Retail News

[fastcarsfreedom]

Agreed BCTed, and important to note that at one time--until the early/mid 1990s, almost every imaginable chain doing retail trade in this country was in the complex. The downward spiral was what I would refer to a "perfect storm" of overbuiding retail capacity in the core, increased competition from other locales in the region, shifting demographics and a protracted recession in the early 1990s which pegged off a number of established chains and drove others to trim lesser-performing stores from their rosters. Remember--downtown's hours have always been lesser compared to the suburbs (even at it's peak, 9pm hours were only T & F and Sundays were always half-open/half-closed--so even a store doing a brisk business downtown would have lower revenues based on reduced hours.

We've discussed this ad nauseum here of course--the simple truth is that reaching a critical mass of residents downtown (as in, people with money who want seersucker shirts and Speery Topsiders) is key to reviving retail--inside and outside the mall. The HCC, Sheraton and office towers are a great place to start--that's built-in clientele--getting more people living locally and shopping downtown is really the keystone. Important to note, many retailers up and left over the years--and corporations do have some "memory"--so there is the added hurdle of convincing someone who already left to invest and come back.

[Millstone]

I had an inkling that JS used to use uniform signage, is the Coles sign a leftover?

Also the movie theatre in JS is old and low-rent.

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by Millstone

I had an inkling that JS used to use uniform signage, is the Coles sign a leftover?

Also the movie theatre in JS is old and low-rent.

The theatre is not in too bad a shape at all. It just does not have stadium seating, which I would prefer as well.

[raisethehammer]

Southgate in Bath looks great.
If only we'd have done that from the start and kept the streets intact.

[omro]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

Southgate in Bath looks great.
If only we'd have done that from the start and kept the streets intact.

I choose Bath as an example as the downtown has a lot of heritage buildings and Hamilton has a lot of gorgeous old buildings downtown too.

[raisethehammer]

the theatre is another drawing card in this place...the only one in the entire lower city for pete's sake.
Apparently the 200,000ish people living in the lower city never need to buy books, or go to movies based on the lack of stores.

[SteelTown]

I can't believe we haven't gotten an American Apparel yet. They like store front retail so I doubt they woud locate inside Jackson Square or City Centre.

Perhaps Westdale or Locke? Chatham and Locke, HELLO!

[realcity]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

I can't believe we haven't gotten an American Apparel yet. They like store front retail so I doubt they woud locate inside Jackson Square or City Centre.

Perhaps Westdale or Locke? Chatham and Locke, HELLO!

London's just opened this summer. It's a cool street location within a strip of bars. Almost as good as College Street. Westdale or Locke are both good locations for Am Apparel. It's mostly a girl store tho, I've been a few times to College St and never buy anything. It's just that they give instant cool factor to a neighbourhood. If only Locke could fiqure out what it wants to be when it grows up.

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by realcity

If only Locke could fiqure out what it wants to be when it grows up.

I would vote 'The Beach' (without the water of course), and that would not include an American Apparel. An Ends yes, American Apparel or it's ilk no.

[raisethehammer]

How about Gore Park...we need these big players downtown, not on sleepy Locke.

[fastcarsfreedom]

Though they were unsuccessful, AmericanApparel did try to make a go of it in downtown Windsor a couple of years ago--seems to me that if they can be attracted to Windsor they could surely be attracted to Hamilton.

[markbarbera]

While they do seem to have a preference for streetfront retail, a good number of their recent Canadian locations are opening up in shopping malls. By the way, if you go to their website, they do have a feedback page for suggesting new locations.

[raisethehammer]

they better have a website considering the amount of money they get from BIA businesses each year.
They might want to change the banner showing a bustling scene by the fountain with Infusions patio full.
Maybe they can show the parking lot at Main and Rebecca.
Or the one at James and Main.
Or the one at.......

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

they better have a website considering the amount of money they get from BIA businesses each year.
They might want to change the banner showing a bustling scene by the fountain with Infusions patio full.
Maybe they can show the parking lot at Main and Rebecca.
Or the one at James and Main.
Or the one at.......

