Calgary Retail Thread

[Surrealplaces]

Unfortunately I think the Bay is done either way. Department stores that aren't discount places like Walmart face a tough battle. In today's world the mall itself is basically one large department store, offering much better options than a contained department store. Even with financial re-structuring I would be surprised if the Bay lasted more than 2-3 years.

I could see the Bay coming back as a smaller store selling products using the Bay branding

 

[badc0ffee]

I think you're right. It may be time to retire the concept of the department store being an "anchor" when it's not what's driving people to (successful) malls like Chinook.

I could see the Bay coming back as a smaller store selling products using the Bay branding

If Home Outfitters still existed, maybe that would have worked. They could keep selling their blankets.

 

[AtlanticAvenue]

I'd love if they continued with small stores, that just sold the HBC stripes blankets and what not. Those things are a Canadian staple.

 

[trtcttc]

Decathlon is actively searching for ways to get out of some of their leases.

Really? I actually quite enjoy their stuff. Their ecommerce is pretty good so I assume they want to downsize the footprint and not exit Calgary entirely

 

[Roaring Flames]

'Iconic': Downtown Calgary Hudson's Bay building served as a template for retail empire

The 112-year-old Hudson's Bay building now facing its retail demise was a template for the shopping empire in western Canada.

calgaryherald.com

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Looks to be official, there will be no more Hudson Bay stores west of Toronto. Only 6 stores are avoiding liquidation starting Monday. End of an era, a very long era.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/hudsons-bay-jobs-store-closures-1.7489551

 

[MichaelS]

Calgary’s retail market booms as vacancy rates fall

Calgary's population growth remains the highest in the country, driven by international immigration and interprovincial migration.

retail-insider.com

Hopeully this means that large spaces like The Bay downtown building, and the large anchor spaces in the malls, get absorbed quickly.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Calgary’s retail market booms as vacancy rates fall

Calgary's population growth remains the highest in the country, driven by international immigration and interprovincial migration.

retail-insider.com

Hopeully this means that large spaces like The Bay downtown building, and the large anchor spaces in the malls, get absorbed quickly.

Article points to the opposite. Small space demand is high. And it also pointed to a lack of new spaces available. Maybe some of those developments with CRUs like those around Marda Loop and other places are filling their commercial/retail spaces.

 

[Nawads]

Article points to the opposite. Small space demand is high. And it also pointed to a lack of new spaces available. Maybe some of those developments with CRUs like those around Marda Loop and other places are filling their commercial/retail spaces.

Chinook talks about how there's lots of stores that want to open there but they don't have spaces of the right size available. I think loosing the bay, saks, and Nordstroms, they will have to do some major renovations to those spaces.

 

[Mountain Man]

Chinook should add a second food court in one of those spaces, something that highlights local foods like First Street Market does.

 

[Surrealplaces]

Chinook talks about how there's lots of stores that want to open there but they don't have spaces of the right size available. I think loosing the bay, saks, and Nordstroms, they will have to do some major renovations to those spaces.

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe they could put an atrium and the middle and have the stores around the perimeter.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Chinook talks about how there's lots of stores that want to open there but they don't have spaces of the right size available. I think loosing the bay, saks, and Nordstroms, they will have to do some major renovations to those spaces.

This is why CF gave The Bay a loan to stay open a few years back writing off the loan was cheaper than renovating the space. Chinook has an opportunity to use The Bay to connect that second floor dead-end to the first floor outside The Bay. Should be easy for them to do that, probably not cheap but easy lol. As for Nordstrom and Saks... Maybe in the Saks there's the opportunity for a food hall and entertainment space like Rec Room+? Nordstrom could be a Canadian Tire? I think they were going to go to Deerfoot meadows but Chinook could be handy?

I know CF had plans for further expansion, maybe now is the time? I do think there's opportunity for them to do some residential here too, although maybe they don't do that?

 

[Colinfill]

I think it would be cool if they put a Time Out Market food hall at the downtown location similar to the one in Montreal or even an Eataly would be great

 

[lemongrab]

I kinda hate most things about Canadian Tire...but it's also kinda my favourite store to visit (and I basically hate doing shopping in person). I feel like there could be some kind of fit under their umbrella with Sport Chek, Marks, etc. Would be nice for some of the Canadian identity things like the blankets to get back under a long time Canadian brand. Not sure what it would really look like though

I guess this is what it looks like:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/hudson-s-bay-stripes-candian-tire-1.7536366

 

[Roaring Flames]

Apparently MEC is now returning to Canadian ownership again: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mountain-equipment-company-mec-sold-1.7538013