[Moncton] Retail Thread

[MonctonRad]

Hot off the presses!

La Vie en Rose has a new job listing out for a store manager for a new outlet store they intend on opening in the Mapleton Centre. Presumably this will be located in the former Justice location. It is the only CRU large enough to accommodate something like this. Since this is an outlet store, I presume their other location at CF Champlain will remain open.

Between this and Under Armour, this will fill that entire retail plaza, and, as far as I know, there will only be one vacancy left in the entire Mapleton Centre.

What a success story during this pandemic, and what a contrast to the malaise ongoing at CF Champlain...…..

Paradoxically, this is good news for both Wheeler Park and the Granite Centre. Since the Mapleton Centre is now for all intents and purposes full, new retailers looking at the city will be forced to consider them...…….

[stephan.richard]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Hot off the presses!

La Vie en Rose has a new job listing out for a store manager for a new outlet store they intend on opening in the Mapleton Centre. Presumably this will be located in the former Justice location. It is the only CRU large enough to accommodate something like this. Since this is an outlet store, I presume their other location at CF Champlain will remain open.

Between this and Under Armour, this will fill that entire retail plaza, and, as far as I know, there will only be one vacancy left in the entire Mapleton Centre.

What a success story during this pandemic, and what a contrast to the malaise ongoing at CF Champlain...…..

Paradoxically, this is good news for both Wheeler Park and the Granite Centre. Since the Mapleton Centre is now for all intents and purposes full, new retailers looking at the city will be forced to consider them...…….

Now hopefully the next focus area will be Granite plus is anyone hearing rumours or grumblings on who is looking at that area?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by stephan.richard

Now hopefully the next focus area will be Granite plus is anyone hearing rumours or grumblings on who is looking at that area?

Granite Centre remains a disappointment, but not unexpectedly so since they built the place during a retail thermonuclear armageddon, and just before the start of a worldwide pandemic.

The fact that they greenlit a Jiffy Lube location as part of this "upscale" retail development is quite telling............

But, not all is lost. The Costco remains insanely busy, and, as I previously noted, now that the Mapleton Centre has achieved full occupancy, any national retailer considering the Moncton market (but wanting to avoid the inflated rents at CF Champlain) will now look at the Granite Centre more seriously.

Elmwood Home Hardware will be moving to the Granite Centre sometime in the next few years, and, there is space for another big box store there too, and if they were able to attract something like Decathlon, this would change the complexion of this retail strip. Nothing breeds momentum like pre-existing success. If another big box store, and perhaps a few outlets open up, then there would be impetus to build the additional retail plazas to fill out the development.

I also have hopes that the restaurant pad facing Elmwood Drive will eventually attract a national chain too. With all the traffic going to Costco, and the passing traffic on the TCH, this should be quite attractive to a chain like Jack Astors, but we'll see..........

[MonctonRad]

Here is the list of stores currently open (or coming) to the Mapleton Centre:

1) - Mode Choc
2) - Ashley Home Store
3) - Bed, Bath & Beyond
4) - PetSmart
5) - Designer Shoe Warehouse
6) - Party City
7) - Golf Town
8) - Cleve's Source for Sports
9) - Ocean Trail Source for Adventure
10) - Lindt Chocolates
11) - Tommy Hilfiger
12) - Banana Republic Outlet
13) - Carters/Osk Kosh
14) - Structube
15) - La Vie en Rose Outlet (coming soon)
16) - Under Armour (coming soon)
17) - Mastermind Toys
18) - GoodLife Fitness
19) - CAA
20) - Cannabis NB
21) - Supplement King
22)- Sleep Country
23) - Fairstone Financial
24) - Mexi's Mexican Grill
25) - Classic Burger
26) - Moxie's

There is one vacancy left.

That is a pretty impressive stable of clients, and, although considerably smaller and lacking any big boxes, I think the Mapleton Centre compares in quality quite well with Dartmouth Crossing in Halifax (at least the village portion of Dartmouth Crossing).

[stephan.richard]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Granite Centre remains a disappointment, but not unexpectedly so since they built the place during a retail thermonuclear armageddon, and just before the start of a worldwide pandemic.

The fact that they greenlit a Jiffy Lube location as part of this "upscale" retail development is quite telling............

But, not all is lost. The Costco remains insanely busy, and, as I previously noted, now that the Mapleton Centre has achieved full occupancy, any national retailer considering the Moncton market (but wanting to avoid the inflated rents at CF Champlain) will now look at the Granite Centre more seriously.

Elmwood Home Hardware will be moving to the Granite Centre sometime in the next few years, and, there is space for another big box store there too, and if they were able to attract something like Decathlon, this would change the complexion of this retail strip. Nothing breeds momentum like pre-existing success. If another big box store, and perhaps a few outlets open up, then there would be impetus to build the additional retail plazas to fill out the development.

I also have hopes that the restaurant pad facing Elmwood Drive will eventually attract a national chain too. With all the traffic going to Costco, and the passing traffic on the TCH, this should be quite attractive to a chain like Jack Astors, but we'll see..........

I remember a few years back we were saying that about Mapleton Center and also I think in a few years times Granite could be thriving and full.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by stephan.richard

I remember a few years back we were saying that about Mapleton Center and also I think in a few years times Granite could be thriving and full.

Very true - The Mapleton Centre was a slow roll-out and look at it now! You may be right. Costco is a big, big plus...........

