Canadian Retail Thread

[MonctonRad]

Bass Pro Shops announces plans to open fourth Canadian store in Moncton, New Brunswick
October 18, 2013

Retail hub of the Maritimes

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- Bass Pro Shops®, an outdoor retailer specializing in hunting, fishing, camping and other related outdoor recreation gear, will locate its fourth Canadian store in Moncton, New Brunswick. The new 110,000 square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store will be easily accessible from the major cities in the Maritimes, making it a retail destination drawing from more than 1.2 million people living within a three-hour drive. The specific address of the store will be announced in the near future.

The Maritimes provinces enjoy a rich tradition of outdoor sports and history as they are situated on the Atlantic Ocean and contributing waterways of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Maine. With 11,000 kilometres of saltwater coastline, 250 rivers, 6,500-plus lakes and more than 10,000 kilometres of trails, the area offers world famous fishing and hunting. Some of the best anglers head to Canada to fish everything from salmon to shark; from brook trout to smallmouth bass. Trophy black bear, moose, white-tailed deer and waterfowl can be found in the area’s pristine forests, secluded marshes and coastal woods.



http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...cfm&newsID=477

[Nouvellecosse]

Well they certainly aren't shy about the fact that it'll be a suburban nightmare in a super-cheesy pseudo cabin surrounded by surface parking seeing as the parking lot is right front and center of the rendering.

[kwoldtimer]

Which is strange because most folks shopping for a crossbow or fishing tackle are looking for something more urban and sophisticated.

[Steelcowboy]

I was wondering when one of the 2 Outdoor stores were gonna tap into the market here, a few weeks ago a rumour came out that Cabella's was looking to open a store here...now this announcement. There's no doubt that they would be catering to the needs of all outdoorsmen and women here. A sweet announcement!!!

[HTania]

Originally Posted by Steelcowboy

I was wondering when one of the 2 Outdoor stores were gonna tap into the market here, a few weeks ago a rumour came out that Cabella's was looking to open a store here...now this announcement. There's no doubt that they would be catering to the needs of all outdoorsmen and women here. A sweet announcement!!!

I like those outdoor stores. It is fun even just looking around.

[miketoronto]

Was just in the renovated eastern half of The Bay Queen Street's 2nd floor menswear department this past weekend.
They did a great job, and even opened up the windows to the street so you can look out now.
Really really well done, and it even had a sort of European department store feel to it, as it reminded me of the department stores I was recently at in Europe. Overall very impressed, and I hope they do the rest of the floor over now.

I also want to add that the store was busy busy busy. Usually the menswear floor is not that busy, but the escalators were going full.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by jay2018

major expanson plus Landsdown which will have 300,000 sq feet of retail and the new outlet mall were talking about tons of new retail spaces that concerns me a bit.

I completely agree. Canadian retail is going to go down the path of their American counterparts with very low sales per sq foot, and possiblt dead malls if we don't plan for some restraint here.
They are going to overextend some markets.

For example, in Toronto I think Holt Renfrew at Sq One is a total mistake, that will not only diminish the brand, but also just eats sales away from existing stores.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

I completely agree. Canadian retail is going to go down the path of their American counterparts with very low sales per sq foot, and possiblt dead malls if we don't plan for some restraint here.
They are going to overextend some markets.

For example, in Toronto I think Holt Renfrew at Sq One is a total mistake, that will not only diminish the brand, but also just eats sales away from existing stores.

Meanwhile, smaller markets will likely be abandoned completely...everyone will be forced to shop at Walmart-level retail or have to travel a long distance at this rate.

[BlackRedGold]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

I completely agree. Canadian retail is going to go down the path of their American counterparts with very low sales per sq foot, and possiblt dead malls if we don't plan for some restraint here.
They are going to overextend some markets.

There hasn't been a new mall built in Ottawa in close to two decades. It is beyond idiotic to think that dead malls could even be an issue. That the major malls in Ottawa are expanding is proof that the opposite is happening.

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by BlackRedGold

There hasn't been a new mall built in Ottawa in close to two decades. It is beyond idiotic to think that dead malls could even be an issue. That the major malls in Ottawa are expanding is proof that the opposite is happening.

You beat me to it. Indeed; the past 20 years saw a population increase of 50% whilst very little had be done on the side of retail in this city. Only one expansion at St-Laurent. The last major mall development goes back to the opening of the Rideau Centre, 30 years ago. Ottawa is just catching up.

[Loco101]

Wasn't Place d'Orleans that last mall built in Ottawa? I don't live there but I think I remember it opening in the late 1980s.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by BlackRedGold

There hasn't been a new mall built in Ottawa in close to two decades. It is beyond idiotic to think that dead malls could even be an issue. That the major malls in Ottawa are expanding is proof that the opposite is happening.

