[Halifax] Halifax Shopping Centre Redevelopment | ? m | ? fl | Proposed

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Good.

I consider Dollarama an abomination in a high class mall like HSC. Best to keep it out of sight and out of mind.

They put a Dollarama in CF Champlain here in Moncton last year. unfortunately with an inside entrance, and right next to LL Bean too!!! The brightness from the ceiling mounted fluorescent lighting dazzles the eyes of unwary passers-by.

It seems like such a low brow outlier in an otherwise decent mall...........

Looks like that space at HSC was the old Eaton's. I do agree Dollarama does seem out of place in a higher-end shopping mall like HSC. I guess for the landlord, it's a stable tenant, a source of revenue and perhaps increased foot traffic.

Square One Mall in Mississauga is a mall with a weird juxtaposition of stores. There's a rather dumpy Walmart at one end; contrasted with Holt Renfrew and Simons found in other ends of the mall. Dollarama in Square One is very hidden. The entrance to the store is an escalator found at the end of a nondescript corridor which takes you down (basement level I guess) to Dollarama. It's very out of sight and out of mind!

[HarbingerDe]

Y'all sound a little silly if I'm being honest.

The HSC is just a mall. It's not upscale. There aren't any particularly luxurious or expensive brands/stores.

It's just a mall like you'd find in any other mid-sized Canadian city.

The contempt for people who frequent the Dollarama (whether by choice or necessity) is palpable, and a bit disappointing? God forbid you have to see fluorescent lights and people who want to save money while you're trying to go to Sportchek or whatever.

[OldDartmouthMark]

I guess I don’t understand people getting their knickers in a knot over a Dollarama at HSC.

Are you saying that the owners of HSC don’t know their business well and that there is not a good business case for this store?

Are you saying that a lowly Dollarama will drive away other customers who are under the illusion that they are above Dollarama and don’t want to be associated with “those people”? (In Halifax? Really?)

As far as I’m concerned, they can open any store they want and if it doesn’t work out, I won’t have lost a dime. In simpler terms, “who cares?”.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by HarbingerDe

Y'all sound a little silly if I'm being honest.

The HSC is just a mall. It's not upscale. There aren't any particularly luxurious or expensive brands/stores.

It's just a mall like you'd find in any other mid-sized Canadian city.

The contempt for people who frequent the Dollarama (whether by choice or necessity) is palpable, and a bit disappointing? God forbid you have to see fluorescent lights and people who want to save money while you're trying to go to Sportchek or whatever.

Yup.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I guess I don’t understand people getting their knickers in a knot over a Dollarama at HSC.

Are you saying that the owners of HSC don’t know their business well and that there is not a good business case for this store?

Are you saying that a lowly Dollarama will drive away other customers who are under the illusion that they are above Dollarama and don’t want to be associated with “those people”? (In Halifax? Really?)

As far as I’m concerned, they can open any store they want and if it doesn’t work out, I won’t have lost a dime. In simpler terms, “who cares?”.

Exactly!

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by HarbingerDe

Y'all sound a little silly if I'm being honest.

The HSC is just a mall. It's not upscale. There aren't any particularly luxurious or expensive brands/stores.

It's just a mall like you'd find in any other mid-sized Canadian city.

The contempt for people who frequent the Dollarama (whether by choice or necessity) is palpable, and a bit disappointing? God forbid you have to see fluorescent lights and people who want to save money while you're trying to go to Sportchek or whatever.

There's nothing wrong with Dollarama. I do shop there as needed. It does seem out of place in a mall that has been upscaling its tenant mix; as well as its interior finishes. It contradicts the new branding of HSC - "The Fashion Capital of Atlantic Canada". In the end, it's the mall owners' decision on which tenants they want/do not want/

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

There's nothing wrong with Dollarama. I do shop there as needed. It does seem out of place in a mall that has been upscaling its tenant mix; as well as its interior finishes. It contradicts the new branding of HSC - "The Fashion Capital of Atlantic Canada". In the end, it's the mall owners' decision on which tenants they want/do not want/

Indeed. And, that is my point as well. No offence to Dollarama and it's patrons, but, it just seems incongruous to be locating such a store in a mall positioning itself as the "Yorkdale of the East."

