The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by chowhou

There's always the option to walk/bike/transit to the store. I recently moved from the North Shore to East Vancouver and it's pretty hard for me to justify driving to get groceries when the weather is decent. Why wouldn't I take the cheaper, more environmental, and healthier approach (given the fact that I have three different major grocers within a 20 minute walk)?

Of course. I can even walk to Costco.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

With Amazon, there would be an overall reduction due to the fact that one trip to your building brings multiple packages, along a route with a multiple other drop-off points. Compared to those individuals each taking a vehicle to the store, that is a large savings in GHG. Were they to walk to a nearby store, yes, that would be even better, but not everyone lives within walking distance of all their needs. I understand that some people do order things like a single bottle of detergent, but to my mind that’s ridiculous. The benefit of Amazon for me is price and selection. A single bottle there is more expensive than a local purchase and there is no lack of selection locally either.

Food delivery drivers sometimes have multiple orders at once, but yes, it’s not much different than you driving to pick-up yourself.

That's a false equivalency. The comparison isn't Amazon making hundreds of deliveries vs. hundreds of individuals making trips to the grocery store. Instead it's Amazon making hundreds of deliveries vs. hundreds of individuals who may have batched all their shopping in one trip or walked to the store or not made a purchase at all. I think induced demand certainly applies to Amazon and e-commerce in general. I.e., the easier you make it to order, receive, and return items, the more likely you are to place multiple small orders.

I think your perception of Amazon is very skewed. I also order hardly anything on Amazon or through delivery apps, but most people my age (in their 20s) likely place multiple orders per week and all of those orders are not hard to get OEM Honda badges or shoes in rare colourways or 3D-printed coffee grinder parts (the sorts of things I order from Amazon). Instead, those orders are likely to be shampoo available across town, a cheap sundress in three different sizes (two of which you'll return), and french fries from the bar down the street.

For some people that live within a 5 or 10 minute walk of a grocery store or restaurant, delivery has definitely somewhat replaced just picking something up yourself. I drove for SkiptheDishes and regularly delivered a single Blizzard or Big Mac when Dairy Queen or McDonalds were only a few blocks away.

[jollyburger]

Especially when you toss in free shipping and lax return policies.

[SpongeG]

I thought Amazon was going to change the free returns policy and start charging.

I watched a documentary about Amazon returns specifically and it showed that most of what gets returned just ends up in the trash, a lot of stores also trash their returns rather than sell them again, this was a different show that showed some US sites and this mother and daughter say they always buy like three purses and multiple items and return what they don't want so the show followed the returns and the goods were just written off and trashed, the mother-daughter duo were unaware and said they would adjust their shopping habits.

Since my neighbourhood has added multiple towers and buildings there is always an Amazon or UPS truck somewhere on the block, often blocking the road, which really gets annoying.

I will admit I have been ordering of Temu a bit lately, I often find the exact same things on it as Amazon at about 75% cheaper. With Temu they give you a $5 credit if late, and the last 3 orders have come via Canada Post and one of the promise dates was on a sunday so I automatically got a credit, I've also had two of my four orders for free, first was an entire refund the second one was a refund in the form of a credit which I applied to my fourth order. No issues with what I have got other than the packaging is kind of a mess but all is intact.

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I thought Amazon was going to change the free returns policy and start charging.

I watched a documentary about Amazon returns specifically and it showed that most of what gets returned just ends up in the trash, a lot of stores also trash their returns rather than sell them again, this was a different show that showed some US sites and this mother and daughter say they always buy like three purses and multiple items and return what they don't want so the show followed the returns and the goods were just written off and trashed, the mother-daughter duo were unaware and said they would adjust their shopping habits.

Since my neighbourhood has added multiple towers and buildings there is always an Amazon or UPS truck somewhere on the block, often blocking the road, which really gets annoying.

I will admit I have been ordering of Temu a bit lately, I often find the exact same things on it as Amazon at about 75% cheaper. With Temu they give you a $5 credit if late, and the last 3 orders have come via Canada Post and one of the promise dates was on a sunday so I automatically got a credit, I've also had two of my four orders for free, first was an entire refund the second one was a refund in the form of a credit which I applied to my fourth order. No issues with what I have got other than the packaging is kind of a mess but all is intact.

Interesting video about Temu..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quGoGgbP-aE

Ron.

[SpongeG]

I've bought mostly kitchen gadgets or garden stuff, no problems, quality is what one would expect, I would usually buy that kind of stuff at Dollarama or dollar tree anyway.

[whatnext]

Sad to see South Granville continuing its retail slide. The old Industrial Revolution is being turned into a pop-up Halloween store, joining a vape store and Value Village as newcomers on that block.

