Canadian Retail Thread

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I also hate the obligatory detour through the cosmetics department.

It seems like every pharmacy chain does that now.

As you enter, you go through the cosmetics department where a pretty young female employee greets you with a warm "bonjour" and smile (when she didn't have to wear a mask).

[esquire]

OK, time to play catch-up with this thread

Originally Posted by JustForTheHalibut

wow, that's half as many as the entire lower mainland, IF you include C'wack.
The smallest cities in Western Canada that have a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is Lloydminster or Prince Albert, Sask. not sure which is smaller.

There is a Popeye's in Portage la Prairie, MB population 13,300, but I'm sure there's probably someplace smaller with one... it usually doesn't take long for fast food chains to start looking for growth in smaller towns.

Originally Posted by Vorkuta

I admit I rather like Cora's. Great place for a lot of varied breakfast stuff that doesn't make you feel (too) terrible. Downside is the price, but we don't do it often.

I went to Cora's in downtown Victoria last month. First time to that chain in many years and I remembered why. All the ambiance and charm of a hospital cafeteria, while paying $20 for a plate of fucking bacon and eggs to arrive at your table a half hour after you ordered it. It's horrendous. I would not go back.

Originally Posted by thewave46

I...what?

It's fucking Popeye's. Mass produced industrial food, this location which shall be around for years. It's not some limited-time thing.

Modern day consumer culture is both fascinating and morbidly depressing.

There seems to be a subset of the population that gets genuinely excited over the prospect of lining up for new fast food restaurants. It happened in Winnipeg in recent years when Popeyes and Jolibee opened. People lined up for hours. I don't get it at all since you could come back in a month and not have to wait in line, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Originally Posted by theman23

Maybe because its the only restaurant chain you know in BC, because White Spot food is pretty mediocre and the overall dining experience pretty bad when you factor in the price, crappy service, and poor upkeep of most of the restaurants.

During my trip to BC last month I ate at White Spot twice (once in Nanaimo, once on West Broadway in Vancouver). My family loved it, the food was great and the locations we ate at were very nice, they looked more like upscale steakhouses than family restaurants. Very pleasant. The food is not the cheapest for what it is, but those burgers are just fantastic.

Originally Posted by casper

For years the only Harvy's in Saskatoon was inside a Home Depot. Years later I think one opened up on the university campus. They are rare site in the west.

There is something that just does not fell right about their burgers. I just cant pin it down.

Agreed re: Harvey's burgers. It's just off.

Harvey's and Swiss Chalet keep constantly appearing and disappearing in Winnipeg on a 15 year cycle. Every so often they pop up again, struggle, close down and then a few years later it starts over. The last Harvey's and Swiss Chalets on the most recent cycle closed early in the pandemic... I'm sure in a few years they will try yet again... for a while there was a period where the only Harvey's in town were in Home Depot as well, which was weird. I have never had the inclination to eat while at Home Depot.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Shoppers Dog Fart? Ugliest signage in Canada, save for Jean-Coutu (where you will find it all; even a friend!!).



I also hate the obligatory detour through the cosmetics department.

I call that detour the Shoppers Drug Mart Loop. While most locations have that setup, the one closest to me does not - they have the grocery department up front and the cosmetics is off to the side. You have to go through the grocery area to get to the pharmacy counter or the Canada Post counter.

About the cosmetics department. A neighbour of mine back in London worked for Big V, which was a pharmacy chain in Southwestern Ontario that operated for many years and was bought by Shoppers Drug Mart in 1997 (long before Loblaws got their hands on it). Big V was a pharmacy first and foremost, but they also had substantial gift departments. The stores were independently run and had much local management control, and were responsive to the neighbourhoods they were located in. When Shoppers moved in, their central management wanted to control what the local stores were selling, without any regard to the needs of neighbourhoods. My neighbour had to push hard to keep the gift department, but they kept reducing it to make room for more and more cosmetics. This store was located in an area with a large senior population, and the gift department was popular with the regulars who shopped there, but cosmetics weren't what they were looking for. Eventually my neighbour retired and the gift department was eliminated entirely - and a year later, Pharma Plus opened a pharmacy next door, substantially expanding only a couple years later.

I've always resented the Shoppers Drug Mart Loop because of how it was used to force my neighbour out of the company after they bought Big V.

Also, I don't understand why they added the blue oval thingy behind the logo. It seems so pointless.

[casper]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

how many brands does CT own? they bought Helly Hanson, Paderno, Woods, and Noma, what else do they own?

It is a long list.....

Marks Work Wear World
Part Source
Party City (very dollar store like)
Sports Check
National Sports
Nevada Bobs Golf
Intersport
Some hockey stores (Hockey Export and a few others)

Very much into sports.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by casper

It is a long list.....

Marks Work Wear World
Part Source
Party City (very dollar store like)
Sports Check
National Sports
Nevada Bobs Golf
Intersport
Some hockey stores (Hockey Export and a few others)

Very much into sports.

Didn't know about Woods and Paderno. Liked my woods gear. The old Resolute jacket was my best extreme weather coat for years. Long before Canada Goose had a similar jacket. And a hell of a lot cheaper. Lasted about 15 years before I had to replace it. And it was still relatively good. just not as effective in extreme cold.

Marks is probably my most regular store. I have noticed that they are very well geared to a community. Some store are heavier on Office and Healthcare clothing where in other communities they are very much Trades focused.

And as much as we malign CT, Its one of the few places I can usually find what I need in a hurry.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by casper

It is a long list.....

