The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[Tetsuo]

Don't have to buy a lot of Christmas stuff annually.

Buy a set/decorations once, stash away for next year.

Unlike Halloween, where people tend to replace yearly their costumes

[Vin]

Uncle Tetsu Cheesecake store is opening up on Robson: same block and side as where London Drugs is. Be prepared for a new line-up location. Interesting that the businesses doing well are the Asian-type bakeries, eateries and cafes. While international retail chains are failing here on Robson, the many food and beverage businesses seem to be thriving along this street, and replacing the traditional retail businesses.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Vin

Uncle Tetsu Cheesecake store is opening up on Robson: same block and side as where London Drugs is. Be prepared for a new line-up location. Interesting that the businesses doing well are the Asian-type bakeries, eateries and cafes. While international retail chains are failing here on Robson, the many food and beverage businesses seem to be thriving along this street, and replacing the traditional retail businesses.

That area of Robson has been littered with empty storefronts for years.

[officedweller]

Fashion and hard goods (electronics) are stuff that people can buy on-line.
Food services can't be - that's why so many malls are moving towards huge food courts, market districts and entertainment venues.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Fashion and hard goods (electronics) are stuff that people can buy on-line.
Food services can't be - that's why so many malls are moving towards huge food courts, market districts and entertainment venues.

True. I buy a lot of things online but I’d still never buy clothing, unless I’d previously purchased the same item, knowing that it fit and what it looked like in person.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by Vin

Uncle Tetsu Cheesecake store is opening up on Robson: same block and side as where London Drugs is. Be prepared for a new line-up location. Interesting that the businesses doing well are the Asian-type bakeries, eateries and cafes. While international retail chains are failing here on Robson, the many food and beverage businesses seem to be thriving along this street, and replacing the traditional retail businesses.

There is so many ESL living in that area so all the asian eateries are reeping the rewards

[SpongeG]

I went to COS one evening last week, besides me and my friend it was all staff inside. Indigo across the street was busy as were most of the store at about that time. The new retail building going up is quite big.

[supercanuck]

Been to the Sungiven in City Square Mall a few times recently and it is very quiet in there. Selection is slim and prices are average at best. (I was only there to get my parking validated too.) I wonder how long it can survive.

[SpongeG]

Maybe I am mistaken but I thought they were more like a whole foods type store just the Chinese version. Higher-end with mainly Organic or healthy foods.

[officedweller]

I found Sungiven Foods' pricing a bit hit and miss.
I thought produce and meat were expensive, but multi-packs of ramen were reasonable and oddly, Eggo waffles were reasonable as well.
I doesn't help that the store looks sparsely stocked.

Also, apparently the $7-8 mango I saw in there is a special Australian variety that is very sweet, but for those unaware, without explanatory signage, it paints a picture of being stupidly expensive.

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

True. I buy a lot of things online but I’d still never buy clothing, unless I’d previously purchased the same item, knowing that it fit and what it looked like in person.

Agreed. Clothing only if you know the brand and fit.
Although I've bought stuff online from Hudson's Bay when they have free shipping because returns are easy at their stores.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I found Sungiven Foods' pricing a bit hit and miss.
I thought produce and meat were expensive, but multi-packs of ramen were reasonable and oddly, Eggo waffles were reasonable as well.
I doesn't help that the store looks sparsely stocked.

Also, apparently the $7-8 mango I saw in there is a special Australian variety that is very sweet, but for those unaware, without explanatory signage, it paints a picture of being stupidly expensive.

Agreed. Clothing only if you know the brand and fit.
Although I've bought stuff online from Hudson's Bay when they have free shipping because returns are easy at their stores.

How about the cooked food section, any good?

Originally Posted by cairnstone

There is so many ESL living in that area so all the asian eateries are reeping the rewards

Unreal to think that ESL folks or foreigners are keeping this region's major shopping street alive. Says a lot about this city, doesn't it?

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

That area of Robson has been littered with empty storefronts for years.

Not sure if the City has a hand in this, but I notice back in the days landlords of premises east of Bute Street never leased out their CRUs to food and beverage businesses, but with so many vacancies of late, more F&B, especially the Asian ones, are popping up to take over.

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I went to COS one evening last week, besides me and my friend it was all staff inside. Indigo across the street was busy as were most of the store at about that time. The new retail building going up is quite big.

Went there once during Boxing week and noticed that the clothes only look good on you if you are in a K-pop girl or pretty boy band. Certainly not my cup of tea. Zara, here I come again.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Agreed. Clothing only if you know the brand and fit.
Although I've bought stuff online from Hudson's Bay when they have free shipping because returns are easy at their stores.

But with the return policies (by mail) I think there are people that don't really care if it fits or not.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

But with the return policies (by mail) I think there are people that don't really care if it fits or not.

Amazon Prime?

Originally Posted by Vin

How about the cooked food section, any good?

It wasn't open when I was there - soon after the store opened.

[zahav]

"Unreal to think that ESL folks or foreigners are keeping this region's major shopping street alive. Says a lot about this city, doesn't it?"

I think it says more about the nature of street retail now, rather than about our city. Retail is being slammed all over the place, in other cities and countries it is malls that get decimated. Our malls are doing well, and so this "high street" has been struggling. I certainly don't think it speaks to the City itself at this point. Although there is a bigger problem with taxation, triple net leases, and other factors that could help these situations. Landlords who don't care about getting the space leased and continue to demand exorbitant rents are awful, the City should tax them with an empty space fee to enourage rents to be more in line with what retailers are willing to pay

[officedweller]

Could just signal Robson (at least the western stretch) returning to neighbourhood street status.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Could just signal Robson (at least the western stretch) returning to neighbourhood street status.

By that, permit me, I assume you mean just a regular neighbourhood street, groceries, pharmacies, and retail for the immediate neiughbourhood, a minimal attempt at snazz. yes / no?
Alberni, of course has stolen Robson's thunder, if you will, but now what is left undone is the refurbishing of Alberni. Is the Prada telephone pole still there? Any new sidewalks, planting....
Regarding zahav's remark about malls failing in other parts of the world but doing well here, I think that if Alberni - & immediate environs - were smartly redone, it could be a successful counterpoint to malls, and be the inspiration for other retail streets elsewhere in the city to go all-out in being interesting and charming.
Excuse me if I strayed off the topic of Robson itself, but the two are interlinked somehow, and IMHO it is time to address the redoing of Alberni to make it truly ... (gaaak - that word...)
World Class

[zahav]

I totally agree re: Alberni, they need to majorly step up improvements there considering the type of road it is supposed to be now. It wouldn't even take much, very cosmetic things could do a lot. They are doing major upgrades to Richards now, but that is bike related so of course it takes priority lol, it is Vancouver after all.

But really the emptying of Robson has been happening for a long time and is a general retail phenomenon, I think it's held up better than I thought it would.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

By that, permit me, I assume you mean just a regular neighbourhood street, groceries, pharmacies, and retail for the immediate neiughbourhood, a minimal attempt at snazz. yes / no?

Yup - like Cambie Village or Kerrisdale

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

But with the return policies (by mail) I think there are people that don't really care if it fits or not.

Returning things is a hassle. Sometimes I buy things and then forget to return them or don’t even bother because it feels like a waste of time. I’m not proud of that occasional habit.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Yup - like Cambie Village or Kerrisdale

Yeah, I'm cool with that. It could be a neighbourhood street and also be very pleasant if unostentatiosly so. What concerns me is the seeming lack of progress on Alberni, or am I wrong?