The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread - Page 43

vanlaw · #**841** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 6:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I wonder if Price Smart can last there long - when i went last week it was really dead - the staff outnumbered the customers - a few people were walking around looking at prices and saying we can get that st superstore cheaper and we can that cheaper etc...

and from what I have heard the Canadian tire hasn't taken off yet - only the starbucks and boston pizza seem to be getting any good business there

It's kind of an awkward location and setup for access - almost as though they are hidden in the side street. I think perhaps it will start growing once people actually realize they are even there and figure out where the parking etc is.

I would rather pay a few cents more for something at Price Smart than having to walk into SS. I dont know what it is, but I despise their stores.

WarrenC12 · #**842** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 6:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanlaw

I would rather pay a few cents more for something at Price Smart than having to walk into SS. I dont know what it is, but I despise their stores.

I'm on the other side. RCSS seems to have a loyal customer base. LOL. The place is a mess, I really hope Walmart and Price Smart force them to clean up their act.

How about Pet Smart? Now we have 3 giant pet stores within a few blocks? I'm betting one of them won't make it (my bet is on the old Petcetera closing).

This is the slow part of the year for retail. I'm not sure how Canadian Tire has done so well in the last 10 years but they must know something.

Walmart will do well virtually anywhere. It's the cheapest price for a lot of things, as long as they are turning a profit on their prices, they're laughing.

vanlaw · #**843** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 6:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I'm on the other side. RCSS seems to have a loyal customer base. LOL. The place is a mess, I really hope Walmart and Price Smart force them to clean up their act.

How about Pet Smart? Now we have 3 giant pet stores within a few blocks? I'm betting one of them won't make it (my bet is on the old Petcetera closing).

I think it is the messiness of SS that turns me off of it - especially on a Saturday - it's like a band of savages have run wild through the place throwing random items in random places.

I would put my money on Pet Smart surviving. Pet Cetera is gross. I walked in there a few weekends ago, and apart from their constant lack of staff, and usual dim crappy lighting, there was a huge trail of dog piss on the floor. Someone had taken the time to put a yellow "slippery" sign beside it. —? Wouldn’t it take as much time to just grab the f'n mop? They didn’t have what I was looking for so I actually drove to the Byrne Rd Pet Smart - walked in, the place is clean, bright (granted it is much newer) and lots of helpful staff.

EastVanMark · #**844** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 7:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

Vancouver City proper could take 3 or 4 walmarts to be honest....with out any problems what so ever. Downtown needs one!

Agree. Putting one somewhere in the downtown eastside would do wonders for that neighbourhood the same way it did for a formerly nasty neighbourhood in Chicago.

jlousa · #**845** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 7:53 PM**

Personally I'd rather see an Ikea downtown then a Walmart, one of those new urban smaller scale Ikeas would be great.

officedweller · #**846** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 7:56 PM**

Is there a traffic light into the Canadian Tire development from Grandview? That would be the determining factor for convenient access.
RCSS and Petcetera both have access off less busy Rupert Street.
... and dare I say that their surface parking lots are more appealing to shoppers than a parkade?

BTW - does this Walmart have a full grocery selection? i.e. the sign says "Supercentre". The Walmart at Capilano only has dry goods and prepackaged/processed refridgerated and frozen items.

Whalleyboy · #**847** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 8:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

yes Walmart has a new logo........new stores are getting it......

Vancouver City proper could take 3 or 4 walmarts to be honest....with out any problems what so ever. Downtown needs one!

ya vancouver needs to catch up to surrey for walmarts=P

just so kids from vancouver can be more like kids from surrey and be all like eww i dont want to go there

officedweller · #**848** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 9:05 PM**

That was Sears when I was growing up...now I don't care...

sacrifice333 · #**849** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 9:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

the sign says "Supercentre".

IIRC, in Walmart-ese 'supercentre' means this one also has groceries.

vanlaw · #**850** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 9:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Is there a traffic light into the Canadian Tire development from Grandview? That would be the determining factor for convenient access.
RCSS and Petcetera both have access off less busy Rupert Street.
... and dare I say that their surface parking lots are more appealing to shoppers than a parkade?

BTW - does this Walmart have a full grocery selection? i.e. the sign says "Supercentre". The Walmart at Capilano only has dry goods and prepackaged/processed refridgerated and frozen items.

Yes, I'm pretty sure a light at Bentall St, or it may be at Natal. Agree with surface over parkade - I think mentally it just looks "easier" for people.

