Canadian Retail Thread [Archive] - Page 13

danby

Aug 15, 2007, 1:34 PM

Some good news for edmonton

New lease on life for North Town Mall
Renovation aims to fill largely empty centre
Ron Chalmers, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 1:38 am
EDMONTON - A two-year renovation of North Town Mall could fill one of this city's largest vacant spaces.

North Town is strategically located on the northeast corner of 137th Avenue and 97th Street -- just north of Northgate Centre and east of Griesbach. The seven-hectare site holds a major ETS station and a large Co-op taxi stand.

But the 32-year-old mall, originally owned by Triple Five Corp., is run down and 78 per cent empty.

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Font: ****Anthem Properties of Vancouver, which bought it in May 2006, now has started a sweeping redevelopment.

"In acquiring it, we recognized the potential of the property," says Anthem vice-president Sylvia Yung. "We spoke to key tenants that we are thinking of bringing in. That was part of our due diligence."

Anthem also has negotiated with existing tenants. CIBC, Rogers and Wendy's will remain where they are, Yung says. "London Drugs will reopen with a new store in the spring of 2008."

T & T Asian Supermarket, which has a large store in West Edmonton Mall, will open at North Town in the spring of 2009.

The 230,000-square-foot mall currently has 180,000 square feet of vacant space, according to CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate broker. If it were fully leased, retail vacancy in northwest Edmonton would fall from the current rate of 12.5 per cent to 3.9 per cent -- approaching the city-wide rate of 3.2 per cent.

But the owner expects to do even better -- by expanding to 270,000 square feet.

"Anthem is good at looking at diamonds in the rough," Yung says. "In this particular market, where it is very difficult to find perfect properties, we were willing to put in the elbow grease and work with tenants to make the real estate succeed."

The renovation was designed by Nejmark Architects of Winnipeg.

"All of the Edmonton architects were too busy to meet our timeline," Yung said. "We are using local architects and contractors." The improved North Town Mall "will have a modern, updated look with warm colours," plus new landscaping and a smoother-flowing parking lot, she said.

rchalmers@thejournal.canwest.com

© The Edmonton Journal 2007

West_aust

Aug 15, 2007, 1:41 PM

there is a mall in California and they opened Two H&M's the same day in the same mall

Same at Rockland centre in Montreal, they opened 2 H&M at both end of the shopping center (not on the same day though)

habsfan

Aug 15, 2007, 2:53 PM

Same at Rockland centre in Montreal, they opened 2 H&M at both end of the shopping center (not on the same day though)

That has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard!

Martin Mtl

Aug 15, 2007, 7:12 PM

Source: Apple to build double-decker flagship in Montreal

By Kasper Jade
Published: 12:00 PM EST

Apple Inc. is finalizing plans for its first Canadian flagship shop, a spacious multi-story retail outlet to be located in the heart of Montreal, a source tells AppleInsider.

The Cupertino-based gadget maker is reported to have secured some 9,300 square feet of space along the 1300 block of Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, where it plans to heavily alter -- but not raze -- an existing structure.

According to a set of initial design plans, the company has proposed that the ground floor of the building be raised and that existing column structures on the property be relocated. Plans also call for the building to receive a new roof and stainless steel facade.

On the interior, Apple's proposal calls for two stories of retail sales space to be joined by a trademark glass staircases, similar to the one found at its SoHo, New York and Regent Street, London locations.

Office space, a back-end stock room, and bathroom facilities will consume a portion of the 9,300 square feet, trimming the retail sales area to approximately 8,000 -- leaving the Montreal location a couple thousand square feet short of Apple's Manhattan-based shops.

Although Apple presently operates four retail locations in Canada, none of the stores are designated as flagship locations. Montreal would represent just the 10th high-profile location for Apple, joining its eight existing flagships spread across the U.S., U.K., and Japan, as well as a ninth under development in Manhattan's Meatpacking district.

Apple's flagship shops have been strategically placed in the world's most densely populated shopping districts and are conceived as projections of the Apple brand with their architecture and interior design. Each year, the company spends an undisclosed sum on marketing costs for the the high-profile locations, ranging up to $10 million.

Unexpected delays withstanding, Apple hopes to begin operating out of the Montreal location during the summer or early fall of next year, according to the source.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/08/15/source_apple_to_build_double_decker_flagship_in_montreal.html

habsfan

Aug 15, 2007, 7:22 PM

The Cupertino-based gadget maker is reported to have secured some 9,300 square feet of space along the 1300 block of Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, where it plans to heavily alter -- but not raze -- an existing structure.

Cool, so this is gonna be across the street from Ogilvy's?! Nice location!

malek

Aug 15, 2007, 7:33 PM

There's a BCBG there...

Martin Mtl

Aug 15, 2007, 7:41 PM

The stotes in Soho and London are awesome, so this is very exciting news for Mac lovers like me :-)

West_aust

Aug 15, 2007, 8:44 PM

There's a BCBG there...

BCBG is expanding their other location on ste-catherine using the building where burger king was, so it might be to close to one one de la montagne/ste-catherine and apple to take over that spot

West_aust

Aug 16, 2007, 8:30 PM

doublepost

West_aust

Aug 16, 2007, 8:31 PM

More info on the Apple flagship store in Montreal
-----------

Apple to begin work on Montreal flagship this winter (photos)

By AppleInsider Staff
Published: 02:00 PM EST

Apple Inc., which plans to turn an existing Montreal storefront into Canada's first high-profile Apple flagship shop, will have to hold off renovation efforts until the current tenant vacates the premises later this fall.

The Cupertino-based Mac maker has secured a lease at 1321 Ste-Catherine Quest in the heart of Montreal's shopping district, currently occupied by a MENS fashion retailer. Once MENS vacates the premises this November, Apple will begin to heavily alter the site, which it plans to turn into a two-story flagship retail store spanning some 9,300 square feet.

Among the planned renovations, as AppleInsider exclusively reported on Wednesday, are a new roof and stainless steel facade. Apple also plans to relocate some structural columns, raise the ground floor, and install a trademark glass staircase joining retail floors 1 and 2.

Photos of the existing MENS fashion retailer (below) show Apple to have chosen a location for its first Canadian flagship shop that is already reminiscent of some of its higher-profile stores, complete with a spacious interior and large window displays on both floors.

http://images.appleinsider.com/montreal-flagship-local-1.jpg
http://images.appleinsider.com/montreal-flagship-local-2.jpg
http://images.appleinsider.com/montreal-flagship-local-3.jpg

204

Aug 19, 2007, 12:45 AM

Same at Rockland centre in Montreal, they opened 2 H&M at both end of the shopping center (not on the same day though)

Each store caters to different demographics however. They don't carry the same clothes in both stores.

The H&M on second floor is mens and young womens (trendy) stuff. The one on the main floor is womens, kids, accessories.

SpongeG

Aug 19, 2007, 9:47 PM

from the vancouver sun...

Vancouver, H&M is ready for you

Published: Saturday, August 18, 2007

A gaggle of stylish young things puts the finishing touches on a tidy display of accessories while a painter in overalls touches up a nearby wall. Some mannequins are dressed to the nines while others are buck naked.
A few days before the doors open at B.C.'s first H&M outlet, it's organized chaos set to pop music.

But the Swedish clothing chain's Canadian marketing manager, Laura Shankland, is confident every last hoodie, chunky sweater and pair of jeans will be sitting pretty on the shelves when the Coquitlam Centre store opens next Thursday.

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/2de3e3f6-b472-4835-9142-3ead50913788/h%20and%20m.jpg?size=l
Final touches are underway for the grand opening of British Columbia's first H&M store in Coquitlam Centre next Thursday.*

Just don't expect them to stay that way.

If the response is similar to what the retailer has seen on opening day at its other Canadian outlets, all those neat piles will quickly be upended by thousands of eager shoppers hunting for the trend-conscious bargains H&M is known for around the world.

When the chain's West Edmonton Mall store swung open its doors for the first time earlier this year, "we had more than 300 people waiting," Shankland says. "That was way beyond our expectations."

But perhaps it shouldn't have been, based on how quickly H&M's well-publicized collaborations with top designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney have flown off the shelves. Many have sold out completely in hours, "even minutes," she says. "Last year, in about 15 minutes, the Viktor & Rolf collection was basically cleared out."

Shankland admits H&M's entry into the Vancouver market "has been a long time coming. H&M fans have been e-mailing us for a long time asking us when we're coming there."

Small wonder -- the chain already has 31 stores in Canada, most in Ontario and Quebec. Calgary and Edmonton got theirs this spring.

The Coquitlam store is the first in what could be several Lower Mainland H&M outlets. A three-storey flagship store is slated to open in downtown Vancouver's Pacific Centre next spring, and Shankland says the company is actively looking for other Vancouver-area locations.

At more than 18,000 square feet, the Coquitlam store will be the third largest in Canada. It will carry clothes for men, women and children from infants through teens, as well as lingerie and accessories. Each gets its own readily identifiable section of the store, dressed in sophisticated tones of grey and brown.

But every outlet is unique, says Shankland. "You don't get one cookie-cutter version of H&M everywhere."

Along with wardrobe staples like leather jackets and handbags that won't soon fall out of fashion, H&M is known for churning out inexpensive versions of designer trends soon after they've made their runway or red-carpet debuts.

Vancouver-area shoppers might even get the jump on fashion junkies in Toronto and Montreal, since many of H&M's manufacturers are in Asia. "Vancouver is obviously very well-placed, because a lot of our shipments come in there."

The one tip Shankland offers to shoppers who aren't already H&M savvy is that if you snooze, you lose. New items arrive daily and they don't hang around on the racks very long.

"If you don't get something when you see it, you'll go back and it won't be there," she says. "You learn to grab it when you see it."

The H&M store at Coquitlam Centre opens Aug. 23 at noon. The first 150 customers will receive a 20-per-cent discount.

SteelTown

Aug 19, 2007, 9:52 PM

The Hamilton Spectator
(Aug 13, 2007)
RETAIL

Centre Mall's $100m plans still under wraps

Shopaholics will have to wait a bit longer to discover the shape of the $100-million renovation of Centre Mall.

"We're still working through the various phases," said Don Burton, senior vice-president of the shopping centres group for Redcliff Realty Management.

"The project requires negotiations with a variety of different players as some tenants, such as Sears, own property on the site, he said.

Redcliff has indicated it is considering a mix of existing and new tenants in a combined power centre/mall concept. Burton said the company hopes to unveil site plans to city council before the end of the year.

SpongeG

Aug 19, 2007, 9:57 PM

the new A/X Armani Exchange has opened in Metrotown - its quite small - about 1/3 the size of the Robson street store - but it was packed with people on Saturday

the aeropostale is open now too - and it too was quite busy

looks like some of the bigger branded names are pushing out some of the smaller local shops that used to make up the Bay wing of metropolis

SpongeG

Aug 22, 2007, 10:01 PM

ugh yet another H&M story - sorry

'Ikea of fashion' arrives in B.C.

H&M's friendly Viking invasion begins with shop opening in Coquitlam

The Vikings are coming, the Vikings are coming!

Not with longboats, axes and the usual pillaging committee but with high fashion at easy-on-the-pocket prices.

H&M of Sweden, the fashion-clothing retailer with a fast-growing international presence -- it's sometimes referred to as the "Ikea of fashion" -- will hang out its first Lower Mainland shingle in Coquitlam Centre on Thursday.

But that is just for starters, H&M country manager Lucy van der Wal said in an interview with The Province yesterday.

"We are very close to signing an agreement for space in a downtown mall [Pacific Centre] that will serve as our flagship store," she said.

If all goes according to plan it could be up and operating within a year, she said. And the company is looking for other Lower Mainland sites.

Vancouver is a vital city and H&M's plan is to expand across the Lower Mainland, van der Wal said. The downtown store will be about 30,000 square feet.

"We went to Coquitlam first, simply because the space was immediately available. It is a great location and we look forward to delivering affordable fashion and quality at the best price to our new customers," she said.

Occupying about 18,000 square feet, the one-floor store will offer a full range of collections for women, men, teenagers and children.

It's the third store the company has opened in Western Canada this year. It will provide about 90 jobs.

