North America's "most unique" Costco opens in Vancouver

[He11razor]

Costco opens Yaletown warehouse store
Official calls new store 'most unique'

Vancouver's downtown dwellers will no longer have to trek out to the 'burbs for their big box shopping with the opening today of Costco's first warehouse in a core urban residential area.

"It is the most unique Costco in the world," said Robin Ross, Costco's regional marketing manager for Western Canada.

Ross said while San Francisco has a Costco downtown, this is the first project of its kind where the warehouse has been built as part of a residential and commercial project in the heart of the city.

Part of Concord Pacific Group's Spectrum project, the new Costco warehouse on Expo Boulevard anchors a residential development of four highrises being built on the edge of Yaletown.

Outside, the 127,000-square-foot retail outlet won't much resemble its suburban siblings that come in on average at a heftier 140,000 square feet. Instead of being surrounded by asphalt, the store has two floors of underground parking.

Inside shoppers will still recognize the familiar towering Costco shelves of merchandise -- complete with cases of soup, a selection of cereals in sizes geared for the average fraternity and bread by the loaf or by the dozen.

But in a twist that caters to downtown demographics, the new store will add a selection of products Costco shoppers won't find in the suburban warehouses.

"In terms of merchandising it is going to be pretty different from what you would find in another Costco," said Ron Damiani, Costco's assistant vice-president of corporate communications. "It is going to tend to be higher end and recognize that a lot of people in the downtown core are condo dwellers."

The regular food offerings will be augmented with an expanded deli selection of "home ready meals" or HRM's -- the grocery buzzword describing the shopping needs of multi-tasking downtown families and singles.

The cheese selection has been expanded to bring in products that might appeal to shoppers who aren't just looking for cheese to slap on a school sandwich.

In clothing, a popular area for Costco shoppers, the brands will include such upscale names as Louis Vuitton, Ross said.

"This is a place where you can buy tires and a two carat diamond ring for $19,699," he said.

Ross said the decision to open a store in the downtown core was made to meet the demands of "one of the most densely populated areas in North America.

"I think sometimes there is a misconception that Costco is always about bulk food products," he said. "Coming into a Costco, the first thing you hit is major appliances and electronics, plasma TVs, iPods and high end electronics.

"I think that fits very well into the downtown market."

Ross said the store won't just attract downtown dwellers, but he said the retailer realized many of those in the densely populated core wouldn't bother heading far from home to find a Costco warehouse.

"What is unique about the marketplace are the travel patterns," he said. "People who live downtown don't really leave downtown to shop."

This new Costco is nestled right besides GM Place (where the Canucks play) and the Stadium Skytrain station. Very high traffic area. Can't wait to check it out.

[fflint]

Is this a press release from Costco?

[Taller Better]

This is it? A big box store opens downtown?

[waterloowarrior]

any pics?

[vanman]

Originally Posted by Taller Better

This is it? A big box store opens downtown?

What makes it so unique is that it there are two levels of underground parking below, and 4 residential towers(with townhouses at the base) with 900 units above.All sandwiched between two viaducts. It is a feat of engineering

http://www.myspectrum.ca/index.html

Here are the condos at viaduct level:


A very recent construction pic of the Spectrum Condos


Here is a good perspective: The Costco's main entrance is below the viaducts next to the stadiums


Here is a small pic of the Costco entrance

[Crawford]

Excellent news, but it isn't really unique.

There's a multilevel Costco in Brooklyn (been there for years) and there are announced multilevel Costos in Queens and the Bronx, both at the base of mixed-use complexes. The Queens location will have an apartment building directly above the retail. Costco is also searching in Manhattan but keeps getting outbid for space. It just got outbid by Target at the new East River Plaza development.

[WonderlandPark]

Out of curiosity, why are the names of the condo towers crossed out?

[vanman]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Excellent news, but it isn't really unique.

There's a multilevel Costco in Brooklyn (been there for years) and there are announced multilevel Costos in Queens and the Bronx, both at the base of mixed-use complexes. The Queens location will have an apartment building directly above the retail. Costco is also searching in Manhattan but keeps getting outbid for space. It just got outbid by Target at the new East River Plaza development.

There are 900 units of housing in 4 towers directly on top, not beside or near

[vanman]

Originally Posted by WonderlandPark

Out of curiosity, why are the names of the condo towers crossed out?

I don't know, I didn't alter the pic

[He11razor]

Sorry guys.. I got this from the Vancouver Sun.. I forgot to include the original URL:

News Article

The Sun expires their articles after some time.

Here's another article. "Downtown Costco an instant hit".

[Coldrsx]

lineups were insane when i drove by last weekend...personally i love how they incorporated it into spectrum.

This is urban big box done RIGHT!

[Hot Rod]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

lineups were insane when i drove by last weekend...personally i love how they incorporated it into spectrum.

This is urban big box done RIGHT!

Definitely good news!

[Robynobotica]

It doesn't seem that unique when you read it here, but when you pass it by on the road, it really does seem to be a bizarre spot to find a Costco. It almost appears as if they've shoved it underneath GM Place.

[SSLL]

Good idea.

[miketoronto]

Not to rain on the parade, but I can't say this is that great.

Its just one more step of turning downtown into the suburbs.

Why go to COSTCO for cheese, when downtowns are suppose to have market areas full of different cheese vendors who actually know about that stuff?

Why go to COSTCO for a ring, when downtown is suppose to have tons of unique jewelry stores?

I don't know. Places like this will just eat away at the stuff that actually makes downtown a unique place.

[plinko]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Not to rain on the parade, but I can't say this is that great.

Its just one more step of turning downtown into the suburbs.

Why go to COSTCO for cheese, when downtowns are suppose to have market areas full of different cheese vendors who actually know about that stuff?

Why go to COSTCO for a ring, when downtown is suppose to have tons of unique jewelry stores?

I don't know. Places like this will just eat away at the stuff that actually makes downtown a unique place.

Wow, you completely advocate having huge department stores downtown (and loathe their passing in any city)...and yet cry out against this...

Please...enlighten us how this is less good than say...a Macy's (or whatever your favorite Federated store is) at this location?

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The aerial photo is most telling. The ground floor on three sides is up against structures that are not conducive to small shop retail (2 viaducts and the arena ass-end). The 4th side appears to be on a sizeable artery, which might also somewhat preclude good leasable small retail. It looks like a really good spot to put something like this.

For my own reference, where's the Costco in DT San Francisco? I don't think I've ever seen it...

[fflint]

Plinko, it's not really downtown, it's at 11th and Harrison Streets, South of Market district, and it's a basic Costco in every way except that it is built on top of parking. I shop there all the time. Sorry, miketoronto--I'm not going to pay ten times as much for inferior quality product from some attitudinous shopkeeper. All the same, I don't find Costcos particularly "unique."

[hkskyline]

Do condominium residents have room to stack the large-size bulk items that Costco sells?

[plinko]

Originally Posted by fflint

Plinko, it's not really downtown, it's at 11th and Harrison Streets, South of Market district, and it's a basic Costco in every way except that it is built on top of parking. I shop there all the time. Sorry, miketoronto--I'm not going to pay ten times as much for inferior quality product from some attitudinous shopkeeper. All the same, I don't find Costcos particularly "unique."

Ah...not far from the 101. Does it have anything on top of it?

I don't find Costco unique either...I just advocate that this particular location is an excellent use of an existing uninviting streetscape that would otherwise be vastly underutilized (and unleaseable I might add).

Fflinty, just remember every time you go there (you suburban minded heathen you!)...you could be driving to Natomas!!!

[Black Box]

Another Costco?