Winnipeg Retail

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Used to be a Wilson's on Main between Portage and Graham. Yep, that's waaay back.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

Used to be a Wilson's on Main between Portage and Graham. Yep, that's waaay back.

That was Wilson's Furniture, not Wilson's Stationary.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

^Ah, it was just being torn down when I moved here. Thanks.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

^Ah, it was just being torn down when I moved here. Thanks.

Building they were in is still there on Main and Graham. Its now the Winnipeg branch of CDI Collage

[Andy6]

They were farther north before that, though, in the block that became Winnipeg Square.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by esquire

I saw that when I was downtown on Saturday... they did not waste a second in shutting 'er down.

With Staples gone and Hudson Bay next (I'm actually kind of surprised they're going to drag it out until February given that the period after the holidays is a bit of a retail dead zone), there will be little downtown retail left. I noticed that City Jewelers is closing down at Portage Place... Coles closed down not too long ago. I'm sure there must be other closures impending.

Hi Neighbours. I have been checking your Retail and Restaurant threads often, with interest. It's sad what is happening in your city, and pretty much all over.

esquire, your comment about Hudson Bay dragging out the closure of the downtown store reminds me of when they closed the only Home Outfitters store we had in Regina. They certainly dragged that out. An employee told me that other stores in the chain were shipping all of their crap to the Regina store for clearance. She told me to keep coming back every week as they would always have more junk to get rid of. I remember how a lot of Christmas crap kept appearing in the store for a few months after Christmas.
I wonder if this is what Hudson Bay plans to do with the Portage Avenue store?

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Andy6

They were farther north before that, though, in the block that became Winnipeg Square.

I'm 62 and I don't remember that. I always thought they were at Main and Graham.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

esquire, your comment about Hudson Bay dragging out the closure of the downtown store reminds me of when they closed the only Home Outfitters store we had in Regina. They certainly dragged that out. An employee told me that other stores in the chain were shipping all of their crap to the Regina store for clearance. She told me to keep coming back every week as they would always have more junk to get rid of. I remember how a lot of Christmas crap kept appearing in the store for a few months after Christmas.
I wonder if this is what Hudson Bay plans to do with the Portage Avenue store?

Now that you mention it, I seem to recall that HBC took that approach with Zellers stores when they were in their final months. I remember finding some crazy blowout deals on clothing from The Bay that was being cleared out there.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Here's the Wilson's I was talking about. See it with the white background?


Here's the furniture store.

[cllew]

My parents bought their furniture from Wilson's back in the mid 1950's so it was probably from the store in the first picture.

I always thought it was from the store on Main at Graham as my dad delivered mail in that area for years and tried to support the businesses he delivered to if he could.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

^That very well could be. They appeared to have moved around a bit. That first pic is around 1968/69 as it looks like they're preparing to put up the Richardson Building.

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/business/w...urniture.shtml

[Andy6]

No I remember my parents going down there when it was closing out due to Trizec. It had that big concrete facade with WILSON'S written across it so you couldn't miss it. Then it moved to the Cadomin Bldg on the corner. It was a wonderful store and, like Eaton's, something you couldn't imagine Winnipeg without.

[laumag]

Originally Posted by esquire

Now that you mention it, I seem to recall that HBC took that approach with Zellers stores when they were in their final months. I remember finding some crazy blowout deals on clothing from The Bay that was being cleared out there.

I went to Hudson's Bay at Polo Park this afternoon. I was saddened to see what has happened to it. The Second Floor resembled the closing of Eaton's and Sears. It is Bay Day after all. Bay Day used to be a very good event. Today, I saw racks and racks of old stock. I was told that any item with a red tag was a Final Sale. The Main Floor was no different. Many jewellery display cases were basically empty. There were no Customer Service Reps. Sad. Very sad. I am sure this marks the soon to be end of Hudson's Bay.

[esquire]

^ Between that and their rent arrears at some malls that is being reported in the news, you have to wonder if HBC is reaching the end of the line. Kind of a sad way to go out, but nothing lasts forever...

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

Here's the furniture store.

Interesting that the stucco part of the wall on Main has been there for like 70+ years, definitely figured it was something done stupidly in the 90s lol.

Originally Posted by laumag

I went to Hudson's Bay at Polo Park this afternoon. I was saddened to see what has happened to it. The Second Floor resembled the closing of Eaton's and Sears. It is Bay Day after all. Bay Day used to be a very good event. Today, I saw racks and racks of old stock. I was told that any item with a red tag was a Final Sale. The Main Floor was no different. Many jewellery display cases were basically empty. There were no Customer Service Reps. Sad. Very sad. I am sure this marks the soon to be end of Hudson's Bay.

This is happening all over the place right now, revenues have fallen, so has staffing. But the stores remain the same size. Also many stores are clearing out product like crazy as the entire spring season was wiped out and summer was very slow, I know many stores still have product sitting in warehouses here that should've been sold through the stores months ago already.

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Between that and their rent arrears at some malls that is being reported in the news, you have to wonder if HBC is reaching the end of the line. Kind of a sad way to go out, but nothing lasts forever...

That one was a bit of a false flag - it's all one management company. Sounds like they haven't been playing nice together where most are right now. Haven't had any issues with any other ones... Always two sides to every story.

[cslusarc]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

esquire, your comment about Hudson Bay dragging out the closure of the downtown store reminds me of when they closed the only Home Outfitters store we had in Regina. They certainly dragged that out. An employee told me that other stores in the chain were shipping all of their crap to the Regina store for clearance. She told me to keep coming back every week as they would always have more junk to get rid of. I remember how a lot of Christmas crap kept appearing in the store for a few months after Christmas.
I wonder if this is what Hudson Bay plans to do with the Portage Avenue store?

When they finally closed the 3 Home Stores (& the remaining 34 Home Outfitters) they also received merchandise transferred from the full-line department stores including clearance fashions.

I haven't been to any Bay stores since March because I am on immunosuppressive therapy to treat my AS and PsA. Can someone give post more descriptions on what is happening at the Bay Downtown? Did they get new Fall and Winter fashions, and the Christmas Street holiday shop?

[CoryB]

After Winnipeg Square was built Wilsons (Stationery) was located in the Deerman Building on Portage Ave and their teacher specific store was in the basement. I know it was there in the 80s and best I can recall gone in the early 90s (or sooner).

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by pspeid

I guess only Staples knows what their plans are, but it seems a natural to have an office supply store somewhere in the downtown core. Plus, classes at the U of W are not going to be empty forever.

1. Most offices have enterprise office supply accounts backed by warehouses in the suburbs provided "same day" delivery if needed to downtown offices. This is a big part of why Grand and Toy closed their retail outlets.

2. U of W students are almost exclusively on electronic devices in classes now with 90% or more pulling out laptops/tablets/etc over paper and pen.

3. For the times U of W students need paper and pen and need something "now" the campus bookstore in the former bus depot has them covered.

The thought that downtown needs an office supply store is similar to wondering why music retails and video rental chains all disappeared.

[Biff]

I noticed the land directly north of the Canadian Tire on Regent (Reenders and Peguis) has been cleaned up and leveled - it had a rubbish mound and lots of debris. Looks like it might come to market soon.

[bomberjet]

I noticed that over the last while. I believe the mall owns that property? Including the land Canadian Tire is on. Maybe I'm wrong though.

The Shindico Kildonan Mile development has been in a perpetual state of limbo forever now. Doesn't seem to be a strong interest in more retail for that area. Maybe if someone buys the land for their own purposes it will be developed, as opposed to leasing from Shindico.