CF Champlain in Moncton has been earnestly upgrading too as the fashion mall of NB, but the new Dollarama just seems so out of keeping with the character of the mall.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Fair points.

[kzt79]

I agree with the comments above. Come on. This is the Halifax Shopping Centre. It is not and will never be Yorkdale let alone an actual "luxury" mall (whatever that is, maybe those shiny Dubai things I see in ads - no interest) LOL. Businesses are free to open wherever they want (legally) and if it doesn't work out for them, that's fine too - no harm to me either way.

[dreamcamera]

HSC tried to separate themselves from Mic Mac (which they have) during the big 2015 reno, but they're really just the city's "good mall".

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Indeed. And, that is my point as well. No offence to Dollarama and it's patrons, but, it just seems incongruous to be locating such a store in a mall positioning itself as the "Yorkdale of the East."

CF Champlain in Moncton has been earnestly upgrading too as the fashion mall of NB, but the new Dollarama just seems so out of keeping with the character of the mall.

Not to mention how they literally have a Walmart in the "HSC Annex". And Walmart is the quintessential "low brow" retail experience which even has a website called people of Walmart dedicated to that premise. Which may be unfair and unfortunate but from a branding perspective not great.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by kzt79

I agree with the comments above. Come on. This is the Halifax Shopping Centre. It is not and will never be Yorkdale let alone an actual "luxury" mall (whatever that is, maybe those shiny Dubai things I see in ads - no interest) LOL. Businesses are free to open wherever they want (legally) and if it doesn't work out for them, that's fine too - no harm to me either way.

I don't really follow mall stuff that closely but there's definitely a hierarchy of malls and HSC has or is getting some stores, like Simons, that tend to be in nicer malls even in larger cities.

[Haliguy]

HCS has some higher end stores for sure, which makes it different from any other mall in Alantic Canada. However, I don't think it so high end that it can't have some lower end stores as well catering to a wider demograhic.

[q12]

https://twitter.com/RCCAtlantic/stat...06970699636910

Maison Simons opens a store in Halifax: the retailer realizes the dream of being present from coast to coast

DIANE TREMBLAY
Thursday, March 21, 2024









Maison Simons marks an important step in its expansion plan with the opening Thursday of a store in Halifax, the first in the Atlantic, which confirms the presence of the Quebec retailer from coast to coast, which, in addition, has just had a record year in terms of turnover.

This store, located at the Halifax Shopping Centre, becomes the chain's 17th across the country.

“For us, it’s a natural evolution to get closer to our customers. “It’s part of our intention to densify our presence in major markets across the country,” said Bernard Leblanc, president and CEO of La Maison Simons.

“Halifax is an extremely dynamic city. It is one of the most vibrant Canadian cities currently. We are very excited to be able to integrate into it, but also because it represents an important supra-regional market,” he added.

This new opening comes after a record year in terms of turnover since the creation of the family business in 1840 by John Simons.

“Growth continues. We have just finished our fiscal year with a record year. This is a year where we still recorded good growth, in the double digits, compared to our pre-COVID position. We are in a very positive development. The business is healthy,” continued Mr. Leblanc, who succeeded Peter Simons at the head of the company in March 2022, although Mr. Simons is still active in the organization.

Halifax Store
Always in search of a unique architectural imprint, the exterior of the store in Halifax is inspired by the sails of the Bluenose. This design is intended to be a reminder of the maritime history of Halifax, but also that of the first ancestor of the Simons family who settled in Quebec in the early 1800s, where he made ship sails.

The Halifax store has a surface area of ​​55,000 square feet, which is comparable to the Sherbrooke store. The penultimate branch to open its doors is the CF Fairview Pointe-Claire store, in 2022.

