The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread - Page 701

Sheba · #**14001** Posted **Oct 25, 2019, 9:47 PM**

I don't know if this has been mentioned before

Quote:

A Chinese grocery chain has plans to crack the highly competitive Canadian market with its first international location in Vancouver next month.

Sungiven Food Canada Inc. hopes to grow to up to 15 locations across B.C.’s Lower Mainland within the next five years.

Senior vice-president Terence Fong says he doesn’t see another format like Sungiven in the industry right now.

He says the Xiamen, China-based chain relies on smaller shop sizes, which will enable it to find locations more easily than larger grocers that require much more space.

...

Tetsuo · #**14002** Posted **Oct 25, 2019, 11:10 PM**

I keep hearing rumours of an asian chain going into the former Save-On, BuyLow at Westminster centre.

Similar feel to City Square, wonder if they'll go there....

officedweller · #**14003** Posted **Oct 26, 2019, 3:12 AM**

I think the smaller ones may be more like a neighbourhood Kin's Farm Market - but that's complete speculation on my part.

SpongeG · #**14004** Posted **Oct 26, 2019, 3:14 AM**

I looked at videos of the chain in china and most seemed pretty small like Meinhardts size.

It will be interesting for T&T to have some competition at least they are filling a void of sorts.

zahav · #**14005** Posted **Oct 26, 2019, 4:23 AM**

Is it the old Westminster Savings that they are moving into in Burnaby?

The City Square space is in a completely different league than the old WSCU. Seems odd that a single brand could operate stores in those spaces under the same banner.

Conrad Yablonski · #**14006** Posted **Oct 27, 2019, 4:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

I think the smaller ones may be more like a neighbourhood Kin's Farm Market - but that's complete speculation on my part.

Looking at the size of the West Broadway store (a location I know well) I'd say you're right.

SpongeG · #**14007** Posted **Oct 27, 2019, 6:43 AM**

Is it taking over the full safeway space?

some pics of what a store looks like in China

sungivenfoods.com

jollyburger · #**14008** Posted **Oct 27, 2019, 11:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Is it taking over the full safeway space?

sungivenfoods.com

I think they broke up the space. If Safeway was 25,000 square feet then the new Sungiven is only 13,000 square feet.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news...n-grocery-store-chain-to-vancouver-roots

The Burnaby store at 4106 East Hastings St is only 6000 square feet.

officedweller · #**14009** Posted **Oct 28, 2019, 8:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I think they broke up the space. If Safeway was 25,000 square feet then the new Sungiven is only 13,000 square feet.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news...n-grocery-store-chain-to-vancouver-roots

The Burnaby store at 4106 East Hastings St is only 6000 square feet.

Those look like long freezers and wide aisles for a smaller store.

A worker assembles a fixture at a Sungiven Foods grocery store under construction at City Square shopping centre,
in Vancouver, on Thursday October 24, 2019. DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news...n-grocery-store-chain-to-vancouver-roots

I wonder if the article got the figure wrong.
The entrance looks narrower, but I don't see an alternate storefront is the space has been split.

Pic by me Saturday:

SpongeG · #**14010** Posted **Oct 30, 2019, 5:13 AM**

I went to the outlet mall today, the Old Navy is open now and it's a two-level store. Also, Kate Spade has taken over the spot next door that was SL and it's really nice and bright inside.

There was something going in next to North Face, Designer warehouse or something with that type of name, there was a lot of people or maybe staff sitting inside, it looked built out just needed stock.

officedweller · #**14011** Posted **Oct 30, 2019, 11:13 PM**

Retail Insider also says the Sungiven Foods at City Square will be 14,000 sq ft.

The 2017 Leasing plan shows 25,400 sq ft for the former Safeway space, so either the quote is just selling floor and not backroom, or the space has been subdivided.

https://www.citysquarevan.com/wp-content...Centre-Leasing-Brochure_JG-July-2017.pdf

Sheba · #**14012** Posted **Oct 30, 2019, 11:41 PM**

Sungiven Asian grocery chain moves into Burnaby

Quote:

Terence Fong has a simple explanation for the name Sungiven Foods – the moniker for a global Asian grocery store chain that is moving in North Burnaby soon.

Sungiven’s senior vice-president for Canada says it has to do with the sun giving so much nutrition to many of the items the chain sells to customers.

“We want to be more natural,” Fong says. “We offer healthy daily meals that are less processed and at a reasonable price.”

Work is progressing at Sungiven’s future store at the corner of Hastings and Gilmore in Burnaby Heights – with 6,300 square feet of space planned in a former credit union building.

Fong says he expect the Burnaby store to be open in early 2020, but can’t give a more specific date because the company still has to go through the permit and inspection process with the City of Burnaby.

The Burnaby store is part of the company’s first foray into the Metro Vancouver area. A 13,000-sq-ft store will be located at the Vancouver City Square shopping centre (555 West 12th Ave, Vancouver) and opens in November. A third store will open at 3301 West Broadway in Vancouver.

...

