[twoNeurons]

Does anyone know any unique paper product places?

I'm looking for some nice cards that aren't Hallmark and since this thread is all about Retail, I figured it would be good to post in here.

:D

[twoNeurons]

Some Aberdeen centre news. Looks like they are lowering lease rates ~5% on renewals, so don't expect them to expand anytime soon. :tup:
As a positive they are expecting most leasees to renew though. Also looks like they have two suitors for the old Starbucks space, one of them is Blenz the other is a Japanese chain that would be a new entrant to N.A. No idea what that chain is though.

I think 551 Horai would do REALLY well here. But I don't think they're looking to expand. It's a Kansai only chain now.

They have the BEST BBQ Pork buns I've ever tasted. Unlike many of the bbq pork buns I taste here, their bun part actually has flavor to it. A subtle sweetness that plays off the meaty inside.

My mouth is salivating just thinking about it.

[SpongeG]

Does anyone know any unique paper product places?

I'm looking for some nice cards that aren't Hallmark and since this thread is all about Retail, I figured it would be good to post in here.

:D

chapters/indigo some of them have pistachio (http://www.epistachio.com/)inside them now - a new venture from the people behind chapters- they have stand alone stores in Ontario - none here yet though

there is a nice little place next to the book warehouse on west 4th - some cool japanese stuff - book warehouse itself has some good cards and such

theres that paper place on granville island - its in the building where the bookstore is... if you know granville island - its south of the main market building - i think its called the lofts?

[SpongeG]

Some Aberdeen centre news. Looks like they are lowering lease rates ~5% on renewals, so don't expect them to expand anytime soon. :tup:
As a positive they are expecting most leasees to renew though. Also looks like they have two suitors for the old Starbucks space, one of them is Blenz the other is a Japanese chain that would be a new entrant to N.A. No idea what that chain is though.

is it a food chain? or maybe a muji :slob: :worship:

[quobobo]

is it a food chain? or maybe a muji :slob: :worship:

Muji would probably require a bigger space than a Starbucks (even the small ones) and they've already opened a New York store.

[jlousa]

I don't know what chain it is, I'm sure we'll only find out if they sign. Sorry, fairchild is pretty secretive. ;)

[SpongeG]

Muji would probably require a bigger space than a Starbucks (even the small ones) and they've already opened a New York store.

jow about uniqlo - they opened in new york too

http://www.uniqlo.com/us/

[quobobo]

jow about uniqlo - they opened in new york too

http://www.uniqlo.com/us/

Same deal - jlousa said the chain is a new entrant to North America so Uniqlo is out, and the location seems way too small. Sad, because I'd kill for a Uniqlo store here (I'd settle for their Japanese online store shipping worldwide though).

[mezzanine]

Uniqlo would be great, but agreed the old starbucks is too small. I would want them to open in DT first, also. It would be an absolute magnet.

Is the Muji store the one combined with the MoMA shop in SoHo? I'm unsure if shopping patterns in Rcmd would support a Muji. As well, being across the way from Daiso would put a lot of pressure on Muji's sales on similar items.

I hope that the mystery japanese chain will open in the spot - even beard papa moving to street level would make me happy....:yes:

[mezzanine]

Does anyone know any unique paper product places?

I'm looking for some nice cards that aren't Hallmark and since this thread is all about Retail, I figured it would be good to post in here.

:D

Tough question - depends on what I would be looking for wrt types of cards. A safe place to start IMO is the vancouver art galley, lots of blank cards with great art. There are also a few shops in Net Loft on Granville isalnd you can go to. ps - oops! spongeg posted first about net loft...

[officedweller]

Follow-up on the Robson strip redevelopment:

Rent-doubling landlords kill popular cafe
Café S'il Vous Plait to close doors this Sunday

Cheryl Rossi
Vancouver Courier


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/157ccc88-d038-4a4c-b40b-818d8519d682/newssil-vous-plait.jpg?size=l

CREDIT: Dan Toulgoet
Cafe Sil Vous: Cafe S'il Vous Plait proprietor Raymond Kim says a rent increase has forced him out of business.

A little restaurant known for its abundance of plants in the windows will close its doors Sunday after 23 years in business at the corner of Richards and Robson.

New landlords bought the building last year, and Caf? S'il Vous Plait proprietor Raymond Kim can't afford their request to more than double the rent.

"Our income, 20 per cent every year slow down," Kim said May 21 in choppy English. "This double price they want, then no business."

When Kim took over the three-year-old restaurant in 1989, the property dominated by the curving central branch of the library was vacant, a gas station was situated on Robson Street and Richards Street was checkered with parking lots. Emily Carr students filled Caf? S'il Vous Plait's narrow booths for the first eight years. Kim, an immigrant from Seoul, South Korea, let them sell their works there.

Bob Middleton, a geophysicist who used to work up the street, ate lunch at Cafe S'il Vous Plait every day from 1990 to 1998. Few other dining spots operated nearby and customers came for the artsy vibe, vegetarian options and proximity to theatres. Last Thursday, Middleton, who was visiting Vancouver after having moved away, downed a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie before his companion arrived for dinner.

Kim says his customer base shifted by 1997 to lawyers and court and construction workers who came for the restaurant's inexpensive and hearty bowls of soup, salad and cornbread, gigantic rice crispy squares and revered macaroni and cheese.

Pat Finch, a customer for more than 10 years, polished off a portion of shepherd's pie last Thursday. He likes how Kim always remembers him and appreciates the relatively quiet atmosphere. "They have peanut butter and banana sandwiches that are to die for," he said.

Sara McLaren contacted the Courier about the impending closure because she's sad to see the "charming" old caf? with the kind owner disappear.

She's worried its loss will lead to "another condo development or another Starbucks or a Cactus Club."

Tony Kim, Kim's nephew who translated for his uncle to the Courier, said one woman in her 80s comes by a few times a week for coffee and soup. Kim charges her the "old prices."

But business in the diner-style caf?, which features stools lining a long counter and pies displayed in a wall-mounted case, has slowed.

Pie and coffee sales have sagged since the Starbucks opened across Richards, and Kim sees regular customers dining on soup and sandwiches at the outdoor tables of the IGA Marketplace kitty-corner to Caf? S'il Vous Plait. He started opening Sundays a year ago to pull in extra cash. Besides Kim and his wife, the restaurant only has two staff.

