Edmonton Retail Thread

[M II A II R II K]

A thread to discuss retail related news and developments.

[ue]

ICON I

-3 Banana's like café
-Taco Del Mar
-Blunt
-tanning studio

NorthTown

-Mr . Big & Tall
-Bed Bath and Beyond
-T&T Supermarket
-Mucho Burrito

South Edmonton Common
-Lowe's
-H&M


Quest
-OPA

Serenity
-Caffe Sorrentino

+New cupcake place on Whyte.

there's some new retail going on.

[bicycles]

Also, anyone know whats going on with the Fox? All the windows were covered when I drove by a few days ago.

[noodlenoodle]

Originally Posted by bicycles

Also, anyone know whats going on with the Fox? All the windows were covered when I drove by a few days ago.

Bought by the Oil City Hospitality Group. Haven't heard much about what they want to do with it, but it'll remain a bar. Dunno what demographic stone they've left unturned in the area but we'll see soon enough I'm sure.

[deedub35]

Originally Posted by noodlenoodle

Bought by the Oil City Hospitality Group. Haven't heard much about what they want to do with it, but it'll remain a bar. Dunno what demographic stone they've left unturned in the area but we'll see soon enough I'm sure.

I was just looking a their website. I did not realize how many places are under this umbrella. Holy frick!

[noodlenoodle]

Originally Posted by deedub35

I was just looking a their website. I did not realize how many places are under this umbrella. Holy frick!

Yeah, and they're diversifying down south and opening up their first club in Calgary soon.

[SpongeG]

A 2nd Apple Store in Edmonton?

By Greg Gazin

Last Updated: April 24, 2010

There have been no official announcements, but with an obvious telltale sign, the writing seems to be on the wall. Edmonton will likely soon have its 2nd Apple Store, located at Southgate Centre, 51AVE and 111St NW in South Edmonton. The store will be not far from the south entrance kitty-corner from Orange Julius and across from King’s Jewelers.

There is no indication as to when the store will be opened, but chances are it will be this summer. It might even be on Canada Day – the same day the West Edmonton Mall Store opened in 2008 – But of course this is pure speculation.

One might have expected the store to be located at the shopping jungle at South Edmonton Common, but perhaps with the opening today of the new LRT (Light Rail Transit) Station, after 4 long years of construction, Southgate might have been just the right choice.

There are currently 14 Apple retail stores in Canada, 5 in and around the Toronto Area, 3 in and around the Greater Montreal Area, 2 in Vancouver, 1 each in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary and of course Edmonton.

...

http://www.torontosun.com/blogs/tech.../13703721.html

[ue]

I'd love an urban Apple store some day in Edmonton. Maybe when Jasper Avenue revitalizes more and is a popular retail destination or maybe Whyte Ave.

[Coldrsx]

Very unfortunate that it will not be downtown ON jasper... like oh i dunno, jasper and 103st NWC.

As if it would not be very successful there.

[CMD UW]

^Given the numbers at this point, Southgate was the next logical choice. Our downtown is not there yet.

[Coldrsx]

^yes i recognize that, but sales /sqft on a good CBD on jasper near LRT would do as well IMO.

reminds me more and more of what Edmonton(ian)'s priorities are about.

[CMD UW]

^It has nothing to do with Edmonton's priorities but current market realities. There's a difference. The pedestrian traffic and more importantly sales figures along Jasper Avenue are not there yet. In time, yes, but there are more important things to achieve in our downtown before getting an Apple Store.

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Not enough downtown offices buying Apple products?

[ibz]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

^yes i recognize that, but sales /sqft on a good CBD on jasper near LRT would do as well IMO.

reminds me more and more of what Edmonton(ian)'s priorities are about.

