Canadian Retail Thread

[CorporateWhore]

Originally Posted by neilson

Harry Rosen is good, but why shop there when you've got Moore's all over the place?

A Suit's a Suit, and Moore's proved that concept.

man, you'be obviously never tried on a good suit. it totally changes your outlook....and believe me, i'm not a suit person by any means.

[neilson]

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

man, you'be obviously never tried on a good suit. it totally changes your outlook....and believe me, i'm not a suit person by any means.

Which is why I can get a good quality suit at the American Cousin to Moore's.

Down here we call it Men's Warehouse and the quality and value are unbeatable. If they have good suits at Men's Warehouse, then I would expect the same at Moore's.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...l=969048863851
_____________

Retailer takes aim at Loblaw
Wal-Mart enters fresh food market
Analyst predicts pressure on prices
Oct. 20, 2006. 07:25 AM
DANA FLAVELLE
BUSINESS REPORTER

From sushi to organic baby food, Wal-Mart Canada Corp.'s newest Canadian store is a notch above what some analysts say they expected from a discount mass merchandiser.

The store, which is the first Wal-Mart in Canada to offer fresh food alongside frozen and packaged goods and general household merchandise, opened this week in Ancaster, a suburb of Hamilton.

It is one of several the country's biggest retailer plans to open between now and the end of January, including stores in London, Ont., Stouffville, Scarborough, Sarnia and Orleans.

The Ancaster store is remarkably different from any other Wal-Mart in Canada, or any of its U.S. formats, with the exception of its upscale experiment in Plano, Tex., analysts said.

Eschewing the Supercentre name, the company instead called the grocery side of the store Your Fresh Market and gave it a separate entrance off the parking lot.

The store is bigger than its nearest discount competitor, Food Basics, and charges lower prices than the nearby full-service supermarket, a Fortino's, said Perry Caicco, an analyst with CIBC World Markets.

And he said the new stores may take a bigger bite out of Canada's $70 billion a year grocery industry than originally expected.

"We would describe it as discount- plus," he wrote in a research note to clients.

"This will be a formidable grocery entry."

The focus of the report was the store's impact on supermarket leader Loblaw Cos. Ltd., whose stock Caicco has downgraded to "underperform."

He was one of four analysts to issue reports on Loblaws this week, including Michael Van Aelst, at TD Newcrest, who initiated coverage of the company with a "reduce" recommendation.

Scotia Capital's Ryan Balgopal rated the stock "underperform" while National Bank Financial's James Durran maintained his "sector perform" rating. The other analysts' reports were not immediately available.

In the short-term, each new Wal-Mart is likely to spark a price war in its immediate market, Caicco said, though he also forecast that Wal-Mart won't necessarily be the low-price leader in all categories.

Instead, the new stores would likely try to match existing food discounters, such as No Frills or Food Basics, on a range of goods, Caicco said.

But the new Wal-Marts offer more fresh fruit and produce than a typical food discounter, along with a full-service bakery and deli counter, he said.

The Wal-Mart opening comes days after Loblaw Cos. signed a four-year contract with its unionized workers across Ontario. The deal gives Loblaw the right to convert more stores to lower-cost formats. The company also announced plans to reinvest in traditional food stores, which have languished since Loblaw shifted its focus to adding more general household goods in a bid to compete with Wal-Mart.

The pact also bought four years of labour peace, which should have been good news for the retailer.

Instead, Loblaw's stock continued to slide in each of the four days since the contract was ratified.

Wal-Mart had to do more to compete in Canada's sophisticated grocery industry than simply replicate its U.S. supercentres, Caicco wrote in his report, referring to the large combined food and household goods stores that it operates south of the border.