When his previous landlord told Kim last year his new landlords wouldn't extend his lease, he wanted to carry on. When his lease expired at the end of September, the new landlords and management, Deecorp and E.R. Properties Ltd., offered him a month-to-month lease.

Then, he says, they increased his rent, starting Jan. 1, from $3,005 a month to $3,841.

Late March, according to Kim, the owners said they wanted to double his new rental rate, which Kim told them he couldn't afford. They asked if they could place a sign advertising that they wanted to lease space at his restaurant and he said yes.

In April, workers came, hacked into his green awning and placed their billboard above his door.

"It's my face," he complained.

Kim asked if it could be moved to the side and the company refused. That's when Kim, 64, officially threw in the towel. He said E.R. Properties later offered to continue his tenancy at the original 2009 rental rate, but he refused.

He posted a sign announcing his impending closure in his window May 14. Five days later, two crying customers presented Kim with a card. A week later, six patrons had snapped photos of the caf?'s interior.

Kim, who has only taken two days off in 20 years--for each day his two daughters got married--says he and his wife will use their spare time to volunteer cooking and serving food to needy people at the Korean Catholic church just off Main Street. They'll spend more time with their three grandsons.

He would love to serve his longtime customers a free coffee or soup before he shuts his doors, and he doesn't want anyone to harbour a grudge against Deecorp or E. R. Properties. Speaking through his nephew, the corner's longtime purveyor of soup and pie said he only wants a happy ending.

Deecorp did not return the Courier's calls.

crossi@vancourier.com

© Vancouver Courier 2009

[twoNeurons]

Tough question - depends on what I would be looking for wrt types of cards. A safe place to start IMO is the vancouver art galley, lots of blank cards with great art. There are also a few shops in Net Loft on Granville isalnd you can go to. ps - oops! spongeg posted first about net loft...

Yeah, I'm actually looking for something with a "Japanese" touch, and by that I don't mean temples and origami, but along the lines of high quality paper, no cheesy poem, and maybe hand-made.

I'll try those two places. Thanks SpongeG and mezzanine.

I was thinking of making something myself too... we'll see.

I remember a long time ago there was a store in Gastown in the narrow corner of the "flatiron-like" building, but I'm not sure if it's there now.

[twoNeurons]

Follow-up on the Robson strip redevelopment:

That's too bad for the café. On the bright side, I think the guy deserves a vacation. 20 years and only two days off?

[SpongeG]

Uniqlo would be great, but agreed the old starbucks is too small. I would want them to open in DT first, also. It would be an absolute magnet.

Is the Muji store the one combined with the MoMA shop in SoHo? I'm unsure if shopping patterns in Rcmd would support a Muji. As well, being across the way from Daiso would put a lot of pressure on Muji's sales on similar items.

I hope that the mystery japanese chain will open in the spot - even beard papa moving to street level would make me happy....:yes:

muji sells clothes and furniture too though - some of the london shops are fairly small - they have a variety of sizes flagship large to teeny weeny

cute stuff in all - even selfridges dept store had a muji section inside it

anyway one can dream :slob:

[Login650]

Yeah, I'm actually looking for something with a "Japanese" touch, and by that I don't mean temples and origami, but along the lines of high quality paper, no cheesy poem, and maybe hand-made.



You'd love http://www.etsy.com it's all handmade stuff, tons of cards - you can do a search for local sellers too and find out if they sell in any stores around here. [hope this isn't considered a spammy reply!]

[SpongeG]

i <3 Etsy

[jlousa]

I beleive the place you are talking about in Gastown is Kims Prints, they are still there and are great, can't speak to their card selection though as I've never looked.

[hollywoodnorth]

meh Cafe S'il Vous Plait is a non-story. He could EASILY have moved EAST down Robson.....or to Crosstown. For what he is paying he could find a suitable space I'm sure of it and grown his business even.

[SpongeG]

the newest and second location for Calvin Klein underwear - south granville just south of 12th

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/may%20skytrain/DSC03244.jpg

[EastVanMark]

Follow-up on the Robson strip redevelopment:

And the sun sets on yet another small business in the downtown core to make way for yet another condo/Starbucks generic development. For shame!

[teriyaki]

Maybe someone already posted this but a Blenz is going up in Richmond Centre where Claires? used to be outside the Bay. So now we have all 3 establishments, Starbucks/Timmy Ho's/and Blenz in one mall now finally.

[SpongeG]

fancy schmancy

[raggedy13]

It appears that Japadog has a third location now which I was previously unaware of... at the Coal Harbour Community Centre:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3370/3575463276_c296298665.jpg?v=0 http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3387/3574601313_36ef59e820.jpg?v=0
pics by me

[ravman]

they were also by the Sutton place hotel... i had a business meeting near there recently and saw them on the street there

[raggedy13]

^Yes, that's their usual haunt, or at least has been for a few years. I went by there today and things were booming. Large crowd:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/3575456908_900e3b2ab2_b.jpg
pic by me

[SpongeG]

japadog offers franchises - you can get the info on their web site

[LotusLand]

Maybe someone already posted this but a Blenz is going up in Richmond Centre where Claires? used to be outside the Bay. So now we have all 3 establishments, Starbucks/Timmy Ho's/and Blenz in one mall now finally.

I believe second cup used to be there. Good riddance because Second Cup is not my cup of tea. Now I can enjoy a nice matcha latte while perusing thru the mall oogling Asian chicks :cheers:

[teriyaki]

I believe second cup used to be there. Good riddance because Second Cup is not my cup of tea. Now I can enjoy a nice matcha latte while perusing thru the mall oogling Asian chicks :cheers:

There was a second cup there? That means there were 2 second cups in RC?

I only remember the Second Cup beside the Cathay Pacific plaything area, near the Shoppers Drug Mart entrance. No comment on oogling part:haha:

[LotusLand]

There was a second cup there? That means there were 2 second cups in RC?

I only remember the Second Cup beside the Cathay Pacific plaything area, near the Shoppers Drug Mart entrance. No comment on oogling part:haha:

I confirmed it was a Second Cup location in RC. There is only one in RC and that is now Blenz. As for oogling no need to comment, don't worry we all do it. :tup:

[SpongeG]

finally save on foods is looking to close to opening - they have had it on the banner for months and months

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/van%20grave%202009/DSC03249.jpg

[ravman]

finally save on foods is looking to close to opening - they have had it on the banner for months and months

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/van%20grave%202009/DSC03249.jpg

rumor has it it will be August or Sept

[hollywoodnorth]

wow Save-On at looooooooooong last. So what was the hold up there? Issues with the Safeway covenant on the site? jlousa can you offer some info on this now that its actually happening?

