The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by logan5

A Wal-Mart doesn't belong in that neighbourhood. I'm surprised the community didn't protest this move. Wal-Marts are urban cancer.

Why are they an urban cancer? The Costco downtown is just as much a big box store as Walmart and they haven't killed the urban realm.

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

That's great! They have been a top performer a few times I think.

I wonder if they plan on any expansions. Weren't they thinking of taking over the atmosphere at some point?

Maybe they should get an actual office space and stop using the top floor for cubicles and inventory! It was designed to provide additional floor space and a Holts Cafe with outdoor dining terrace.

Most of their stores have cafes and they're quite good at that!

[osirisboy]

Haha I was thinking of that right after I posted. That was the one thing I was really looking forward to when they we doing their new store was to have that dining area up there

[SpongeG]

walmart has been opening smaller urban stores, some are the size of a typical shoppers drug mart focusing on grocery and drug store items, they want to compete with shoppers etc.

i imagine we will see some of those around the vancouver area soon too

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in other news...

Uniqlo in talks to open stores in Canada in 2016, sources say


BY HOLLIE SHAW, FINANCIAL POST MARCH 26, 2014

Japanese fashion giant Uniqlo, a popular destination for Canadian shoppers travelling abroad, is in negotiations to open stores here in 2016, according to sources.

With more than 1,300 stores in 14 countries, Uniqlo is the world’s fourth-biggest fashion retailer, behind Zara, H&M and Gap.

Its arrival in Canada has been anticipated by retail watchers and fans alike since stepping up its U.S. expansion in 2011 and a bold vow from founder Tadashi Yanai to make Uniqlo the biggest specialty clothing chain in the world by the end of this decade.

“Uniqlo is one of the finest fashion retailers on the planet and it has refined and fine-tuned its offering to an unprecedented level within the fast-fashion community,” said Anthony Stokan, partner at Toronto-based shopping centre consultancy Anthony Russell and Associates.

http://www.theprovince.com/business/Uniqlo+talks+open+stores+Canada+2016+sources/9663400/story.html

article goes on to say that sources say uniqlo is in negotiations to open the first store in yorkdale mall in toronto...

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Japanese fashion giant Uniqlo, a popular destination for Canadian shoppers travelling abroad, is in negotiations to open stores here in 2016, according to sources.

With more than 1,300 stores in 14 countries, Uniqlo is the world’s fourth-biggest fashion retailer, behind Zara, H&M and Gap.

Its arrival in Canada has been anticipated by retail watchers and fans alike since stepping up its U.S. expansion in 2011 and a bold vow from founder Tadashi Yanai to make Uniqlo the biggest specialty clothing chain in the world by the end of this decade.

“Uniqlo is one of the finest fashion retailers on the planet and it has refined and fine-tuned its offering to an unprecedented level within the fast-fashion community,” said Anthony Stokan, partner at Toronto-based shopping centre consultancy Anthony Russell and Associates.

http://www.theprovince.com/business/Uniqlo+talks+open+stores+Canada+2016+sources/9663400/story.html

article goes on to say that sources say uniqlo is in negotiations to open the first store in yorkdale mall in toronto...

Very exciting news and sounds like they're planning free-standing stores in Canada versus inside Nordstrom locations! I think UNIQLO would simple lose all it's 'wow' if it were to be located inside a department store. UNIQLO creates a lot of buzz and street-presence, which is needed in Vancouver.

[spm2013]

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[connect2source]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Haha I was thinking of that right after I posted. That was the one thing I was really looking forward to when they we doing their new store was to have that dining area up there

Agreed, just back from Stockholm and Copenhagen and their department stores, like most in Europe, all have incredible restaurants, some have them on every floor. It adds a huge amount of buzz and draw to the stores, creates a destination within the store and keeps people there for far longer. In Copenhagen, I had an amazing lunch in Magasin, one of their top department stores and because of the great lunch experience, I decided to stay there longer and dropped another few hundred on clothes.

Don't understand the issues with the Holt's Cafe here, it should have been resolved long-ago but I guess because they're the top-perfoming store there's to urgency at this point.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Why are they an urban cancer? The Costco downtown is just as much a big box store as Walmart and they haven't killed the urban realm.

