The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread - Page 654

Vin · #**13061** Posted **Oct 30, 2018, 10:30 PM**

Looks like Walmart Strip-mall USA is learning from Walmart town centre mall Canada. Makes sense to create a high density neighbourhood in your midst, with a mall at the doorstep that would create retail synergy, thus helping in Walmart's bottom line and generating more revenue for this retail giant. I laud the company that has the foresight to change with the times.

officedweller · #**13062** Posted **Oct 30, 2018, 11:46 PM**

.. or rather, it is playing catch-up.

SpongeG · #**13063** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 5:43 AM**

BonLook expands to Western Canada with two locations in Metro Vancouver

by Lucy Lau on October 30th, 2018

Vancouverites will be able to shop BonLook's full range of prescription glasses and sunglasses in-person once the brand launches its first brick-and-mortar posts in B.C. this holiday.
BONLOOK

BonLook, a Montreal-based eyewear retailer known for its stylish and affordable prescription glasses, is opening its first brick-and-mortar stores in B.C. this holiday season.

The company, which operates on a direct-to-consumer model that helps keep prices low (consider it the Quebecois—and proudly Canadian—Warby Parker), has opened a store at Guildford Town Centre and will launch another at Pacific Centre on December 6.

Both boutiques will carry BonLook’s full range of men’s and women’s prescription frames and sunglasses, which start at $145. The stores, which will boast a minimalist aesthetic with blue and copper accents, will also have in-house opticians who will conduct eye exams and help customers pick the right frames.

The opening of BonLook’s Metro Vancouver stores is part of a larger Western Canadian expansion that will see the brand opening five brick-and-mortar outposts in the region this year, including locations in Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. It operates 25 stores aross Ontario and Quebec, and has a goal of reaching 50 stores in Canada by 2020.

...

https://www.straight.com/life/1157976/bonlook-expands-western-canada-two-locations-metro-vancouver

officedweller · #**13064** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 10:14 AM**

The 7-Eleven on Robson under Best Buy / Winners is closing down.

whatnext · #**13065** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 6:34 PM**

The sale of the HBC store downtown to a Chinese billionaire has fallen through. HBC now looking at redevelopment options with RioCan:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business...n-talks-to-redevelop-vancouver-property/

bjan · #**13066** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 7:04 PM**

[QUOTE=Vin;8360712]Nice try. And now trying to deflect when you're being corrected huh?
Colloquially my foot!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Queen_Street

Your maturity really is most impressive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Eaton_Centre in particular the first paragraph under the Location and Access section, and here from CF's website:
https://www.cfshops.com/toronto-eaton-centre/stores.html

And now back to Vancouver topics please and thank you.

s211 · #**13067** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 8:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

The sale of the HBC store downtown to a Chinese billionaire has fallen through. HBC now looking at redevelopment options with RioCan:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business...n-talks-to-redevelop-vancouver-property/

RioCan was also involved before the potential site sale.

Tetsuo · #**13068** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 9:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjan

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

Nice try. And now trying to deflect when you're being corrected huh?
Colloquially my foot!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Queen_Street

Your maturity really is most impressive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Eaton_Centre in particular the first paragraph under the Location and Access section, and here from CF's website:
https://www.cfshops.com/toronto-eaton-centre/stores.html

And now back to Vancouver topics please and thank you.

Dude it said so in the link you provided

"which has been part of the complex since Cadillac Fairview's purchase of the building in 2014"

officedweller · #**13069** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 9:56 PM**

I can't really think of any architecturally stunning buildings by RioCan.
I think big box centres with steel cladding and Yonge-Eglinton Centre.

***********

New Save-on-Foods in Kerrisdale (49th & West Boulevard)

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/save-on-foods-kerrisdale-grand-opening-fresh-bar-wellness-services

SpongeG · #**13070** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 10:06 PM**

I wonder if the 7-11 lease is up, that location always seemed busy, granted they are on almost every other block.

officedweller · #**13071** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 10:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I wonder if the 7-11 lease is up, that location always seemed busy, granted they are on almost every other block.