[vanlaw]

:previous:

Not sure what current delays are due to, but have always heard that there were design problems with the space. Also heard that Boston Pizza and Starbucks were possibilites to open there as well, but are not going to.

[jlousa]

Starbucks is not opening any new locations at this time, they have pulled out of another development as well.

The Safeway covenant provided some delays, but that was resolved a while back, another issue is the space was created generically and not to Save-Ons likings, I beleive the biggest issue was the developer had an elevator installed and Save-On wanted those shoppingcart escalators. That involved a lot of rework and apparently some very unhappy residents.

[officedweller]

Surprised that the complex had a retail floorplate large enough for a supermarket where the space was not planned for one. Is the space on one level or is it staggerred across spaces with a few steps difference in elevation?

[officedweller]

The passage between Pacific Centre and Vancouver Centre - next to the former Fairweather - has been sealed off and closed. Signs indicate access through The Bay (until the Canada Line connection opens up).

[SpongeG]

i didn't know there was a walmart coming to pitt meadows

Downtown Maple Ridge for smaller merchants

Re: They’re calling for Albion mall (The News, May 29).

To all the NIMBYS regarding shopping in the Albion flats, first, Wal-Mart is building and already started in Pitt Meadows.

Maple Ridge lost that one, and will not be a part of Albion. But there are many other things that can go there. Get your head out of the sand and pay attention to what is happening around you, and quit fear mongering. You are the same ones who are adamant Hydro is for sale as much as you are told different.

Secondly, to put a large shopping center downtown is a waste of good space. Take note of the emergence of the Spirit Square and its mandate to make walking around the core more pleasurable. Again, be alert to what is happening, as this should be something you support, not want to hinder.

The present, smaller merchants should be left alone in the heart of downtown, and they will do just fine without big store interference.

Thirdly, why don’t you try to work with dreamers and make everybody happy rather than sitting about throwing out inane statements? Your input and support is, and could be, much more valuable.

Lorne Riding

Maple Ridge


http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/46751957.html

[SpongeG]

i was just reading the DTZ report and found this info

the old flag shop on west 4th will become a 10,000 sq ft Billabong store and further down that street 20,000 sq ft has been leased by williams-sonoma to open West Elm (http://www.westelm.com)!!!!!

woot!! finally yay no more trips to portland to go there

[metroXpress]

I think the Billabong store on 4th opened a couple weeks ago....

West Elm coming in? NICE!!

[jlousa]

From this weeks BIV

Celebrity chef finds downtown Vancouver gig Food Channel celebrity
chef Anthony Sedlak will perform executive chef duties at the Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe, which friends Andre McGillivray and Steve Da Cruz plan to open in July at the corner of Thurlow and Smithe streets.

The location was known for decades as Piccolo Mondo before Stephane Meyer and wife Nathalie bought the restaurant and rechristened it Saveur in the fall of 2004. "It fell under the radar and was overlooked,” McGillivray told Business in Vancouver. He previously co-owned Cordova Street’s Boneta. McGillivray is excited about his new location, where he plans to make modest
renovations before launching a French-styled bistro. The site is two doors down from one of Metro Vancouver’s four popular Guu Japanese tapas bars.
Nearby high-end restaurateurs have demonstrated staying power. Emile Jung’s Le Crocodile on Smithe Street has lasted more than 25 years, and Franco Felice’s Il Nido Restaurant, one block north in the Manhattan apartments courtyard on Robson Street, opened 21 years ago. What’s the secret to longevity? “Don’t be greedy,” Felice revealed while sitting at a corner table inside his packed restaurant. “There are some people who are in this business to make money and others because it’s more of a hobby.” Felice considers himself as being in the latter category. He personally welcomes guests and often helps out with the cooking.

[SpongeG]

I think the Billabong store on 4th opened a couple weeks ago....

West Elm coming in? NICE!!

yes i was just thinking that - i remember seeing that billabong store already

i guess wet elm is going in at the base of that new condo?

cool area for it sort of fits what they do sort of out of the way yet in an up and coming area

[officedweller]

West Elm has more modern furniture than Crate & Barrel.

[SpongeG]

yes - i love their stuff - a little bit IKEA like but nice stuff

[SpongeG]

looks like Staples is opening up on grandview highway in the old Outdoor depot space - seems like a smaller than typical location for them...

and the old coast mountain sports on west 4th is being divided into a couple spots and something is going in one of them

[officedweller]

Walked past the Sephora store the other day - a horizontal new steel (and presumably glass) canopy is being erected (not like the steel and red fabric Shoppers one) - I figure it may look similar to the Holt Renfrew one. The Cadillac Fairview newsletter says it opens on July 10th.

*********

The trademark infringing For Lease sign at the S'il Vous Plait location has been replaced with a standard CBRE For Lease sign. Maybe renovation plans have been put on hold. Another restaurant is opening in the Kishu River location (Vietnamese?) in that building.

[djh]

The trademark infringing For Lease sign at the S'il Vous Plait location has been replaced with a standard CBRE For Lease sign. Maybe renovation plans have been put on hold. Another restaurant is opening in the Kishu River location (Vietnamese?) in that building.

Maybe the whole thing was a ruse to force the low-rent tenants to move out. Here's the scenario: S'il Vous Plait is a one-man business and he's been there years, so his rent is probably below market rate. I'm sure the same applies to most of the others. So the only way to force their hands is to tell them the whole block is being reno'd. They make arrangements to move out, then the landlord can re-lease the block at Robson Street rates, and "oops, in this economy, we can't afford the renos, and somebody else has mad us a lease offer we couldn't refuse"...fishy

[ravman]

looks like Staples is opening up on grandview highway in the old Outdoor depot space - seems like a smaller than typical location for them...

and the old coast mountain sports on west 4th is being divided into a couple spots and something is going in one of them

Really next to the brick and united furniture? I drove by today...didnt see anything

also do they not have a location few km away by Brentwood?

