Canadian Retail Thread

[caltrane74]

Saks is getting a billion-dollar makeover—just in time for its Toronto debut

http://www.torontolife.com/style/tor...-brand-revamp/

Saks Fifth Avenue, a soon-to-be major player in Toronto’s flourishing department-store scene, is about to get a facelift—to the not-so-tiny tune of $1.25 billion. The American luxury retailer, which was snapped up by Hudson’s Bay in 2013, is set to replace the Bay’s drab retail mausoleum at Yonge and Bloor in the near (but still unspecified) future. Now it looks like the trade-up may be better than anticipated, thanks to a brand-wide revamp helmed by new Saks president Marigay McKee. According to industry site Business of Fashion, the department dinosaur plans to lure younger clientele with a raft of modern upgrades.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

There are architectural and engineering issues, that building should have been torn down sixty years ago.

I saw some market research done by a US chain on downtown Calgary last summer that did not put the Core in a very positive light, it basically boiled down to " - The "downtown retail corridor" is not a recognized shopping destination. People don't have a positive or negative opinion, they have no opinion what so ever."

Same could be said their flagships in Vancouver (nearly identical architecturally to Calgary's), Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Winnipeg. IMO, HBC's historic downtown flagships make them stand out amongst the competition. As someone who appreciates historic buildings, I'm glad most of them are still standing.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

There are architectural and engineering issues, that building should have been torn down sixty years ago.

I saw some market research done by a US chain on downtown Calgary last summer that did not put the Core in a very positive light, it basically boiled down to " - The "downtown retail corridor" is not a recognized shopping destination. People don't have a positive or negative opinion, they have no opinion what so ever."

Isn't this one of the nicest historic buildings in downtown Calgary ?

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Same could be said their flagships in Vancouver (nearly identical architecturally to Calgary's), Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Winnipeg.

The issue with the Calgary store is it is actually three different buildings built over the course of forty years stitched together behind the facade and the original structure was built to accommodate an additional four floors of high density warehousing and could probably contain a nuclear blast. This isn't a day to day problem, but it does limit what can be done in terms of interior renovations. It is not and will never be a modern department store.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

And that Ft. McMurray one is completely out of the blue.

It's anchor store is a two level Sportchek! It's secondary anchor is an Atmosphere.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Calgary's is getting reno'd but not the full todo. Otherwise it is getting a refresh but no 'the room' or top shop. I believe Top Shop is going into Chinook Mall. It wasn't considered connected enough to Calgary's downtown mall, the Core (560k sqft, $609 sale/sqft, as there is a mall that feels more like a 70s suburban failing mall connecting the two.

I know you guys get mad when I say this.
But it is no surprise all this stuff is going to Chinook Mall and not the downtown store.

Sadly, Chinook Mall has become the "downtown" regional shopping destination for Greater Calgary, unless you are going to Holt Renfrew.
For years now, stores that would only open downtown in say Vancouver, or open their first store only in a downtown, have gone instead to Chinook Mall in Calgary, and not downtown.

Calgary has a lot of work to do to make downtown the metropolitan shopping destination again. And this needs to be done, because you can't have a city full of fun exciting streetlife, without a retail element to it.

Toronto is still doing o.k. But even in Toronto, you are seeing some malls like Yorkdale really challenge downtown, and I don't think that is a good situation for a city to be in.
Even the Toronto Eaton Centre, which used to have many stores that had their only location in Toronto there, has become way too complacent. They really need to step up their game and get in some stores that are unique to Toronto. In fact, I think they somehow need to do an expansion. But not the cheap stupid expansions they have done, but an eye popping architecturally unique extension.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by connect2source

The Hudson's Bay in downtown Vancouver is outstanding now! It's seems to get better all the time and I believe they're fully positioned to take on Canada's largest Nordstrom coming next year just across Granville St. in the former Eaton's / Sears building.

Of course it will be able to handle Nordstrom very well. Despite being the largest Nordstrom in Canada, the Vancouver store will still be just slightly larger than a suburban mall branch store. It will not be this grand downtown store that offers a huge selection.

So at being over double the size, The Bay Downtown will be able to offer a way better selection and unique shopping experience than Nordstrom will be able to.

Nordstrom just does not know how to do flagship stores. They really are stuck in this suburban branch shop type of mentality, which just does not create a unique shopping experience with a a large selection.

[ue]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Edmonton and Winnipeg have not gotten as much love in their downtown stores, because I don't think The Bay finds those two downtowns as prosperous or the main shopping areas of the city, as in other big Canadian cities.

Technically Calgary is in the same boat as Edmonton and Calgary vis a vis main shopping districts, but it's downtown Bay store is still the flagship for the city and is still in good shape. Even Vancouver faces competition from Metrotown.

The only cities in Canada I can think where Downtown is the place to go shopping first and foremost are (in order) Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and (maybe) Vancouver.

There are rumblings I hear once in a while about refreshing Edmonton's downtown Bay store (though still retain the flagship at Southgate), but not much seems to happen. It recently added an EQ3 collection to its furnishings department, but that's about it.

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Isn't this one of the nicest historic buildings in downtown Calgary ?

Definitely. Far prettier than Edmonton's old downtown Bay store. This is what our old Bay store (now housing the UofA's Enterprise Square) looks like - the top floor is an addition from when the UofA bought the building.


Enterprise Square by mastermaq, on Flickr


HVDSON'S BAY COMPANY by Daveography.ca, on Flickr

Still, I'd love for the Bay to move back into its original department store site (however unlikely), despite it not being an anchor for City Centre in that case. It'd have far more grandeur than the current concrete bunker and a far more prominent location (right on Jasper Ave with an LRT station right there that is still named after it - Bay Station).