LeftCoaster · #**851** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 11:23 PM**

yes there is a light and a dedicated turn lane IIRC.

Also wal-mart —. No more please.

Whalleyboy · #**852** Posted **Jan 22, 2009, 11:39 PM**

I'm actually jealous of vancouver cause i hate big box stores and their freakin parking lots!
canadian tire is the worse for it in surrey
the superwalmart in south surrey doesnt even have as much parking spots as the canadian tire in surrey centre

hollywoodnorth · #**853** Posted **Jan 23, 2009, 12:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

Agree. Putting one somewhere in the downtown eastside would do wonders for that neighbourhood the same way it did for a formerly nasty neighbourhood in Chicago.

got a link on this? sounds interesting

SpongeG · #**854** Posted **Jan 23, 2009, 4:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I'm on the other side. RCSS seems to have a loyal customer base. LOL. The place is a mess, I really hope Walmart and Price Smart force them to clean up their act.

How about Pet Smart? Now we have 3 giant pet stores within a few blocks? I'm betting one of them won't make it (my bet is on the old Petcetera closing).

This is the slow part of the year for retail. I'm not sure how Canadian Tire has done so well in the last 10 years but they must know something.

Walmart will do well virtually anywhere. It's the cheapest price for a lot of things, as long as they are turning a profit on their prices, they're laughing.

that RCSS location is pretty old

the new RCSS layout is really nice

they just redid the store on king george highway and its so much better - i bet the east van store will be made over soon - those two level photo booths are pretty much gone from every other store now - they have been reduced to a counter basically no one needs film developed anymore really

SpongeG · #**855** Posted **Jan 23, 2009, 5:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Is there a traffic light into the Canadian Tire development from Grandview? That would be the determining factor for convenient access.
RCSS and Petcetera both have access off less busy Rupert Street.
... and dare I say that their surface parking lots are more appealing to shoppers than a parkade?

BTW - does this Walmart have a full grocery selection? i.e. the sign says "Supercentre". The Walmart at Capilano only has dry goods and prepackaged/processed refridgerated and frozen items.

1. they installed a traffic light for the Canadian Tire development on Natal street - so its navigable - a bit of a pain if you are driving along grandview cause you hit 4 lights in a very short time if you catch it wrong

2. the walmart has everything that the typical supercentre would - meat dept, fresh vegetable, produce, fruit etc, a deli, cheeses, bakery, full dairy etc. full grocery dept.

it is just all very condensed in all depts but offers everything - apparently its a "model" for how other new walmarts might work - they are using the ASDA model or some guy from ASDA from the UK for this store apparently - a smaller more "urban" store that doesn't require the large foot print of past stores

officedweller · #**856** Posted **Jan 23, 2009, 8:32 PM**

Thanks for the info.

SpongeG · #**857** Posted **Jan 25, 2009, 9:00 PM**

the outside of PAcific Centre where sephora will be is plastered with "Sephora opening summer 2009" posters

johnjimbc · #**858** Posted **Jan 26, 2009, 7:38 PM**

I was out in West Van on Saturday and spoke with one of the employees of M Smart Design (offering eco-friendly furniture and linens) in the Villages of Park Royal shopping center. She explained they were opening a much larger downtown store in early summer.

She said it was either on or just off Hastings near Victory Park (she actually said the exact crossroad but I can't recall the cross street now). They aren't sure if they'll keep the current location in West Van or not as the lease expires shortly thereafter. She said they have a loyal following and their business continues to expand, but with the small location there they can't really display much furniture. They've also found that many of their customers live downtown and points south. The new much larger space will allow them to show much more of their wares and furnishings. I also got the sense that it will allow them to get much more space for about the same price, but I didn't want to pry.

Seems like a smart move to me since I always find the store appealing but small (the few pieces of furnishing they display are very nice, but it is such a small sampling). I could picture it fitting quite nicely with the emerging "design district" of modern and eclectic home furnishing stores in Gastown and over towards Beatty St. It may be a tricky time economically to move a business, but I imagine the rents are quite high there in the Villages so if they're getting a lot more space downtown and can eliminate the need for a separate warehouse (which they probably have to have now), the numbers might really work for them.

I found the store website via google. For those not familiar with them, here is the link: http://m-smartdesign.com/index.php

mr.x · #**859** Posted **Jan 28, 2009, 2:30 AM**

I have a friend working at Hollister on opening day at Pacific Centre....it's opening Thusrday, Jan. 29.

SpongeG · #**860** Posted **Jan 28, 2009, 2:32 AM**

2 days away eh