Canadian Retail Thread

[blake10]

Originally Posted by Jay in Cowtown

Thank you!

Some of us like 3500sq ft houses in the burbs, gas guzzling SUV's and weekend shopping at malls filled with stores like Lucky Brand and Bed, Bath & Beyond without having to ride a fucking train or battle traffic to get there.

I am also looking forward to the Ikea development here in SW Winnipeg (includes Ikea and 3 other "un-named" US big-box stores that apparently we don't yet have here in Winnipeg, smaller retailers, possible condos and possible office units). The only problem is that this city's answer to every traffic problem is more traffic lights and that is the last thing we need in this part of the city.

When is the Calgary mall opening? I was at Katy Mills Mall (near Houston) a few years ago and it was great!

[mersar]

Originally Posted by blake10

When is the Calgary mall opening? I was at Katy Mills Mall (near Houston) a few years ago and it was great!

Bass Pro opens in April and the rest of the mall in August.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I wouldn't call downtown Vancouver vibrant

haven't been in downtown Calgary since the 80's so can't really compare

shopping malls go where people want em or are willing to go and downtown is scary to a lot of of folks - i know for myself parking is a pain in downtown vancouver, its way too expensive and limited - rather park for free in the suburbs

Thats the point. You're not supposed to drive downtown. Leave your car in the suburbs.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by Doug_Cgy

The GVRD has about 1 - 1.5 million more people than us too. We're a young city, and I stand behind my statements that ALOT is being done in our CBD and surrounding areas to increase the vibrancy. 5 years from now when alot of these projects finish, it will be a different story. Also, while we might not have the crowds of Vancouver/Toronto on weekends, it is increasing with every passing year. If Crossiron is the nail in our coffin, why does it differ for Vaughn Mills in T.O and to a lesser extent Metrotown in Vancouver?? Aren't those "core killers"???

Mills Corp builds their malls in locations to max the killing effect on other area malls and downtowns. Vaughan Malls was built where it is, because Mills Corp thought it was equal distance from most regional malls and downtown Toronto, and that people would stop going to their regional mall or downtown and drive up to Vaughan Mills.
Lucky for us, that has not seemed to happen. In fact Vaughan Mills is in many ways a flop. I have talked to very few GTA residents who actually like Vaughan Mills, and most would not even go back, as it really is just the same stores you have in your local mall. People don't the design, and transit access is the worst in the GTA.

[wild wild west]

The Mills will bring some eagerly anticipated new retailers to Calgary (in some cases, first outlets in Western Canada) and that is good news. However the real excitement will come when The Core opens. I expect the Mills will draw the Chinook Centre/Deerfoot Meadows crowd, rather than those who would be prone to shopping downtown.

I certainly shouldn't need to defend our downtown core to someone who has never even been here...this city has really started to embrace urban living as can quite clearly be seen by the tremendous growth in downtown residential development in recent years. We have what I consider to be a very strong downtown for a population of 1.2 million (and its only getting better), augmented by North America's most successful LRT system. And as has already been mentioned, the Mills is being built in a rural district outside Calgary, so it's not like Council had a choice in its approval (and indeed, did everything they could to prevent Mills from tapping into our utilities).

Anyways, why do we bother debating with Miketoronto? He hasn't even been here so his arguments are based on heresay and preconceptions.

[WhipperSnapper]

Mills Corp builds their malls in locations to max the killing effect on other area malls and downtowns. Vaughan Malls was built where it is, because Mills Corp thought it was equal distance from most regional malls and downtown Toronto, and that people would stop going to their regional mall or downtown and drive up to Vaughan Mills.
Lucky for us, that has not seemed to happen. In fact Vaughan Mills is in many ways a flop. I have talked to very few GTA residents who actually like Vaughan Mills, and most would not even go back, as it really is just the same stores you have in your local mall. People don't the design, and transit access is the worst in the GTA.

Where do you come up with this bullshit

It's Ivanhoe Cambridge. It's location is in close proximity to the future Vaughan City Centre and the future subway. It's central to one of the fastest growing suburbs in the GTA. It's hardly a flop to those in the community. It's still better than the big box hell further south. (of a scale I doubt exists anywhere else in Canada)

[SpongeG]

remember we are talking about SHOPPING not nightlife, street life etc but Shopping

malls are made for the purpose of shopping

If I and I know others here want to shop a mall is the best place to do that - easy access, easy parking, all the shops in one place get in get what you want and get out

If I want to just wander and walk around than perhaps downtown fits that bill as there is more variety and such

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Thats the point. You're not supposed to drive downtown. Leave your car in the suburbs.

i don't like to lug bags and crap with me all over downtown so I don't like to shop there

i will wander around and hang out downtown but if i am "shopping" i like to get in get out and get doing something else - a mall is great for that

Vancouver has the bonus of the west end where loads of shoppers are only minutes away

[SpongeG]

Pottery Barn Kids opens in Vancouver on South Granville - february 21

Sephora is opening 3 stores in the area
Coquitlam Centre - july
Pacific Centre - July
Metrotown - October

H&M is opening 2 more stores - Grandview Corners (South Surrey) and Metrotown

[Plus15]

Newest lease plan for Crossiron Mills shows that Brooks Brothers will also be opening an outlet store there...in addition to the flagship downtown location.

