Canadian Retail Thread

[davidivivid]

Hess apparently is about to sell its convenience store business across the U.S. and according to some analysts, Couche-Tard is well placed to conclude this acquisition. Hess's stores had $13B in revenues last year so if this acquisition goes ahead, Couche-Tard would become one of the companies batlling for the title of biggest canadian company by revenues next year.

http://argent.canoe.ca/nouvelles/hess-la-prochaine-cible-de-couche-tard-19062013

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Our Timmins relatives who are Franco-Ontarians (most of them older folks) all have marmalade on their toast for breakfast. They actually get teased about
it by their Quebec relatives who find this odd and say it's a British trait that has rubbed off on them from living so long in Ontario.

My Mom's a Scot and she loves orange marmalade. I can't abide the stuff. Breakfast places here in K-C-W mostly offer strawberry jam (often only), followed by marmalade, peanut butter, and honey, in that order.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

My Mom's a Scot and she loves orange marmalade. I can't abide the stuff. Breakfast places here in K-C-W mostly offer strawberry jam (often only), followed by marmalade, peanut butter, and honey, in that order.

Most common around here is raspberry jam, strawberry jam, peanut butter, and honey. Sometimes a place will have orange marmalade and grape jelly as well, but I wouldn't say those are the norm.

Saskatoon berry jam is a pretty popular option as well, but it's all local production, so you'd find it at farmers markets, specialty shops, and co-ops mostly, although I think Superstore might carry it as well. No small individual portions that the breakfast places would need though.

[SpongeG]

does anyone like marmite? love that stuff - hard to find but walmart supercentres all carry it in the baking section

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Our Timmins relatives who are Franco-Ontarians (most of them older folks) all have marmalade on their toast for breakfast. They actually get teased about
it by their Quebec relatives who find this odd and say it's a British trait that has rubbed off on them from living so long in Ontario.

My grandfather on my mom's side was of Scottish descent and I remember him having marmalade (usually orange) on toast almost every day.
I quickly began to appreciate it as a youngster (spent almost everyday with my grandparents before kindergarten), but haven't had it in years

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Most common around here is raspberry jam, strawberry jam, peanut butter, and honey. Sometimes a place will have orange marmalade and grape jelly as well, but I wouldn't say those are the norm.

Saskatoon berry jam is a pretty popular option as well, but it's all local production, so you'd find it at farmers markets, specialty shops, and co-ops mostly, although I think Superstore might carry it as well. No small individual portions that the breakfast places would need though.

Is there a Costco in Saskatchewan? Costcos here stock saskatoon jam.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by Xelebes

Is there a Costco in Saskatchewan? Costcos here stock saskatoon jam.

Yeah there are costcos, but that's not my normal grocery stop so I can't say if they stock it or not.

[davidivivid]

Quebec-based department store Simons eyes GTA

Quebec-based department store Maison Simons would like to open in the two locations to be vacated by Sears at Yorkdale Mall and Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, said president and chief executive officer Peter Simon.
“We are actively in discussion,” he said, speaking from the family-owned firm’s head office in Quebec City.

“I’m hoping to build a great store in Toronto in the near future if we can get a good deal done.”

It will be months before a decision is made, said Michael Kitt, executive vice-president, Canada, of Oxford Properties Group, which owns the malls along with the Alberta Investment Management Corp.

[...]

http://www.thestar.com/business/2013/06/18/quebecbased_department_store_simon_eyes_gta.html

[LeftCoaster]

Don't know why the Star is just reporting this now, it's been widely know for some time that Simons is looking to expand not just to the GTA but Canada wide.

Great retailer, I hope they can retain their quality through this expansion.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Don't know why the Star is just reporting this now, it's been widely know for some time that Simons is looking to expand not just to the GTA but Canada wide.

Great retailer, I hope they can retain their quality through this expansion.

Just ordered some more stuff from Simons (I am a regular for their clothing), and as always I get compliments about their style.
My friend just got stuff to and people in London, Ontario were even coming up to him to tell him they loved his clothes. That is not normal in Canada for people to do that.