Marks Work Wear World
Part Source
Party City (very dollar store like)
Sports Check
National Sports
Nevada Bobs Golf
Intersport
Some hockey stores (Hockey Export and a few others)

Very much into sports.

ah ok. quite the collection they have now.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Can't lie, CT has some of the best sales I've seen. It's lower quality stuff no doubt, but you can get it INCREDIBLY cheap when the sale is right (especially tools).

[Loco101]

Canadian Tire also owns the stores Sports Experts and Atmosphere.

[MonctonRad]

LL Bean has just confirmed a new store for CF Champlain Place in Dieppe (Moncton) NB.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

LL Bean has just confirmed a new store for CF Champlain Place in Dieppe (Moncton) NB.

I didn't realize that they have store locations in Canada until I saw one in January in Barrie ON. I'm surprised that they haven't moved into the Quebec market being a Maine-based company. I know there's the whole language stuff but even then, Quebecers tend to be bigger on outdoor gear and clothing than much of the rest of North America.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I didn't realize that they have store locations in Canada until I saw one in January in Barrie ON. I'm surprised that they haven't moved into the Quebec market being a Maine-based company. I know there's the whole language stuff but even then, Quebecers tend to be bigger on outdoor gear and clothing than much of the rest of North America.

LL Bean and others like Columbia, Patagonia, North Face, etc. are popular here but a big chunk of the market is occupied by local brands: Louis Garneau, Chlorophylle, Orage, Kanuk, Lachasse, Lolë, etc.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Acajack

LL Bean and others like Columbia, Patagonia, North Face, etc. are popular here but a big chunk of the market is occupied by local brands: Louis Garneau, Chlorophylle, Orage, Kanuk, Lachasse, Lolë, etc.

Oh yes, definitely lots of Quebec-based brands. I still use my 20 year old Louis Garneau showshoes. Chlorophylle has a store in Rouyn-Noranda but I find it to be too expensive.

But you'd think that LL Bean would at the very least open stores in the Montreal and Quebec regions. But then again, their Canadian website is only in English which is surprising. Often retailers don't properly study foreign markets and potential ones well. While Maine may border Quebec, I bet most of its population and business people don't know much about Quebec. Vermonters tend to know Quebec much better from my observations and travel but it's not easy to take a business across an international border in any case.

I remember seeing a number of Quebecers wearing LL Bean clothing during my last trip. But it's obvious that many of them are able to order in English on a website.

[esquire]

Winnipeg went through the same thing with Popeyes, the first couple that opened a few years ago had huge lineups. I live near one that opened more recently and there has never been a lineup that I can ever recall. It never even looks all that busy.

[JHikka]

The Popeyes near my place is always empty. Folks from Moncton are free to skip the 2.5 hour drive to Halifax and hop on a plane to Pearson instead if they're so inclined.

Like, I get the appeal, but I don't want to hear people lament about how 'American' Toronto is if people out east are lining up down the street for days on end for a subpar American fast food chain. All Canadians have this same attraction to something shiny and new.

[SpongeG]

There is a Popeye's that opened in at least 2019, about two weeks ago around dinner time, 6:30 pm there was a lineup outside the door and every time I have passed it has quite a lot of people inside, they are still very popular years later.

Mary Brown's is now extending further west into the lower mainland outside of Surrey and the Fraser Valley where they had locations for a few years and only this year have opened within the city of Vancouver, compared to the numerous Popeye's locations the
Mary Browns are never that busy. I don't mind them I would pick them over Popeye's.

Korean Fried Chicken places are opening up all over the place here, a number of former Sushi places, owned or run by Koreans have been switching to Korean Fried Chicken. Chicko Chicken seems to open a new location monthly. Plus there are a lot of independent ones popping up or adding the chicken to their existing menus.

Has Korean Fried Chicken caught on in other parts of Canada?

In Vancouver we Have Nene chicken, Pelicana, BB.Q. are all chains from Korea. Chicko Chicken is one that was started by Koreans who came here I think, and they claim to fly ingredients to Canada.


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[JHikka]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Has Korean Fried Chicken caught on in other parts of Canada?

I was under the impression that Korean fried chicken peaked in Toronto/Ottawa like five-seven years ago. I recall places like The Fry expanding in both years and years ago. Last year's hot commodity in Koreatown was Korean corn dogs, with a number of places being lined up out the door. Chungchun was the main location in Toronto's Koreatown but they have them all over.

[casper]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I was under the impression that Korean fried chicken peaked in Toronto/Ottawa like five-seven years ago. I recall places like The Fry expanding in both years and years ago. Last year's hot commodity in Koreatown was Korean corn dogs, with a number of places being lined up out the door. Chungchun was the main location in Toronto's Koreatown but they have them all over.

Korean BBQ should be more popular. The ones with gas lines under all the tables are not as enjoyable as the ones where it is more authentic hot coals. There are very few of these around. I can't think of one I have been to in Canada that was not natural gas.

[MonctonRad]

LL Bean has just announced opening of five new stores in Canada in 2022.

The new stores will be in Edmonton, Niagara Falls, Kitchener, Kingston and Moncton.

[WhipperSnapper]

It would likely be different if the Canucks had won the cup since its inception in 1970. Making the finals every 10 years (unlike the Leafs) just isn't the same as winning

[casper]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

It would likely be different if the Canucks had won the cup since its inception in 1970. Making the finals every 10 years (unlike the Leafs) just isn't the same as winning

True.