The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

as for Coach, if you ever get tempted to buy off ebay or whatever if there is an "F" in the serial number that means its from the Factory outlet store, i've seen a number of Coach items at winners that have the "F" at the beginning of the number, I bought a wallet at the seattle outlet, its not bad, comprable to the ones i saw at the regular store

Thanks Sponge!!
Forgot to mention at the Restoration Hardware Outlet at Seattle Premium Outlets, the sales women told me straight-up that the towels were a lower thread-count and produced only for the factory stores and, in her opinion, 'weren't worth it'.

[David]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

maple ridge has never had a walmart has it?

That's right. There has been a battle over a proposed power centre type development with a Wal-Mart out in the Albion area for years, so I'm sure Wal-Mart is glad they got into Haney Place instead.

As for the Tri-Cities, I still remember the days that the only Wal-Mart in the whole Northeast sector was out at Lougheed Mall.

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Surrey will be Wal-Mart City!!

I thought it already was

1-stabbings-✔

2-shootings-✔

3-drugs-✔

4-gangs & concomitant violence-✔

5-widespread poverty-✔

6-land whales-✔

[urbancanadian]

Just a thought...

With the rumours of Uniqlo opening at Metrotown, everyone has assumed it would be in the Home Outfitters space, with maybe a portion on the main floor. But with Mexx/Mexx Kids closed, and Bowring closing right beside it, maybe Uniqlo could combine those spaces into one. It just so happens to be in the most high-profile and modern section of the mall so it could make sense.

[cairnstone]

For the right lease insentives store will move to allow a larger store to be mage. example lucky used to be in the atrium at metro but was relocated to the other end near food court I think. I forgot about Mexx being closed that is a fair sized space. Metrotown has a fair bit of empty space. when you think about it. Will be interesting to see what shows up

[supercanuck]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I think the combo of Brentwood, Royal City Centre (New West) and Coquitlam Centre seals the coffin for the Lougheed Wal-Mart.

Is that because Lougheed Walmart draws most of its customers from those areas? It would be disappointing to lose a Walmart so close to my place.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by supercanuck

Is that because Lougheed Walmart draws most of its customers from those areas? It would be disappointing to lose a Walmart so close to my place.

Just proximity of the stores to each other and overlapping customer catchment areas.
The Lougheed store is also an older store (having been a Woolco originally).

I don't think it has been renovated into a Wal-Mart SuperCentre, has it?

[SpongeG]

yes it has been, well limited, sells groceries but has no bakery or deli

i don't think they will close it, its always busy and many residents in the area don't drive, they may move it and rebuild it to fit the plans perhaps

[officedweller]

Lowe's buys 13 Target leases plus a Milton, ON distribution centre:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on...ons-distribution-centre/article24367609/

**********

Chapters at Granville & Broadway to be renovated and rebranded as an Indigo:

http://www.news1130.com/2015/05/11/vanco...ated-rebranded-as-parent-company-indigo/

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Lowe's buys 13 Target leases plus a Milton, ON distribution centre:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on...ons-distribution-centre/article24367609/
[/url]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/lowe-s-ge...stores-one-distribution-centre-1.2368392

Almost half of the locations are in Ontario -- Thunder Bay, Milton, North York, Ottawa, Toronto and Burlington, the filing says.
Related Stories

The chain is also adding four stores in Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince George and Abbotsford, B.C., along with two locations in Calgary and store in Regina.

[Vin]

Condo, office and hotel tower planned for old downtown Vancouver post office
http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/05/condo...nned-old-downtown-vancouver-post-office/
BY KENNETH CHAN
12:39 PM PDT, FRI MAY 08, 2015

Bentall Kennedy has outlined the preliminary project scope of its plans to transform the old post office building into a mixed-use development complex in downtown Vancouver.

The 686,000 square foot post office building across from Library Square takes up an entire city block, framed by Homer, Dunsmuir, Hamilton and West Georgia streets. It was built in 1958 and was one of the city’s first significant landmark buildings given its scale and use of International Style architecture. There are seven floors underground, capable of fitting large mail trucks, and five floors above ground.

According to a City of Vancouver rezoning report that will be reviewed by City Council on Wednesday, the building owner and developer plans to build residential, office, retail and hotel uses while maintaining the shell and heritage aspects.