Canadian consumers expect a more sophisticated offering, are more culturally diverse and already well served by discounters, like No Frills, Price Chopper and Food Basics, Caicco said.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...l=969048863851
__________

One-stop shopping a myth: Grocery guru
Retail's big players are sold on it, but this researcher argues picky consumers do what they always did - shop around
Oct. 22, 2006. 07:51 AM
DANA FLAVELLE
BUSINESS REPORTER

It has become a cliché that the time-pressed modern consumer is looking for value, price and convenience.
That's why you see firms like Loblaw Cos. Ltd. adding everything from furniture to shoes to their aisles, while retailers like Wal-mart Canada Corp. are bringing fresh food to their newest stores.
Yet, despite efforts by a growing number of retailers to be all things to all people, some experts believe one-stop shopping is a myth.
Most consumers actually split their weekly errands among a bunch of different stores, says Shelley Balanko, an ethnographer and consultant with The Hartman Group.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the grocery business, Balanko said in an interview. Today, she will deliver the keynote address at Grocery Innovations Canada.
The industry's annual trade show is taking place amid unprecedented change in Canada's $71.8 billion a year food retailing industry.
"The idea of the traditional marketplace is pretty much dead," said Balanko, who came to the conclusion by observing differences between what consumers say they want and what they actually do.
Though consumers say they like one-stop shopping, that's not the way they behave, said the Canadian-born Balanko, whose research is from the United States but is probably relevant to Canadians.
The days when mom or dad did a week's worth of groceries in a single trip is pretty much over, she said.
Instead, we see the modern family stocking up on staples such as toilet paper at large discount retailers but turning to local fruit stands or bakeries to buy fresh items, she said.
It's driven partly by consumers' changing tastes in food. Instead of buying mainly processed and packaged foods they want more organic, exotic, and fresh ingredients, Balanko's research has found.
"Whereas many years ago consumers were actually attracted to the convenience, predictability and reliability of processed and packaged foods," those same features now repel (if not repulse) most consumers, she suggested.
And, despite the intense time pressure on modern family life, people are willing to spend time getting what they want.
"Consumers' pickiness supersedes their sense of time famine," Balanko said.
Many modern families substitute some home-cooked meals with take-out food, she noted. Other nights, dad prepares the steak and salad he picked up on the way home from work.
Does that mean food retailers, like Loblaw and Wal-Mart, who are trying to be all things to all people, are headed in the wrong direction?
Not necessarily, Balanko said.
"You should concentrate on what you do best. As you add more things, consumers will continue to shop your store, but every consumer will shop your store for different reasons," she said. "Some people might be doing their weekly shop, others might be grabbing a quick product for workout fuel, and others might be picking up the fixings for a party."
All retailers need to be aware that consumers' tastes are changing. And that globalization is driving new tastes in food.
While some of our grandparents might have considered ethnic food weird, the baby boomer thinks nothing of ordering in Pad Thai, and their children have grown up with sushi and want to know how to make it at home, Balanko said.
Consumers care less about brand names, she maintains, finding they're looking for fresh and interesting experiences and that those who can fill that demand will get their business.
Balanko suggested stores try getting rid of candy and magazines at the cash register, and put grab-and-go fresh foods, such as bakery bread or cheese, near the front of the store.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...l=969048863851
____________

