Winnipeg Retail

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Biff

I thought is was funny when you referred to a certain grocery store starting with "S". Here in Winnipeg that is every major grocery store - Safeway, Sobeys and Superstore.

I like riddles. Costco, Walmart, Giant Tiger and Extra foods are pretty big players for Winnipeg's grocery dollars as well.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

I like riddles. Costco, Walmart, Giant Tiger and Extra foods are pretty big players for Winnipeg's grocery dollars as well.

I guess i don't think of Costco and Walmart as "Grocery" and i definitely don't think of Giant Tiger and Extra Food as major players. I do admit that Costco and Walmart are big players in this market - soon to add Target.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Athletes World (or is it wear?) is having a store closing sale at Portage Place. Its been there as long as I can remember

the whole chain is shutting down

[Jack1983]

Was at the IGA Downtown today and i noted a sign that mentioned they are converting from IGA (sobeys) to Family Foods (Safeway) starting January 18th.

I am not sure if I like this move or not as the IGA has offered very good sales.

[CoryB]

The exit of Safeway from the groecery market in Canada seems to make sense as industry anaylsts were predicting the one of the established players would face that fate when Target opens up here.

I am not sure that Weston Foods will be allowed to take over Safeway without concerns being raised that it is reducing competition in the market. I think this would really need a structure more along the lines of what has happened with Target taking over Zellers with Weston Foods getting the first choice over locations but not taking them all. I think Sobey's will end up taking over some the Safeway stores and that some will just close.

There could also be an opportunity for Overwaitea to enter the SK and MB market purchasing off select assests from the Safeway. That seems a lot more likely than a Weston Foods takeover.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by Jack1983

Was at the IGA Downtown today and i noted a sign that mentioned they are converting from IGA (sobeys) to Family Foods (Safeway) starting January 18th.

I am not sure if I like this move or not as the IGA has offered very good sales.

Sobeys is putting an end to independently owned IGAs so Fredette's is switching to a Family Foods because the owners refused to be bought out by Sobeys. Or possibly Sobeys didn't even give them that option because they have no use for the location.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Last time I was in Thunder Bay they still had an A&P store which I thought was neat.

The Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.

[cllew]

I don't know if Loblaws would want Safeway except to shutdown stores and control the market better. Most of the stores are too small for a RCSS format and would only be good for a Extra Food location. The old Safeway in Downtown Transcona comes to mind as it was branded Extra Foods.

Some locations like Main @ Luxton or St. Annes @ Fermor, are next to an existing Loblaws brand and would probably be closed unless Sobey's would want to pick up the locations.

[Shinook]

Originally Posted by CoryB

The exit of Safeway from the groecery market in Canada seems to make sense as industry anaylsts were predicting the one of the established players would face that fate when Target opens up here.

I am not sure that Weston Foods will be allowed to take over Safeway without concerns being raised that it is reducing competition in the market. I think this would really need a structure more along the lines of what has happened with Target taking over Zellers with Weston Foods getting the first choice over locations but not taking them all. I think Sobey's will end up taking over some the Safeway stores and that some will just close.

There could also be an opportunity for Overwaitea to enter the SK and MB market purchasing off select assests from the Safeway. That seems a lot more likely than a Weston Foods takeover.

It's hard to think that Safeway wants out of Canada as it just spent millions of dollars on redesigning the vast majority of their stores to a "lifestyle" brand.

I would like to see a Save-On-Foods enter the Winnipeg markets and stir up some competition.

[vid]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Last time I was in Thunder Bay they still had an A&P store which I thought was neat.

Well we don't have them anymore. We still call them A&P though. The Walmarts that replaced the suburban Zellers locations are the "Zellers Walmarts". If we keep doing that after a few years it's going to really confuse people.

Originally Posted by Riverman

The Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.

Originally Posted by Shinook

It's hard to think that Safeway wants out of Canada as it just spent millions of dollars on redesigning the vast majority of their stores to a "lifestyle" brand.

Is this another renovation, or are they just taking a really long time in Winnipeg? Because all of Thunder Bay's stores were done at the same time in the summer of 2005.

They might just keep operating them as Safeway if they can get the naming rights. Loblaws also owns T&T so maybe a larger Safeway might be converted to that.

BTW, Thunder Bay only has Superstore, Walmart, Safeway, and Metro as grocery options. So you guys don't have it too bad. I am pretty sure Kenora has better grocery variety than we do. We have no deep discount grocers.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by Shinook

It's hard to think that Safeway wants out of Canada as it just spent millions of dollars on redesigning the vast majority of their stores to a "lifestyle" brand.

I would like to see a Save-On-Foods enter the Winnipeg markets and stir up some competition.

Or a Pricesmart, or one of the other Jimmy Pattison-brand grocery stores. They're all good ones.

[SpongeG]

they are way too expensive though, i rarely shop at them

[Biff]

Originally Posted by vid

Is this another renovation, or are they just taking a really long time in Winnipeg? Because all of Thunder Bay's stores were done at the same time in the summer of 2005.

It is taking longer because Safeway has 26 stores in Winnipeg, Thunder bay has 3.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

they are way too expensive though, i rarely shop at them

Not as bad as Thriftys, or some of the high-end stuff like "whole-paycheque" whole foods, and Urban fare. It will be a long time before we have enough high-end condo dwellers here to see one of those places pop up.

[trebor204]

According to Kildonan Place, Target opens in May 2013

[SpongeG]

target's site has all the opening dates well timeline - they have two winnipeg stores opening in spring 2013, grant park opens in the fall

http://corporate.target.ca/m/company/en/store-locator#

[SpongeG]

the winnipeg's flagship downtown bay store may close down...

We've gotten word from Hudson's Bay Company management that the company's 'original' flagship location in Downtown Winnipeg may be closing soon. Our source tells us The Hudson's Bay Company is seeking to transfer ownership the building to the Manitoba Government in exchange for tax benefits. Hudson's Bay would like to sell the building but its value is limited due to the estimated $8million/per-floor renovation cost to convert it to offices.

http://www.retail-insider.com/2013/0...-flagship.html

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by CoryB

There could also be an opportunity for Overwaitea to enter the SK and MB market purchasing off select assests from the Safeway. That seems a lot more likely than a Weston Foods takeover.

That would be the best possible outcome for consumers aside from Safeway not being bought out in western Canada.

[JamieDavid Exchange]

...

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by JamieDavid Exchange

Unless some spectacular news of another retail chain setting up shop downtown, I may actually consider selling and moving out from downtown. Its bad enough I have to drive to a established grocery chain to buy food, but the Bay is really the only one place where I can leave the vehicle parked at home and walk to to buy decent men's clothing. If that is taken away, I might as well move to the burbs and drive everywhere like I would have to anyways due to no retail or grocery downtown.

Hmmm, I floated the idea of there being difficulty filling all the new residential planned for downtown and I was solidly pissed on for it by several forumers. Now here is an established downtowner reiterating, and thinking of acting on my exact concerns. I guess there is a possibility I was right.

JDE: Wolseley, River Heights, Glenelm, Osbourne Village, Riverview etc. are not the burbs, they are part of the city. All great places to live close to everything.

Originally Posted by JamieDavid Exchange

City planners better start recognizing this FAST if they really want to start filling up downtown with residents.

City planners have no control of what businesses open or close - market conditions do.