Canadian Retail Thread

[MolsonExport]

We need a Simons in London. After the demise of HBC, there is practically nowhere to get decent menswear that is neither super expensive ("bespoke") nor completely shit/banal (e.g., the garbage sold at Zara, and H&M, etc.).

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

We need a Simons in London. After the demise of HBC, there is practically nowhere to get decent menswear that is neither super expensive ("bespoke") nor completely shit/banal (e.g., the garbage sold at Zara, and H&M, etc.).

Same with Niagara.
The Pen(insula) Centre in St. Catharines with over 1 million square feet could really use Simons as an anchor and regional draw. In 1966, this mall was surprisingly the fourth largest in Canada. It's been brutal to see the mall lose anchors over the years, with The Bay and Sears in recent times. The Pen was recently sold to Montreal based real estate investment firm, Leyad. I know nothing about them, but hope that's a positive.

When the 2024 population estimates came out, Niagara Region had a population of 539,000.
Based on the housing boom in every municipality, Niagara must have a population of over 550,000 by now.

London, Hamilton, Niagara could all use a Simons store, in my humble opinion. K-W too, as that would serve a large market with Cambridge and Guelph as well.

[casper]

I though Canadian Tire had all the IP but it looks like Fairweather ended up with Zeller's and is now relaunching with a 60,000 sq ft location in Edmonton on the 29th.

Zellers returns — again — this time starting in Edmonton

A new incarnation of Zellers is set to open in Edmonton's Londonderry Mall, after the defunct Hudson's Bay Company transferred the discount retailer's brand trademarks to the owner of Fairweather and International Clothiers, according to federal registries.

Zavriyev said his understanding is the store will sell household goods, along with clothing for men, women and children.

While Canadian Tire purchased the intellectual property and branding from the Hudson's Bay Company....t explicitly did not purchase the name or logo for "Zellers" or associated names such as "Zeddy's Cub Club."

the Bay has transferred control of the Zellers logo and trademark to Les Ailes de la Mode,....Les Ailes de la Mode is a former department store that was previously purchased by Fairweather.

Source:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/zellers-returns-again-edmonton-1.7620559

[Loco101]

Is the Zellers name really worth anything at this point? I can't believe another attempt is being made to revive the name. Fairweather and International Clothiers are bigger names although in my and my wife's opinion, those two stores aren't nearly as good as they used to be.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Is the Zellers name really worth anything at this point? I can't believe another attempt is being made to revive the name. Fairweather and International Clothiers are bigger names although in my and my wife's opinion, those two stores aren't nearly as good as they used to be.

Flogging a dead horse at this point.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Is the Zellers name really worth anything at this point? I can't believe another attempt is being made to revive the name. Fairweather and International Clothiers are bigger names although in my and my wife's opinion, those two stores aren't nearly as good as they used to be.

Zellers is remembered fondly by older millennials who would have been children in the 90s for its campy aesthetic. Of course, what Zellers sold back then is really no different than what you can buy in WalMart today.

I guess you can retcon a contemporary Zellers into selling upmarket, "nostalgic" 90s design products that it didn't sell back then. If you faithfully recreated Zellers so it sold the kinds of things it sold in the 90s, like paper towels, Hanes undershirts, Breville kettles, etc. then nobody would spend any money there. The 90s weren't that long ago - the business model of importing cheap household goods with planned obsolescence from China was more or less the same.

[Nouvellecosse]

Yes Zellers was like the Canadian version of Walmart (or more accurately, Kmart). But while people often lacked national pride and awareness back in the before times, it would be nice to have domestic version of these major outlets now. I've been boycotting Walmart for over a decade now, mainly due to their labour practices, so I'd love to see some more alternatives. Especially since I also boycott Amazon.

Giant Tiger is the closet thing we have to a domestic alternative out east, but ours are too small to really fill that role.

[london91]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

We need a Simons in London. After the demise of HBC, there is practically nowhere to get decent menswear that is neither super expensive ("bespoke") nor completely shit/banal (e.g., the garbage sold at Zara, and H&M, etc.).

Masonville would be amazing if they got Simons.

[Wigs]

I don't know if you guys know the guy known as 'brittlestar' on social media but he does hilarious songs and comic bits and sometimes Rick Mercer esque rants (not in graffiti'd alleyways though)

Here's his song lamenting the loss of Zellers from 5 years ago

• Video Link

[theman23]

Originally Posted by Wigs

I don't know if you guys know the guy known as 'brittlestar' on social media but he does hilarious songs and comic bits and sometimes Rick Mercer esque rants (not in graffiti'd alleyways though)

Here's his song lamenting the loss of Zellers from 5 years ago

• Video Link

Yeah, I’d say this video was his peak. The rest of his humour is mostly the type of stuff I can get by just calling my dad

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Yes Zellers was like the Canadian version of Walmart (or more accurately, Kmart). But while people often lacked national pride and awareness back in the before times, it would be nice to have domestic version of these major outlets now. I've been boycotting Walmart for over a decade now, mainly due to their labour practices, so I'd love to see some more alternatives. Especially since I also boycott Amazon.

Giant Tiger is the closet thing we have to a domestic alternative out east, but ours are too small to really fill that role.

the comments I read on facebook about this mostly were in favour to having a Canadian version and an alternative to walmart. We have no Giant Tigers in BC, that I know of, they were ok from the ones I visited in Alberta but yea quite small and not enough to pull away people from walmart.

