Canadian Retail Thread

[Hawrylyshyn]

They have great vegetarian options if anyone is into to that -- veggie "sausages" and "meatballs"

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by esquire

Near the checkouts, you could miss it if you aren't looking for it

I'll keep my eye's open next time, thanks!

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

They have great vegetarian options if anyone is into to that -- veggie "sausages" and "meatballs"

I'm often disappointed with veggie options. Can you easily distinguish between those and the real deal?

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by esquire

I recently popped into IKEA for the first time in a while. I was surprised to see how sparse the grocery selection has become... the store in Winnipeg never had the greatest grocery area to begin with (especially compared to the US stores that I was more familiar with), but it has taken a step down since the pandemic. It's like they're down to frozen salmon filets and meatballs, lingonberry jam and chocolate bars.

Is this happening in other locales or just a Winnipeg thing? The cafeteria is the same as always, though.

I've seen this at the Coquitlam, BC location.

[casper]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I've seen this at the Coquitlam, BC location.

Richmond store as well. Just not well stocked.

IKEA use to have Atlantic Canada wild shrimp that were fantastic. For some reason they have diseased.

[SpongeG]

A lot of stores are having supply issues lately At the restaurant where I work we have been having problems getting some items, right now it's impossible to get mushrooms through Sysco, they have been having to go to Costco to get them.

IKEA did away with their bulk candy, it was nice cause you could just mix and match for one price.

[SpongeG]

• Video Link

[acottawa]

This still has to be one of the greatest retail failures over a short time in history.

I thought they underplayed the buying the leases but not the business in the video. If they had bought the business (as Walmart, Home Depot or Costco did) they would have got supply chains, trained staff, inventory systems and could gradually bring in their own stuff.

[J.OT13]

Earlier this year, Hudson’s Bay Co. gifted its flagship store in downtown Winnipeg to the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO), in what has been praised as the largest act of corporate reconciliation in Canada.


The six-storey, 60,000-square-metre building will be restored and transformed into a multiuse property that will include a child-care centre, art gallery and museum, multiple restaurants, and a health centre offering western and traditional medicine.

In addition to nearly 300 affordable housing units, it will also have SCO offices as well as a place of reflection to honour victims of residential schools.

“By providing social and economic opportunities, the space is really going to help us be a strong part of the downtown,” said Jennifer Moore Rattray, chief operating officer of SCO, who was also a panelist at the CUI webinar.

“We hope it begins to change the trajectory of our people in the Winnipeg downtown,” she said. “By providing a main-floor public space for everybody to come together, to learn and grow, and help repair and heal our city – which has been called the most racist city in Canada – we can be a real force for good and for change.”

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...acilities-key/

[Wigs]

That's a better reuse of the Winnipeg flagship Hudson's Bay store than I could have imagined

[Loco101]

Some of us were discussion success and failure of large retailers in another thread. (Walmart vs Target)

It got me thinking. What are the up and coming retailers in Canada right now? Are there any? And please include online shopping.

Obviously Amazon has been the big one more recently. Is there anything else showing impressive growth? Are there any physical stores that are opening lots of locations? I get the feeling that there is quite a bit less competition compared to 10 years ago as there isn't much new happening and during that time there were many mergers, buy-outs, etc..

[SpongeG]

maybe IKEA? sounds like they have some plans.

IKEA to Open 2nd ‘Plan and Order’ Concept Store in Kitchener Ontario with Plans for More Locations [Interview]
By Mario Toneguzzi
October 3, 2022

IKEA Canada is planning to open its second new Plan and Order concept store on October 12th in Kitchener, Ontario, after the successful launch of the innovation in July in Boisbriand, Quebec.


The IKEA Planning and Ordering Centre is a space where customers can connect with IKEA specialists and create custom layouts that meet their needs and dreams. Purchases made at the Planning and Ordering Centre may be delivered directly to customers’ homes or picked up at an IKEA pick-up point.

...

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...ons-interview/

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

maybe IKEA? sounds like they have some plans.

