Canadian Retail Thread - Page 195

J.OT13 · #**3881** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 1:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

They seem to be really secretive about releasing any renderings. That's why I have a feeling there will be some interactive media component to the re-design.

Still the cafe's are the big news here.

Couple cafés street level will be great for the area. The Rideau Centre will have two street level restaurants in the expansion; Earl's on Rideau Street which is a "lounge type bar and dinner" according to an Ottawa foramer, and Joey's which will be on the corner of Rideau and Nicholas (to become a pedestrian street, so guaranteed patio).

Looking forward to the finished product for Eaton's. I would love to see a Yonge Dundas type area in Ottawa. Maybe Rideau at King Edward someday.

Mrs Sauga · #**3882** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 2:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by le calmar

Since you guys are talking about Yonge-Dundas, can someone tell me what they are building where the white crane is?

You don't want to know. Its hideous. I can't find a render though. But you wouldn't want to see it anyway.

MolsonExport · #**3883** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 2:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Over the past several days, Future Shop has announced the closing of several of their stores, including ones in Kingston, Regina, and now the Gloucester location in Ottawa. In Kingston's case, the store is located in the same complex as Best Buy, which owns Future Shop.

Wonder how many people outside of this forum even knew Future Shop was American-owned.

In the past it was Canadian...with that and the shrinking number of outlets, perhaps it should be relabelled Past Shop, or Past Prime, or Fuck Off With Your Bullshit Extended Warranty.

Nouvellecosse · #**3884** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 3:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Over the past several days, Future Shop has announced the closing of several of their stores, including ones in Kingston, Regina, and now the Gloucester location in Ottawa. In Kingston's case, the store is located in the same complex as Best Buy, which owns Future Shop.

Wonder how many people outside of this forum even knew Future Shop was American-owned.

Well they sell the exact same products at the exact same prices and even have the same items featured during their sales. Not Not sure the purpose of having the two chains operating in duplication like that. You'd think if they wanted to maintain two separate brands they would do something to differentiate them.

SpongeG · #**3885** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 4:05 AM**

the prices are slightly different. i bought a tv at future shop way back in 2008, it was 899 at future shop and 799 at best buy, so i went to futureshop and they priced matched it plus 10%

looking through the flyers a lot of things are priced slightly different and not on sale at the same time

i find the best buy stores more pleasant to shop in compared to futureshop which feels cluttered and dated and confusing in comparison

Nouvellecosse · #**3886** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 5:31 AM**

Well that either just recently changed or they handle things differently out west than they do here. Here the best buy and FS are about a 5 min walk apart and I remember numerous times when i was looking for a particular product going and checking both and there was never any differences.

MalcolmTucker · #**3887** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 5:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Over the past several days, Future Shop has announced the closing of several of their stores, including ones in Kingston, Regina, and now the Gloucester location in Ottawa. In Kingston's case, the store is located in the same complex as Best Buy, which owns Future Shop.

Wonder how many people outside of this forum even knew Future Shop was American-owned.

Chapters tried to buy them and the competition bureau rejected it (or vice versa). Then Indigo bought Chapters and Best Buy bought Future shop.

Trans Canada · #**3888** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 6:57 AM**

Main difference between Best Buy and Future Shop IIRC is that employees of Future Shop work for commission and Best Buy do not.

That BB/FF/Chapters/Indigo situation sounds odd to me, isn't it worse for competition to have electronics all under one ownership and books all under another, rather than competition between 2 diversified companies?

manny_santos · #**3889** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 2:12 PM**

I've only bought one thing at Future Shop over the past 10 years, and it was a device that let me hook up my computer to a video feed so I could transfer VHS onto my hard drive. It didn't work, and as I found out reading the manufacturer's forum, it didn't work for most other users, and their tech support was incompetent. I returned it to Future Shop, told them they should stop selling defective products and I haven't set foot in one since.

Commission-based compensation needs to go away - it's bad for employees who are given unrealistic expectations, and it's bad for consumers who get swarmed by commission-hungry salespeople. I'm not shedding a tear for Future Shop's broken business model.