Quebec pharmacy chain eyes Ontario
Oct. 10, 2006. 03:45 PM
LUANN LASALLE
CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL — Quebec-based drugstore chain Jean Coutu Group Inc. (TSX: PJC.A) is looking to Ontario for expansion after announcing Tuesday a quarterly loss of $108.8 million (U.S.) related to the pending $2.55-billion (U.S.) sale of its stores in the United States.
Francois Coutu, president of Canadian operations, said drugstores are changing and his organization has to keep an eye on trends and opportunities in Ontario.
"We're getting prepared," he told a conference call with analysts about expansion in Ontario. "There's no question about this.
He said the pharmacy chain has to "make the required analysis for our expansion into the very neighbouring markets for us, which would make sense."
Jean Coutu Group, which reports in U.S. dollars, said the net loss amounted to 42 cents per share in its first quarter ended Aug. 26. This contrasted with year-earlier net income of $11.1 million or four cents per share.
The major asset writedown and restructuring charge is related to the recent sale of 1,859 Eckerd and Brooks stores to Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) in the United States.
Earnings per share before one-time items were reported at seven cents, up from five cents a year ago. The analyst consensus expectation was 11 cents, according to Thomson Financial.
The sale of the group's Eckerd and Brooks stores to Rite Aid Corp. resulted in an asset impairment of $120 million after taxes, or 46 cents per share, plus restructuring charges of $10.6 million.
Under the deal — announced in August and still under review by U.S. competition regulators, with a shareholder vote expected in December — Jean Coutu gets $1.45 billion in cash and a 32 per cent equity stake in the expanded 5,000-store Rite Aid operation, and Rite Aid assumes $850 million of Jean Coutu debt.
Analyst Cynthia Rose-Martel said that once the Rite Aid deal is closed, the issue will be whether Rite Aid can generate a profit.
"We all know that these U.S. assets are out the door, it's old news," said Rose-Martel, of Jennings Capital Inc. "We're waiting for the deal to close."
As for possible expansion into Ontario, Rose-Martel said there's not much choice for Jean Coutu Group because "they're kind of landlocked."
"If they're going to grow, they've got to go east and west," she said, adding that Ontario is the biggest market in Canada.
"You're not going to hopscotch over Ontario and go to Alberta. So by default, that's what they're going to have to do."
She noted that Jean Coutu has a distribution centre in Hawkesbury in eastern Ontario and that could facilitate expansion, but she said ``Ontario is a well-developed, highly competitive market."
It could be challenging to differentiate its stores from Shoppers Drug Mart (TSX: SC) pharmacies, she said, adding, "To me, one pretty much looks like the other."
Francois Coutu also told analysts the quarter showed "improved trends in pharmacy." However, sales of higher-margin front-of-store items lagged — largely because of the continued rapid fading in the photographic film category.
"Other than that, all categories are up, and that's a very good sign," he said.
The Canadian store network recorded a 9.1 per cent year-over-year increase in pharmacy sales and a 3.5 per cent rise in front-of-store sales, focusing on health and beauty products.
The front-of-store segment is "truly a women's world, I would say," Coutu said, and the cosmetic department "needs to improve even more."
Jean Coutu Group shares were off 20 cents to $11.90 in afternoon trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, with a 52-week high and low of $18.60 and $9.91.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...l=969048863851
_______________

IHOP lines up Ontario franchisee
Oct. 23, 2006. 10:10 AM
CANADIAN PRESS

GLENDALE, Calif.—IHOP Corp. (NYSE: IHP), the operator of the International House of Pancakes restaurant chain, is spreading into Eastern Canada with the announcement of an Ontario franchisee.
IHOP said Monday that Pancakes Canada Ltd., controlled by the Alfieri Group, a longtime operator of Italian-themed family restaurants in Niagara Falls, Ont., will develop three IHOP locations over five years in the Niagara region and Barrie, Ont.
IHOP said it signed agreements covering a total of 20 new franchise locations during the third quarter, adding to its roster of 1,278 restaurants in the United States and British Columbia.

[SpongeG]

i heard H&M just opened in London Ontario

[malek]

Banana Republic s'installe sur Ste-Catherine
Michel Munger
27 octobre 2006 - 10h02Le détaillant états-uniens de vêtements Gap (GPS) annonce vendredi qu'il ouvrira son magasin-phare montréalais portant la bannière Banana Republic sur la rue Sainte-Catherine dès le 31 octobre.



En s'installant dans un édifice historique situé à l'angle de l'avenue McGill College avec une superficie de 20 000 pieds carrés sur trois étages, le détaillant de luxe à prix plus populaire promet une expérience de magasinage «unique».

Banana Republic y vendra ses collections pour hommes, femmes ainsi que des accessoires et produits personnels.

«Le luxe au quotidien s'est avéré si populaire au Québec que nous avons choisi Montréal pour ouvrir un espace phare», explique Marka Hansen, présidente de Banana Republic.

«Nous pensons que ce lieu est parfait dans le sens où non seulement, ajoute Mme Hansen, il représente une partie de l'histoire de Montréal mais aussi parce qu'il procure un environnement dont le niveau d'architecture est à la hauteur du design d'autres magasins phares tels que ceux du centre Rockefeller à New York, de l'Avenue Grant à San Francisco ou encore de l'Avenue Michigan à Chicago.»