H&M offers products divided into a number of different concepts, including cosmetics and footwear, for its customers.

It currently has 29 stores in Canada -- 19 in Ontario, two in Alberta and eight in Qubec.

Van der Wal said the plan is to have 35 stores open by the end of the year.

H&M's arrival here will very likely shake up the high-fashion, low-price clothing sector and spark intense competition, analysts said.

"They intend to make a big splash here and, initially, some of the competition in the latest-fashion, low-priced clothing sector will feel their competitive bite," said David Gray, an independent, Vancouver-based retail analyst.

"They are rolling right across Canada," he said. "H&M are a "fashion-value company. They are very strong at taking the latest fashions and putting them into their stores very quickly at a good price.

"Their offerings may not be to everyone's taste but they are very good at what they do," Gray said.

Gray said H&M's arrival will likely not be the last from a global or major European retailer. There is a feeling among major European retailers that Canada has room for more international players, he said.

aford@png.canwest.com

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF GLOBAL GROWTH

H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB was established in Sweden in 1947. It has proven successful wherever it has opened its doors.

It operates globally in 28 countries with more than 1,400 stores.

It has 60,000 employees and last year had sales of approximately $1.2 billion.

It works with international designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli and Viktor & Rolf.

It has also collaborated with pop stars Madonna and Kylie Minogue.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/money/story.html?id=1aa76613-1235-416a-a624-128fbe6207c8&k=45922

SpongeG

Aug 22, 2007, 10:55 PM

http://www.jysk.ca/images/navBar/imgJyskLogo.gif

JYSK is opening a store in Dartmouth

Opening Soon
Dartmouth Opening late 2007

www.jysk.ca

and a 3 more stores in Quebec

Opening Soon
Brossard Opening September 8th
Le Bourgneuf Opening Soon
Sainte Foy Opening Soon

http://www.jysk.ca/en/about/about.jpg

JYSK is one of the leading and fastest-growing retailers in the world. First-established in 1979 in Denmark, the company is now present in 20 countries with over 1,000 stores; bringing “Quality-for-Less” to millions of customers every day.

With a passion for Scandinavian design, our products range from furniture to accessories, including mattresses, bedding, and outdoor products that will enhance any living spaces with a sense of sophistication at affordable prices.

neilson

Aug 22, 2007, 11:10 PM

pegcity

Aug 28, 2007, 11:42 PM

McPhillips Wal-Mart to open 24 hours

A north Winnipeg Wal-Mart store will become the chain's first Canadian outlet to be open 24-hours a day on a regular basis, a company spokesman said today.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4029763p-4640799c.html

SSLL

Aug 30, 2007, 1:15 AM

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070829.RLOBLAW29/TPStory/Business
__________
Loblaw refines superstore concept
Firm tests new name, new design and a new emphasis on back-to-basics groceries
MARINA STRAUSS
RETAILING REPORTER
August 29, 2007
One of Galen G. Weston's biggest headaches when he took over the reins at Loblaw Cos. Ltd. last year was figuring out what to do with its struggling superstores. The grocer had built a lot of them over the past few years to take on discounter Wal-Mart but they performed poorly, particularly in general merchandise.

To the surprise of many on Bay Street, Mr. Weston opted to overhaul, rather than scrap, the big-box approach for the chain's Real Canadian Superstore. Today the company opens its new pilot prototype in Milton, Ont., revealing a new push on fresh foods and groceries, and a scaling back of electronics and furniture.

It's got a new name - Loblaw Superstore - and a wide aisle at the centre of the groceries section to pitch special deals, much like in a Wal-Mart store. It's got revamped backroom operations to help ensure that goods get onto the shelves on time. That's a problem that still persists in many of its stores.

"They're rejigging what they want to sell in the store," said analyst Anil Passi at Dominion Bond Rating Service. "They're getting rid of inventory that doesn't sell, things that are a little more distant from food and the kitchen."

But the big box is clearly in the big picture under Mr. Weston's vision for Loblaw.

The bottom line? "A big step forward but no guarantees of success," is how analyst Irene Nattel put it in a report after touring the new store.

Still, as Loblaw aggressively lowers its superstore prices, one of its biggest risks is getting locked in a price war with Wal-Mart, she said. Few retailers ever win that war with the global powerhouse.

The new superstore's prices are up to 15 per cent lower than those at the Loblaw store it replaced, one analyst said.

Mr. Weston faces his steepest challenge in Ontario, where he needs to protect Loblaw's close to 45-per-cent share of the food market. Loblaw built its most recent superstores in that province.

Geoffrey Wilson, a spokesman for Loblaw, said it will test the Milton store over the next three months and, if successful, start redesigning other superstores in 2008. The chain is also piloting the name change, to Loblaw Superstore, to put more emphasis back on the familiar Loblaw banner.

While downsizing electronics, toys, books and seasonal goods, the new store puts a spotlight on Loblaw's private label Joe Fresh apparel, which now makes up all the clothing offerings and includes a new children's line. Loblaw said in a handout to analysts that it is adding more staff to the section, although it didn't say by how much. The company has targeted $1-billion of Joe sales over the next three years, which Ms. Nattel called an "aggressive" goal.

The store's home section is the most dramatically restyled in the superstore, she said. It has "artful" product displays and uses an array of fixture heights to create an interesting visual change from section to section. "The revised presentation created a 'wow' that is sorely lacking elsewhere," she wrote.

Health and beauty products take on a new prominence at the centre of the new superstore. The aim is to create the environment of a regular drugstore with 20-per-cent lower prices, Loblaw said.

It shrunk the takeout food area by about 10 per cent, dropping fried foods in favour of healthier fare such as salads. In the grocery aisles, it created shorter, wider aisles to make shopping - and restocking - easier. It added 30-per-cent more freezer space to try to cash in on the growing trend of consumers' picking up frozen meals.

There are even changes to the checkout, with a belt that provides 166-per-cent more checkout space and pegged to improve labour efficiency by 10 per cent, the company said. To speed the checkout process, the store has scrapped displays of food or general merchandise in the area.

And touting itself as being Canada's first "bagless" supermarket, it doesn't provide plastic bags but rather green cloth bags or bins.

HockeyFan

Aug 31, 2007, 12:17 AM

Are the cloth bags and bins deposit-based, or can you only take them as far as your car?

Just curious... I can't imagine a mother of four carrying $300 in groceries into her house one at a time!!

SpongeG

Aug 31, 2007, 1:05 AM

you have to buy them - the cloth bags are 99 cents and the bins, here anyway, are $3.99\

you have to pay 4 cents per bag here and i have seen people say hell no and than carry and drop their groceries to the car

a lot of people bring bags from other stores

HockeyFan

Aug 31, 2007, 1:13 AM

Aah, that makes more sense. Ikea-style! (where you can buy the cloth bags) :)

Superstore's done the charge for bag thing for years, I just wasn't sure if the bags/bins were returnable or if people bought them.

I wonder what percent are re-used, and what percent of people just add $3.99 to their, say, $300 grocery bill?

Interesting concept in any case.

neilson

Aug 31, 2007, 1:26 AM

HockeyFan

Aug 31, 2007, 1:48 AM

Neilson -- generally, yes.... although Ikea does now charge for bags in the U.S. (it's 4 cents each, I think).

neilson

Aug 31, 2007, 2:04 AM

Neilson -- generally, yes.... although Ikea does now charge for bags in the U.S. (it's 4 cents each, I think).
Yeah but how common is IKEA?

Down here you dictate what supermarkets do by seeing what Kroger(and all it's various nameplates), Wal-Mart, Safeway(and all it's various nameplates), and Supervalu do.

Rusty van Reddick

Aug 31, 2007, 2:47 AM

neilson

Aug 31, 2007, 4:26 AM

Hey Neilson thanks to your forcing me to reminisce about my time in Alabama, I just found out that Delchamps went under! Damn you all!!

Anyway I recall that you got something like a nickle off when you didn't take a bag at Kroger's.
Yeah Delchamps never made it up to North Alabama where I'm from, but we had Winn-Dixie(who actually bought up most of the old Delchamps locations in Mobile), Bruno's, Food World, and Kroger.

Today we have Kroger(North Alabama and Auburn/Opelika), Publix(Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa), Wal-Mart Supercenter, SuperTarget, Winn-Dixie(Birmingham, Montgomery, Dothan, and Mobile), and Bruno's/Food World/Southern Family Markets.

SpongeG

Sep 6, 2007, 5:29 AM

is kroger the same chain as Fred Meyer?

I notice they sell Kroger product...

SpongeG

Sep 6, 2007, 5:30 AM

Bridging the gap

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/2de3e3f6-b472-4835-9142-3ead50913788/sun0821%20gap.jpg?size=l
CREDIT:
The interior of an unnamed GAP store that shows the new-look design facelift that many GAP stores will be undergoing.

Mr. Glenn Murphy

CEO Gap Inc.

Dear Mr. Murphy:

First, congrats on landing the top job at Gap Inc.

Pretty sweet that the big U.S. clothing retailer has chosen you, a 45-year-old Canadian and Shoppers Drug Mart wunderkind as the new uber-boss tapped to save its sagging butt.

It makes us kind of proud, the same way we feel about Torontonian Bonnie Fuller's ascendency to the top of the tabloid magazine editor pile.

But let's not get too squishy. You've got a big job ahead of you, because on the business end of things, the news isn't good.

Gap, clearly, isn't the top dog it once was in the retail clothing game, although your company still operates about 3,100 stores worldwide, including the high-end Banana Republic and the low-end Old Navy.

And we don't have to tell you there's a lot at stake -- Gap fiscal 2006 sales were $15.9 billion, but the stock price has been on the decline, with analysts tagging shares as "underperforming."

We know there are plans to close some stores -- locally, the Gap in Langley's Willowbrook Mall closed earlier this year, and the one at Lougheed Mall was shuttered Aug. 26.

Regrouping plans also include reducing inventory and "narrowing product lines," as well as making the most of your newly conscripted designer Patrick Robinson, who previously paid his dues at Perry Ellis, Anne Klein and Giorgio Armani, a not-too-shabby CV for the task ahead.

Frankly, Mr. Murphy, we don't think you should worry too much that you don't have a lot of experience peddling jeans and tees.

After all, your corporate track record is solid -- Shoppers sales doubled during your reign -- and you seem to understand the needs of customers, like who they are, and what they want when they walk through your doors.

But take it from me, as a big Gap fan, and as someone who first started shopping at the Gap decades ago, in Seattle, long before the chain's move to Canada.

You've got your work cut out for you.

Because the Gap doesn't know what it is any more.

It might be the fault of the corporate complacency that often follows success, so often the case with arrogant franchises that don't pay attention to social and economic demographics, or their clients.

Where the Gap once ruled the roost in fashionable affordable classic clothing -- smart jackets, lean jeans, office-worthy khakis, sharp shirts and an overall look that was always dressy and just this side of edgy, but never fussy or too trendy -- your inventory these past few years has became a confusing, unidentifiable mess, at once too young and too old, your designers clearly struggling with whether they should be pumping out sloppy T-shirts, hoodies and baby-doll dresses or crisp tailored shirts and cable-knit sweaters.

For instance, what were you thinking with those weird white women's blouses a few months back?

They were fantastically stylistic, with weird flaps and ruffles and off-kilter sleeves, like something out of a Japanese anime collection. Funky, yes. Wearable, no.

Truth is, while you were busy selling soap at Shoppers, the Gap has been doing a lousy job trying to reinvent itself in an increasingly saturated marketplace, where others have captured the eye of the under-25 crowd Gap once owned.

Sure, you sell a terrific blue jean, but if you're wondering where all your customers went, look no farther down the mall than Jacob and Aritizia and Bootlegger and Le Chateau and American Eagle and Zara and Off The Wall and American Apparel and, now, H&M.

Those stores know what they are, and who they're for.

That said, my advice is that you forget about them, because you don't need the teens and the under-25 crowd. You already have Old Navy for them (and on the other end, Banana for the moneyed boomers).

Simply put, there's a gap in the marketplace, Mr. Murphy, if you'll pardon the expression. Your new Gap customer, if I may be so bold, is the careerist, the young man or woman who is looking for stylish, wallet-friendly clothing that can be worn to the office but won't look dorkish at the martini bar.

