Winnipeg Retail

[esquire]

^ Personally, I'd love it if they just demolished the whole mall east of McNally's and used the vacant land for a residential development instead.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Personally, I'd love it if they just demolished the whole mall east of McNally's and used the vacant land for a residential development instead.

Well, at this point, (grew up in RH, went to GP HS), thier is really nothing that is a draw for customers outside of the cinema complex. There was more activity thier before Woolco became Walmart, Well the arcade, brought in us young punks eons ago, miss it..

[CoryB]

I really wish that dumb, unfounded rumor that GoodLife Fitness was taking over every Target Canada location would die.

Looking past the glossy press release and actually checking the facts behind it quickly shows it is not based in reality. A chain running 40,000 sq ft and smaller gyms is not suddenly picking up 133 leases for 100,000 sq ft and larger to convert them to gyms. Add in the fact that Target has already started turning leases back over to landlords and it is pretty clear there is no valid bid on their leases from anyone, including GoodLife Fitness.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Cyro

Well, at this point, (grew up in RH, went to GP HS), thier is really nothing that is a draw for customers outside of the cinema complex. There was more activity thier before Woolco became Walmart, Well the arcade, brought in us young punks eons ago, miss it..

The land that GP sits on is mostly wasted... so much of it is dedicated to parking lots that are rarely if ever filled to capacity. They could easily cram most of the stores and restaurants there into a much smaller footprint... best case scenario would be mid-rise buildings along Grant with a 2-storey commercial podium that includes most of the retailers currently in Grant Park.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I really wish that dumb, unfounded rumor that GoodLife Fitness was taking over every Target Canada location would die.

Looking past the glossy press release and actually checking the facts behind it quickly shows it is not based in reality. A chain running 40,000 sq ft and smaller gyms is not suddenly picking up 133 leases for 100,000 sq ft and larger to convert them to gyms. Add in the fact that Target has already started turning leases back over to landlords and it is pretty clear there is no valid bid on their leases from anyone, including GoodLife Fitness.

At the same time, it doesn't seem wildly unlikely that the Target GP space could become a gym of one kind or another. What about a different operator? Shapes, the YMCA... maybe it isn't a given, but it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by esquire

The land that GP sits on is mostly wasted... so much of it is dedicated to parking lots that are rarely if ever filled to capacity. They could easily cram most of the stores and restaurants there into a much smaller footprint... best case scenario would be mid-rise buildings along Grant with a 2-storey commercial podium that includes most of the retailers currently in Grant Park.

That parking lot fronting Grant has always been a wasteland. Your offering some good solutions, however the whole lot has already been re-purposed for the vehicle. New roadways, landscaping.... I fear that something short of a miracle would ever change the frontage on Grant Ave turned into anything resembling residential. At the most? Maybe an Earls or something of the same ilk next to Apple Bees or Pony Corral fronting Grant.

[blueandgoldguy]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bus...ce=d-top-story

13 % - IKEA's marketshare in Winnipeg. The largest in Canada.

Hard to believe a few years back there was absolutely no way IKEA would build a store in Winnipeg. Nothing less than a market of 2 million will be considered for IKEA or so we were told.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bus...ce=d-top-story

13 % - IKEA's marketshare in Winnipeg. The largest in Canada.

Hard to believe a few years back there was absolutely no way IKEA would build a store in Winnipeg. Nothing less than a market of 2 million will be considered for IKEA or so we were told.

It's strange that people in small cities like ours look at these sorts of things as indicators of legitimacy. It's really to our detriment that a company like IKEA was able to come in and swipe that sort of market share so easily.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

It's strange that people in small cities like ours look at these sorts of things as indicators of legitimacy. It's really to our detriment that a company like IKEA was able to come in and swipe that sort of market share so easily.

Is it? Or is it just a case that IKEA delivers something that few others can match?

When I was a student in Edmonton in the early 2000s, I was able to outfit a reasonably nice looking apartment dirt cheap with IKEA furniture. At the time, the only cheaper alternative was Wal-Mart/Canadian Tire particle board garbage, or Goodwill. You could get United Furniture Warehouse/Brick blowout deals for about the same price and somewhat comparable quality, but it was generally uglier.

These days competition is a little stiffer with more places offering decent cheap furniture. But I'd say that IKEA built a better mousetrap...hence the crowds. Good for them.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by esquire

Is it? Or is it just a case that IKEA delivers something that few others can match?

When I was a student in Edmonton in the early 2000s, I was able to outfit a reasonably nice looking apartment dirt cheap with IKEA furniture. At the time, the only cheaper alternative was Wal-Mart/Canadian Tire particle board garbage, or Goodwill. You could get United Furniture Warehouse/Brick blowout deals for about the same price and somewhat comparable quality, but it was generally uglier.

