The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread - Page 551

SpongeG · #**11001** Posted **Mar 10, 2017, 5:17 AM**

Epic?

Cactus Club moving to epic new location at Richmond Centre

Image: Rendering by ASA via City of Richmond

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/cactu...nd-centre-2017

urbancanadian · #**11002** Posted **Mar 10, 2017, 6:41 AM**

I was a little dissapointed to see Steve Madden and lululemon replacing Le Chateau at Pacific Centre. I like both stores, but they each already have a location nearby on Robson. I was hoping for a first-to-market store to fill that big space or at least something new to downtown...

s211 · #**11003** Posted **Mar 10, 2017, 3:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlousa

It works best if you tell them exactly why you are closing your account when you do it. I had a falling out a over a decade ago with what IWA Savings (now Community Savings) was doing with membership money, let them know, pulled all my funds from them as did the rest of my family and never looked back. Voting isn't just done every 4yrs, we do it every day with our wallets.

Good point. Unfortunately, I think Vancity is so deep into Vision-think it will just plug its ears and yell "la-la-la-la-la" instead of listen to honest feedback. One of my best laughs every year is reading the bios and platforms of the proposed Vancity board members. Pure comedy gold.

Sheba · #**11004** Posted **Mar 10, 2017, 5:47 PM**

Staples is closing more stores

Quote:

Staples Inc. suffered its worst stock decline in almost seven months after the company posted disappointing results and announced plans to shutter 70 stores in North America.

Same-store sales in the region declined 7 percent during the fourth quarter, the Framingham, Massachusetts-based company said on Thursday. Earnings came in at 25 cents a share in the period, excluding some items. That was a penny less than analysts estimated.

The store-closing move, which follows the elimination of 48 locations in 2016, will affect about 5 percent of stores in North America. Staples had 1,255 locations in the US and 304 in Canada at the end of the last fiscal year.

Winnowing its store count is part of Staples’ plan to shift away from traditional brick-and-mortar retail. The company is looking to sell more business services and connect with customers online. Staples also offloaded its retail business in the UK last quarter.

Vin · #**11005** Posted **Mar 10, 2017, 6:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

What commercial strips have no empty stores? Last time I checked the following all significant vacancies: South Granville, Main, West Fourth, West Tenth, West Broadway and of course Robson.

Near malls or other anchors: no empty streetfront shops.

GeeCee · #**11006** Posted **Mar 11, 2017, 7:12 AM**

I'm not quite sure how Staples is planning on moving to more of an online model. I only go there when I need stationary supplies that I can't wait for. Also their website services are hilariously broken currently - just look at the prices of big ticket items every Saturday night. Trying to return something bought online at one of their stores? Good luck, even though their website says that you can.

Staples is a retail dinosaur, and it's shocking to me that they're still around today in any capacity.

Pinion · #**11007** Posted **Mar 11, 2017, 8:28 AM**

Tried to go to the new Chipotle in West Van (never been) but the lineup was out the door. I guess it's a success. Park Royal North needed one.

officedweller · #**11008** Posted **Mar 11, 2017, 8:56 AM**

The former Guttenberg's at Library Square has signs in the window hiring for "Pacific Coffee Roasters Café".

SpongeG · #**11009** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 5:22 AM**

Aritzia to Open Larger Store at CF Richmond Centre
MARCH 9, 2017 by MIRANDA SAM

We noticed the Aritzia at CF Richmond Centre is moving to a larger space, at the former Banana Republic store. Aritzia’s public relations representative was not aware of this development at the time we reached out, but we’ll keep you posted on any news releases.

http://www.stylebyfire.ca/2017/03/09...chmond-centre/

SpongeG · #**11010** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 5:42 AM**

Adidas granville is going to get some renovations

Quote:

Adidas also operate three ‘fashion-focused’ stores dedicated to the Adidas Originals brand, with locations in Toronto (389 Queen Street West), Montreal (1258 Ste-Catherine St. West) and Vancouver (848 Granville Street). All three of these stores will be undergoing renovations this year, creating experiential “neighbourhood” stores that will reflect their demographics and surroundings. The Toronto Queen Street store will be “trend savvy” as per the area’s demographics, while the Vancouver Granville Street store will cater to a similarly ‘hip' demographic. The Montreal fashion store will see an “elevated execution” to address the high-fashion shopper on Ste-Catherine Street West, Mr. Summers explained. Adidas Originals launches often see long lineups for limited-edition product launches, reflecting strong brand loyalty among a segment of consumers.

http://www.retail-insider.com/retail.../2017/3/adidas

Vin · #**11011** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 5:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

The former Guttenberg's at Library Square has signs in the window hiring for "Pacific Coffee Roasters Café".