[SpongeG]

Really next to the brick and united furniture? I drove by today...didnt see anything

also do they not have a location few km away by Brentwood?

no next to tisol and x cargo - where outdoor depot used to be - there is a sign that says Staples Coming soon or opening soon or something - no sign of work on the store space however - the sign was not there last weekend but was there on thursday when i drove past

Tim Hortons has opened in Silohuette on north road and shoppers is probably open today - save on looks like it could open in a week or two soon anyway - an dthe TD looks to be open - but only the north road side is ready and accessible - the other parts looks under construction still

[SpongeG]

some pics

where the staples will be
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/june%206%202009/DSC03504.jpg

the new IGA on west 4th is now open
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/june%206%202009/DSC03607.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/june%206%202009/DSC03609.jpg

[ravman]

some pics

where the staples will be
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/june%206%202009/DSC03504.jpg


yeah i saw that.... werid location

[hollywoodnorth]

yeah i saw that.... werid location

not really. that stretch of Grandview hwy has turned into the "power strip" (I made that term up just now....sort of from the power center term) of Vancouver. With the Can Tire, Walmart Supercenter, Petsmart, Tisol, Staples, Pricesmart, Real Canadian Superstore, Revy, Brick, etc. it really has it all.

And there is lots of potential and room for more with Skytrain right there and the good road connections. I'm interested to see how the Real Canadian Superstore location plays out for Redevelopment. I know it was purchased a while back and has lots of dev potential from a zoning standpoint.

[SpongeG]

i noticed tonight that Save-on-foods is opening up in new westminster in that mall place on 6th ave near 5th - where the london drugs moved into - i think its going into the old theatre space

also went to the new tim hortons on north road - its on street level but on parkade level too and one level below the save on foods - anyway there are huge windows inside the place that look out into the parking garage - never seen that before - kinda neat though - i guess people can watch their cars - there is also a direct entrance from the parkade...

[Spork]

i noticed tonight that Save-on-foods is opening up in new westminster in that mall place on 6th ave near 5th - where the london drugs moved into - i think its going into the old theatre space


Oh thank god! I am losing like $500 each week going into IGA! The place is ridiculous! How far along does it look?

[SpongeG]

it klooked bright when i passed and it said opening soon i expect within a month or two

[ravman]

it klooked bright when i passed and it said opening soon i expect within a month or two

maybe they want to open 2 stores at once ( i think this ) OR they will open the one and then open the other... this and king ed

I know nesters is opening up 2 stores at SFU and they are using the same pple for both locations.... i heard some pple bitching that they are going to delay the opening of one nesters just so they can open 2 or something...

nesters and SaveON are kinda the same company so maybe

[SpongeG]

Oh thank god! I am losing like $500 each week going into IGA! The place is ridiculous! How far along does it look?

its not too near the IGA though - that quay area only really has the IGA still to choose from - uptown will have two choices at least - safeway or save-on

[Spork]

its not too near the IGA though - that quay area only really has the IGA still to choose from - uptown will have two choices at least - safeway or save-on

I'm willing to bus up there, but not for Safeway. They are still quite expensive (while less-so than IGA).

[SpongeG]

Maybe the whole thing was a ruse to force the low-rent tenants to move out. Here's the scenario: S'il Vous Plait is a one-man business and he's been there years, so his rent is probably below market rate. I'm sure the same applies to most of the others. So the only way to force their hands is to tell them the whole block is being reno'd. They make arrangements to move out, then the landlord can re-lease the block at Robson Street rates, and "oops, in this economy, we can't afford the renos, and somebody else has mad us a lease offer we couldn't refuse"...fishy

here is an article

Rent-doubling landlords kill popular cafe

Café S'il Vous Plait to close doors this Sunday

Published: Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A little restaurant known for its abundance of plants in the windows will close its doors Sunday after 23 years in business at the corner of Richards and Robson.

New landlords bought the building last year, and Caf? S'il Vous Plait proprietor Raymond Kim can't afford their request to more than double the rent.

"Our income, 20 per cent every year slow down," Kim said May 21 in choppy English. "This double price they want, then no business."

When Kim took over the three-year-old restaurant in 1989, the property dominated by the curving central branch of the library was vacant, a gas station was situated on Robson Street and Richards Street was checkered with parking lots. Emily Carr students filled Caf? S'il Vous Plait's narrow booths for the first eight years. Kim, an immigrant from Seoul, South Korea, let them sell their works there.

Bob Middleton, a geophysicist who used to work up the street, ate lunch at Cafe S'il Vous Plait every day from 1990 to 1998. Few other dining spots operated nearby and customers came for the artsy vibe, vegetarian options and proximity to theatres. Last Thursday, Middleton, who was visiting Vancouver after having moved away, downed a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie before his companion arrived for dinner.

Kim says his customer base shifted by 1997 to lawyers and court and construction workers who came for the restaurant's inexpensive and hearty bowls of soup, salad and cornbread, gigantic rice crispy squares and revered macaroni and cheese.

Pat Finch, a customer for more than 10 years, polished off a portion of shepherd's pie last Thursday. He likes how Kim always remembers him and appreciates the relatively quiet atmosphere. "They have peanut butter and banana sandwiches that are to die for," he said.

Sara McLaren contacted the Courier about the impending closure because she's sad to see the "charming" old caf? with the kind owner disappear.

She's worried its loss will lead to "another condo development or another Starbucks or a Cactus Club."

Tony Kim, Kim's nephew who translated for his uncle to the Courier, said one woman in her 80s comes by a few times a week for coffee and soup. Kim charges her the "old prices."

But business in the diner-style caf?, which features stools lining a long counter and pies displayed in a wall-mounted case, has slowed.

Pie and coffee sales have sagged since the Starbucks opened across Richards, and Kim sees regular customers dining on soup and sandwiches at the outdoor tables of the IGA Marketplace kitty-corner to Caf? S'il Vous Plait. He started opening Sundays a year ago to pull in extra cash. Besides Kim and his wife, the restaurant only has two staff.

When his previous landlord told Kim last year his new landlords wouldn't extend his lease, he wanted to carry on. When his lease expired at the end of September, the new landlords and management, Deecorp and E.R. Properties Ltd., offered him a month-to-month lease.

Then, he says, they increased his rent, starting Jan. 1, from $3,005 a month to $3,841.

Late March, according to Kim, the owners said they wanted to double his new rental rate, which Kim told them he couldn't afford. They asked if they could place a sign advertising that they wanted to lease space at his restaurant and he said yes.

