General Retail News - Page 55

Urbanarchit · #**1081** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 9:41 PM**

While walking along Wellington Street West, I noticed that Our Lady of HIS MERCY had closed their location. There's new space for some sort of business for Wellington now, though the laneway beside it is too big for a main commercial street; I'm hoping that someone would come by and demolish this/these building(s) and replace it with something that better uses the street.

The location of Art & Soul has closed and was replaced with a clothing store called Forum Apparel. I visited, and the gentleman told me they opened February 4th, and had a larger location somewhere suburban (I forget), but decided to open up a smaller location in this area for European and Canadian designer-ware. It's a small location with men and women's clothing. They don't have a huge inventory, as least presently, but I liked what I saw. They had some shirts by Jared Lang, and I definitely would like to visit again and buy some shirts and pants. However, it was quite expensive (some shirts and jeans were about $100 each).

MichelKazan · #**1082** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 10:53 PM**

Place d'Orléans? Expansion? How about filling the dozen plus vacant spaces in the mall before talking expansion?

Quote:

Originally Posted by c_speed3108

Score one for the suburban mall. Place D'Orleans will get the city's second H&M this fall

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Retail/2014-...ns-this-fall/1

This quote is interesting too:

eternallyme · #**1083** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 11:15 PM**

I did NOT expect that!!!

MountainView · #**1084** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 11:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by movebyleap

Re: H&M announcements

Woah - going form zero to a possible five or six in the area....can you say oversaturation?

My teen daughter was a huge fan of this store and would shop there every time she was in NYC or Europe. Now she hasn't stepped foot in the Bayshore store. Somehow the attraction is gone.

Good on Place d'Orleans though. It's a great looking mall and deserves more traffic.

Most other major Canadian cities have multiple locations. It was probably the fact that she could shop somewhere 'different' because there was no Ottawa location. I was the same way. I would go to MTL to shop at H&M and Simons, and my significant other would shop at ForeverXXI. Now that 2/3 are in Ottawa, we still shop at them and can save the gas/weekend trip to MTL. Ottawa is finally growing up, that's all.

Harley613 · #**1085** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 1:20 AM**

H&M at Carlingwood? Place d'Orleans expansion? Are these people huffing gas??

c_speed3108 · #**1086** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 1:19 PM**

What's interesting about the H&M annoucement (which is technically still to come...) is that I am finding Rideau Centre has less and less differentiators and less and less reason to go.

Further to that many of the stores they have that are different and not found elsewhere are high-end shops that are not terribly everyday. Between what is at the train yards and what is at some other malls there is becoming fewer and fewer reasons to head to Rideau. Other malls offer other benefits like free parking too.

I don't think Place D'Orleans is going to expand any time soon unless there is a lot more to the pending announcement than we know.

Acajack · #**1087** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 2:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by movebyleap

Good on Place d'Orleans though. It's a great looking mall and deserves more traffic.

I agree. I mean, Place is a mall and most of us on here would prefer for the main shopping street in Orleans to be the more traditional St-Joseph. But if I have to choose between the Innes Road strip and Place, I will (begrudgingly perhaps) choose Place every time.

Acajack · #**1088** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MountainView

Most other major Canadian cities have multiple locations. It was probably the fact that she could shop somewhere 'different' because there was no Ottawa location. I was the same way. I would go to MTL to shop at H&M and Simons, and my significant other would shop at ForeverXXI. Now that 2/3 are in Ottawa, we still shop at them and can save the gas/weekend trip to MTL. Ottawa is finally growing up, that's all.

Also, H&M stores are fairly small. It's not a big floor surface fashion store like Simons, Les Ailes de la Mode or Brettons back in the day.

It's bigger than your average Le Château for sure but not even close to the mini-department store category.

YOWflier · #**1089** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 2:53 PM**

Positive news for Place d'Orleans. I must plead ignorance to the mall overall ... how does it compare to, say, Bayshore in terms of store offering/makeup? The only thing I know is that we don't hear very much about Place ever, which to me is a bad indicator. H&M should bring some (seemingly) much needed foot traffic to the mall, and trigger some cross-pollination.

Acajack · #**1090** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 3:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Positive news for Place d'Orleans. I must plead ignorance to the mall overall ... how does it compare to, say, Bayshore in terms of store offering/makeup? The only thing I know is that we don't hear very much about Place ever, which to me is a bad indicator. H&M should bring some (seemingly) much needed foot traffic to the mall, and trigger some cross-pollination.

Definitely a level below the big guys. It used to be in the same league or close but has fallen in recent years. Even Les Promenades in Gatineau may be better than Place these days IMO. Which was certainly not the case previously.

kevinbottawa · #**1091** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 4:08 PM**

The ownership of Place d'Orleans changed hands last year so I wouldn't be surprised if they expanded. They have an impressive portfolio and lots of money. I looked up H&R REIT's portfolio. They own Dufferin Mall and half of Scotia Plaza.

