Canadian Retail Thread

[jamincan]

Originally Posted by north 42

Construction is starting in Windsor on the 3rd Chick-Fil-A location in Canada, the first outside of the GTA.

Hopefully they keep their bible thumping beliefs on the American side of the border! That usually doesn’t go over well here.

https://windsorite.ca/2021/03/constr...il-a-location/

They seem to be opening quite a few new locations. They announced they would be opening one in Kitchener later this year last month, also claimed to be the third in the country.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by north 42

Construction is starting in Windsor on the 3rd Chick-Fil-A location in Canada, the first outside of the GTA.

Hopefully they keep their bible thumping beliefs on the American side of the border! That usually doesn’t go over well here.

https://windsorite.ca/2021/03/constr...il-a-location/

Proceeds from the sale of their food goes to organizations that make life a living hell for millions of people right across Africa. Does it make it better that they're brutalizing LGBTQ people instead of Black people, Jews, or women? LGBTQ people in Africa are being found murdered, raped, or imprisoned due to the hate speech those organizations preach. Would you go there if they donated money to the KKK? There's no difference as far as I'm concerned.

People seem to care more about having another fried chicken sandwich option than the lives of these people. Being ignorant about where your money ends up is not a valid excuse. If you go to Chick-Fil-A you're financially supporting all of that. Most people know but just don't care. People really suck sometimes.

[ssiguy]

In the US, all the Chick-fil-a are closed on Sundays and promote fish on Fridays..................is that also the case at the 2 Toronto locations?

[casper]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Proceeds from the sale of their food goes to organizations that make life a living hell for millions of people right across Africa. Does it make it better that they're brutalizing LGBTQ people instead of Black people, Jews, or women? LGBTQ people in Africa are being found murdered, raped, or imprisoned due to the hate speech those organizations preach. Would you go there if they donated money to the KKK? There's no difference as far as I'm concerned.

People seem to care more about having another fried chicken sandwich option than the lives of these people. Being ignorant about where your money ends up is not a valid excuse. If you go to Chick-Fil-A you're financially supporting all of that. Most people know but just don't care. People really suck sometimes.

I had no idea they were funding political activities that are so orthogonal to Canadian values. I have only been to their outlets in Seattle and Atlanta. The chicken was ok. Sounds like their values are inconsistent with Canadian values and they deserve to be run out of town.

I suspect most people who buy their chicken have no idea.

[jamincan]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Proceeds from the sale of their food goes to organizations that make life a living hell for millions of people right across Africa. Does it make it better that they're brutalizing LGBTQ people instead of Black people, Jews, or women? LGBTQ people in Africa are being found murdered, raped, or imprisoned due to the hate speech those organizations preach. Would you go there if they donated money to the KKK? There's no difference as far as I'm concerned.

People seem to care more about having another fried chicken sandwich option than the lives of these people. Being ignorant about where your money ends up is not a valid excuse. If you go to Chick-Fil-A you're financially supporting all of that. Most people know but just don't care. People really suck sometimes.

Do you have more information about this? The latest I had heard was that they had stopped donating to anti-LGBTQ organization a while ago (actually leading to some right-wing wackos boycotting them). I know that they had been criticized for donating to groups like Salvation Army and so forth in the past, but I also don't think they should be punished for past actions if they've made changes, otherwise there really is no incentive for any target of criticism to reform.

[zahav]

2 Alberta London Drugs stores closing for good

This is quite telling. London Drugs rarely closes locations, almost never. They often relocate locations when a new one is built, but they are one of the most stable retailers in Western Canada. And their stores are not small, they are pretty unique in what they sell in a large space. Both of these locations are really new as well, so another shock they couldn't make them work. They didn't even mince words about the cause, the situation must really be bleak. Hopefully there aren't more closures

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by jamincan

Do you have more information about this? The latest I had heard was that they had stopped donating to anti-LGBTQ organization a while ago (actually leading to some right-wing wackos boycotting them). I know that they had been criticized for donating to groups like Salvation Army and so forth in the past, but I also don't think they should be punished for past actions if they've made changes, otherwise there really is no incentive for any target of criticism to reform.

Last I read Chick-Fil-A was an incredibly religious organization that wouldn't, as one example, hire LGBTQ employees because they didn't align with their values. I know people protested in Toronto when they first opened.

They said they would stop donating to companies that held anti-LGBT positions in 2020.

Originally Posted by casper

I suspect most people who buy their chicken have no idea.

Before and during COVID the Yonge & Bloor location was always lined up out the door and I just assumed the people in line didn't realize they were supporting a company that held discriminatory views.

[youngregina]

Originally Posted by zahav

2 Alberta London Drugs stores closing for good

This is quite telling. London Drugs rarely closes locations, almost never. They often relocate locations when a new one is built, but they are one of the most stable retailers in Western Canada. And their stores are not small, they are pretty unique in what they sell in a large space. Both of these locations are really new as well, so another shock they couldn't make them work. They didn't even mince words about the cause, the situation must really be bleak. Hopefully there aren't more closures

Just shifting market demands. With Covid, people are looking for places that are perceived as clean and have enough room for people in the aisles. London Drugs has neither going for it... it’s always a bit of a mess and feels cramped. They also closed the location on 8th St/17th Avenue SW here in Calgary as well. Just, too crowded... especially for a time when crowding has become a universal issue.

[zahav]

Originally Posted by youngregina

Just shifting market demands. With Covid, people are looking for places that are perceived as clean and have enough room for people in the aisles. London Drugs has neither going for it... it’s always a bit of a mess and feels cramped. They also closed the location on 8th St/17th Avenue SW here in Calgary as well. Just, too crowded... especially for a time when crowding has become a universal issue.

