The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by svlt

Just don't tip if you don't feel like it, no one is forcing you to. I don't see the issue.

I tip for good, personalized service with people whom I have a good relationship with - it covers more than sit down restaurants, but that's because I want to, not because I'm asked. I tip the nanny, she's fantastic with my kid. I tip my barber generously, he's done great work for me for years. I round up for my tailor who also gives great personalized service. However, I never tip on takeouts or any sort of simple transactions. Just punch through the stupid machine, hit zero, and be on your way. Cold day in hell if I ever tip at a Subway - heck it might be a cold day in hell if I eat at one really. What's the person going to do behind the counter to you? Nothing.

Tipping lets you make up your own mind on who deserves a few dollars or not.

There are absolutely cases of servers having tantrums about customers not tipping, or even worse when a restaurant won't split the bill suddenly everyone has to tip as much as whoever paying is tipping. That culture needs to end, even if tipping doesn't.

I'll throw out another anecdote for good measure, I remember talking to a female friend of mine years back about serving, and she told me she had a regular customer who always came into the restaurant the same day and same time every week. That's the shift she would wear her lowest cut top and shortest skirt because his tipping was proportional to the amount of skin showing. Tipping is gross.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by chowhou

...when a restaurant won't split the bill suddenly everyone has to tip as much as whoever paying is tipping.

The servers and restaurants should realize that when bills are not split (and paid with a combination of cash and partial credit card payments), the customers must do MATH (!), they'll get short-changed on the tip every time.

[SpongeG]

Having worked in restaurants there were some customers who either don't follow or know of what is expected as a tip nowadays and some would leave just $5 on a $200 bill and servers would not be too happy. We had a big Christmas party once and it was like a $500 bill and they left something like $35, at that time there wasn't an automatic tip applied for such big parties. I think after that they changed the policy and started an automatic 15% or 18% charge for large groups.

[SpongeG]

the bed bath & beyond on Lougheed in Coquitlam is being painted blue. I am gonna guess that it could be a Marshalls. Great access and high visibility it should do well.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

the bed bath & beyond on Lougheed in Coquitlam is being painted blue. I am gonna guess that it could be a Marshalls. Great access and high visibility it should do well.

Hmmm. That's not in the ToysRUs list (below), so could be.

British Columbia:
Burnaby: Station Square, 6200 McKay Avenue (opening this summer)
Kamloops: Columbia Square, 500 Notre Dame Drive (opening this summer)
Victoria: Uptown Mall, 3600 Uptown Boulevard (opening in October)

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Hmmm. That's not in the ToysRUs list (below), so could be.

British Columbia:
Burnaby: Station Square, 6200 McKay Avenue (opening this summer)
Kamloops: Columbia Square, 500 Notre Dame Drive (opening this summer)
Victoria: Uptown Mall, 3600 Uptown Boulevard (opening in October)

So the Metrotown Toys R Us below Sears is moving to the Bed Bath & Beyond space in Station Square. I was pondering if that would speed up the Sears redevelopment but considering how long that space has been sitting empty...

I just did a quick look at who's taking over the stores and this is what I came up with: Bed Bath & Beyond (inc their baby stores) - 65

rooms + spaces - 21
Toys R US / Babies R US - 11
Canadian Tire / Marks / Pro Hockey Life - 10

Which leaves 23 locations as unknowns.

[CanSpice]

Donnelly Group files for creditor protection

Freehouse Collective, better known as the Donnelly Group, is try to avoid that fate by filing for creditor protection.

The company revealed Wednesday it’s initiated proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) to revise the term of existing loans and restructure debt accrued during the pandemic. The Supreme Court of British Columbia granted an initial order and appointed a CCAA monitor.

[theKB]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Donnelly Group files for creditor protection

An out to dump the underperforming leases I would assume.

Can't see a place like brass fish turning a profit at this point. Are any of the places they own that busy anymore? Sing sing on main seems to be pretty successful but that's of course anecdotal. Seems like downtown could get several more for lease signs.

[trofirhen]

Nordstrom is preparing to leave, and I wonder what will replace it: I suppose nothing is certain right now, but I'd love something really upmarket: Harrod's, Printemps, Neiman Marcus, or such.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by theKB

An out to dump the underperforming leases I would assume.

Can't see a place like brass fish turning a profit at this point. Are any of the places they own that busy anymore? Sing sing on main seems to be pretty successful but that's of course anecdotal. Seems like downtown could get several more for lease signs.

Also this lines up with the recent requirement for the Covid repayments from all the bridge loans that were given out.

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Donnelly Group files for creditor protection

Originally Posted by theKB

An out to dump the underperforming leases I would assume.

Can't see a place like brass fish turning a profit at this point. Are any of the places they own that busy anymore? Sing sing on main seems to be pretty successful but that's of course anecdotal. Seems like downtown could get several more for lease signs.

