General Retail News

[eltodesukane]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Not looking good for The Bay and Saks
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/03/...-as-next-week/

I guess the Zellers in-stores were not enough to revive The Bay.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

I guess the Zellers in-stores were not enough to revive The Bay.

If I had a magic department store wand and unlimited resources, I'd reimagine HBC as a handful of stores in major markets carrying a curated selection of high-end 100% Canadian merchandise. Maybe a bit of Canadian-designed but foreign-produced merch to highlight Canadian design.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

I guess the Zellers in-stores were not enough to revive The Bay.

That was the weakest Hail Mary I have every seen. A little section of overpriced Chinese junk cosplaying as a bankrupted discount store.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by le calmar

St. Laurent may be a little too close to Rideau Centre, which is unfortunate, because otherwise Simons would probably have been a good candidate to take over some of that vacant space. Since they don't have any presence in the West End, I think chances that they do that at Bayshore are good. One or two floors anyway.

I wish St. Laurent (or even Place d'Orleans, but there's no chance) had a Simons. Rideau is hard to get to by car, and shopping by transit is a pain, especially in winter.

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

If I had a magic department store wand and unlimited resources, I'd reimagine HBC as a handful of stores in major markets carrying a curated selection of high-end 100% Canadian merchandise. Maybe a bit of Canadian-designed but foreign-produced merch to highlight Canadian design.

Now THAT would get me through the door. It's really hard to find good, quality Canadian products in stores. I'd be happy to pay a premium for that.

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

I guess the Zellers in-stores were not enough to revive The Bay.

Originally Posted by Harley613

That was the weakest Hail Mary I have every seen. A little section of overpriced Chinese junk cosplaying as a bankrupted discount store.

That was a pretty dumb gimmick. Might have worked better if they converted entire HBC's back to Zellers.

[Richard Eade]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I've always been puzzled by how department stores have struggled in Canada. It has been the case since long before shopping on-line was a thing. Especially in a place like Ottawa, with its limited retail options, a great department store would be the go-to location, one would think.

I agree. It is puzzling to me, also. The concept of going to one place to have access to most of your needs seems like it should be a no-brainer. (The same goes for indoor malls, in Canada.)

But, looking back, I would say that there has always been ‘department’ stores emerging and disappearing. In the far past, you could go to The General Store to get your farm supplies from one corner, linen on another wall, flour from the big bin in the middle, and, of course, a few candies from beside the cash register. The ‘departments’ became larger and more formalized, as merchandise became more plentiful. Stores would add new sections as new wares became popular. The idea was to provide a wide range of goods to attract the most customers.

So, what is it that allows a department store to grow, but then die. Is it a natural flow as consumers switch to ‘the new guy in town’? Is it because the old store is lacking something that another store adds (groceries, for example)? Is it that the prices are lower at another store because the overhead at the older store has grown too large?

Arguably, such stores as Zellers, Woolworth, and Towers were in the discount category of department stores. How were they different from, say, Target or Walmart?

Growing store chains like Walmart, offers a large selection of food, as well as footwear, electronics, etc.; as does the Dollarama. (Although Dollarama offers a wide range of products, I don’t classify it as a true department store, since all of their ‘stuff’ is within one big area and not formally departmentalized.) Canadian Tire tried to add food, but soon declared that as a failure. Loblaws added food into the Shoppers Drug Mart stores, and it seems to have worked out – although Shoppers is not a department store, the addition of food sales appears to have helped overall sales. Loblaws, itself, went the other direction and added in non-food merchandise – although that appears to have receded, from what I have seen.

Is it that ‘catalogue’ shopping has taken too many sales away from department stores? The old General Store was probably the pick-up point for your Eaton’s Catalogue order, to draw in customers. (Might as well pick up a new candle-mould while you pick up your daughter’s new Sunday dress.) Now, Amazon ships that replacement UPS battery from China to your door in two days. No need to go into a store, where you might be tempted into an impulse buy.

