Edmonton Retail Thread

[s4.audios]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...enue-1.5243535

Sad loss.. one of my favorite spots to hit up on Whyte.

[Coldrsx]

'The growth of online retailers — notably Amazon — which is set to open its second warehouse in Alberta next year in Nisku, has created concern for some bricks-and-mortar retailers, said Chad Griffiths, a partner at NAI Commercial Real Estate, a brokerage that follows commercial real estate trends in Edmonton.'

But jobs and investment!

...at what cost.

[Black Star]

A kick in the shins for me. Great location for bringing people from out of town for a coffee and snack. Grab a new book etc.

Conflicted.

Amazon prime with next day delivery...cant lie im a big fan.

Winners...meh. Maybe they will incorporate a coffee shop.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by 240glt

My favorites are the fish & seafood vendors you see all over in BC (& sometimes into Alberta) selling Sockeye Salmon, shrimp & whatnot out of coolers in a dilapidated camper van. I often wondered who actually stops in the middle of nowhere on a highway to pick up some Salmon steaks or a bag of scallops from the back of an old van in the blazing 30 degree heat

True! I wouldnt buy anything off of those guys let alone something perishable and delicate like seafood!

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Originally Posted by Black Star

A kick in the shins for me. Great location for bringing people from out of town for a coffee and snack. Grab a new book etc.

Conflicted.

Amazon prime with next day delivery...cant lie im a big fan.

Winners...meh. Maybe they will incorporate a coffee shop.

Chapters on Whyte has always been a go-to destination for me, especially seeing that my only downtown bookstore options are a degraded Coles at ECC and an Audreys that is more focused on kids than books.

[Rocket252]

The Keg - now Chapters.

Seem to be losing more then gaining.

Winners - yuch

Sad to see

[stefanYEG]

The irony in so many people being upset that Chapters is closing is that just as many people were upset when it first opened in that space. I remember vividly the outcry from people saying it would destroy the character of Whyte and put small bookstores out of business.

Personally, I prefer the Chapters over Winners/HomeSense/Marshall's for that location but those stores are wildly popular—I don't think it will make that corner any less active.

[Hardhatdan]

Originally Posted by stefanYEG

The irony in so many people being upset that Chapters is closing is that just as many people were upset when it first opened in that space. I remember vividly the outcry from people saying it would destroy the character of Whyte and put small bookstores out of business.

Personally, I prefer the Chapters over Winners/HomeSense/Marshall's for that location but those stores are wildly popular—I don't think it will make that corner any less active.

With the population of young uni students around there, it's going to be wildly popular I'm sure.

[Rocket252]

Originally Posted by stefanYEG

The irony in so many people being upset that Chapters is closing is that just as many people were upset when it first opened in that space. I remember vividly the outcry from people saying it would destroy the character of Whyte and put small bookstores out of business.

Personally, I prefer the Chapters over Winners/HomeSense/Marshall's for that location but those stores are wildly popular—I don't think it will make that corner any less active.

True I remember the outcry. Big box stores taking over Whyte

[s4.audios]

Maybe twenty years ago that public outcry about big box made sense. But now with +1M population, you kind of need it in one of the City's main attractions.

My issue with Winners though is that it is nothing special, a little too generic. In most big cities I've traveled to, the touristy shopping strips comprise of stores that are usually stand-alone brands. They give the customer brand experience and its purpose is not just sales but also marketing.

I would rather see something like a two-level Adidas Experience store on that corner.

[Coldrsx]

Our Queen West is at WEM, sadly.

[Rocket252]

Unfortunately in Edmonton we never raise the bar.

How about something exciting and innovative in that important space?

[Hardhatdan]

Originally Posted by Rocket252

Unfortunately in Edmonton we never raise the bar.

How about something exciting and innovative in that important space?

Go for it!

Get that money tree out and go after it.

[240glt]

I think a Winners/Homesense is going to be very popular there. If you look at the $/PSF revenues in other locations, Winners stores easily outperform most other retailers.

[Harrison]

FYI, Winners stores are located on some of the most popular shopping streets in the country: Bloor Street in TO (https://goo.gl/maps/eZKM2452gMNMa8pg6) and Granville Street in Van (https://goo.gl/maps/dJ68j1ojPej19fGq9) are a couple examples.

[s4.audios]

I don't doubt that Winners will do good in that spot, it will serve the local crowd and the community well. Same goes for the Winners in other popular shopping streets, serves the community but doesn't do much for the appeal of the entire strip.

It's just my opinion, as I know I'll hardly ever step foot in it, let alone make it a reason I am hitting up the Ave. Chapters, on the other hand, was a shop that was often the main reason I even went to Whyte, when other bookstores like in Kingsway were much closer to my house.

[DKaz]

There are 4 other book stores and a comic book shop within a km away. But the question is, do they rejoice or worry about the closing of Chapters? Is there a continuing downward trend of bookstores or has it hit rock bottom enough that the small shops with less overhead can survive where big box is no long feasible?

[SHOFEAR]

I had little or no reason to go to Whyte ave with Chapters, nothing changes with a Winners. whoop dee doo.

People expressing their disappointment online lamenting the lose of destination retail while waiting for their amazon order to complete in another browser. lolz.

[240glt]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

I had little or no reason to go to Whyte ave with Chapters, nothing changes with a Winners. whoop dee doo.

People expressing their disappointment online lamenting the lose of destination retail while waiting for their amazon order to complete in another browser. lolz.

I miss drinking at noon on a Sunday at the Commercial. Seems like forever since I was down at that dingy dive

I like Silk Road for spices, but only need to go there every 2 months or so. Next door at Kent of Inglewood they have really good shaving stuff. I’ll never go back to shaving cream out of a can.

And Tacos on Whyte. But those are really the only reasons I go down there.

The last time I was in that Chapters was to buy Christmas toys for my nieces, that was years ago. Online shopping will continue to kill brick & mortar retail. Winners will do well because it’s cheaper than online, and clothes shoppers love it because you can find deals. You should have seen the office workers lose their minds when the Winners at City Centre shut down for renos a few years back.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

People expressing their disappointment online lamenting the lose of destination retail while waiting for their amazon order to complete in another browser. lolz.

Bingo.