Winnipeg | Retail

[rrskylar]

Looks like Costco may add a fourth Winnipeg store.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Costco+expand+Ontario+West/8480033/story.html

[Reed Solomon]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Looks like Costco may add a fourth Winnipeg store.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Costco+expand+Ontario+West/8480033/story.html

northwest winnipeg, or way down portage near the perimiter?

[CoryB]

New Costco location? Something the the northwest/northeast area would seem to make the most sense. My impression is Costco likes their stores spaced further apart than Walmart so the Kenaston and St James stores are likely serving west Winnipeg sufficiently. The rumored Brandon store would effective slice off the western part of the province for its own market. Putting something in the north area could better service the northern rural markets and areas like West St Paul, East St Paul, St Andrews, etc.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by CoryB

New Costco location? Something the the northwest/northeast area would seem to make the most sense. My impression is Costco likes their stores spaced further apart than Walmart so the Kenaston and St James stores are likely serving west Winnipeg sufficiently. The rumored Brandon store would effective slice off the western part of the province for its own market. Putting something in the north area could better service the northern rural markets and areas like West St Paul, East St Paul, St Andrews, etc.

Heard a rumour awhile back that Costco had planned on building a new store in west Winnipeg and would close the St. James location. My guess for a fourth store would be SE Winnipeg, can't see Brandon getting a Costco because even Thunder Bay was deemed too small for a store. Costco likes to place stores in cities with a market area of at least 150K.

[Shinook]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Heard a rumour awhile back that Costco had planned on building a new store in west Winnipeg and would close the St. James location. My guess for a fourth store would be SE Winnipeg, can't see Brandon getting a Costco because even Thunder Bay was deemed too small for a store. Costco likes to place stores in cities with a market area of at least 150K.

Well, considering Juneau, Alaska has a Costco and is about 30K in population, and Grande Praire, AB having one and is about 50K, I see no reason why Brandon isn't eligible. I do think one will be built there in the next few years.

[SKYSTHELIMIT]

Originally Posted by Shinook

Well, considering Juneau, Alaska has a Costco and is about 30K in population, and Grande Praire, AB having one and is about 50K, I see no reason why Brandon isn't eligible. I do think one will be built there in the next few years.

I think the examples you quoted are cities that are the major service centres for their remote areas and will usually have stores,restaurants,etc. that one would typically find in larger centres. That being said Brandon is only 200kms. out but the area it services is growing as well so it wouldn't be a strtch to see one there.

[CoryB]

Keep in mind that as existing business expand they look for different things in markets. For example, Target used to be an American chain and decidede to expand into Canada. Others, like Costco, might adjust the size of a target market they are willing to locate a store in potentinally explaining why in the past Brandon was too small but now is under consideration.

[vid]

Thunder Bay is getting a Costco. We hadn't previously because other big box stores were able to pull strings in city administration, but it has had a lot of staff turn-over since the last time Costco wanted to build here, and all those stores have new management, so the opposition has mysteriously disappeared and everyone is on board. The mayor has made opening this Costco his big goal since he failed at every other promise he made.

Rumours here are, the groundbreaking for Thunder Bay's Costco will be by the end of summer.

[Brizzy82]

Originally Posted by Biff

I think we are already getting a Steve Madden. One store i am amazed that we don't have yet is a Nike Store. In Florida they are like 7-Elevens - everywhere.

Some of the possibilities i could see:

Abercrombie & Fitch
Anthropologie
Boathouse
Brookstone
Buckle
Calvin Klien
Express
Fossil
J. Crew
Justice
H&M
Lacoste
Lego
Levi's
Nike
Oakley
Pottery Barn
Williams-Sonoma
Zumiez

not sure if it's been posted already, but I just noticed yesterday that there's a Zumiez under construction in St Vital Mall at the moment

(it's a skate/surf clothing store)

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by CoryB

New Costco location? Something the the northwest/northeast area would seem to make the most sense. My impression is Costco likes their stores spaced further apart than Walmart so the Kenaston and St James stores are likely serving west Winnipeg sufficiently. The rumored Brandon store would effective slice off the western part of the province for its own market. Putting something in the north area could better service the northern rural markets and areas like West St Paul, East St Paul, St Andrews, etc.

Northeast has a Costco on Regent already. Northwest would make the most sense, Leila and McPhillips area.

[CoryB]

Signage is up for the final (of four) stores in the strip next to Ikea. I can't recall the full & proper name but it is something like Structure Funiture & Accessories, a new to Winnipeg store regardless.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Signage is up for the final (of four) stores in the strip next to Ikea. I can't recall the full & proper name but it is something like Structure Funiture & Accessories, a new to Winnipeg store regardless.

Bouclair, Dollarama (of course), Structube and River City Sports are the four stores. Structube is not yet open.

