Canadian Retail Thread

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yes, I noticed yours was downtown as well. MEC has been a good inner city partner in many places it seems.

Ottawa's store relocated about 10-15 years ago (going from memory). It went from inner city east New Edinburgh to inner city west Westboro. The first location had almost no parking whereas the new location has a teeny bit of parking.

Neither area could really be considered to be struggling though, and both have done and could do fine without an MEC store.

Ours is smack dab in the middle of downtown and has no dedicated parking. They actually emphasize that it's on good public transit routes and promote urban cycling even though it's in a very hilly area that only started getting bike lanes about a year ago. There's a bit of on-street parking nearby (although it's usually otherwise occupied) and pay parkades across the street, but it's not common for people to park at the parkade to go to MEC.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

This is good news in my opinion, at least for consumers. I've never been impressed with Rona's big box stores. The one I used to go to in London was severely understaffed with huge lineups at the cashier, and the staff you could find were often either rude or knew nothing about their products (or both). Lowe's on the other hand, I've found better staffed in both numbers of employees and service quality.

yep. And probably we visited the same stores (Reno on Wonderland and Lowe's on Fanshawe Park Rd). Similar to those working at Crappy Tire, Reno's staff are about as useless as tits on a bull.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

This is good news in my opinion, at least for consumers. I've never been impressed with Rona's big box stores. The one I used to go to in London was severely understaffed with huge lineups at the cashier, and the staff you could find were often either rude or knew nothing about their products (or both). Lowe's on the other hand, I've found better staffed in both numbers of employees and service quality.

When I bought my house in this part of Gatineau 20 years ago, a fairly large Rona L'Entrepôt was basically the only player in the immediate vicinity. They had the most awesome service. Even my family members who came from elsewhere to help us with our settling in and household projects would rave about that store. As soon as you'd pause in an aisle, someone would be there to ask you if you needed help.

Oddly enough, once a rival Home Depot opened around the corner some years later, service at the Rona started to decline - precipitously.

Isn't that the weirdest thing? Both stores are still open and are doing OK as far as I can see. But I have no idea why Home Depot had that negative effect on Rona. You would have expected the opposite.

Lowe's have a few stores over in Ottawa but I have not been to any of them so I cannot compare.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Anyway, Mountain Equipment Coop have announced that they are moving from their inner city digs (in Nouveau St-Roch - more on this later) to a more suburban location with lots of parking of course. The new store will be in the vicinity of the new Centre Vidéotron arena. So not really in the outer suburbs, and not far from downtown. But still in an auto-dependent environment.

This is seen like a betrayal of sorts by many. MEC was one of the key players in the revitalization of the St-Roch neighbourhood, and the coop played up this fact.

Note that most MEC locations AFAIK tend to be in inner city locations. In Montreal they have one right on the Plateau. Toronto's is right downtown. Ottawa's is in the hip Westboro inner city area.

MECs customer base is so hybrid that way. On the one hand, they have the "one less car" urban bike department. On the other hand, they cater to outdoorsy types who, by necessity, have to own a car - often a 4x4. Unless it's a big market like Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver - which have both urban store and suburban stores - you have to compromise somehow. You can have a hip urban location as long as there's ample parking.

Are QC residents known for being outdoorsy? After Vancouver and Calgary, Quebec City seems like the major Canadian city with the closest proximity to major mountains.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

MECs customer base is so hybrid that way. On the one hand, they have the "one less car" urban bike department. On the other hand, they cater to outdoorsy types who, by necessity, have to own a car - often a 4x4. Unless it's a big market like Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver - which have both urban store and suburban stores - you have to compromise somehow. You can have a hip urban location as long as there's ample parking.

Are QC residents known for being outdoorsy? After Vancouver and Calgary, Quebec City seems like the major Canadian city with the closest proximity to major mountains.

Yes. QC and Ottawa are the most outdoorsy big cities in central Canada.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i prefer lowes over home depot, there was a rona in coquitlam that is pretty awful, its quite small and barely any staff when you need something. I can't imagine they would make it into a lowes its more like a small town home hardware store, not suitable for a big box location.

There are quite a few small format Rona stores out there (i.e. not big box). There's at least one in Toronto, a former Lansing Buildall - it's more of the neighbourhood hardware store for Willowdale than a traditional Rona.

