Canadian Retail Thread

[CCF]

MEC is apparently going to expand into smaller cities.

Wonder if either Saskatchewan city will see a store anytime soon.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by someone123

The problem is that if MEC doesn't have a store in Burlington people there will just shop at Coast Mountain or whatever they have out there rather than going downtown.

Not really. It says they have members as far away as London. So people are making the trek. Look at the TTC bus riders. I see people in the farthest streches of Scarborough with MEC backpacks. People will make the trek down, because it is a destination store. That is what makes downtowns and city districts interesting. They have places you can only find there.

There is no reason to open these stores in the suburbs and make it all the same.

To bad if you live that far out. Not my problem. You can make the trek into the city sometime and actually see different things. We should not encouraging people to stay in their own little neighbourhood and never venture of their hood.

[SpongeG]

the MEC in vancouver is not downtown

[204]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

the MEC in vancouver is not downtown

It's less than 2km from downtown, Broadway and Cambie isn't exactly suburbia...

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by 204

It's less than 2km from downtown, Broadway and Cambie isn't exactly suburbia...

Exactly- it's in a very cool area of the inner city.

Calgary's MEC isn't "downtown" either; it's a block south of downtown.

[Kilgore Trout]

the MEC in vancouver is not downtown

yeah, but at least it's on an urban retail street easily accessible by foot and public transit. the MEC in montreal, while located in a state-of-the-art green building, is located in a suburban-style power centre in some woebegotten industrial area on the fringe of the inner city.

[Policy Wonk]

I have not been in a Mountain Equipment Coop in a good 15 years, but all I remember of the one in downtown Calgary is there was maybe half a dozen parking spots, and most of what one would buy there you would not want to carry any distance, let alone on the bus.

I think the last thing I bought there was a cooler, and I remember hauling it about 4 blocks to where I was parked.

[SSLL]

Wow, that's a pretty suburban location there. I guess they don't hold any responsibility to locate solely in urban areas. They are a Mountain Equiptment Coop, after all.

[SpongeG]

so pottery barn in Vancouver has shut down for renos - i believe they are adding more space by opening up a second floor - and pottery barn kids will be put in - anyway they have a temp store further down the street and its pretty bare minimum and the floors are uneven and grubby etc. and the lighting is so harsh - its all overhead flors and it just seems so weird to see pottery barn in such a badly lit grubby space

but here is a pic of the williams-sonoma set to open in the fall - they have really gutted the building as you can see some big chunk missing - the old store there was two levels - ground and basement - i am assuming the williams-sonoma will use both levels as well but be much more open like they can be



gotta love the vancouver graffitti

[MTLskyline]

They're building a Hooters restaurant near Montreal in Greenfield Park on Taschereau Blvd.

Is this the first Hooters location in Quebec? I heard that there was one in Ormstown, but I don't think that was an actual Hooters.
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Zx14 Vs Hayabusa

[West_aust]

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

They're building a Hooters restaurant near Montreal in Greenfield Park on Taschereau Blvd.

Is this the first Hooters location in Quebec? I heard that there was one in Ormstown, but I don't think that was an actual Hooters.

it's indeed the first hooters in Quebec and a welcome addition

That and the Taco Bell they are opening nearby on Taschereau Boulevard are the missing pieces to make sure it looks like the typical american boulevard (not that i mind )

[harls]

Originally Posted by West_aust

it's indeed the first hooters in Quebec and a welcome addition

That and the Taco Bell they are opening nearby on Taschereau Boulevard are the missing pieces to make sure it looks like the typical american boulevard (not that i mind )

Isn't there some place on the metropolitain near Lacordaire that's called "Honkers" or something similar that eludes to a Hooters-type establishment? the name escapes me at the moment, but they clearly rip off the Hooters logo.

Ottawa's Hooters in the market became TJ Pagodas not too long ago. Didn't miss it.

[malek]

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

They're building a Hooters restaurant near Montreal in Greenfield Park on Taschereau Blvd.

Is this the first Hooters location in Quebec? I heard that there was one in Ormstown, but I don't think that was an actual Hooters.

a visit to Buonanotte or Globe is enough to check out some awesome looking female staff... no need for a hooters.

Mind you, I wouldn't mind checking it out anyways :p

[SpongeG]

all the hooters here in BC closed a couple years ago

some reason sexist chains don't go down well out here

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

all the hooters here in BC closed a couple years ago

some reason sexist chains don't go down well out here

mmmm hmmm. That's why these are figments of somebody's imagination:

http://www.downtownvancouver.com/dir...er_strip_club/

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by furrycanuck

mmmm hmmm. That's why these are figments of somebody's imagination:

http://www.downtownvancouver.com/dir...er_strip_club/

I was being sarcastic - vancouver is famous for its strip clubs

the franchise owner shut them down i think

i remember on the news when the hooters was opening on robson street they did a fluffy news piece on it and they went to some of the robson street stores like gap etc and asked the girls working in the stores what they thought of hooters opening and the girls were like i think its gross and blah blabh blah and sexist and women should not be ogled etc

and the news reporter finished it by basically saying well i haven't seen any grey haired or over weight women or really any women over 30 working in the stores along robson so hooters fits right in

[Policy Wonk]

I have been to a Hooters exactly once, the food was unedible - and the women were not exactly of the sort I would go out of my way to see.

[Policy Wonk]

and where exactly are you drawing the boundary? the CPR?

[SpongeG]

well some would consider it uptown as oppossed to downtown

i know its extremely close but if we wanna be sticklers in here...

its in the outdoor gear area anyway - there must be at least a dozen shops like MEC in that area

[SSLL]

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rce_login=true
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Bed Bath & Beyond to open Canadian store

MARINA STRAUSS
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., the largest U.S. home fashions chain, will open its first store in Canada in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto. Tom Balkos, vice-president of retail services at CB Richard Ellis, confirmed yesterday that the retailer has finalized plans for the outlet and is "actively pursuing opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area and across the country." The firm brokered the deal along with Metrus Properties. The store is expected to open early next year. The retailer, known for its wide selection of merchandise, stylish offerings and chic store layouts, has had a strong track record and will provide stiff competition for existing home furnishing retailers, industry observers have said. It's the chain's first foray outside of the United States, where it has more than 800 stores.