General Retail News

[rocketphish]

Zaphod Beeblebrox to shut down within weeks, patrons told

Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: May 1, 2017 | Last Updated: May 1, 2017 8:13 PM EDT



Zaphod Beeblebrox, the iconic ByWard Market nightclub where the Rolling Stones shot a music video in 2005, will close its doors within weeks, longtime patrons have been told.

Jamie Douglas, whose band The Powergoats, has played at the club, said he was there on Sunday night at the popular Trailer Park Bingo when customers were given a heads up with an announcement over the intercom that the club would close in a few weeks.

“They wanted to tell their loyal base before anyone heard about it in the news,” said Douglas on Monday, who added he had heard the news a few days earlier from a friend involved with the club.

Zaphod Beeblebrox, named after a character in the science fiction story The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, was opened by Eugene Haslam on Rideau Street in 1989. He reopened it at its current York Street location in 1992 and sold it to a former staff member in 2015. The nightclub has become an Ottawa institution.

The Rolling Stones shot a music video in the club for Streets of Love in 2005.

On its website, the club that bills itself “The Nightclub at the Edge of the Universe” has a schedule of events booked until June 21.

The Citizen was told the nightclub would issue a press release in a few days and would not comment until then.

[email protected]

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...s-patrons-told

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I know a lot of people who will be happy about this if it happens.

I am actually pretty happy, will have to plan to head out there maybe once a month.

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by MountainView

I drive by here almost daily and have been wondering myself. When I am able to find out I will post here.

Their website link has not been updated in months with tenant information. It still says Jan 2017 occupancy.

Opened today at 8am.

[acottawa]

https://www.thestar.com/business/201...o-survive.html

Article from the Star over the weekend on challenges faced by smaller malls.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by acottawa

https://www.thestar.com/business/201...o-survive.html

Article from the Star over the weekend on challenges faced by smaller malls.

Interesting article. Apparently before the year 2000

'people who would line up outside his store at 7 a.m. to buy newspapers and magazines.

They were educated and literate, with a wide variety of hobbies and interests — diverse enough that he could sell magazines with titles like Vintage Fire Truck and Equipment and Wrist Watch Magazine and the Harvard Business Review'.

Wrist Watch Magazine...never seen that before. That must be code for something

I think the retail decline began when cities started allowing any form of retail outside of the centralized CBD which then resulted in brand dilution within the retail hierarchy. People should spend their saturdays heading downtown to the millenry and haberdashery stores for their retail needs.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Wrist Watch Magazine...never seen that before. That must be code for something

It's a real thing.

http://www.isochronmedia.com/

[SF Thomas]

Originally Posted by acottawa

https://www.thestar.com/business/201...o-survive.html

Article from the Star over the weekend on challenges faced by smaller malls.

Sounds pretty accurate as far as Ottawa's situation goes. The bigger malls in Ottawa like Bayshore, Rideau and St Laurent are doing reasonably well, and have been remodeling or expanding. In contrast small ones aren't dong very well; Herongate has been demolished, and there are plans to demolish at least part of Westgate and Lincoln Fields in favour of condos or apartment buildings.

Anecdotally Billings Bridge seems to be doing the best as far as smaller malls go within Ottawa. Probably because of its location and being right on the transitway. The Merivale Mall, even after undergoing a major renovation, doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic (mainly because it is surrounded by big box plazas).

[eltodesukane]

Originally Posted by SF Thomas

...In contrast small ones aren't dong very well; Herongate has been demolished, and there are plans to demolish at least part of Westgate and Lincoln Fields in favour of condos or apartment buildings.

Same for Elmvale mall.

[Norman Bates]

I discovered on Sunday that the Scores in Kanata centrum has closed.

[jcphoenix]

- Canada Computers is opening at the corner of Bank and Laurier where Murale used to be. Pretty happy it's coming there actually, I really felt like we needed an electronics store downtown like that, especially since they also sell home theatre stuff. Now I don't always have to go out of my way to a Best Buy.

- Centretown Pub is being replaced by a place called Beerocracy. Don't know much about it except it plans to be a local watering hole with some craft beers on tap.

[acottawa]

The Metro beside the former Zellers/former Target/former fake Lowes will close next month (according to the cashier).

I wonder if that is a prelude to another demolition.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by acottawa

The Metro beside the former Zellers/former Target/former fake Lowes will close next month (according to the cashier).

I wonder if that is a prelude to another demolition.

Are you referring to St. Laurent Blvd @ Donald St? Interesting...

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Are you referring to St. Laurent Blvd @ Donald St? Interesting...

Yes, that is the location.

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by MountainView

Opened today at 8am.

To go along with the newly opened Freshco there will also be a Tim Horton's, Rexall Pharmacy and Little Cesar's Pizza opening in the plaza this summer. Unsure of exact opening dates or of the other 4 tenants. I guess this Tim's will be sans drive-thru for a change

Retail Listing Source

[acottawa]

Interesting article from the globe on challenges in filling former target locations.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...ticle35191245/

(Sorry, I'm out of articles so I can't paste the text).

[kwoldtimer]

I see Farm Boy is planning to open its first store in Toronto.

https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wi...etobicoke.html

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I see Farm Boy is planning to open its first store in Toronto.

https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wi...etobicoke.html

Farm Boy and Giant Tiger are some of the biggest business success stories coming out of Ottawa. It's good to see them being aggressive with their expansion plans. Imagine Ottawa retailers could be household names across Canada in a few years.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

Farm Boy and Giant Tiger are some of the biggest business success stories coming out of Ottawa. It's good to see them being aggressive with their expansion plans. Imagine Ottawa retailers could be household names across Canada in a few years.

Giant Tiger's strategy is less "aggressive", and more "slow but steady". It's kind of impressive their penetration into smaller, underserved markets.

[OTSkyline]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Giant Tiger's strategy is less "aggressive", and more "slow but steady". It's kind of impressive their penetration into smaller, underserved markets.

GT's latest plans call for around 15 new stores per year for the next 5 years. I believe they are planning to grow from 225 to around 300 stores. A lot of the new stores are centered in QC and ATL though...

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

GT's latest plans call for around 15 new stores per year for the next 5 years. I believe they are planning to grow from 225 to around 300 stores. A lot of the new stores are centered in QC and ATL though...

Good. Last time I checked, their easternmost location was in Moncton or the vicinity thereof. I think GT would do quite well in the county towns of the Maritimes - the New Glasgows, Sydneys, Bridgewaters, Summersides, etc. - and into NL.