The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Thanks for the info - FYI - here's a link to a Flickr account (not mine) with pics of the skylight at The Bay:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmv/sets/231763/

nice there she is as well from BING 3D >> http://binged.it/MaKMDs

[Van23H]

except Retail Insider kinda struck the truth because I know for sure that Bulgari has be in the game shopping for space. Also the Vancouver hotel is adding two high end retailers. One in the hotel concierge across from Omega and one in the St. John space which will be combined with the gift shop to make one big unit.

[Retail-Insider]

Originally Posted by Van23H

except Retail Insider kinda struck the truth because I know for sure that Bulgari has be in the game shopping for space. Also the Vancouver hotel is adding two high end retailers. One in the hotel concierge across from Omega and one in the St. John space which will be combined with the gift shop to make one big unit.

Thanks Van23H! We're watching the development at the Hotel Vancouver (900 W. Georgia Street for readers not familiar with the location). We won't name names yet, but that combined space will tentatively going to a major luxury retailer. Also, fortunately for the Hotel Vancouver, it has a substantial amount of second-story space that can be modified to retail (such as with the Louis Vuitton Maison), meaning current retailers could either expand vertically or new retailers could take current, potentially expandable spaces within the hotel.

I would personally expect Chanel and/or Prada to announce free-standing Vancouver stores soon. The top three selling women's brands at Holt Renfrew are Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Gucci. We can soon expect the first two to expand 'to the street' (and Gucci to substantially renovate/expand its current Hotel Vancouver location).

[GeeCee]

We're apparently getting a temporary Microsoft store for the holidays:

http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-holid...er-7000002353/

[dreambrother808]

The HP store on Alberni closed. Never saw anyone actually shopping there.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

The HP store on Alberni closed. Never saw anyone actually shopping there.

ouch! maybe the pop up Microsoft store will use that space

[djh]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

The HP store on Alberni closed. Never saw anyone actually shopping there.

I really wonder who the geniuses at these brands are. They go "Well, Apple did it, and yeah, we're as good as them, so yeah, we'll open a store and we'll be packed from day 1"...er, nobody cares about your brand, buddy.

Seriously, there's only a couple of superstar brands in any industry, and if you're not one, don't try to copy one because it looks stupid and probably hurts your brand image - you're a copier, not an innovator

[dreambrother808]

The awning frame is being installed on the Seymour side of the Bay. Looks a bit iffy so far...



From my flickr

[Prometheus]

It is incredibly disappointing that they did not take this opportunity to restore the windows to their original, stately height, even with spandrel glass if necessary.

[SpongeG]

looks a lot better than the metal awning

[dreambrother808]

True, but I agree with Prometheus. Would the new awning prevent a full restoration of the windows in the future? Hopefully not.
Most likely there were certain financial constraints at the time being.

[officedweller]

Thanks for posting - hopefully they'll restore the windows to full height later.

[Darren Tate]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

looks a lot better than the metal awning

Yeah it's a bit of a letdown, but still an improvement.

[itinerant]

I walked by at lunch to see the start of the new awnings on the Seymour side, but also walked through the basement and up the exit to the Granville side (Granville Skytrain station entrance), and found a sign at the entrance to the Bay sub-basement with the following before/after:


Hudson's Bay Granville Station Entrance Before (left), Fall 2012 (right) Display Boards [cropped]

Below is from CVA Archives, showing the awning at the same entrance (looking other way) on Granville Street in 1935. Looks like a missed opportunity to have made that entrance something special again. The interior of that entrance is largely untouched, so hopefully it will get some restoration.


City of Vancouver Archives CVA 1376-727 - Granville Street at Hudson's Bay [on Georgia Street]

[officedweller]

Cool - that explains the arched entranceway. The black/dark spandrel panels look interesting.

Too bad the new design doesn't respect it - even the ugly canopy did that (at least for the SkyTrain renovation).

I've noticed the mannequins in the /mezzanine level windows already
(which have always been windows (previously for the cafe that used to be up there), just foiled over).

Here's a pic by me today of the TopShop/TopMan entrance in progress:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[SpongeG]

does the bay take responsibility for the skytrain entrance or does translink?

[officedweller]

Depends what the limits of the station are. There's direct access to the station from Seymour Street - and heavy doors to the Bay concourse - so it's possible that the Bay retains control of its concourse corridor with TransLink having a right of access through it.

[SpongeG]

ok was wondering how it worked, speaking of that area, is the food shop/cafe opening soon?

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

The awning frame is being installed on the Seymour side of the Bay. Looks a bit iffy so far...



From my flickr

Saw it in person today -
The tubular steel bar (included for structural purposes) seems quite heavy
- hopefully the glass panels will extend out beyond the tubular steel bar to lighten its appearance.

[WarrenC12]

I heard Five Guys is coming to Robson near Seymour.

Anybody have details?