Centre Mall -> The Centre on Barton

[markbarbera]

Thanks for the info, da Warrior. Just checked the HBC website and all references to the Eastgate store have been deleted already - not even listed on the HBC store locator anymore. One down, 79 to go...

Sears must have landed a really sweet lease deal on the Eastgate location as part of the deal that saw Sears sell off its Centre Mall lands to Redcliffe.

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by fastcarsfreedom

markbarbera--if you can design multiple egress that doesn't contribute to an increase in shrink, you'll be a wealthy man. Even an increased risk of shrink increases the insurance premiums retailers pay. People steal, it's a fact of life and a fact of business. Pharmacies are also at an increased risk of other forms of crime--armed robberies and break-ins, due to the nature of the drugs they stock--once again a reason a retailers such as Shoppers would limit it's points of ingress and egress.

If grocery stores like Loblaws can design such a layout, then surely Shoppers can too.

[matt602]

Originally Posted by realcity

but Matt602's comment has to be 'geekist' thing I've ever read on here. Matt I don't want to know how you know that?

Years of hands on experience and the expensive black box I'm using to type this out.

Kinda funny that I read all traces of the Bay at Eastgate have disappeared. Theres a window display downtown (at the old art store at King East/Walnut) that advertises some thing for the Bay, mentioning their store at Eastgate. Probably the first time The Bay has advertised in downtown Hamilton for a hell of a long time.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by fastcarsfreedom

Shoppers has done the same thing elsewhere--the 'fake' door is not unique to Hamilton. Multiple entrances to stores increase shrink--that's a fact of life. Retail hates shrink so the second doors disappear.

simple solution, Fastcars:
add a cash desk at the second door!!
Shoppers did it at its new Eastgate location as well at its Mountain Plaza Mall. So why cldnt they do it on Concession? Can't use 'cost' as an excuse as the Eastgate location was built around the same time

But this thread is about Centre Mall... So my main point is/was that these streetfront strs at the Centre better have entrances facing Barton or this project's 'streetwall' wld be useless.

[fastcarsfreedom]

Yeah...without judging the design either way, I would be surprised if the streetwall had entrances. That being said--there is plenty that could be done--even the inclusion of windows would benefit the asthetic of Barton Street--and again, even if only some stores have street access--restaurants, etc--it would be an improvement.

There is no denying that stretch of Barton is going to look drastically different.

Again, without getting into another push/pull argument, I spent a few years in pursuit of my current career working in retail loss prevention--so, while some retailers are able to operate with multiple entrances (supermarkets, etc) it is a complicated issue, all the moreso considering the sensitive nature of what is stocked in a pharmacy. The more entrances, the worse the shrink--it's a very reliable predictor. A typical mall-based department store has miserable shrink as a result. Interesting to note that catalog stores like Consumers Distributing (or if you recall the 70s, HBC's version called Shop-Rite) had a format that virtually eliminated shrink (except the internal variety), yet that one positive wasn't enough to save the format, which has died completely in both the U.S. and Canada.

I'm sorry to hear that The Bay is leaving Eastgate--but I know the demographics in that end of the city don't necessarily lend themselves to The Bay's format. Despite predictions to the contrary, I believe there is still room in the market for a "moderate-to-better" format like The Bay. I'm sure Sears will make the location work...now the third chain to operate in that space. I imagine Redcliffe gave The Bay an "out" of their lease by flipping the space over to Sears.

[realcity]

Then you'll know that most theft occurs from employees.

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by fastcarsfreedom

Again, without getting into another push/pull argument, I spent a few years in pursuit of my current career working in retail loss prevention--so, while some retailers are able to operate with multiple entrances (supermarkets, etc) it is a complicated issue, all the moreso considering the sensitive nature of what is stocked in a pharmacy. The more entrances, the worse the shrink--it's a very reliable predictor.

So you would agree with me then (this situation being as reliable a predictor as you state) that Shoppers really should have factored that predictor into the design of this new store on Concession and gone with either one entrance, or two entrances feeding traffic into a common area in close proximity to the checkout clerks. Since the second option has been done successfully at several of their other new locations (constructed prior to this one), someone must have seriously dropped the ball when designing this location. Hopefully the folly won't be repeated at the Centre Mall site.

[fastcarsfreedom]

Definitely markbarbera, if they have a store design that addresses the issue, it should have been deployed there. I don't know the backstory on this--it sounds like Shoppers had one set of plans and then the city stepped in and said they want a door where the entrance to the Hillcrest was, am I correct?
Shoppers uses "canned" renderings for it's most recent store format--assuming they make minor revisions to suit each site--but most stores are based on a handful of designs. They built a store recently in an urban neighborhood near the University of Windsor that sounds the same as this--it's a basic box design facing the parking lot--but it has this odd, "fake" entrance on the streetcorner, which, when viewed from above would be in the "back right-hand corner" of the floorplan. From a loss prevention standpoint the layout is ridiculous, especially for a pharmacy.

And no, I'm not dreaming all of this up--you may disagree with me, but have some faith that I'm not some yahoo on here stirring the pot--I did work in this area for a time (it's not enjoyable work, I assure you)--and for a multitude of reasons, some obvious and others not, a store with multiple ingress/egress points is a challenge from this perspective. Basically looking at it simply--number of doors and number of employees have the biggest negative and positive impact on shrink, respectively. Hence, full-service, mall based department stores which have many doors and basically no employees have the worst shrink.