[waterloowarrior]

Wal-Mart closing Ontario Sam's Club stores
Article Comments (17)
The Canadian Press
February 26, 2009 at 4:20 PM EST
Wal-Mart Canada Corp. is closing its six Ontario Sam's Club stores next month.

The company says it will try to minimize job losses among the 1,200 employees at the stores by holding internal job fairs to help workers find jobs at existing Wal-Mart stores.

The retailer also says it plans 26 new Wal-Mart super centres this year in Canada, including expansions of existing stores, relocations and new stores.

The company says the super centre expansion is expected to created 5,000 new store jobs as well as 5,000 construction jobs.

The additions will bring the total number of Canadian super centres to 82 and Wal-Mart Canada's over-all store count to 316 by the end of the year.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Wal-Mart closing Ontario Sam's Club stores
Article Comments (17)
The Canadian Press
February 26, 2009 at 4:20 PM EST
Wal-Mart Canada Corp. is closing its six Ontario Sam's Club stores next month.

The company says it will try to minimize job losses among the 1,200 employees at the stores by holding internal job fairs to help workers find jobs at existing Wal-Mart stores.

The retailer also says it plans 26 new Wal-Mart super centres this year in Canada, including expansions of existing stores, relocations and new stores.

The company says the super centre expansion is expected to created 5,000 new store jobs as well as 5,000 construction jobs.

The additions will bring the total number of Canadian super centres to 82 and Wal-Mart Canada's over-all store count to 316 by the end of the year.

yay WALMART, please indoctrinate us all with you 'rolling back prices'

[SpongeG]

what did they sell at sams club anyway? never seen one in the west

[mersar]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

what did they sell at sams club anyway? never seen one in the west

Sams Club was essentially the same idea as Costco is, membership only, warehouse style big box store.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by mersar

Sams Club was essentially the same idea as Costco is, membership only, warehouse style big box store.

Echoing what I wrote on the Ontario forum...

I feel bad for the employees there. One friend of mine works at the London store. My neighbour used to work there as well.

I never liked the store itself though. They wouldn't let you in if you weren't a "member". I think it's a dumb business model and notwithstanding the employees out of work, I'm glad to see it gone. It would be nice to actually see what the store is all about without being harassed about needing a membership card to get in. I'm sure the attitude there has hurt Costco too, because after my experience with Sam's Club I never even bothered trying Costco thinking it was all the same. Sam's Club was pretty unwelcoming, and I'm sure that hurt their sales.

I hope Lowe's moves in there. I'm against big-box retailing, but now that the building is there it should be put to good use.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I'm sure the attitude there has hurt Costco too, because after my experience with Sam's Club I never even bothered trying Costco thinking it was all the same. Sam's Club was pretty unwelcoming, and I'm sure that hurt their sales.

Yeah, it may have. Personally I prefer the Real Canadian Wholesale Club stores (owned by the same parent as Superstore), not as wide a selection as Costco has but no membership. My dad used them almost exclusively when he ran his own bakery in the 90's, they slowly shifted to be more consumer rather then business targeted but still carried everything the businesses wanted as well. It isn't too uncommon to be stuck in line at the checkout with a restaurant owner with a couple hundred dollars in meat, produce and other supplies, and a east Indian family with two or three carts of food along with my dad and his cart with 800lbs of bags of flour and other ingredients he needed. The concept of buying in lots of stuff in bulk being cheaper is one thing that I learned quickly from going shopping there, especially obvious with the larger families you'd often see.

[Rathgrith]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Pottery Barn Kids

That sounds like an oxymoron. I wonder if kids get to touch the stuff in the store?

[SpongeG]

when we were there kids were literally jumping on the beds so yeah they can touch anything

its pretty kid friendly but they are rich kids so they know how to behave

seriously a tiny stuffed doll was like $40

[Rathgrith]

So I guess its all over priced crap that no body really needs and assembled by child labour. That reminds me of The Onion video for Gap. "Made for kids by Kids!" Bahahaha

[Doug_Cgy]

Article from todays Calgary Herald:

Dutch premium carmaker enters Calgary market, chooses dealer


By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary HeraldMarch 6, 2009

Spyker Cars, the Dutch manufacturer of exclusive premium sports cars, has chosen the Dilawri Group of Companies as its first exclusive Spyker dealer in Calgary and in Canada.

The appointment of Spyker of Calgary marks Spyker’s expansion of the North American sales and distribution into Canada. The company has 16 dealers in North America and 34 worldwide.

Dilawri will feature Spyker at the 2009 Calgary International Auto & Truck Show from March 11 to 15 at Stampede Park. Two Spykers will be on display: the Spyker C8 Spyder and C8 Laviolette.

The C8 Spyder, convertible, has a base model price of $219,000 US while the C8 Laviolette, coupe, has a base model price of $209,000 US.

However, customers often spend thousands of dollars more on the luxury vehicles with custom options.

The Dilawri Group of Companies was established in 1991 and today has 28 dealerships in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the newest addition in the Vancouver area.

Tony Dilawri heads the Calgary operation.

The C8 Spyder and the C8 Laviolette two models will be available with Canadian specifications at Spyker of Calgary by May this year.


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