Dundas · #**1092** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 5:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dundas

Place D'Orleans Mall:

The Roots store is now closed. (Please visit our St-Laurent mall location) a sign says.

So is the MiniPort kids play place next to the food court. (Exciting store coming soon.)

My guess is H&M will take over the recently closed (Roots, Bluenotes, the body shop, and the other couple small stores) It makes up to be a pretty decent size store.

Harley613 · #**1093** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 7:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Positive news for Place d'Orleans. I must plead ignorance to the mall overall ... how does it compare to, say, Bayshore in terms of store offering/makeup? The only thing I know is that we don't hear very much about Place ever, which to me is a bad indicator. H&M should bring some (seemingly) much needed foot traffic to the mall, and trigger some cross-pollination.

Definitely inferior to Bayshore in all ways, but it's a decent mall in decent shape and could use a little push from a big retailer like H&M to attract some fresh new stores. It could use a little lipstick at this point, but the bones are good.

Harley613 · #**1094** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 7:27 PM**

On the topic of lipstick..when Sears finally goes completely under I wonder if Carlingwood will expand into a proper 600,000+ sq. ft. regional shopping centre. Gutting and/or Demolishing that Sears would be a good time to start an expansion!

hwy418 · #**1095** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 8:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harley613

On the topic of lipstick..when Sears finally goes completely under I wonder if Carlingwood will expand into a proper 600,000+ sq. ft. regional shopping centre. Gutting and/or Demolishing that Sears would be a good time to start an expansion!

Agreed that this particular Sears store needs a lot of TLC, but it is one of their top selling stores in Ontario (a relative of mine worked there many many years). Hull and St. Laurent stores are more likely to close first - those are truly bad stores.

I don't think Carlingwood will ever be considered a regional mall again (not since the late 70s / early 80s). It definetely fills a local need though - just like Billings Bridge, Gloucestre Centre, etc. Lincoln Fields - there is my top candidate for immediate implosion!

gjhall · #**1096** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 8:29 PM**

I wonder if Sears leases or owns that store?

On the topic of Lincoln Fields, owned by RioCan, who have big plans: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...op-retail.html

Urbanarchit · #**1097** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 8:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harley613

On the topic of lipstick..when Sears finally goes completely under I wonder if Carlingwood will expand into a proper 600,000+ sq. ft. regional shopping centre. Gutting and/or Demolishing that Sears would be a good time to start an expansion!

Maybe they'll convert it into a giant parking lot? They always like to advertise how much parking they offer in all advertisements on TV.

kevinbottawa · #**1098** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 9:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harley613

On the topic of lipstick..when Sears finally goes completely under I wonder if Carlingwood will expand into a proper 600,000+ sq. ft. regional shopping centre. Gutting and/or Demolishing that Sears would be a good time to start an expansion!

I'd love to see something like the Shops At Don Mills. It was built in the site of an old mall.

J.OT13 · #**1099** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 10:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hwy418

Agreed that this particular Sears store needs a lot of TLC, but it is one of their top selling stores in Ontario (a relative of mine worked there many many years). Hull and St. Laurent stores are more likely to close first - those are truly bad stores.

I don't think Carlingwood will ever be considered a regional mall again (not since the late 70s / early 80s). It definetely fills a local need though - just like Billings Bridge, Gloucestre Centre, etc. Lincoln Fields - there is my top candidate for immediate implosion!

I can see how Hull might be suffering, but St-Laurent? I always thought it was likely the best performer of all the ones in the Ottawa region.

I don't understand the Gloucester Centre. It seems to be a poor excuse for a mall, even more so considering its proximity to St-Laurent. What do they even have in there? I've only been in the food court.

MichelKazan · #**1100** Posted **Feb 28, 2014, 11:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I can see how Hull might be suffering, but St-Laurent? I always thought it was likely the best performer of all the ones in the Ottawa region.

I don't understand the Gloucester Centre. It seems to be a poor excuse for a mall, even more so considering its proximity to St-Laurent. What do they even have in there? I've only been in the food court.

Over time, most of the Gloucester Centre has been taken over by large surface stores including an expanded Loblaws, a Rexall and a Pet Valu. There is an inside portion which connects the Loblaws and the Wal-Mart at the other end. The inside portion includes a few small shops, a dental office, a CIBC, Bulk Barn and The Source and the food court. There is currently a Rexall but this will close in favor of the above mentioned large surface store.

St. Laurent is still doing OK but is falling behind and will need some changes in order to keep up with the expansions and new stores at the local malls.