[SteelTown]

Here's a proposal for a Centre Mall transit terminal with labelled retail stores like Loblaws, Shoppers, Canadian Tire, Zellers, etc.

[raisethehammer]

yea I saw this on another online forum. I think a transit terminal should be included and done just as well, if not better, than the one at Eastgate. The part of town has great transit ridership and should be encouraged.

[SteelTown]

Sears confirms new Eastgate Square store will replace Centre Mall location

February 29, 2008
Steve Arnold
The Hamilton Spectator

Sears is coming to Eastgate Square.

The rumour, which has been circulating through the city's east end for months, was confirmed by Sears Canada yesterday.

The department store chain will occupy the location that currently houses The Bay, which is leaving the lower city. Sears, in turn, is closing its Centre Mall location.

Sears spokesman Vincent Power explained the new store will be "a couple of thousand square feet" smaller than the Centre Mall location, but customers shouldn't notice much of a difference.

"Our Centre Mall store had a lot of warehouse space that we don't need now," he said. "We're going to have the same departments but they'll be presented in a fresh way."

Among the features being planned for the new store are an open concept show shop designed to give customers better access to stock, improved display areas, a new aisle pattern and centralized checkouts.

"We wanted to stay in Hamilton," Power said. "We hope customers will see a marked difference in this store because of what we've invested."

In a news release, the company said the clothing departments will feature national brands such as Alia, Tan Jay, Levis, Adidas and Columbia as well as Sears' own brands which include Jessica, Tradition, Weir Golf, Retreat and Nevada.

The cosmetics department at the main entrance will have a more dominant presence.

The new store will also carry top brands of major appliances, including Kenmore, and will showcase an expanded assortment of home electronics, including high-definition televisions and home theatres.

Sears will continue to operate the Centre Mall store through the summer and will close that location when the new store is ready in September. The change is not expected to result in any new or lost jobs.

Sears Canada's network includes 197 corporate stores, 183 dealer stores, 51 home improvement showrooms and more than 1,800 catalogue merchandise pickup sites.

[fastcarsfreedom]

So hard goods come back to that space--The Bay eliminated them not long after taking over from Robinson's. Centralized checkouts are the rage in the full-line department store business right now--though The Bay is actually backing off the concept right now.

[SteelTown]

Farmers' market open on Ottawa Street

March 27, 2008
The Hamilton Spectator

The Centre Mall farmers' market is no more, but the same local growers are now at a new Ottawa Street Farmers' Market a short distance south of the mall, which is being demolished and redeveloped.

The farmers have incorporated and hired Tom Shepherd to manage the new location -- on two block-long city parking lots behind stores on the east side of Ottawa Street North between Edinburgh and Cannon streets. A grand opening is planned in May.

The new market, like the old, is open every Friday and Saturday year-round.

The easiest way to find it is to drive along Ottawa to Edinburgh, a corner marked by the lemon-yellow facade of Limoncello restaurant on the south and the fabric-industry-themed East Kiwanis Place parkette on the north.

There's plenty of parking along Ottawa and in a lot across Edinburgh from the market.

[matt602]

A ton of stores within Centre Mall are now closed and construction has started on something in the parking lot roughly in front of Daniel's restaurant (which also closed last week). The mall itself is incredibly depressing right now to walk through. Ottawa St. on the other hand is booming, Barton is also looking brighter.

[hammergirl]

most of the back parking lot at the Centre has been torn up now. All the way to Kenilworth.

The Sears Marketing Centre (the people that call to check on your fridge, washer, TV etc) is closing at the end of May. They thought the were being moved to the new store but the office is just going to be closed.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by hammergirl

most of the back parking lot at the Centre has been torn up now. All the way to Kenilworth.

The Sears Marketing Centre (the people that call to check on your fridge, washer, TV etc) is closing at the end of May. They thought the were being moved to the new store but the office is just going to be closed.

That used to be the Sears Catalogue ordering Call Centre, right? That's sad. Too bad they couldn't have made some room for them somewhere. On the brighter side, at least the rest of the Sears staff still have jobs (at Eastgate).

[hammergirl]

Originally Posted by DC83

That used to be the Sears Catalogue ordering Call Centre, right? That's sad. Too bad they couldn't have made some room for them somewhere. On the brighter side, at least the rest of the Sears staff still have jobs (at Eastgate).

They sold maintenance agreements and took calls for parts and service. At least that's what they did for 15 years. I think before that it might have been for catalogue orders. 155 people work there now.

Word is that the Tim Hortons that's in the mall now will be part of the new development but they will be closed for about a year. I guess they're not bringing in a trailer.

[LikeHamilton]

Pictures taken 17 April 2008

They have started on the prep work at the Centre Mall. They now have hoardings along most of Barton Street where the new streetscape buildings are going. Inside the mall it is looking more and more like a ghost town. Soon all that will be left are the banks, Zellers and Shoppers.

Barton Street side.





Site of the new TD Canada Trust











The site of the new Zellers directly behind the old Zellers.



The site of the new Canadian Tire.



Just some signs that are on the building for people who cannot get down there and see for themselves.

[SteelTown]

Centre Mall is gonna undergo some pretty crazy transformation over the summer.

[DC83]

Thanks!

I'm glad to see the bldgs will actually be AT the sidewalk... but what's more important is whether the entrances will be off Barton or thru the pkng lot? I emailed them to find out, no one responded.
Does anyone know what they're actually doing?