Winnipeg | Retail

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by lbnevs

the way retail used to work:

make money by buying things from wholesalers and marking them up to sell to retail customers

the way retail now works:

make money by buying retailers, gutting them, piling on debt, scaling fast, and flipping to the next PE firm

Basically the whole idea of the modern day private equity firms who have no idea how to run whatever business they own other than make money as quick as possible by any means necessary with no care of the company they bought nor the people involved at all.

[FactaNV]

Uniqlo was apparently confirmed for St V.

[waffler_]

Theres also this...



Which is upstairs by the food court, 18,000SQFT which is perfect for uniqlo

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by waffler_

Theres also this...



Which is upstairs by the food court, 18,000SQFT which is perfect for uniqlo

Yeah, Uniqlo has some pretty stylish outfits. I first encountered them when I was in the Philippines 12 years ago.

Unfortunately, they did not have any of my size being North American XL instead of global XL size, which are wildly different.

[waffler_]

and this is the st vital confirmation

[waffler_]

looks like were getting an abercrombie at polo too

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

Yeah, Uniqlo has some pretty stylish outfits. I first encountered them when I was in the Philippines 12 years ago.

Unfortunately, they did not have any of my size being North American XL instead of global XL size, which are wildly different.

You can order XXL online in Canada and get free delivery to the store, takes a few days, I do it all the time, I find XL is okay for some things but my problem is the arms and the length of a shirt are too short but XXL is just right, body wise the XL fits fine its the lengths. Also I once tried on an XL jacket in-store and it was too big but the L was perfect I've never bought any pants there.

[waffler_]

Eddie Bauer Polo Park closing soon, theyre having a store closing sale not sure when the last day is

[Authentic_City]

^I saw Jan. 6 is the last day for Eddie Bauer. Too bad. Retail really is dead and dying.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

^I saw Jan. 6 is the last day for Eddie Bauer. Too bad. Retail really is dead and dying.

Is it? Or are some stores closing? Every time I’ve been at the mall in the past year, the stores are packed and busy. Some stores don’t do as well, that’s the nature of it.

I once again think that it all comes down to our human nature. I think that many people will always prefer to go to a tangible place and you know, experience life through real things and people, and not through the lens of a phone screen.

I really don’t see actual bricks and mortar retail going away. It may evolve, but people have been prophesying its end for decades now and it’s still here. Also, we should not - as a general policy principle - be pushing for ways to interact that are increasingly anti social. There is value in actually having to have real interactions.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

^I saw Jan. 6 is the last day for Eddie Bauer. Too bad. Retail really is dead and dying.

You use Eddie Bauer as a barometer for the entirety of the retail landscape? I’m likely the target demographic of Eddie Bauer and don’t think I’ve ever set foot in there.

[Mr Tall Forehead]

I think the closure is probably attributed to the fact that Eddie Bauer’s primary target clientele is aging into the housecoat and slippers stage of life and doesn’t wear as much plaid and corduroy that they used to.

[AccordTR]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

^I saw Jan. 6 is the last day for Eddie Bauer. Too bad. Retail really is dead and dying.

Definitely not, it’s changing. Both KP and St. Vital actually threw out tenants for new major brands.

[Authentic_City]

^Whoa, tough crowd! I don’t think I’m saying anything new or controversial. Brick and mortar retail is shrinking and being displaced by online sales. Is this not happening? Hey, I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see a lot of hopeful signs of a retail renaissance. Sure, Polo Park is backfilling some of the empty spaces, and as much as I like EQ3 and London Drugs, etc., there are fewer and fewer places I shop for clothes in the mall. I don’t like to shop online, but it’s becoming the only option, for me at least. Maybe younger age cohorts are still well served at the mall, but I don’t see it. And yes, I’m a middle-aged man, so I’m not the target demo.

[bomberjet]

If I'm being honest. A lot of talk on here about X brand coming, or Y brand coming. Uniqlo is coming. Never, ever, heard of them. I'm old now I guess. Sign of the times that the old, rich brands are dead. And the new cheap, throw away brands are it.

KP is actively shuffling the deck chairs for the food court reno. I'm not sure how it will really all play out. Are tehy bringing in hip new retailers? I haven't heard anything.

[bon_vivant]

It seems that Eddie Bauer is just losing its caché. As another commenter mentioned, their customer base is aging out. I also wonder if their price points aren't being well received in this inflationary climate. Nowadays, I'd think twice before plunking $400+ on a new winter parka. Essentials like food and utilities are eating up more of my income. I'm sure a lot of average-income consumers feel the same way. I don't think this is another sign of bricks-and-mortar retail death. Personally, I actively avoid online shopping as much as possible unless there's no other way of obtaining the product.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by AccordTR

Definitely not, it’s changing. Both KP and St. Vital actually threw out tenants for new major brands.

That speaks as much about how much Polo Park has taken a significant negative turn in the past few years. I know people that have worked 20+ years in retail. It wasn't until this year at Polo Park that they were ever assaulted on the job. Not something of the level to make the news but there was a police report. You can even feel it as a customer at Polo Park now. It has the same dead mall vibes that you used to see in other cities. Some of those dead malls I have been in, in the past, has more recently been fully demolished. Former retail plazas like what St James and Regent are now were demolished too and redeveloped into housing. It really is just a matter of time until the same trend comes here. Winnipeg is always a few years behind on trends it seems.

[trueviking]

Did I just read someone say Polo Park has dead mall vibes?

[Winnipeg Grump]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

^Whoa, tough crowd! I don’t think I’m saying anything new or controversial. Brick and mortar retail is shrinking and being displaced by online sales. Is this not happening? Hey, I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see a lot of hopeful signs of a retail renaissance. Sure, Polo Park is backfilling some of the empty spaces, and as much as I like EQ3 and London Drugs, etc., there are fewer and fewer places I shop for clothes in the mall. I don’t like to shop online, but it’s becoming the only option, for me at least. Maybe younger age cohorts are still well served at the mall, but I don’t see it. And yes, I’m a middle-aged man, so I’m not the target demo.

I mean, Rodd & Gunn opened up a full store up on the second floor right by the escalators. That's a premium brand just for men.

Eddie Bauer, I think, is just a brand that is facing their 'style' not being in demand anymore. As others have noted, there's a certain demo that look appeals to and it's shrinking.

[Biff]

In my conversations with leasing agents around town, retail is doing surprisingly good in this city. Brands come and go. I have heard from the main mall management in town and they all say they have higher demand now than in recent years. It had been a difficult time for malls with the closure of the department stores in North America. That has been more of an indicator that department stores for the most part are a dying business model. Bricks and mortar retail has been very resilient and is actually doing quite well.

Polo Park has "dead mall vibes" is borderline insane talk.