London's Malls

[north 42]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

London also severely lacks independent quick-service restaurants, particularly in the suburbs. There is Sammy's Souvlaki, which is expensive, and pizza joints such as Cousin Vinny's and Stobie's. But, other than that, if you want to eat out cheaply you're usually stuck with corporate food designed by accountants and consultants, and usually with sky-high prices (almost $7 for a KFC "Big" Crunch sandwich on its own, which has shrunk to the point it is a snack-size sandwich).

Why is that? Are Londoners that afraid of things that don't have a brand name that is listed on the TSX?

It's quite the opposite here in Windsor, we have many independent restaurants throughout the city and burbs. I always thought it was mainly the American cities that were overrun with chain restaurants. We have lots of chains here too, but there are more independant places to eat, and their food is usually superior to some of the chains.

[Wharn]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

If your guys logic was true, it would mean that every other Canadian city with an Apple store, had it at the expense of independent retailers. This simply isn't true as every city larger than London (except Hamilton) has a store.

If your guys logic was true, it would mean that every other Canadian city with a suburban mall, had it at the expense of independent retailers. This simply isn't true as every city larger than London (except Hamilton) has a mall.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Masonville, White Oaks and Westmount malls are all partially responsible for killing downtown retail. That story has been repeated many times over in many Canadian cities. If what you originally said proves to be true, and the Apple store begins attracting a whole bunch of other niche businesses to Masonville, what do you think is going to happen?

Originally Posted by north 42

It's quite the opposite here in Windsor, we have many independent restaurants throughout the city and burbs. I always thought it was mainly the American cities that were overrun with chain restaurants. We have lots of chains here too, but there are more independant places to eat, and their food is usually superior to some of the chains.

In some respects, London is a lot like most American cities. It's a bit sprawly for Canada, it's not particularly affluent, and chains dominate everything. The only differences? We don't have a freeway running through the downtown, and we don't have any asinine race politics.

[Symz]

I liked The Family Circle restaurant for breakfast in London.

[GreatTallNorth2]

I like turtles.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

I like turtles.

Haha, did my comment seem as random as a zombie face painted kid replying I like turtles?

Lol

My response was to all the London is dominated by chains comments.

[go_leafs_go02]

I got to venture London Mall today at the corner of Oxford and Wonderland.

Sears is still there, some little cafe operates inside, a hair salon, and an alterations company are there.

Finch is renovating across the street, so their sales office has completely taken over the old Price Chopper store.

Still, that mall is dead. Nothing else in there, and Finch will be gone in a few months once their new dealership is completed.

[Blitz]

Ha, I enjoy the Family Circle restaurant too. That's some good eatin.

It's quite the opposite here in Windsor, we have many independent restaurants throughout the city and burbs. I always thought it was mainly the American cities that were overrun with chain restaurants.

Probably true but Windsor has all the ethnic enclaves where those restaurants tend to thrive (especially Little Italy).

I've heard that London is a test market for lots of chain restaurants when they first break into Canada.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Blitz

Ha, I enjoy the Family Circle restaurant too. That's some good eatin.



Probably true but Windsor has all the ethnic enclaves where those restaurants tend to thrive (especially Little Italy).

I've heard that London is a test market for lots of chain restaurants when they first break into Canada.

London is a test market, period, for new products and services. Tim Hortons Iced Capps were available in London a year before anywhere else. And London had the Yellow Pages CD-ROM for a couple years.

I haven't eaten at Family Circle in years, but I recall their breakfast being very good.

[MolsonExport]

Apple is coming to London, according to reports issued on various London-area radio stations this morning. There is some ambiguity of the location, but masonville mall was cited as the most likely venue for the Apple Store.

[MolsonExport]

More Apple retail stores planned for historic buildings in 2012; Stores approved in Germany, Canada, and Spain

Apple is not slowing down when it comes to opening more iconic brick-and-mortar retail locations. Three new retail locations all received recent approval: one located in a century theatre in Germany, and a second in London, Ontario, Canada, and the third in a historic 1860-era building in Madrid, Spain. The approvals continue Apple’s aggressive retail push after the opening of their new Grand Central store, and after meeting its goal of 30 new locations opened worldwide in the fourth-quarter of 2011.
...
Another store set to open in 2012 is located in London, Ontario, Canada in Masonville Place shopping mall. Although it’s been rumored for years, we’re receiving several tips that it is set to open next year and the typically reliably ifoAppleStore has confirmed. The store will apparently take over the 6,176 square-foot space previously occupied by Eddie Bauer on the upper level. This would continue Apple’s steady retail expansion in Canada, currently sitting at just 22 stores across the country, nine of which are located in Ontario.

http://9to5mac.com/2011/12/30/more-apple...es-approved-in-germany-canada-and-spain/

[Wharn]

Goodbye Mac Outpost, I hope you get a swift kick in the ass for all the computer-illiterate students you've ripped off over the years!

[MolsonExport]

Today I visited the sad sack Northland Mall. About half the interior stores are unleased. Yet, some signs of life, with a Walmart (formerly Zellers) and a Toys R Us express. Also, Williams where the KFC used to be.

