Rideau Centre Expansion | Completed

[citydwlr]

Is it possible that they could be making it a two-story Farm Boy, with the first level below-ground, open to the LRT station?

Alternatively, they have a pretty decent ready-made food section in their current stores; I could see them just using that space in the old food court to appeal to busy commuters and people who work in the vicinity to grab meals on the go before they get on their train...

[Dundas]

Maybe the farmboy will be the size of the one at the Canadian tire centre and just sell chocolate pretzels and other farmboy goodies.

[waterloowarrior]

Confirmed!

Building permit issued June 27, 2017: Tenant fit-up on the 1st floor and basement level of a 3 storey retail building (Rideau Centre, Farm Boy, Unit 101A), value $1,000,000

[YOWflier]

You go, (farm) boy! I'm a big fan of these guys.

[Dundas]

3 stories, does that mean its connected to the LRT side?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Dundas

3 stories, does that mean its connected to the LRT side?

The Rideau Centre is 3-levels. The tenant fit-up only covers 2 levels.

[cycleguy2000]

Two of the higher-end men's shops in the third floor expansion - Strellson and Emilio Guido - are having store closing sales. I thought last August, when four higher-end men's shops opened in the expansion, it was far too many to survive, given there is also Norstrom and the expanded Harry Rosen serving this market segment.

Perhaps this thread could be retitled "Rideau Centre Contraction " ?

[acottawa]

There are a lot of boarded up storefronts. Maybe they were too ambitious with their expansion plans.

[Harley613]

I think they over-extended on the luxury component and eventually balance will return to the force and the mall will be alright.

[eltodesukane]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I think they over-extended on the luxury component and eventually balance will return to the force and the mall will be alright.

As it is, I don't shop there anymore.
And when the LRT will be running, I won't have to walk through the mall.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I think they over-extended on the luxury component and eventually balance will return to the force and the mall will be alright.

You would think a big company like that would do some market research to find out how many people actually want $168 sweatpants.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by acottawa

You would think a big company like that would do some market research to find out how many people actually want $168 sweatpants.

Yes, Ottawa people are as stingy as they can get.

[YOWflier]

By what measure(s)?

[kwoldtimer]

I don't know that I would say "stingy", although we do tend to be careful with our money. Re high-end clothing, Ottawa is exceptionally unconcerned with fashion - it really makes absolutely no difference to most people how you dress, nor are you able to tell much about people's social/economic status based on how they're dressed, at least with respect to the "middle middle" population on up.

[YOWflier]

Ottawans expect value. They're generally too intelligent to toss money around carelessly. Vanity (and thus expenditures driven by it) is not a major factor here.

My opinion is that your opinion re: fashion is largely a relic of the past. Poor examples can be found everywhere if that's what you're looking for (even in Mtl/Tor-gasp), but overall peoples' dress and concern with being well assembled has significantly improved.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Ottawans expect value. They're generally too intelligent to toss money around carelessly. Vanity (and thus expenditures driven by it) is not a major factor here.

My opinion is that your opinion re: fashion is largely a relic of the past. Poor examples can be found everywhere if that's what you're looking for (even in Mtl/Tor-gasp), but overall peoples' dress and concern with being well assembled has significantly improved.

Well, I speak as a boomer. The younger generation(s) may have a different perspective. I know from my gym that younger guys are certainly more decorated and manscaped than my cohort was (at least the non-gay part), so it wouldn't be surprising if they were more attentive to fashion as well. Also far more prudish, istm, but that would be a different discussion. It's also true that people around the world are dressing far more casually than was the case a few decades ago.

[YOWflier]

I'm in the 35-45 age group (not admitting where in there dammit!) and so my impressions are from that perspective. I'm also noticing the younger crowds (20-somethings) seem to have stepped up their game overall, whereas when I was in that group we were schlepping around carelessly.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

I'm in the 35-45 age group (not admitting where in there dammit!) and so my impressions are from that perspective. I'm also noticing the younger crowds (20-somethings) seem to have stepped up their game overall, whereas when I was in that group we were schlepping around carelessly.

Which would suggest that as that group of guys ages and their incomes increase, they will spend a lot more on clothing. Perhaps Rideau jumped the gun a little bit.

It does seen that the expansion was a little too centred on the high end; hence why we're starting to see tenants like Farm Boy move in--the mall is moving a little bit back to the middle.

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by d_jeffrey

Yes, Ottawa people are as stingy as they can get.

No way... Ottawans are far from stingy. They might not be as fashionable as Montrealers or even Torontonians but that doesn't mean they're cheap... They simply have other priorities. Ottawans are much more about quality experiences rather than clothing. Any waiter that has worked in both Montreal and Ottawa will tell you how Ottawans in general are not afraid to splurge and to give generous tips. I know Montreal freelance waiters (they're on call at a bunch of different hotel ball rooms and move around according to demand) who move to Ottawa during the holiday season as tipping alone is more than worth it.

[ars]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Ottawans expect value. They're generally too intelligent to toss money around carelessly. Vanity (and thus expenditures driven by it) is not a major factor here.

I agree with you when it comes to clothing, but I disagree with you in general. The amount of BMWs, Mercedes and Audis I see driving around town would suggest that vanity is a factor when it comes to certain things and Ottawans would gladly throw money at those things carelessly.