Canadian Retail Thread

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Loblaws started the student discount, then Metro hopped on board.

I think their goal is to attract student shoppers with the discount. As a private business it's their choice if they want to give discounts to someone; it's not like taxpayers are footing the bill.

Except for the fact HST collected on these transactions is lower - 10% less on taxable items, to be precise (though not all grocery items are taxed). We the Ontario taxpayers are paying for the shortfall.

As a taxpayer I don't mind helping out students who genuinely need help but I have always been bothered by students coming from very wealthy families with endless money who get special discounts they don't need while large numbers of people in the community (particularly in Kingston) are struggling to make ends meet. Students coming from families with household incomes of $250,000 or more and getting full parental support getting a discount at the grocery checkout while people on fixed incomes who are one paycheque away from going to the food bank having the pay full price does bother me.

[MonkeyRonin]

Not too surprising of a result when you look past the hyperbole around new development.

Independent retail still thriving at street level in Toronto: study

If you think new residential development is turning Toronto's ground floor into a sea of Starbucks and Subways, think again.

By: Luke Simcoe
Metro
Published on Mon Jun 27 2016



A Toronto planner is discounting the theory that downtown storefronts are turning into a sea of chains as condos boom overhead.

“I live downtown, and I walk downtown, and that’s not what I see,” said Sean Galbraith, president of the Galbraith and Associates planning firm.

Plus, he’s got the raw numbers to prove it.

Galbraith recently completed a study of downtown Toronto retail, comparing the make-up of stores in older buildings with their newer counterparts. The study catalogued 478 commercial units across 138 locations downtown.

“The results surprised a lot of people,” he said.

Independent retail and commercial stores are still thriving in Toronto’s downtown core, he said. In fact, 64 per cent of businesses located at the foot of mid-rise or high-rise buildings downtown are independent, he said.

Article: http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto...n-toronto.html

The study: http://www.galbraithplanning.com/blo...ommerical-uses

[Klazu]

Guildford Town Centre in Surrey, BC.

[SpongeG]

grande prairie has a giant tiger, it wasn't that exciting, seemed like castoffs or liquidated kind of stuff, weird brands i've never heard of with name brand failures ie ginger pepsi will probably end up there.

high level had a TBS (the bargain shop) and across the street was fields. They felt like the same store.

I don't know how far dollar tree is into canada but i noticed they have a lot of the same stuff dollarama sells but only 1.25. I bought a dustpan thing, it was $2.50 at dollarama, the exact same one brand was 1.25 at dollar tree I bought a broom, had to buy it in two pieces like 2 for the handle and 2 for the sweeper part so like $4, and you could get a complete broom for 1.25 at dollar tree, grr. I tend to go to dollar tree first, anyway I heard not too long ago dollarama will add more items priced over $5, I don't think i've ever seen anything priced over $3 there.

I've seen 3 former target stores in shopping malls here in BC (Pr George, Nanaimo & Victoria) being taken over by Lowes, will be interesting to see how they do in that format.

[LeftCoaster]

Wow Guilford's renovations turned out fantastic. Disappointing the tenants didn't go with 2 level shopfronts in the second to last picture there though, it looks great where they did it at Sherway and Yorkdale.

[manny_santos]

I visited Guildford during my trip to BC. Impressive mall in terms of the retail available but it's a real maze to find your way out of - would be nice if there were signs directing towards the various entrance numbers. It's the second mall I've gotten lost in (the other one being Sherway Gardens in Toronto).

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Not too surprising of a result when you look past the hyperbole around new development.





Article: http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto...n-toronto.html

The study: http://www.galbraithplanning.com/blo...ommerical-uses

I work in Downtown Toronto and I agree that there's still lots of independent retail. But that's likely due to the number of people, especially millennials, who now live there.

[caltrane74]

Uniqlo and Nordstorm / Eaton Center Renovation

[caltrane74]

New signage...the exterior seems to be taking forever.

Thankfully, they only have a month and a half to finish.

[manny_santos]

Looks like the Visa ban may not be going so well for Walmart in Thunder Bay...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/walm...-ban-1.3709435

I highly doubt this is going to be successful for Walmart, anywhere. Very few people are going to change banks so they can switch from Visa to MasterCard and continue to use a credit card at Walmart.

[1overcosc]

How many banks still issue only Visas? RBC now issues Mastercards, and Tangerine chose Mastercard as its credit card.

Mastercard is definitely gaining on Visa in market share.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I highly doubt this is going to be successful for Walmart, anywhere. Very few people are going to change banks so they can switch from Visa to MasterCard and continue to use a credit card at Walmart.

I'd be surprised if anyone in Thunder Bay who was a devoted Walmart shopper but only has a Visa stopped going there on account of this bunfight between the two companies. If you can get a Visa, you can get a no-charge MasterCard to use at Walmart... Walmart will even give you a little incentive to sign up for their MasterCard. If they were smart they'd beef up that incentive a bit in the Thunder Bay area.

[MonctonRad]

Or better yet, just avoid Wal Mart entirely. I only go there once or twice a year and usually regret it.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'd be surprised if anyone in Thunder Bay who was a devoted Walmart shopper but only has a Visa stopped going there on account of this bunfight between the two companies. If you can get a Visa, you can get a no-charge MasterCard to use at Walmart... Walmart will even give you a little incentive to sign up for their MasterCard. If they were smart they'd beef up that incentive a bit in the Thunder Bay area.

