Canadian Retail Thread - Page 305

GreaterMontréal · #**6081** Posted **Jan 13, 2021, 7:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Not sure if there has been mentioned, but this is a retail giant that could be taken over by Montreal-area Couche-Tard:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...e-of-carrefour

a $25B offer.

Kilgore Trout · #**6082** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 12:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prairiedawg

Starbucks is closing 300 stores in Canada before
Spring.

There are hardly any left in Montreal. In fact, the only ones remaining seem to be the very first ones that opened up back in the 2000s (eg Parc/Laurier, Crescent/Ste-Catherine).

Kilgore Trout · #**6083** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 12:18 AM**

If Couche-Tard acquires Carrefour, I wonder if we'll begin to see some Carrefour operations in Canada.

Carrefour City might be successful – a small-footprint hybrid between a convenience store and a supermarket. These are all over Europe but relatively rare in Canada. There's Rabba's in Toronto and some independent mega-dépanneurs in Montreal, but the only corporate chain doing this is Sobey's, which launched its IGA Express brand in Quebec last year.

kwoldtimer · #**6084** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 12:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

If Couche-Tard acquires Carrefour, I wonder if we'll begin to see some Carrefour operations in Canada.

Carrefour City might be successful – a small-footprint hybrid between a convenience store and a supermarket. These are all over Europe but relatively rare in Canada. There's Rabba's in Toronto and some independent mega-dépanneurs in Montreal, but the only corporate chain doing this is Sobey's, which launched its IGA Express brand in Quebec last year.

Like Aldi and Lidl? That would fill a gap in Canada.

Kilgore Trout · #**6085** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 12:31 AM**

Yeah, there's that too, although deep-discount retailing isn't really what Carrefour does. If you're familiar with the UK, I'm thinking more along the lines of Tesco Express, M&S Simply Food or Little Waitrose.

kwoldtimer · #**6086** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 12:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

Yeah, there's that too, although deep-discount retailing isn't really what Carrefour does. If you're familiar with the UK, I'm thinking more along the lines of Tesco Express, M&S Simply Food or Little Waitrose.

Tesco Express is dumpy, but I love M&S Simply Food. I don't think I've seen a Little Waitrose, but I'm sure it would be very nice, given their regular supermarkets.

le calmar · #**6087** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 12:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

There are hardly any left in Montreal. In fact, the only ones remaining seem to be the very first ones that opened up back in the 2000s (eg Parc/Laurier, Crescent/Ste-Catherine).

A quick search on Google maps shows around 15. This is low as Ottawa has about the same number. Probably has to do with all the independent coffee shops in Montreal.

Edit: looks like Ottawa has over 30

GreaterMontréal · #**6088** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 1:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by le calmar

A quick search on Google maps shows around 15. This is low as Ottawa has about the same number. Probably has to do with all the independent coffee shops in Montreal.

Edit: looks like Ottawa has over 30

Starbucks to me = suburbs

Acajack · #**6089** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 2:06 AM**

It's of course different but the best North American comparable for Carrefour to me is maybe Costco. Or perhaps Sam's Club. They're known for large warehouse stores where you can get 678 kinds of cheese and 257 types of yogourt. (They're French after all.)

Kilgore Trout · #**6090** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 2:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Tesco Express is dumpy, but I love M&S Simply Food. I don't think I've seen a Little Waitrose, but I'm sure it would be very nice, given their regular supermarkets.

I found Little Waitrose to be surprisingly disappointing, given how great their normal supermarkets are. M&S is definitely king.

Other UK supermarkets like Sainsbury's, Coop and Morrisons also have mini versions that aren't much bigger than your typical 7-11.

Loco101 · #**6091** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 2:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Not sure if there has been mentioned, but this is a retail giant that could be taken over by Montreal-area Couche-Tard:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...e-of-carrefour

Wow, Carrefour is a gigantic company. It doesn't seem likely that it will happen from what I've read.

SpongeG · #**6092** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 3:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

I found Little Waitrose to be surprisingly disappointing, given how great their normal supermarkets are. M&S is definitely king.

Other UK supermarkets like Sainsbury's, Coop and Morrisons also have mini versions that aren't much bigger than your typical 7-11.