MalcolmTucker · #**3890** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trans Canada

Main difference between Best Buy and Future Shop IIRC is that employees of Future Shop work for commission and Best Buy do not.

That BB/FF/Chapters/Indigo situation sounds odd to me, isn't it worse for competition to have electronics all under one ownership and books all under another, rather than competition between 2 diversified companies?

Best Buy wasn't in the Canadian market at the time, or at least not in a significant way. And back in the day Chapter's had reasonably sized software departments and both sold music.

1overcosc · #**3891** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 6:22 PM**

Chapters/Indigo/Coles may have a near monopoly on physical store book sales, but remember that through the internet Amazon is a huge competitor to them. In fact, that consortium has suffered badly from the advent of online shopping.

1overcosc · #**3892** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 6:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Commission-based compensation needs to go away - it's bad for employees who are given unrealistic expectations, and it's bad for consumers who get swarmed by commission-hungry salespeople. I'm not shedding a tear for Future Shop's broken business model.

Agreed. As an introvert, I find being swarmed by salespeople quite irritating. Haircuts also irritate me... if there was a chain of salons whose haircutters had a no talking rule, I would be their most loyal customer.

TorontoDrew · #**3893** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 6:35 PM**

How are the Nordstrom locations coming along across Canada?

caltrane74 · #**3894** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 6:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

How are the Nordstrom locations coming along across Canada?

The first one has opened up in Calgary, second up I believe is Vancouver.

1overcosc · #**3895** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 6:56 PM**

Ottawa's is opening in March.

Policy Wonk · #**3896** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 6:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Well they sell the exact same products at the exact same prices and even have the same items featured during their sales. Not Not sure the purpose of having the two chains operating in duplication like that. You'd think if they wanted to maintain two separate brands they would do something to differentiate them.

It's called "Don't Beat the Competition, Be the Competition", it's about the illusion of competition between two ostensibly identical stores.

Future Shop entered the US market in the 90's and had a mutual bruising with Best Buy everywhere they clashed. They eventually left the US and got ready for the eventual siege when Best Buy entered Canada.

In 2001 Best Buy came North to a waiting Future Shop who had bought Computer City to those locations and associated Canadian infrastructure out of Best Buy's hands as well as having secured a lot of redundant locations to tie them up.

Deciding that fighting Future Shop was at best going to be ruinously expensive and possibly futile, Best Buy bought them out and established the duality we have today. Best Buy the clean and bright US retailer of your Black Friday roadtrips. And Future Shop, the name you "trust".

Denscity · #**3897** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 7:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

The first one has opened up in Calgary, second up I believe is Vancouver.

I'm not sure Vancouver is next as they're the only city getting a flagship Nordstroms so should take longer to fit out the space.

caltrane74 · #**3898** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 7:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denscity

I'm not sure Vancouver is next as they're the only city getting a flagship Nordstroms so should take longer to fit out the space.

Can't be any longer than Toronto's which is going to take another year and a half, as was announced some time in the late winter/early spring of last year.

manny_santos · #**3899** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 8:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Agreed. As an introvert, I find being swarmed by salespeople quite irritating. Haircuts also irritate me... if there was a chain of salons whose haircutters had a no talking rule, I would be their most loyal customer.

Midas is another bad one, they are so pushy. When I want my winter tires installed, I just want my tires installed, I don't want them calling me and wasting my time at work trying to sell me a bunch of other things I don't need. It's bad enough they have bankers' hours. I've been using Midas for the past year and a half, but I'm planning to switch to Canadian Tire where I find they just do what you tell them to do and they do it, plus their hours are a lot more convenient.

If you find yourself back in Kingston anytime soon, try Generations on Queen Street. I've been there a bunch of times and the guy who cuts my hair doesn't say a word. And he does a much better job than some other places in town.

1overcosc · #**3900** Posted **Jan 29, 2015, 1:42 AM**

My boyfriend worked at the now-closed Future Shop in Kingston for a few weeks over the holidays (hired as a temp) and he said it was quite empty most of the time.