SpongeG · #**14013** Posted **Nov 3, 2019, 6:06 AM**

B.C. Liberals introduce legislation that would change how business properties are taxed

Proposed legislation could see Vancouver properties taxed on current versus future uses
John Kurucz / Vancouver Courier
OCTOBER 23, 2019

https://www.vancourier.com/news/b-c-libe...business-properties-are-taxed-1.23986154

djh · #**14014** Posted **Nov 3, 2019, 7:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

B.C. Liberals introduce legislation that would change how business properties are taxed

Proposed legislation could see Vancouver properties taxed on current versus future uses
John Kurucz / Vancouver Courier
OCTOBER 23, 2019

https://www.vancourier.com/news/b-c-libe...business-properties-are-taxed-1.23986154

Hallelujah!

Finally we might see a reversal to good small businesses being pushed out of neighbourhoods because the landlords have to pass exorbitant property taxes on to them. If a lot is not developed to it's capacity, how does the city justify taxing it as if it were?! It's so wrong, disruptive and anti-community.

Changing City · #**14015** Posted **Nov 3, 2019, 1:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by djh

Hallelujah!

Finally we might see a reversal to good small businesses being pushed out of neighbourhoods because the landlords have to pass exorbitant property taxes on to them. If a lot is not developed to it's capacity, how does the city justify taxing it as if it were?! It's so wrong, disruptive and anti-community.

The city (all the cities, not just Vancouver) have no role in determining the basis of a site's tax valuation. It's all determined by an independent agency called the British Columbia Assessment Authority. That's why The Province is introducing the legislation - it's not something that's controlled at a municipal level.

Vin · #**14016** Posted **Nov 3, 2019, 9:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

The city (all the cities, not just Vancouver) have no role in determining the basis of a site's tax valuation. It's all determined by an independent agency called the British Columbia Assessment Authority. That's why The Province is introducing the legislation - it's not something that's controlled at a municipal level.

Cities could push hard for change: they never did. That's especially so for Vancouver that's seeing most small businesses suffer because of its various anti business anti commercial development policies.

Why would Vancouver seek the change if they can rake in so much tax money from the struggling businesses and landlords? The least they could do is to keep the city clean, keep out the disorderliness, shelter those who deserve it, have the VPD go on foot patrols to ensure that businesses dont keep getting broken into, and plan better for all businesses to thrive. They have failed in all these regards while still happily collecting the ever-increasing tax money. Must be nice to have all the raises for the city workers.

Changing City · #**14017** Posted **Nov 3, 2019, 9:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

Cities could push hard for change: they never did. That's especially so for Vancouver that's seeing most small businesses suffer because of its various anti business anti commercial development policies.

Vancouver has supported the change. "The split assessment model has the backing of a huge swath of policy makers: chief financial officers from Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and West Vancouver. It’s also received support from the Lower Mainland Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade and the B.C. Chamber of Commerce. Several resolutions on the issue have received support from the Union of B.C. Municipalities." Vancouver Council lobbied for the change to occur, and also shifted more of the tax burden onto residents, and off businesses this year

officedweller · #**14018** Posted **Nov 5, 2019, 12:00 AM**

It was a narrow vote (6-5) and Council voted for the shift against Staff Recommendation:

Vancouver staff: Don't shift property taxes from business owners to homeowners
https://vancouversun.com/business/commer...taxes-from-business-owners-to-homeowners

Vancouver council votes to shift 2% of businesses' property tax to homeowners
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c...s-homeowners-vancouver-council-1.5116586

officedweller · #**14019** Posted **Nov 5, 2019, 12:33 AM**

Sungiven Foods
City Square

Some of the paper on the glass was down.
This is the west side of the store - where Safeway's produce section was located (same flooring?)
Pic by me yesterday.

SpongeG · #**14020** Posted **Nov 7, 2019, 5:45 AM**

I imagine Vancouver will get one of these new format stores

Ikea plans to open smaller stores in Toronto as consumers crave convenience

Aleksandra Sagan, The Canadian Press

Bedroom furnishings sit in a window display at the first city-centre Ikea of Sweden AB store in Paris, France, May 10, 2019. Bloomberg/Marlene Awaad

Ikea Canada plans to open its first smaller, downtown store format in the country in Toronto within the next two years.

The focus on the new formats for the retailer known for massive stores that can feel like walking through a home furnishings and decor labyrinth comes as urban consumers demand spaces closer to them that don't require a long drive.

"Customers are changing," said Michael Ward, who assumed the role as president of the retailer's Canadian arm at the start of the year after more than three decades with the company.

"We're moving with customers and one part of that is that we want to penetrate the big cities."

In 2018, Ikea announced it planned to add small shops to 30 cities around the world.

The smaller shops come in three different formats.

One of the first opened in Madrid, Spain, in 2018. The city shops focus on different categories, such as bedroom or living room and tend to be roughly 2,500 square metres (27,000 square feet).

In New York City's Manhattan borough, Ikea took a different approach, focusing on services. The planning studio format is the smallest — about 500 square metres (5,400 square feet).

The last store type — dubbed extra small — spans 5,000 square metres (54,000 square feet).

A typical Canadian Ikea store, by comparison, clocks in at between 25,000 and 35,000 square metres (269,000 to 377,00 square feet).

...

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/ikea-plans-t...as-consumers-crave-convenience-1.1343745