General Retail News

[SL123]

Abercrombie & Fitch is opening a store in the Rideau Centre where the now closed Eddie Bauer used to be

[J.OT13]

From jay2028 on Skyrise, according to OCA base work on the 3rd floor for future tenants.

Pottery Barn
West Elm
Dollarama
William Sonoma

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

From jay2028 on Skyrise, according to OCA base work on the 3rd floor for future tenants.

Pottery Barn
West Elm
Dollarama
William Sonoma

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

From jay2028 on Skyrise, according to OCA base work on the 3rd floor for future tenants.

Pottery Barn
West Elm
Dollarama
William Sonoma

I wonder if the Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm spaces will all be separate, or interconnected, given that they are all under the same ownership?

It could be cheaper to operate if they had shared storage space, checkout areas and staff, etc. Not unlike the shared HomeSense/Winners or HomeSense/Marshalls stores owned by TJX.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

I wonder if the Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm spaces will all be separate, or interconnected, given that they are all under the same ownership?

It could be cheaper to operate if they had shared storage space, checkout areas and staff, etc. Not unlike the shared HomeSense/Winners or HomeSense/Marshalls stores owned by TJX.

That could be a way of doing it, sure. Would make it quicker and easier to spit the Nordstrom space, just a hallway with Dollarama on one side and the Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn/West Elm space on the other. I imagine like Gap and Gap Kids.

[rocketphish]

VR arcade to move into former Steve’s Music Store on Rideau St.

William Eltherington, CTV News
Published: March 22, 2026 at 2:33PM EDT



A new immersive virtual reality gaming experience will be opening on Rideau Street.

Signs for Another World VR have been installed at 308 Rideau Street Unit B, one of the units that makes up the former Steve’s Music Store near King Edward Avenue.

While it’s unclear when the attraction will launch, the company has been teasing its grand opening on Instagram.

A sign on the front door promotes its “VR Arena” for birthdays, team games, corporate parties and games with friends. The arcades allow players to step inside life-sized games and scenarios with VR glasses and equipment that simulate real-world movements.

Another World VR operates locations around the world, including many in Canada, according to its website.

Sandbox VR also recently opened a location in the ByWard Market at the corner of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive.

The former Steve’s Music Store closed last year after 42 years in business at that location. The store opened a new shop on Catherine Street in Centretown but recently said it would be shutting its doors among wider store closures announced by the company.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/vr...-former-steves-music-store-on-rideau-st/

[skyscraperaccount]

Devapp for Chick-fil-A to replace Beer Store at College Square

https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D07-12-25-0159/details

[OTSkyline]

First the beer store nearest me closed down (Fairlawn Plaza in front of Carlingwood), forcing me to drive to this one. Now this one might close to?

Making it harder and harder to recycle those empties!

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

First the beer store nearest me closed down (Fairlawn Plaza in front of Carlingwood), forcing me to drive to this one. Now this one might close to?

Making it harder and harder to recycle those empties!

No kidding. This obsession with making booze easier to access without considering the larger impacts is maddening (don't get me started on the other booze related policies), and all for the low low price of $225 million dollars.

It's not just the returns, which also encouraged a circular economy of reuse for the glass containers, far better for the environment than even recycling. I can't help but think this decision might also be hurting local micro breweries who are losing access to the Beer Store to sell their products while grocery stores and corner stores mostly carry big brands.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

No kidding. This obsession with making booze easier to access without considering the larger impacts is maddening (don't get me started on the other booze related policies), and all for the low low price of $225 million dollars.

It's not just the returns, which also encouraged a circular economy of reuse for the glass containers, far better for the environment than even recycling. I can't help but think this decision might also be hurting local micro breweries who are losing access to the Beer Store to sell their products while grocery stores and corner stores mostly carry big brands.

Local micro-breweries never had good access to the foreign owned beer store.

No one is being obsessive, people are just tired of puritanical attitude about access in southern/Eastern Ontario. The changes to allow sale in corner store & etc was a good idea the bad thing was both wynnes decision to extend the beer store monopoly which led to the high cost o cancel. The change brought ontario closer to that of Quebec and other provinces, so try another b.s reason to continue to restrict.

