The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[Built Form]

SportChek will open Thursday May 12th due to an unforeseen delay.

[connect2source]

Trust me, it opened today.

Just bought some gym stuff there, great looking store with lots of 'wow' for the corner! I like exterior signage better than Chapter's which was inside the glass and had little impact. Store is incredibly well stocked too so amazing selection and size ranges right now which is not typical of SportChek

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by connect2source

...

Agreed, nice sign!
Being level accentuates the angled cube.

So it seems that there's no Atmosphere component to the store.
(which raises the question of a separate downtown Atmosphere, or none downtown)

[connect2source]

I wonder if the Atmosphere moniker is being dropped, perhaps gradually. The third level is outdoor and gear, mostly an Atmosphere mix but no sign of the Atmosphere branding anywhere.

[officedweller]

Dropping Atmosphere makes sense, as there must be doubling up of merchandise across the two brands.

[SpongeG]

this replaced the pacific centre store right? it looks good

[officedweller]

Yes.

Walked past the Pacific Centre space in the mall and its all hoarded up
- can't tell how the Holt's expansion is coming along.

[Klazu]

How does the hologram display inside look like? I have seen a few and they are cool.

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by Klazu

How does the hologram display inside look like? I have seen a few and they are cool.

To be honest, didn't even look for it, ran it to get a gym shirt, snapped a couple of pics and had to run back to work. I'll check it out in more detail next time. Overall the store is great, really pops and reminds me of sports stores in European city centres... light years from the old PC location.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

April 15 '16, my pics

I checked out the new Save On Foods store on Main Street today at Centrepoint Mall. It used to be an IGA. They did a good job and it looks and feels like a Save On Foods on the inside but it's the smallest one I've seen. Probably a smaller selection than the big stores.


May 9 '16, my pics

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by Built Form

SportChek will open Thursday May 12th due to an unforeseen delay.

Wrong. Soft opening yesterday (Monday the 9th), grand opening weekend starts Thursday the 12th.

Very nice store!

Ron.

[connect2source]

A CBC piece on all the vacancies on the 1100 block of Robson.

"Rents for stores on Robson Street between Bute and Thurlow Streets are around $125 to $150 a square foot, down 20 to 25 per cent from its peak five years ago."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/robson-street-changing-storefronts-1.3575508

[Vin]

Originally Posted by connect2source

A CBC piece on all the vacancies on the 1100 block of Robson.

"Rents for stores on Robson Street between Bute and Thurlow Streets are around $125 to $150 a square foot, down 20 to 25 per cent from its peak five years ago."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/robson-street-changing-storefronts-1.3575508

Quote:"Negris — who has been working on Robson Street for 20 years — said the shift is specific to the 1100 block of Robson Street, because foot traffic has moved east towards Nordstrom and Pacific Centre Mall."

Sounds like the malls are winning over street retailing, dragging the crowd towards them. Signs of the times.

Rents are down so much on Robson street because retailers cannot see the justification of paying so much for the kinds of buildings they would put their businesses in, especially on the 1100 block Robson. If City had the foresight, they would have allowed higher density retailing/residential around this part of Robson street here a decade ago. Unfortunately, the provincial mentality of the City Council ensures that there would always be a loss of business opportunities.

It is also proven here that more high density retail and mall space can help lower the overall rents of CRUs, as proven here.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Vin

Quote:"Negris — who has been working on Robson Street for 20 years — said the shift is specific to the 1100 block of Robson Street, because foot traffic has moved east towards Nordstrom and Pacific Centre Mall."

Sounds like the malls are winning over street retailing, dragging the crowd towards them. Signs of the times.

So retailers moving from one block of Robson to another to be near an internationally renowned anchor is a sign malls are winning and Vancouver is provincial?

Just a question for you oh ever informed Vin, which retailers have moved down robson to be closer to the mall? There are so many that have I just don't know why I can think of a single one... I'm sure being the well informed individual you are you can fill me in though...

It's kinda weird that every single lux retailer went to Alberni isn't it... it's probably because Cadillac Fairview wouldn't want expensive brands like that in it's mall... Right?