Not so sure about that, a number of factors and $$$ goes into a large retailers decision on where to locate, DT simply cannot demostrate the sales, demographs or cachement that a Southgate or WEM can. Even when you start getting to that point, more factors come into place such as an appropriate location and what other 'support' retailers are in the area to further draw customers. There are a number of examples downtown of large retailers who opened on hopes and dreams that probably wouldnt make the same decision today. An interesting stat (which is not available online to source) indicates that while sales have increased overall downtown the past couple years, the overall % of market share in the city has not. While this may indicate that downtown retail is keeping up with the growing employment and resident base, it would suggest that downtown still has not been attracting a lot of 'new' shoppers who normally completed their purchases elsewhere in the city.

You know me cold, I as much as anyone would love to see some large stores take a chance on downtown and do well, but the odds are stacked against it. Downtown needs to continue to develop as it has been - the more people live and work downtown, the better its going to get.

(just as an aside - while it probably doesnt make any difference at this point, if you were President of Apple retail and wanted to open a location on Jasper Ave tommorow, where would you put it? The majority of retail space on Jasper quite frankly is pretty crappy and ill suited for such things. Another problem for another day i suppose).

[itom 987]

You guys are all forgetting that the new LRT extension to Century Park is going to bring an influx of new shoppers to downtown that never went there before. I expect shopping stats to increase dramatically downtown in the next couple of years.

[ibz]

Originally Posted by itom 987

You guys are all forgetting that the new LRT extension to Century Park is going to bring an influx of new shoppers to downtown that never went there before. I expect shopping stats to increase dramatically downtown in the next couple of years.

Will it? Or will they just get off the train and Southgate and shop there. Or conversely will downtown residents be more inclined to jump the train to Southgate rather then stay on Jasper or ECC?

Im not trying to be a downer on DT, while I dont live in Edm anymore, I lived, worked and played in the core the past couple of years. Its certainly become a destination for people to eat and go out, but shopping has a ways to go. The core certainly has more going for it then the Bonnie Doons and Londonderry's of the world, but as of April 2010 its a B class retail destination in the city a long ways back of WEM, Southgate, SEC and Kingsway. Whyte wasnt always such a nice place, in time with the right moves, there is no reason Jasper couldnt be the same.

[espalorius]

good insight. itll be interesting to analyze the impact of lrt on dt in the years to come
im tempted to say that those choosing to live in dt will continue to support it regardless of easier access to suburban shopping centers

at the same time, an lrt station suddenly makes southgate a lot more attractive...

gotta dust off that old urban econ textbook haha

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by Hallsy's Toupee

Not enough downtown offices buying Apple products?

Without a doubt there are plenty of firms downtown that buy Apple products, but that's only one segment of the market. The other segment is just not there yet.

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by espalorius

good insight. itll be interesting to analyze the impact of lrt on dt in the years to come
im tempted to say that those choosing to live in dt will continue to support it regardless of easier access to suburban shopping centers

Yes, it will be interesting to see if the south LRT helps increase downtown's market share of shoppers.

[ue]

@CMD: Yeah, that's why I said in time. Right now I don't think it would be realistic for an Apple Store right on Jasper (if...and a big IF it were to open downtown in 2010 it would likely in City Centre Mall right now).

@itom: You can't bet on that. Like ibz said, it could just make people living downtown hit Southgate for a weekend shopping trip instead of trying to support Jasper Ave or City Centre or 104th Street. It could go either way, or a mix, but I certainly wouldn't bet on it.

Jasper Ave is a long way before the Apple Stores of the world consider Jasper Avenue as a place they could easily make profit like they do Southgate or West Edmonton Mall. Jasper first needs to actually attract retail other than cash marts (most of the new openings in business spots seem to still be restaurants), which will likely be independent businesses and a few chains like American Apparel or H&M that can sometimes have multiples of locations in cities rather than just 1-3 select ones. I hope Jasper Ave and the Warehouse District can become the de facto urban chain destination of Edmonton, so Whyte Ave can keep it's independent-y scene (as chains seem to know they can make profit there, taking away from the independents).

If there were to be an "urban" Apple store in Edmonton, the only location viable for it today, in 2010, would be Whyte ave/area.