But were stores like Consumer’s Distributing and Shop-Rite responsible for the demise of, say, Ogilvys? At Consumer’s, you could flip through the catalogue and get your item right away. You could verify that it met your needs – and leave it there if it didn’t. With low overhead, these brick & mortar catalogue stores provided lower prices on items that you could get immediately. No paying for Prime to get it the next day.

Even some ‘club’ stores have come and gone. Why was G.E.M nowhere near as successful as Costco? Although MEC (not a department store, per se) does seem to have a good following.

Why some stores flourish (for a while) and then peter-out is a mystery to me. I’ll bet that there have been a huge number of theses written by MBA students about possible reasons, though.

[rocketphish]

Hudson’s Bay properties, including in Ottawa, in focus as RioCan calls creditor filing ‘disappointing’

The Canadian Press, OBJ
March 18, 2025

The possible liquidation of Hudson’s Bay is also bringing into question the future of its huge retail footprint, including in Ottawa, and highlighting the exposure other companies have to its potential downfall.

RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust is especially exposed to Hudson’s Bay’s financial woes because the two companies co-own 12 store properties, including the location on Rideau Street in Ottawa, through a joint venture.

On Tuesday, RioCan said in a release that the retailer’s creditor protection filing is “disappointing.”

Hudson’s Bay is awaiting court permission to start liquidating all of its stores after it filed for creditor protection on March 7.

As part of its creditor protection requests, it has asked to put a stay on lease payments to the joint venture, something RioCan opposes.

“RioCan understands that restructuring can be a necessary step for companies to stabilize their operations and financial position; however, it is essential that any restructuring steps are on fair and balanced terms,” the company said in its release.

Hudson’s Bay has a 78 per cent ownership of 10 store locations, including the flagship store in Ottawa on Rideau Street, as well as those in Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary, with RioCan owning the other 22 per cent.

The companies, however, also have hundreds of millions of dollars worth of mortgages on the properties.

The joint venture also owns a 50 per cent stake in stores in Oakville and Barrie, Ont., with RioCan owning the other half.

RioCan has a 50 per cent ownership of the HBC location in the Tanger Outlets that isn’t part of the joint venture. The location, which is a Saks OFF 5TH store, is a tenant at the Tanger Outlets, where RioCan said it has “strong backfill prospects” and where it has “certain termination options and rights” that protect the landlord.

Altogether, RioCan says it owns about 842,000 square feet of net leasable area related to the Hudson’s Bay stores, 73,800 square feet of which is related to the Rideau Street location in Ottawa.

RioCan has also provided credit support totalling $88.7 million to HBC through loan guarantees and mezzanine loans, which includes $11.1 million related to the Rideau Street store in Ottawa.

The company said it remains committed to protecting the interests of its unitholders and plans to use all available business and legal avenues, as well as its leasing and development capabilities, to get the best outcome for the properties.

RioCan chief executive Jonathan Gitlin said in a statement that the locations include prime real estate that have value either as retail centres or redevelopment opportunities.

“Our team has a proven track record of finding solutions for vacant space and will work to protect the value of the real estate in the JV,” Gitlin said. “This process will take time, expertise and collaboration among all stakeholders.”

Other companies exposed include Cadillac Fairview, which in 2014 agreed to pay $650 million for Hudson’s Bay’s Toronto flagship store and the adjoining Simpson’s Tower across from the Toronto Eaton Centre.

As part of the deal, Hudson’s Bay leased back the properties for 25 years with an optional extension.

Other landlords across Canada are also potentially on the hook as Hudson’s Bay is reliant on leases for all of its 80 stores.

Some had already taken action as the financial strains started to show, including a landlord in Sydney, N.S., that locked the retailer out of its store, said Jennifer Bewley, the chief financial officer for Hudson’s Bay’s parent company, in a court filing.

The retailer is looking for court permission to start liquidating all of its stores, though Hudson’s Bay says it could remove some from the fire sale if it secures enough financing.