Really baffles me how Guttenberg's managed to stay around for so long as I could hardly see anyone in there most of the time walking by. Hope the new cafe is a good place to hang out. That area really needs a good quality coffee shop, and not just the sub-standard chain ones.

memememe76 · #**11012** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 5:53 PM**

There is a Pacific Coast Coffee Roasters in Abbotsford near their Superstore. It's nice, but hardly an elite coffeeshop. Anyways, the more coffeeshops, the merrier! A truly good cafe near the library is Rocanini on Beatty or Bel Cafe on Georgia, both still bit of a walk.

officedweller · #**11013** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 11:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

Really baffles me how Guttenberg's managed to stay around for so long as I could hardly see anyone in there most of the time walking by. Hope the new cafe is a good place to hang out. That area really needs a good quality coffee shop, and not just the sub-standard chain ones.

It did change ownership a few years ago.

Personally, I think a noodle shop would do well there.

*************

Speaking of coffee:

Toronto's popular @quantum #coffee opening soon at 455 Granville across the street from @MaisonBirks
https://twitter.com/GranvilleStreet

*************

Nike project at Nordstrom:

Nordstrom x Nike / Nordstrom to open a unique @Nike store at the Vancouver City Center entrance #retail
https://twitter.com/GranvilleStreet

Vin · #**11014** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 11:53 PM**

^^ Truly a Portland-Seattle collaboration in Vancouver

Klazu · #**11015** Posted **Mar 15, 2017, 12:09 AM**

Just how many coffee houses can fit in Downtown?

Klazu · #**11016** Posted **Mar 15, 2017, 12:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinion

Tried to go to the new Chipotle in West Van (never been) but the lineup was out the door. I guess it's a success. Park Royal North needed one.

Sounds like you got the authentic Chipotle experience! Ever since they closed the overhead walkway, Metrotown's Chipotle hasn't been authentiv as one doesn't have to queue anymore.

connect2source · #**11017** Posted **Mar 15, 2017, 2:09 PM**

Hudson's Bay in talks to purchase Neiman Marcus.

http://business.financialpost.com/ne...ng-debt-report

theKB · #**11018** Posted **Mar 16, 2017, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by connect2source

Hudson's Bay in talks to purchase Neiman Marcus.

http://business.financialpost.com/ne...ng-debt-report

Would love to see a neiman's out here. I still wonder when we will see a Saks out here that isn't an outlet as there is still nothing firm yet.

Tetsuo · #**11019** Posted **Mar 16, 2017, 8:16 PM**

I've heard HBC has been in talks with Holborne. They want the area east of the store to be more vibrant before planning something concrete.

And they've been a bit busy dealing with Oakridge planning

djh · #**11020** Posted **Mar 16, 2017, 9:01 PM**

There's this constant desire on here for more and more US brick-and-mortar retailers to come to Vancouver. The reasons vary - from wanting "more choice" to "feeling international" to some really spurious and flaky reasons...

Just bear in mind that when US companies move to the Vancouver market, you *almost never* see the same great prices that you get in the US store.

The economies of scale don't work very well - shipping & distribution costs, the small size of the local market, border tarrifs, exchange rates, marketing, and incumbent competition, all work against making US retail launches in Vancouver a slam-dunk.

Nobody wants to repeat the fate of Target.

So, honestly, do we really *need* more US brick-and-mortar retailers to come here?

I'm not saying we do, I'm not saying we don't. But pretty much all US brick-and-mortar retailers already have an equivalent in Vancouver.

The odds are that a newcomer will not be cheaper than the incumbent (see my points above). Sure, the first month they'll be busy and everybody will visit (remember the Nordstrom launch?). But after that, people tend to shift back to the incumbents - who, incidentally, feel pressured to up their game when an American competitor enters the market.

If you're talking about European or Asian retailers, it's different. They may well offer a product that is not widely available in the market (hence the demand for Muji or H&M or similar). But your bog-standard US shop...if it's not going to be any cheaper (e.g., Target) and it's not going to be any better service (e.g., Nordstrom), then they'll have a really hard time succeeding in Vancouver.

So again I ask, do we really need them?