Quatre magasins de la bannière sont déjà ouverts au Québec, soit au Centre Rockland, au Carrefour Laval, aux Promenades Saint-Bruno et à Fairview Pointe-Claire.



=========



Banana Republic brings modern design and affordable luxury to Ste-Catherine Street flagship location

TORONTO, Oct. 27 /CNW/ - Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) today announced the opening
of a flagship Banana Republic location in Montreal. Located on the corner of
Ste. Catherine Street and McGill College Avenue, the 20,000 square foot store
will house three levels of the women's collection, men's collection,
accessories and personal care products. The new Banana Republic will open on
October 31.
Banana Republic's elevated designs and luxurious fabrications have found
a home in one of Montreal's most historic buildings. In partnership with the
Historical Review Board, Banana Republic Store Design worked to create a
shopping environment that would preserve the history of the building while
showcasing the modern design elements of the brand, providing customers with
the ultimate shopping experience.
"Banana Republic's affordable luxury offerings have proven to be so
popular in Quebec that we've selected Montreal to open a flagship space," said
Marka Hansen, President of Banana Republic. "We believe this setting is
perfect because not only does it represent a part of Montreal's history, but
it provides an eminent architectural setting that elevates this location to
the design realm of other flagship stores such as Rockefeller Center in New
York, Grant Avenue in San Francisco and Michigan Avenue in Chicago."
On the main floor, dark stained walls and custom wood cabinetry offer a
rich setting for Banana Republic's holiday palette. Many of the building's
classic details have been retained and new modern design elements have been
added such as a contemporary carrera marble floor.
The store will feature new warmer furnishings with detailed fixtures,
sophisticated stone tables and embossed leather furniture and props. Special
artwork and custom designed wallpaper are being added to enhance the space and
give the distinct architecture a residential feel.
The top floor mezzanine features a custom designed smoked glass
guardrail. This modern element is juxtaposed with the traditional wood
architecture. A series of gold leaf carved Coats of Arms represent each
Canadian province along the mezzanine wall. The mezzanine's open windows are
intended to create visual allure from the outside, specifically at night.
In renovating this flagship space, Banana Republic retains the building's
rich history while adding both contemporary and traditional elements to evoke
the brand's essence of modern luxury.
There are currently four Banana Republic stores in Quebec including
Carrefour Laval, Fairview Pointe Claire, Promenades St-Bruno and Centre
Rockland.
Banana Republic, which currently has nearly 500 stores and annual sales
of more than $2 billion in North America, is known for offering modern
interpretations of classic fashion for women and men through elevated design
and luxurious fabrications at affordable prices.

About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer offering clothing,
accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies
under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Forth & Towne brand names. Fiscal
2005 sales were $16.0 billion. Gap Inc. operates about 3,000 stores in the
United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Ireland and Japan. For more
information, please visit gapinc.com.

[CorporateWhore]

Originally Posted by neilson

Which is why I can get a good quality suit at the American Cousin to Moore's.

Down here we call it Men's Warehouse and the quality and value are unbeatable. If they have good suits at Men's Warehouse, then I would expect the same at Moore's.

I've never been to Men's Warehouse so I can't comment on that, but if they are anything like then suits at Moore's, then I still stand by my statement that you haven't tried on a good suit. Moore's is alright, but it definitely doesn't transcend you into that category where you finally realize what a great suit truly is.

But who knows, perhaps Men's Warehouse is better.

[Coldrsx]

H&M has chosen its Edmonton location, it will be...drum roll....West Edmonton Mall..hahaha.

Looks quite large, cant tell how deep the store is, but the length is quite long.

Also, G-Star Raw and Lacoste just opened in WEM.

[m0nkyman]

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

I've never been to Men's Warehouse so I can't comment on that, but if they are anything like then suits at Moore's, then I still stand by my statement that you haven't tried on a good suit. Moore's is alright, but it definitely doesn't transcend you into that category where you finally realize what a great suit truly is.

But who knows, perhaps Men's Warehouse is better.

