Business in Winnipeg

[EdwardTH]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I heard from credible sources Target Canada was deep in plans to build another store on the same site as the Portage Ave Costco. While construction never started that was likely advanced professional work being done that was written off as well.

The call to change operations (ie move hq) often comes from the very top of the organization while office renovations, store openings, etc is lower down in priority and more in an operational role that isn't necessarily in the know on closed door, high level discussions which could impact it.

In a general five year horizon I don't think much changes for the local Great West Life staff as there are too many hq staff here to easily relocate operations.

haha you guys are reading way too much into a change that is mostly about branding and an on-paper legal change. The HQ renovations they have been doing are in this case also coming straight from the top, it's not a day-to-day operational thing but a huge company-wide new office strategy. They're only halfway through a full reno of the HQ, which is still ongoing and costs many millions and all other offices around the country are being redone one by one with a matching design. That's the sort of thing upper management is very much involved in. It's confusing for customers to interface with a hodgepodge of services for 3 different companies and that's the main reason for the change, to have a single national brand.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by esquire

Interesting. So any word on what will happen with the space at Donald and Graham?

Triovest (Bldg property manager ) had it advertised in the Free Press commercial reality section for rent a week or two ago. Its about 8000 sq ft (+/-) so its either going to take a large tenant or get sub divided to fill it.

[blueandgoldguy]

I was recently in Uptown Alley in the old SIR warehouse. Pretty impressed with the amount of work they did inside. Two bowling alleys with 2 bars, a giant game's area and laser tag. Quite the upgrade from their old location on Academy. The owners must have had quite a bit of capital to invest in this operation.

[Danny D Oh]

Originally Posted by DowntownBooster

Do renovations really matter in the corporate world? Wasn't the basement in the downtown Bay store renovated for Zellers only to have it closed up after the chain was sold by the Bay? Wasn't the large Target store by Polo Park only open for a few months when it was announced by Target that they were pulling out of Canada? Renovations/construction projects can sometimes mean very little when business transactions like those occur leaving us scratching our heads.

You're right.

In GWL's case they are sitting on prime real estate that easily outstrips any investment in renos. The renos are also a sunk cost, they are done and gone. Wouldn't impact decision-making.

Aside from moving HQ cities you never know if a sweetheart deal might come along to lease a bunch of floors in an existing or new downtown office tower that could result in some movement too.

[Wpg_Guy]

SkipTheDishes is pulling out of the United States.


The Winnipeg-based delivery company had operations in six American markets and has entered into an agreement to transition those services to Grubhub south of the border.

A SkipTheDishes spokesperson told Global News the company wants to focus on building its business here in Canada and will be updating its partners on the change to their American operations.
https://globalnews.ca/news/5134337/w...of-u-s-market/

[Ando]

Unless I'm missing something, this doesn't sound like good news.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

I was recently in Uptown Alley in the old SIR warehouse. Pretty impressed with the amount of work they did inside. Two bowling alleys with 2 bars, a giant game's area and laser tag. Quite the upgrade from their old location on Academy. The owners must have had quite a bit of capital to invest in this operation.

You're referring to Uptown that moved to St Matthews St.

Not as accessible, without a voom voom. Polo Park Lanes is better for me now since they closed the Academy Rd. location. To compare for me, would be like depending on Dad to drive us kids to Saints Roller Rink (Ft. Garry) in the 1970s.

Didnt they also have a "West" location further out in St. James?

https://uptownalley.ca/

[bomberjet]

https://globalnews.ca/news/4362634/s...nnipeg-driver/

Anything ever come of the ridiculous law suit linked in the Skip article?

[cllew]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

You're referring to Uptown that moved to St Matthews St.

Not as accessible, without a voom voom. Polo Park Lanes is better for me now since they closed the Academy Rd. location. To compare for me, would be like depending on Dad to drive us kids to Saints Roller Rink (Ft. Garry) in the 1970s.

Didnt they also have a "West" location further out in St. James?

https://uptownalley.ca/

They took over the Village Inn Bowling lanes on Westwood Drive by the Princess Auto store renaming it Academy Lanes West. The same group also owns the Billy Mosienko Lanes on north Main by Redwood

[ywgwalk]

Pretty obviously a paid article/profile one way or another, but a decent overview of Richardson:

https://www.macleans.ca/economy/busi...anaged-canada/

[Ando]

I read the article. Unclear why you think it's a paid article. It's just a regular article in Macleans.