Misleading, but marginally better than a snap of Fingers/Chesters, which tend to look like a 1988 flashback at best, "the thinking man's Joe Buttinsky's" at worst. Time for a facelift, gents. (And, what the hell, maybe some windows for Fingers.)

What's so irritating about the BIA’s business directory being such shit is that it's counter to the prime directive: "The two primary activities of the BIA involve promoting the area as THE place to work, live and play in Hamilton and advocating on behalf of its member businesses." So what, you'll stand up for us in the newspaper as a diamond in the rough but when a curious consumer comes looking, you've stashed the treasure map out of sight?

Is this the same Kathy Drewitt from Avalon Property Management/The Right House? If so, she's on quite a winning streak.

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

they better have a website considering the amount of money they get from BIA businesses each year.
They might want to change the banner showing a bustling scene by the fountain with Infusions patio full.
Maybe they can show the parking lot at Main and Rebecca.
Or the one at James and Main.
Or the one at.......

How is what I say "squelching" and what you say not?

I'm sure that the BIA is trying. Things are not an easy sell in downtown Hamilton.

[raisethehammer]

if they're trying then they should all be fired.

[hammergirl]

Southgate Bath is stunning!

I love shopping in England where the shopping districts are closed off to traffic like that. Wish we had that here although with our climate, it's nice to shop indoors in the winter.

Omro, do shopping districts in England still have late shopping hours only one night a week?

[sofasurfer]

Originally Posted by hammergirl

do shopping districts in England still have late shopping hours only one night a week?

I'm not Omro, but another Londoner about to move to Hamilton - so maybe I can answer your question, hammergirl:

In Kingston-upon-Thames (my nearest main shopping district - dominated by The Bentall Centre), most places are open until 8pm on Thursdays and 6pm rest of the week (including Saturday - Sunday hours are usually 10-4/5).

It's probably worth pointing out here that in addition to the Bentall Centre, the main shopping street in Kingston is pedestrianised and very popular - friends who live between Kingston and central London seem to prefer to come to Kingston to shop. And, in terms of geography, Kingston is on the fringe of greater London in a similar way to Hamilton being on the edge of the GTA.

Having said that, I'd pretty much echo what Omro has said about JS/Eaton (like him, I think we went through both without me realising) - it really didn't strike me as a place I'd want to visit much as it stands. However, that is based on a couple of visits in the last 12-18 months - but having said that, I'm really looking forward to becoming a regular visitor to the farmers market!

[hammergirl]

Thanks Sofasurfer!

My last visit to England was 12 years ago. I was wondering if maybe the shopping hours had expanded.

On that trip I stayed with cousins in Staines and she took me shopping in Guildford. Also hit the shopping districts of York, Windsor and Huddersfield.

[omro]

Originally Posted by sofasurfer

Having said that, I'd pretty much echo what Omro has said about JS/Eaton (like him, I think we went through both without me realising) - it really didn't strike me as a place I'd want to visit much as it stands. However, that is based on a couple of visits in the last 12-18 months - but having said that, I'm really looking forward to becoming a regular visitor to the farmers market!

I agree, the Farmer's Market is a major redeeming feature :-)

Originally Posted by hammergirl

My last visit to England was 12 years ago. I was wondering if maybe the shopping hours had expanded.

The big change in the last 12 years you would note, is that shops now open on Sundays which I'm pretty sure never happened 12 years ago.

Shopping hours depends where you go. Most inner city shopping areas will close between 5 and 6pm with one late night a week.

Malls tend to close at 8pm.

Supermarkets Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda, etc. are often open until 10 or midnight weekdays.

Oxford Street in central London seems to vary by shop, some closing at 7, others 9 and others 11 (I can remember suddenly wanting to buy a book, I was a bit bored that night , jumping on the tube to Oxford Circus and trotting down to Borders at 10:30pm and it was still open)