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  #6121  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 12:54 AM
dreambrother808 dreambrother808 is offline
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Originally Posted by SpongeG View Post
it makes no sense, some stores let you try on, some don't. If you have it taking it home and bringing it back ain't gonna change anything. Perhaps it cuts down on work that they have to do, like having to sanitize everything everytime.
It’s too much work. I’m just not buying anything. I buy probably less than 10% of what I try on. I’m not wasting my time returning everything because the store can’t be bothered to simply put the clothing aside until it’s sanitized. If a retailer wants me to spend money, then a reasonable onus should be on them.
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  #6122  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 12:56 AM
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it makes no sense, some stores let you try on, some don't. If you have it taking it home and bringing it back ain't gonna change anything. Perhaps it cuts down on work that they have to do, like having to sanitize everything everytime.
Unions use covid as an excuse to do less, and companies use covid to save money. ''We don't want to do the work because covid... ''' '' we don't need so many employees because covid '' .
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  #6123  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 12:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout View Post
Yes, many times in various cities around Asia and once at the original Reserve location in Seattle. It's a big cut above their regular stuff and it's good in a pinch. But what bugs me is that every single one of their single origin or "specialty" coffees still has that weird Starbucks taste, which suggests to me they're doing something in the roasting process that prioritizes their brand signature over letting the coffee speak for itself.
It comes down to preference rather than superiority. Starbucks roasts to the “second pop” even for light roasts. Coffee beans make a popping sound a bit like popcorn when roasted. Other chains don’t necessarily do this and this has created the Starbucks signature of roasting. I find that coffees at a lot of other places taste grassy and even sour, so obviously I prefer the Starbucks method. Thankfully the market provides options for all palates.
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  #6124  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 1:23 AM
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Originally Posted by esquire View Post
It's interesting how resistant the Canadian marketplace generally is to those types of 'in between' sized grocers... the ones that, like Carrefour City, are maybe double the size of a 7-Eleven but still manage to offer pretty well a full range of groceries. I suppose there must be some reason for it, but you would think there would be some room between tiny convenience stores and conventional full sized supermarkets.

As for Starbucks, it does seem that their star is fading. The only people I know who get excited for it are those in their 40s who came of age in the 90s when Starbucks had some real brand cachet. To younger people, I get the impression that Starbucks is basically like McDonald's to them... a familiar place you can go to in a pinch.
When I was in high school in the mid 80's, I quit my job at Mac's to work at the new Hasty Market that opened a few blocks away. That store has since shrunk down to a normal convenience store size, but when I worked there, it was a 7 aisle store with a produce section, a 6 door walk in freezer, a deli and in store bakery. It was quite popular with the people that lived in the high rises behind the store, but I guess as you say, the concept didn't take off in Canada. At the time, Mac's also had a larger format called Mac's Plus and they didn't last long either.
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  #6125  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 4:46 AM
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It just occurred to me that Ottawa has two great examples of these mini-supermarkets: the Farm Boy locations in Rideau Centre and on Metcalfe Street. They're pretty much exactly what you'd find in Europe, with a small footprint (less than 10,000 square feet), a full selection of groceries, and an emphasis on ready-to-eat meals and private label products.

Here in Montreal, an upscale organic grocery chain called Avril is opening its first downtown location in a few months and it will be doing something quite similar to that.
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  #6126  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 5:21 AM
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The kitchens in Toronto condos don't seem very practical for cooking meals. Very little storage. It's also reason to see a revolt having steered so far to the side of bulk shopping convenience during my youth. The times are too pricey. I don't recall another time with as many grocery options in my lifetime in Toronto. I vaguely recall the bakers, butchers, etc. all closing as a tyke with the onset of the first superstores. Now, I have both.
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  #6127  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 4:25 PM
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Small footprint full service grocery stores I can think of in KW: Vincenzos, Central Fresh Market, Dutchies Market, Victoria Street Market?
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  #6128  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 6:04 PM
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Aldi had expressed interest in opening in Canada, they had even opened an office herebut closed it. source

anyway the one I went to was in Australia, it wasn't very big about the size of a typical Shoppers Drug mart. It was really cheap though and had a good selection of deals that were like household items or patio/garden things. They would be a giiod filler for many empty spots here, like old Pier 1 locations.
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  #6129  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 6:08 PM
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I had to go into the office over the Christmas break to pack up some stuff and was able to check out the new Farm Boy at College Park. It's quite small but seemed to have a good selection and makes quite efficient use of the space. Much better than the Sobey's it replaced. One thing I noted is that the aisles didn't have the COVID direction arrows most places have (and are largely ignored!).

It's interesting to see two small format urban grocery stores in the same complex. I'd probably shop at the Farm Boy almost daily if I were back in the office...
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  #6130  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 6:32 PM
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Originally Posted by niwell View Post
I had to go into the office over the Christmas break to pack up some stuff and was able to check out the new Farm Boy at College Park. It's quite small but seemed to have a good selection and makes quite efficient use of the space. Much better than the Sobey's it replaced. One thing I noted is that the aisles didn't have the COVID direction arrows most places have (and are largely ignored!).

It's interesting to see two small format urban grocery stores in the same complex. I'd probably shop at the Farm Boy almost daily if I were back in the office...
Noticed this when I was there a few weeks ago. Smaller than usual suburban Farm Boy fair but on the whole decent for the area. Id shop at the Farm Boy as well but prices seem a little bit steeper than immediate competitors.