I was thinking that's the reason.
There's been some turnover in the building in the past year or so.

Royal Canadian Mint replaced by Granville Gifts. But the Mint wasn't the first tenant - the Salad Loop was there before.

An EyeStar optical moved into the 2 spaces next door that ran through a series of failed ventures.

Could be that the strip is commanding higher rents now.

One very weird thought …
North Face has the office space mezzanine above the 7-Eleven.
Theoretically, if it wanted to expand, it could tie the 7-Eleven space back to its space fronting Granville St.

bluefox · #**13072** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 5:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

New Save-on-Foods in Kerrisdale (49th & West Boulevard)

I have to say – given the demographics in the surrounding area, the fact there's an existing store nearby at Dunbar and 41st, and the building this new store is in, it's a bit surprising they didn't open an Urban Fare. Looks like the perfect fit for an upscale, mid-size store.

SpongeG · #**13073** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 5:48 AM**

I thought they were killing that brand. I had heard they were thinking of rebranding the stores to save-on.

Vin · #**13074** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjan

Your maturity really is most impressive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Eaton_Centre in particular the first paragraph under the Location and Access section, and here from CF's website:
https://www.cfshops.com/toronto-eaton-centre/stores.html

And now back to Vancouver topics please and thank you.

*Face palm* . You got it wrong and now you call me "immature". Awesome.
It has always been the Bay building, and doesn't matter who the new owner is now, it still has the name. York is now part of Toronto but we still call it York. So why should we call the Bay Queen Street, Eaton Centre?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Queen_Street

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Dude it said so in the link you provided

"which has been part of the complex since Cadillac Fairview's purchase of the building in 2014"

And the Wiki picrture of all the old Eatons buildings did not even include the Hudson Bay building, which is south of Queen Street.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Eaton_Centre

Vin · #**13075** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 5:13 PM**

Walked into the new Indigo at Robson last night. Very impressive indeed! Feels like a mini department store. We need more of such space in the downtown area.

s211 · #**13076** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 5:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I thought they were killing that brand. I had heard they were thinking of rebranding the stores to save-on.

A little unfortunate, from my personal perspective. I prefer Urban Fare to Whole Foods.

bluefox · #**13077** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 6:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by s211

A little unfortunate, from my personal perspective. I prefer Urban Fare to Whole Foods.

Well, they've definitely slipped a bit in recent years. The small-format store in Olympic Village is pricey even for UF and I find the produce not very good. The service is also not that great especially considering you're technically paying for it. Lots of expensive, useless novelty junk like square watermelons, sparkling water with gold flakes in it, or tiny $200 sachets of Himalayan salt taking up shelf space.

I remember back in the day if you had a quality issue with something you bought at UF, they'd send you a basket of goodies as an apology.

All that said I don't think the brand is dead. Just needs a refresh. This new location could have been a good opportunity to do that IMO.

dreambrother808 · #**13078** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 7:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by s211

A little unfortunate, from my personal perspective. I prefer Urban Fare to Whole Foods.

Whole Foods has better quality food, both fresh and prepared, plus more organic options. Urban Fare needs to step up their game to compete in that higher-end market.

connect2source · #**13079** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 7:48 PM**

Our Coal Harbour Urban Fare location is terrible, super-limited selection of everything, bread is never fresh and the deli items look a bit past their sell-by-dates. No items that you can't find anywhere else. Whole atmosphere seems gloomy and depressing.

WarrenC12 · #**13080** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 8:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by connect2source

Our Coal Harbour Urban Fare location is terrible, super-limited selection of everything, bread is never fresh and the deli items look a bit past their sell-by-dates. No items that you can't find anywhere else. Whole atmosphere seems gloomy and depressing.

Ditto for the UF in OV, though it's not as bad as some people say.

UF has one great location in Yaletown. I guess they lucked out, or chose poorly for the rest. Even with the limited selection of grocery options in OV, it seems people go elsewhere, since the population in the area is a lot more than the "crowds" in the store would indicate.

As compared to Whole Foods at Cambie and 8th which is very busy every time I'm there.