Regina Retail

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by JustACitizen

The problem with anything Cornwall Centre wise is parking, who the heck wants to add the price of parking to their bill. You restrict a good portion of your business to free parking hours.

But that is generally what you have to do in any city and it’s downtown.

[JustACitizen]

point being any shop or theater in the suburbs has an advantage

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by JustACitizen

point being any shop or theater in the suburbs has an advantage

Well no, otherwise there would be no stores downtown. They each have their advantages and target markets. Many people live or work downtown, are staying at hotels or visiting other businesses downtown already. Some use transit or actually don't mind paying for parking like they must in every other downtown in the world.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Really hope the Cornwall Centre gets some good tenants in the old Sears space and also in the former GAP location.

[yveseluj]

Have there been any decent rumours?

[StealthGirl]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Well no, otherwise there would be no stores downtown. They each have their advantages and target markets. Many people live or work downtown, are staying at hotels or visiting other businesses downtown already. Some use transit or actually don't mind paying for parking like the must in every other downtown in the world.

The great advantage for Cornwall is all the Crown offices downtown. A few years ago, SGI wanted to move out of downtown and were pretty much told by the city to fix their building bc thy would not grant them a building permit to go outside downtown.

[LittleBoy]

Anyone know what is going in the last few spaces along West 11th on the west side? There are the two open spots beside Mortise and Tenon's new location and it looks like there is activity at both.

[Tyler19944]

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/no-sacre...ures-1.1282563

I hope the Regina location is spared and does not close its Cornwall Bay, I see a lot of potential for the Regina Bay if there was an injection of capital and renovations for the location.

[Dan0myte]

Originally Posted by Tyler19944

I hope the Regina location is spared and does not close its Cornwall Bay, I see a lot of potential for the Regina Bay if there was an injection of capital and renovations for the location.

I hope so too, but if you go down to the lower level of the Bay it's super sad. Not a customer in sight, a few heavily discounted fridges and couches and one sad cashier looking at you like "Why am I here?"

[Festivus]

The Bay is one of the few places in Regina to carry a good selection of Levis jeans (specifically 511, 512, and 513s), so I hope it sticks around.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by Festivus

The Bay is one of the few places in Regina to carry a good selection of Levis jeans (specifically 511, 512, and 513s), so I hope it sticks around.

Would love Levi’s to open a stand alone store at the Cornwall Centre.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by Dan0myte

I hope so too, but if you go down to the lower level of the Bay it's super sad. Not a customer in sight, a few heavily discounted fridges and couches and one sad cashier looking at you like "Why am I here?"

I am pretty sure I was the only person on the lower level a few months ago. There were no employees or customers anywhere from what I could see. I waited for 5-10 minutes at the cashier counter and gave up and left. The store needs a major facelift, which I am sure is low on the priority list for a store that is probably losing money?

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Would love Levi’s to open a stand alone store at the Cornwall Centre.

Levis is hurting. They are not doing so well with a lot of other brands and chains.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

I am pretty sure I was the only person on the lower level a few months ago. There were no employees or customers anywhere from what I could see. I waited for 5-10 minutes at the cashier counter and gave up and left. The store needs a major facelift, which I am sure is low on the priority list for a store that is probably losing money?

This is where Hudsons Bay needs to take advantage of its brands and exclusives and build up in smaller markets like Regina. They don't have competition from Holt Renfrew or Simons and could really bring in labels and designers that are harder to get and get people into the stores. But they don't seem to care about building up their brand.

[Tyler19944]

I think the Bay would benefit from making the basement floor more of a visible presence. I know it's there, but I literally forget every time I'm at the Bay that there's even things down there. It's just a shame that the company is willing to neglect its stores, there is a lot to be desired. Like other people said, it is the place where I get my Levi jeans, Calvin Klein's etc., it should definitely take advantage of highlighting brands that are not available in Regina.

[Draftsman]

It's a shame that this store has gone so far downhill. Regina's original Bay store on 12th Avenue & Hamilton (now Century Plaza) was a beautiful store. It was a nice, modern department store, especially when compared to the old Simpsons Department store on 11th & Hamilton. It was like comparing apples to oranges with the dumpy Eaton's store on 7th Avenue & Hamilton. When Eaton's built their new store at the Cornwall Centre, it was the nicest department store in Regina (by far). Unfortunately, by the time Eaton's had closed that store needed renovations, of which the Bay did very little in my opinion, before moving in. If any of you are old enough to remember the Eaton's store downtown, it occupied all three floors above ground. At the top of the escalators on the third floor was a large skylight surrounded by angled mirrors that let natural light into the store and down the escalators. At Christmastime, they would put their Christmas department (trees and decorations, etc) around one side of the 3rd floor escalators, of which they always had several and all were very nicely decorated. Closing off the third floor and turning it into call centre space (StarTek and eHealth) which really did nothing for the store. I personally feel that they should have kept the upper three floors and turned the basement into offices. You don't need windows in a call centre as you are too busy on the phones to look around (I have worked in two call centres - not the two mentioned above). I understand that the receiving dock for the Bay is in the basement, but I am sure they could have come up with a design that would have satisfied both a call centre and receiving/storage.
I thought that when Sears closed its doors that it would be a better location for the Bay. They would have needed to redo the store (HVAC/escalators for example) but the smaller space would have been better for their store, and to be honest, I think the old Sears store was a better location, being off the food court, and being attached to the Delta Hotel and the casino. I know they get a lot of foot traffic from the SGI tower but that is only Monday to Friday.