An office tower could be built on top of a portion of the sprawling building along West Georgia Street, although the existing parking lot that fronts the street is slated to become a public plaza. This would also serve to preserve the historic elements and art found along the building’s West Georgia facade.

The street-level granite walls of the building would be modified for street retail and the redevelopment will also consist of separate lobbies for its office, hotel and residential components. The incorporation of a large retailer, in addition to smaller retail units, is also a possibility and would help address the high demand of brand looking to open a presence in downtown.

[s211]

Think Walmart.

[TourOdeon]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Lowe's buys 13 Target leases plus a Milton, ON distribution centre:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on...ons-distribution-centre/article24367609/

**********

Chapters at Granville & Broadway to be renovated and rebranded as an Indigo:

http://www.news1130.com/2015/05/11/vanco...ated-rebranded-as-parent-company-indigo/

Broadway & Granville is super dead ever since the Canada Line along Cambie

[dubsH]

Originally Posted by TourOdeon

Broadway & Granville is super dead ever since the Canada Line along Cambie

Return of AudiA3?

I've been to that Chapters many times and it's always full. Lots of pedestrian traffic and it doesn't hurt to have easy access to the 9, 10, 14, 16 and 99B. I can't think of any other bookstore on the Canada Line that even comes close to competing with that Chapters.

And as I used to work in the vicinity, although it may have been impacted by the end of the 98B, the area seems to be thriving on its own even now.

Perhaps the term "super dead" is better reserved for Brentwood.

[TourOdeon]

Originally Posted by dubsH

Return of AudiA3?

I've been to that Chapters many times and it's always full. Lots of pedestrian traffic and it doesn't hurt to have easy access to the 9, 10, 14, 16 and 99B. I can't think of any other bookstore on the Canada Line that even comes close to competing with that Chapters.

And as I used to work in the vicinity, although it may have been impacted by the end of the 98B, the area seems to be thriving on its own even now.

Perhaps the term "super dead" is better reserved for Brentwood.

I recently went to ChaTime on Broadway, it was dead. Compare that to the ChaTime on Robson. The end of 98B had killed the retail environment in the area. There used to be lots of ppl exchanging 98B and 99B. This used to be a major transit intersection.

[connect2source]

Nordstrom hiring 1000 people for the Pacific Centre store. Nordstrom also has an amazing reputation as an employer.

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/05/nordstrom-vancouver-flagship-store-hiring-1000-workers/

[bjan]

Originally Posted by TourOdeon

Broadway & Granville is super dead ever since the Canada Line along Cambie

Well, you obviously don't know what you're talking about since that area/corner is always jam-packed with people (from Broadway up to 16th actually) and that Chapters is constantly very busy. One quiet bubble-tea place does not a "dead" area make, especially when bubble-tea isn't all that mainstream.

[SpongeG]

its always been busy when i have been, plus the area has the draw of pottery barn, restoration hardware, west elm, pottery barn kids, anthropologie and williams sonoma - you can make a good afternoon of the area

[LeftCoaster]

Ya every time I'm in town and in the area it's busy. It's the only Vancouver location for a lot of those retailers so it's definitely a draw.

[LeftCoaster]

Thought I'd play around with your list here:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it could work if they brought in stores missing from vancouver but do have stores in the rest of canada - edmonton has a lot of stores we don't have

stores missing but are elsewhere in canada:
Muji - Coming, havent found a location yet
Uniqlo - Rumour is they have 2 leases already completed
Zara Home - Unlikely, Inditex is slowing down its Canadian expansion
MNG Mango - Not sure, but I think they pulled out of Canada entirely. Disappointing Sales.
7 for all mankind - No idea
Massimo Dutti - Unlikely, Inditex is slowing down its Canadian expansion
H&M Home - No idea
White House/Black Market - Unlikely, slowing down/stopping its Canadian expansion
Vero Moda (female brand of jack n jones) - No idea
COS (H&M sister brand store) - Coming to Vancouver soon
Desigual - Heard rumours they are coming

Expanding into the USA and probably Canada
& Other Stories (H&M owned) - Interested in coming to Canada
Forever Red - a sister store to Forever 21 - all items in store are under $15

With all this said most of this is rumour, as I don't work in the retail industry, but some of it is rumour from decent sources.