Meanwhile the former West restaurant space no loner has a sign that Fable tableware is Coming Soon. I guess they thought better of opening on a block that is almost completely shuttered, reportedly thanks to a greedy landlord.

[IMG]store by bcborn, on Flickr[/IMG]
Vacant store on Granville between 12th and 13th. My photo

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Sad to see South Granville continuing its retail slide. The old Industrial Revolution is being turned into a pop-up Halloween store, joining a vape store and Value Village as newcomers on that block.

Meanwhile the former West restaurant space no loner has a sign that Fable tableware is Coming Soon. I guess they thought better of opening on a block that is almost completely shuttered, reportedly thanks to a greedy landlord.

Isn't in the building next door? It's still on their website for a Fall 2023 opening.

https://fable.com/pages/our-stores

[connect2source]

South Granville will see rebound when the Broadway Subway opens. There are already signs of this with the Loblaws City Market planned for the corner of Broadway and Granville. The decline is temporary IMO.

[teriyaki]

Originally Posted by connect2source

South Granville will see rebound when the Broadway Subway opens. There are already signs of this with the Loblaws City Market planned for the corner of Broadway and Granville. The decline is temporary IMO.

Absolutely. There will be a major change in demographics and traffic patterns in the area once the line is complete. With that, you're going to see major shifts in the retail market and demand there. Out with the old-guard and in with the new. Businesses that used to viable in the area will have to re-assess if they'll continue to be successful with the pending changes and likely you'll see many old businesses vacate as they see that their business will no longer cater to the changing environment. I'm very excited to see how the new area will shape up as they'll be lots of re-shuffling that hasn't happened there in far too long.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by teriyaki

Absolutely. There will be a major change in demographics and traffic patterns in the area once the line is complete. With that, you're going to see major shifts in the retail market and demand there. Out with the old-guard and in with the new. Businesses that used to viable in the area will have to re-assess if they'll continue to be successful with the pending changes and likely you'll see many old businesses vacate as they see that their business will no longer cater to the changing environment. I'm very excited to see how the new area will shape up as they'll be lots of re-shuffling that hasn't happened there in far too long.

I wonder with the limited development potential of the strip how much of the older stock (non-heritage) buildings will get redeveloped into newer CRUs.

[zahav]

I don't think South Granville is doing that bad, there's vacancies yes of course, but they still have new stores opening, and a healthy amount of retail variety (food, drinks, housewares, fashion. services), I think people are exaggerating or sensationalizing some perceived decline. I walk the length of the neighbourhood from 16th to the bridge quite often, and it is quite bustling. Retail has changed, we all know that, so there's been some losses, but overall I don't think it's in the dumps by any means... The section north of Broadway was never the core area anyways, and it is the section that does have some more vacancies. But even then, the vacancies in the Portico building got leased, it's just some of the holding properties/art galleries in the 8th to the bridge section that are a bit tired. And as others have said, the Broadway subway will be a huge benefit.

I did a walk downtown last night, walked Robson St. all the way from Beatty to Denman. And I have to say, it isn't the gloomiest people are painting it to be. The section from Beatty to Howe is very lively, and lots of varied activity that I never thought much about (the library, the CBC complex, several hotels, lots of restaurants). And then the old heart of Robsonstrasse, from Hornby to Denman: I can tell you this much, it is a big improvement from 5 years ago. The vacanies in this core area seem way down, there are still some of course, but not the long stretches of vacant blocks that were present a few years back pre-Covid even. And very busy, lots of shopping happening. I don't have all the actual numbers of course, but I am familiar with the street over time and while it may not be in its heyday from the 80s or 90s, but it is hardly written off. It is quite clear the street is a major thoroughfare still and not in the downward trajectory decline some people imply. I was also shocked that there were no homeless people or tents set up on any part of the street, if someone from out of town had walked that route, they'd have no idea of the problem. Which is a good thing, the bustle is working as a deterrent I'd say. And I was happy to see it, I didn't want to accept that the situation 5 years ago was the new reality, it felt so weird so see Robson emptied. I suggest people take a weekend walk down there, and give me your take on whether it appears to be improved from around 5 years ago

[zahav]

Also, De Beer has closed on Alberni. There's For Lease signs up from Concord (the landlord). But what I found odd was the store looked totally outfitted still, windows weren't covered and the store look like it could still be operational even. And the De Beers sign was still up. The reason I find this odd is that higher end stores tend to have more warning when they are going to close, and fully debrand as soon as it closes, then the store is emptied, and lease signs go up. Usually it's the mom and pop smaller stores that default on rent or go out of business suddenly and have For Lease signs go up while the store and it's existing condition stay the same because the business shut abruptly. For a high end business like DeBeers to just vacate suddenly and leave everything as-is is suspicious to me

[theKB]