There were also lots of comments saying it better include the restaurant, I don't remember the restaurant that well, it was never really busy here. I grew up in a small town and we got a Zellers in the mall that was really the main place to shop and the restaurant was always busy, i do remember their fries and gravy and a Z Burger.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Zellers is remembered fondly by older millennials who would have been children in the 90s for its campy aesthetic.

I lived through that time but I don't get it. I found it dreary and unappealing.

I wonder if there is space for a Canadian Amazon that isn't as scammy and full of garbage.

[SpongeG]

I like Ssense, I've bought a few things from them, always fast delivery and for pricey stuff the prices are good.

Canadian luxury retailer SSENSE to file for bankruptcy protection
5 hours ago

Nadine Yousif BBC News, Toronto

Canadian luxury fashion retailer SSENSE has said it plans to file for bankruptcy protection, partly citing pressure from US tariffs including on US-bound low value parcels, which just came into effect.

In an email to staff from CEO Rami Atallah, the Montreal-based firm said it was "surprised" by the elimination of the de minimis exemption for shipments to the US.

The de minimis exemption allowed for duty-free shipping to the US on packages worth $800 (C$1,100; £592) or less, and was widely used by e-commerce firms and global retailers to ship small packages to the US.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending the exemption last month.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpqvg293gvpo

[casper]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

the comments I read on facebook about this mostly were in favour to having a Canadian version and an alternative to walmart. We have no Giant Tigers in BC, that I know of, they were ok from the ones I visited in Alberta but yea quite small and not enough to pull away people from walmart.

There were also lots of comments saying it better include the restaurant, I don't remember the restaurant that well, it was never really busy here. I grew up in a small town and we got a Zellers in the mall that was really the main place to shop and the restaurant was always busy, i do remember their fries and gravy and a Z Burger.

I remember as a kid in the 80s Zellers. My parents growing up in Vancouver shopped more at Bay, Woodwards and Wolco. But Zellers had Lotto shoes. Having a European background, my parents trusted the Lotto brand. When it came time to get new kids sneakers it was off to Zellers for Lotto runners.

I don't know who if anyone sells that brand in Canada. I think they are still popular in Europe.

In the 90s Zellers went down-hill. I think there is room for them especially if they can come in at a Walmart price point.

The restaurant (cafeteria) at Zellers as well as the Bay was always a good deal. Growing up it was burgers at Zellers and roast turkey at the Bay. However in the 90s it also went down hill and they started to focus on being the hangout for seniors instead of young families.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by someone123

I lived through that time but I don't get it. I found it dreary and unappealing.

I wonder if there is space for a Canadian Amazon that isn't as scammy and full of garbage.

Elder Millenials like myself remember the heyday of Zellers when they all had restaurants. Nothing better than back to school shopping, grab a haircut at the Zellers barber, then a top notch grill cheese sandwich and soup at the cafe!

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

Elder Millenials like myself remember the heyday of Zellers when they all had restaurants. Nothing better than back to school shopping, grab a haircut at the Zellers barber, then a top notch grill cheese sandwich and soup at the cafe!

We had a Zellers in our mall from about 1999 to 2013 but it never had a restaurant. The store was previously a K-mart which did have one. By the turn of the millennium diners really weren't included in stores. The Zellers experience in Timmins just plainly sucked and the store couldn't compete with Walmart and others. The poor selection of merchandise was pretty sad.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Loco101

We had a Zellers in our mall from about 1999 to 2013 but it never had a restaurant. The store was previously a K-mart which did have one. By the turn of the millennium diners really weren't included in stores. The Zellers experience in Timmins just plainly sucked and the store couldn't compete with Walmart and others. The poor selection of merchandise was pretty sad.

If we are going back in history for food experiences, the Woolworth counters were legendary. Back in the 80s and 90s the Woolworth in downtown Vancouver had this setup. Food quality was high, while being low cost.

I think it was 90s that all the Woolworth stores closes. Their bigger brother were Woolco who were taken over by Walmart in Canada.

Photo is from the Smithsonian Magazine of one of the Woolworth counters in the US. The Canadian ones were similar.



Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/la...-and-running-again-california-180986567/

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

Elder Millenials like myself remember the heyday of Zellers when they all had restaurants. Nothing better than back to school shopping, grab a haircut at the Zellers barber, then a top notch grill cheese sandwich and soup at the cafe!

Growing up in St. John's, one of my best friends in elementary school dad was the GM of the Zellers store in the Torbay Road Mall. We had lots of free Big Z burgers at the Skillet restaurant. Good memories.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by casper

I remember as a kid in the 80s Zellers. My parents growing up in Vancouver shopped more at Bay, Woodwards and Wolco. But Zellers had Lotto shoes. Having a European background, my parents trusted the Lotto brand. When it came time to get new kids sneakers it was off to Zellers for Lotto runners.

I don't know who if anyone sells that brand in Canada. I think they are still popular in Europe.

In the 90s Zellers went down-hill. I think there is room for them especially if they can come in at a Walmart price point.

The restaurant (cafeteria) at Zellers as well as the Bay was always a good deal. Growing up it was burgers at Zellers and roast turkey at the Bay. However in the 90s it also went down hill and they started to focus on being the hangout for seniors instead of young families.

ah yes I had some of those Lotto runners. there was a soccer store in east vancouver that carried them they had a Lotto sign in the window, but I don't really pass it much so I don't know if its even still there.

[MolsonExport]

Woolco reached peak cheese when it ran a series of ads featuring the perennially cringeworthy Alan Thicke.

• Video Link