The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[trofirhen]

Upgrading Alberni Street.
It keeps getting talked about, but still nothing and no signs of activity, current of future.
The same mundane lighting as everywhere else, the same cracked sidewalks, the same telephone pole next to Prada.
When will the new stylized lighting come? The street furniture, the elegant paving ...... the time is imminent.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Upgrading Alberni Street.
It keeps getting talked about, but still nothing and no signs of activity, current of future.
The same mundane lighting as everywhere else, the same cracked sidewalks, the same telephone pole next to Prada.
When will the new stylized lighting come? The street furniture, the elegant paving ...... the time is imminent.

Meanwhile, over on the 1000- and 1100-blocks of Alberni Street, plans are progressing for new sidewalks, overhead lighting, planters and other streetscape improvements. City council’s rezoning of 1550 Alberni Street in October unlocked more than $32 million in community amenity contributions that are earmarked for West End “public realm improvements” on Alberni Street and elsewhere, said Charles Gauthier, CEO of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association.

https://www.biv.com/article/2017/1/outlook-2017-major-changes-store-vancouver-retail/

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

https://www.biv.com/article/2017/1/outlook-2017-major-changes-store-vancouver-retail/

Yay! ... and thanx for the link. Hope they can get rid of Prada's signature telephone pole, too, although that's on Thurlow St. and as such, I understand, out of this jurisdictional plan.

[bjan]

A bit random, but does anyone know why London Drugs hasn't expanded to Ontario (Toronto at least)? I've just moved to Toronto from Vancouver and REALLY miss my LD! Yes there are Shoppers everywhere and more Rexalls (but not all that many), but they're definitely not the same as London Drugs.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

The West Edmonton Mall location has been open for years.. the 2nd location in Edmonton is elsewhere.

Ron.

What?? Now they have two? See we really need that second mall in downtown Vancouver.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by bjan

A bit random, but does anyone know why London Drugs hasn't expanded to Ontario (Toronto at least)? I've just moved to Toronto from Vancouver and REALLY miss my LD! Yes there are Shoppers everywhere and more Rexalls (but not all that many), but they're definitely not the same as London Drugs.

If London Drugs is in London, Ontario, I would say "How appropriate!".

[Vin]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Upgrading Alberni Street.
It keeps getting talked about, but still nothing and no signs of activity, current of future.
The same mundane lighting as everywhere else, the same cracked sidewalks, the same telephone pole next to Prada.
When will the new stylized lighting come? The street furniture, the elegant paving ...... the time is imminent.

You, and everyone else, can see how pro-business and efficient this city is.

They should have upgraded the road infrastructure BEFORE all the lux stores opened. Now we will see another round of dig-up, if they do finally decide on building it.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Vin

What?? Now they have two? See we really need that second mall in downtown Vancouver.

Neither Edmonton mall where Simons is located is downtown.

[SpongeG]

the second Simons went into Londonderry mall, well its not open yet, opens late August. Its Vancouver equivalent would be like Lougheed Mall I think, sort of was bland and nothing exciting, had Hudsons Bay, Winners, Save-on-foods, Army & Navy then the mall started a multi million dollar renovation and Simons will be used to attract better stores for the NE part of Edmonton.

[SpongeG]

From the south granville facebook page. I know where it is but I forget what used to be there in that location.

South Granville
10 hrs ·
Coming soon to the South Granville neighbourhood...
Hill's Dry Goods offers a distinctly curated selection of the most desirable brands and accessories in women’s fashion. Hill’s Dry Goods carries on James Hill’s uncompromising vision, reflecting the history of Hill’s of Kerrisdale through the eyes of the next generation.

[Sheba]

Sears Canada files motion to suspend retiree benefits

Sears Canada has filed a motion with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to seek, among other things, permission to suspend certain monthly payments to its pension plan and post-retirement health and life insurance benefits, the company announced today.