Joseph Pasquariello, a lawyer for RioCan, spent Monday advocating for an Ontario court not to let Hudson’s Bay suspend rent payments to the stores his client owns.

He questioned whether Hudson’s Bay waited too long to seek “unprecedented relief” and said the retailer’s approach so far “doesn’t scream out a well-organized restructuring opportunity.”

As did lawyers representing employees, Pasquariello warned Ontario Superior Court judge Peter Osborne about granting all that the company is seeking.

“We don’t want to set up a system that is doomed to fail from the get go.”

– With files from OBJ Staff

https://obj.ca/hudsons-bay-propertie...editor-filing/

[rocketphish]

Hudson's Bay to liquidate all but 6 stores starting Monday
Looming liquidation triggered flurry of sales, allowing some stores in Ontario, Quebec to stay open — for now

The Canadian Press
Posted: Mar 21, 2025 10:22 AM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes ago

After a week spent seeking a lifeline, an Ontario court has given Canada's oldest company permission to start liquidating all but six of its stores on Monday.

The Friday approval from Ontario Superior Court Judge Peter Osborne allows the retailer to begin selling off inventory at most of its 80 Hudson's Bay stores, three Saks Fifth Avenue locations and 13 Saks Off 5th shops in Canada.

"This is the art of the possible, and we are where we are today. In my view, there is no other alternative," Osborne said Friday.

The six stores being saved from the liquidation sale include a flagship location on Yonge Street in Toronto, as well as a store in the city's Yorkdale Mall and another farther north in Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill, Ont. The remaining three are in Montreal, the Carrefour Laval mall and Pointe-Claire, Que.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/hud...ures-1.7489551

[DarthVader_1961]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Hudson's Bay to liquidate all but 6 stores starting Monday
Looming liquidation triggered flurry of sales, allowing some stores in Ontario, Quebec to stay open — for now

The Canadian Press
Posted: Mar 21, 2025 10:22 AM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes ago

After a week spent seeking a lifeline, an Ontario court has given Canada's oldest company permission to start liquidating all but six of its stores on Monday.

The Friday approval from Ontario Superior Court Judge Peter Osborne allows the retailer to begin selling off inventory at most of its 80 Hudson's Bay stores, three Saks Fifth Avenue locations and 13 Saks Off 5th shops in Canada.

"This is the art of the possible, and we are where we are today. In my view, there is no other alternative," Osborne said Friday.

The six stores being saved from the liquidation sale include a flagship location on Yonge Street in Toronto, as well as a store in the city's Yorkdale Mall and another farther north in Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill, Ont. The remaining three are in Montreal, the Carrefour Laval mall and Pointe-Claire, Que.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/hud...ures-1.7489551

Assuming I read this right, Ottawa loses all its stores?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by DarthVader_1961

Assuming I read this right, Ottawa loses all its stores?

Yup.

[rocketphish]

I think the only Ottawa store is at the Rideau Centre?

Montreal-based retailer Frank and Oak to close all stores, sell intellectual property
Company will continue e-commerce sales for Canadian customers

The Canadian Press
Posted: Apr 23, 2025 9:35 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Clothing retailer Frank and Oak is closing all 14 of its stores in the coming weeks and selling its intellectual property to a Montreal-based company as part of ongoing restructuring efforts.

In a press release, the company says the Superior Court of Quebec approved the sale of the brand to Lamour Group and Thread Collective Inc.

It says the Frank and Oak brand will continue on, but the original corporate entity UGC Canada Holdings Inc. is expected to file for bankruptcy and wind down its operations.

Existing inventory will be liquidated, while e-commerce sales will continue for Canadian customers.

The new operating company will look at options for the future of the Frank and Oak brand, which could include opportunities to relaunch in select markets or channels.

Frank and Oak filed a notice of intention in December, saying it faced financial difficulties due to COVID-19 and supply chain problems.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...sing-1.7516198

[kwoldtimer]

Correct.