I wouldn't have thought of that. Being in their stores feels like Shoppers Drug Mart or Save On or Wal Mart, I don't really feel much of a difference. I don't know much about Sage Hills, but I know Windermere is pretty developed so seems odd they couldn't make it work. I don't think they've closed any stores in BC, maybe they are just retrenching locally now

[casper]

Originally Posted by zahav

I wouldn't have thought of that. Being in their stores feels like Shoppers Drug Mart or Save On or Wal Mart, I don't really feel much of a difference. I don't know much about Sage Hills, but I know Windermere is pretty developed so seems odd they couldn't make it work. I don't think they've closed any stores in BC, maybe they are just retrenching locally now

They are owned by the H. Y. Louie family. The family also owns IGA (in BC), Fresh St Markets, London Air (the charter airline), a private island (destination resort), and a host of property. It tends to be a very conservative organization and one that has a very long term focus.

Shutting down two stores at the same point in time in the same city is very odd.

That said London Drugs is like Canadian Tire. It is a combination of some random departments that should not work but in Canada is does. Computers, Cosmetics, Pharmacy and shelf stable food. Who would expect that to make any sense.

I have always found the stores clean, but the shelves are close together especially in some of the older smaller locations in Vancouver.

[YYCguys]

Originally Posted by north 42

Construction is starting in Windsor on the 3rd Chick-Fil-A location in Canada, the first outside of the GTA.

Hopefully they keep their bible thumping beliefs on the American side of the border! That usually doesn’t go over well here.

https://windsorite.ca/2021/03/constr...il-a-location/

They had a location briefly in the terminal at YYC. I didn’t last long and closed well before covid hit. So Calgary might have been the first location outside the GTA.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by YYCguys

They had a location briefly in the terminal at YYC. I didn’t last long and closed well before covid hit. So Calgary might have been the first location outside the GTA.

It was there in the summer of 2018...Very underwhelming.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by zahav

2 Alberta London Drugs stores closing for good

This is quite telling. London Drugs rarely closes locations, almost never. They often relocate locations when a new one is built, but they are one of the most stable retailers in Western Canada. And their stores are not small, they are pretty unique in what they sell in a large space. Both of these locations are really new as well, so another shock they couldn't make them work. They didn't even mince words about the cause, the situation must really be bleak. Hopefully there aren't more closures

a lot of the stores in Vancouver area have had their computer sections majorly sized down, the TVs have been shifted around and overall that department has been shrunk, such as Lougheed store where the stereo section was is now baskets and shoes and some clothes etc.

the nely renovated store such as Guildford have very much smaller electronics sections.

There was a store I went to in Tokyp that reminded me of LD, it was like the same mix of merchandise as LD, beauty, fragrances, household things, electronics etc but the stores were like 7 storeys and each floor was s department.

[manny_santos]

Coming from Ontario I found London Drugs to be a very odd store the first time I visited Vancouver several years ago. I would best describe it as Canadian Tire, Best Buy, Shoppers Drug Mart all under one roof with an ICBC agent at the front.

Pharmacies selling electronics, housewares, and auto insurance just aren't a thing in Ontario.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by casper

...Shutting down two stores at the same point in time in the same city is very odd...

from the article

aying the Windemere location (6048 Currents Dr. N.W., Edmonton) and Sage Hill store (50 Sage Hill Plaza N.W., Calgary)

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Proceeds from the sale of their food goes to organizations that make life a living hell for millions of people right across Africa. Does it make it better that they're brutalizing LGBTQ people instead of Black people, Jews, or women? LGBTQ people in Africa are being found murdered, raped, or imprisoned due to the hate speech those organizations preach. Would you go there if they donated money to the KKK? There's no difference as far as I'm concerned.

People seem to care more about having another fried chicken sandwich option than the lives of these people. Being ignorant about where your money ends up is not a valid excuse. If you go to Chick-Fil-A you're financially supporting all of that. Most people know but just don't care. People really suck sometimes.

Lol, do you blatantly lie about other stuff too?

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Coming from Ontario I found London Drugs to be a very odd store the first time I visited Vancouver several years ago. I would best describe it as Canadian Tire, Best Buy, Shoppers Drug Mart all under one roof with an ICBC agent at the front.

Pharmacies selling electronics, housewares, and auto insurance just aren't a thing in Ontario.

Aside from insurance, sounds a lot like most Shoppers Drug Mart stores. And if we had government insurance, they probably would have that too.

[zahav]

Originally Posted by shreddog

from the article

I was referring to the comment from youngregina:

They also closed the location on 8th St/17th Avenue SW here in Calgary as well. Just, too crowded... especially for a time when crowding has become a universal issue.

Those two in Calgary plus the Edmonton one. I have no idea if there are others, i didn't even know about 8th/17th, just the two in the article

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by zahav

I was referring to the comment from youngregina:

They also closed the location on 8th St/17th Avenue SW here in Calgary as well. Just, too crowded... especially for a time when crowding has become a universal issue....

Fair enough. FWIW, the one on 8th closed 6 months ago, though as YoungRegina indicated was a smaller format/crowded layout, especially compared to many newer ones (it was 20 years old). Perhaps the CanTire opening across the street didn't help either?

The one in Sage Hills is interesting as it's newer (~3 years) and they should have done their market research ahead of time.

[Chadillaccc]

When I was dating a guy in Nashville for a while, a couple years back, he took me to Chik Fil A and after they gave me my order they said "have a blessed day" I almost said "what the fuck" out loud. Kissed my ex in the parking lot after that.