Citing cash constraints, Sears said it will seek court approval to suspend $3.7 million worth of monthly payments toward the defined benefit component of the Sears Registered Retirement Plan. The company is also hoping to temporarily stop pouring money into its post-retirement health and dental benefit plan, which costs approximately $800,000 a month on average before tax, and its post-retirement life insurance premiums, for which payments amount to $245,000 monthly plus tax.

Sears said the $450 million it secured from creditors to help rebrand itself require that it comply with a budget that does not provide for the above-listed payments. The retailer is waiting for a court hearing on July 13.

The company, which filed for creditor protection on June 22, has previously said it intended to stop some payments to its retirement plan and benefits plan for retirees.

Sears also recently announced it would not be able to provide severance packages for the 2,900 employees laid off amid corporate restructuring.

The company is continuing operation while it seeks to reinvent itself to emerge as a leaner, more focused operation.

In today’s announcement, it also said it’s seeking court approval to start soliciting investors who might be interested in buying or investing in the Sears Canada Group’s business, assets and/or leases.

It is also hoping the court will extend until Oct. 4 the injunction that halts actions by its creditors to collect debts.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Neither Edmonton mall where Simons is located is downtown.

True, but if they can find a second location to plant in a smaller city like Edmonton, I find it laughable that they can't locate space to put another one here in the Vancouver region. We just don't have enough suitable retail space, particularly downtown. Every year we are losing millions of retail business investments due to our lack of vision and stubborness in maintaining the status quo. The City needs to allow and encourage larger developments.

Downtown Edmonton will soon come awash with new retail space around the arena neighbourhood. Perhaps Simons or something more exciting will find the space to open a store there as well.


Maybe this article will be a little more convincing:

https://pricetags.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/muji-mall-space-and-retailing-in-vancouver/

It’s no surprise that retailing in Vancouver is a treasure trove for business owners, and attracts a wide cross market of shoppers from various backgrounds and ages. As Chuck Chiang reports in The Province “Vancouver’s retail market, driven by wealthy locals, tourists taking advantage of the devalued Canadian dollar, and new immigrants, currently ranks as Canada’s top location in terms of annual sales-per-square-foot at more than $1,000. Toronto sits second at around $860.”

“Vancouver is a very young retail market and many brands have not yet opened street stores,” said Mario Negris, executive vice president of CBRE’s (Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis) retail group in Vancouver. “We anticipate a vast number of new entrants into the downtown retail landscape. … In the mid-market, we anticipate a revitalization on streets such as Robson and Granville as larger international users solidify locations in the market.”

Although we have the consumers, many stores breaking into the Canadian market do not look first to downtown Vancouver. The reason? A lack of leasable storefronts, and wait for it-malls. “According to recent data from the Centre for the Study of Commercial Activity at Ryerson University, Vancouver’s per-capita mall space (at 11.4 square feet for every person living in the region) falls far behind the same figure for not only Toronto (at 16.4), but also Alberta (15.2 for Calgary, 16.2 for Edmonton)”.

I would argue that with the Vancouver climate, the high modal split to active transportation and transit, that Vancouver is not your typical “mall town”. You’ve got Pacific Centre and Oakridge Mall-and a lot of great retailing storefronts in several commercial areas, that fits into the locals’ ideal of a stroll and a shop at grade on walkable streets.

With predictions that Vancouver’s retail sector will lead the way in sales in Canada, Muji, a Japanese clothing and accessories store is looking for a downtown location. You may have visited their locations in Toronto, Japan or in Europe. They are well designed and well-organized. While Vancouver is the home of the Asian cuisine inspired T & T Supermarkets that opened their first store in 1993, and has several Goldilocks Bakery locations which specialize in Filipino delicacies, we have yet to attract well-known large Asian retailers which will have instant recognition and bring more diversity to the Vancouver retailing market. Will these new brands reboot retail redevelopment in downtown Vancouver?


