Canadian Retail Thread

[WhipperSnapper]

People coming to the realization they don't need all this shit and demanding things like appliances last more than ten years maximum would destroy the economy but, save the world.

[megadude]

When was the last time you saw one of these? I don't think I'd seen one since the late 90's, maybe early 2000's. Several grocery stores used to have these. Did these ever go away in other parts of the country?

I happened to be driving on Burloak in Oakville and stopped by the new Food Basics at Rebecca. Was surprised to see these.

It won't be long before some Tik Tok douche tries to go cart surfing in one of these and crashes into the milk section and makes a huge mess.

[Loco101]

A couple of grocery stores in Timmins have them. Foodland for sure and I think Your Independent Grocer as well. I haven't been to Food Basics in a long time but they might have them or at least did at one time.

I've seen teenagers fool around with them before trying different stunts. But usually it was in the parking lot.

[SpongeG]

I've seen some of those here, it's got a flag on it and says something about "future shopper" I forget what store it was at.

[megadude]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I've seen some of those here, it's got a flag on it and says something about "future shopper" I forget what store it was at.

That's what these ones said. And it was at Food Basics.

[Acajack]

Some grocery stores in Québec experimented with CÉLIBATAIRE (SINGLE) flags on carts a few years ago.

They're gone now.

[cslusarc]

Earlier today Macy's announced that it will close 150 Macy's stores throughout the US over the next 3 years. I wonder if Hudson's Bay will close an additional10-15 stores over the next 3 years too?

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by cslusarc

Earlier today Macy's announced that it will close 150 Macy's stores throughout the US over the next 3 years. I wonder if Hudson's Bay will close an additional10-15 stores over the next 3 years too?

I really don't know how so many HBC stores are still going. You are probably right that there will be about that many store closures. I wouldn't be surprised if the number is higher. The company is mainly American owned and I'm wondering if someone in Canada will put in an offer for the shares to take control.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I really don't know how so many HBC stores are still going. You are probably right that there will be about that many store closures. I wouldn't be surprised if the number is higher. The company is mainly American owned and I'm wondering if someone in Canada will put in an offer for the shares to take control.

I was in the downtown Vancouver store recently and was pleasantly surprised how busy it was. I had last been there in 2019 and it was pretty dead when I was there that time. (Both times I was in the menswear department on one of the upper floors)

The closure of Nordstrom nearby could have helped that store.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I was in the downtown Vancouver store recently and was pleasantly surprised how busy it was. I had last been there in 2019 and it was pretty dead when I was there that time. (Both times I was in the menswear department on one of the upper floors)

The closure of Nordstrom nearby could have helped that store.

Oh that's interesting. I never got a chance to visit a Nordstrom store in Canada. In the major Canadian cities stores like HBC need to be fairly busy much of the time in order to survive. The problem with those stores is that they don't have any coolness like they did in the past. They don't seem to have anything drawing people there. I find so much there to be too expensive and not really interesting.

[SpongeG]

I like the Bay, the downtown store in Vancouver is a good one, unfortunately most of them are pretty bad, lack of staff, and the brands can vary from location to location, not enough consistency.

Oakridge Park will be getting a new Bay store, they had to close for the redevelopment, hopefully they make it a good one. Locally the Richmond store is one of the better ones after downtown, looks good, a lot of high end brands and people actually seem to shop there.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I really don't know how so many HBC stores are still going.

Well for starters, they have no longer have competition. Eaton's, Sears, and now Nordstrom no longer exist. Québec City based clothier, Simons is not in every Metro of Canada (only 2 locations in Ontario!).

Walmart is certainly not in direct competition with Hudson's Bay. While prices are high, people I know shop during "Bay Days" or sales events they routinely have throughout the year.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I was in the downtown Vancouver store recently and was pleasantly surprised how busy it was. I had last been there in 2019 and it was pretty dead when I was there that time. (Both times I was in the menswear department on one of the upper floors)

The closure of Nordstrom nearby could have helped that store.

Were the elevators and escalators actually working?

'Challenging environment': Shoppers decry state of disrepair at Vancouver's flagship Bay store

[theman23]

The Bay flagship in downtown Vancouver seemed to have its heydey around 2015 or so, which was probably around the time the Bay was rapidly acquiring other retailers and attempting to expand to Europe. The franchise has always struggled to impress with its mall stores, but even the Granville store was a bit of a sad downtrodden mess when I last visited in 2023. I've noticed that a lot of other department stores the world over have managed to stay relevant by expanding their restaurant offerings and often including a premium grocery store in the basement.