Also changing habits outside of this have led to a reduction in bottle sales, so much so moosehead doesn't sell them anymore.

Next your going to tell me you preferred the gov run pot stores.....

As for that location being a chick-a-fila..... Can see why they want that location, but God that's going to make that plaza a traffic nightmare.... Also college square definitely proof that Amazon & online shopping is killing retail, used to be just clothing stores now is mostly food.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Williamoforange

Local micro-breweries never had good access to the foreign owned beer store.

No one is being obsessive, people are just tired of puritanical attitude about access in southern/Eastern Ontario. The changes to allow sale in corner store & etc was a good idea the bad thing was both wynnes decision to extend the beer store monopoly which led to the high cost o cancel. The change brought ontario closer to that of Quebec and other provinces, so try another b.s reason to continue to restrict.

Also changing habits outside of this have led to a reduction in bottle sales, so much so moosehead doesn't sell them anymore.

Next your going to tell me you preferred the gov run pot stores.....

Beer store had a wide selection of both big brands and Ontario micro breweries that grocery stores can't and won't ever match. I always made it a point to buy local and I'm sure many others did too.

Bottles that are reused are the better way from an environmental perspective. It was much simpler to deliver products to a select few beer stores, pick up empties and bring them to the bottling plants. You could make an argument that glass is heavier, so it means more fuel burned, but you're cutting the middle men (recycling truck, recycling centres, higher volume of production of new containers).

I do believe the Government should control activities and substances that are damaging to society. Places like LCBO (I do prefer the Government owned model as opposed to contracts like Beer Store), Beer Store and, an LCBO model for pot, are easier ways to ensure these substances don't get into the wrong hands. I'm sure minors will have an easier time finding the grocery store that doesn't check IDs.

Ultimately, I don't know what the big deal was about driving to the Beer Store. Why was that so inconvenient? Are you honestly telling me $225 million was a great investment to get booze in grocery stores a year early?

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

No kidding. This obsession with making booze easier to access without considering the larger impacts is maddening (don't get me started on the other booze related policies), and all for the low low price of $225 million dollars.

It's not just the returns, which also encouraged a circular economy of reuse for the glass containers, far better for the environment than even recycling. I can't help but think this decision might also be hurting local micro breweries who are losing access to the Beer Store to sell their products while grocery stores and corner stores mostly carry big brands.

Now that the province is in charge of recycling, they should just remove the cost of deposits from booze and then allow us put the bottles and cans in the recycling. There's a hidden environmental cost to everyone driving to the Beer Store that's not accounted for.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Beer store had a wide selection of both big brands and Ontario micro breweries that grocery stores can't and won't ever match. I always made it a point to buy local and I'm sure many others did too.

Bottles that are reused are the better way from an environmental perspective. It was much simpler to deliver products to a select few beer stores, pick up empties and bring them to the bottling plants. You could make an argument that glass is heavier, so it means more fuel burned, but you're cutting the middle men (recycling truck, recycling centres, higher volume of production of new containers).

I do believe the Government should control activities and substances that are damaging to society. Places like LCBO (I do prefer the Government owned model as opposed to contracts like Beer Store), Beer Store and, an LCBO model for pot, are easier ways to ensure these substances don't get into the wrong hands. I'm sure minors will have an easier time finding the grocery store that doesn't check IDs.

Ultimately, I don't know what the big deal was about driving to the Beer Store. Why was that so inconvenient? Are you honestly telling me $225 million was a great investment to get booze in grocery stores a year early?

I thought grocery stores were supposed to start recycling bottles as part of the deal to open up sales at those locations.

[Requin]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I thought grocery stores were supposed to start recycling bottles as part of the deal to open up sales at those locations.

They have been pushing back due to sanitation concerns with storing empties alongside fresh food, storage issues, etc.

I am baffled as to why the province is insisting on continuing with the archaic deposit/return system for alcohol containers. It's literally a make-work project. Scrap the deposit system and put alcohol containers in the blue bin like every other similar container.

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I thought grocery stores were supposed to start recycling bottles as part of the deal to open up sales at those locations.

They want the profits and foot traffic and knew that they could push back against Doug to avoid the costs. It'll all end in the deposit system being shit canned.