[ywgwalk]

Originally Posted by Ando

I read the article. Unclear why you think it's a paid article. It's just a regular article in Macleans.

I don't know, it just reads as very contrived. I was only trying to hedge any complaining about posting articles that read more like advertisements.

[Ruperta]

Guys, can you give recommendations on choosing an antivirus? I've used norton but recently I bumped into Totalav vs Avast comparison. Is there anyone who used some of these programs? Which one would you pick?

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by Ruperta

Guys, can you give recommendations on choosing an antivirus? I've used norton but recently I bumped into Totalav vs Avast comparison. Is there anyone who used some of these programs? Which one would you pick?

Just use Windows own antivirus software, Windows Defender, if that's the OS you are using. Linux requires none. I don't think Mac requires antivirus software.

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

Just use Windows own antivirus software, Windows Defender, if that's the OS you are using. Linux requires none. I don't think Mac requires antivirus software.

Yup, just Windows Defender... unless you're going on the dark web of hacking China.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by Jeff

lots of construction going on in the old federated insurance building on portage beside kromar printing.. anyone know what's going on there?

And 4 years later, the ugly mint green paint on the Kromar Bldg. (725 Portage Ave.) has been removed and there is one-level of scaffolding set up.

I kind of like this building. What it needs is the windows to be enlarged, a la Medical Arts.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by Ando

Unless I'm missing something, this doesn't sound like good news.

It was a calculated decision – they're actually so busy and doing well, they don't have the capacity to handle a US expansion right now. They just gave out bonuses to every employee who worked for over 50% of 2018, because sales were close to double their targets.

Just Eat has decided SkipTheDishes will be a Canada-only brand, just as how they have many single-country subsidiaries already. Skip is pretty inundated right now with taking on the support ops of the entire Just Eat network, and being in only 6 mid-market US cities currently, and with the amount of resources a proper US expansion would take, it didn't make sense for them to keep it.

I would not be surprised to see a Just Eat expansion into US (maybe by acquisition) in the next year or two.

[Ando]

Interesting, thanks. I guess I wonder then whether Skip growth will now be much more circumscribed in Winnipeg. Since, as you say, they would likely buy an existing US company to break into that market.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I was meaning moving the head office elsewhere. Why would they renovate, then move the head office?

Originally Posted by DowntownBooster

Do renovations really matter in the corporate world? Wasn't the basement in the downtown Bay store renovated for Zellers only to have it closed up after the chain was sold by the Bay? Wasn't the large Target store by Polo Park only open for a few months when it was announced by Target that they were pulling out of Canada? Renovations/construction projects can sometimes mean very little when business transactions like those occur leaving us scratching our heads.

Originally Posted by Danny D Oh

You're right.

In GWL's case they are sitting on prime real estate that easily outstrips any investment in renos. The renos are also a sunk cost, they are done and gone. Wouldn't impact decision-making.

Aside from moving HQ cities you never know if a sweetheart deal might come along to lease a bunch of floors in an existing or new downtown office tower that could result in some movement too.

1. Opportunity knocks. Or crisis strikes. If you have to or really want to move, and your lease somehow doesn't crush you for moving prematurely, why not? Especially if these renos are self-initiate mid term in the lease... if a better situation arises, take it.

2. Target is a bad example. As for Zellers (or any other tenant) it's obviously nornmal to renovate a space to your needs. Sometimes it results in more business, and sometimes it makes a space more functional and hopefully, subjectively more productive. Why try to maximize natural light on the 30th floor when you can work in a basement?

Additionally, landlords often pinch in for a substantial portion of the renovation work if you're moving into their building.

3. Bingo on Danny's post.

[buzzg]

Netflix studio currently under construction.

Amazon bought Thinkbox and will be growing here. They make the leading software for animated films for companies like Pixar and Illuminate.

Amazon is shooting several series here this year.

Sean Penn is here about to kick off a project that will have him here most of the summer.

The government is seeing big ROI on the Hollywood tax credits, and it’s expected to be a massive year for film production here. This could honestly be our first boom industry lol.