The Retail Thread

[unibrain]

Originally Posted by Wentworth

It's like Walmart clothing a year before Walmart gets it.... I don't get it.

From what I understand, H&M had a lot of problems with their lease. The mall wanted them really bad, and created the hoarding to "woo" them on a visit into town.

Im thinking the mall bent over backwards to get them as a tenant... subsidized renovations, a good deal on the lease, etc.

[Wentworth]

Originally Posted by kw5150

I was down in the Ikea area last night and had a chance to walk through the pedestrian outdoor circulation food area (opa, fat burger, avacade etc...). These pedestrain malls are very empty at night and these types of developments only seem to work if there are condos or houses within walking distance. Im sure they are very busy during the day for the industrial and construction crowd but at night.....wow.....nothing but two people in each place. The plus side is that the absolutley stacked out plates at the OPA souvlaki place!! It is kind of a shame that there are not more of these complexs in the beltline area...... the spacial organization was great and was a very comfortable environment (complete with trees, benches) but just no one there.....what a waste. The owners are practically begging for people to eat there for dinner.

Anyway......

Those restaurants do huge business during the daytime. In addition to the shopping crowd, they draw all sorts of office and retail employees from miles around. (No, they're not full of guys with coveralls during the day.) Every location has slow times, equivelant restaurants downtown don't even open on the weekend. Hell, even many restaurants on the Red Mile don't open for lunch on the weekend, despite the many condos around.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Wentworth

It's like Walmart clothing a year before Walmart gets it.... I don't get it.

Fashion is one of those things you either get or you don't. I'm in the latter category, so I'm with you on this one. H&M is pretty much the ultimate in low-end trashy skank/douchebag apparel as far as we can tell, but it sure is popular with the late teen/early 20s crowd.

I see a lot of it at Friday night Flames games. You know, the ones where every girl has 2 heroin beers in hand at all times and generally ends up throwing up before midnight.

[Jimby]

I had to google heroin beer - never heard of it before, but I guess I have had a few of them at the Saddledome!

[DizzyEdge]

I always thought of H&M as American Le Chateau rather than anything remotely Walmart-like.

[jeffwhit]

^^except H&M is Swedish.

[SpongeG]

yah - so is the space big? will it become the calgary flagship h&m?

[outoftheice]

My understanding is that H&M will be occupying one of the 2 story 'premium' spaces down by Holt Renfrew... I wouldn't be surprised if they made this a flagship store. As far as the comments regarding H&M go, it's not my style either. However, it is popular with a certain age group and to be honest, the Core needs all the help it can get. The quality of the retail space and the quality of the retailer selection are very mismatched right now in my opinion...

[SpongeG]

yah i go there but all i have ever bought is some socks and some slippers - it serves a good segment of the market, its not known for its quality but rather getting the trend out there for a fickle group at a cheap price and it carries a lot of cache with it

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

As far as the comments regarding H&M go, it's not my style either. However, it is popular with a certain age group and to be honest, the Core needs all the help it can get. The quality of the retail space and the quality of the retailer selection are very mismatched right now in my opinion...

Absolutely. I won't say I'm disappointed in the Core so far, because it's awesome - but I agree, it needs "more". Whether or not that's H&M is a matter of personal taste but it certainly is a good idea to draw some traffic.

It's just so much fun to play "old fart" and bash youth fashion - while desperately trying to retain a youthful look so that I don't feel old.

[SpongeG]

the good thing is the flagship H&M stores will carry stuff they don't carry at the mall stores so it forces people to go downtown to the core - so it acts as a draw

[kw5150]

Originally Posted by Wentworth

Those restaurants do huge business during the daytime. In addition to the shopping crowd, they draw all sorts of office and retail employees from miles around. (No, they're not full of guys with coveralls during the day.) Every location has slow times, equivelant restaurants downtown don't even open on the weekend. Hell, even many restaurants on the Red Mile don't open for lunch on the weekend, despite the many condos around.

Well times are a changin' downtown and more stores are staying open. Stephen ave is getting busier at night on friday and saturdays.

The Opa, Fatburger, Avacado area near ikea had a nice pedestrian plaza out front. I would like to see more similar developments..............but on 17th, 4th, kensington.....etc.

[AB Born]

I just came back from LA a few days back and found a hoodie at Abercrombie & Fitch for $24.95... the same one at Chinook is $110.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by AB Born

I just came back from LA a few days back and found up a hoodie at Abercrombie & Fitch for $24.95... the same one at Chinook is $110.