It's a demographic desperately seeking a store of its own (and, no, not department stores, which are stuck in a time warp, apparently busy targeting seniors, if the Bay's breezy new baby boomer campaign is any indication).

As you probably know, Gap is a mall staple here in B.C., with 15 locations from Victoria to Whistler to Abbotsford.

We like that you're renovating the old joints, putting in dark-stained wood floors, armoires and lounge areas, and track lighting, though that's not always the most flattering.

We get it that you're trying to make the shopping experience less clinical, and a little more intimate, but the truth is, it really doesn't matter. Just get the product right and I guarantee you the 35-and-up crowd will be beating a path to your door.

For what it's worth, Mr. Murphy, I think you're on the right track with your new fall campaign: Classics Redefined.

It's like you were reading my mind, what with The Little Black Sweater Dress, The Tailored White Shirt, The Short-Sleeved Turtleneck, The Soft Tailored Blazer, The Haberdashery Shirt.

And those fall campaign photos. Fabulous.

A sublime age-less Twyla Tharp, in an impossible dance move, resplendent in The French Cuff Shirt.

John Mayer, deliciously scruffy, wearing his tats and The Sweater Vest.

Intriguing Forest Whitaker, formidable in The Macintosh.

These people have class, and so do your new clothes, so my advice -- not that you asked for it but thanks for listening -- is to stick with this back-to-the-future thing.

Who knows. You may just be the guy who puts the class back in Gap.

Yours, Shelley

sfralic@png.canwest.com

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/arts/story.html?id=62f23b33-9183-4c02-90c5-f3294cf5a26c&k=54236

SpongeG

Sep 11, 2007, 2:28 AM

London Drugs will open in old Woodward's building

London Drugs is the first retail outlet to commit publicly to the new redevelopment at the old downtown Vancouver Woodward's site.

The B.C.-based Western Canadian chain will open a 33,878-square-foot, two-level store at the site in the fall of 2009. Both the main-floor and second-floor sections will contain approximately 17,000 square feet.

In size, it will be on a par with some of the newer outlets in the 66-store chain.

Construction will begin this fall.

In a telephone interview, London Drugs president Wynne Powell said there is always a risk in moving into any new neighbourhood, but he feels confident that his store's foothold in a revitalized Downtown Eastside is the right one. He said a major food store and a bank are committed to the redevelopment, although neither party has gone public with its plans.

"When we agreed to go into this revitalization, we wanted to make sure there was an attractive enough traffic in this area to make sure Woodward's comes back as a business success," said Powell.

"When you look at other areas of Vancouver, you see that when people work together as a team there are profound changes that come to a neighbourhood, and we believe that will happen here."

London Drugs joins Simon Fraser University in committing to the redevelopment.

The new store will have all the departments that other London Drugs outlets contain, including pharmacy, photographic services, consumer electronics, health and beauty, computers, audio-visual equipment and food. It will have a specially designed area for kitchenware, a computer repair department, and a photo-finishing centre, which is somewhat surprising in this age of digital cameras.

"Four or five years ago, we invested multimillions of dollars in state-of-the-art photo finishing equipment, and we believe there's a future in printing photographs," said Powell.

"As people take digital photographs, they're coming back to print them on photographic paper.

"If you have a computer failure and you lose all your baby pictures and no longer have them because you didn't back them up - if you've printed them on archival paper it protects them for generations to come."

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=3d550979-c24a-44c6-9dd4-cd11c87600de&k=83852

SpongeG

Sep 14, 2007, 8:41 PM

McDonald's plans major renovations

Would you like a leather chair with those fries?

McDonald's restaurants is changing everything but its trademark golden arches in an ambitious physical makeover of hundreds of its restaurants across Canada to mark the fast-food giant's 40th anniversary north of the border and to compete with increasing competition.

Customers will soon be able to sink into plush chairs, cozy up to fireplaces and watch flat-screen televisions while biting into Big Macs.

The "re-imaging program" is part of McDonald's ongoing efforts to meet the needs of customers in a competitive food retail environment, according to Louie Mele, president of McDonald's Canada. The company has already made extensive changes to its menu to offer healthier fare and more diverse choices.

McDonald's will redesign more than 100 restaurants in its "Forever Young" design theme by the end of the year and have 530 of its more than 1,400 restaurants across Canada completed by 2010, says the company.

Thirteen restaurants have already been made over, including five in Ontario, four in Quebec, one each in Calgary and Edmonton, an outlet in Nanaimo, B.C. and another in Vancouver.

The red-and-brown mansard roof tops are being replaced with natural and cultured brick and stone exteriors. Inside, fabrics, wood and other natural materials will be used with bold colours and contemporary lighting to create a modern atmosphere, replacing much of the old tile and plastic fixtures.

The interiors are being redesigned to match the pace of diners, said Mele, with a high-traffic zone for people on the go, another for families and large groups and seating for customers who want to relax in a soft chair and watch TV.

"We've taken a fresh approach to highlight -- from a design standpoint -- the changing face of today's McDonald's," said Mele. "Our customers have already embraced what we've done to our menu to address their evolving needs and we're confident this bold initiative will provide them with the experience they're looking for when they visit us."

No financial details of the overall project were released. About 65 per cent of Canada's 1,400 McDonald's restaurants are franchised to local owners. Mele said the company has worked with its franchisees to provide design options that will maintain a consistency, but there will be subtle differences that will be "relevant to communities."

Karen Skobel, of deSignum Interior Planning, said McDonald's has been "very open to exploring new and unique design options."

Barry Desclouds, McDonald's Canada vice-president overseeing national restaurant development, said locations that have been redesigned are seeing increased traffic and repeat visits, but did not supply specific numbers.

The chain employs more than 77,000 across Canada.

Victoria Times Colonist

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/business_agriculture/story.html?id=a14dff57-b3da-4e94-886b-1c3b339d30b9

IntotheWest

Sep 14, 2007, 10:15 PM

Great news (from late last week) for downtown Calgary...slightly larger than the new Vancouver store. Hopefully this will be the lining up of the nail in the coffin for the "Deerfoot Meadows Collection", which has gone absolutely no where:

Holt Renfrew expands with city's affluence
Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, September 08, 2007
The burgeoning Calgary market has motivated one of Canada's leading fashion and lifestyle retailers to expand its operations here.

Holt Renfrew announced Friday its plans to launch a new store, scheduled to open in the spring of 2009 in downtown Calgary.

The company said construction will begin in the spring of 2008 for the 140,000-square-foot store, which will provide an additional 60,000 square feet of retail space as it relocates to its new location in the Calgary Eaton Centre.

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Font: ****"Our vision to be the best shopping experience with gorgeous fashions, entertaining stores and amazing service is paramount," said company president and CEO Caryn Lerner in a press release. "With an exciting climate for business growth in Calgary and an appetite in this market for increased depth and breadth of luxury brands, this new store will reflect our unwavering commitment to the Calgary marketplace."

The company said the store's design will also showcase a "new aesthetic" for Holt Renfrew, with interior design being provided by internationally-acclaimed, New York-based Janson Goldstein.

The store will relocate to space currently occupied by Sears. Sears officials could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Michael Kehoe, an Alberta-based commercial real estate broker, said the Holt Renfrew relocation will "solidify the downtown core as the destination for high-end and middle-income aspirational shoppers that want a piece of the luxury action throughout the greater Calgary area."

"Holt Renfrew will be an excellent anchor on the west end of the Eaton Centre-TD Square-Lancaster Building shopping connection," said Kehoe.

"I expect that other global luxury brands and high-end specialty retailers will locate downtown to enjoy the synergistic traffic benefits that a new and exciting Holt's store will generate. My expectations for the new Calgary store are high with the world-class presentation that Holt Renfrew completed recently in downtown Vancouver.

"Calgary is ready for this and upscale retailers such as Holt Renfrew are catering to that demand that is propelled by increased levels of household income and personal wealth. Alberta is the lowest-taxed jurisdiction in Canada and the greater Calgary area has the same number of households with annual incomes over $100,000 as Greater Vancouver Region, which has more than twice the population."

Lerner said the launch of this "flagship" store in Calgary "will reinforce Holt Renfrew's leadership."

The news of the Calgary expansion comes just a few days after an announcement that three historic downtown Calgary buildings are undergoing a multimillion dollar complete restoration and renovation to eventually house Fashion Central, which officials say will have 24 retail spaces including street-front stores targeted to international retailers new to the local market.

Encorp Group is spearheading the unique redevelopment at the corner of Stephen Avenue and First Street S.W., which includes the Macnaghten Block, the Hull Block and the Alberta Block buildings. The retail spaces will range in size from 400 square feet to 6,800 square feet and will be ready for occupancy from spring 2008 to fall 2009.

An internal component around an atrium will be for local fashion design boutiques and designer studios.

Holt Renfrew has nine retail stores across Canada -- three in Toronto and one each in Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

According to the company's website, the company that was to become Holt Renfrew was founded as a hat shop in Quebec City in 1837, by Irishman William Samuel Henderson. In 1849, Henderson introduced furs into the business and three years later sold the shop to his brother John. In 1860, G.R. Renfrew became a partner to form Henderson, Renfrew & Co. After another change in partnership in 1867, John Holt joined the company that would officially become Holt Renfrew & Co. Ltd. in 1908.

IntotheWest

Sep 14, 2007, 10:21 PM

And, getting the nail into the coffin of "Deerfoot Meadows Collection"...no names, other than Louis Vuitton are mentioned as "potential", but shouldn't be a problem filling that space. As a side note, Louis Vuitton has had a store in tourist-filled Banff for years:

Big names in fashion coming to Calgary
Louis Vuitton a candidate for Fashion Central
Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Three historic downtown Calgary buildings are undergoing a multimillion-dollar complete restoration and renovation to eventually house Fashion Central, which officials say will have 24 retail spaces, including some street-front stores targeted to international retailers new to the local market.

Encorp Group is spearheading the unique redevelopment at the corner of Stephen

Avenue and 1st Street S.W., which includes the Macnaghten Block, the Hull Block and the Alberta Block buildings. The retail spaces will range in size from 400 to 6,800 square feet and will be ready for occupancy from spring 2008 to fall 2009.

local fashion design boutiques and designer studios.

The project is similar to Art Central, which Encorp also owns at the corner of 7th Avenue and Centre Street S. -- home to 57 individual studios, galleries, shops and cafes.

Jodi Opsahl, fashion leasing representative for Fashion Central, said the retail brands being targeted for the site are independents that have really unique concepts.

"Some of the international brands we have been in communication with are Woolford stockings (and) Anne Fontaine blouses, which is a line out of Paris that has stores all over North America. Those are two good possibilities," said Opsahl.

"But also there's some very unique retailers in the East that have independent boutiques, and we're looking to bring them out to our exciting city."

Louis Vuitton is another possibility.

David Neill, president of Fashion Central, said the entire project will include about 30,000 square feet of retail space and the redevelopment will cost about $4 million.

"We're targeting international fashion retailers for these ground-floor spaces as well as a cafe," said Neill. "We have a couple under negotiation right now in terms of international fashion retailers. . . . These would be new to Calgary.

Essentially what we're looking for is retailers that this will be their sole store in Calgary as opposed to retailers that are in shopping centres.

"They will be unique stores."

Neill said the family owned Encorp acquired some of the property 10 years ago and more property a few years later.

"We've been waiting for the timing to be right to redevelop these properties for retail occupancy," said Neill. "And that time has now come with the economy of Calgary being so vibrant. Spending power. A much more mature market. A downtown that's come alive.

"In terms of retail, we've

always thought of fashion for the frontages, and what we've decided to do which is new is incorporate internally about 18 units around an atrium for local fashion designers and studios.

"We actually tried to put

together local fashion designers a number of years ago before we renovated the Clarence Block for McNally Robinson, and we found the community was very small. . . .

"Over the last number of years, the number of fashion

designers has just really multiplied. Now there is a market and we believe we can fill the space."

Maggie Schofield, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association, called the project a "revitalization of a wonderful, historical building."

