[Moncton] Retail Thread

[drewber]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

This morning at Starbucks the customer in front of me wasn't allowed to use the plastic cup she had brought in. The server said they weren't allowed to touch cups customers brought into the store because of the corona virus!

Starbucks annouced this company wide. As long as you show your reusable cup you can still get your discount though

[lirette]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Well, I went to Costco today, and I would say the COVID-19 panic is here, despite the fact that the nearest confirmed case is about 1000 km away.......

Observations:

1) - there was a line-up of customers in the building entrance waiting for carts to be returned to the storage area.
2) - employees were on hand to wipe down the cart handles with sanitizers for the waiting customers.
3) - at least when I was there, there was a Costco employee over by the paper supplies section telling people that the toilet paper was all sold out.
4) - NO food samples were being given out!!!

This issue seems to be totally unique to Costco from my observations so far. I've been in Superstore & Sobeys this weekend and nothing appears to be out of stock. Toilet Paper is actually on sale for a great price at Sobeys and there's plenty to go around. For whatever reason "stocking up" when theres panic always seems to send shoppers to costco even if the prices arent better for certain products. Have seen similar anecdotes in out of Halifax.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by lirette

This issue seems to be totally unique to Costco from my observations so far. I've been in Superstore & Sobeys this weekend and nothing appears to be out of stock. Toilet Paper is actually on sale for a great price at Sobeys and there's plenty to go around. For whatever reason "stocking up" when theres panic always seems to send shoppers to costco even if the prices arent better for certain products. Have seen similar anecdotes in out of Halifax.

I was at my local No Frills here in London Saturday evening doing my groceries (because I didn't want to get up early on Sunday with the time change and the store is too busy after about 9am lol) and there was plenty of TP in various spots in the store. And I didn't see any on any of the checkout belts as I was checking out either.

[L'homard]

Starbucks can't touch your cup, but they will gladly handle your money, money being about the filthiest, most germ-laden thing on planet Earth.

[cl812]

Apparently the tp being sold out at Costco is actually due to the blockades on rail lines, was in the Freddy costco yesterday (also sold out) and overheard the employees telling someone it was due to the pipeline protests. They are only getting some shipments in and are selling out quickly. I initially thought the same (due to panic associated with coronavirus).

[gehrhardt]

Originally Posted by cl812

Apparently the tp being sold out at Costco is actually due to the blockades on rail lines, was in the Freddy costco yesterday (also sold out) and overheard the employees telling someone it was due to the pipeline protests. They are only getting some shipments in and are selling out quickly. I initially thought the same (due to panic associated with coronavirus).

Most likely the case. Irving manufactures a lot of toilet paper in Dieppe, so the Moncton stores are pretty well stocked with a variety of brands.

[MonctonRad]

Apparently Karma Spa will be opening in the former Things Engraved at CF Champlain.

https://www.karmaspa.net

They currently have a location at HSC in Halifax, and formerly had a unit at McAllister Place in SJ.

[DyAm00394]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Apparently Karma Spa will be opening in the former Things Engraved at CF Champlain.

https://www.karmaspa.net

They currently have a location at HSC in Halifax, and formerly had a unit at McAllister Place in SJ.

Yeah, they used to be in the unit between Lids and Laura Second but PYT Hair, (which had pop-ups in both CF Champlain and McAllister Place this past holiday season), took their spot. Karma Spa is waiting for a new lease at McAllister. And if there is no spot available in McAllister then they will be looking for a spot somewhere uptown. But so far there is no new updates regarding the SJ location.

Anyway, hopefully they will do well there in Moncton because everytime I went by their SJ location before it closed, I rarely saw any customers in there.

[MonctonRad]

Latest addition to the Granite Centre:



A Home Hardware Design Centre

Press release:



A bit underwhelming IMHO. The Granite Centre so far has not been living up to expectations. This is likely due to the ongoing retail apocalypse in North America (which will be further exacerbated by the upcoming recession fuelled by COVID-19, amongst other factors). There is also currently an overabundance of retail space available for development in the Moncton region, which is not helpful. It will be interesting to see at what rate the further build out of the Granite Centre will take place at.........

[David_99]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

A bit underwhelming IMHO. The Granite Centre so far has not been living up to expectations. This is likely due to the ongoing retail apocalypse in North America (which will be further exacerbated by the upcoming recession fuelled by COVID-19, amongst other factors). There is also currently an overabundance of retail space available for development in the Moncton region, which is not helpful. It will be interesting to see at what rate the further build out of the Granite Centre will take place at.........

Isn't Home Hardware supposed to build a new full store across the street from this (eventually)? Why wouldn't they just wait for the new building and add this section to the plans?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by David_99

Isn't Home Hardware supposed to build a new full store across the street from this (eventually)? Why wouldn't they just wait for the new building and add this section to the plans?

I have a source who says that the plans for a full fledged Home Hardware store in the development are unchanged

[Delusio Cogno]

Originally Posted by David_99

Isn't Home Hardware supposed to build a new full store across the street from this (eventually)? Why wouldn't they just wait for the new building and add this section to the plans?