Expansion plan
“We are still open to increasing our presence in major centers in Canada. There are five stores in the Montreal area and three in Quebec, while we have only one in the greater Toronto area and only one in the greater Vancouver area. We can assume that with the population of these cities there is potential. There is still room for growth within the Canadian market.”

Even though he is often asked the question, Mr. Leblanc is not closing the door to expansion in the United States one day, but for now, the priority remains the Canadian market.

“It's not out of the question, but our focus is really on Canada at the moment. Without saying that we will never go, it is not in the cards at the moment.

In 2023, nearly 82% of products exclusive to La Maison Simons met the requirements of the Vision program which promotes sustainable development actions. By 2025, the goal is to reach 100%.

MAISON SIMONS IS PRESENT FROM COAST TO COAST:

In Quebec:
10 branches + a 700,000 square foot campus in Quebec

Ontario:
Mississauga: Square One (2016)
Ottawa: CF Rideau Center (2016)

Alberta:
Calgary: The Core (2017)
Edmonton: Londonderry Mall (2017)
Edmonton: West Edmonton Mall (2012)

British Columbia:
Vancouver: Park Royal South (2015)

Nova Scotia:
Halifax Shopping Center (2024)

(Translated)
https://www.journaldequebec.com/2024...ocean-a-lautre

From Halifax Retales this morning:


https://twitter.com/HalifaxReTales/s...67146194276705

[connect2source]

From Retail Insider :

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...ansion-photos/

Huge asset for Halifax, we love our Simons here in Vancouver as it's unlike any other fashion retailer. Their house brands are stylish and super well-made, plus they feature tons of other on-trend brands and merchandise, service is great too! Also the decor is nothing short of amazing! Massive gain for HSC too and definitely indicative of Halifax now playing in the retail big leagues.

[Colin May]

My wife went to Simon's today. Not impressed. Her first credit card was with Mills and was a frequent shopper. Many women still go off to Montreal or Toronto and with their husband go to a sports event, a show and the upscale stores.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Colin May

My wife went to Simon's today. Not impressed. Her first credit card was with Mills and was a frequent shopper. Many women still go off to Montreal or Toronto and with their husband go to a sports event, a show and the upscale stores.

You know, having read your posts over time has left me with the impression that nothing about HRM ever impresses you. Is everything here second-rate?

[Dartguard]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

You know, having read your posts over time has left me with the impression that nothing about HRM ever impresses you. Is everything here second-rate?

I think Colin misses his Kids that all live elsewhere.
HRM is getting better by the week. I met three Vancouver residents that were visiting Halifax last week. Two grew up here but ran away to the Western bigger city's years ago and the third person came to Halifax to get a Son settled in University and never left. In Her words "why didn't anyone tell me about Halifax." Folks that knew Halifax even 5-10 years ago are blown away by the progress, wealth and energy that is here now that was not in the eighties and nineties. That was certainly the comments of the two former residents.
Its been a fun ride around here for the last ten years. The Crane tour is a thing
now to show off the City.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Colin May

My wife went to Simon's today. Not impressed. Her first credit card was with Mills and was a frequent shopper. Many women still go off to Montreal or Toronto and with their husband go to a sports event, a show and the upscale stores.

Paul Brothers on Global did an interview with the Simons president who was in town for the opening and said much the same thing (the bolded section in your quote) himself about going to Montreal to see a Habs game and visit the stores and restos there. I miss the old days of Eaton's and other big department stores having an array of mid-to-high end stuff on offer but I think there is a limited market for that business model. If Simons can make that work then more power to them. As we get older that sort of experience becomes less important but younger people/couples making good money are likely still attracted to it. I just hope they don't do a Target and pull the plug quickly, though after spending so much on the refit and seeming to have a good understanding of their business model and metrics I suspect they will give it a fair shot.

[q12]

Toronto doesn't even have a Simons. Mississauga is their only location in the GTA currently.

A comment on Simons social media account:

Lucky Halifax!
Wish there was a Simons in the city of Toronto. Square One is too far for me.

^Not something you see everyday.