Yeah, even with Canadian retailers finally understanding that we're in a recession and that sales entice customers, it's shocking how much cheaper US retail is for a lot of things. I probably finance half my travel costs by savings on clothing alone. If Calgary had anything remotely within driving distance, we'd be down every month.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by freeweed

If Calgary had anything remotely within driving distance, we'd be down every month.

Kalispell - combine it with a skiing, golfing, hiking or cycling trip. There is a huge power center just north of town on the highway from Whitefish:
CostCo
WalMart
Home Depot
Lowes
Target
Sportsman
Best Buy
Vann's
Borders
Bed Bath and Beyond


US CostCo has so much more stuff than the ones in Canada. I also have friends who orders stuff online in the US and have it shipped to the hotel they will be staying at in Whitefish. The wine and beer selection at most US CostCos puts any liquor store in Canada to shame for selection at prices 25-50% less. You can't buy hard liquor from retail stores in most of the Pacific Northwest of Mountain States.

Montana has no sales tax.

Missoula is about 2 hours further than Kalispell and has a bit better selection. Great Falls is about the same distance from Calgary as Kallispell, but the selection isn't much better, but more importantly, there isn't much else to mix in with a shopping trip.

To really get good selection, you have drive to Spokane. I've had friends visit me in Seattle from Canada spending over $10K in single shopping trips because the deals are so good and it is so easy to get things over the border over and above the $700 limit.

[Jay in Cowtown]

Originally Posted by AB Born

I just came back from LA a few days back and found a hoodie at Abercrombie & Fitch for $24.95... the same one at Chinook is $110.

I bought some cargo shorts at the A&F in Chinook last fall for $24.99 that were $59.99 a week earlier at the A&F in Fashion Show Vegas... so there are deals up here, you just have to hunt them down.

[Wentworth]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

I always thought of H&M as American Le Chateau rather than anything remotely Walmart-like.

I'm referring more to the construction and quality rather than the style.

Also, the selection of sizing was also really poor and the sizing was weird. One thing I tried on was tight in the forearms and I'm not exactly Popeye... WTF. The store (Market Mall) was also a bit of a Walmart-like mess, IMO.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by Wentworth

I'm referring more to the construction and quality rather than the style.

Also, the selection of sizing was also really poor and the sizing was weird. One thing I tried on was tight in the forearms and I'm not exactly Popeye... WTF. The store (Market Mall) was also a bit of a Walmart-like mess, IMO.

you're not a waify hipster boy is probably the issue

[kw5150]

Originally Posted by Doug

Kalispell - combine it with a skiing, golfing, hiking or cycling trip. There is a huge power center just north of town on the highway from Whitefish:
CostCo
WalMart
Home Depot
Lowes
Target
Sportsman
Best Buy
Vann's
Borders
Bed Bath and Beyond


US CostCo has so much more stuff than the ones in Canada. I also have friends who orders stuff online in the US and have it shipped to the hotel they will be staying at in Whitefish. The wine and beer selection at most US CostCos puts any liquor store in Canada to shame for selection at prices 25-50% less. You can't buy hard liquor from retail stores in most of the Pacific Northwest of Mountain States.

Montana has no sales tax.

Missoula is about 2 hours further than Kalispell and has a bit better selection. Great Falls is about the same distance from Calgary as Kallispell, but the selection isn't much better, but more importantly, there isn't much else to mix in with a shopping trip.

To really get good selection, you have drive to Spokane. I've had friends visit me in Seattle from Canada spending over $10K in single shopping trips because the deals are so good and it is so easy to get things over the border over and above the $700 limit.

Well, there goes the "shop canadian campaign" I guess one good thing is that canadians can afford to spend money on other things once they save all of the money on the US goods.

We need some REAL deals in Canada. Its so wierd how things always work in the favour of the USA. Our dollar is over par, things should be going down in price IN CANADA.....and now we cross the border and screw ourselves out of purchasing power......

oh well, I guess I dont really mind pumping some money into our freindly neighbors economy...... just not too much! I still like shopping locally. There are deals to be found in Calgary too!

[SpongeG]

H&M sizes are really bad - i find most XL fit like an M anywhere else and than the socks are just whacked - they say 9-11 but the heel is like up past my ankle

maybe i am used to the generous sizes of gap and old navy