Canadian Retail Thread

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by flipv

You're definitely in the minority there! It will be interesting to see how the big banks respond as they're predominantly visa issuers. Bmo must be getting increased CC business due to the MC Costco tie up and they are coincidentally (whether or not through causation isn't called out) but news like these really do bellwether what issuer(and bank) can get the most revolving credit business

Is this really true anymore?

I don't have any stats on hand but anecdotally, it seems like more banks are starting to move towards Mastercard instead. RBC has its growing set of Mastercards and Tangerine chose Mastercard for its first credit card offering.

Are there any stats on credit card market share? It definitely seems like Mastercard is gaining ground.

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

For a while in Fredericton we had Rossy. Just like all the others but the signs were in French.

Yeah it was out in the Brookside Mall, which is on the Northside; the least French area of the city. But it closed up shop around 10 years ago and now it's a Good life Fitness, and the liquor store.

But Freddy does have 6 Dollerama's in city limits. (2 Uptown, 2 downtown, 2 Northside).

I think there's still a Rossy up north, in Edmundston, NB, in the minimall off the highway.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I shopped at the Stedman's V&S in Osoyoos quite regularly (there wasn't much in the way of alternatives in town), but I see it has closed:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.03289...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Shitty's house of pancraps is still around: https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.03267...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Stedman's V&S lasted a long time in Woodstock, NB, but closed up in the late 90's/early 00's IIRC. Like the Met, it was well known for its in-store Diner for the longest time.

Shitty's showed up late to Woodstock and only lasted about 10 years before closing up. I think the entire chain has abandoned the Maritimes now; or at least NB. The Shitty's in Freddy closed up about a year before Woodstock.

I remember working for the Met in the 90's, how Smoking was still allowed inside (I think till 95). I can still smell the smoke coming from the diner corner of the store, where the oldies would come in for their coffees and tobaccy fixes.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I suppose you mean "bilingual"? French only signs would be quite a surprise in Fredericton.

BTW the Rossy family owns Dollarama.

Dollarama is 80% owned by Bain Capital since 2004. Yes, American owned.

Bain Capital was big in the news in 2008 because U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney was one of the founders of the investment firm.

[casper]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Not sure if it's still part of the corporate family, but Fields was for a good while part of HBC. It basically felt like a mini Zellers, with more or less the same kinds of products on offer except a little more downscale.

I believe Fields left the HBC group at about the same time as Zellers was sold off. I think it was a management buy-out.

[Loco101]

From the Wikipedia page and I think it's accurate:


In December 2011, HBC announced that Field's stores would cease operations, beginning February 2012 in Ontario where 26 stores closed. The remaining 141 stores were also announced to close in phases throughout the year ending in the Fall of 2012.[1] But on May 1, 2012, a company called FHC Holdings Ltd. announced that it had purchased 57 Fields stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories from HBC with the intent of keeping those stores open.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields_(department_store)

I shopped at some of the Fields stores in Northern Ontario when I was on the road. They carried HBC brand products but the stores were smaller and designed for small town markets. The stores were huge losses to some small places and often the only store for general merchandise in places such as Smooth Rock Falls and Matheson.

[caltrane74]

Massive overhaul of the Eaton Center media tower, I wonder what we are getting here.

[TownGuy]

Good it definitely needs it. I think half the original features don't work any more.

[OTSkyline]

More screens, bigger screens, HD screens, brighter screens

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Massive overhaul of the Eaton Center media tower, I wonder what we are getting here.

http://app.toronto.ca/ApplicationSta...derRsn=3944202

[YOWflier]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Costco only accepts MasterCard - because they have their own.

This is true in the warehouse. That, and debit of course. Interestingly, Costco.ca accepts Visa in addition to MC.

An interesting loophole presents itself if/when one buys something on Costco.ca with Visa and then returns that same item in the warehouse (perfectly legit transaction). Due to them having no way of processing the return back onto the Visa, they must either give a cash card or refund in a different manner.