These days competition is a little stiffer with more places offering decent cheap furniture. But I'd say that IKEA built a better mousetrap...hence the crowds. Good for them.

Don't get me wrong, I like IKEA as much as the next guy for the reasons you've already stated. I'm just commenting on the negative effects that sort of concentration has in any market.

It's like Costco to me (other than the fact that Costco has a very attractive labour model): I love the store. The quality is great, the service is fantastic and it's ultimately convenient as hell if you can figure out when some of the down hours are. But every time I go back to Costco or get a mailer of sorts I'm always seeing Costco creeping into territory they've otherwise never been and our economies need smaller, more local enterprise to carry them.

I just find it ironic that bigger, more 'legitimate' cities do what they can to attach themselves to more regional and local outfits and cities like ours seemingly can't wait for the huge stores to come in and wipe these players off the map.

[horrorbro123]

When Champs Sports Renovation Will Be Finished at Polo Park?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

I just find it ironic that bigger, more 'legitimate' cities do what they can to attach themselves to more regional and local outfits and cities like ours seemingly can't wait for the huge stores to come in and wipe these players off the map.

On one hand you can point to it as a small-town thing... after all, nothing gets a place like Brandon abuzz like news about a new big box store opening up there. I'm sure that they will lose their minds the day that Costco opens up there... it will be their IKEA.

But on the other hand, bigger cities seem to get excited about this stuff too... look at the Edmonton subforum for breathless coverage of every "first to Western Canada" retailer that lands at WEM, or the Retail Insider blog where the excitement is palpable when obscure European luxury brands open up new storefronts on Bloor Street... it's human nature.

[trebor204]

It looks like Sport Check in St Vital Centre might by expanding.
Their doing some renovations at the south east corner of the mall behind Sport Check and Walmart.

[rkspec]

There are a bunch of piles sticking out of the ground in the rear parking lot of shapes/futureshop on pembina. You will see the construction while exiting bishop to pembina.

Wonder what can that be?

[Biff]

^^^ Access Fort Garry. It is a WRHA community heath centre. There are others all over the city.

[CoryB]

Ricki's, Cleo and Bootlegger have filled for court protection (bankruptcy). They plan to restructure, close some locations and stay in business with others.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

They have a collective total of 15 stores in Manitoba as follows:

Ricki's

Shoppers Mall Brandon
Kenaston
Polo Park
Portage Palce
Garden City
St Vital
Kildonan Place (two stores including Revolution)


Bootlegger

Polo Park
St Vital
Shoppers Mall Brandon
City Centre Mall Thompson

Cleo

Polo Park
St Vital
Shoppers Mall Brandon

[esquire]

The former Extra Foods on Main reopens as a No Frills store on Friday. The one on Notre Dame will reopen in a couple of weeks.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bus...-popular-views

[Brizzy82]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Ricki's, Cleo and Bootlegger have filled for court protection (bankruptcy). They plan to restructure, close some locations and stay in business with others.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

They have a collective total of 15 stores in Manitoba as follows:

Ricki's

Shoppers Mall Brandon
Kenaston
Polo Park
Portage Palce
Garden City
St Vital
Kildonan Place (two stores including Revolution)


Bootlegger

Polo Park
St Vital
Shoppers Mall Brandon
City Centre Mall Thompson

Cleo

Polo Park
St Vital
Shoppers Mall Brandon

I'm not surprised. I have always wondered how that Bootlegger in St Vital stays open. Even when the mall is busy, the store always seems empty. And they charge a lot, even their cheaper store-brand denim is on the expensive side.

Similar to the Buckle stores in North Dakota, but something just seems more depressing about being in Bootlegger.

[horrorbro123]

Bell Store Is Taking Over Old MTS Connect Next To EB Games In Polo Park

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I really wish that dumb, unfounded rumor that GoodLife Fitness was taking over every Target Canada location would die.

Looking past the glossy press release and actually checking the facts behind it quickly shows it is not based in reality. A chain running 40,000 sq ft and smaller gyms is not suddenly picking up 133 leases for 100,000 sq ft and larger to convert them to gyms. Add in the fact that Target has already started turning leases back over to landlords and it is pretty clear there is no valid bid on their leases from anyone, including GoodLife Fitness.

here's the news story that started it all

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/good...yees-1.2919823

GoodLife Fitness believes soon-to-be-closed Target locations might help it flex its muscle and expand across Canada — and it's offering job opportunities to current Target employees.

The privately held fitness centre operator said it will expand to more than 350 clubs across the country by this spring, and is aiming for 400 clubs by the end of the year.

"The former Target locations provide spacious and convenient locations that would be an excellent space for people to achieve their fitness goals," said GoodLife founder and CEO David Patchell-Evans in the statement.