Costco has countless small business owners shopping there saving money on store supplies, store stock, and personal needs. In the beginning you had to own your own business to shop at Costco. It wasn't open to the public. Walmart on the other hand is a deadly direct competitor to small businesses. That's the difference.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by connect2source

According to Retail-Insider, Holt Renfrew's Vancouver store is now their top performer!

http://www.retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2014/3/holt-renfrew-vancouver-tops-in-chain

Been that way for ages from what I've heard. Still good news though.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by sacrifice333

Maybe they should get an actual office space and stop using the top floor for cubicles and inventory! It was designed to provide additional floor space and a Holts Cafe with outdoor dining terrace.

Most of their stores have cafes and they're quite good at that!

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Haha I was thinking of that right after I posted. That was the one thing I was really looking forward to when they we doing their new store was to have that dining area up there

Originally Posted by connect2source

Don't understand the issues with the Holt's Cafe here, it should have been resolved long-ago but I guess because they're the top-perfoming store there's to urgency at this point.

I was told by a former CF employee that when the top floor Holt's space was designed, they failed to provide for restaurant logistics (i.e service elevator, etc.) - so it will never be a restaurant.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Took 10 months but its official Wal Mart going into Royal City Centre

http://www.newwestnewsleader.com/news/251985081.html

Carneiro told the NewsLeader it will be a 90,000 square foot Supercentre. It will span two levels and include a supermarket and full-service bakery along with its regular retail lines.
...

The opening will also mean a third supermarket in Uptown New Westminster. It will be basically right on top of a Save On Foods store in the mall. It was converted from a Safeway outlet last week after Overwaitea purchased it from Sobeys. Overwaitea has another Save On store a stone's throw away in the Westminster Centre.

If no other moves are made by the time the new Walmart there will be eight supermarkets in a city that covers just seven square miles. Save On will move into the former IGA Marketplace location at Columbia Square and soon convert Thrifty Foods in Sapperton. Sobeys still owns two Safeways in the city, and the Queensborough Walmart also has a supermarket.

http://www.newwestnewsleader.com/news/251985081.html


Probably also why Sobey's wanted to off-load the Safeway in that mall - to Save-on-Foods.
(The Competition Bureau did not require that location to be sold, but the newspaper report said it was included in a "non-negotiable" bundle of stores to be sold).

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Costco has countless small business owners shopping there saving money on store supplies, store stock, and personal needs. In the beginning you had to own your own business to shop at Costco. It wasn't open to the public. Walmart on the other hand is a deadly direct competitor to small businesses. That's the difference.

Huh?? Can't small business owners also shop at wal mart for their supplies etc just like they do at Costco and thus save money. And Costco was always open to the public (with membership) not just to business owners

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I was told by a former CF employee that when the top floor Holt's space was designed, they failed to provide for restaurant logistics (i.e service elevator, etc.) - so it will never be a restaurant.

I'm sure if they wanted to they could easily work around that and open either a high-end coffee shop or lounge. Even a much smaller menu with items created off-site and stocked during off-hours would do everything described within this thread.

[osirisboy]

And also weren't they going to have a food section too.

And they could totally have a little coffee shop type thing. Somewhat like the nespresso in the bay

[logan5]

Originally Posted by spm2013

We already went through this discussion once, there's no reasoning with the fellow.

Why does that neighbourhood need a Wal-Mart when all shopping needs are already being met? There's a great urban vibe along 6th st., why jeopardize that?

Opponents of the Walmart bid point out that the Arkansas-based retail chain has long been accused of -- and even prosecuted for -- predatory pricing. That’s the practice of setting prices on some goods at or below cost in order to drive smaller competitors out of business.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/04/walmart-toronto-kensington-market_n_3386065.html

[spm2013]

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[logan5]

Originally Posted by spm2013

Wal-Mart's pricing is probably exactly the same as any other major retailer in the country.

That may or may not be true, but you seemed to have missed the point.

Here's Forbes in defense of Wal-Mart. "Costco's worse"

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/...ail-jobs-thats-the-darn-point-of-it-all/

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by logan5

Why does that neighbourhood need a Wal-Mart when all shopping needs are already being met? There's a great urban vibe along 6th st., why jeopardize that?

Moreover, it's the owners of the mall that needs a department store anchor to remain commercially viable following the bankruptcy of Woodward's and the closure of Zellers (rather than, say, leasing the space to a bingo hall, casino or other non-retail large format use, or tearing it all down to build condos (or preferrably, office space)).

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by logan5

Why does that neighbourhood need a Wal-Mart when all shopping needs are already being met?

If, as you say, all the neighbourhood's shopping needs are already being met, then the Wal-Mart should do poorly.

[logan5]

Do you not agree that Wal_Mart is predatory?

Anyways, the neighbourhood would be better if that whole mall were to disappear.