However, because the purchase on the Visa is never negated, any points/cash back/etc. one obtained is never negated either.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

However, because the purchase on the Visa is never negated, any points/cash back/etc. one obtained is never negated either.

This reminds me of a glitch I once exploited at Loblaws.

Back when I was in university, the Loblaws near my school gave a 10% discount if you bought something on Tuesdays. If you then returned the item a few days later, you would get a refund without the discount being factored in--so the store basically gave you money. Once I discovered this, I proceeded to buy nearly $300 worth of clothes the following Tuesday, paid $270 with the discount, then returned them all the next day, and got $300 refunded--$30 of free money. But somebody at the store noticed and the loophole was plugged a few days later.

[YOWflier]

Hmm. At this point I feel compelled to state that I only stumbled upon my discovery after buying a product on Costco.ca and then returning it in store out of convenience after deeming it unsuitable. I would never in a million years knowingly and repeatedly (attempt to) exploit that for personal gain.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Hmm. At this point I feel compelled to state that I only stumbled upon my discovery after buying a product on Costco.ca and then returning it in store out of convenience after deeming it unsuitable. I would never in a million years knowingly and repeatedly (attempt to) exploit that for personal gain.

Did I order 100 sets of winter tires? Whoops, that should have been 1. Incidentally, my summer vacation will be a first class flight to South Africa on points

[YOWflier]

Picturing you in the return line with 396 tires...

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

This reminds me of a glitch I once exploited at Loblaws.

Back when I was in university, the Loblaws near my school gave a 10% discount if you bought something on Tuesdays. If you then returned the item a few days later, you would get a refund without the discount being factored in--so the store basically gave you money. Once I discovered this, I proceeded to buy nearly $300 worth of clothes the following Tuesday, paid $270 with the discount, then returned them all the next day, and got $300 refunded--$30 of free money. But somebody at the store noticed and the loophole was plugged a few days later.

Was this the Loblaws near downtown Kingston?

I never understood why they gave students a 10% discount (other than the fact the Metro down the street did the same thing). Some of the Queen's students I knew when I lived in Kingston were loaded and had a heck of a lot more money than working people like me. It seemed like welfare for the wealthy.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Was this the Loblaws near downtown Kingston?

I never understood why they gave students a 10% discount (other than the fact the Metro down the street did the same thing). Some of the Queen's students I knew when I lived in Kingston were loaded and had a heck of a lot more money than working people like me. It seemed like welfare for the wealthy.

Loblaws started the student discount, then Metro hopped on board.

I think their goal is to attract student shoppers with the discount. As a private business it's their choice if they want to give discounts to someone; it's not like taxpayers are footing the bill.

[caltrane74]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

http://app.toronto.ca/ApplicationSta...derRsn=3944202

Cool! Dundas Square will be getting brighter, if that is possible.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Loco101

From the Wikipedia page and I think it's accurate:


In December 2011, HBC announced that Field's stores would cease operations, beginning February 2012 in Ontario where 26 stores closed. The remaining 141 stores were also announced to close in phases throughout the year ending in the Fall of 2012.[1] But on May 1, 2012, a company called FHC Holdings Ltd. announced that it had purchased 57 Fields stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories from HBC with the intent of keeping those stores open.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields_(department_store)

I shopped at some of the Fields stores in Northern Ontario when I was on the road. They carried HBC brand products but the stores were smaller and designed for small town markets. The stores were huge losses to some small places and often the only store for general merchandise in places such as Smooth Rock Falls and Matheson.

What is interesting is how with they were part of HBC they were losing money and one assume now that they are on their own their making money.

Goes to show that there is a difference in mindset between servicing small town Canada vrs the big city.

For small town Canada, Fields, Giant Tigger, and Northern all play a similar role in many cases being the only general store or one of two in a given town.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Cool! Dundas Square will be getting brighter, if that is possible.

You would think it with the addition of a 9 storey by 9 storey square of LED screens

[caltrane74]

They were attaching insulation board to the metal contraption being built where the Sears Banners use to be, so that one may not be LED, although I wasn't expecting that anyways..