The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[officedweller]

I noticed that the Starbucks at Vancouver Centre (next to London Drugs)
is closed with a sign saying "Closed for Emergency Repairs".

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Couple of spacious BRAND NEW prime location #retail spots at Granville and 12th
https://twitter.com/GranvilleStreet

The Sqwabb blog says this will be the new RBC to replace the one on the corner of Granville & Broadway.

https://sqwabb.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/...ch-you-can-probably-to-bank-on/#comments

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The Sqwabb blog says this will be the new RBC to replace the one on the corner of Granville & Broadway.

https://sqwabb.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/...ch-you-can-probably-to-bank-on/#comments

The renovations make it too open concept for a bank IMO, and I see the blogger touches on that. There's also no guarantee the old HSBC vault (which would contain said safety deposit boxes, while the sources in the post keep implying these two things are separate) was even in good enough shape to keep. Not to mention would it be up to RBC's standards - especially when pouring all this money into improvements just to keep an old vault of questionable condition. Sometimes the security in an older vault is also not up to snuff and it can cost a pretty penny for vaults to be re-locked with different keys, codes and whatnot. Might have been cheaper to rip out and replace.

Relocating somewhere in South Granville makes sense given the competition is still strong - all big 5 banks within 3 blocks plus HSBC and a credit union.

We shall see.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by bluefox

The renovations make it too open concept for a bank IMO, and I see the blogger touches on that. There's also no guarantee the old HSBC vault (which would contain said safety deposit boxes, while the sources in the post keep implying these two things are separate) was even in good enough shape to keep. Not to mention would it be up to RBC's standards - especially when pouring all this money into improvements just to keep an old vault of questionable condition. Sometimes the security in an older vault is also not up to snuff and it can cost a pretty penny for vaults to be re-locked with different keys, codes and whatnot. Might have been cheaper to rip out and replace.

Relocating somewhere in South Granville makes sense given the competition is still strong - all big 5 banks within 3 blocks plus HSBC and a credit union.

We shall see.

#1 The building owner (Austeville Properties) owns a bunch of other properties anchored by Vancity/BMO so they might lean towards them angling for another financial tenant.

#2 CDC Construction specializes in financial institutions. They also built out the Vancity on Balsam Place that Austeville owns.

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I noticed that the Starbucks at Vancouver Centre (next to London Drugs)
is closed with a sign saying "Closed for Emergency Repairs".

It's been like that for a while now and the window coverings look rather well done for an 'emergency repair'.

Yes they have to be up to the landlord's standard but this has all the hallmarks of a quick closure never to reopen-I've walked by at all times of day and have never seen any work being done by anyone-note that No Permit needed for emergency repairs.

[officedweller]

Interesting, thanks.
Maybe Nordstrom stole all their customers.

[GeeCee]

Wouldn't be the first time that a business in the food service industry closed a location and then proceeded to lie about how long it would be closed for. A business on the scale of Starbucks to pull that move is rather unusual, though.

[jollyburger]

They've deleted the store page for that location so probably not a good sign.

It was their busiest downtown location in 2013 supposedly:

https://twitter.com/granvillestreet/status/335483690119483393?lang=en

Maybe the new location at West Pender & Granville is enough for them.

[osirisboy]

That's weird that place was always packed.

[RDW989]

The building on the north side of the 1000 block Robson was demolished this week.
My pix, June 29
[IMG]Robson1000bl0619 by RDW989, on Flickr[/IMG]

Also, across the street, the two adjacent vacant retail units in the same building with Zara and Banana Republic, etc (one unit says leased, the other still has a for lease sign) have been active with construction recently, but no indication of what.

[SpongeG]

I wanted to take a pic of that but my camera died.

A little further west along Robson in the spot where American Eagle was, 1/3 of it i hoarded up and leased out. The other 2/3 of the space are still for lease. I suspect it will be a food or drink spot?

Also that fancy Eclair pastry place from Paris has closed down and is being replaced by I think its a bubble tea place. I wonder if it was a bad location or just not enough brand awareness?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I wanted to take a pic of that but my camera died.

A little further west along Robson in the spot where American Eagle was, 1/3 of it i hoarded up and leased out. The other 2/3 of the space are still for lease. I suspect it will be a food or drink spot?

Also that fancy Eclair pastry place from Paris has closed down and is being replaced by I think its a bubble tea place. I wonder if it was a bad location or just not enough brand awareness?

Probably some franchise owner that didn't have enough money to figure things out.

[dreambrother808]

They’re reopening in a few days. Starbucks would not lie about a permanent closure by saying it was just repairs. What in the world would motivate them to do that? This is one of the busiest locations in Canada. It’s not going anywhere.

Originally Posted by jollyburger

They've deleted the store page for that location so probably not a good sign.

It was their busiest downtown location in 2013 supposedly:

https://twitter.com/granvillestreet/status/335483690119483393?lang=en

Maybe the new location at West Pender & Granville is enough for them.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Conrad Yablonski

It's been like that for a while now and the window coverings look rather well done for an 'emergency repair'.

Yes they have to be up to the landlord's standard but this has all the hallmarks of a quick closure never to reopen-I've walked by at all times of day and have never seen any work being done by anyone-note that No Permit needed for emergency repairs.

The windows are covered. How would you see work being done?

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Interesting, thanks.
Maybe Nordstrom stole all their customers.

The Nordstrom cafe is quite good but never as busy as that Starbucks.

[Sheba]

I wasn't sure that this should get it's own thread: BC government seeking public input on future of Daylight Saving Time

Most areas of BC “spring forward” into daylight saving time during summer months and “fall back” to standard time in the winter months.

Now, through an online survey, the province is asking people for their opinion on their preference moving forward.

“I know many people will have strong preferences on this complex question, and this is an opportunity to express them and help government decide our next steps,” said Horgan.

The survey will be available beginning this week, and will run until July 19 of this year. It takes approximately five minutes to complete.

The website also has background information on the history of time observance in British Columbia and the impact of various options, such as changes to the timings of sunrise and sunset at different times of the year.

How much of a difference would this make to retail, offices, schools, etc?

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by RDW989

Also, across the street, the two adjacent vacant retail units in the same building with Zara and Banana Republic, etc (one unit says leased, the other still has a for lease sign) have been active with construction recently, but no indication of what.

The CRU across the street in Robson Centre Place has had that 'leased' sign up for over a year, I doubt if it's actually leased as nothing's happened with it. Had long thought the two spaces ( former A/X and BCBG ) combined, would work well for Uniqlo.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by RDW989

The building on the north side of the 1000 block Robson was demolished this week.
My pix, June 29
[IMG]Robson1000bl0619 by RDW989, on Flickr[/IMG]

Also, across the street, the two adjacent vacant retail units in the same building with Zara and Banana Republic, etc (one unit says leased, the other still has a for lease sign) have been active with construction recently, but no indication of what.

Good riddance. Those wood shacks should've been torn down a million years ago.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by Vin

Good riddance. Those wood shacks should've been torn down a million years ago.

Agreed. Not to mention half the site was surface parking

[logan5]

If Vin likes what's happening on Robson, you know it has gone completely to shit.

With the type of retail that now dominates Robson, it functions as an outdoor annex of Pacific Centre. I look to streets like East Pender in Chinatown to pick up the slack in the coming years. Great spaces for a more diverse and interesting retail street.