Canadian Retail Thread

[kirjtc2]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Canada had so much more of it's own identity back then. Too bad we sold out to the American's.

You do realize Woolco and K-Mart were American too, right?

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Few stores are as depressing as SAAN was:

ensign

or depressing (and stinky) as Field's

boundarysentinal.com

And this wretched place:

dealcetera

Can't forget Stedman's V&S Dept. Store

vendreici

Haha we've had all of these except Saan but the town next door did.
And I've never even heard of Giant Tiger. The Rockies seem to block both certain chains and polar temperatures.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

You do realize Woolco and K-Mart were American too, right?

Woolco was only operating in Canada by the 1980's. Plus we had more than just Woolco. There was a lot more Canadian stores back then, even discount stores.

How are we any better off now, with just Walmart? At least we had choice before with a ton of different stores.

I think Canadian's just like to complain. I have been in many Zellers stores, and I never saw any stores in shambles.

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Who could (that lived during those times) forget Consumers Distributing? The closest thing to communism state stores that we ever had in Canada, next to the (still existing) Beer store (aka Brewer's Retail). Fill out your purchase slip from the catalogue. Bring it to the clerk and pay. Wait a year or three. WHOOOOSH! Out it comes on the conveyor belt.

Most famous item in the catalogue: "Personal Massager" (Vibrator/Dildo).

They weren't even subtle about it, those would be on the first or second page.

I remember going there with my dad to buy a tent, they brought the wrong one out about half a dozen times.

I think the last thing I ever bought there was a Canon printer.

I also remember a bunch of kids brawling at the location on Centre Street in Calgary over who was next to play the demo of Super Mario Brothers on an original Nintendo.

Before they went under they were experimenting with a big-box format.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Woolco was only operating in Canada by the 1980's. Plus we had more than just Woolco. There was a lot more Canadian stores back then, even discount stores.

How are we any better off now, with just Walmart? At least we had choice before with a ton of different stores.

I think Canadian's just like to complain. I have been in many Zellers stores, and I never saw any stores in shambles.

Woolco came in Canada in the 70´s.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Don't forget BiWay!

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/merge...ead-1137651/2/

Oh my god.....you're bringing back serious memories from 1995.

[SignalHillHiker]

We don't have Giant Tiger here but I do remember it from Winnipeg. It was pretty depressing but the redeveloped ones from the previous page look tolerable.

I suppose our equivalent is Riff's. But I can't find a website so maybe they've since closed? That was probably the most terrifying chain I've ever been inside. You felt like you needed latex gloves just to touch anything. And the decor - both inside and out - was... rural hockey rink condemned 20 years ago.

If we're talking just a grocery, not a department store, then in urban areas here it'd be Dominion, Coleman's, and Sobeys. We have no Safeway or anything like that.

In rural areas it used to be IGA, Foodland, etc. Dominion AND Sobeys in service centres (say 5,000+ population) and possibly a Coleman's as well on the west coast of the island.

These days it seems that No Frills has cornered the rural market - and even encroaches on some suburban areas of St. John's, such as the Town of Paradise.


Marystown Mall, Google Street View

It's owned by Loblaw's, which also owns Dominion, so...

[Taeolas]

I used to work at the Metropoletan store (later the Met store) at my town growing up. It and Stedmans were the only department stores in town. Eventually a few Dollar stores moved in as well, and the Met chain folded into SAAN. WalMart moving in finally killed it for good. Stedmans was downtown, and folded long before WalMart came in. They also had Dolphin's as a department store downtown too.

Freddy had BiWay and Consumers Distributing and Woolco and KMart back in the day. If I recall correctly, the BiWay is now the Fabricville, Consumers Distributing is now a TDBank. KMart is Canadian Tire and Woolco is a Walmart Supercentre now.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Woolco came in Canada in the 70´s.

I think you are correct. It had been around a very long time. Woolco was "the big box" format of Woolworth. It was interesting setup for the Woolworth company, small Woolworth stores in small towns and neighborhood stores and then have the Woolco in the larger malls.

What is even stranger is the company still exists in Canada. Woolworth had a small subsidiary called Kinney Shoes (remember my parents buying shoes for me there where I was a growing up) that had a little know sub-brand called Footlocker. The Bargain Shop was also a Woolworth brand as well as Northern Reflections or Northern Elements and a few other small store chains.

[wg_flamip]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Canada had so much more of it's own identity back then. Too bad we sold out to the American's.

I feel Canada's identity is much stronger now than it was back when I was growing up in the 90s. An identity based on low-end chain retail is kind of pathetic.

I used to work at a Zellers diner back in high school. What a poorly managed store it was. Near the end, I think they were only making money off of the HBC credit cards they were constantly trying to get you to sign up for. I'm not sure that HBC could've survived had they not got rid of them.

[SignalHillHiker]

It's all the same shit with a different name.

Watch the uproar here if they try to change the name of the grocery Dominion to Loblaw's. It's the same fucking store. The logo for Dominion is even the Loblaw's L turned to look like a D.

People cling to difference. But they really only get their backs up when exposed to the rest. I drank more Pineapple Crush and ate more Purity biscuits in Winnipeg than I do here where they come from.

It doesn't matter really if it's Zellers or whatever else. The places they're in will still be the same.

[miketoronto]

I would like to know why people think American retail is so much better run? The truth is, American retail is not run well at all, and most of it is facing troubles as well.

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It's all the same shit with a different name.

Watch the uproar here if they try to change the name of the grocery Dominion to Loblaw's. It's the same fucking store. The logo for Dominion is even the Loblaw's L turned to look like a D.