Anyway, I hope they don't close the Bay, our last old-style department store.

[Tyler19944]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

It's a shame that this store has gone so far downhill. Regina's original Bay store on 12th Avenue & Hamilton (now Century Plaza) was a beautiful store. It was a nice, modern department store, especially when compared to the old Simpsons Department store on 11th & Hamilton. It was like comparing apples to oranges with the dumpy Eaton's store on 7th Avenue & Hamilton. When Eaton's built their new store at the Cornwall Centre, it was the nicest department store in Regina (by far). Unfortunately, by the time Eaton's had closed that store needed renovations, of which the Bay did very little in my opinion, before moving in. If any of you are old enough to remember the Eaton's store downtown, it occupied all three floors above ground. At the top of the escalators on the third floor was a large skylight surrounded by angled mirrors that let natural light into the store and down the escalators. At Christmastime, they would put their Christmas department (trees and decorations, etc) around one side of the 3rd floor escalators, of which they always had several and all were very nicely decorated. Closing off the third floor and turning it into call centre space (StarTek and eHealth) which really did nothing for the store. I personally feel that they should have kept the upper three floors and turned the basement into offices. You don't need windows in a call centre as you are too busy on the phones to look around (I have worked in two call centres - not the two mentioned above). I understand that the receiving dock for the Bay is in the basement, but I am sure they could have come up with a design that would have satisfied both a call centre and receiving/storage.
I thought that when Sears closed its doors that it would be a better location for the Bay. They would have needed to redo the store (HVAC/escalators for example) but the smaller space would have been better for their store, and to be honest, I think the old Sears store was a better location, being off the food court, and being attached to the Delta Hotel and the casino. I know they get a lot of foot traffic from the SGI tower but that is only Monday to Friday.

Anyway, I hope they don't close the Bay, our last old-style department store.

Very interesting tidbits! I was unaware of the past Bay store at Century Plaza. Your description goes to show what Hudsons Bay could be if it were to be invested in. I think Hudsons Bay made an error when they decided to expand their store count, when in reality they should have focused inward on the current portfolio of stores, rather than let them be neglected. Heres hoping it weathers the storm and comes out with a deserved renovation!

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

It's a shame that this store has gone so far downhill. Regina's original Bay store on 12th Avenue & Hamilton (now Century Plaza) was a beautiful store. It was a nice, modern department store, especially when compared to the old Simpsons Department store on 11th & Hamilton. It was like comparing apples to oranges with the dumpy Eaton's store on 7th Avenue & Hamilton. When Eaton's built their new store at the Cornwall Centre, it was the nicest department store in Regina (by far). Unfortunately, by the time Eaton's had closed that store needed renovations, of which the Bay did very little in my opinion, before moving in. If any of you are old enough to remember the Eaton's store downtown, it occupied all three floors above ground. At the top of the escalators on the third floor was a large skylight surrounded by angled mirrors that let natural light into the store and down the escalators. At Christmastime, they would put their Christmas department (trees and decorations, etc) around one side of the 3rd floor escalators, of which they always had several and all were very nicely decorated. Closing off the third floor and turning it into call centre space (StarTek and eHealth) which really did nothing for the store. I personally feel that they should have kept the upper three floors and turned the basement into offices. You don't need windows in a call centre as you are too busy on the phones to look around (I have worked in two call centres - not the two mentioned above). I understand that the receiving dock for the Bay is in the basement, but I am sure they could have come up with a design that would have satisfied both a call centre and receiving/storage.
I thought that when Sears closed its doors that it would be a better location for the Bay. They would have needed to redo the store (HVAC/escalators for example) but the smaller space would have been better for their store, and to be honest, I think the old Sears store was a better location, being off the food court, and being attached to the Delta Hotel and the casino. I know they get a lot of foot traffic from the SGI tower but that is only Monday to Friday.

Anyway, I hope they don't close the Bay, our last old-style department store.

All good info but just pointing out that eHealth isn't a call centre. It's a gov't crown that deals with electronic health stuff for the province.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by pappcam

All good info but just pointing out that eHealth isn't a call centre. It's a gov't crown that deals with electronic health stuff for the province.

Yes, you are correct. It isn't just a call centre, but they do have a sizable call centre there.

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

Yes, you are correct. It isn't just a call centre, but they do have a sizable call centre there.

They have a "call centre" as it pertains to health cards and registration along with a help desk but it's not sizable or a large chunk of their overall operations. It's an office like any other office with many people working on many different things and they probably wouldn't appreciate being jammed into a basement.