But I do think their quality won't be the same with expansion. Simons as a small Quebec chain was able to keep that personal touch and close access to the family that still runs it.
When they become to big and national, they are not going to have that unique cache anymore. They are sadly just going to become another chain that can be found anywhere. And that will hurt their name.
I also don't expect they will be able to keep up that personal touch of the family being so involved, when they expand beyond a handful of some stores.

Even as much as I like them, I know Simons won't be that special place anymore if I can get their stuff in Toronto. Simons was always a unique and fun part of visiting Quebec.
But we keep losing unique places with every place having to become a massive chain.

It is also sad if their first store is in a suburban shopping mall in Toronto. Downtown has really been losing out lately with many first the region stores opting to open in the suburbs over downtown. That would not have happened before.

I also think the opening of Simons Canada wide will diminish their great style. Do they not already offer less stylish stuff in their Edmonton store, because Edmonton residents are not as fashionable? I heard something about that. The thing that sets Simons apart is their great style. If they start offering less stylish things to fit the rest of Canada, then that will be their downfall for sure.

[CanadianCentaur]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

ack bacon aka Canadian bacon wasn't that common out here growing up, i still don't know many places that would serve it other than on pizza

Originally Posted by Boris2k7

I've had Canadian bacon on a burger once, but that's about all I've ever seen of it. It's like bagged milk... one of those weird things I only ever see when I'm in Ontario.

That's pretty odd. IIRC, I know you can get back bacon at a lot of major grocery chains in Western Canada or at least in Alberta and BC. Back bacon was something I actually grew with on weekend breakfasts along with fried eggs and hash browns or even pancakes. I've never seen it on a burger, but I've had it on pizza a few times.

Originally Posted by SpongeG

does anyone like marmite? love that stuff - hard to find but walmart supercentres all carry it in the baking section

Ugh, not a fan of that stuff, but I know my late mom liked Marmite, as she was born and raised in England. I prefer the Australian counterpart instead - Vegemite. I grew up on that stuff, since my dad was born in Australia and I also lived in Australia as a very young kid. It's harder to find, but I know some Save-On stores do have it in stock, including the one in my neighbourhood.

You will find Marmite in many Safeway and Save-On stores, even in smaller cities like Grande Prairie. Look for it in their baking sections, but sometimes also in the bread spread aisles.

[SpongeG]

yeah i live on marmite, grew up with it - it was easy to find growing up in a small town in NEBC, always had a supply of it, it used to be kept with the jams and spreads at most stores and than they moved it to the baking section, i thought the store i always bought it at had dropped it only to find it a few weeks later next to the yeasr products - anyway walmart usually sells it for $3.77 compared to $5.49 at superstore

isn't vegemite really hard to find now in canada? i kno wit often used to be found next to the marmite in stores but haven't seen it in years

i brought back some really big bottles of marmite from south africa when i was there a number of years ago - in th euk they sell marmite in a tub and in restaurant packets




thankheavenforbeer.com

[CanadianCentaur]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

isn't vegemite really hard to find now in canada? i kno wit often used to be found next to the marmite in stores but haven't seen it in years

Yes, it's certainly harder to find than Marmite in this country. No Safeway in Canada I know has stocked Vegemite anymore since I was a boy or young teen.

Like Marmite, you can usually find it in Save-On's baking section. The Save-On in my neighbourhood actually has the Vegemite and Marmite in the same aisle, if not the same shelf.

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i brought back some really big bottles of marmite from south africa when i was there a number of years ago - in th euk they sell marmite in a tub and in restaurant packets

I did notice how popular Marmite is in the UK. Hell, I noticed during a trip to the UK in 2010 that during a breakfast in a college cafeteria in Oxford (I was staying at a college dorm there with some family members), there were a couple of ice cream pail-sized tubs of Marmite - and one was almost used up.

