[Saint John] Retail Thread

[DyAm00394]

Some update pictures of JYSK was posted over on Retail Talk & Share NB Facebook group:








Job adverts for an Operations Manager and Assistant Manager are now posted online, so opening must finally be soon! https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/JYSKCanada/

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

I hope they can get those electrical lines buried eventually. What a sight. Like, I don't think the ugly power lines are going to exactly hurt business, but it does make the pictures look a lot uglier. 😅

Some people are very quick to say the location isn't typical for a store like this, which I guess it isn't for this type of store, but it's not like the West Side isn't full of homeowners on both sides of the throughway, plus, it's not a hard location to get to by car for anyone in the region. It's got quite a big parking lot actually, and there's even a bus stop.

There's lots of people from Grand Bay and communities south of the city that do most of their shopping on the West Side, that rarely venture to East Saint John, which would have been the more typical location for this type of store. I think there will be quite a few people willing to drive across the bridge for this store if it fills a niche that the current Saint John retail landscape is lacking.

I'm trying to think what would be its closest competitor in the current Saint John retail landscape... HomeSense?

[DyAm00394]

The Body Shop's return to McAllister Place will actually be a seasonal holiday pop up shop:

[cdnguys]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

I hope they can get those electrical lines buried eventually. What a sight. Like, I don't think the ugly power lines are going to exactly hurt business, but it does make the pictures look a lot uglier. 😅

Some people are very quick to say the location isn't typical for a store like this, which I guess it isn't for this type of store, but it's not like the West Side isn't full of homeowners on both sides of the throughway, plus, it's not a hard location to get to by car for anyone in the region. It's got quite a big parking lot actually, and there's even a bus stop.

There's lots of people from Grand Bay and communities south of the city that do most of their shopping on the West Side, that rarely venture to East Saint John, which would have been the more typical location for this type of store. I think there will be quite a few people willing to drive across the bridge for this store if it fills a niche that the current Saint John retail landscape is lacking.

I'm trying to think what would be its closest competitor in the current Saint John retail landscape... HomeSense?

The building was purchased for $750,000 and probably $1M fit up. Even with the costs of owning a building like maintenance, insurance, etc the franchise owner eliminated one of the biggest expenditures, being lease liability. At probably $25 a square foot at power centre, this building will pay for itself in as little as 6 years. Despite it not being a “destination” store like IKEA, I think in a small retail market like NB it will be somewhat of a destination store. Comments online are typical old school SJ, such as “it will probably fail”.

[sailor734]

Well, I agree that they obviously think they can be enough of a destination draw not to need the synergy that comes from a location like Fairville Blvd or the MacAllister. Time will tell but I read something somewhere equating them with a "dollar store version of IKEA". Not sure that is quite fair but we all know cheap sells in Saint John so they may well be fine.

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

The building was purchased for $750,000 and probably $1M fit up. Even with the costs of owning a building like maintenance, insurance, etc the franchise owner eliminated one of the biggest expenditures, being lease liability. At probably $25 a square foot at power centre, this building will pay for itself in as little as 6 years. Despite it not being a “destination” store like IKEA, I think in a small retail market like NB it will be somewhat of a destination store. Comments online are typical old school SJ, such as “it will probably fail”.

I have bene in the Jysk in Dartmouth a few times, it will do well in Saint John once it gets going and people become familiar with it.

[ivegotaname]

Ive never been in a JYSK before. Do they sell top quality couches and sectionals?

[sailor734]

duplicate post

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by ivegotaname

Ive never been in a JYSK before. Do they sell top quality couches and sectionals?

Reviews are quite mixed on quality. From what I have read they are more about value/low price. Generally felt to slot below IKEA when it comes to product quality and considered more of a budget friendly option. They are also a much, much smaller store with a fraction of the product offerings.

I read one review that suggested that about 75% of their offerings were below IKEA in quality and that their top 25% probably overlapped IKRA's bottom quarter.

Not sure about the pricing vs quality relationship and how it effects value but maybe it's a case of you get what you pay for.

[DyAm00394]

Status update on Dollar Tree opening soon at 90 Consumers Drive.



(Photo is from Retail Talk & Share NB).

[DyAm00394]

It was posted over on Retail Talk & Share NB FB group that Dollar Tree is having a hiring event at the Exhibition Park Building #1, between 9am and 5pm on Monday October 27th.

And they are aiming to open on November 13th.

[bingun]

I noticed they were doing some exterior work to the east side Walmart when I was over there a few days ago, primarily around the back side. I didn't notice any changes inside.

[DyAm00394]

Originally Posted by bingun

I noticed they were doing some exterior work to the east side Walmart when I was over there a few days ago, primarily around the back side. I didn't notice any changes inside.

The whole entire exterior around the building is getting new masonry. The existing one was very worn out and needed to be replaced I was told.

Eventually the store will undergo a major renovation into their newest modern design like the Fredericton and Moncton/Dieppe stores have recently. Will also become a proper Supercentre store as well I believe (with an actual bakery as well as grab and go food section).

[RaginRonic]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

The whole entire exterior around the building is getting new masonry. The existing one was very worn out and needed to be replaced I was told.

Eventually the store will undergo a major renovation into their newest modern design like the Fredericton and Moncton/Dieppe stores have recently. Will also become a proper Supercentre store as well I believe (with an actual bakery as well as grab and go food section).

That is possible for a Walmart Supercentre that is the size of the one in Saint John to be a proper and full Supercentre location.

If you want to do some research, try looking at the 675 Upper James Street, Hamilton, Ontario store to see something of how it could work. That store opened 15 years ago, for the record.

[DyAm00394]

The Body Shop holiday pop up store has opened today at McAllister Place.

[DyAm00394]

Official press release from JYSK about the Saint John store: https://www.jysk.ca/press-releases

[DyAm00394]

Permits are now registered for interior and exterior renovations of the Tim Hortons at 75 Lansdowne Avenue.

[DyAm00394]

Dollar Tree is opening on November 13th at 9am.



(Photo is from Retail Talk and Share NB).

[DyAm00394]

New Brunswick’s first Dollar Tree store is now open at 90 Consumers Drive. Reports of the store being crazy busy today, lots of merchandise and good pricing, cheaper than Dollarama.



(Photo is from a Facebook group).

[bingun]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

New Brunswick’s first Dollar Tree store is now open at 90 Consumers Drive. Reports of the store being crazy busy today, lots of merchandise and good pricing, cheaper than Dollarama.

The photos from Facebook are nuts, people lined up around the parking lot! I appreciate that this is something new, but it's an almost freezing Thursday morning at 11 am! This reminds me of when Popeyes opened.