The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[SpongeG]

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[whatnext]

Muji at Richmond Centre to open April 28:
https://www.straight.com/life/105881...hmond-location

[officedweller]

A souvenir store - Granville Gifts - opened up in the former Royal Canadian Mint location on Granville St. below Best Buy.


https://twitter.com/GranvilleStreet

[Tetsuo]

Willowbrook Lanes bowls its last strike April 30
https://www.langleytimes.com/news/wi...rike-april-30/

This time it’s certain. April 30 will be Willowbrook Lanes’ last day as a bowling alley.

What has been an institution for Langleyites will shutter to make way for a Korean grocery store called Hannam.

Willowbrook Lanes manager Eileen Seo said many people grew up bowling at Willowbrook Lanes, so it’s really the end of an era.

“There are lots of mixed reactions, some undertone of disappointment, since Willowbrook Lanes has been here for a long time and lots of memories were shared here, such as birthdays, office parties, first dates and sports team windups,” Seo said.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Langley have held their annual bowl-a-thon at Willowbrook Lanes for decades.

Hannam Supermarket Inc. was established on 1998 and was the first Korean supermarket in Vancouver. Currently, there are two locations, one in Burnaby and one in Surrey. But stores are scheduled to open in Vancouver and North Vancouver this year, as well as Langley.

Hannam provide over 20,000 Korean grocery products, including produce, housewares, household appliances and beauty products. The Langley store’s opening date isn’t known yet.

Bowling comment from Reddit

Wow, another bowling alley closing. The old Aberdeen shut down when they built the new mall, Lois lanes in east richmond/queensborough shut down a few years ago, the Richmond one at silver city riverport went bankrupt a couple times but is back up and running again, the one in new west shut down recently, The one in North Van is closing soon and the Town and Country 10 pin at fraser and marine is closing this summer too!

The future is looking bleak for bowling in Metro Vancouver.

The only 10 pin left will be in Lucky 9 at Richmond Silvercity, Revs in Burnaby, and the Zone in Coquitlam.

[officedweller]

From Granville twitter:

H&M expanding down to the lower floor of Pacific Centre
- to be 3 floors total (i.e. reassembling the old Holt Renfrew space (?))


Soon to be 3 floors. Big expansion for @hm Pacific Centre on Granville at Vancouver City Centre.
@hmcanada to move #menswear to the big vacant #retail space below
https://twitter.com/GranvilleStreet

[SpongeG]

hopefully they add in H&M home with the shuffling of the mens.

[nova9]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

hopefully they add in H&M home with the shuffling of the mens.

Plans will not include H&M home. The men's department will move completely downstairs, leaving space on the top floor (future 3rd floor) for woman's lines to expand in space. The overall feel of the store should be more spacious (and allows for wheelchairs/mobility to through every shop fixture (which it currently does not allow). Each department will have a distinctive look - see newer store designs.

Edit: (adding) If the store was able to get leases for adjacent spaces that have since been either renewed or offered to luxury brands, there would've been H&M home.

Edit (again) Also, the outside of the store will look different now. See Toronto flagship for inspiration but more angular than bulbous.

[SpongeG]

that sucks. The H&M home in Edmonton has nice stuff, its a very small section though. maybe 1/2 or less the size of part of the kids section.

[officedweller]

Agreed that the store is very claustrophobic right now.

Originally Posted by nova9

Edit (again) Also, the outside of the store will look different now. See Toronto flagship for inspiration but more angular than bulbous.

Like this? Just big backlit panels?
It'll still match the new cladding on the Cannaccord Tower...


http://walkerglass.com/projects-gallery/hm-store/

[SpongeG]

will vancouver allow such a bright lighting feature? (lol)

[osirisboy]

Off topic but wow look at the shitty lights on Granville, looks like they are covered both inside and out with green crap. I'd love the city to redo the lights, never liked it!

[VanK]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Willowbrook Lanes bowls its last strike April 30
https://www.langleytimes.com/news/wi...rike-april-30/



Bowling comment from Reddit

The loss of bowling alleys across the region is sad. The main problem is that they take up a lot of space and many (ie Revs/Fraser Commons etc) sit on development sites that are worth much more as development sites. I wish there were a way to salvage the bowling alleys. I think an urban 10-pin bowling alley would do quite well ( in terms of usage) in Downtown, places like Oakridge / Marine Gateway but of course the problem is that usage is not profitability and return. Maybe the city needs to start owning some of these bowling alleys and/or make deals with developers to put them in the basements of new developments in return for more density.

[Conrad Yablonski]

Save On Foods is opening in south Kerrisdale the new development at West Boulevard & 49th-certainly seems close to their new store at Dunbar & 41st but what do I know.

[officedweller]

Wow - didn't think that space was that big?

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

Pic by me yesterday

Farmer's Table- the former Waffle Bant space on Robson @ Hamilton:




Not to be confused with
Farm to Table Market
opening at Wall Mansions (Richards & Drake)

https://www.straight.com/food/105938...etown-location

[jollyburger]

24,000 square feet



http://cressey.com/commercial/sterling/

Dunbar was 20-25K square feet.

[officedweller]

Thanks.
24,000 sq ft is a decent size.

Hopefully the street facing windows won't be plastered over with posters

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

Rendering of the expanded H&M Pacific Centre from Kenneth Chan @Daily Hive.

I wonder if the display window will have a straight bottom edge, as shown, or step with the grade, as it is now.
If it's straight, it'll end up 6-7 ft above the sidewalk on the north end (and pointless as a display window)
The rendering has people walking in mid-air.


http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/hm-pa...tore-expansion

Originally Posted by officedweller

Soon to be 3 floors. Big expansion for @hm Pacific Centre on Granville at Vancouver City Centre.
@hmcanada to move #menswear to the big vacant #retail space below
https://twitter.com/GranvilleStreet

[SpongeG]

Oakridge centre is getting the second Vancouver location for Sugarfina.

I walked passed the metrotown store the other day and it was only staff. I don't know who wants to pay $20 for like 10 candies.

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Oakridge centre is getting the second Vancouver location for Sugarfina.

I walked passed the metrotown store the other day and it was only staff. I don't know who wants to pay $20 for like 10 candies.

Noticed this the other day. Replacing Shaw. Interesting that Shaw closed their store where they just opened a new one in Metrotown.

FYI - you can buy a 'taster pack' of 10 candy or more at Sugarfina for $3.50. Not sure why you're spreading such misinformation.


Ron.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

24,000 square feet



http://cressey.com/commercial/sterling/

Dunbar was 20-25K square feet.

I have been looking at it for awhile and the Dunbar store has a high potential for redevelopment. It has a huge amount of surface parking and the store is getting near time for an exterior renovation. It could easily be assembled with the small old retail on the corner of 41st and Dunbar, that small apartment building on Dunbar and the mostly run down SFH behind it. Once they have all that they can purchase the L shaped alley from the city and have the entire block. (a large stretch of the alley already doesn't serve the houses because of the slope and the store doesn't use it either as the loading bay is on the side so it makes sense to remove it)

I can't get the map to imbed:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sa...6!4d-123.18384

[Doodler]

Not sure if this has already been posted, but the Blubird store at 1055 Alberni street will be moving a block west to the old Strellson location at 1108 Alberni. This now frees up another CRU in this luxury zone.