People cling to difference. But they really only get their backs up when exposed to the rest. I drank more Pineapple Crush and ate more Purity biscuits in Winnipeg than I do here where they come from.

It doesn't matter really if it's Zellers or whatever else. The places they're in will still be the same.

You still have Dominion grocery stores? Thought that brand was defunct.

[SignalHillHiker]

No, it's the dominant one here. Sobeys might be ahead overall province-wide (but not in St. John's), I don't know. But it's definitely in that top two in terms of size, number, etc. Ours were a separate chain bought by Loblaw's but they kept the local branding. I think it was Ayre's that owned it?

One sec...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominio...ewfoundland%29

There ya go. Separate from the Canadian one but with its branding.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

I would like to know why people think American retail is so much better run? The truth is, American retail is not run well at all, and most of it is facing troubles as well.

My experience has generally been better, more attentive and friendlier service whenever I've shopped in the United States, especially where Walmart and Target are concerned versus what I see at Rona and Canadian Tire in Canada. This is only a generalization; I've had great customer service experiences in Canada too, but in the days I used to shop in Port Huron, I saw a big difference in the attitude of the retail workers there compared with Sarnia and London.

Even on the Canadian side of the border, I've generally found staff at Target and Lowe's to be a lot more helpful and friendlier than at Canadian Tire, Rona, or Sears Canada. Again, generalizations, but there is a noticeable trend.

[Trevor3]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

We don't have Giant Tiger here but I do remember it from Winnipeg. It was pretty depressing but the redeveloped ones from the previous page look tolerable.

I suppose our equivalent is Riff's. But I can't find a website so maybe they've since closed? That was probably the most terrifying chain I've ever been inside. You felt like you needed latex gloves just to touch anything. And the decor - both inside and out - was... rural hockey rink condemned 20 years ago.

If we're talking just a grocery, not a department store, then in urban areas here it'd be Dominion, Coleman's, and Sobeys. We have no Safeway or anything like that.

In rural areas it used to be IGA, Foodland, etc. Dominion AND Sobeys in service centres (say 5,000+ population) and possibly a Coleman's as well on the west coast of the island.

These days it seems that No Frills has cornered the rural market - and even encroaches on some suburban areas of St. John's, such as the Town of Paradise.

It's owned by Loblaw's, which also owns Dominion, so...

Loved Riff's when I was in middle school. The only place in town to get brand name shirts was Riff's! They're still on the go but they stick to the tiniest towns where they are legitimately the only option, like Deer Lake, Port aux Choix and Port aux Basques.

The closest equivalent to the new look Giant Tiger's would probably be Piper's in St. John's. No idea why they don't try to expand outside the metro area, if they could they'd essentially block Giant Tiger from coming in.

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

No, it's the dominant one here. Sobeys might be ahead overall province-wide (but not in St. John's), I don't know. But it's definitely in that top two in terms of size, number, etc. Ours were a separate chain bought by Loblaw's but they kept the local branding. I think it was Ayre's that owned it?

One sec...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominio...ewfoundland%29

There ya go. Separate from the Canadian one but with its branding.

From what I can tell, Sobey's banner is only in St. John's, Corner Brook and Grand Falls, but Sobey's owned 'Foodland' is the most common in smaller communities. Dominion is in all the principle towns, with those No Frills things in smaller places like you said.

We have Dominion but no Sobey's presence at all. We have 2 Coleman's and a Co-op though.

Originally Posted by Taeolas

I used to work at the Metropoletan store (later the Met store) at my town growing up. It and Stedmans were the only department stores in town. Eventually a few Dollar stores moved in as well, and the Met chain folded into SAAN. WalMart moving in finally killed it for good. Stedmans was downtown, and folded long before WalMart came in. They also had Dolphin's as a department store downtown too.

Freddy had BiWay and Consumers Distributing and Woolco and KMart back in the day. If I recall correctly, the BiWay is now the Fabricville, Consumers Distributing is now a TDBank. KMart is Canadian Tire and Woolco is a Walmart Supercentre now.

Corner Brook had a KMart, it became a second Zellers and eventually Target. The funny part is, until the interior facelift for Target it was the exact same as KMart until Zellers closed out. Even the mall was commonly called the KMart Mall until recently, and people still know exactly what you mean when you call it that.

[SignalHillHiker]

Piper's! I forgot all about Piper's.





My mother dies for it. She's down to one at least once daily. Dad can't stand it. I was waiting in the car with him once for Mom to come out and this family with matching buck teeth walked by and Dad said, "See, that's what shops at Piper's. That and yer mudder."

It would be cool if they'd expand, though. At least to take over the closing Target in Corner Brook. CB could support a big Piper's. St. John's market is pretty saturated with Piper's, though, so something else will have to take over Target here. I'd say it'll be something completely unrelated. Golf Town or some shit, again..

[LFRENCH]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

People cling to difference. But they really only get their backs up when exposed to the rest. I drank more Pineapple Crush and ate more Purity biscuits in Winnipeg than I do here where they come from.

What is this pineapple crush you speak of?

[SignalHillHiker]

From Wikipedia:

Several flavors (Orange, Diet Orange, Grape, Strawberry, Cherry) are available at most stores throughout North America; however, others are distributed only within small markets. Pineapple Crush and Birch Beer Crush, for instance, are relatively easy to obtain in both can and single serving bottle in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

[LFRENCH]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

From Wikipedia:

Funny I picked up a bottle of Piná when I was visiting family, I noticed on the bottle it was Hencho En Canadá. I though it was a bit strange as i do not know of it being sold here.... perhaps it is this that it was referencing.