under the Dollar-something banner (Dollarama, Dollar Store, Dollar Tree , etc). The same ladies clothing retailers in Southland, Cornwall, Northgate, Harbour Landing. Multiple big box retailers with multiple stores.

Sure but the consumer seems to want that or they would all be broke. There is nearly a million square feet of home improvement stores (Home Depot, Rona, Lowes) that carry all the same thing but that is what folks seem to want.