Another issue that will inevitably come up is what happens were a Rona is located near a Lowe's. In Kingston there's a Rona about a 5 minute drive from a Lowe's. This seems like a potential repeat of the Future Shop vs Best Buy issue.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

MECs customer base is so hybrid that way. On the one hand, they have the "one less car" urban bike department. On the other hand, they cater to outdoorsy types who, by necessity, have to own a car - often a 4x4. Unless it's a big market like Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver - which have both urban store and suburban stores - you have to compromise somehow. You can have a hip urban location as long as there's ample parking.

I really fail to see why this is a problem. The store promotes outdoor activity. Canada's rail/transit network is poor at best, barely serving cities let alone provincial/national parks. Most Canadians rely on cars to explore, unless you live in Vancouver.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

I really fail to see why this is a problem.

I never said it was a problem. I just acknowledged that based on the services they offer, MEC needs to cater to people who require a car and people who are against using cars. Sometimes those are the same people.

[caltrane74]

Nordstrom Rack to open in Toronto


Posted by Amy Grief / FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Bargain hunters, rejoice! Why? Because Nordstrom Rack is slated to open in Toronto by 2018.

The discount designer store, which sells clothing, shoes and accessories at 30 to 70 percent off, will move into a massive 38,600 square-foot space at 1 Bloor Street East, home of what is one Toronto's tallest condo projects under development.

The retail giant will be situated at the base of One Bloor, Great Gulf's new 76-storey mixed use tower designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects.

While you'll have to wait a few years to shop at Nordstrom Rack in Toronto, the more expensive Nordstrom is scheduled to open up at the Eaton Centre and Yorkdale this fall.

Photo courtesy of Nordstorm.

[caltrane74]

Saks interior shots

Not exactly New York style..... but I guess we'll take it. lol1

Hudson’s Bay Company has upped the ante in retailing at the south end of the Eaton Centre, with a flagship Saks Fifth Avenue opening to the public on Thursday beside a newly renovated Hudson’s Bay store.
The Saks store — the first in Canada — is also the first flagship store for the brand in more than 40 years, said Marc Metrick, president, Saks Fifth Avenue, during a tour on Tuesday morning.
“We get to start from scratch here and define a brand.”
Built on 169,000 square feet of space carved out of the Hudson’s Bay store on Queen St. at Yonge St., the Saks occupies four floors given over to luxury brands in an opulent setting.

http://www.thestar.com/business/2016...ost-ready.html

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Saks interior shots

Not exactly New York style..... but I guess we'll take it. lol1

The term flagship is used way too often today. I would hardly call a 169,000 square foot store a flagship. Its basically a suburban branch store size.

[caltrane74]

Its the flagship because its the only location in Canada.

The H & M flagship at Eaton Center is huge and not as big as this store.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Nordstrom Rack to open in Toronto


Posted by Amy Grief / FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Nice, rack!

We could also get started on the Saks metaphors. Shopaholics should have a ball there, maybe more.

[caltrane74]

• Video Link

Saks Toronto Eaton Centre

[ACT7]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

The term flagship is used way too often today. I would hardly call a 169,000 square foot store a flagship. Its basically a suburban branch store size.

I agree with you, in general, flagship gets overused nowadays. But flagship also refers to the selection of brands carried. And, yes, because it's the largest Saks in Canada (well, only one so far), it's a Canadian flagship. It's not like they said global flagship.

[caltrane74]

Finally a rendering of the Eaton Centre reconstruction


http://www.retail-insider.com/

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

There are quite a few small format Rona stores out there (i.e. not big box). There's at least one in Toronto, a former Lansing Buildall - it's more of the neighbourhood hardware store for Willowdale than a traditional Rona.

Another issue that will inevitably come up is what happens were a Rona is located near a Lowe's. In Kingston there's a Rona about a 5 minute drive from a Lowe's. This seems like a potential repeat of the Future Shop vs Best Buy issue.

For several years, there were two big box Ronas a couple blocks from one another when Rona bought out the Building Box. Now, in the same big box community in east end Toronto, there's a Lowes pretty much next door to the surviving Rona. I doubt Lowes will wait out the lease but, you never know. They do carry different brands.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

The term flagship is used way too often today. I would hardly call a 169,000 square foot store a flagship. Its basically a suburban branch store size.

Flagship , in its historical context and is still applicable today, refers to a downtown (central) location. Size has very little to do with it.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Finally a rendering of the Eaton Centre reconstruction


http://www.retail-insider.com/

That's underwhelming.

[caltrane74]

I agree, it's not good.