The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread - Page 713

whatnext · #**14241** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 12:33 AM**

I see the Starbucks at Cornwall & Yew has closed, which has been their seemingly forever. Right across from the beach it must have been a moneyspinner in summer. That's at least three Sbux closures in the last six months, which must be the most since the 2008 recession. Greedy landlords or...?

jollyburger · #**14242** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 12:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

I see the Starbucks at Cornwall & Yew has closed, which has been their seemingly forever. Right across from the beach it must have been a moneyspinner in summer. That's at least three Sbux closures in the last six months, which must be the most since the 2008 recession. Greedy landlords or...?

Open for 27 years

https://www.kitsilano.ca/2020/01/12/starbucks-at-cornwall-yew-closes-forever-tomorrow/

Vin · #**14243** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 12:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

I see the Starbucks at Cornwall & Yew has closed, which has been their seemingly forever. Right across from the beach it must have been a moneyspinner in summer. That's at least three Sbux closures in the last six months, which must be the most since the 2008 recession. Greedy landlords or...?

Lousy coffee at Starbucks. It's the familiarity, marketing and fresh look that keep them alive to date. When a City's coffee culture improves, it also spells the demise of Starbucks.

Sheba · #**14244** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 5:29 PM**

For anyone still dreaming of them opening one here...

Quote:

Five years after they opened, IKEA Canada says it will be closing the doors of its five remaining pick-up and order point locations effective Jan. 29.

The five stores, all located in Ontario, opened in 2015 as part of a global test program aimed at evaluating customer response to new retail formats, according to the Swedish retail giant.

...

Tetsuo · #**14245** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 7:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

I see the Starbucks at Cornwall & Yew has closed, which has been their seemingly forever. Right across from the beach it must have been a moneyspinner in summer. That's at least three Sbux closures in the last six months, which must be the most since the 2008 recession. Greedy landlords or...?

Damn, poor beach goers are going to have to walk another four blocks East !

Wouldn't be surprised to see a local coffee house replace them there, Vin is right, it's seen across the city, changing taste and demand for better coffee.

Doubt it will be like Tim's on second in FCsouth, but more like Pallet replacing the Oak St Starbucks near KE

svlt · #**14246** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 8:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Damn, poor beach goers are going to have to walk another four blocks East !

Wouldn't be surprised to see a local coffee house replace them there, Vin is right, it's seen across the city, changing taste and demand for better coffee.

Doubt it will be like Tim's on second in FCsouth, but more like Pallet replacing the Oak St Starbucks near KE

Changing tastes, sure, but I would be hesitant to bet on some $4 drip coffee shop like the ones in Gastown doing any better in that location. It probably survives off the back of tourists and students. But then that might be the right market for it

Whatever it is replaced with I hope it makes a good splash as there isn't anything phenomenal in the food and drink sector on that stretch.

dreambrother808 · #**14247** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 11:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

Lousy coffee at Starbucks. It's the familiarity, marketing and fresh look that keep them alive to date. When a City's coffee culture improves, it also spells the demise of Starbucks.

Starbucks has seen sales growth year over year over year in Vancouver, for decades now. That has not changed, nor are there any signs of gloom. New locations open while others are closed for a number of reasons, unrelated to the health of the local market for this brand.

Your opinions are just that, opinions.

Vin · #**14248** Posted **Jan 15, 2020, 1:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Starbucks has seen sales growth year over year over year in Vancouver, for decades now. That has not changed, nor are there any signs of gloom. New locations open while others are closed for a number of reasons, unrelated to the health of the local market for this brand.

Your opinions are just that, opinions.