I went into River City Sports on Saturday and it is the largest licensed sports merchandise store I've ever seen (jerseys, t-shirts, caps, collectibles, that sort of thing - not actual sporting goods). What is notable about it is that half the floorspace is devoted to Jets merchandise, with the other half accounting for everything else (rest of the NHL, CFL, NFL, etc.). There is just an astounding amount of Jets merchandise in there.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by esquire

Bouclair, Dollarama (of course), Structube and River City Sports are the four stores. Structube is not yet open.

I went into River City Sports on Saturday and it is the largest licensed sports merchandise store I've ever seen (jerseys, t-shirts, caps, collectibles, that sort of thing - not actual sporting goods). What is notable about it is that half the floorspace is devoted to Jets merchandise, with the other half accounting for everything else (rest of the NHL, CFL, NFL, etc.). There is just an astounding amount of Jets merchandise in there.

The first Christmas the NHL was back, I swear it was almost 90/10 Jets stuff to everything else! That was the KP location, St. Vital was similar. I guess you can see where the money lies! The original location on Henderson is more diversified. Probably because they still have all the nick nacks from before the Jets 2.0.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by esquire

Bouclair, Dollarama (of course), Structube and River City Sports are the four stores. Structube is not yet open.

I went into River City Sports on Saturday and it is the largest licensed sports merchandise store I've ever seen (jerseys, t-shirts, caps, collectibles, that sort of thing - not actual sporting goods). What is notable about it is that half the floorspace is devoted to Jets merchandise, with the other half accounting for everything else (rest of the NHL, CFL, NFL, etc.). There is just an astounding amount of Jets merchandise in there.

Hmm, good to know that its open now. I'll have to go have a look.
Any word on any future tenants leasing the soon-to-be-constructed space at Seasons? Is Lowe's a Go?

They're sure not wasting anytime building that yet-to-be-officially-announced Super Target at Polo Park, but I'm a little disappointed that they seem to be constructing it RIGHT up to the sidewalk at the intersection. What about constructing some turn lanes?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Mininari

They're sure not wasting anytime building that yet-to-be-officially-announced Super Target at Polo Park, but I'm a little disappointed that they seem to be constructing it RIGHT up to the sidewalk at the intersection. What about constructing some turn lanes?

Right up to the sidewalk is how it's supposed to be done in the city. The Polo Park area is somewhat walkable as things stand, but adding yield lanes and the like would destroy whatever walkability is left.

To enhance traffic flow, that area needs more protected left-turn lights than anything else.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Mininari

Any word on any future tenants leasing the soon-to-be-constructed space at Seasons? Is Lowe's a Go?

Just my gut on Lowes. They are approved to proceed but i feel that there are many a negotiation going on corporately with regards to the trouble Rona is currently having. I'm sure it would be a colossal financial mistake to build a new $30 million store barely 2 km from a very new Rona store on Kenaston if there is a chance that Lowes may take over Rona in the near future.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by esquire

Right up to the sidewalk is how it's supposed to be done in the city. The Polo Park area is somewhat walkable as things stand, but adding yield lanes and the like would destroy whatever walkability is left.

To enhance traffic flow, that area needs more protected left-turn lights than anything else.

Fair enough, I suppose I should have clarified LEFT turn lanes. The right turners typically aren't a problem. Another consideration would be some bus bays, especially where bus stops are directly before an intersection. I'm thinking Ellice at Empress where one can easily get stuck behind a left turner in the left lane, and a bus loading in the right lane while the green light burns away.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by Biff

Just my gut on Lowes. They are approved to proceed but i feel that there are many a negotiation going on corporately with regards to the trouble Rona is currently having. I'm sure it would be a colossal financial mistake to build a new $30 million store barely 2 km from a very new Rona store on Kenaston if there is a chance that Lowes may take over Rona in the near future.

That is my gut feeling too. I seem to recall the initial plans had Lowes coming along within about six months of Cabela's. Since Cabela's is open and construction of Lowes has not even started that seems to suggest the plans may be changing. I had also heard rumor of an alternate location in the Kenaston area for Lowes but it really seemed to lack credibility so I had initially dismissed it.

If Lowes ends up backing out of "phase 2" of Seasons of Tuxedo, the proposed movie theather is dead and the waterpark questionable I wonder what this will mean overall for "phase 2" and also the plans for the future phases on the south side.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by esquire

Right up to the sidewalk is how it's supposed to be done in the city. The Polo Park area is somewhat walkable as things stand, but adding yield lanes and the like would destroy whatever walkability is left.

To enhance traffic flow, that area needs more protected left-turn lights than anything else.

The problem is that the store will look something like this along the street, which isn't really helpful for walkability.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

The problem is that the store will look something like this along the street, which isn't really helpful for walkability.

True, but at least you can walk along the street. Once you start adding yield lanes that allow cars to turn without really even having to slow down very much, walking goes from merely somewhat unpleasant to being downright dangerous.