[MonctonRad]

On the Toys for Big Boys Facebook page, there are updated renderings for their soon to be built Harley Davidson of Moncton dealership, which will be going on West Main Street.







That's a nice hot dog stand in the third render! Hot dogs are apparently a "thing" with Harley. I wonder if this stand will be a fixture of the new store? It might be good for drawing in customers who might end up browsing the motorcycles while they're there.

March 31, 2021 (Moncton, N.B.) - Toys for Big Boys Ltd. is pleased to release sneak peek at their new Harley-Davidson® dealership set to open in the Fall of 2021 at 1809 Main Street in Moncton, New Brunswick. In the company’s 54th year of business, we’re thrilled to be opening this second location.

“These renovation plans of our new Harley-Davidson® dealership have been months in the making and I am excited to share these finalized renderings,” says Larry Northrup, President of the Toys for Big Boys Ltd. “I am looking forward to bringing this iconic brand to Moncton’s downtown core later on this year.”

If they are planning on opening in the fall, then construction must be imminent.

[MonctonianSentinel01]

"Thrilled to be opening this second location." Are they moving from Salisbury Road over to West Main? Or is this a separate dealership? Might sounds like a dumb question considering that they are both very close to one another. But I am interested in knowing!

[MonctonRad]

According to Retail Insider, Northern Reflections had formed a relationship with a venture capitalist, and is looking to expand on their current 135 store footprint in Canada.

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...J_SUhdJYwzmt8g

“As far as growing from the 135 store footprint, there’s a tremendous amount of opportunity once COVID is kind of abated. Many of our competitors are either under court protection or have closed completely. We believe that with a few of these groups out of the way, it lends itself to a new landscape for us where our competition is a little less and where we can open up new stores in shopping centres and facilities that maybe were unavailable to us before in the sense that they were very expensive for the lease rates or there were competitors in the area that made it a little bit hard to justify opening in those locations. Now the landscape has completely shifted such that we will be able to roll out into these new areas.”

Northern Reflections used to have a multi store footprint in Moncton, but they closed their last store here years ago. We only have one mall left, and CF Champlain has notoriously high rents. With the vacancy rate at Champlain due to the pandemic, maybe they will be flexible enough to negotiate in good faith with Northern Reflections. They would do well here. I think the odds are greater than 50/50 that we may see this chain back in greater Moncton.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonianSentinel01

"Thrilled to be opening this second location." Are they moving from Salisbury Road over to West Main? Or is this a separate dealership? Might sounds like a dumb question considering that they are both very close to one another. But I am interested in knowing!

Their original location on Salisbury Road will remain open, and will continue to sell and service their other product offerings like Honda. It is only Harley which is moving to this new location.

[MonctonianSentinel01]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Their original location on Salisbury Road will remain open, and will continue to sell and service their other product offerings like Honda. It is only Harley which is moving to this new location.

That's what I gathered after vising their facebook page. Should have visited the page first. Very awesome though to have a brand new dealership for bikes in town! I will definitely be dropping by!

[jonny golden]

Does it say anywhere what the value of the Harley Davidson project is?

[MonctonianSentinel01]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

Does it say anywhere what the value of the Harley Davidson project is?

Often motorcycle companies want their dealerships separate from a mixed dealership and want the owner to have a separate building for the brand. More than likely what is happening here, but I don't have any proof that this is the case here.

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

On the Toys for Big Boys Facebook page, there are updated renderings for their soon to be built Harley Davidson of Moncton dealership, which will be going on West Main Street.







That's a nice hot dog stand in the third render! Hot dogs are apparently a "thing" with Harley. I wonder if this stand will be a fixture of the new store? It might be good for drawing in customers who might end up browsing the motorcycles while they're there.



If they are planning on opening in the fall, then construction must be imminent.

If I’m not mistaken this will be located in the building between the Mitsubishi dealership and the U-Haul store. If they start construction soon, than they should be able to complete the renovations and additions by the end of the summer.

[gehrhardt]

I ride a Honda, and this benefits those of us who do too. Taking the Harley stock (and all of its associated merchandise) out of the current dealership will be nice. It'll free up a lot of floor space.

[LewisVillis]

Love the 'moody' dealership renders - the dark clouds, the wet pavement (riders on the storm, obviously).

[L'homard]

Toys' original plan was to build the new Harley shop right next door. They even removed the house(s) there and levelled the land.
Did this plan change?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by L'homard

Toys' original plan was to build the new Harley shop right next door. They even removed the house(s) there and levelled the land.
Did this plan change?

Indeed. I don't know why, but perhaps Harley wanted a more prominent location closer to town. I still have the original renders on file. The new renders are quite different.

[MonctonRad]

I wonder when Steele Auto Group will break ground on their new Jaguar/Land Rover dealership they have planned next to their Subaru dealership on Aviation Avenue? They must be starting soon if they still plan to open this fall........

[L'homard]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Indeed. I don't know why, but perhaps Harley wanted a more prominent location closer to town. I still have the original renders on file. The new renders are quite different.

Thank you for that. I looked on their FB page but didn't see the address. I do tend to read too quickly, a bad habit I must work on.
By coincidence, I happened to be there after I posted and asked one of their staff members. THey were not forthcoming, just shook their head and said the plans fell through, and I didn't press them on it.