Nothing phases a devoted shopper. It's the infrequent Walmart shopper with a rewards credit card that might think twice about going to Walmart now.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Or better yet, just avoid Wal Mart entirely. I only go there once or twice a year and usually regret it.

This was my view until Walmart recently opened a supercentre in my neighbourhood. I no longer have to go to the far reaches of suburbia to find them and for whatever reason, the store is, unlike every other Walmart I've seen in Winnipeg, Target levels of dead.

This may not be great for their bottom line, but it certainly enhances my shopping experience

[1overcosc]

^ Interesting.

My main beefs with Walmart, and Costco too, and the main reason why I generally refuse to shop at either store is that they always pick inconvenient and out-of-the-way locations for their stores... and they only build a handful of stores (much fewer stores per city than regular grocery stores do), meaning each store is insanely busy... and insanely large to the point where finding things is a huge PITA.

[q12]

IKEA groundbreaking ceremony was today at 10am.


https://twitter.com/JWCampbellCTV/st...98268594913280

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/about_ikea..._halifax_store

IKEA Canada Breaks Ground on New Halifax Store

09-08-2016 02:00  | Store will take 14-16 months to complete and is on track to open in Fall 2017

Burlington, ON – IKEA Canada has officially broken ground on its new store in Halifax.

Located at Dartmouth Crossing, the store will take roughly 14-16 months to complete. It will be approximately 330,000 square feet (30,700 square meters), which is larger than four football fields in size. The IKEA Halifax location will be a destination for the entire family bringing to Nova Scotia what people know and already love about IKEA. Including the full product range and inspirational room sets in the Showroom, Market Hall, Restaurant and SMÅLAND playroom. Customers will be able to take advantage of a suite of services such as home delivery, assembly, planning and returns.

“Halifax residents have been such great supporters of the IKEA brand and the area has always been a key market for expansion,” said David McCabe, Vice President, IKEA Canada. “It took us 40 years to build 12 stores and we are very happy that IKEA Halifax will be the first of 12 new stores to be built over the next 10 years.”

IKEA takes pride in being a great place to work and will be welcoming approximately 300 new co-workers into an engaging environment with a strong focus on people. 50 per cent of IKEA Halifax co-workers will be employed full-time and all co-workers will receive benefits and guaranteed hours, no matter how many hours a week they work.

“We work hard to provide all of our co-workers with an opportunity for professional growth and career development. Anyone who has a passion for home furnishings and energy for customer service is encouraged to apply online at www.IKEA.ca,” said McCabe.

“IKEA will be a major employer in Halifax Regional Municipality and we are very excited to see them in our community,” said Mayor Mike Savage, City of Halifax. “It is a sign of the strength of our growing economy. We welcome any new businesses to Halifax Regional Municipality, especially progressive, sustainable companies like IKEA.”

IKEA Halifax will be constructed to operate as the most sustainable IKEA store in Canada, with a particular focus on energy efficiency and waste avoidance, and will be the first LEED certified IKEA store in Canada. Key features of the store will include a rooftop solar photovoltaic installation to provide electricity to the store, geothermal energy generation to support heating and cooling needs, as well as 100% LED lighting. Waste management equipment will be installed to maximize material recycling and diversion from landfill, and a free take-back service will be offered for household batteries and light bulbs to ensure the hazardous materials contained are recycled responsibly.

To support their shopping experience, residents of the Halifax area will begin to receive the 2017 IKEA Catalogue, beginning August 15th. There will be seven million catalogues sent out across the country, including 154,000 copies in the Halifax area. The 2017 IKEA Catalogue can also be viewed online at www.IKEA.ca after August 23rd.

As we await the store opening, customers who purchase home furnishings can now choose to pick up their products at the recently opened Halifax Collection Point, for a flat rate of $50 compared to the average home delivery fee of $150.

The Halifax store will be the first to open as part of a coast-to-coast expansion effort which will double the store count from 12 to 24 in the next 10 years and will increase the number of co-workers to 10,000. It’s the goal of IKEA Canada to be wherever its customers are and to provide them with the services they expect, whether that’s in a store, on our website, at a Pick-up and order point or a Collection Point.
ABOUT IKEA CANADA

IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer with 375 stores in more than 50 countries worldwide, which are visited by 884 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 12 stores, an eCommerce virtual store, 6 Pick-up and order points in Quebec City and southern Ontario and a Collection Point in Halifax. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 25 million visitors to its stores and 75 million visitors to the IKEA.ca website. Founded in 1943, IKEA’s business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information on IKEA, please visit: www.IKEA.ca.

Couple more pictures from CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...vage-1.3713407







And Metro Halifax

https://twitter.com/metrohalifax/sta...53729985728513

http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax...l-of-2017.html

[north 42]

^^^ Looks like they're building it on the moon from that picture.

[q12]

[esquire]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

^ Interesting.

My main beefs with Walmart, and Costco too, and the main reason why I generally refuse to shop at either store is that they always pick inconvenient and out-of-the-way locations for their stores... and they only build a handful of stores (much fewer stores per city than regular grocery stores do), meaning each store is insanely busy... and insanely large to the point where finding things is a huge PITA.

Yeah, those types of stores are best avoided. I never went to Walmart until they opened the dead supercentre in my inner city area a year and a half ago or so.

Costco, on the other hand, is far out in suburbia, closes at 8:30 (I usually go shopping once my kids are in bed so I hate their early closing), and is always insanely crowded, especially on weekends. You have the insult of paying $55 for a membership and to top it all off, I still end up having to go to Safeway to get all the food items that they don't sell. I don't get why people love that place so much.