IKEA to Open 2nd ‘Plan and Order’ Concept Store in Kitchener Ontario with Plans for More Locations [Interview]
By Mario Toneguzzi
October 3, 2022

IKEA Canada is planning to open its second new Plan and Order concept store on October 12th in Kitchener, Ontario, after the successful launch of the innovation in July in Boisbriand, Quebec.


The IKEA Planning and Ordering Centre is a space where customers can connect with IKEA specialists and create custom layouts that meet their needs and dreams. Purchases made at the Planning and Ordering Centre may be delivered directly to customers’ homes or picked up at an IKEA pick-up point.

...

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...ons-interview/

That's interesting. Does IKEA have many stores in smaller cities in the Nordic countries? I always thought they did but maybe someone here who has travelled in that region knows. I've always wondered if they could pull off smaller stores in Canada outside the big cities.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Some of us were discussion success and failure of large retailers in another thread. (Walmart vs Target)

It got me thinking. What are the up and coming retailers in Canada right now? Are there any? And please include online shopping.

Obviously Amazon has been the big one more recently. Is there anything else showing impressive growth? Are there any physical stores that are opening lots of locations? I get the feeling that there is quite a bit less competition compared to 10 years ago as there isn't much new happening and during that time there were many mergers, buy-outs, etc..

If you want the scoop the best Canadian blog I've found is this
https://retail-insider.com/

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Wigs

If you want the scoop the best Canadian blog I've found is this
https://retail-insider.com/

Thanks!! I've never seen that site before. At first glance it really covers a lot.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Thanks!! I've never seen that site before. At first glance it really covers a lot.

Ya we've known about this one for a while.
Knowledgeable guy and had an SSP account at one time.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Thanks!! I've never seen that site before. At first glance it really covers a lot.

Front page article is on Fresh St. George Main Food Group is one of the business owned by the H. Y. Louie family business. Multi-generational family empire that also owns London Drugs. On the grocery store front they have the IGA brand in BC, Sobeys owns IGA in the rest of the country.

They have slowly converted IGA stores to Fresh St. Each Fresh St. is unique. one might have a coffee roster in the store, another a big grill for burgers. etc. Strong focus on fresh and local product from small suppliers. They are priced between Whole Foods and conventional grocery store.

It is a very neat concept.

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...ore-interview/

[SpongeG]

I like the warm cookies at Fresh Street. Still no announcement of what "urban" grocer will open at Lougheed, I am hoping it will be Fresh St.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by casper

Front page article is on Fresh St. George Main Food Group is one of the business owned by the H. Y. Louie family business. Multi-generational family empire that also owns London Drugs. On the grocery store front they have the IGA brand in BC, Sobeys owns IGA in the rest of the country.

They have slowly converted IGA stores to Fresh St. Each Fresh St. is unique. one might have a coffee roster in the store, another a big grill for burgers. etc. Strong focus on fresh and local product from small suppliers. They are priced between Whole Foods and conventional grocery store.

It is a very neat concept.

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...ore-interview/

I will have to check out Fresh St. the next time I'm in BC. I've also never been to a London Drugs even though I've seen many locations in Western provinces.

I did go to an urban grocery store in Vancouver that had a nice kind of cafeteria-style restaurant in it and the dishes were great. A lot of Eastern Asian cuisine of course. I'm trying to find it with Google Maps. I believe that it was Urban Fare.

[urbandreamer]

I went in the Vancouver House Fresh St: maybe a bit like Trader Joe's crossed with Farm Boy?

London Drugs is very stale/old fashioned. It reminds me of Honest Eds or the old Zellers minus the clothing section.

Maybe the new Zellers will be good?

[casper]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

I went in the Vancouver House Fresh St: maybe a bit like Trader Joe's crossed with Farm Boy?

London Drugs is very stale/old fashioned. It reminds me of Honest Eds or the old Zellers minus the clothing section.

Maybe the new Zellers will be good?

London Drugs is a weird place. It is a drug store, that has a small food section and sells computers and home entertainment. The food section is very eclectic. There is this cake they import from Germany and Italian coffee that I get there from time to time.

To round out the mix from time to time it will have completely random stuff, a few overpriced pieces of furniture from China, sometimes a rack of winter coats. One time I went into the one in Victoria and it had kayaks.