Oakridge Park | 13 Towers | 154m | 52fl | 5M sqft | U/C

[Migrant_Coconut]

The "presales in Asia = speculators & absentee owners" argument held water during the Vision/Christy Clark era. Now that the FBT and EHT are a thing? Build, baby, build.

[ssiguy]

The foreign buyers tax is just a foot note to people who can buy these units with cash and for money launderers it's just the cost of doing business. This of course assumes they even pay it because they can easily just get a relative in Vancouver to buy it and avoid the tax altogether.

[Migrant_Coconut]

That's an argument for stiffer taxes/regs/fines, not less housing.

[jollyburger]

Those foreigners sure are sneaky and got by your "CMHC mortgages" requirement.

[officedweller]

Oakridge Centre Retailers to Close Until 2024 Amid Vancouver Mall Redevelopment [Exclusive]

Almost all of the retailers at Vancouver’s Oakridge Centre will close their doors at the end of September until 2024 to help accelerate the process of the mall’s incredible overhaul.

https://www.retail-insider.com/retai...ment-exclusive

Hudson's Bay, Crate & Barrel, food court and medical/dental offices to remain open.
Sobey's to replace Safeway.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Bad move on Sobey's part, methinks - superimposing your corporation's "big" brand on top of your recently-acquired local brand usually ends up scaring off regulars.

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Bad move on Sobey's part, methinks - superimposing your corporation's "big" brand on top of your recently-acquired local brand usually ends up scaring off regulars.

Not necessarily, worked for Loblaws when the brought Loblaws City Market to Metro Vancouver after having several of their sub-brands locally like No Frills and Extra Foods.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Bad move on Sobey's part, methinks - superimposing your corporation's "big" brand on top of your recently-acquired local brand usually ends up scaring off regulars.

I think the reality is that the Safeway brand is pretty much dead. They bought real estate.

Safeway's regulars are usually not very mobile for their shopping needs and will go wherever. And Sobey's isn't Whole Foods so the pricing shouldn't even be that much different.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I think the reality is that the Safeway brand is pretty much dead. They bought real estate.

Safeway's regulars are usually not very mobile for their shopping needs and will go wherever. And Sobey's isn't Whole Foods so the pricing shouldn't even be that much different.

But they have reopened many of their recently redeveloped stores under the Safeway banner, including Arbutus and Davie Street. This Oakridge Sobeys is an exception. Maybe it indicates a change in Empire's branding policy, but it could be a one-off experiment. Are there other new Sobey's branded stores around the Lower Mainland?

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I think the reality is that the Safeway brand is pretty much dead. They bought real estate.

Safeway's regulars are usually not very mobile for their shopping needs and will go wherever. And Sobey's isn't Whole Foods so the pricing shouldn't even be that much different.

Last I heard it was a strategy against the Safeway union.

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by Changing City

But they have reopened many of their recently redeveloped stores under the Safeway banner, including Arbutus and Davie Street. This Oakridge Sobeys is an exception. Maybe it indicates a change in Empire's branding policy, but it could be a one-off experiment. Are there other new Sobey's branded stores around the Lower Mainland?

There must be a time limit on Sobeys using the Safeway brand in Canada.. by the time this store opens in 2024 they may be a lot closer to that.

Ron.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

There must be a time limit on Sobeys using the Safeway brand in Canada.. by the time this store opens in 2024 they may be a lot closer to that.

Ron.

Interesting theory - I've never seen anything suggesting a time limit on the use of the Safeway name by Sobeys. Do you have a source?

[officedweller]

A contractual covenant to cease use of the Safeway trademark could be a reason, but that's usually if the mark is granted under licence and if the vendor has other operations [in the same country] where there may be confusion.
With Safeway in the US, that could have also played a role in this case, too.
The current Safeway registration expires in 2026, but renewal just requires a small fee.

Interestingly, Safeway in the US is now owned by Albertsons (which maintains several brands, including VONS), and if you have your old Canadian Safeway Club card, you can use it at a Safeway or VONS in the US (or even just give your phone number! (the database still has your information)).

I checked the Canadian Intellectual Property Office trademarks database and Sobeys West Inc. owns the Safeway trademarks:

https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/t.../home?lang=eng


https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/t.../home?lang=eng


https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/t.../home?lang=eng

Note the ones that have been abandoned, such as "Safeway Select". 'Expunged' means invalidated.


https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/t.../home?lang=eng

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

There must be a time limit on Sobeys using the Safeway brand in Canada.. by the time this store opens in 2024 they may be a lot closer to that.

Ron.

When they bought it there was not mention of a time limit and they re-licensed Lucerne when they sold the dairy business. They did lose the rights to some in-house Safeway trademarks though.

[SpongeG]

I still think Safeway has more meaning to westerners than Sobeys does or ever will have out here.

How will shoppers access the bay? through the mall or one of the outside entrances? its pretty crappy in there, why anyone would go through the hassle of trying to shop there, parking is horrible and access in the area is worse.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Changing City

But they have reopened many of their recently redeveloped stores under the Safeway banner, including Arbutus and Davie Street. This Oakridge Sobeys is an exception. Maybe it indicates a change in Empire's branding policy, but it could be a one-off experiment. Are there other new Sobey's branded stores around the Lower Mainland?

They were going to convert 25% of their Safeway/Sobeys in Western Canada to FreshCo as well.

I guess if Safeway had an existing lease they could transfer it to whatever brand down the line without any objection from the landlord to renegotiate the lease?

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

They were going to convert 25% of their Safeway/Sobeys in Western Canada to FreshCo as well.

I guess if Safeway had an existing lease they could transfer it to whatever brand down the line without any objection from the landlord to renegotiate the lease?

I think they're part way through that conversion of 'underperforming' Safeways to FreshCo - 14 so far in BC, I think. Across the country that brand is growing through conversion, and by building a few new stores; in some Provinces they're also switching stores from Sobey's to FreshCo. We know there have been several new Safeway stores here, a few since the Empire takeover, and they all replace a previous Safeway store. It doesn't look like they're retiring the brand for now. I don't know if a landlord can object if an owner wants to switch brands. These days property owners might be happy to have anyone sign a new lease!

Unless I'm missing something (and Sobey's website is too), the only Sobey's branded store so far in BC is in Invermere. As well as Safeway, FreshCo and Chalo/FreshCo, they also have Thrifty Foods stores in the Lower Mainland, so they have quite a bit of coverage across a variety of brands - although fewer than Jimmy Pattison's retail empire.

[SpongeG]

There used to be a Sobeys in Ft St John, but it closed and is now a goodlife fitness.

I've been to the freshco Chalo in Surrey, its definatley for a target shopper.

[officedweller]

What do they do in Alberta? Do Sobeys and Safeway co-exist, and if so, what's the difference?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by officedweller

What do they do in Alberta? Do Sobeys and Safeway co-exist, and if so, what's the difference?

I think they think of FreshCo as their discount brand. The Safeway stores in Alberta recently just voted to go on strike as well. They've confirmed 28 FreshCo stores (opened or in development)