In April, workers came, hacked into his green awning and placed their billboard above his door.

"It's my face," he complained.

Kim asked if it could be moved to the side and the company refused. That's when Kim, 64, officially threw in the towel. He said E.R. Properties later offered to continue his tenancy at the original 2009 rental rate, but he refused.

He posted a sign announcing his impending closure in his window May 14. Five days later, two crying customers presented Kim with a card. A week later, six patrons had snapped photos of the caf?'s interior.

Kim, who has only taken two days off in 20 years--for each day his two daughters got married--says he and his wife will use their spare time to volunteer cooking and serving food to needy people at the Korean Catholic church just off Main Street. They'll spend more time with their three grandsons.

He would love to serve his longtime customers a free coffee or soup before he shuts his doors, and he doesn't want anyone to harbour a grudge against Deecorp or E. R. Properties. Speaking through his nephew, the corner's longtime purveyor of soup and pie said he only wants a happy ending.

Deecorp did not return the Courier's calls.

crossi@vancourier.com

http://www2.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=9000c676-c3c4-4181-a1f9-dcbcf19dd8ee&p=2

[SpongeG]

Retail consultant says Vancouver stores in jeopardy

Dramatic storefront changes are coming to Vancouver, according to retail consultant David Ian Gray. A faltering economy, the Olympics, a standoff with rent-ambitious landlords, and increased multinational competition mean the city will see many indie and marginal businesses close over the next two years, according to Gray.

“You could get away with being mediocre in a robust economy,” Gray told the Straight, noting that retail profit margins tend to be in the single digits. Gray owns the Gastown-based DIG360 Consulting. “Now, with more and more competition coming in, it’s going to wipe out a lot of small retail. It’s Darwinian, and people lament it. But consumers always have a choice.”

Gray predicts that the trendy part of Main Street between Broadway and 33rd Avenue could be particularly hard hit, as job losses scare shoppers away. Stores outside the area where Olympic tourists will congregate, Gray said, should anticipate business losses during the games. Landlords are still charging rents that reflect a booming, rather than a withering economy, he noted.

While independent stores can mitigate some of these circumstances by adapting to the times, Gray said, construction can kill a company, as was demonstrated on Cambie Street. According to the City of Vancouver’s on-line roadwork map, major construction projects are taking place or coming up near retail hubs along Hastings, King Edward, and Balaclava streets.

In addition, there’s a small business “time bomb” that’s about to explode in Vancouver, according to Mark Wardell, CEO of Wardell Professional Development. Most indie businesses are owned by baby boomers, he told the Straight. Due to the economy, many of them have been delaying retirement, he said. But at some point, all of them will have to divest their businesses. Those who have not set up their stores to succeed without them—which he said represents many business owners—will likely fail.

“It has to happen at some point,” Wardell said, predicting a mass turnover of business within the next five to 10 years. “They only have three choices. They can sell, pass it on, or close the doors.”

Because so many are unprepared to leave their companies, Wardell predicts many Vancouver businesses will simply shut down.

http://www.straight.com/article-227899/consultant-says-stores-jeopardy

the comments:

ml johnstone
Thu, 2009-06-04 16:52
Rating: +1
5 votes

Make the city almost carfree and small businesses will thrive. The mall mentality will fade away.
Agree Disagree

the kgv
Fri, 2009-06-05 09:46
Rating: +2
2 votes

to ml johnstone:
if you make the city almost car free without a suitable/convenient replacement mode of transportation, then most people will almost always drive out of the city to shop, and small shops will fade away and die.
Agree Disagree

http://www.straight.com/article-227899/consultant-says-stores-jeopardy

[SpongeG]

The last stand of old Robson

By john mackie, VANCOUVER SUNJune 5, 2009

With its vintage booths, vintage stools and vintage menu, Cafe S'il Vous Plait was a throwback to another era, a 1940s diner amidst the hustle and bustle of ultra-modern Robson Street.

That era just came to an end. On May 31, the restaurant closed, unable to make ends meet after its rent was doubled to $7,800 per month.

Its building may not be around much longer, either. An artist's conception for a new retail complex at 500 Robson has gone up on Cafe S'il Vous Plait's awning featuring a Nike outlet, the American gourmet food store Dean & Deluca and something called Bahay-Izakaya (Izakaya is a type of Japanese bar).

The new retail complex looks very modern, but generic - big windows, white facade, glass canopy. It's a far cry from the existing building, which is one of Vancouver's last art deco retail fronts, and one of Robson's last outposts of small independent retailers.

The building is looking a little rough, with peeling paint and awnings covered in grime. But it retains its original black subway tiles and deco lines, and is a wonderful jumble of loud paint colours - yellow, green, orange, maroon.

The wild colours reflect the wide variety of businesses within. Cafe S'il Vous Plait was on the corner at 500 Robson. Next door is Falafel Maison, then a vacant space that used to be Shoe Renu, who moved out last month. Robson Flowers, Waverly Barbers and Stylists, Vietsub Vietnamese Cuisine and Storm Salon complete the block.

The smaller stores occupy 400-square-feet spaces. Falafel Maison pays $5,000 per month on a month-to-month lease, double what it paid to the previous owner of the property, Mary Siebold.

Siebold sold the building and a lot next door to East Robson Holdings in March 2008 for $6,515,000. A spokesman for East Robson was unavailable for comment, but the high price the company paid for the property may mean the site will eventually be razed for a condo development. The six lots behind 500 Robson are a parking lot, with five of the six lots owned by Paul Y Construction, a Hong Kong company.

If the building does get torn down, or is renovated into something contemporary, Hassan Alawie of Falafel Maison said downtown will lose part of its personality.

"If you walk down Robson Street, you see everything modern," said Alawie.

"You don't see a building like this anymore, old heritage. It's kind of nice for people, coming into a heritage building instead of modern. It's the only thing that's different, it gives personality to Robson, you know what I mean?"

Heritage advocate John Atkin concurs.

"It would be a real pity to lose such an original 1920s retail block that still survives in essentially original condition, and that actually has useful businesses," he said.

"Cafe S'il Vous Plait is a wonderful throwback, but it's also a viable place . . . it's one of the best cafes that is still intact in Vancouver. It would be a real pity to see this thing renovated beyond recognition, because it's quite rare."