[urbandreamer]

Vincenzo's in Waterloo has those baby grocery carts. You see them in small town Ontario, like Zehrs Country Market in Millbank or Foodtown in Milverton.

[q12]

https://twitter.com/RCCAtlantic/stat...06970699636910

Simons opens a store in Halifax: the retailer realizes the dream of being present from coast to coast

Quebec Journal
DIANE TREMBLAY
Thursday, March 21, 2024









Maison Simons marks an important step in its expansion plan with the opening Thursday of a store in Halifax, the first in the Atlantic, which confirms the presence of the Quebec retailer from coast to coast, which, in addition, has just had a record year in terms of turnover.

This store, located at the Halifax Shopping Centre, becomes the chain's 17th across the country.

“For us, it’s a natural evolution to get closer to our customers. “It’s part of our intention to densify our presence in major markets across the country,” said Bernard Leblanc, president and CEO of La Maison Simons.

“Halifax is an extremely dynamic city. It is one of the most vibrant Canadian cities currently. We are very excited to be able to integrate into it, but also because it represents an important supra-regional market,” he added.

This new opening comes after a record year in terms of turnover since the creation of the family business in 1840 by John Simons.

“Growth continues. We have just finished our fiscal year with a record year. This is a year where we still recorded good growth, in the double digits, compared to our pre-COVID position. We are in a very positive development. The business is healthy,” continued Mr. Leblanc, who succeeded Peter Simons at the head of the company in March 2022, although Mr. Simons is still active in the organization.

Halifax Store
Always in search of a unique architectural imprint, the exterior of the store in Halifax is inspired by the sails of the Bluenose. This design is intended to be a reminder of the maritime history of Halifax, but also that of the first ancestor of the Simons family who settled in Quebec in the early 1800s, where he made ship sails.

The Halifax store has a surface area of ​​55,000 square feet, which is comparable to the Sherbrooke store. The penultimate branch to open its doors is the CF Fairview Pointe-Claire store, in 2022.

Expansion plan
“We are still open to increasing our presence in major centers in Canada. There are five stores in the Montreal area and three in Quebec, while we have only one in the greater Toronto area and only one in the greater Vancouver area. We can assume that with the population of these cities there is potential. There is still room for growth within the Canadian market.”

Even though he is often asked the question, Mr. Leblanc is not closing the door to expansion in the United States one day, but for now, the priority remains the Canadian market.

“It's not out of the question, but our focus is really on Canada at the moment. Without saying that we will never go, it is not in the cards at the moment.

In 2023, nearly 82% of products exclusive to La Maison Simons met the requirements of the Vision program which promotes sustainable development actions. By 2025, the goal is to reach 100%.

MAISON SIMONS IS PRESENT FROM COAST TO COAST:

In Quebec:
10 branches + a 700,000 square foot campus in Quebec

Ontario:
Mississauga: Square One (2016)
Ottawa: CF Rideau Center (2016)

Alberta:
Calgary: The Core (2017)
Edmonton: Londonderry Mall (2017)
Edmonton: West Edmonton Mall (2012)

British Columbia:
Vancouver: Park Royal South (2015)

Nova Scotia:
Halifax Shopping Center (2024)

(Translated)
https://www.journaldequebec.com/2024...ocean-a-lautre


https://twitter.com/HalifaxReTales/s...67146194276705

[whatnext]

Every time I've been in the local Simons in Park Royal in West Vancouver it looks understocked. Like they've got too much fixturing for the amount of product they're bringing in. I don't know if it is a cash flow issue or they just overbuilt the store.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Every time I've been in the local Simons in Park Royal in West Vancouver it looks understocked. Like they've got too much fixturing for the amount of product they're bringing in. I don't know if it is a cash flow issue or they just overbuilt the store.

Understocked, or "curated", I wonder?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Understocked, or "curated", I wonder?

Definitely not curated. Like the cubes they use for folded shirts have two shirts in them.

[SpongeG]

I don't think it's understocked, they just don't overstock like some stores do. With data collection it's very easy for them to understand their customers and what sells and what doesn't.