[LondnPlanr]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Today I visited the sad sack Northland Mall. About half the interior stores are unleased. Yet, some signs of life, with a Walmart (formerly Zellers) and a Toys R Us express. Also, Williams where the KFC used to be.

Over the next little while, you're going to see some major changes at both Northland Mall and Argyle Mall.

You'll notice that most of the stores located 'within' Northland Mall all have doors that access directly to the parking lot, on the 'east' side of the mall. If you're a betting man, I'd wager that the 'interior' stores will soon be demolished, leaving only the row of storefronts that face onto the parking lot. The WalMart doesn't even access to the interior of the mall, as they have closed up that interior entrance. Pretty obvious why, if you ask me.

Similar situation at Argyle, where all of the 'interior' stores are being relocated to the newly-constructed storefronts out in the parking lot, butted up against Clarke Road. The 'mall' located between the No Frills and the Winners, will soon be demolished, leaving more space to construct a few more 'big box' style retailers in that space.

So there ya' have it.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by LondnPlanr

Similar situation at Argyle, where all of the 'interior' stores are being relocated to the newly-constructed storefronts out in the parking lot, butted up against Clarke Road. The 'mall' located between the No Frills and the Winners, will soon be demolished, leaving more space to construct a few more 'big box' style retailers in that space.

The developers still have yet to figure out that "big box" is not going to work in the long term, especially in the Canadian winter.

[LondnPlanr]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

The developers still have yet to figure out that "big box" is not going to work in the long term, especially in the Canadian winter.

I think the oodles of cash that these centres generate say otherwise. I think it's less about the shopping experience, and more about the space/convenience/set-up for the retail side of things.

I understand from a planning perspective how these places are quite terrible, but logistically, they appear to be working just fine. They build 'em, and people go to 'em.

We'll see what they look like in 15-20 years, I suppose.

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by LondnPlanr

I think the oodles of cash that these centres generate say otherwise. I think it's less about the shopping experience, and more about the space/convenience/set-up for the retail side of things.

I understand from a planning perspective how these places are quite terrible, but logistically, they appear to be working just fine. They build 'em, and people go to 'em.

We'll see what they look like in 15-20 years, I suppose.

I still much prefer malls than Smart Centres in terms of shopping convenience.

[MolsonExport]

The only thing smart about smart centres is their incredible cheap (cookie-cutter) environment, utterly lacking in common amenities save parking. This cheapness underscores their ability to undercut the prices of malls, etc. Certainly convenient for the penny-pinching motorist. A blight on the landscape for almost all other stakeholders.

These power centres represent a separation of work/shopping/residence spheres to the extreme. Mostly bereft of life outside of working/shopping/sleeping periods.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

The only thing smart about smart centres is their incredible cheap (cookie-cutter) environment, utterly lacking in common amenities save parking. This cheapness underscores their ability to undercut the prices of malls, etc. Certainly convenient for the penny-pinching motorist. A blight on the landscape for almost all other stakeholders.

These power centres represent a separation of work/shopping/residence spheres to the extreme. Mostly bereft of life outside of working/shopping/sleeping periods.

I absolutely refuse to shop at big box retailers unless they offer something not available anywhere else...which unfortunately is increasingly the case in London.

Still, I think that people drive to these things because they think they can save a couple of bucks...my father even will drive all the way to Walmart in Hyde Park when he's only saving a couple of bucks on things he could get closer to home. It's not worth the gas.

The good news is that aside from a grocery store, downtown London has most of what one needs, including a hardware store.

[Wharn]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Today I visited the sad sack Northland Mall. About half the interior stores are unleased. Yet, some signs of life, with a Walmart (formerly Zellers) and a Toys R Us express. Also, Williams where the KFC used to be.

I almost forgot this place existed, despite the fact that I drive by it every time I come into the city. Maybe developers should take a hint: London has too much retail space given the size of the population.

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I absolutely refuse to shop at big box retailers unless they offer something not available anywhere else...which unfortunately is increasingly the case in London.

Still, I think that people drive to these things because they think they can save a couple of bucks...my father even will drive all the way to Walmart in Hyde Park when he's only saving a couple of bucks on things he could get closer to home. It's not worth the gas.

The good news is that aside from a grocery store, downtown London has most of what one needs, including a hardware store.

I don't really shop at Big Box stores for two reasons:

1) They are rarely able to match internet prices
2) You do not get the same personalized service that you find at smaller shops

So, the question is, if the prices can be beat and the service can be beat, why bother with them at all? There's no reason to drive all the way out to hell's half acre. It's not so much the gas (I've figured out that my car costs about $0.15 per kilometre in fuel, which is not a killer by any means), but the time spent. If you're taking 30 minutes to drive across town and save a few bucks, you're basically working for less than minimum wage.

[manny_santos]

I just saw on CTV London's Facebook page that Metro at Westmount is closing before Christmas. Someone there is claiming that Sherwood Forest Mall's Metro is also closing, although I find that one harder to believe with the lack of any other grocery option in that area.

The Westmount store dates back to the mall's opening in 1973, and I believe it was a Dominion originally.