But my dad did not touch any of that (and neither did I) - he'd choose to bring along a small jar of Vegemite with him to put on his toast.

BTW, in Australia, you can find Vegemite packaged in tubs and restaurant packets like the British do with Marmite. Don't ask me about New Zealand, though - Marmite is usually preferred there, or so I hear.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Our Timmins relatives who are Franco-Ontarians (most of them older folks) all have marmalade on their toast for breakfast. They actually get teased about
it by their Quebec relatives who find this odd and say it's a British trait that has rubbed off on them from living so long in Ontario.

Now that is weird! I know of very few people who eat marmalade in Timmins. And Timmins is not really a British influenced city.

And about eating out:

One thing I've noticed is that many of our non-chain restaurants are supplied by Deshaies (Grossite/Wholesaler) which is out of Amos, QC.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Just ordered some more stuff from Simons (I am a regular for their clothing), and as always I get compliments about their style.
My friend just got stuff to and people in London, Ontario were even coming up to him to tell him they loved his clothes.

After living in the UK for 2 years now, I have to say that I find Canadians to be quite bland dressers. I lived in Canada all my life and never thought about it until I saw how "smart" people dress here in the UK. Obviously this is a generalisation, but its true. Americans are about the same. I work in a shop here in the UK and we see a lot of tourists from Canada/USA. They are pretty easy to spot even before they say a word due to their dress. The UK has a lot (and I mean a lot) of their own fashion stores. Jack Wills, Top Shop, New Look, Fat Face, even M&S has good fashion.

It would be great to see Canada have some new (or old) shops that provide something better than what I remember Canada offers.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Just ordered some more stuff from Simons (I am a regular for their clothing), and as always I get compliments about their style.
My friend just got stuff to and people in London, Ontario were even coming up to him to tell him they loved his clothes. That is not normal in Canada for people to do that.

But I do think their quality won't be the same with expansion. Simons as a small Quebec chain was able to keep that personal touch and close access to the family that still runs it.
When they become to big and national, they are not going to have that unique cache anymore. They are sadly just going to become another chain that can be found anywhere. And that will hurt their name.
I also don't expect they will be able to keep up that personal touch of the family being so involved, when they expand beyond a handful of some stores.

Even as much as I like them, I know Simons won't be that special place anymore if I can get their stuff in Toronto. Simons was always a unique and fun part of visiting Quebec.
But we keep losing unique places with every place having to become a massive chain.

It is also sad if their first store is in a suburban shopping mall in Toronto. Downtown has really been losing out lately with many first the region stores opting to open in the suburbs over downtown. That would not have happened before.

I also think the opening of Simons Canada wide will diminish their great style. Do they not already offer less stylish stuff in their Edmonton store, because Edmonton residents are not as fashionable? I heard something about that. The thing that sets Simons apart is their great style. If they start offering less stylish things to fit the rest of Canada, then that will be their downfall for sure.

In some cities, the only reasonable retail options are in the suburbs though. Look at Winnipeg for instance - no one in their right mind would open their first store downtown right now.

[MonctonRad]

According to Retail Insider, the first confirmed Nordstrom Rack location in Canada will be in a suburban big box development in Ottawa. They expect there might ultimately be as many as 20 Nordstrom Rack stores across the country.

[connect2source]

According to the Wall Street Journal, Hudson's Bay is looking to buy Saks Inc. and has been interested for quite some time. "Hudson's Bay could convert some of its Canadian stores to Saks or Off-5th locations..."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323683504578565461311853872.html

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by connect2source

According to the Wall Street Journal, Hudson's Bay is looking to buy Saks Inc. and has been interested for quite some time. "Hudson's Bay could convert some of its Canadian stores to Saks or Off-5th locations..."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323683504578565461311853872.html

They already own Lord and Taylor too I thought? I don't see them converting given how entrenched Hudson's Bay is in Canada...

[SpongeG]

that would be quite a big deal, i could see the bay at oakridge in vancouver being converted to a saks store

and yay for nordstrom rack love that store