"It also gives Calgary another dimension because we're going to move now into the fashion world," said Schofield. "We've done well at so many other things that it's going to be really exciting to see designers working and selling their product right here, right downtown.

"It will draw people in. There will be a huge amount of curiosity, I'm sure, and we have some fantastic

talent in the city. They just need a place to work and sell their product."

Ald. Madeleine King said the various projects Encorp has been involved in downtown with heritage buildings is "making sure that part of the downtown is very lively and vibrant and very attractive for people."

"Now to expand that concept to fashion is just fabulous," she said, adding that the success of a downtown is developing areas that are unique, authentic and local to capture people's interest.

Opsahl said Fashion Central offers many positives for prospective high-end fashion retailers.

"There are many retailers -- the smaller independent stores -- that love architecture. So the architecture here is absolutely unique to have three heritage buildings connected on what I think

is 100 per cent corner," said Opsahl.

"I think it's absolutely the best corner in downtown Calgary.

"Also in terms of our location, it's a walking street. So these are people that are actually walking and looking and want to have a different experience. . . . Also, we're surrounded by hotels. We have the Palliser. Le Germain on its way. We have the Marriott, the Hyatt. And this particular corner is said to

almost be 40 per cent tourism for sales."

SSLL

Sep 15, 2007, 2:27 AM

From: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070913/business/wal_mart_tim_hortons
_________
Wal-Mart Canada Super centres to include Tim Hortons stores later this year
Thu Sep 13, 2:32 PM
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - Wal-Mart Canada Super centres will start to include Tim Hortons coffee shops later this year, starting in Alberta and Ontario.

Wal-Mart Canada said Thursday its first Tim's outlets will open this fall in Lethbridge, Alta,. Edmonton and Brockville, Ont. More locations are planned for Lethbridge, Edmonton, Airdrie, Alta., and Orleans, Ont. - a total of seven by early 2008.

On the Toronto stock market Thursday afternoon, Tim Hortons shares were down 10 cents at $34.31.

Wal-Mart operates 292 retail outlets in Canada, including 278 discount stores, eight Wal-Mart Super centres and six Sam's Club membership stores.

Tim Hortons is Canada's largest quick-service restaurant chain. Founded in 1964 as a coffee and doughnut shop, the chain's menu now includes coffee, flavoured cappuccinos, specialty teas, soups, sandwiches and baked goods.

As of July 1, Tim Hortons restaurants numbered 2,733 in Canada and 345 in the United States.

SSLL

Sep 15, 2007, 2:39 AM

The store will relocate to space currently occupied by Sears. Sears officials could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Wow! Good news! Is Sears moving elsewhere? I wonder if Sears is retrenching from all their downtown stores across Canada?

mersar

Sep 15, 2007, 4:18 AM

I think they are retreating from this one as they only got it as a by-product of buying up the remains of Eatons, and likely it wasn't that profitable, and the costs of keeping it operating were probably starting to be felt a bit.

I'm almost starting to wonder if Sears is going to start shuttering some of their other stores, especially since they've now added electronics into their smaller scale Sears Home stores, leaving pretty much only clothes and comestics as the only things you can't get in those stores. And they seemed to push the catalog sales versus going to check the actual Sears store for things they didn't have or carry, including electronics before they added that section.

And in at least one case in Calgary that I know of, the Sears Home store is literally only a 5 minute drive from the regular Sears store (S.H. being in Brentwood, and the regular Sears in Northhill Mall).

SpongeG

Sep 15, 2007, 7:35 AM

Michael Kors store has opened in Oakridge Centre in Vancouver

looks really nice

kirjtc2

Sep 16, 2007, 1:47 AM

From: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070913/business/wal_mart_tim_hortons
_________

I wonder if these are eventually going to replace the McDonald's that are in most Wal-Marts now. McDonald's has all but pulled out of Wal-Marts in the US.

neilson

Sep 16, 2007, 2:28 AM

I wonder if these are eventually going to replace the McDonald's that are in most Wal-Marts now. McDonald's has all but pulled out of Wal-Marts in the US.
You guys got Subway in Wal-Marts in Canada?

http://www.plainvanillashell.com/article.asp?ID=8519

204

Sep 16, 2007, 4:07 AM

Great news (from late last week) for downtown Calgary...slightly larger than the new Vancouver store. the greater Calgary area has the same number of households with annual incomes over $100,000 as Greater Vancouver Region, which has more than twice the population."

Trying to start a Vancouver/Calgary thing? Yawn....

mersar

Sep 16, 2007, 7:10 AM

You guys got Subway in Wal-Marts in Canada?

http://www.plainvanillashell.com/article.asp?ID=8519

None of the Walmarts in Calgary have Subway in them to my knowledge (I can personally attest that Royal Oak, Northland, Marlborough and Westbrook don't for sure). Before that article I hadn't even heard of anyone but McDonalds being in Walmart.

kirjtc2

Sep 16, 2007, 3:56 PM

You guys got Subway in Wal-Marts in Canada?

http://www.plainvanillashell.com/article.asp?ID=8519

"Also, a restaurant inside a Wal-Mart can't operate a drive-through window."

Not true....the Wal-Mart McDonald's in Campbellton NB has a drive-thru. Never seen anything like it...says a lot about the laziness of people in this country...

ibz

Sep 16, 2007, 6:34 PM

Arriviste

Sep 16, 2007, 6:42 PM

Trying to start a Vancouver/Calgary thing? Yawn....

To someone with a weak intellect unable to discern between the presentation of a fact and an act of aggression perhaps, but to the rest of us it would seem as though he was reaffirming something quantifiable, and present in an article posted.

SpongeG

Sep 16, 2007, 10:49 PM

Trying to start a Vancouver/Calgary thing? Yawn....

yes but Vancouver has BC bud grow up money that isn't declared ;)

i know of a few people who have bought cars even houses on the proceeds of growing things

IntotheWest

Sep 17, 2007, 6:49 AM

To someone with a weak intellect unable to discern between the presentation of a fact and an act of aggression perhaps, but to the rest of us it would seem as though he was reaffirming something quantifiable, and present in an article posted.

Exactly Arriviste...Surprised to see a Vancouverite even post such a thing, really. For Calgary, I think it's quite impressive - and not a fact that should really come as a surprise.

More importantly though, the new Van store is awesome, and the fact we're getting one that at least by size appears to be "equal" (which, pleases my wife very much :-) shows the interest in retail downtown Calgary...this alone may be interesting facts for those not in Calgary.

As for Calgarians - who have waited for something to be announced for the semi-Big Box upscale "lifestyle" center of "The Collection at Deerfoot Meadows", it may be music to our ears that this attempt to lure new high-end stores away from the core may not happen (Just speculating).

malek

Sep 17, 2007, 2:43 PM

Montréal Bread: Restaurant chain targets Milwaukee
By Andrew Weiland (http://www.biztimes.com/news/authors/andrew-weiland) http://www.biztimes.com/nf/themes/sbt/images/icons/email.gif (http://www.biztimes.com/news/authors/andrew-weiland/contact) , of SBT
Published September 14, 2007 (http://www.biztimes.com/news/2007/9/14)

Milwaukee-based developer Steve Stewart and restaurateur Jay Supple, chief executive officer of Oshkosh-based Supple Restaurant Group, plan to introduce America to the Montreal Bread Co. restaurant chain.

They plan to open the first Montreal Bread Co. location in the United States in the River Renaissance development, a seven-story, 82-unit condominium building under construction southeast of Water and Erie streets in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. Stewart, president of New Vision Development Co., is a partner in the River Renaissance project, which will be complete in November.

During the next 10 years, Stewart and Supple plan to open and sell franchises for an additional 50 to 100 Montreal Bread locations across the United States. They will be master franchisors for Montreal Bread in their territory, which so far includes Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. That means they will be able to open or sell franchises for Montreal Bread locations in those states. In addition, Stewart and Supple are negotiating with Montreal Bread to add more states to their territory.

“We want to be the master franchisor for the entire U.S.,” Stewart said.
Montreal Bread Co. is a chain of European style cafes. Its menu includes sandwiches, soup, salads, desserts, pizza, cheese platters, fruit platters, vegetable platters and retail bread and wine.

“It’s an upscale café,” Supple said. “It’s another level above Panera Bread and Atlanta Bread Co. It’s kind of a meet-and-greet place, kind of like Starbucks, but with a much bigger menu. It’s a concept we feel we can take and repeat it throughout the country. That’s what is appealing to us.”

Stewart and Supple plan to open six to eight Montreal Bread locations in the Milwaukee area and about 15 total Wisconsin locations during the next 10 years. The concept is flexible and can fit in a 500- to 1,500-square-foot space.

“We’re going to have a lot of other Montreal Bread locations throughout Milwaukee, but the locations will be very urban,” Stewart said. The concept will work in suburban locations, but only in high-density communities such as Whitefish Bay in high-traffic areas, Stewart and Supple said. They also plan to do catering and deliveries, so they will be looking for locations near a large number of offices.

Rob Weich, chief operating officer of Mequon-based Weich Group Inc., and Alec Karter, a commercial real estate broker with Pewaukee-based Judson & Associates, will help Stewart and Supple find locations and franchisees for Montreal Bread restaurants.

“They’ve got some good contacts,” Stewart said.

The River Renaissance Montreal Bread location will occupy about 2,800 square feet of space, which will include a 1,500-square-foot training area for franchisees. It will be located on the first floor of the building right at the corner of Water and Erie. The restaurant will also have sidewalk seating for about 40.

“This is going to be kind of our model,” Supple said.

Supple also plans to open a Fratellos restaurant in an 8,610-square-foot space in River Renaissance, along the Milwaukee River. It will be the fifth location for Fratellos, which has two locations in Appleton, one in Ashwaubenon and one in Oshkosh. Fratellos serves a wide variety of American dishes, including seafood, steaks, sandwiches and pizza.

“We try to have something for everybody who comes through the door,” Supple said. Most of the Fratellos locations are located on a waterfront, and the River Renaissance location will feature seating for 100 outside along Milwaukee’s Riverwalk. “The places are beautiful, but you have a menu that is very price sensitive,” Supple said.

Supple’s company also owns Wave Bar and Ballroom in Appleton, and he is a franchisee for Golden Corral restaurants in Plover and Oshkosh, a Melting Pot restaurant in Appleton and a Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Oshkosh.

“We’re a little bit unique in that we have independent concepts and franchise concepts,” Supple said.

The company has been looking to expand into the Milwaukee area, he said. Some in the Milwaukee area are already familiar with Fratellos from taking trips north for Green Bay Packer games or vacations.

“This is big for us,” Supple said. “It’s a larger market. We’ve been looking down here for about three years. We love the Third Ward.”

SteelTown

Sep 19, 2007, 5:40 PM

Lowe's to open Hamilton store in December

September 19, 2007

Lowe's said today that its new home-improvement store in Hamilton store will open the week of Dec. 10. The store will be located in the city's east end.

Two other Lowe's stores in Brantford and Brampton will also open in the first few weeks of December. These are the first of the chain’s stores to open in Canada.

Lowe's has 18 additional sites in the pipeline.The U.S. home-improvement chain announced in 2005 its intentions to open six to 10 stores in the Golden Horeshoe by 2007, with as many as 100 stores in Canada over time.

The company opened its Toronto office in 2006 and has more than 100 employees in the office.

SpongeG

Sep 19, 2007, 10:03 PM

Dick's Lumber to grow under Rona ownership
Retailer buys firm posting more than $100 million in sales

Bruce Constantineau
Vancouver Sun

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Canadian home improvement retail giant Rona Inc. has acquired yet another Burnaby-based building supply company -- Dick's Lumber -- for an undisclosed price.

The acquisition comes less than 18 months after Rona bought Curtis Lumber as it aggressively acquires market share in the hot B.C. building-supply sector.

"We've been interested in Dick's Lumber for a long period of time," Rona president Robert Dutton said in an interview. "We know where the good businesses are in Canada."

Dick's Lumber, a private company founded by Dick and Delma Alexander in 1964, has locations in Burnaby, Surrey and North Vancouver. It posted more than $100 million in sales in the past year.

Dick Alexander died in 2005, but his son David is the company's corporate general manager, and several other family members work in the business.