Dutch Love Cannibis is part of Donnelly Group as well. They have sold a number of those locations and are in the process of selling the remainder.

Ron.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Nordstrom is preparing to leave, and I wonder what will replace it: I suppose nothing is certain right now, but I'd love something really upmarket: Harrod's, Printemps, Neiman Marcus, or such.

The retail apocalypse left dead malls and shuttered big-box stores scattered across the US — now, pickleball is coming to the rescue

Now I know that's the US - but I wonder if something similar will happen in Canada. They're actively looking for large spaces to take over vs what seems to be the usual talk here about trying to chop those spaces into smaller stores.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

Dutch Love Cannibis is part of Donnelly Group as well. They have sold a number of those locations and are in the process of selling the remainder.

Ron.

I found this - Some Dutch Love cannabis stores to be rebranded following sale

Grabbing cannabis in Vancouver? The name of your local dispensary could soon be different.

Several Dutch Love cannabis stores in Vancouver are set to be rebranded after they were sold to a new owner.

This comes as the owner of Dutch Love, Freehouse Collective (aka the Donnelly Group), files for creditor protection amid pandemic-related financial struggles. The company employs 800+ staff and owns more than a dozen bars and restaurants in both Vancouver and Toronto, as well as Bomber Brewing and Dutch Love’s parent company Lightbox Enterprises.

Harrison Stoker, Freehouse’s chief growth officer, said the company initiated Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act proceedings this week to restructure and come to an agreement with its primary lender, Bank of Montreal. It plans to keep operating its hospitality businesses but has sold several cannabis dispensaries.

Three Dutch Love cannabis locations in Vancouver were named in insolvency documents in March. The sale of the Kitsilano, Robson, and Marpole Dutch Love locations to Calgary-headquartered SNDL Inc. was approved for an unspecified sum.

SNDL operates cannabis dispensaries and alcohol retail locations under several brand names, and in a May 15 update to investors confirmed it purchased four Dutch Love locations. The transaction is expected to close by the end of June, with the fourth location being in Ontario.

...

Freehouse Collective, the rebranded Donnelly Group, owed more than $20 million to BMO, landlords, and the government. In court filings about its application for creditor protection, it said its businesses were successful before pandemic restrictions gutted revenue. As it reopened, it also faced additional challenges around staff retention as minimum wage increased — and climbing interest rates didn’t make things easier.

While the company is selling its cannabis dispensaries, it hopes this will be a story of survival for its restaurants and bars, and the staff who work there.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Nordstrom is preparing to leave, and I wonder what will replace it: I suppose nothing is certain right now, but I'd love something really upmarket: Harrod's, Printemps, Neiman Marcus, or such.

Originally Posted by Sheba

The retail apocalypse left dead malls and shuttered big-box stores scattered across the US — now, pickleball is coming to the rescue

Now I know that's the US - but I wonder if something similar will happen in Canada. They're actively looking for large spaces to take over vs what seems to be the usual talk here about trying to chop those spaces into smaller stores.

Yikes!! Do you mean a major downtown store could become a pickleball court?? It was so nice having Nordstrõm here. Downtown Vancouver is on the decline, it seems, retail-wise anyway. Geez,
can't we do better than that, right downtown, too? It would be a travesty to the city.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Yikes!! Do you mean a major downtown store could become a pickleball court?? It was so nice having Nordstrõm here. Downtown Vancouver is on the decline, it seems, retail-wise anyway. Geez,
can't we do better than that, right downtown, too? It would be a travesty to the city.

I was asking if anyone here thinks that something similar could happen to big box stores in Canada - not that it will happen to the Nordstrom location.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I was asking if anyone here thinks that something similar could happen to big box stores in Canada - not that it will happen to the Nordstrom location.

Thank you for the clarification. What do you think is a more probable outcome for the space Nordstrom leaves behind? It's such a centrally located place.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Thank you for the clarification. What do you think is a more probable outcome for the space Nordstrom leaves behind? It's such a centrally located place.

I honestly have no idea. I don't think it's quite so central anymore though - the suburbs have been picking up the slack so that now a lot of people can easily live without going into Van very often.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I honestly have no idea. I don't think it's quite so central anymore though - the suburbs have been picking up the slack so that now a lot of people can easily live without going into Van very often.

That makes sense. Still, it seems a shame to have that building and that space downtown empty or nearly so - or occupied by something mundane and lackluster. Covid really hit hard everywhere.
The Bentall Centre mall is half (or more) totally empty due to people working from home and a dearth of pedestrian shoppers there. Empty and sad. What a waste. Stores shut down, people gone. Twilight Zone.

[memememe76]

Yes, I saw a pickleball court in a mall in Downtown Milwaukee. The other side of that mall was a rather nice food hall.

[jollyburger]

Lougheed T&T is opening June 1st