It comes down to appreciating quality. I'm in jewellery, so I'll relate it to that.
Men's Warehouse, Moore's is like People's Jewellers. It's mass produced crap. It's OK, and it's consistent and cheap.
Harry Rosen is like Birks, a step up in quality and service, but it's still a chain.
The next step up in solely in service, a good independent like Henry Singer in Edmonton has similar quality to a Harry Rosen, but much better service IMHO. The kind of independent jeweller that carries stuff by Scott Kay or Tacori.

The next step up from there is actually having a tailor, and up from that is haute couture tailoring. That last is where my store fits.

[bc2mb]

are we still talking about cheap suits? :p

[neilson]

Originally Posted by bc2mb

are we still talking about cheap suits? :p

I'm a college student; Moore's/Men's Warehouse is about all that I can afford.

I'm sure once I enter the jobforce and build up my income, I'll be able to upgrade to better suits; but for now I have to stick to the Moore's and Mens Wearhouses of the world.

[squeezied]

wen's vancouver gonna get its own H&M???

[Overground]

On Wiki it says expansion into Western Canada will start in 2007 with the first stores opening in Edmonton and Calgary, followed by Vancouver. I also read somewhere that a manager at a Toronto H&M said that the Vancouver location will not be until the end of '07. Presumably to do with the Pacific Centre Holt shuffle.

[malek]

Arc'teryx Flagship Lands In Montreal

« Back to Daily News
October 31, 2006


Vancouver, B.C. (Ski Press) – Arc’teryx is opening its flagship store in Montreal’s Ste-Catherine Street shopping district.
Why Montreal?
“We wanted to test a retail concept away from our home base in Vancouver,” says Director of Consumer Sales, Larry Pluimer. “But being a Canadian company, we also wanted our first store to be in Canada. Montreal seemed like a natural place to start; it has a large, active outdoor community and a high degree of appreciation for design and fashion,” Pluimer says.
Designers and manufacturers of technical apparel, backpacks and climbing harnesses, this is Arc’teryx’s first venture into full-scale retail. Housed within the architecturally renowned Concordia University Design and Engineering building, the store features a high-end boutique-like atmosphere with an emphasis on the design aesthetic of the brand.
“Arc’teryx sees itself as a design company dedicated to solving problems through artful innovation,” says Pluimer. “The pleasing architecture of the Concordia building provides an outstanding context from which we can present our brand. The Montreal store will be a showcase emphasizing the clean lines and colors of the signature Arc’teryx style.”
Along with its custom-built stainless steel floor merchandisers, the store features interactive informational kiosks where consumers can learn about products and inventory availability by scanning a product barcode. The store also hosts a 40-foot wall displaying the entire Arc’teryx line of Gore-tex products.
—Lori Knowles

[Taller Better]

uhmmm.... parkas n' tuques n' things? University would be the best place for a
sporting goods store. Smart move.

I want a Crate and Barrel!! NOW!

[SSLL]

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...nment/Ontario/
_____________

Chinatown blues
Business is down and For Sale signs are popping up on a once-vibrant strip

SARAH ELTON
Special to The Globe and Mail
The front window of the former Chinese bakery is thick with dust. The cardboard of a For Sale sign droops in the same spot where, not long ago, fresh egg tarts were sold. The bakery is one of more than two dozen buildings that are either for sale, for lease or simply lying vacant in Chinatown East, the strip of Asian grocers, bakeries and restaurants around Broadview and Gerrard.

The area's long-time residents, a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese-Chinese Canadians who started to buy aging Victorians on the nearby side streets in the 1980s, are leaving for the suburbs. The generation who grew up here is coming of age and, instead of buying close to home, settling in places like Scarborough and Mississauga. Those who did own houses are selling their downtown properties to trade up for newer homes in the 'burbs with backyards and even parking. The few who remain are largely the elderly, and so the area is hollowing out as landlords try to cash out and shopkeepers take their businesses elsewhere.