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by Requin

They have been pushing back due to sanitation concerns with storing empties alongside fresh food, storage issues, etc.

I am baffled as to why the province is insisting on continuing with the archaic deposit/return system for alcohol containers. It's literally a make-work project. Scrap the deposit system and put alcohol containers in the blue bin like every other similar container.

Because reusing (avg 16 times per bottle from quick search) compared to non-seperated crush and recycle might be better for us the end user? I'm sure someone out there must have done a birth to death study of reuse vs recycle. AFAIK, the bottle return system is a net positive for the beer and wine industry vs having to buy new bottles for every unit sold.

[qprcanada]

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

Because reusing (avg 16 times per bottle from quick search) compared to non-seperated crush and recycle might be better for us the end user? I'm sure someone out there must have done a birth to death study of reuse vs recycle. AFAIK, the bottle return system is a net positive for the beer and wine industry vs having to buy new bottles for every unit sold.

Why don't they adopt the same system Quebec uses instead of trying to reinvent the wheel ?

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Beer store had a wide selection of both big brands and Ontario micro breweries that grocery stores can't and won't ever match. I always made it a point to buy local and I'm sure many others did too.

Bottles that are reused are the better way from an environmental perspective. It was much simpler to deliver products to a select few beer stores, pick up empties and bring them to the bottling plants. You could make an argument that glass is heavier, so it means more fuel burned, but you're cutting the middle men (recycling truck, recycling centres, higher volume of production of new containers).

I do believe the Government should control activities and substances that are damaging to society. Places like LCBO (I do prefer the Government owned model as opposed to contracts like Beer Store), Beer Store and, an LCBO model for pot, are easier ways to ensure these substances don't get into the wrong hands. I'm sure minors will have an easier time finding the grocery store that doesn't check IDs.

Ultimately, I don't know what the big deal was about driving to the Beer Store. Why was that so inconvenient? Are you honestly telling me $225 million was a great investment to get booze in grocery stores a year early?

Yeah that first sentence is b.s, the loblaws in that college square has/had as much selection of actual micro-brew/craft brewers as that beer store, and micro-brew/craft brewers in general use cans not bottles as it's cheaper and easier to can the product, especially in larger servings then 341ml.

Second those smaller brewers were being delivered by small trucks as the name notes there not delivering bulk.... As for environmental impacts Canada has abundant cheap electricity specifically setup for aluminum smelting & etc.

Third, the government still controls the distribution, just not the store front for pot & spirits. As for beer, most provinces sell as per the rules ford put in place (or close to it) with little to no consequence so, I think and most normal people are fine with the system setup. As for the ID as per normal urban people seem to forget that you could also buy at convenience stores in rural areas before the rule change and the beer stores (again a private foreign owned retailer) also had ID issues, nvm bars & etc.

No it wasn't a good investment to change it a year early that was Ford mistake, wynnes was listening to the puritan minority and extending the contract in the first place.

As for for convenience yes it is much nicer to just walk down the road to a CONVENIENCE store to buy beer.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

Because reusing (avg 16 times per bottle from quick search) compared to non-seperated crush and recycle might be better for us the end user? I'm sure someone out there must have done a birth to death study of reuse vs recycle. AFAIK, the bottle return system is a net positive for the beer and wine industry vs having to buy new bottles for every unit sold.

The only bottles that are reused are beer bottles, which represent only 16% of beer sold in Ontario. The bulk of beer is now in cans. I doubt there's any reuse of wine bottles , it's just way too complicated. Maybe the Beer Store should only collect reusable beer bottles and the rest we just put in the green bin.

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

The only bottles that are reused are beer bottles, which represent only 16% of beer sold in Ontario. The bulk of beer is now in cans. I doubt there's any reuse of wine bottles , it's just way too complicated. Maybe the Beer Store should only collect reusable beer bottles and the rest we just put in the green bin.

Personally, i'm a radical and would insist on bottle consistency (ie there was a reason for the stubby) including for wines. LCBO being one of the largest purchasers in the world should have some leverage there. At least the beerstore (AFAIK) seperates that wine bottles by colour for better recycling results I presume. I recall my highschool biology teacher lamenting the loss of the stubby and writing the MP of the time that it was going to cause the loss of reusability. Took 40 years but here were are.