This is what our current downtown Bay store looks like in City Centre West:

Hudson's Bay. The oldest company in North America. by brucefaulkner, on Flickr


Hudson's Bay. The oldest company in North America. by brucefaulkner, on Flickr

[GreaterMontréal]

The only cities in Canada I can think where Downtown is the place to go shopping first and foremost are (in order) Montreal, Toronto

They go to shop and/or just for no reason. People watching, etc... You just walk, take breaks, restaurants (eat), coffey.... a downtown is much more than just shopping.

[ue]

^ Of course. People do that in other cities too, and in places besides downtown cores, but I was talking specifically about retail. St-Catherine St still seems to have pull as a retail destination over Carrefour Laval, Faireview Pointe Claire, Galeries d'Anjou, and Promenades St-Bruno (all of which also have people just 'hanging out' or people watching too).

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by ue

^ Of course. People do that in other cities too, and in places besides downtown cores, but I was talking specifically about retail. St-Catherine St still seems to have pull as a retail destination over Carrefour Laval, Faireview Pointe Claire, Galeries d'Anjou, and Promenades St-Bruno (all of which also have people just 'hanging out' or people watching too).

The only reason to go to Sainte-Catherine street over Carrefour Laval is for the atmosphere, and everything that comes with it. (if you live on the north shore).

for shopping, Carrefour Laval is the best in Qc. At 115,478 m2 (1,318,000 ft), it is the largest enclosed mall in the Montreal area and also Quebec's largest mall operating on one floor. 354 stores
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrefour_Laval

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by ue

^ Of course. People do that in other cities too, and in places besides downtown cores, but I was talking specifically about retail. St-Catherine St still seems to have pull as a retail destination over Carrefour Laval, Faireview Pointe Claire, Galeries d'Anjou, and Promenades St-Bruno (all of which also have people just 'hanging out' or people watching too).

These days it's the Quartier Dix trente in Brossard that presents the fiercest competition to downtown Montreal. A million people live on the south Shore and they don't cross those bridges to shop on Ste-Catherine anymore, apparently.

[ue]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

The only reason to go to Sainte-Catherine street over Carrefour Laval is for the atmosphere, and everything that comes with it. (if you live on the north shore).

for shopping, Carrefour Laval is the best in Qc. At 115,478 m2 (1,242,990 sq ft), it is the largest enclosed mall in the Montreal area and also Quebec's largest mall operating on one floor. 354 stores
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrefour_Laval

That may be, but does it have the destination status of St-Catherine? It's like comparing the Trafford Centre and City Centre in Manchester or that big mall in Gateshead across the river from Newcastle. Or Georgetown with the Virginia suburban malls.

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

These days it's the Quartier Dix trente in Brossard that presents the fiercest competition to downtown Montreal. A million people live on the south Shore and they don't cross those bridges to shop on Ste-Catherine anymore, apparently.

when you shop big, you need a car.

destination status of St-Catherine

no, but when I think of shopping, my first idea is not Sainte-Catherine. When I want to kill time, yes, it's my first choice. Sainte-Catherine and downtown Mtl.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

These days it's the Quartier Dix trente in Brossard that presents the fiercest competition to downtown Montreal. A million people live on the south Shore and they don't cross those bridges to shop on Ste-Catherine anymore, apparently.

Even a lot of people who live on the island go to Dix30 instead of downtown these days. I have friends with young families in the east end (HoMa and Rosemont) and they go to Dix30 a lot surprisingly.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Even a lot of people who live on the island go to Dix30 instead of downtown these days. I have friends with young families in the east end (HoMa and Rosemont) and they go to Dix30 a lot surprisingly.

Yes, I know. They actually have chains there that are not yet in Montreal. They even have a stand-alone Apple store, like a mini flagship one !

I've been there once and I swear I'll never go back. So depressing. But I hate the suburb, so I'm not objective about it. But it is remarkably close to downtown. Once you cross the Champlain bridge, you are there in like 10 minutes, so I can understand how tempting it is to shop there, even for Montrealers.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Yes, I know. They actually have chains there that are not yet in Montreal. They even have a stand-alone Apple store, like a mini flagship one !

I've been there once and I swear I'll never go back. So depressing. But I hate the suburb, so I'm not objective about it. But it is remarkably close to downtown. Once you cross the Champlain bridge, you are there in like 10 minutes, so I can understand how tempting it is to shop there, even for Montrealers.

Before Christmas I was at my friends in Rosemont, and they served a pasta dish that was quite good, and they said "Oh, yeah we got this at this awesome little pasta place at Dix30." I was kinda shocked, even though I am not anti-suburb at all.

And BTW neither of them works on the south shore - both work downtown.

[miketoronto]

While downtowns in Canada have faired better than their American counterparts, we still seem to lag compared to Australian cities.
In Australia, their smaller cities the size of say Edmonton or Calgary, have much more vibrant downtowns, which are still the main retail area for the metropolitan area.

Interesting how Australia has been able to do this, yet our smaller cities have not been able to.

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

While downtowns in Canada have faired better than their American counterparts, we still seem to lag compared to Australian cities.
In Australia, their smaller cities the size of say Edmonton or Calgary, have much more vibrant downtowns, which are still the main retail area for the metropolitan area.

Interesting how Australia has been able to do this, yet our smaller cities have not been able to.

Australia is isolated.

[GreaterMontréal]

Even a lot of people who live on the island go to Dix30 instead of downtown these days.

easy access.

and on the North Shore, near Mirabel, a Premium Outlets.