Winnipeg Retail

[esquire]

I still find it kind of strange that Winnipeg got a new mall with the huge growth in online shopping.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by esquire

I still find it amazing that the McDonald's down there was so short-lived. It's so rare to see a McDonald's just up and close.

Starbucks was another big name that couldn't make it work there.

compare the foot traffic at that mcdonald's to a normal franchise...they were operating on ten hours a week.

Starbucks has moved the drive through only model, so I'm not sure it had much to do with that location....other than covid killing it.

I used to have a rotation of five or six places to go for lunch...now it's one or two.

[Glenn99]

Originally Posted by esquire

I still find it kind of strange that Winnipeg got a new mall with the huge growth in online shopping.

I would think the last mall of that scale in Winnipeg for a very long time(if ever again).

[esquire]

Originally Posted by trueviking

compare the foot traffic at that mcdonald's to a normal franchise...they were operating on ten hours a week.

It couldn't have come as a huge surprise to them, though... pretty well everything in the skywalk system operates on ten hours a week, that was the case before the pandemic and it's even more evident now. You can stroll through Winnipeg Square at 2 pm and it is a total ghost town.

Usually McDonalds and other major fast food chains know what they're getting into.

[thebasketballgeek]

New Canna Cabana opened up in St. Vital Mall next to the Walmart, and the Sport Chek is moving location to where the old Sears was next too Fit4Less. Very curious what’s going to replace Sport Chek since it’s been there for what feels like decades.

Tbh I thought Covid would have done a lot more long term damage to St. V, but for the most part the mall has recovered. The least active area is still by Hudson’s Bay but that’s not much of a surprise.

On another note I finally went to the Cineplex Junxion in KP too watch Avatar and it did not disappoint. KP is looking better and better with each new addition.

[esquire]

^ Yeah, it does seem that St. Vital Centre has bounced back in terms of traffic. It's way busier than it was a year ago. It will be interesting to see if that results in any significant new tenants.

[pspeid]

Free Press article about two new downtown businesses:

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bu...UAJ9AsKE2XI3qM

I remember reading about the brew publication a while ago, but it's good to see these starting up in the downtown.

[esquire]

^ I wish them luck... but that strip of Fort is a bit of a dead zone, not a ton of foot traffic around there. They will have their work cut out for them.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I wish them luck... but that strip of Fort is a bit of a dead zone, not a ton of foot traffic around there. They will have their work cut out for them.

True, but something/someone has to start the foot traffic. A brew pub (not a publication....don't know what happened there) might be a good way to see more people in the area.

[AccordTR]

Originally Posted by thebasketballgeek

New Canna Cabana opened up in St. Vital Mall next to the Walmart, and the Sport Chek is moving location to where the old Sears was next too Fit4Less. Very curious what’s going to replace Sport Chek since it’s been there for what feels like decades.

Tbh I thought Covid would have done a lot more long term damage to St. V, but for the most part the mall has recovered. The least active area is still by Hudson’s Bay but that’s not much of a surprise.

On another note I finally went to the Cineplex Junxion in KP too watch Avatar and it did not disappoint. KP is looking better and better with each new addition.

Dollarama is going in old sport chek

[thebasketballgeek]

Originally Posted by pspeid

Free Press article about two new downtown businesses:

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bu...UAJ9AsKE2XI3qM

I remember reading about the brew publication a while ago, but it's good to see these starting up in the downtown.

Cntrbnd must know something that the rest of the retailers don't by setting shop in Downtown. They got some pricey stuff and interesting high end brands, but I am quite glad to see a luxury retailer try making Downtown retail a thing again. The fashion style seems too focus on young adults too. Definitely going to make an effort to check it out.

Originally Posted by AccordTR

Dollarama is going in old sport chek

Ughh the Dollaramaification of St. Vital continues. One on St Mary's/River, one across the street from the mall, and one on St Mary's and Dakota already. How does that work lol.

[damnedmenno]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I wish them luck... but that strip of Fort is a bit of a dead zone, not a ton of foot traffic around there. They will have their work cut out for them.