The City Market at College & Spadina closed months ago and I heard very light whispers of T&T locating into that space, which would be...very nice.
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  #6131  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 7:09 PM
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Originally Posted by SpongeG View Post
Aldi had expressed interest in opening in Canada, they had even opened an office herebut closed it. source

anyway the one I went to was in Australia, it wasn't very big about the size of a typical Shoppers Drug mart. It was really cheap though and had a good selection of deals that were like household items or patio/garden things. They would be a giiod filler for many empty spots here, like old Pier 1 locations.
I shopped at an Aldi in Ireland a few years ago and thought it was a pretty odd store. It’s not really anything like existing grocery stores - Almost like a cross between Costco and No Frills but even cheaper and even less variety.
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  #6132  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 7:19 PM
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yeah, it seems they change stock weekly and bring in a lot of random deals and its like if you don't buy it when you see it you are likely not to see it again. I watch a lot of Aldi fan videos on youtube at times. I think it could do well in Canada.

In Ireland how did they store the eggs? In Australia at all the grocery stores eggs were not refrigerated but just kept on shelving or pallets in aisles.
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  #6133  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 7:25 PM
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Originally Posted by SpongeG View Post
yeah, it seems they change stock weekly and bring in a lot of random deals and its like if you don't buy it when you see it you are likely not to see it again. I watch a lot of Aldi fan videos on youtube at times. I think it could do well in Canada.

In Ireland how did they store the eggs? In Australia at all the grocery stores eggs were not refrigerated but just kept on shelving or pallets in aisles.
Yeah the eggs in aisles was strange to see (also happens in New Zealand), but apparently in Europe that is how they are stored as well.
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  #6134  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 7:27 PM
dreambrother808 dreambrother808 is offline
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Yeah the eggs in aisles was strange to see (also happens in New Zealand), but apparently in Europe that is how they are stored as well.
There’s a naturally-protective coating that we wash off in North America apparently and thus why we need to refrigerate.
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  #6135  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 10:49 PM
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Yes, exactly. In places that don't refrigerate eggs it's important to wash them before you crack them open.
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  #6136  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2021, 11:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout View Post
Yes, exactly. In places that don't refrigerate eggs it's important to wash them before you crack them open.
Really? Good to know, I've ever washed an egg in my life.
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  #6137  
Old Posted Jan 16, 2021, 12:06 AM
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Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper View Post
The kitchens in Toronto condos don't seem very practical for cooking meals. Very little storage. It's also reason to see a revolt having steered so far to the side of bulk shopping convenience during my youth. The times are too pricey. I don't recall another time with as many grocery options in my lifetime in Toronto. I vaguely recall the bakers, butchers, etc. all closing as a tyke with the onset of the first superstores. Now, I have both.
This is why I am upset with consumers for not essentially boycotting these overpriced condos with cubbyhole kitchens. These kinds of floor plans and small kitchens would not sell in most major American cities.

I don't know why people fall for the hype of "European kitchens" Glorified kitchenettes. They would be okay if we were wealthy and lived in Paris, Tokyo, or Hong Kong but theres no need to compress space like this in Toronto . It's a combination of increasing condo developer greed and people buying into (and leveraging themselves to the eyeballs) the Toronto Real Estate Board promoted hype of homeownership as the best investment ever with the least downside.

Surely not everyone is happy blowing $1500 a month on Uber Eats? Maybe Im ignorant or out of touch as I make all my meals at home , including homemade pizza and crepes (Im by no means bragging about being a good cook but it's good enough for me)

Condos built before 2007 seemed to have more reasonable sized kitchens on average. Id rather have a large eat in or L shape kitchen than a one-wall cubbyhole with tiny 1 foot deep counters and Miele European appliances (It's a great quality brand but not necessary for me or most consumers)
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  #6138  
Old Posted Jan 16, 2021, 12:48 AM
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^When you can't eat a ton of things thanks to GERD and CD, you'll be eating at home all the time too! I make everything from scratch myself - every time I eat out I get wrecked - eg a few week's ago in London I made a bad mistake and ate a shawarma meal and got glutened - cue the migraines, stomach pain and severe fatigue for weeks after. The only safe places are 100% gf bakeries - like Winnie's in Waterloo. Except they're $$$$ - I can bake a cake for 1/4 the cost and 1/3 the sugar they use.

The small kitchens are being sold to investors not end users.

Year's ago I worked briefly on a chicken farm ... I always wash my eggs!
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  #6139  
Old Posted Jan 16, 2021, 1:42 AM
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Originally Posted by SpongeG View Post
yeah, it seems they change stock weekly and bring in a lot of random deals and its like if you don't buy it when you see it you are likely not to see it again. I watch a lot of Aldi fan videos on youtube at times. I think it could do well in Canada.

In Ireland how did they store the eggs? In Australia at all the grocery stores eggs were not refrigerated but just kept on shelving or pallets in aisles.
Refrigerated eggs are a NAmerican thing. The protective coating is washed off them to reduce the risk of salmonella so that they must be refrigerated, as I understand it.
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  #6140  
Old Posted Jan 21, 2021, 6:25 PM
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Godiva Chocolatier is closing 11 stores in Canada:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...n-canada-by-2/
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