Dutton said the purchase of Dick's Lumber gives Rona 54 stores in B.C., about $700 million in annual B.C. sales, and roughly 17 per cent of the provincial building-supply market.

He said Rona and Home Depot are neck and neck in the national market, with Rona having slightly more than 18-per-cent market share.

Dutton said Dick's Lumber met all the criteria for a successful new acquisition -- it's profitable, has a strong management team, and its inclusion in Rona will create synergies.

He said Dick's is also a great fit for Rona because it specializes in sales to tradesmen and contractors.

"They have a really good assortment and quality of products, and great people to help with advice," Dutton said.

He expects Dick's Lumber will double in size over the next five years through organic growth, new stores, and acquisitions that can be added to the Dick's brand.

David Alexander said other companies have offered to buy Dick's Lumber in the past, but the timing of the Rona deal made sense.

"They will take Dick's Lumber to the next level, which will be a very positive thing for all our employees and customers," he said. "We're just at a point now where we have to grow as a business or we'll lose certain people. So we thought it would be better if Rona took it over."

Alexander said he was convinced selling to Rona was the way to go because it's a Canadian company and he liked the way Curtis Lumber employees were treated after Rona bought that firm.

"There was no exodus of employees, and everybody we talked to there didn't want to come to Dick's Lumber because they were happy staying there," he said.

The company has many overseas customers, especially in Korea, Japan and Russia. Alexander said Dick's Lumber once supplied a Russian customer with virtually everything it needed to build and operate an ice rink, including a Zamboni ice-cleaning machine.

Alexander, 51, expects to stay with the new owners for about a year.

Dutton said Rona wants to double its own presence in B.C. through recruitment, acquisitions and building new stores. The company plans to open new stores in Burnaby and Kamloops next year.

Dutton noted the Boucherville, Que.-based company has invested $500 million in the province in the past six years, not including the $65 million it spent to become a "national partner" sponsor for the 2010 Olympics.

"B.C. has a very strong economy, and our concept has been well-accepted by consumers here," he said.

Vancouver retail consultant David Gray said Rona's strength lies in its infrastructure behind the scenes.

"They typically look for successful businesses that are looking to cash out because they're worried about their future in a more competitive world," he said. "It's a really good approach, and it's kind of a win-win for everybody because it's not like it's a hostile takeover."

Gray said Rona is still under-represented in B.C., so its aggressive growth plans for the province make sense.

"There's room for more Ronas for sure," he said.

bconstantineau@png.canwest.com

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You can now listen to every Vancouver Sun story on our new digital edition.

Free to full-week print subscribers or sign up for a 7-day free trial.

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BUILDING IN THE LOWER MAINLAND

Dick's Lumber, taken over on Tuesday by

Rona Inc., has been an iconic building-supply company in Metro Vancouver for four decades:

- Founded by Dick (left) and Delma Alexander in 1964.

- It has three locations -- Burnaby, Surrey and North Vancouver -- with more than eight hectares of lumber yards.

- Dick's rang up more than $100 million in annual sales.

- The business employs more than 200 people.

- It serves overseas customers in Russia, Japan, Korea, China and Chile.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=70c1e03c-0a8b-4674-ad90-984d3b1686cb

SpongeG

Sep 19, 2007, 10:12 PM

Canadians retailers plan expansions, new product lines

Retailers clung to a bullish outlook for quarterly sales in Canada as several outlined plans for expansion, new product lines and growth into the first quarter during a conference on Tuesday.

Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. CEO Jurgen Schreiber told a Scotia Capital retail conference that the drugstore giant is working to "capture the low end of the market" and boost the frequency of customer visits by reworking its health and living department and unveiling a VIP card.

The plan comes as Canadian Tire Corp. experiments with expanding the base of its Mark's Work Warehouse stores by installing two within its existing superstores. Canadian retail sales have shown surprising resiliency to market conditions that many predicted would tighten consumer spending.

'There's no sign on the horizon that the stronger spending will decrease.'
—John Winter, retail analystIn the second quarter, sales hit the highest mark in nearly six years. The results came even as shoppers slowed their spending in June when total retail sales fell 0.9 per cent to an estimated $34.6 billion. July results will be released on Friday.

Strong sales have proliferated over the past few years and that has driven industry sentiment, suggested retail watcher John Winter of Toronto-based John Winter Associates.

"I think everybody is very optimistic. There's no sign on the horizon that the stronger spending will decrease," he said.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/topstories/2006/10/18/walmart-yourmarket.jpg
Wal-Mart has announced it will build 28 new supercentres by early 2008, a move expected to put pressure on rivals Loblaws and Sobeys.
(CBC)

Winter said retailers told him that back-to-school sales have shown clout, which generally means that an equally strong holiday shopping season is on the way.

Different approach

Canadian Tire is taking a different approach to boosting its customer base. The company plans to increase its Mark's Work Warehouse locations from 341 stores to about 400 stores by 2009, with hopes that some locations can be integrated into its existing superstores.

The hardware retailer has outlined plans for a test run that installs Mark's Work Warehouse into two Canadian Tire locations — one in Dartmouth, N.S., and the other in Waterdown, Ont.

"We're very optimistic that this may represent another interesting opportunity for us to link two very strong brands together and drive traffic and sales to our business," said executive vice-president Huw Thomas.

The optimism appears to have also spread to Tim Hortons, which said it found its brand is "underrepresented" in Western Canada, Quebec and urban areas.

"We believe there's an opportunity to add 1,000 to 1,500 new units in Canada," CEO Paul House said at the conference. The company aims to zero in on Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, three cities where java giant Starbucks has a stronghold on coffee lovers, for future growth.

Tougher battle

But expansion plans aren't translating to everyone. The supermarket giants are facing a tougher battle as Arkansas-based competitor Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, continues a speedy rollout of supercentres that carry a full line of groceries.

Wal-Mart announced last week that it wants to build 28 supercentres across Canada by early 2008, a major jump from the eight locations that are already open.

The announcement sent a shock wave through Loblaw Cos., Sobeys and Metro Inc., who are already battling it out in a highly competitive market. Sobey's owner Empire Co. Ltd. showed some resilience to the news.

"It's not necessarily about being the cheapest in every category or reacting on a week-by-week, day-to-day basis on the tactical initiatives on pricing versus some Arkansas retailer," said president Paul Sobey.

He believes that the key is selling customers a quality product, a high standard of service and a lower price.

Loblaw Cos. Ltd. chief executive Bill Wells added that he wasn't particularly worried about Wal-Mart's presence.

"The fact that they are coming into the market and expanding square footage certainly puts more pressure on the market," he said. "But, I believe in Canada at the moment that it's really us that are setting the agenda."

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/09/19/retail-conference.html

murman

Sep 19, 2007, 10:14 PM

Dick's Lumber

wow... a company name like that just begs for a marketing jingle like "Got Wood"?

malek

Sep 26, 2007, 7:29 PM

Zilli Entering N.A. Market via Montrealby Gail Chiasson
Sep 12, 2007
Montreal has been chosen for the North American flagship launch of luxury French brand Zilli, a success story in 30 countries.

Zilli, which chose Montreal "for its sophistication and European charm," says Veronica Redgrave, president, Communications Redgrave de Miguel, which is handling public relations for the launch.

Zilli will inaugurate its new space in the former Brisson & Brisson location at 1472 Sherbrooke St. West. To do so, the global brand will install scaffolding Outside the elegantly-finished new boutique, to present Zilli to media and guests at the gala opening Sept. 25/07.

$3 million has gone into renovation of the former Brisson & Brisson store. The new space was designed by Spazzio, Italy, and is a carbon stamp of all other Zilli boutiques located in such locations as Moscow, Geneva, Budapest, London, Beyrouth, Dubai, Rome, Paris and elsewhere.

Known for its mens’ suitings, coats, jewellery, handbags, luggage, shoes, ties, knits, and shirts, Zilli will have the international premiere of Zilli Femme, its new line for women, at the Montreal launch. Montrealer ZUKI is part of the Zilli success story. His furs - among them, chinchilla, mink, and Russian sable – have been used by Zilli designers for years. For the premiere of the Ladies Zilli Collection, these luxury furs will highlight the new Fall glamour.

SteelTown

Sep 27, 2007, 3:16 AM

Centre Mall owners plan 23-building super centre

September 26, 2007
By Steve Arnold

The owners of Hamilton’s Centre Mall have filed plans with the city to turn the property into a super centre with 23 commercial buildings.

The $100-million proposal, which is being circulated to city staff, calls for a project of 700,000 square feet of retail space — about 85 per cent the size of Lime Ridge Mall.

Ray Lee, acting manager of development planning, said the buildings on the site will be grouped around the edge of the property.

“It’s going to create a friendly, pedestrian-oriented design, rather than a commercial island in a sea of parking along Barton Street,” he said.

The east-end mall is co-owned by the CPP Investment Board, a Crown corporation that invests funds from the Canada Pension Plan, and Osmington Inc., a Canadian real estate firm.

It is managed by Toronto-based Redcliff Realty Management.

The only structures that won’t be razed are the Canadian Tire and Beer Store buildings, said Ward 4 Councillor Sam Merulla.

“This is the largest inner-city redevelopment project in the history of the east end,” Merulla said.

Once key city departments have reviewed the plans, the owners have one year to apply for a building permit. Merulla expects fast action.

“I think they’re only a few weeks away from the start of serious redevelopment work.”

LordMandeep

Sep 27, 2007, 3:18 AM

SteelTown

Sep 27, 2007, 3:35 AM

I saw the rendering of the Centre Mall rendering, it's basically a hybrid of big box with traditional mall. All the big boxes are along the sidewalks facing towards the road, not the opposite. The parking lot is hidden in the centre of the Mall redevelopment plan, big boxes all along the sidewalks cover the parking lot. A traditional mall is at the back which will also include a farmer’s market.

I'm sure tomorrow they'll be a rendering available.

I'm excited, I hope some big name stores pop in. This $100 million plan should really help redevelop the East end of Hamilton, an area of Hamilton that could definitely use some investment.

SpongeG

Sep 27, 2007, 3:54 AM

mall redevelopments are always needed to keep a mall from ever declining...

Anyone know if Hollister is going to expand???

Really to me it sounds like the next big fashion thing (for normal people) like h&m was and sort of still is.

expand more in Canada?

probably - they are rumoured to come to Vancouver's Pacific Centre when it expands

they have 339 stores in the states

they are aimed at the 14-18 year olds though - thats their key market

Ruehl is nice - they should expand more - the store in San Francisco was really nice (its the over 25 crowd concept that they just started)

http://www.ruehl.com/

store interior - and yes it really is that dark inside the store - its ridiculous

http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/sct0205/2IntRuehl2.jpg
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/07/07/fashion/crit.583.jpg
http://deviloose.com/pic-labo/ruehl03.jpg

store exterior

http://blog.brandexperiencelab.org/photos/uncategorized/ruehl2.jpg
http://abercrombie.a100a.net/abercrombie-ruehl925.jpg

IntotheWest

Sep 27, 2007, 3:50 PM

Anyone know if Hollister is going to expand???

Really to me it sounds like the next big fashion thing (for normal people) like h&m was and sort of still is.

I heard they were planning to open in Calgary, along with Abercrombie....as both are in Edmonton for over a year now, it seems likely.

But as Spongeg mentions, they're targeted to a younger demo than even Abercrombie (both owned by the same company)...kinda like Gap is to Banana (or Old Navy to Gap).

LordMandeep

Sep 27, 2007, 11:38 PM

i think only two malls here have those two stores.

I was wondering it will go to Yorkdale and Sqaure 1.

SpongeG

Sep 28, 2007, 12:38 AM

they aren't that wide spread in the states either - most cities only have a couple compared to other chains - sort of like pottery barn saturation which is pretty minimal

unlike American Eagle or Aeropostale which is in every mall it can be in

SpongeG

Oct 3, 2007, 3:26 AM

this is already in Vancouver downtown...

'Fresh' approach to retailing
'Pop-up store' selling out of trailer unit in Churchill Square

Ron Chalmers
The Edmonton Journal

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

EDMONTON - It's a fresh look for Sir Winston Churchill Square -- Joe Fresh!

