Canadian Retail Thread

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Ramako

Halifax (and in fact the Maritimes as a whole) could use an Ikea in the worst way. The town is rife with college students who love this stuff. Before I left Halifax I was able to sell all of my used Ikea furniture on kijiji for almost what I paid. Demand is high.

Halifax was actually the first city in north America to get an IKEA. Halifax also used to have a Volvo plant. I guess Swedish companies don't stick around too long out east.

[davidivivid]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

I've never understood why they left in the first place.

Well, let's just say that 1995-1996 was a low point for Quebec City: high umemployment, Nordiques being sold and IKEA closing... Let's just say Quebec City has reinvented itself since then!!

[West_aust]

Originally Posted by davidivivid

Well, let's just say that 1995-1996 was a low point for Quebec City: high umemployment, Nordiques being sold and IKEA closing... Let's just say Quebec City has reinvented itself since then!!

Now they are denying their interest in coming back to Quebec City
http://www.lesaffaires.com/secteurs-d-ac...ikea-nie-vouloir-revenir-a-quebec/553467

[davidivivid]

Simons to keep expanding:

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

Here's some good news. Better late than never:
http://www.retail-insider.com/

La Maison Simons Confirms Canada-Wide Store Search

Peter Simons confirms he is actively seeking space for La Maison Simons stores in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa-Gatineau.

read it all here:
http://www.retail-insider.com/

[LeftCoaster]

Yep.

They just worked out the details of a new store yesterday. Will be announced soon I'm sure.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by davidivivid

Simons to keep expanding:

I was talking to someone yesterday who works in a government office that is precisely in the space at Les Promenades de l'Outaouais in Gatineau where a Simons is rumoured to be going. They have been told to expect to move offices in the short term as the mall's owners want to take back the space for a big retailer.

Also, that link shows a render for the Gatineau Simons that I don't think I have ever seen before.

[davidivivid]

Good news for Simons:

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

La Maison Simons West Edmonton Mall Wins 'Retail Store of the Year' Award


West Edmonton Mall's La Maison Simons department store has won Chain Store Age's prestigious 'International Store of the Year' Award. Simons opened its Edmonton store October 2012 as we previously reported. The store was designed by Toronto-based figure3 and will be profiled in Chain Store Age's March issue along with other category winners......

read it all here:
http://www.retail-insider.com/

[SpongeG]

target opened three pilot stores in ontario tuesday

did anyone go check it out yet?


Credits: Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

[SteelTown]

It's a Zellers with a Starbucks.

Their clothing is better quality though. No amazing deals, same pricing all around really. They have 5% back if you get the Redcard.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

It's a Zellers with a Starbucks.

Their clothing is better quality though. No amazing deals, same pricing all around really. They have 5% back if you get the Redcard.

Correction - it's a cleaner, better run Zellers. Sears Canada should be very, very worried.

[Coldrsx]

Lego is putting in a company store in our Southgate mall here in Edmonton, heck yes!

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

It's a Zellers with a Starbucks.

Their clothing is better quality though. No amazing deals, same pricing all around really. They have 5% back if you get the Redcard.

the reviews i've read people don't seem too impressed, they said the prices were higher and it felt just like zellers

and some target fans who shop in the US stores were disappointed with the canadian version

[SteelTown]

It almost looks identical to Zellers with the red and white colouring and same aisles format. Even the friggin uniforms are almost identical to Zellers, red top with khakis pants.

Here's a video from CHCH showing you what it looks like inside
http://www.chch.com/home/item/11834-target-canada-ready-for-launch-tomorrow

[vid]

I have been saying that Target is just a cleaner Zellers for years. They even used the same colour scheme in the early 2000s. The store map of the Target in Duluth was exactly the same as the store map for the Zellers across the street from my childhood home (which we went to every week, my grandparents always went to the Zellers restaurant for breakfast on Saturday). Each department had the same colour, they were in the same places, the restaurant was in the same location and served a nearly identical country. I actually walked away from that experiencing thinking that Target and Zellers were the same company. Zellers probably copied Target and not the other way around, but still, they're basically the same thing. Target just does it a little bit better.

But don't tell this to a Target fanboy!

[Wigs]

still better than Zellers. Some Zellers stores were so ghetto, one would be embarrassed to be Canadian when walking through the store

[vid]

The ones that help themselves up to standards (like the one beside a Sears here in Thunder Bay) weren't bad.

[SpongeG]

most zellers were pretty bad, for every good one there must have been 5 bad ones

i like target cause it has great sales and a lot of hard to find things/brands - at least in canada, they are plentiful down in target

[whatnext]

The Bay is going back to being The Hudsons Bay Co. Yawn, dull, just as the Sixties were coming back into a Mad Men inspired vogue, the Bay goes in the opposite direction:

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/0...-logo-for-first-time-in-almost-50-years/

[kwoldtimer]

I think they're moving in the right direction. They need to move up market if they hope to compete with Nordstroms, and even with an expanding Simons.

[SteelTown]

Target misses the bullseye

http://www.thestar.com/life/fashion_style/2013/03/05/target_misses_the_bullseye.html