Originally Posted by zahav

Also, De Beer has closed on Alberni. There's For Lease signs up from Concord (the landlord). But what I found odd was the store looked totally outfitted still, windows weren't covered and the store look like it could still be operational even. And the De Beers sign was still up. The reason I find this odd is that higher end stores tend to have more warning when they are going to close, and fully debrand as soon as it closes, then the store is emptied, and lease signs go up. Usually it's the mom and pop smaller stores that default on rent or go out of business suddenly and have For Lease signs go up while the store and it's existing condition stay the same because the business shut abruptly. For a high end business like DeBeers to just vacate suddenly and leave everything as-is is suspicious to me

Aren't DeBeers and Hublot not tied together via the same "franchisee"/investor?

[zahav]

Originally Posted by theKB

Aren't DeBeers and Hublot not tied together via the same "franchisee"/investor?

I'm not sure! I just saw DeBeers with leasing signs up, and just thought it looked odd to see it for lease while still fully outfitted. You'd think they'd have given more notice and closed up shop professionally rather than leave it like this. It's more often seen with one-off stores to just close up suddenly and leave everything in place, not a high end retailer

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by zahav

I'm not sure! I just saw DeBeers with leasing signs up, and just thought it looked odd to see it for lease while still fully outfitted. You'd think they'd have given more notice and closed up shop professionally rather than leave it like this. It's more often seen with one-off stores to just close up suddenly and leave everything in place, not a high end retailer

It's common for landlords to advertise space if a tenant is running out their lease.

EDIT - Although from the web De Beers appears still to be open - there's nothing in the store, and a few fittings and a couple of tables in the windows, so it looks like you're correct and they've closed, leaving some store fittings behind.

Alberni seems to be a bit of a wasteland - lots of bored store staff and security guards, and almost nobody shopping.

[jollyburger]

Google Maps reviews said it closed down four months ago. Toronto location seems like it's temporarily closed?

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Changing City

/edit/mine

EDIT - Although from the web De Beers appears still to be open - there's nothing in the store, and a few fittings and a couple of tables in the windows, so it looks like you're correct and they've closed, leaving some store fittings behind.

Alberni seems to be a bit of a wasteland - lots of bored store staff and security guards, and almost nobody shopping.

As I have already posted (and I hope people will excuse me) the reson that Alberni is so dead - part of the reason, at least - is the dull, unimaginative, look of the streetscape, with its cracked, patched sidewalks, ordinary standard lighting, no place to sit, no sparkle, no allure, just a dead, blah street like any other, and has stayed that way for a number of years now despite the high-end retail.
Perhaps (were it possible to put the Thurlow heritage telephone pole wiring underground and thus get rid of the iconic Prada pole) plus redo the sidewalks sleek and smart, add lighting, planting, and seating ....
Hey maybe even a small-but-smart cappucino bar with an umbrella would add something inviting, urbane ... but then again, this is Vancouver.

[theKB]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

As I have already posted (and I hope people will excuse me) the reson that Alberni is so dead - part of the reason, at least - is the dull, unimaginative, look of the streetscape, with its cracked, patched sidewalks, ordinary standard lighting, no place to sit, no sparkle, no allure, just a dead, blah street like any other, and has stayed that way for a number of years now despite the high-end retail.
Perhaps (were it possible to put the Thurlow heritage telephone pole wiring underground and thus get rid of the iconic Prada pole) plus redo the sidewalks sleek and smart, add lighting, planting, and seating ....
Hey maybe even a small-but-smart cappucino bar with an umbrella would add something inviting, urbane ... but then again, this is Vancouver.

Completely agree with this sentiment - it doesn't embody the esthetic of many of the other high streets in "world class cities".

I've obviously wished and hoped that we too get a full Ralph Lauren in this city, and it would be further enhanced by a Ralph's Coffee... they tend to be nice additions to the street scape --> see link

https://creativepool.com/ralph-lauren/projects/ralphs-coffee-shop-for-ralph-lauren-

I get the "support local" but I don't think the street needs some third wave local coffee shop that pours as much attitude as it does coffee, it needs something that fits in with the overall retail atmosphere and goal. (Brooks Brothers could be easily replaced by Ralph Lauren but it doesn't seem like BB is going anywhere).

Of note, the vestiblue construction is done in the old escada spot, I for some reason thought it was going to involve expanding the retail footprint closer to the street but it doesn't appear to be the case. There is a lot of jack hammering inside the space going on but no clear indicator of what will take over that place.

One other sad thing I have noticed is there is a serial smashing of Moncler's alley facing display window - every time it is fixed/replaced, it seems it is cracked a few weeks later. Sad state of affairs.

[TwoFace]

Anytime you can charge more for a cup of coffee is a good thing LOL