The "pop-up store" will offer Joe Fresh Style garments for pre-schoolers and back-to-schoolers, age two to 10, in a tractor-trailer unit on the east side of the square, through Saturday.

Joe Mimram, creative director of Joe Fresh Style, will be there, selling the Loblaw house brand that also is carried by Real Canadian Superstores.

This commercial use of Sir Winston Churchill Square -- rent free -- is unusual, Michele Finn, festival liaison in the city's community services department, said Tuesday. The square more often is filled with summer festivals and independent vendors.

But the Joe Fresh booking serves the purpose of that public place, Finn said. "We want to animate the square, day and night, summer and winter," she explained. "We want it open and active and programmed with something to see and do."

Joe Fresh's application was reviewed by the department's operations committee, she said. "We want more activities and we think this will be a great one."

Is the square open to every retailer? That question has never arisen, Finn said."We don't have anyone beating down the doors to have a store there."

Pop-up stores are a recent fad in the United States and western Europe where they pop up in surprising locations, then disappear after a few hours, days or weeks.

Target has operated a pop-up store on a barge on the Hudson river. The London Fashion Bus tours that city, selling at several locations. Oceanic sells cosmetics from the back of a minivan on Brazilian university campuses.

Joe Fresh Style claims that its 18-wheeler is Canada's first on-the-road fashion pop-up store. It already has visited Toronto and Winnipeg. After Edmonton, it's on to Calgary and Vancouver.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=9b056baf-56aa-44c1-8b93-d36e8daa74a9

SteelTown

Oct 3, 2007, 10:28 PM

Mountain Plaza Mall getting $50 million facelift

October 03, 2007
BY STEVE ARNOLD
The Hamilton Spectator

Another venerable Hamilton shopping centre is slated for a multi-million makeover.

Mountain Plaza Mall at Fennell Avenue and Upper James Street, which has been quietly declining for years, is to be rebuilt in a $50-million project.

Plans for the work are expected to be filed with the city within a month.

“We’re evaluating what the future of that mall will look like,” said Flavio Volpe, spokesman for Smart Centres Ltd, the Vaughan-based company that bought Mountain Plaza last November.

“This is certainly an aging product, but it’s in a great market,” Volpe added. “It’s in a fairly large market and a good location so that leaves a lot of options open.”

Volpe was coy about the company’s specific plans for Mountain Plaza, saying some concepts have been developed but “all plans at this point are preliminary. We’re looking at a series of configurations, we’re looking at an investment of $50 million plus and all options are open.

“This project is current and the time table is very short,” he added.

One draft plan for the site envisions five or six separate buildings with the current Wal-Mart store relocated to the south end of the property and a massive Shoppers Drug Mart facing Upper James Street.

In September plans were unveiled for a $100 million revival of the Centre Mall, on Barton Street East, that would replace the current enclosed plaza with a 23-building power centre almost as big as Lime Ridge Mall.

Jay in Cowtown

Oct 4, 2007, 2:40 AM

Not true....the Wal-Mart McDonald's in Campbellton NB has a drive-thru. Never seen anything like it...says a lot about the laziness of people in this country...

There's a drive-thru at the Wal-Mart McDonalds in Okotoks, Alberta too.

neilson

Oct 4, 2007, 2:46 AM

There's a drive-thru at the Wal-Mart McDonalds in Okotoks, Alberta too.
I've never seen that at any Wal-Mart Subway locations in the USA.

I really hope you guys get a ton more Subway locations inside your Wal-Marts, Subway is the best. Better then Mr. Sub by a little bit too.

kirjtc2

Oct 4, 2007, 8:43 PM

I really hope you guys get a ton more Subway locations inside your Wal-Marts, Subway is the best. Better then Mr. Sub by a little bit too.

Quizno's rules all.

neilson

Oct 4, 2007, 8:54 PM

Quizno's rules all.
Yeah if you want to pay a ton. Quizno's is good but expensive. Mr. Sub is good but not Subway good.

IntotheWest

Oct 4, 2007, 11:18 PM

Jay in Cowtown

Oct 6, 2007, 12:30 AM

^I find the Canadian Mr Subs better than Subway. The biggest problem with Subway is the quality differences between subways. Either way, some of the stuff both of them offer is pretty gross (chicken for one).

I actually prefer Extreme Pita anyway...good Canadian franchise. Something about many of these Canadian-based franchises just seem fresher and new (Jugo Juice, Booster Juice, Bad Ass Jacks, etc...).

EDIT: Tim Horton's are in the Super Wal-marts. And that's one Canadian-based franchise that ironically, isn't that "fresh".

I fucking despise Subway, I swear the droids working there must get flogged by the owners if they add more than the allowed 6 pickles on your sandwich... and I love how they'll spend 10 minutes prying apart slices of deli meat, cause god forbid they couldn't just give it to you... not to mention it's over priced!

On an unrelated note... I ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp in Time Square last week, christ was the popcorn shrimp delicious, hope they start building a few up here soon.

SpongeG

Oct 6, 2007, 8:18 AM

i can't eat quiznos

its that sauce or something they use it just ruins it

mcdonalds actually has really good subs or sandwiches i guess they are

miketoronto

Oct 7, 2007, 3:48 AM

That is good news about Downtown Calgary. For a couple years there, Chinook Centre was stealing all the fire from Downtown Calgary. So it is good to see a retail spark being lit downtown.

SteelTown

Oct 12, 2007, 11:22 AM

New Zellers will buy into wind, solar power

Eric McGuinness
The Hamilton Spectator
(Oct 12, 2007)

Zellers is putting green power into the Flamborough Power Centre.

Its store, set to open Dec. 1 at Clappison's Corners west of Waterdown, will be the first in the chain -- and maybe the first retailer in Hamilton -- to use wind turbines and solar panels to generate electricity.

"This will be our greenest store," says Fred Ware, manager of sustainability and environment for Zellers' parent Hudson's Bay Company (HBC).

Among other environmental features, the store will have a white roof to reflect summer sun and a ventilation system that warms incoming fresh air with heated exhaust air.

The wind power plan came to light because Zellers is asking the committee of adjustment to allow two 16-metre-high Skystream windmills in a zone where the limit for accessory structures is 4.6 metres.

In the world of wind turbines, the Skystreams from Southwest Windpower of Flagstaff, Ariz., are relatively small and compact, with three blades spinning in a 3.7-metre circle.

A business magazine dubbed them the iPods of wind power, and USA Today described them in July as quiet, sleek, residential power appliances selling for $12,000 US, largely to people with as little as a half-acre (0.2 hectares) who want to shave their electric bills.

Ware couldn't say how much of the store's power needs would be met by wind and solar energy, saying the installation is an experiment that can be expanded if successful. At 1.8 kilowatts, each wind turbine would produce at most 1,800 watts, enough to light 18 100-watt bulbs.

SSLL

Oct 23, 2007, 3:01 AM

From: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=a93e6d35-f560-439e-8f2a-8bfbc2d418b8&k=45319
_________
Cleveland developer enters Toronto market with $150M project
Garry Marr, Financial Post
Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2007

TORONTO -- A major American real estate investment trust announced plans on Wednesday to enter the Canadian marketplace, a move that prompted speculation that RioCan REIT could become a takeover target.
Cleveland-based Developers Diversified Realty, which has a market capitalization of about US$7-billion, said it is a partner in a 74-acre project north of Toronto to be developed for $150-million.
"Does large U.S. retail REIT entry into Canada increase likelihood of a takeover of RioCan REIT," asked analyst Jeffrey Roberts of Desjardins Securities, in a note to clients.

Mr. Roberts noted Developers Diversified is considered a major retail player in the United States with 735 properties in 45 states and Brazil totalling 156 million square feet. It has another 24 million square feet in the pipeline. RioCan is the largest REIT in the country with a market capitalization of $5.2-billion and more 29 million square feet of space with another 2.4 millions square feet in the pipeline.
"With this investment, Developers Diversified is giving a strong vote of confidence to the future of the Canadian retail real estate market. The REIT recognizes the positive fundamentals in Canada, including its strong demographic growth, relatively high per capita income and constrained supply of new retail properties," said Mr. Roberts.
The U.S. REIT said it will take a 50% equity stake in the project to be located in Richmond Hill. It is a mixed used development with 700,000 square feet of lifestyle, retail and office space. Developers Diversified is teaming up with Rice Commercial Group on the project which will begun construction in 2009 and open as early as 2011.
"This site acquisition marks our first investment in Canada and we believe it represents a very attractive development project in a market with strong demographics and considerable supply constraints due to recent Greenbelt regulations in Toronto. We look forward to finding additional attractive investment opportunities to increase our presence in this large, nearby market," said David Oakes, the REIT's chief investment officer.
Mr. Roberts noted the project barely makes a "dent" in the company's portfolio. He believes the company has other reasons for jumping into the project.
"It is not likely to be worth the REIT's efforts to come to Canada by making occasional investments in one-off projects that will take four years to complete. Rather, we would not be surprised if Developers Diversified, with its positive view of Canada, attempts to make much larger retail investments in this country in the short to medium term, perhaps by way of a takeover of an existing REIT or real estate operating company," said the analyst.
He believes the likely candidate is RioCan which doesn't have one dominant shareholder who might scuttle a bid. "We have stated previously that RioCan REIT is a prime takeover candidate and Developers Diversified move into Canada reinforces our view. We would not recommend a stock based primarily on takeover speculation, although it does enhance the REIT's units' desirability," said Mr. Roberts.
Interestingly enough, the U.S. REIT's top posted item on its Web site under what's new is an overview of the Canadian marketplace. The company notes Canada is the world's 8th largest economy with a gross domestic product of $1.3-trillion. In addition, Toronto is said to have generated $50-billion in retail sales last year.
It notes the wealth of residents surrounding the Richmond Hill location where it plans to build. "Over 470,000 residents with an average household income of $112,000 live within a 10 kilometre radius of the development site. These figures increase to over 1.1 million residents with an average household income of $98,000 that live within a 15 kilometre radius.
In Rice Commercial, Developers Diversified is teaming up with a company focused on the greater Toronto area. It owns and manages the development of 500 hundred acres of property with more than three million square feet of predominantly retail assets.

SSLL

Oct 23, 2007, 3:02 AM

From: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/printedition/story.html?id=96d4766d-ec81-4019-9f41-c0f54267617b&k=53667
_________
Reitmans retools over-45 chain
; Cassis; Reitmans Canada Ltd.
Hollie Shaw, Financial Post
Published: Saturday, September 01, 2007
After a shaky start, womenswear giant Reitmans Canada Ltd. is trying to work out the glitches in Cassis, the chain it opened a year ago to cater to women over 45.
The Montreal-based owner of Reitmans, RW & Co., Smart Set and plus-size chains Penningtons and Addition Elle is renovating all 12 Cassis stores with an eye on a new fashion direction.
"We'll be elaborating next week [when second-quarter results are announced] -- I don't really want to get into it right now," chief executive Jeremy Reitman said when reached yesterday.

The Cassis Web site promises customers will see a "brand-new concept" and "fresh new stores" when the boutiques reopen in September.
Given the upward demographic shift and sensing a void in the market for maturing women, the veteran retailing company launched Cassis last August, predicting it could open as many as 80 stores in coming years.
But while there is clearly potential in the segment -- Baby Boomer women have more disposable income than women in their 20s and are often willing to pay more for quality apparel --hitting upon the right formula has proven to be tough for even the most experienced apparel retailers.
In recent years, several U.S. clothing giants catering to younger consumers have developed Baby Boomer concepts, with decidedly mixed results.
Gap Inc., operator of Old Navy, Banana Republic, Baby Gap and Gap Kids, pulled the plug in
February on its experiment in female Boomer chic, Forth and Towne, after 18 months of lack-lustre sales. Children's clothing retailer Gymboree also closed its 17 Janeville stores this year after its cottage-in-the-Hamptons style failed to resonate with consumers. Ruehl, developed by Abercrombie & Fitch, struggled in its first year and had to lower prices but has improved of late, adding new stores and seeing store sales at locations open for more than a year increase 2% in the second quarter.
Martin & Osa, launched a year ago by American Eagle for women and men aged 25 to 40, has replaced its president and reconfigured its pricing, but is still growing.
"I have not seen a lot of 'gotta haves' or freshness in the clothes and I have wondered if [Reitmans] has had a lot of young buyers making assumptions about what older women would want," said David Howell, president of consulting firm Associate Marketing International and former vice-president of Liz Claiborne Canada.
"I don't think [Boomer women] want to be slotted or put into a category. The segment is huge, but women do not want to be bound to what buyers think they should be wearing.
Fifty is the new 40 and 40 is the new 30, and most women [in that segment] are not wearing, by historical standards, what older women used to wear."

