Canadian Retail Thread - Page 443

MonctonRad · #**8841** Posted **Mar 9, 2026, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Interesting. CF tends to sign deals with retailers for multiple locations. I wonder if they might be getting a couple of those into Masonville Place in London with a large empty Hudson Bay location sitting there. Can't see a Dollarama in that mall but then, empty space is empty space lol.

Champlain Place in Moncton used to be a CF property. They put in a Dollarama location (immediately next to LL Bean).

I heard Bean was pissed over that........

J.OT13 · #**8842** Posted **Mar 9, 2026, 5:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Now there's a eclectic assortment of retailers right there.

One of these things is not iike the others (looking at you Dollarama).......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Interesting. CF tends to sign deals with retailers for multiple locations. I wonder if they might be getting a couple of those into Masonville Place in London with a large empty Hudson Bay location sitting there. Can't see a Dollarama in that mall but then, empty space is empty space lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Champlain Place in Moncton used to be a CF property. They put in a Dollarama location (immediately next to LL Bean).

I heard Bean was pissed over that........

Yeah, Rideau Centre is one of Canada's highest performing malls filled with high end retailers and unique to Ottawa shops, so Dollarama is... a choice... that doesn't really fit well with the mall's cachet. Rideau Street already has two Dollarama's in close proximity to the mall.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of Nordstrom fills up, along with the others in Canada, and the HBCs.

casper · #**8843** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 5:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Yeah, Rideau Centre is one of Canada's highest performing malls filled with high end retailers and unique to Ottawa shops, so Dollarama is... a choice... that doesn't really fit well with the mall's cachet. Rideau Street already has two Dollarama's in close proximity to the mall.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of Nordstrom fills up, along with the others in Canada, and the HBCs.

Dollarama is a more refined high-end dollar store. Americans tourists will flock to it's high quality offering. (Not a joke, several years ago I was on a cruse with a Canadian stop and several of the Americans were looking forward to the Canadian stop because they could slip in to a Dollarama).

The other stores would have been more upset it if was a full department store. A Giant Tiger complete with the latest styles of plaid and floral shirts and a well stocked section of frozen pizza.

Nothing against plaid shirts. They are warm and durable.

SpongeG · #**8844** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 6:41 AM**

Dollarama is pretty good, with some merchandising and rejigging a lot of their stuff reminds me of Flying Tiger Copenhagen, basically the same type of goods arranged more aesthetically at Flying Tiger.

And the Dollarama stores are always well kept compared to Dollar Tree which is a mess.

Flying Tiger is just dollar store items, more edited and aethetic and the stock turns over seasonally

mediterraneancosmos.gr

jonny24 · #**8845** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 12:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

Dollarama is a more refined high-end dollar store. Americans tourists will flock to it's high quality offering.

Jesus... I must not have been in any other dollar stores for a long time, because that's something I have a hard time taking seriously.

casper · #**8846** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 2:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonny24

Jesus... I must not have been in any other dollar stores for a long time, because that's something I have a hard time taking seriously.

It don't normally visit dollar stores in the US, but I needed some duct tape on a trip recently and went in to one. Was not impressed. Walked out and went to a Walmart instead.

I do remember a few years ago being a cruise that had a stop in Nanaimo (not a regular destination) and meeting these two who were doing the cruse for the second time and they were excited about Nanaimo since it afforded easy access to a Dollarama store.

Canadians are generally well served by their retailers.

Being on Vancouver Island what we do lack is Giant Tiger. If you want to want to buy a plaid shirt you have to leave Victoria and go to one of the small towns on the island that has a Field's store.

MonctonRad · #**8847** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 2:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonny24

Jesus... I must not have been in any other dollar stores for a long time, because that's something I have a hard time taking seriously.

Sounds pretty fantastical to me too.

My experience with Dollarama - intensely bright fluorescent lighting that immediately makes me want to flee the store, narrow aisles lined by stacks of literal junk merchandise and surly unhelpful staff.

I find Dollarama so off-putting that I quite literally have only darkened their doors about 3 times in the last 10 years.

An elevated shopping experience???

Innsertnamehere · #**8848** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 3:06 PM**

Dollaramas are usually clean and organized - indeed a large improvement over many dollar stores. There is a local Dollar Tree close to me that has half the lightbulbs burnt out, is a complete mess of product scattered around, full of hand-written signage.. Dollarama is a revelation compared to that.

It's still a dollar store all in all.. with everything that comes with that.

Personally I basically only go there a few times a year for party decor, etc.

Their bread and butter clientele are low income households though - something many on this board I think are not a part of, and which I'm almost certian MonctonRad, being a doctor, is not a part of

. At a minimum Dollarama's are nicer than the typical Dollar General type store in the US.

J.OT13 · #**8849** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 3:08 PM**

I go to the Dollarama because chips and junk is just way cheaper, even name brands.

kwoldtimer · #**8850** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 3:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Sounds pretty fantastical to me too.