[Vin]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

So retailers moving from one block of Robson to another to be near an internationally renowned anchor is a sign malls are winning and Vancouver is provincial?

Just a question for you oh ever informed Vin, which retailers have moved down robson to be closer to the mall? There are so many that have I just don't know why I can think of a single one... I'm sure being the well informed individual you are you can fill me in though...

It's kinda weird that every single lux retailer went to Alberni isn't it... it's probably because Cadillac Fairview wouldn't want expensive brands like that in it's mall... Right?

Of course the lux retailers would love to be in a nice new mall. However, there just isn't one downtown, and that the existing one at PC is all fully-leased. For such a big area, there actually aren't too many lux stores along Alberni street. Furthermore, almost all of them occupy high-density buildings which offer them better premises than the street shacks of Robson. Fact remains that many stores are shuttered along Robson street.

[squeezied]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

So retailers moving from one block of Robson to another to be near an internationally renowned anchor is a sign malls are winning and Vancouver is provincial?

Just a question for you oh ever informed Vin, which retailers have moved down robson to be closer to the mall? There are so many that have I just don't know why I can think of a single one... I'm sure being the well informed individual you are you can fill me in though...

It's kinda weird that every single lux retailer went to Alberni isn't it... it's probably because Cadillac Fairview wouldn't want expensive brands like that in it's mall... Right?

[officedweller]

This outage affected the No Frills on Broadway last night just before closing - the cash registers were down - so it was right across the country!

Loblaws stores reopen following computer outage
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/05/12/loblaw-stores-closed-by-computer-outage.html

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Vin

Of course the lux retailers would love to be in a nice new mall. However, there just isn't one downtown, and that the existing one at PC is all fully-leased. For such a big area, there actually aren't too many lux stores along Alberni street. Furthermore, almost all of them occupy high-density buildings which offer them better premises than the street shacks of Robson. Fact remains that many stores are shuttered along Robson street.

You're such a goof.

Yes the mall is full now, but you don't think every single one of those lux retailers was pitched and pitched hard at Pacific Centre in the early days of the expansion?

That entire run of mall under Nordstrom was positioned to be high end retail but EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM went to Alberni.

How is this not resonating with you?

And you didn't answer my question (becasue you cant) of which retailer went from Robson to be closer to Pacific Centre.

[connect2source]

The only retailer I can think of, from the 1100 block Robson that moved closer to PC but only to the 1000 block, which likely had nothing to do with Nordstrom but more about a newer and large space, was The Body Shop.

Some others from the 1100 block, no longer there, and reasons I can think of, none really having to do with Nordstrom or PC.

Mexx : company went bankrupt
Below the Belt : my guess it that company is shrinking
Freedman Shoes : bought by Town Shoes and consolidated
Canucks Team Store : perhaps due to the crap season, sales were off
American Eagle : perhaps redundancy having the PC location so close
Joe Fresh : my guess is the location was temporary
French Connection : company pulled out of Canada
Dynamite - Bell - Eyeglass Store and Hologram Shop : landlord likely wanted a flagship retailer in that space hence Aritzia

New entries to the 1100 block in the last couple of years :

Camper
Nike Store : taking old Mexx space
Lauderee : old Body Shop space
Steve Madden
Eddie Bauer
New Balance
Rogers

Still lots of empty space and a few of those strange stores where people beckon you over to sell you scents and cosmetics. I blame much of it on previously high rents combined with dilapidated store-fronts and CRU's in dire need of redevelopment. The London Drugs complex, the complex across the street from it, the mid-block complex with The Gap all need a serious face-lift before they can expect to attract any retailers of significance IMO.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by connect2source

The only retailer I can think of, from the 1100 block Robson that moved closer to PC but only to the 1000 block, which likely had nothing to do with Nordstrom but more about a newer and large space, was The Body Shop.
...

... and Lululemon

Otherwise no noteworthy moves or openings to the east other than Pacific Centre itself and SportChek.
Winners/Best Buy/IGA/Homesense/HMart all opened ages ago.