SSLL

Oct 23, 2007, 3:03 AM

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071009.PRMIRABEL09/TPStory/?query=mirabel
__________
Quebec mall puts West Edmonton on notice
After long delay, work set to begin on Lac Mirabel, which would boast 14 million square feet of retail space
HELGA LOVERSEED
Special to The Globe and Mail
October 9, 2007
MONTREAL -- It's been a long time coming, and it still has a way to go until completion, but at least the heavy equipment is finally arriving at the site of what will be one of the world's biggest shopping malls.

Lac Mirabel, north of Montreal, started to come off the drawing board almost five years ago and was supposed to be completed this year but faced bureaucratic and other delays. Now, the ground is being prepared, and construction crews are expected to start foundation work soon, officials say.

The grand opening is scheduled for 2009 and, when completely finished, the mega-mall will cover an area twice the size of the West Edmonton Mall, with 14 million square feet of retail, residential and commercial space, its backers say.

To most people, developing such a huge project would be a near-impossible task, but to Rubin Stahl, Lac Mirabel's Montreal-born promoter, it's all in a day's work.

"To develop a project of this size takes an enormous amount of time," Mr. Stahl says. "Lac Mirabel isn't just any old shopping mall. It's a destination, with many, many elements. There are dozens of planning stages to go through, before a shovel hits the ground."

Then again, Mr. Stahl is an old hand at promoting developments such as this. He cut his teeth on the West Edmonton Mall ("The world's largest shopping centre" as it bills itself), where he was president.

Lac Mirabel, he says, will create more than 3,200 jobs and generate $6.5-million in annual property taxes for the City of Mirabel. The federal and provincial governments will benefit, too, by earning some $40-million annually in sales taxes, he says.

Lac Mirabel will be constructed in stages, over several years, by a number of developers. An initial investment of $475-million will be spent on constructing the first 1.8 million square feet of mall space, but over the next seven years, as the mall takes shape, investment in the project (including a residential component) is expected to top $1.2-billion.

According to Mr. Stahl, 70 per cent of the retail space is spoken for. The jewel in the crown will be Cabela's Inc., a U.S.-based outdoor supplies company whose commitment to Lac Mirabel represents the company's first foray into Canada.

Cabela's stores, which are destinations in themselves, are part retail, part wildlife museum - a formula that fits Mr. Stahl's vision for Lac Mirabel. Like the other stores south of the border, this one will be huge, occupying 170,000 square feet of space. Other retailers who have signed up include Best Buy Co. Inc. (35,000 square feet) and Groupe Les Ailes de la Mode Inc. (76,000 square feet), an upscale Montreal fashion outlet.

Three-hundred retail outlets are planned, along with a food emporium, which will border a man-made lake and a river stocked with trout. A $100-million, million-square-foot sports complex will house an 8,000-seat arena for major junior hockey. Also planned are an indoor soccer field, aquarium, go-cart track and a 70,000-square-foot educational centre.

Such family-friendly attractions, sporting activities and entertainment could prove to be a canny move on Mr. Stahl's part. Montreal's suburbs are marching steadily northward as young families buy homes in and around Mirabel, where property is cheaper. Moreover, the region is on the doorstep of the Saint-Sauveur Valley with its cluster of ski villages and factory outlets (a major draw for weekend shoppers). And it's within an hour's drive of Tremblant, a year-round mountain resort, which offers skiing, golf and a myriad of other outdoor activities.

Lac Mirabel, its boosters predict, will attract locals and day-trippers from Montreal and tempt tourists to linger en route to Tremblant and the Upper Laurentians or, better still, stay put for a night or two.

"Lac Mirabel is going to be a hub for tourism, entertainment, accommodation, recreation and fun retailing," predicts Louis Grenier, director of Lac Mirabel.

"We're mixing the idea of a tourist attraction with shopping as entertainment, and it will be like nothing that has gone before. We anticipate attracting between 16 [million] and 20 million visitors annually from around the Montreal area and some two million visitors from outside the region."

Given that Greater Montreal is home to just over 3.6 million people, skeptics say that those figures are wildly optimistic. Naysayers point out that Lac Mirabel is much too big to be supported by the local population, but not everybody in the real estate industry takes the negative view.

"I could certainly see Lac Mirabel becoming a major destination for Montrealers" says Louis Burgos, senior managing director with Cushman & Wakefield LePage.

"There will be nothing like Lac Mirabel in or around Montreal and I'm sure that will be a major drawing card. Destination retail, combined with activities and entertainment, is becoming very popular."

Connecticut-based Gordon Group Holdings LLC is financing and developing much of the initial construction, and recently brought in Morgan Stanley, which has injected $110-million into the project - another reason why Lac Mirabel is suddenly moving forward.

"With the financing from Morgan Stanley, it's now full steam ahead," Mr. Grenier says. "Lac Mirabel will prove that Quebec is a pioneer and, when it's finished, we'll be 10 to 15 years ahead of the rest of North America."

SSLL

Oct 23, 2007, 3:06 AM

From: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/266484
______
The downfall of UpCountry

Trendy urban furniture store declares bankruptcy; owner says he overexpanded with two new stores
Oct 13, 2007 04:30 AM
Dana Flavelle
Business Reporter
A well-known Toronto furniture retailer that catered to the hip young downtown crowd has filed for bankruptcy owing millions of dollars and leaving hundreds of customers in the dark.

With its sleek microfibre couches in neutral beige tones and dark Scandinavian-style wooden dining sets, UpCountry built its name on high design at moderate prices.

But the 15-year-old retailer became overextended after investing millions in a new King St. E. store and expanding into two new suburban locations in Vaughan and Burlington, the owner, Terry Iwaskiw said.

"We spent twice as much money as we had planned on the downtown store. And somehow I became convinced that opening two suburban stores was a good idea," Iwaskiw said in a telephone interview yesterday. "We overexpanded."

The company filed an assignment in bankruptcy on Wednesday, said Alan Shiner, a partner in the Richmond Hill firm of Shiner Kideckel Zweig, which is handling the bankruptcy.

The chain owes "millions," Shiner said, adding the final tally is still being calculated.

Hundreds of customers are affected, Iwaskiw said, adding that his main supplier is doing its best to ensure their orders get filled.

Most of what was sold in the store was made to order, he explained. Customers put down a deposit worth 50 per cent and paid the balance on delivery.

Elite Design Furnishings, of Concord, one of UpCountry's biggest suppliers, said it is trying to fill as many customers' orders as possible. "We've already helped a lot of people," said Elite Design's owner Rick De Groot, adding that he'd recently taken over the store in Vaughan Mills that formerly belonged to UpCountry.

But several customers told the Star they've had no luck finding out what has happened to their order.

Zachary Leung, 25, put down a $1,250 deposit on furniture he ordered three months ago from the UpCountry outlet in Vaughan Mills. But the pieces never arrived. A few weeks ago, he says he contacted the manufacturer, Gus Design, and was told his order should have been filled in about two to four weeks.

"It is disheartening to know they were open even up to the day before and still taking deposit money from customers who will obviously never get their furniture. I will most likely never receive mine, and thus am trying to find any means possible to get my deposit of $1,249.72 back," Leung wrote in an email.

Adding to the confusion for customers were reports that Elite Design Furnishings had taken over UpCountry's stores last August. Elite's De Groot said yesterday that's untrue. Iwaskiw said Elite was running the stores on his behalf while he oversaw the renovations at 310 King St. E. But he acknowledged that a formal sale of the company to Elite did not take place.

Leung said he was sorry to see the company close. "The store looks very high-end but when you go in the prices are not cheap but at the same time they're not as much as the real designer stores around the same area," he said.

Iwaskiw said problems fulfilling orders plagued the business after it expanded. "The infrastructure wasn't there to fulfil the orders," he said. "We went from being a $7 million-a-year business to a $17 million-a-year business."

The company's problems aren't related to a soaring loonie or the move to manufacture offshore, Iwaskiw said. In fact, his main supplier, Elite Design, had moved more of its production to China in recent years, he noted. "If we had stayed where we were at 214 King St. E., we would have been fine."

Instead, he moved down the street and plowed nearly $3 million into a loft-style store complete with concrete flooring, soaring ceilings and chrome and glass fixtures, at the same time as he opened two new suburban locations.

For Iwaskiw, who said he founded the business and designed many of the furniture collections, the closing is a sad occasion. "I have a lot of goodbyes to say to the staff."

SSLL

Oct 23, 2007, 3:07 AM

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071017.RCOUTU17/TPStory/Business
_________
Jean Coutu has new prescription for Ontario expansion
BERTRAND MAROTTE
October 17, 2007
MONTREAL -- Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. aims to develop a new retail drugstore concept and brand identity as it prepares for greater expansion outside its Quebec home base.

In Quebec, the Jean Coutu pharmacy chain is an institution and the name is among the most easily recognized commercial brands, president and chief executive officer François Coutu said yesterday. But its image outside francophone Ontario, where the Longueuil, Que.-based chain wants to expand, doesn't enjoy a very high profile, and work is under way on a new store concept and branding initiative, he said in an interview.

"We have to do this right and find our place in the sun," he said after the annual meeting where first-quarter results revealed a profit of $8.3-million or 3 cents a share, compared with a loss of $142.5-million or 54 cents a year earlier.

He was reinstated yesterday as president and CEO after his father, founder and chairman Jean Coutu, took the titles back from him two years ago as the company struggled with the difficult Eckerd stores acquisition in the United States.

Jean Coutu's initial intention was to use its U.S. banners - Eckerd as well as Brooks - for its Canadian expansion strategy, Mr. Coutu said. But the recent sale of all of its 1,858 U.S. drugstores to Rite Aid Corp. of Camp Hill, Pa., means Jean Coutu can no longer use those names or store concepts as part of its Canadian growth efforts, he said.

Jean Coutu's goal is to become the major drugstore player in Eastern Canada, but Quebec, with the strongest sales per store, remains the "best investment opportunity" for now, Mr. Coutu told shareholders.

The dominant player in Ontario is Toronto-based Shoppers Drug Mart Corp.

Jean Coutu is on the lookout for acquisition opportunities in Ontario and New Brunswick, but they will most likely be small ones in the near term, Mr. Coutu said.

In the meantime, the company plans to invest $105-million in the coming year on 11 new outlets, 11 store relocations and 44 store expansions and renovations, Mr. Coutu said in his presentation at the meeting. Longer term, the strategic plan calls for 50 new stores by 2010.

SpongeG

Oct 23, 2007, 11:28 PM

too bad about upcountry

we had one here for a while and than the franchise owner decided not to continue it or something and changed focus and furniture and opened koolhaus

kirjtc2

Oct 24, 2007, 4:14 AM

ErickMontreal

Oct 24, 2007, 7:49 PM

Fredericton is one of the few anglophone places in New Brunswick with a Jean Coutu store. I always love getting the English Jean Coutu flyers...they read like they were put through Babelfish.

Wouldn't be surprised if they rebranded the one here if they decide to go that route.

There are six JC in Moncton and a new one is under construction in Dieppe. I think the company doing good business and they easily are able to compete with Shoppers in Moncton area.