My experience with Dollarama - intensely bright fluorescent lighting that immediately makes me want to flee the store, narrow aisles lined by stacks of literal junk merchandise and surly unhelpful staff.

I find Dollarama so off-putting that I quite literally have only darkened their doors about 3 times in the last 10 years.

An elevated shopping experience???

I can't say I love Dollarama, but it's very handy when I need paper clips, gift bags and tissue paper, little jars, parchment paper, and on and on. I try to avoid the cheap chocolate bars, but what can you do when they are right there in the checkout queue? I don't think, however, that they should be in the Rideau Centre.

harls · #**8851** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 5:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

Dollarama is a more refined high-end dollar store.

A category I never knew existed.

Arrdeeharharharbour · #**8852** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 5:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by harls

A category I never knew existed.

They should have named themselves DollarGucci.

MolsonExport · #**8853** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 5:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by harls

A category I never knew existed.

yep, it's a suit-and-tie sort of place.

Compared to Dollar Tree (a step down), Buck-or-two (two steps down) or Dollar General (USA), and those junky "mom&pop" dollar stores (three or four steps down), and compared to "bargain bins" (those places that drop the price on junk every day....eight or nine steps down).

MonctonRad · #**8854** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 6:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

yep, it's a suit-and-tie sort of place.

Do they serve you champagne and caviar upon entry into the store???

We already have 12 Dollaramas in Moncton, and we're about to get another one. I mean WTF!!! There is one spot on Paul Street in Dieppe where if you know where to look, you can see signage for three Dollaramas at the same time (Champlain Place, Petitcodiac Plaza and Superstore Mall). That's getting a bit much........

Same thing with Mickey D's. Our 12th McDonalds is now under construction. The new one is on Mountain Road, only about a 10 minute walk from my place. It will be the third McDonalds on Mountain Road. That's getting a tad excessive, don't you think???

casper · #**8855** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 7:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Do they serve you champagne and caviar upon entry into the store???

We already have 12 Dollaramas in Moncton, and we're about to get another one. I mean WTF!!! There is one spot on Paul Street in Dieppe where if you know where to look, you can see signage for three Dollaramas at the same time (Champlain Place, Petitcodiac Plaza and Superstore Mall). That's getting a bit much........

Same thing with Mickey D's. Our 12th McDonalds is now under construction. The new one is on Mountain Road, only about a 10 minute walk from my place. It will be the third McDonalds on Mountain Road. That's getting a tad excessive, don't you think???

I went into the one in Victoria on the weekend to buy paper coffee filters. Noticed they now have loafs of bread. Not certain how that works. I know there is some magic to Wonder Bread lasting for a week at home, but not certain I would buy in a dollar store.

Sounds like some of the US stores have $1 frozen steak. I have never tried it. Perhaps "special grads" of caviar could be offered to go with the steak?

Djeffery · #**8856** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 7:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Same thing with Mickey D's. Our 12th McDonalds is now under construction. The new one is on Mountain Road, only about a 10 minute walk from my place. It will be the third McDonalds on Mountain Road. That's getting a tad excessive, don't you think???

Yeah, seems excessive, considering London at about 2.5x the population has 19 including the 2 in Walmarts. Although I think they have plans for a couple more, so maybe London is under represented lol. London has about 20 Dollaramas and 8 Dollar Trees according to the interwebs.

kwoldtimer · #**8857** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 9:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

I went into the one in Victoria on the weekend to buy paper coffee filters. Noticed they now have loafs of bread. Not certain how that works. I know there is some magic to Wonder Bread lasting for a week at home, but not certain I would buy in a dollar store.

Sounds like some of the US stores have $1 frozen steak. I have never tried it. Perhaps "special grads" of caviar could be offered to go with the steak?

"Loafs"?

MolsonExport · #**8858** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 10:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Do they serve you champagne and caviar upon entry into the store???

We already have 12 Dollaramas in Moncton, and we're about to get another one. I mean WTF!!! There is one spot on Paul Street in Dieppe where if you know where to look, you can see signage for three Dollaramas at the same time (Champlain Place, Petitcodiac Plaza and Superstore Mall). That's getting a bit much........

Same thing with Mickey D's. Our 12th McDonalds is now under construction. The new one is on Mountain Road, only about a 10 minute walk from my place. It will be the third McDonalds on Mountain Road. That's getting a tad excessive, don't you think???

There is a retail mall/plaza in London that has Two (2) Dollaramas. Same retail mall/plaza.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/dolla..._ep=EgoyMDI2MDMwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

MolsonExport · #**8859** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 10:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

Sounds like some of the US stores have $1 frozen steak. I have never tried it. Perhaps "special grads" of caviar could be offered to go with the steak?

casper · #**8860** Posted **Mar 10, 2026, 10:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Given the brand its probably the same stuff as this just with a gold wrapper on it....

• Video Link