Better to put the high-end sales department outside the Starbucks than inside the HH next to the cleaning supplies and the rat poison. The elegance of the finishing touches will look brighter if they're not crowded among the raw materials and messy pipes and wiring. People buy image as much as substance.

[MonctonRad]

Another retailer on shaky ground:

Nygard company restructures finances in midst of sexual assault class-action lawsuit against owner
Business trying to distance itself from former chairman, marketing researcher says
CBC News · Posted: Mar 10, 2020 9:23 AM CT | Last Updated: 10 hours ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...tion-1.5492128

Nygard Group of Companies is financially restructuring its business to avoid bankruptcy, a company spokesperson said, as fashion mogul Peter Nygard faces several sexual assault allegations in New York.

Late last month, the company announced Nygard was stepping down from his role as chairman and would divest his ownership stake. Then on Tuesday morning, the company filed a notice of intention (NOI) to file a proposal under the Canadian Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, a spokesperson said in a statement sent to media.

This does not mean the company is going bankrupt, but that the company is seeking protection while it restructures its finances.

Nygard presence in Moncton includes their factory store in Wheeler Park and the Alia n Tanjay store at CF Champlain.

[MonctonRad]

Documents for the March PAC show site plans and renderings for "Plaza 5 & Plaza 6" in the Granite Centre:





Uninspiring to say the least. These new buildings will be clones of the two generic plazas that were built last year. Again, I think this is symptomatic of the fact that the Granite Centre is having difficulty in attracting tenants to this new development. None of these units appears to be designed with specific requirements for any particular tenant in mind. If I were to guess, I would suggest that all this retail space is being created purely on the basis of speculation.

[Feneant]

That's a whole lot of up and coming empty storefronts... I imagine they are hoping that people opening small non chain type stores will go there in the hopes that the Costco traffic will result in customers.

[MonctonRad]

Well - this is interesting:

Apparently the company purchasing Cineplex (Cineworld LLC from the UK) is deeply in debt, and relies heavily on ongoing cash inflow through ticket sales in order to keep itself afloat. In other words, they are living day to day. They have no cash reserves. There are fears that COVID-19 will keep patrons away, and even a few months of decreased ticket sales could push the chain into bankruptcy

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...closed-1283819
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...ins-cineworld/

Cineworld in December unveiled an agreement to acquire Cineplex for $1.65 billion in cash, plus debt, making for a $2.1 billion overall price tag. Cineplex operates 165 cinemas with 1,695 screens and dominates the Canadian theatrical market. The deal would create one of the world's largest cinema companies with more than 11,200 screens globally.

In February, the mega-deal received approval from both companies' shareholders, but some investors have more recently wondered if the pact could fall apart or be reduced in price because of the coronavirus outbreak, which has seen both stocks decline. Cineworld said Thursday that the deal is expected to close "in the first half of 2020," but mentioned the price tag at $2.3 billion.

There are mounting fears over Cineworld's debt pile as it prepares to shell out £1.6bn on its blockbuster takeover of Canadian chain Cineplex.

The chain cut its debts by $200m to $3.5bn in 2019, but analysts at Canaccord said the timing of the Cineplex deal "is now looking terrible".

Personally, I would be thrilled if this deal falls through. Cineplex as an independent entity based in Canada would be far more in tune with the movie theatre needs of the Maritimes than a corporation based in the UK, running their Canadian division out of Nashville TN.

[drewber]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Well - this is interesting:

Apparently the company purchasing Cineplex (Cineworld LLC from the UK) is deeply in debt, and relies heavily on ongoing cash inflow through ticket sales in order to keep itself afloat. In other words, they are living day to day. They have no cash reserves. There are fears that COVID-19 will keep patrons away, and even a few months of decreased ticket sales could push the chain into bankruptcy

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...closed-1283819
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...ins-cineworld/





Personally, I would be thrilled if this deal falls through. Cineplex as an independent entity based in Canada would be far more in tune with the movie theatre needs of the Maritimes than a corporation based in the UK, running their Canadian division out of Nashville TN.

The deal was approved by shareholders last month and should close in the next 2-6 weeks. I doubt it will fall through.

[josh_cat_eyes]

I was at the Trinity Drive Cineplex tonight. They have 10 new arcade games in the lobby and hallway. I asked the person working what’s up with that, and he said they are renovating their arcade starting next week.

[L'homard]

Champlain Place will open later in the day and close earlier in the evenings for the next while due to the coronavirus.
Not sure how concentrating more people into the mall during open hours helps anyone? Maybe the new shorter hours are due to slow sales?
The memo gives no clue as to the exact reason why they are cutting their hours.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by L'homard

Champlain Place will open later in the day and close earlier in the evenings for the next while due to the coronavirus.
Not sure how concentrating more people into the mall during open hours helps anyone? Maybe the new shorter hours are due to slow sales?
The memo gives no clue as to the exact reason why they are cutting their hours.

I was channel flipping on my Dish and CP24 all news channel out of TO had the same announcement for CF malls in ONT. Must be a nationwide decision.