Or this one:

http://www.avisonyoung.com/offices/vancouver
Retail space in Downtown Vancouver remains in demand but a lack of supply is impeding further investment in the market. Vacancy remains low with rental rates holding steady throughout Metro Vancouver. Luxury retailers are increasingly making their presence known in the Downtown core. Significant redevelopment and expansion of established shopping centres throughout Metro Vancouver continues unabated.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Sears Canada files motion to suspend retiree benefits

That's appalling. Basically the US parent decided to loot the Canadian operation and now its retirees who are supposed to bear the price?

[SpongeG]

a pop up in deep cove

Herschel breaks boundaries with avant-garde pop-up

Backpack maker launches temporary store that sells lemonade

By Glen Korstrom | July 5, 2017, 2:09 p.m.


Herschel's pop-up store in Deep Cove is primarily a lemonade store but it also sells backpacks and tote bags that are colour-coded to match lemonade branding | submitted


Pop-up, or temporary retail locations have historically tended to conform to few core tenets.

The main guiding principle is almost always to primarily focus on the retailer's own products as a way to stimulate sales.

Most pop-up stores, in fact, resemble miniaturized versions of what that brand’s permanent stores would look like.

That’s not the case for East Vancouver-based Herschel Supply Co., which is standing the traditional concept of a pop-up store on its head.

Herschel makes backpacks and accessories and sells them via e-commerce or through a network of wholesalers and third-party distributors. Its latest pop-up store primarily sells a product that is about as far removed from backpacks as possible – lemonade.

“We wanted to be able to open up and put a Herschel brand filter on a category that is so far not associated with our brand whatsoever,” Herschel co-founder Lyndon Cormack told Business in Vancouver July 4.

“Lemonade is potentially the farthest we could go to the opposite side.”

...

https://www.biv.com/article/2017/7/herschel-breaks-boundaries-avant-guard-pop-/

[officedweller]

Eyestar Optical is opening in the former b-mobile & adjacent space on Robson in the Best Buy Building.

[SpongeG]

another one for the outlet

Lipault Paris Opens 1st Freestanding North American Boutique



By Ritchie Po

Lipault Paris, the upscale French luggage company, recently opened its first freestanding North American location at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlets in Vancouver. It's the first phase of an eventual retail expansion into the North American market.

The new 1,245-square-foot store is an intuitive and logical choice, as its proximity to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) configures it at one of the major gateways into Asia. Its location along the Canada Line metro line close to YVR makes it especially compelling for international travelers.

The brand’s Marketing Communications Specialist, Erin Reynolds, explained that the free-standing location is an intuitive decision, as “it’s a type of brand that’s suited to its own stores, and the store complements the brand’s extensive wholesale business in Canada”. The brand currently has a number of shop-in-shop boutiques within stores in the United States, in addition to the Vancouver stand-alone location.


...

http://www.retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2017/7/lipault

[officedweller]

Ikea to open new 340,000 square-foot distribution centre in Richmond
https://www.biv.com/article/2017/7/ikea-open-new-340000-square-foot-distribution-cent/

Here's the location:

https://www.bing.com/maps?where1=7031+York+Road+in+Richmond&FORM=LMIEMN

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by whatnext

That's appalling. Basically the US parent decided to loot the Canadian operation and now its retirees who are supposed to bear the price?

And now we're supposed to see Mr. Lampert as some sort of white knight who will swoop down to rescue Sears Canada with a "deal", as per this article.

Ridiculous. I feel awful for Sears employees.

[Tetsuo]

Not even Mike Myers' brother is safe

• Video Link

[SpongeG]

Robson between thurlow and Burrard feels and looks really good, despite two gaping empty spots still not leased, the former BCBG and the Armani Exchange spots. A few places on the next block between thurlow and bute should be demolished and replaced with buildings like the Forever 21 and Sephora. So many empty spaces along that stretch now looks pretty bad, it was once the best block of Robson street. Muji should help give it a fresh injection but it needs more.