"The neighbourhood is dying," says Alex Lien, whose family owns the Tung Hing Bakery chain. Mr. Lien opened the Broadview location 15 years ago, and in the past five years has watched business drop dramatically. In the past year alone, he has personally seen a 30-per-cent drop in profits. In a few months, Mr. Lien plans to assess whether his profits in Chinatown East are high enough to warrant staying put for another season. Across the street at the Rose Café, a take-away joint selling spring rolls and Vietnamese subs, it's the same story. The owner, Rose Thi Hoa Pham, has also noticed a 30-per-cent slump.

Judging by the crowds that flock to buy the low-priced fruit and vegetables displayed in crates along the sidewalks, you'd never guess that business is down. But Mr. Lien says the new people who are moving in are predominantly recent immigrants from mainland China who don't have a lot of money.

"People aren't willing to spend. You have to sell everything cheap," he says. "And yet the cost of living has gone up. It squeezes your profits." His baked goods sell on Broadview for a third less than they do in the company's other locations in Mississauga, North York and at Dundas and Spadina.

The newcomers from mainland China who are drawn to Broadview and Gerrard tend to be refugee claimants or people sponsored by family members and have come with very little, says Lillian Li, a settlement counsellor at the Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre, who is from mainland China herself. She says that in China, these people tended to be peasants or labourers, largely uneducated, who toiled for meagre earnings. For them, Toronto is Golden Mountain, an opportunity to break free from poverty by saving their money to buy a house.

And so the prices are cheap anywhere you go in Chinatown East. A haircut is $6, a sandwich at the Rose Café is $1.50 and bubble tea will set you back a mere $2, as compared with more than $4 downtown.

Some of the local real estate is also a bargain. In the so-called Riverdale Village, a brown brick complex just north of Dundas where tiny townhouses were built cheek by jowl in the 1980s, you can pay as little as $190,000 a unit -- as opposed to upward of $400,000 for a renovated semi on nearby side streets.

But if one group is moving out, that doesn't mean Chinatown East is on the road to extinction, says James So, a real-estate broker who has run an office on Broadview since 1976. Rather than a decaying neighbourhood and suburban flight, he sees a neighbourhood in transition as the old crowd moves out.

While the newcomers arrive with little money, Mr. So says, they are extremely hard-working. He has found that, in very little time, they are able to save up enough money to buy a home in the area.

And anyone who has lived in Toronto for a while has seen how the waves of history shape the city and its Chinese areas. The city's first Chinatown near Bay and Dundas has all but disappeared, buried under City Hall (residents and shop owners were relocated in the early 1960s). What is now Chinatown downtown used to be a Jewish district; its vestiges remained on Spadina until the late 1980s in places like Switzer's Deli. And Markham's Pacific Mall, one of the largest Chinese malls in North America, was a farmer's field not that long ago.

As for the future of Chinatown East, Mr. So believes it is on the cusp of major change. The Toronto (Don) Jail that looms on the corner is scheduled to close and Bridgepoint Health, the rehab and long-term care facility, is expanding. Condominiums are planned, and the restaurant chain Spring Rolls is about to open up on Broadview.

"This area, in no time, will come up again," he says.

[miketoronto]

That is so sad about Toronto's Chinatown on Spadina.

Yes I know cities are always in change, and that makes them unique and vibrant.

But it also is sad that Toronto can not maintain a central chinatown for the city. We have one of the largest asian populations in North America, but if this trend of chinatown fading continues, then you will never know it walking through central Toronto.

So while cities do change, I do feel bad that the inner city is losing most of its ethnic areas to the suburbs. There is something about having ethnic areas on nice walkable strips all clustered pretty close to each other in the inner city. And that just is not the same in the suburbs.

Other cities maintain vibrant downtown chinatowns. A shame Toronto's will probably not continue long. I believe Victoria's chinatown has been in the same general area for over a hundred years.

I think Chinatown retail sales could be helped if the transit commission ran express buses from Scarborough to downtown and Chinatown. On a Saturday in my area you see tons of older chinese residents cramming the subway for the one hour ride to Chinatown. I am sure many more would make weekly visits to Chinatown if they knew a bus could get them there in 20min instead of sitting on the subway for one hour.

Maybe thats something the Chinatown BID could fund?????

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

That is so sad about Toronto's Chinatown on Spadina.

Mike, the article is clearly about the chinatown on broadview.