[rocketphish]

Beer Store closing Glebe location in July

By Josh Pringle, CTV News
Updated: May 20, 2025 at 12:03PM EDT | Published: May 20, 2025 at 10:32AM EDT

The Beer Store is closing its location in the Glebe this summer, the third store set to close in Ottawa this year.

The Beer Store announced Tuesday that nine more outlets will close across the province on July 20, including the location at 900 Bank Street near Holmwood Avenue.

“The Beer Store is making the difficult decision to close these locations. We will continue our focus on sustainability and recycling as we modernize operations in a changing marketplace,” Ozzie Ahmed, vice president of retail at The Beer Store, said in a statement.

“I understand this will be disappointing news to customers and employees. The Beer Store is committed to treating employees with respect and supporting them during this transition.”

The other locations closing are in Ajax, Azilda, Levack, Markham, Milton and Toronto.

The Beer Store location at 2144 Carling Avenue, across the street from the Carlingwood Mall, is set to close on June 15.

In February, the retailer announced its locations on North Side Road in Bells Corners and a location in Kingston was closing.

The decision to close Beer Store outlets comes after Ontario expanded beer and alcohol sales to big box stores, corner stores and gas stations last year.

The Beer Store employs 6,500 workers across Ontario.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union told CTV News Ottawa that the Beer Store is allowed to go down to 300 stores by the end of this year under an early implementation agreement.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/articl...ation-in-july/

[Ottawacurious]

Never heard of them before but saw that Black Toe Running is opening in Westboro across from the old running room (where the French store was).

https://www.blacktoerunning.com/
At BlackToe Running, we believe running is more than just a sport—it’s a way to connect, & grow. Founded over a decade ago by Mike and Maya Anderson, BlackToe Running has grown into Canada’s top run specialty store, trusted for our expertise, premium selection, and deep commitment to the running community.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by BanjoUnchained

I've heard that the Shoppers Drug Mart is moving from the Alta Vista Plaza

Confirmed.

[J.OT13]

Rideau St. Urban Outfitters location on the market
By William EltheringtonOpens in new window
Published: May 21, 2025 at 8:18PM EDT

Ottawa’s Urban Outfitters location is up for lease.

A listing on Realtor.ca for 135 Rideau Street features the two-storey 11,858 sq. ft. store, boasting a “prominent frontage of one of Ottawa’s busiest pedestrian coordinators.”

“Positioned in the heart of the ByWard Market, Ottawa’s emerging entertainment district, the property is steps from the future HISTORY Ottawa venue, a new 2,000-capacity Live Nation concert hall set to open in 2026,” the listing from broker Marcus & Millichap says.


“Surrounded by over 1,000 new residential and condo units and in close proximity to the re-opened Metro grocery store, the area continues to see strong growth and revitalization.”

The space, located just steps from the ByWard Market, is available for $30 per square foot.

It’s the only location the U.S.-based international retailer has in Ottawa. It’s unclear if the retailer intends to renew its lease.

Its closure would mean another blow to Rideau Street retailers after Hudson’s Bay announced it would shut all its locations nationwide last month.


Nordstrom’s closed its store in the Rideau Centre in 2023.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/articl...on-the-market/

[GeoNerd]

There was already an announcement of a furniture store moving into the Rideau Street location.

https://obj.ca/montreal-based-furnit...rideau-street/

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

There was already an announcement of a furniture store moving into the Rideau Street location.

https://obj.ca/montreal-based-furnit...rideau-street/

Montreal-based furniture retailer Cozey coming to Rideau Street as Urban Outfitters leaves

David Sali, OBJ
May 22, 2025

An up-and-coming Canadian furniture retailer has chosen downtown Ottawa for its latest brick-and-mortar store as it shifts away from an online-only business model.

Montreal-based Cozey is leasing space at 137 Rideau St. for a pop-up location that will be open from June until the end of next January, the company’s director of marketing, Felix Robitaille, told OBJ on Thursday.