Australia has mini/urban versions of Coles And Woolworths in downtown locations. South Africa has mini/urban versions of Spar, a supermarket chain there. They too were all not much bigger than a 7-11 but had a full selection of groceries and a lot of prepared foods and grab and go stuff like salads and sandwiches.
They were very handy.

isaidso · #**6093** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 4:59 AM**

I'm not sure an acquisition of Carrefour is the best route to go for Couche-Tard. They'e worth 2.5 times more than Carrefour for a reason. Carrefour is seeing alot of its business eroded by online giants like Amazon while Couche-Tard is a 'category killer'. They're dominant in their sector and devouring everything in their path. Further consolidation of the convenience store/gas retailing sector makes more sense. Stick to your knitting! I'd rather they took another run at Caltex Australia or another big convenience store operator.

Taking out an iconic retailing brand like Carrefour may be emotionally satisfying but business sense should dictate how they grow.

isaidso · #**6094** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 5:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loco101

Wow, Carrefour is a gigantic company. It doesn't seem likely that it will happen from what I've read.

Carrefour stock surged while Couche-Tard plummeted. That says alot right there. This acquisition doesn't make alot of sense and I tend to agree.

bikegypsy · #**6095** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 7:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by le calmar

A quick search on Google maps shows around 15. This is low as Ottawa has about the same number. Probably has to do with all the independent coffee shops in Montreal.

Edit: looks like Ottawa has over 30

Indeed... Montreal's coffee culture goes back several decades while Ottawa's has been developing only since the early 80s. Having said that, locally-owned coffee shops are growing like crazy in Ottawa (Bridgehead, Happy Goat, etc) just like the rest of the foodie scene and I think that Starbucks is on shaky ground in that city as well.

Denscity · #**6096** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 8:15 AM**

Anyone had coffee at a Starbucks Reserve?

Martin Mtl · #**6097** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 11:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

a $25B offer.

The french politicians and media are taking this very badly. Sounds like the french governement won’t approve any of it.

Acajack · #**6098** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 1:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by le calmar

A quick search on Google maps shows around 15. This is low as Ottawa has about the same number. Probably has to do with all the independent coffee shops in Montreal.

Edit: looks like Ottawa has over 30

Van Houtte is a pretty big (local) chain player in the Montreal area. At first glance they have as many if not more locations than Starbucks.

esquire · #**6099** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 2:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

If Couche-Tard acquires Carrefour, I wonder if we'll begin to see some Carrefour operations in Canada.

Carrefour City might be successful – a small-footprint hybrid between a convenience store and a supermarket. These are all over Europe but relatively rare in Canada. There's Rabba's in Toronto and some independent mega-dépanneurs in Montreal, but the only corporate chain doing this is Sobey's, which launched its IGA Express brand in Quebec last year.

It's interesting how resistant the Canadian marketplace generally is to those types of 'in between' sized grocers... the ones that, like Carrefour City, are maybe double the size of a 7-Eleven but still manage to offer pretty well a full range of groceries. I suppose there must be some reason for it, but you would think there would be some room between tiny convenience stores and conventional full sized supermarkets.

As for Starbucks, it does seem that their star is fading. The only people I know who get excited for it are those in their 40s who came of age in the 90s when Starbucks had some real brand cachet. To younger people, I get the impression that Starbucks is basically like McDonald's to them... a familiar place you can go to in a pinch.

Acajack · #**6100** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 2:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

It's interesting how resistant the Canadian marketplace generally is to those types of 'in between' sized grocers... the ones that, like Carrefour City, are maybe double the size of a 7-Eleven but still manage to offer pretty well a full range of groceries. I suppose there must be some reason for it, but you would think there would be some room between tiny convenience stores and conventional full sized supermarkets.
.

Agree. It's surprising when you consider that inner city districts of many of our medium-sized cities are "food deserts" to some degree. They have corner stores (dépanneurs) and sometimes a Giant Tiger that sells some food items, but they'd be prime places for a small Euro-style inner city supermarket.

Downtown Gatineau (or Vieux-Hull, right across from downtown Ottawa) has been fighting to get a real grocery store since it lost the only one it had a few decades ago. There have been lots of plans discussed but so far... only false starts. There is another plan in the works right now on the ground floor of a condo building to be built, but I will believe it when I see it.