A restaurant has been at 500 Robson since 1947, when Ted Lucich opened Teddy's Snack Bar at the corner of Robson and Richards. It remained Teddy's Snack Bar until 1987, when it became Cafe S'il Vous Plait. The Cafe's last owner, Kyung Wook Kim, took over in 1989.

The building isn't on the Vancouver heritage register, but it does have an interesting history. To begin with, it is two buildings that have been stitched together. The western side of the block (530 to 548 Robson) was built in 1925, the eastern side (500 to 520 Robson) was built in 1938.

All sorts of businesses operated there over the years - groceries, tattoo parlours, tobacconists - but there have been several long term tenants.

The Strand Barber Shop moved into 536 Robson in 1929 and stayed until 1973, while shoe repair shops rented 520 Robson since 1954. The last shoe guy left his red and green neon "Shoe Renu" sign in the window, along with a hand-written sign reading "Unclaimed shoe $5, boot $20."

Given the economic downturn, it's hard to say how quickly the building will be redeveloped. But even if it isn't torn down, it could use some renovations.

"The roof on it is falling apart, there's issues with the plumbing," said Simon Coutts of Simon's Bike Shop, who used to rent space in the building.

"There's been no real maintenance done on it in 40 or 50 years. Have you seen the size of the bathrooms? They don't conform to anything."

As a small retailer, Coutts feels for the tenants. But he knows that when somebody pays $6.5 million for a building, they're not going to maintain cheap rents.

"The guy basically said I've paid so much for this building I have to recoup some of my costs," said Coutts.

"Mrs. Siebold didn't give many increases over 20 years, if any. Very old-school, keep everything the same."

Coutts rents a space at 608 Robson for his bike store, but purchased a small building on Seymour just in case his store's property is redeveloped. He said given the high price of real estate, and rents, it's hard for an independent retailer to make a go of it downtown.

"The only guys that are still here are the corporates," he said.

"And more so than ever, in this area. The downtown core is corporate."

jmackie@vancouversun.com

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.vancouversun.com/life/last+stand+robson/1668174/1668189.bin?size=620x400
The S'il Vous Plait diner and several other shops in this commercial block on Robson Street are slated to be torn down to make way for a new development.
Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider, Vancouver Sun
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.vancouversun.com/life/last+stand+robson/1668174/1668188.bin?size=620x400
With its vintage booths, vintage stools and vintage menu, Cafe S'il Vous Plait was a throwback to another era, a 1940s diner amidst the hustle and bustle of ultra-modern Robson Street.
Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider, Vancouver Sun
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.vancouversun.com/life/last+stand+robson/1668174/1668187.bin?size=620x400
An artist's conception for a new retail complex at 500 Robson has gone up on Cafe S'il Vous Plait's awning featuring a Nike outlet, the American gourmet food store Dean & Deluca and Bahay-Izakaya, a type of Japanese bar.
Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider, Vancouver Sun
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.vancouversun.com/life/last+stand+robson/1668174/1668191.bin?size=620x400
Cafe S'il Vous Plait was on the corner at 500 Robson. Next door is Falafel Maison, then a vacant space that used to be Shoe Renu, who moved out last month. Robson Flowers, Waverly Barbers and Stylists, Vietsub Vietnamese Cuisine and Storm Salon complete the block.
Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider, Vancouver Sun
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.vancouversun.com/life/last+stand+robson/1668174/1668190.bin?size=620x400
The smaller stores occupy 400-square-feet spaces.
Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider, Vancouver Sun

http://www.vancouversun.com/Life/last+stand+Robson/1668174/story.html

[mr.x]

What happened to the Le Chateau at Pacific Centre?

[SpongeG]

is it gone now?

it was/is moving to the lower level where fairweather used to be

[hollywoodnorth]

here is an article

Rent-doubling landlords kill popular cafe

Café S'il Vous Plait to close doors this Sunday

Published: Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A little restaurant known for its abundance of plants in the windows will close its doors Sunday after 23 years in business at the corner of Richards and Robson.

New landlords bought the building last year, and Caf? S'il Vous Plait proprietor Raymond Kim can't afford their request to more than double the rent.

"Our income, 20 per cent every year slow down," Kim said May 21 in choppy English. "This double price they want, then no business."

When Kim took over the three-year-old restaurant in 1989, the property dominated by the curving central branch of the library was vacant, a gas station was situated on Robson Street and Richards Street was checkered with parking lots. Emily Carr students filled Caf? S'il Vous Plait's narrow booths for the first eight years. Kim, an immigrant from Seoul, South Korea, let them sell their works there.

Bob Middleton, a geophysicist who used to work up the street, ate lunch at Cafe S'il Vous Plait every day from 1990 to 1998. Few other dining spots operated nearby and customers came for the artsy vibe, vegetarian options and proximity to theatres. Last Thursday, Middleton, who was visiting Vancouver after having moved away, downed a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie before his companion arrived for dinner.

Kim says his customer base shifted by 1997 to lawyers and court and construction workers who came for the restaurant's inexpensive and hearty bowls of soup, salad and cornbread, gigantic rice crispy squares and revered macaroni and cheese.

Pat Finch, a customer for more than 10 years, polished off a portion of shepherd's pie last Thursday. He likes how Kim always remembers him and appreciates the relatively quiet atmosphere. "They have peanut butter and banana sandwiches that are to die for," he said.

Sara McLaren contacted the Courier about the impending closure because she's sad to see the "charming" old caf? with the kind owner disappear.

She's worried its loss will lead to "another condo development or another Starbucks or a Cactus Club."

Tony Kim, Kim's nephew who translated for his uncle to the Courier, said one woman in her 80s comes by a few times a week for coffee and soup. Kim charges her the "old prices."

But business in the diner-style caf?, which features stools lining a long counter and pies displayed in a wall-mounted case, has slowed.

Pie and coffee sales have sagged since the Starbucks opened across Richards, and Kim sees regular customers dining on soup and sandwiches at the outdoor tables of the IGA Marketplace kitty-corner to Caf? S'il Vous Plait. He started opening Sundays a year ago to pull in extra cash. Besides Kim and his wife, the restaurant only has two staff.

When his previous landlord told Kim last year his new landlords wouldn't extend his lease, he wanted to carry on. When his lease expired at the end of September, the new landlords and management, Deecorp and E.R. Properties Ltd., offered him a month-to-month lease.