Plus15

Oct 30, 2007, 5:56 PM

Crate and Barrel will open its second Canadian store and Restoration Hardware its first Alberta store in Calgary, as part of a major $102 million renovation/expansion to Southcentre Mall. See press release below.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../30/c9834.html

SpongeG

Oct 31, 2007, 12:11 AM

nice

mavi jeans is opening two stores in Vancouver - their Yaletown store is closed for renovations

gastown
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02627.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02628.jpg

west 4th
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02652.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02650.jpg

and Agent Provocateur is opening soon In Vancouver... On Alberni Street neat Hermes, Tiffany & Co and Betsey Johnson

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02577.jpg

(someone smeared some kind of brown stuff on the bum part)

SSLL

Nov 4, 2007, 4:39 AM

From: http://www.torontobusinesstimes.com/tbt/article/32749
_________
Canadian Tire opens new "urban" location

New store caters to the Beach-Riverdale customer

November 1, 2007 04:03 PM
JOANNA LAVOIE

You know you're in the Beach when a new Canadian Tire and the neighbouring stores in the same plaza are doggie-friendly.
The new big box store, which quietly opened to the public two weeks ahead of schedule on Oct. 4 at the corner of Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard, is all about catering to the needs and lifestyles of Beach-Riverdale residents.

From an oversized bicycle department, to a shoe and apparel section and a significant lighting and home decor area featuring the new line of Debbie Travis furnishings, the new 70,000-square-foot Canadian Tire store is designed to meet the needs of the downtown Toronto shopper.

This new "urban" location also offers wider aisles, customer assistance pagers throughout the store and a prominent all-terrain vehicle and motorbike display. The new store also has an oversized pet section, a 7,000-square-foot rooftop garden centre as well as a demonstration area for a solar system available for purchasing.

The building itself meets the Toronto Green Development Standard as it was built with locally sourced, energy-efficient materials and operates with environmentally conscious and sustainable features such as special energy reducing lighting and ventilation systems among other things.

Owner Peter Oliver said his new store is no longer just a place for men to congregate on Saturday mornings.

"We are actually appealing to the females because they're the ones (who) usually make the decisions when it comes to big purchases," he said.

"It's good for families and kids and people can bring pets into the store."

To further enhance the shopping experience, Oliver has equipped each department with a computer station so customers can order larger items while they're shopping and pick them up on their way out.

With 483 parking spaces for the entire plaza, Oliver said his goal is to provide more staff members to help customers find what they need and get on with their day as quick as possible.

Canadian Tire's re-focus on the customer is bringing in more business as the average sales per customer is up by 35 per cent for Toronto shoppers, said Oliver while hosting media tour of his new store.

Another way the new area retailer is connecting with local shoppers is by supporting fundraisers and events.

"We definitely want to be a big part of the community," Oliver said, noting he's already sponsored a few school fundraisers and festivals.

Sticking to the traditional definition of the Canadian Tire Corporation store, the new east-end location still has tools, plumbing, auto parts, hockey equipment and tires, however they're now more strategically located within the two-level store.

"Generally speaking, the products and they way they're merchandised in the store is 20/20," said Mike Arnett, president, Canadian Tire retail, referring to the concept of increasing a store's retail footprint at the expense of backroom space to increase sales.

"The difference is that certain products and departments meet the needs of the community."

Arnett said site requirements and available space in the new store is another factor in its layout.

"The property costs more so we have less space and need more efficient use of that space."

With the next closest Canadian Tire location at Victoria Park Avenue and Main Street, Arnett said the new location offers a great opportunity to better service the area.

Canadian Tire will celebrate the grand opening of its new Lakeshore-Leslie location from Nov. 1 to 4 starting with extended hours and special promotions.

On Friday, Nov. 2 from 6 to 9 p.m., SpongeBob SquarePants and his friend Patrick will greet shoppers from 6 to 9 p.m. while Dora the Explorer and Diego from Go, Diego, Go! will meet customers from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4. Also on Nov.2, Debbie Travis will take part in an autograph signing at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, Nov. 3, The Philosopher Kings will perform live at 2 p.m.

On Sunday, Nov. 4, the Purina McCann dogs will give a demonstration of canine sports at 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Shoppers can also try their hand at filling their pockets with fistfuls of Canadian tire money that same day from noon to 6 p.m. as they step into the "money" machine for 20 seconds.

SSLL

Nov 4, 2007, 4:40 AM

From: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=0dd53234-1592-4e1b-93e4-c1011b292bc2
_________
$60M South Asian-themed mall to be built in Markham
Radhika Chary, National Post
Published: Saturday, November 03, 2007

A Markham developer will next month begin building a $60-million South Asian themed mall, in what will be the largest development of its kind in North America.
"It will be like Gerrard Bazaar but on a much larger scale," David Lam said. ''For me, this is a prime location for South Asians. There are temples, mosques and other places of worship in the vicinity. Many houses are being bought by South Asians and their numbers are growing.''
Mr. Lam, a seafood importer, had originally conceived a Chinese mall for the site, at McNicoll and Markham, but switched gears when the project did not take off and he saw a growing number of South Asians moving into the area.

South Asians form a large portion of immigrants to Canada; emigration from India alone accounts for 12% of all immigrants to Canada.
Modelled along the lines of the Pacific Mall, the 240,000-square-feet Sitara (The Star) will house 500 retail shops, restaurants, food court, a huge banquet and convention centre, a two-storey atrium for pop concerts, several patios and a 1,000-car park facility.
"Look at the history of the Chinese community and the growth of retail stores catering to their needs. The same is happening with South Asians now. There are some projections that by 2017, one out of every six Canadians will be of South Asian origin," he said.
Sitara will claim part of the building housing Lam's Tai Foong International Ltd.

miketoronto

Nov 4, 2007, 2:30 PM

Some genereal comments.

Has Greater Montreal not learnt from the mess that is now Edmonton, that building mega malls that size is not good. If downtown Montreal declines as the regions epicentre, I don't want to hear them cry. Because it has been well documented that these malls suck the life out of cities. Downtown Edmonton turned into a ghost town, and Downtown Minneapolis is just hanging on there, and still plays second fiddle to Mall Of America.

They do not need a mall. If people want an all out day long attraction with the largest shopping, restaurants, arcades, and other attractions, they already got it. And its called "Downtown Montreal".

Second, the Canadian Tire store in the Beaches(not really in the beaches).
That store is just promoting suburban sprawl in the inner city. My sisters live in the area, and are not one bit impressed with a huge big box mall in the middle of the inner city. Usually Canadian Tire does not bother me, as they do have nice downtown locations. But this one is bad. First of all, the Eaton Centre location is only like a 5min drive from this Beach location. And there is another Canadian Tire on Danforth that is no more then a 5-10min drive.

There was no need for this Canadian Tire on prime portland property, and ontop of that being built in such a suburban way. This is what not the inner city is about.

And Upcountry. They did it to themselves. They could have done like tons of stores before them, and only have their nice downtown Toronto store. But no, they had to open suburban location and suburban location, and it tanked.
I am sure if people in Burlington wanted Upcountry they could have taken the scary 30min car drive to the design district in downtown Toronto to see them. All this suburban expansion is what kills a lot of stores profits.

West_aust

Nov 6, 2007, 5:26 PM

And Upcountry. They did it to themselves. They could have done like tons of stores before them, and only have their nice downtown Toronto store. But no, they had to open suburban location and suburban location, and it tanked.
I am sure if people in Burlington wanted Upcountry they could have taken the scary 30min car drive to the design district in downtown Toronto to see them. All this suburban expansion is what kills a lot of stores profits.

sometimes it's the other way around, for example, les Ailes de la Mode in Montreal were very successfull when they were in the suburbs only, what tanked the company was their downtown Montreal store

Rusty van Reddick

Nov 6, 2007, 6:24 PM

Mike- you can drive from the Beaches to Eaton Centre in FIVE MINUTES? That's hard to believe.

miketoronto

Nov 6, 2007, 9:23 PM

sometimes it's the other way around, for example, les Ailes de la Mode in Montreal were very successfull when they were in the suburbs only, what tanked the company was their downtown Montreal store

The downtown Montreal store had trouble, because Les Ailes did not offer unique merchandise. There was already other stores downtown selling Hugo Boss, etc. Les Ailes did not sell anything that screamed "Les Ailes". it was just brands you can find anywhere else.

Mike- you can drive from the Beaches to Eaton Centre in FIVE MINUTES? That's hard to believe.

Try it sometime. I have done the drive from downtown to where that new Big Box development with Canadian Tire is. And it only takes like 5-6min. I have also timed how long it takes to drive to the Beaches(Queen and Woodbine), and it only took us like 10min from Union Station.
Drive is not as slow as you may think, and these stores are not as far apart as one might think.

MolsonExport

Nov 6, 2007, 9:38 PM

Fredericton is one of the few anglophone places in New Brunswick with a Jean Coutu store. I always love getting the English Jean Coutu flyers...they read like they were put through Babelfish.

Wouldn't be surprised if they rebranded the one here if they decide to go that route.

Yeah, do they still do the whole "You'll find it all...Even a Friend!" crap at Jean-Coutu? Their english-language commercials were so bad, that I almost wanted to self-mutilate in order to divert the pain.

MolsonExport

Nov 6, 2007, 9:42 PM

Lac Mirabel: Yikes. Ersatz 'attraction'. Pave paradise, and put it indoors.

clynnog

Nov 6, 2007, 10:13 PM

Fredericton is one of the few anglophone places in New Brunswick with a Jean Coutu store. I always love getting the English Jean Coutu flyers...they read like they were put through Babelfish.

Wouldn't be surprised if they rebranded the one here if they decide to go that route.

Here in the Ottawa area I believe that they are primarily in the francophone areas on the east side of Ottawa. They are quite active in the Gatineau/Hull area.

clynnog

Nov 6, 2007, 10:16 PM

Lac Mirabel: Yikes. Ersatz 'attraction'. Pave paradise, and put it indoors.

A rather depressing idea IMHO. I'm in Ottawa and I may go once and that would be it. Its sad to say, but many people's favourite thing to do on vacation is to go shopping...mainly for th exact same stuff as you get back home but saving a few cents.

miketoronto

Nov 7, 2007, 2:59 AM

From: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=0dd53234-1592-4e1b-93e4-c1011b292bc2

A Markham developer will next month begin building a $60-million South Asian themed mall, in what will be the largest development of its kind in North America.

I live about 5min from where this mall is going in, and I am not one bit happy about it. It is so sad that Toronto's ethnic cultures are boxing themselves into malls.

If I want South East Asian culture, I like going down to Gerrard Street, and strolling the street, etc. And now they basically want to build a mall, put the stores in that mall, and for sure Gerrard Street is going to go into decline, and the only place you will be able to go to get this culture will be a bland warehouse looking mall.

The chinese residents did this with Pacific Mall, and I find it gross. Chinatown has much more of a real feel and culture, then strolling the warehouse interior of Pacific Mall. And now the South East Asians want to follow with a mall.

It is just sad, that little by little Toronto's ethnic groups are leaving their inner city strips to rot, and are obsessed with building themed malls.

It is so cool being able to stroll the streets of Little India, and then go 5min down and enjoy some Greek culture, and then go another 10min down for some Italian culture, etc. And now all that is being lost, as these cultures continue to suburbanize all their business.

Mille Sabords

Nov 7, 2007, 2:52 PM

Second, the Canadian Tire store in the Beaches(not really in the beaches).
That store is just promoting suburban sprawl in the inner city. My sisters live in the area, and are not one bit impressed with a huge big box mall in the middle of the inner city. Usually Canadian Tire does not bother me, as they do have nice downtown locations. But this one is bad. First of all, the Eaton Centre location is only like a 5min drive from this Beach location. And there is another Canadian Tire on Danforth that is no more then a 5-10min drive.

There was no need for this Canadian Tire on prime portland property, and ontop of that being built in such a suburban way. This is what not the inner city is about.

Whoa - did you say "DRIVE" ??? :D

Actually, I'm intrigued with Canadian Tire's discovery of "the city". They have a well designed urban store in Vancouver (which was opened by the Black Eyed Peas, so your Beaches store continues the tradition with Philosopher Kings - a good call, by the way).

I'd like to see some photos or plans of this new Beaches store, if anyone goes by and can post a few it would be much appreciated. I'd like to see how the building relates to the street, how wide is the facade, how tall the building is, etc. The idea of using the rooftop for their garden section sounds like an interesting way to deliver a single-use building that maxes out its property.

We are due for an "urban" Canadian Tire here in Ottawa, it's under construction at Carling and Churchill. I'm not sure how truly "urban" it will be and that's why I'm curious about what you're saying about this one,Miketoronto.