Umm they said the same thing in US cities.
We also have city centers to think about, and Ottawa's is mildly healthy in the retail sector, but still not there as a true healthy downtown retail environment.

Any more suburban expansion further diminishes downtown.

Just because a city grows does not mean you need uncontrolled retail growth.
Ottawa actually had suburban mall development restraints in the 70s and 80s, to ensure the city did not overdevelop retail and just kill existing retail.
In fact that is one of the reasons Rideau Centre was built downtown. It was the only area of the city allowed to have retail expansion.

European cities also do not develop obscene amounts of retail just because they are growing.

You only need so much of one carbon copy store to serve a particular market.
Most of the time you are just eating away sales at existing malls and downtowns, and not really serving any new markets with these expansions.

All I am saying is that Canadians may be getting a little to smug here and think we are just the best right now, because of our high retail sales, and expansion.
But there are reasons for that, and part of it is past policy which worked to protect not only our downtowns, but also ensure suburban retail expansion was not just going to eat away at existing business.

Throw that all out and we will go down the path of the USA at some point.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Umm they said the same thing in US cities.
We also have city centers to think about, and Ottawa's is mildly healthy in the retail sector, but still not there as a true healthy downtown retail environment.

Any more suburban expansion further diminishes downtown.

Just because a city grows does not mean you need uncontrolled retail growth.
Ottawa actually had suburban mall development development restraints in the 70s and 80s, to ensure the city did not overdevelop retail and just kill of existing retail.
In fact that is one of the reasons Rideau Centre was built downtown. It was the only area of the city allowed to have retail expansion.

European cities also do not develop obscene amounts of retail just because they are growing.

You only need so much of one carbon copy store to serve a particular market.
Most of the time you are just eating away sales at existing malls and downtowns, and not really serving any new markets with these expansions.

All I am saying is that Canadians may be getting a little to smug here and think we are just the best right now, because of our high retail sales, and expansion.
But there are reasons for that, and part of it is past policy which worked to protect not only our downtowns, but also ensure suburban retail expansion was not just going to eat away at existing business.

Throw that all out and we will go down the path of the USA at some point.

^ Well said.

[eternallyme]

TRUE, there has been no new malls in Ottawa (or most Canadian cities) in decades.

BUT, there have been millions of square feet of big-box retail built in that time (just in Ottawa, the amount built is likely equal to the square footage of the Rideau Centre 4 or 5 times over - I can only imagine it is even more in the GTA), and they continue to get built (at a far greater rate than population or economic growth). That is what is eating at everything.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Most of the suburban expansion in retail, at least in Ottawa, has been due to big boxes. I agree there is a surplus of them, but they would be highly unlikely to locate in the downtown area anyway.

An interesting thing I am noticing while working here in the USA (I knew this happened, but it is weird actually seeing it happen) is the poaching of retail.

A Walmart is moving literally four blocks and building a new store and vacating its old store in an established retail area with multiple big box stores.
I cannot say for certain, but it looks like Walmart got a break for the suburban municipality to relocate, as the new store is a few blocks inside a neighboring municipality. They love doing that in the USA, and it creates additional issues with dead retail space.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

An interesting thing I am noticing while working here in the USA (I knew this happened, but it is weird actually seeing it happen) is the poaching of retail.

A Walmart is moving literally four blocks and building a new store and vacating its old store in an established retail area with multiple big box stores.
I cannot say for certain, but it looks like Walmart got a break for the suburban municipality to relocate, as the new store is a few blocks inside a neighboring municipality. They love doing that in the USA, and it creates additional issues with dead retail space.

It is far less common in Canada but I have seen it happen. (Yes, I change to try to rephrase it)

Such is often due to one of three factors:

1) Older locations unable to expand when Walmart wants a supercentre (i.e. built out on all sides). Unfortunately, no other retailer is willing to fill in the space due to lack of market demand (i.e. specialized stores in a town of, say, 10,000).

2) Land deals with varying municipalities, as you said. That just creates a corporate welfare issue.

3) Traffic issues, such as if the existing Walmart has not enough parking available based on changes of demand.

[eternallyme]

I think a big-box crash may be coming and that should be a greater concern than mall space poaching. Some of these stores may go under in the near future, and there will be no one who could legitimately take the lost retail space. It is already happening in the US.

[eemy]

The Walmart in Orillia recently opened about a block away from the old one. I think due to the inability to expand at the old location.

[WhipperSnapper]

Walmart and a few other anchor stores moved from one side of the street to the other in the big box hell at Warden & Eglinton in Toronto. The new stores are newer and larger but, competing big box developers may have been involved. It's amazing how disposable big box is.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Wasn't Place d'Orleans that last mall built in Ottawa? I don't live there but I think I remember it opening in the late 1980s.

Place d'Orléans opened in 1979, the Rideau Centre in 1983.