Then, he says, they increased his rent, starting Jan. 1, from $3,005 a month to $3,841.

Late March, according to Kim, the owners said they wanted to double his new rental rate, which Kim told them he couldn't afford. They asked if they could place a sign advertising that they wanted to lease space at his restaurant and he said yes.

In April, workers came, hacked into his green awning and placed their billboard above his door.

"It's my face," he complained.

Kim asked if it could be moved to the side and the company refused. That's when Kim, 64, officially threw in the towel. He said E.R. Properties later offered to continue his tenancy at the original 2009 rental rate, but he refused.

He posted a sign announcing his impending closure in his window May 14. Five days later, two crying customers presented Kim with a card. A week later, six patrons had snapped photos of the caf?'s interior.

Kim, who has only taken two days off in 20 years--for each day his two daughters got married--says he and his wife will use their spare time to volunteer cooking and serving food to needy people at the Korean Catholic church just off Main Street. They'll spend more time with their three grandsons.

He would love to serve his longtime customers a free coffee or soup before he shuts his doors, and he doesn't want anyone to harbour a grudge against Deecorp or E. R. Properties. Speaking through his nephew, the corner's longtime purveyor of soup and pie said he only wants a happy ending.

Deecorp did not return the Courier's calls.

crossi@vancourier.com

http://www2.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=9000c676-c3c4-4181-a1f9-dcbcf19dd8ee&p=2


yaaawwwwnnnnnn

you think Kim would have learned English in all his years in Vancouver......

[hollywoodnorth]

great news......the BC Liquor Store looks to be moving down Alberni to the Old Shangri La show suite location at the corner of Bute and Alberni. Its a 11000 sqft location so seems a bit bigger to me than the current one.

[vanlaw]

is it gone now?

it was/is moving to the lower level where fairweather used to be

It is. Looks like it is almost done. The door has been open all day - looks like they were setting up the displays etc and stocking the shelves. I would think they will do much better there, with more foot traffic on that level, and not being beside H&M

[hollywoodnorth]

also on the BCLD tip.......looks like according to the website the ROBSON Store is back in action! >> http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/storelocations?postalcode=&region=Lower%20Mainland&location=Vancouver%20-%20Downtown&storenum=

anyone been in there yet?

[SpongeG]

the new one on north road will be open soon - i believe they are shutting two down -one in coquitlam - como lake and one in burnaby - lougheed mall

[hrhsheba]

It is. Looks like it is almost done. The door has been open all day - looks like they were setting up the displays etc and stocking the shelves. I would think they will do much better there, with more foot traffic on that level, and not being beside H&M

In case anyone's interested - it's Aritzia that's moving into Le Chateau's old space.

[vanlaw]

:previous:

and signs at le chatteau indicate it opens tomorow

[wrenegade]

The incredibly slow construction at Joeys on Cornwall

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/3618607040_c6a520a844_o.jpg

[SpongeG]

lululemon is opening Coquitlam Centre next to the soon to open Sephora - which opens in about 3 weeks or so

[SpongeG]

it's not really in Vancouver but there is a SONIC drive in opened in Ferndale - on the way to Bellingham

looked busy when i saw it saturday eve - had we known it was there we would have skipped Jack in The Box

http://thecoastalexplorer.com/images/businesses/Billboard/1391_Sonic%20In%20Nags%20Head.gif
the coastal explorer.com

[Whalleyboy]

i want both sonic and jack in the box here=(

[SpongeG]

i had the new jack in the box sirloin burger - it was way too big

[metroXpress]

What about "In and Out Burger"

http://partners.visitrenotahoe.com/assets/423/in_and_out.jpg

[SpongeG]

they aren't that good and they are never expanding beyond where they are - unless the daughter who runs it gets greedy and quality goes out the window

[jlousa]

Anyone know why Lucy Mae Browns had their liquor license pulled? I walked by this morning and there was a big sign on their windows stating their license had been pulled for liquor violations.

[Spork]

Found this using the same method courtesy of Hollywoodnorth:


Save on Foods New West
We have a NEW STORE Opening in New Westminster, where Overwaitea Food Group began. Our new store is located near the corner of 6th Street and 6th Avenue (See Map). This new store will be opening in July, but we will be interviewing throughout June (with training to follow before the store opens.

[SpongeG]

yes i saw it looks very small great location

[SpongeG]

Richmond-based Petcetera files for bankruptcy

Richmond-based pet store chain Petcetera, once named one of Canada's hottest startups, has filed for bankruptcy, the company announced Tuesday.

“I’m not sure how long the liquidation process is,” Petcetera marketing director Julie Belanger said in an interview Tuesday. “It depends on the inventory.”

Belanger said the company’s 45 stores will close across the country, putting about 1,500 employees out of work.

In March, the company filed for creditor protection, citing the recession’s impact on the Canadian retail industry, and announced that four of the company’s retail outlets in Ontario and Alberta would close in May. However, the company was unable to restructure after filing for creditor protection, leading to Tuesday’s bankruptcy.

Petcetera president and founder Dan Urbani opened the first store in Vancouver in 1997 and grew the limited partnership into Canada's leading pet-superstore chain.

However, trouble was first sounded in May 2008 when a group of former employees filed a complaint with the B.C. Labour Relations Board alleging the company terminated almost half its workforce in an attempt to bust a union drive. But the company said it had to lay off staff because it wasn't doing well.

According to its website, Petcetera offers pet owners more than 10,000 pet products as well as a full range of pet care services including pet hospitals, pet grooming, obedience school, doggy daycare centres, pet photography and pet licensing.

http://www.vancouversun.com/Life/Richmond+based+Petcetera+files+bankruptcy/1702444/story.html

[WarrenC12]

Sonic is fantastic, I'm on my way!

[officedweller]

Le Chateau is open - very GAP-like in terms of its all glass display windows.
The store does not occupy all of the former Fairweather space - the "Big Steel" space at the corner (of the former passage) is unoccupied and looks like it will be consolidated with the passageway to make a wider retail space.

[mr.x]

^ it's awfully quiet, even though it's now at the busier lower level.

[SpongeG]

it's ridiculous $49.95 for a tshirt which is like $19.95 at H&M or any of their competition

[dreambrother808]

the folks running that company are bloody morons.