Was at Devil May Care last night for a couple of pints and was nice to see some people walk in after the Jets game. The street itself is barren but has the Pyramid down the street and Times Changed/Blue Note park around the corner. Devil May Care has been brewing for several years already and now have their own space to brew with a tap room. Most of the breweries and tap rooms throughout the city are in low traffic areas but they themselves bring in the traffic. I think Devil May Care should do well and help bring more people to the area and is a nice addition to the brewery scene.

[zalf]

It's not terribly far from Lake of the Woods Brewing, either. There are the seeds of a pub/brewery crawl there.

Originally Posted by damnedmenno

Most of the breweries and tap rooms throughout the city are in low traffic areas but they themselves bring in the traffic.

I suspect this is a byproduct of being relegated to Industrial zoning. The only exception I can think of is Lake of the Woods. All the others are in industrial parks (e.g. Torque, Trans-Canada) or hidden behind garages (e.g. Sookram's, Low Life, Stone Angel). If that's the case, this seems like low-hanging fruit for the city to liberalize a bit.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by thebasketballgeek

Ughh the Dollaramaification of St. Vital continues. One on St Mary's/River, one across the street from the mall, and one on St Mary's and Dakota already. How does that work lol.

I live in St. Vital... I'd be willing to lease my garage out for another location if the price is right

[esquire]

Originally Posted by zalf

I suspect this is a byproduct of being relegated to Industrial zoning. The only exception I can think of is Lake of the Woods. All the others are in industrial parks (e.g. Torque, Trans-Canada) or hidden behind garages (e.g. Sookram's, Low Life, Stone Angel). If that's the case, this seems like low-hanging fruit for the city to liberalize a bit.

Is it driven by zoning or simply the need for a large, relatively inexpensive space suited to production? Most of the brew pubs I can think of tend to locate in those types of spaces.

[zalf]

Originally Posted by esquire

Is it driven by zoning or simply the need for a large, relatively inexpensive space suited to production? Most of the brew pubs I can think of tend to locate in those types of spaces.

I decided to look into it properly. The City draws a distinction between Microbreweries and Craft Breweries, which seems to be based on some provincial regulations I haven't dug into.

Microbreweries are more permissive, conditionally allowed in RMU/CMU and C1, and permitted in TOD, commerical C2-C4, and manufacturing zones.

Craft breweries are more stringent: conditional in CMU and C2, permitted in C3, C4, and manufacturing.

You're right that economics is probably playing the major role in it. I've seen some very small microbreweries on high street in other cities, but I don't think we yet have the foot traffic in most places to make anything that small feasible yet. It still chafes me the city killed that proposal for one behind Mulvey Flea Market. Maybe there's a place for one in Railside.

[esquire]

^ Thank you. To draw a rough analogy, it's like the difference between a small scale pastry shop that makes cakes on demand vs. a commercial bakery that turns out thousands of loaves of bread a day. A place where the focus is on clientele coming in to eat and drink should be treated as a restaurant/lounge as opposed to a manufacturing facility, even if that does actually happen there. So the distinction is a wise one on the City's part, even if it isn't always applied perfectly.

[trebor204]

I notice today that Dollarama just open a new store at the old Rexall (which closed sometime in 2017/18) at Pembina and McGillivray

Any news on what's going at the Old Pier One Exports/EQ3 space at SW corner at Polo Park. (It looks like it will be subdivided into 3 units)

[cllew]

Originally Posted by thebasketballgeek

C
Ughh the Dollaramaification of St. Vital continues. One on St Mary's/River, one across the street from the mall, and one on St Mary's and Dakota already. How does that work lol.

IN March 2021 Dollarrama announced they want to have about 2000 stores open by 2031. That will be an increase of 600 more stores from the current 2021 count.

In 2023 they expect to open 60 to 70 more stores, so expect to see a few more in Winnipeg if retail space opens up.

[esquire]

Dollarama reminds me a bit of Tim Hortons in the 2000s when those were popping up on every corner.