Did I say it has stopped growing? Our coffee culture isn't quite there yet, especially in the suburbs, and that's why Starbucks is still growing. However, the overall growth has slowed down considerably since the heydays of Starbucks stores opening. After the Seattle-based chain started opening in Vancouver's city centre, there had been no closures for years. However, there have been more of them closing in the city centre recently, especially when better coffee places can be found nearby.
https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/SBUX/starbucks/revenue

As for other parts of the country, try guessing why it has so few stores in Quebec. Well, French-Canadians already have a relatively strong coffee culture compared to the Anglophones, and hence it's harder for Starbucks to succeed there. The English drink tea, and French cafe, kapish?
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-starb...-as-final-frontier-idUSTRE73774B20110408

In Europe, see this chart to know which countries they are most successful in...you guessed it, the UK: the country with the most crappy coffee culture!
https://www.statista.com/statistics/541629/number-of-starbucks-stores-in-europe/

Indeed, your opinions are just that, opinions.

rofina · #**14249** Posted **Jan 15, 2020, 6:44 PM**

JJBean may as well be the only coffee chain. Top notch.

Coming from someone who no longer drinks coffee because of a total lack of self control.

officedweller · #**14250** Posted **Jan 15, 2020, 9:25 PM**

There's also a "sameness" to all the Starbucks (regular outlets, anyways).
You walk into one at the airport in Hawaii and it's exactly the same as one on the corner in Vancouver.
I expect that dissuades people from hanging out there as much a people did in the past - it just feels a bit "tired".
(i.e. it doesn't really hit the "experiential" target that people are looking for these days.)

SpongeG · #**14251** Posted **Jan 15, 2020, 9:29 PM**

The very few Starbucks in Coquitlam are always packed, especially when they do their happy hour special, which is usually every thursday. They need more especially in the Lougheed Town Centre area. I don't drink the coffee and starbucks as the best chai of all the places I have tried.

I tried Matchstick the other day on Davie street, a london fog with their non-dairy milk, some weird oat milk, it was awful. According to a few friends they said the coffee is pretty awful.

Jougho · #**14252** Posted **Jan 15, 2020, 10:58 PM**

Retail Council of Canada published their 2019 shopping centre study yesterday. Park Royal came in at a surprising #4 in sales per sq. ft. Oakridge is off the list.

Jougho · #**14253** Posted **Jan 15, 2020, 11:18 PM**

Delete

officedweller · #**14254** Posted **Jan 16, 2020, 1:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jougho

Oakridge is off the list.

Hit hard by construction chaos...

whatnext · #**14255** Posted **Jan 16, 2020, 3:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

The very few Starbucks in Coquitlam are always packed, especially when they do their happy hour special, which is usually every thursday. They need more especially in the Lougheed Town Centre area. I don't drink the coffee and starbucks as the best chai of all the places I have tried.

I tried Matchstick the other day on Davie street, a london fog with their non-dairy milk, some weird oat milk, it was awful. According to a few friends they said the coffee is pretty awful.

Contrary to what some say, it's not just the suburban ones. The one in Kerrisdale is always packed. So is the Reserve one at Main and 13th, despite a JJ Beans across from it and 49th Parallel just down the street.

Tetsuo · #**14256** Posted **Jan 16, 2020, 3:55 AM**

Starbucks also acts like a bank, with over a billion in deposits LOL

officedweller · #**14257** Posted **Jan 16, 2020, 3:58 AM**

Safeway Oakridge shutting down for redevelopment tomorrow – Jan 16th.

SpongeG · #**14258** Posted **Jan 16, 2020, 4:01 AM**

Miniso on Robson was having a big 88% off sale when I was home the last couple of weeks. They are "reopening" as a Marvel X Miniso on Saturday. I thought they might be closing but they were just clearing out for the Marvel stuff.

officedweller · #**14259** Posted **Jan 17, 2020, 1:16 AM**

Bose to Shutter Canadian Stores Amid Brick-and-Mortar Retail Retreat
https://www.retail-insider.com/retail-in...amid-brick-and-mortar-retail-retreatnbsp

Vin · #**14260** Posted **Jan 17, 2020, 2:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

Contrary to what some say, it's not just the suburban ones. The one in Kerrisdale is always packed. So is the Reserve one at Main and 13th, despite a JJ Beans across from it and 49th Parallel just down the street.

Kerrisdale is a suburb, and so is Main, although Main has more coffee selections. JJ Beans has way better coffee than Starbucks.