[David]

Vera's Burger Shack is opening in Gastown on the west side of Carrall by the Gassy Jack statue..
The Hub building at SFU UniverCity is nearing completion and the Nester's Market on the ground floor is coming along.

[hollywoodnorth]

wow way to go Vera's!

[SpongeG]

Sketchers is opening a store in richmond Centre - finally the GVRD has a sketchers store :)

Shoppers Drug Mart in Northgate Village is open as well as a new one in Port Moody on St Johns street - the site of a former Toyota Dealership...

Save on in Northgate looks close most of the shelves etc seem to be in and ready - was by there late thursday night - the tim hortons was full shoppers was quite busy and crews were working away in save-on

the new liquor store is also open and the one at lougheed mall is closed down

no sign of Rogers video yet but a few spaces say "leased"

nice complex it has really changed north road

[jlousa]

Looks like International Village is finally filling up, at least around the street level, Crosstown liqour store is opening up shortly as it Pivo Public house, noticed Oddsquad has a storefront there already as well.

[SpongeG]

sad news - carl's jr signage is off the board where it was and replaced by A&W :( no terriyaki burgers for us :(

eB2MDYzx5OY

[SpongeG]

no portobello mushroom burger either :(

gawd how do people eat these they are too big - i had one of the big burgers at jack n the box and it was too big to get your mouth around

xvYil91Ln-E

[GeeCee]

noooooooooooooooooooooo!

[hollywoodnorth]

do we know where in oakridge mall the Apple Store is going? And is it still opening in October?

[Rusty Gull]

Vera's Burger Shack is opening in Gastown on the west side of Carrall by the Gassy Jack statue..
The Hub building at SFU UniverCity is nearing completion and the Nester's Market on the ground floor is coming along.

Having a Nester's at SFU is a great idea. Now if only they would come to UBC as well!

[Overground]

I drove by King Edward Village and it's definitely a PriceSmart going in. They have a 'coming soon' sign over an entrance at the corner of KE and Knight road.

So I phoned them up to get an exact date and a lady said that all they can say is it will be open some time this summer. I quick glimpse in the open door and it looked like they are at a starting phase of the build.

[SpongeG]

do we know where in oakridge mall the Apple Store is going? And is it still opening in October?

looks like it is going next to the bay entrance where that book store and another store was - a month or so ago it said something exciting was coming and it seemed to be the only space available in the mall...

the signs for Sephora are up at pacific centre and most of the hoarding is gone - looks awesome that corner looks much more lively and city like than it used to - opens very soon can't wait :banana:

[djh]

the signs for Sephora are up at pacific centre and most of the hoarding is gone - looks awesome that corner looks much more lively and city like than it used to - opens very soon can't wait :banana:

It's a cosmetics store - for women - and you can't wait for it to open?! LOL
J/K

* * *

Things are moving along really "destructively" at Olive - the old Capers at 16th/Cambie, and the location of the long-rumoured Shoppers Drug Mart. Crews have been tearing apart the insides of that place for the last month or so, even down to the high-end lighting and HVAC system.
That Capers was only there about 2 years and now the new tenant is taking out event the lighting? I just see that level of renovation as being such a huge financial and envirnomental waste. Surely they could have used the existing lighting and the existing HVAC, and made them work in a Shoppers? Can't even imagine how much it costs to have a crew rip all of that out, then procure new ones, then have a crew fit the new stuff, which will work exactly the same as the ones they just chucked out for nearly-new scrap.

[johnjimbc]

While I understand the perceived waste of ripping out "perfectly good lighting," the reality is most stores - Shoppers among them (especially their new stores) have a distinct look and feel. That's on purpose, so consumers will feel completely comfortable dropping by any mart they see. So I'll not think twice of walking into one in Metrotown, just as I would my local one two blocks from my apartment.

It works so they are going to do it. And if that means switching out lights to give it that look, then they are going to do it.

Secondly, with Shoppers, the lighting is very specific - especially their cosmetic products - which is filled with lighting to a much greater degree than the rest of the store. My guess is they actually needed to run much more electrical to achieve the level of lighting anyway. And their stores are designed in segments. It would have looked choppy - and amateurish - to force the new lay out under the existing lights. Some stores might be ok with that, but not many.

Bottom line is it a product of our "branding" culture, and how stores "show" themselves. That is a wasteful way of approaching things, perhaps, but it is what it is. It is quite possible those lights are going to be sold and installed to someone else for use in some fashion, so I doubt they'll end up in a landfill in the near term. So in a way, there is some recycling going on ;).

[SpongeG]

It's a cosmetics store - for women - and you can't wait for it to open?! LOL
J/K

* * *

Things are moving along really "destructively" at Olive - the old Capers at 16th/Cambie, and the location of the long-rumoured Shoppers Drug Mart. Crews have been tearing apart the insides of that place for the last month or so, even down to the high-end lighting and HVAC system.
That Capers was only there about 2 years and now the new tenant is taking out event the lighting? I just see that level of renovation as being such a huge financial and envirnomental waste. Surely they could have used the existing lighting and the existing HVAC, and made them work in a Shoppers? Can't even imagine how much it costs to have a crew rip all of that out, then procure new ones, then have a crew fit the new stuff, which will work exactly the same as the ones they just chucked out for nearly-new scrap.

it's not just for women

its got a lot of mens stuff - i like it casue you can browse the colognes without an annoying sales women or man saying oh try this or smell this shoving products in your face like they do at the bay or holt renfrew etc

plus the prices are all right in front of you so you don't feel like a twat saying how much is this finding its well over $100 and you have to sheepishly say oh thanks and put it back :haha:

plus they carry a lot of products that are hard to find in vancouver like Philosophy and fresh, the total zirh line, jack black mens line which is only at holt renfrew and 1 other store in Vancouver...

great place to pick up gifts for moms too ;)

[djh]

Good to know Sephora sells men's products too - will have to check it out. My wife keeps going on about the ones in SF and Seattle, so could save me some trips.

@johnjimbc: Yes, I understand that lighting is part of the branding of a store. But if you look at the lighting rig in a Shoppers, it's not all exposed lighting, it's often behind lenses. Which means you could theoretically put any light unit behind the standard Shoppers lenses and you'd have the same look as any Shoppers store. What they were doing at Olive was ripping out *everything* down to the studs, with no thought of recycling.

But I'll give you the lighting might be something that they have very specific plans for. What about the HVAC then?