Robitaille said company officials toured various neighbourhoods in the capital and considered leasing space in Westboro, but they ultimately decided Rideau Street was “by far the best location” for the store due to its proximity to light rail as well as major visitor attractions such as the Rideau Centre and the ByWard Market.

“We were trying to find the most impactful location for us in that market,” he explained. “Rideau (Street) has a lot of eyes on it. There’s a lot of foot traffic. The building itself looked great as well. “Our objective with doing pop-up stores is also to generate awareness. We felt like having it on Rideau (Street) was more accomplishing that objective than having it in Westboro.” Founded in 2020, Cozey began as an e-commerce operation before branching out into brick-and-mortar retail last year with a 3,600-square-foot store on Queen Street West near downtown Toronto. The retailer later opened a series of pop-up shops, starting with a spot on Montreal’s south shore. Cozey founder and CEO Frédéric Aube said last year the temporary locations were designed to gauge customer interest and gather insights on the firm’s “impact in various Canadian cities.” “This will guide us in determining prime locations for future flagship stores across the country," Aube said. Cozey has since opened temporary stores in Vancouver and New York City, Robitaille said. If the pop-up on Rideau Street is successful, it could lead to Cozey setting up a permanent store in the city, he added. “That’s the goal,” he said. “We know from the online sales that Ottawa is a good market for us. There are a lot of sales on our e-commerce platform happening in Ottawa.” Candice Lerner-Fry, head of the retail leasing division at the local office of Marcus & Millichap, said the deal includes nearly 3,700 square feet of space on two floors previously occupied by a vape shop. “It’s going to be new and exciting for Ottawa to have a tenant of that … cachet,” Lerner-Fry said.

The retailer’s arrival in the Ottawa market follows a major U.S.-based fashion chain’s decision to vacate its space, which is located next door to Cozey’s new store. Urban Outfitters is leaving its two-storey, 11,858-square-foot location at 135 Rideau St., Lerner-Fry confirmed Thursday. The retailer discussed renewing its lease with the building’s new owner, Huntington Properties, but ultimately opted not to, she added. “I can’t give their reason, but it has nothing to do with the landlord,” Lerner-Fry said. The store is the Philadelphia-based retailer’s only location in the National Capital Region. The chain is the second major retailer to pull up stakes from Rideau Street in recent weeks, following Hudson Bay’s decision to shut down most of its locations nationwide last month.

Urban Outfitters did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

Described as “offering prominent frontage along one of Ottawa's busiest pedestrian corridors,” the 135 Rideau St. space is listed at a rental rate of $30 per square foot.

Located a block from the Rideau Centre and just a couple of hundred metres east of Live Nation’s new 2,000-seat History Ottawa live music venue that’s slated to open in early 2026, the space is part of a 52,000-square-foot building that Huntington Properties purchased from LaSalle Investment Management last fall. At the time, Huntington partner Craig Whitten said the company was exploring “alternative uses” for some of the property that could include “activity-based” businesses similar to escape rooms. Marcus & Millichap, which is brokering the leasing for the Urban Outfitters space, only found out a few weeks ago the retailer would be leaving and is still working on its marketing strategy, Lerner-Fry explained. “It’s an opportunity to bring in another new tenant for the area,” she said. “With Live Nation and all the money that’s being spent (on the new music venue), I think it’s an opportunity to bring in a really good tenant to provide a good synergy with what’s going on in the area. “We’re going to absolutely want to bring in someone that fits well with what the future has ahead for Rideau (Street) and the ByWard Market.”

https://obj.ca/montreal-based-furnit...rideau-street/

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

^^^^^^^

Cozey furniture makes some interesting modular stuff that can be adapted to small spaces in apartments and condos. It also makes it easier to get stuff down basement stairs. Looking forward to having this Canadian company establish a presence in Ottawa.

[J.OT13]

Nice! Should fill in a bit of the gap that will be left by HBC (furniture department).

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Confirmed.

Interesting.

IMO they should be making arrangements to relocate the tenants south of Industrial (e.g Healthy Planet, Urban Barn) and then redeveloping that block as high density residential.