8312 replies to this topic

[James Bay walker]

There's plenty of parkades and lots nearby should people want to drive. Plus using this logic, a 'downtown' would never exist.

There's a gradual increase in downtown residents due to ever growing numbers of new downtown condominum buildings.  Perhaps eventually (50 years?) downtown's businesses will become self-sustaining and not actually need to rely on out of downtown car shoppers.

 

jbw

[VicHockeyFan]

There's a gradual increase in downtown residents due to ever growing numbers of new downtown condominum buildings.  Perhaps eventually (50 years?) downtown's businesses will become self-sustaining and not actually need to rely on out of downtown car shoppers.

 

jbw

 

That's not how downtowns work.

[James Bay walker]

That's not how downtowns work.

Not at present, but it's definitely a trend in Western society, and with all the construction activity, it looks to me like Victoria is following that trend.

 

I seem to recall reading somewhere that some 1,000 or so new condo units are now being built each year within walking distance of downtown Victoria.  Should the trend continue, In fifty years that would be a respectable grouping of resident shoppers.

 

jbw

Edited by James Bay walker, 13 May 2014 - 11:17 AM.

[Mike K.]

300 condo units give or take, on average, are being built each year in downtown Victoria. There are approximately 1,000 units in planning.

 

There are no trends of creating self-sustaining downtowns that are not meant to attract people from elsewhere. The trend is to make commercial deadzones into vibrant day and evening neighbourhoods by mixing office and commercial buildings with residential buildings, something North American cities failed to do for many decades. I can't imagine any downtown anywhere is trying to make itself self-sustaining and no longer appeal to outsiders to work in or shop in.

[Holden West]

After 32 years with the company, Monk Office’s James McKenzie is stepping away from his role as president and chief executive. McKenzie will remain as an owner and continue to play a role as chairman of Monk’s advisory committee.

Mark Breslauer will join Monk as the new chief executive.

 

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.gQdEqnm1.dpuf

 

Interesting and timely development. You can bet as an outsider, this new CEO will not be content with business as usual, he will want to move the company forward. 

 

Recent changes to Fort St. include the closure of self-service and short run press J&L Copy Centre and the closure of Staples Fort location, leaving Monk's Fort and Trounce Alley locations with a lock on the stationery/office business in the Downtown core.

 

In addition, office supplier Grand & Toy have closed all their retail locations across Canada after more than a century in business. They haven't had a retail presence in Victoria for a while but they have a distribution centre in the Victoria Brewery building on Government Street that will remain open. 

 

Tough times in this business. Online sales have hurt the brick and mortar business. What would you guess Staples was paying in rent for that huge Fort Street location? $25 a month per square foot? $30?

 

Will the new CEO of Monk's take a chance and take over the space, putting their ready-made and custom office furniture downstairs? Or will he play it safe and stay put? Monk's owns their Fort/Blanshard building although at only one storey it is a prime redevelopment site.

Edited by Holden West, 14 May 2014 - 07:04 AM.

[thundergun]

Interesting. I wonder if they will be making a play for this http://www.dcv.gov.bc.ca/? Although even though Staples may be shutting down stores it doesn't mean they aren't still competing in supply distribution.

And agreed on the prime redevelopment site!

 

As a result of Core Review, the province has decided that government will be moving to source office products through the private sector and our Distribution Centre will cease to procure, warehouse and ship office products. However, our storage and distribution warehousing operation will continue as is.

 

In the near future, an RFP (Request for Proposal) will be issued for a new vendor to supply the province with office products. It is anticipated that it will be late fall before we move to this new supplier for the sourcing of office products. In the interim, it's business as usual for DCV. We will continue to update as we transition towards this new model.

 

Management and Staff
Distribution Centre Victoria

[spanky123]

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.gQdEqnm1.dpuf

 

Interesting and timely development. You can bet as an outsider, this new CEO will not be content with business as usual, he will want to move the company forward. 

 

Recent changes to Fort St. include the closure of self-service and short run press J&L Copy Centre and the closure of Staples Fort location, leaving Monk's Fort and Trounce Alley locations with a lock on the stationery/office business in the Downtown core.

 

In addition, office supplier Grand & Toy have closed all their retail locations across Canada after more than a century in business. They haven't had a retail presence in Victoria for a while but they have a distribution centre in the Victoria Brewery building on Government Street that will remain open. 

 

Tough times in this business. Online sales have hurt the brick and mortar business. What would you guess Staples was paying in rent for that huge Fort Street location? $25 a month per square foot? $30?

 

Will the new CEO of Monk's take a chance and take over the space, putting their ready-made and custom office furniture downstairs? Or will he play it safe and stay put? Monk's owns their Fort/Blanshard building although at only one storey it is a prime redevelopment site.

 

I like Monk's but I haven't gone there in 10 years. We order everything online and it arrives at our door same day. I don't think that Monk is immune to the challenges the others faced with retail stores.

[Holden West]

^Where do you order from? Why did you choose them? I bet this new CEO will strengthen their online sales. Especially now since Staples and Grand & Toy are in a weakened state.

[Mike K.]

Staples and Grand & Toy are not weakened, they realized most of their business was through online and catalog sales from repeat corporate customers.

The folks shopping for a binder and a pencil in-store don't pay your bills but they are the ones Staples was paying the big bucks to serve.

[Holden West]

I believe Monks is part of a buying consortium along with other independent retailers. I see they're relaunching their online sales site: http://myclips.monk.ca

[VicHockeyFan]

I wonder what percentage of customers will/did order print jobs online, with the final product delivered.  That likely worked for the same type of jobs over and over again from some customers, but certainly Monk will be liking the additional walk-in copy traffic.  For smaller jobs, or unique jobs, many people like to proof before they print 250 menus etc.  With no walk-in location, Staples will lose this.  Of course, I'm not sure how profitable the copy business is.

[Holden West]

 Of course, I'm not sure how profitable the copy business is.

 

Tough. Some of those big colour Xerox machines that do the stapling and binding cost over $100,000 up to $360,000. Companies lease them from the manufacturer and those things get serviced more than a Lamborghini. You need a lot of volume to make a profit.

 

Seeing a physical proof is essential unless you're just running off posters for the church bake sale. A lot can happen between the designer's RGB computer screen and the final CMYK ink on paper image.

Edited by Holden West, 14 May 2014 - 12:32 PM.

[Mike K.]

I don't think anyone doing any serious printing walks into Monks and expects high quality results. For printing that must be at a certain level of quality you go to print shops.

[spanky123]

^Where do you order from? Why did you choose them? I bet this new CEO will strengthen their online sales. Especially now since Staples and Grand & Toy are in a weakened state.

 

Staples.ca mostly. The Monk website is not nearly as easy to use.

[VicHockeyFan]

 

The Original Christmas Village has been closed for some weeks now, after the death of one of the owners.

[Mike K.]

Ok so the death has been confirmed, hey?

 

We had two Christmas stores (Bard and Banker is in the space of a defunct Christmas store) and now there's only one, and it's not open during the peak tourist season which makes me wonder if it's a viable business.

[VicHockeyFan]

Ok so the death has been confirmed, hey?

 

We had two Christmas stores (Bard and Banker is in the space of a defunct Christmas store) and now there's only one, and it's not open during the peak tourist season which makes me wonder if it's a viable business.

 

It was a family business, and quite frankly, the way it was run it was unlikely to survive the death of that owner.

[Holden West]

^Was that the guy that always got angry at customers? The store with all the written rules? The Christmas Nazi?

[VicHockeyFan]

^Was that the guy that always got angry at customers? The store with all the written rules? The Christmas Nazi?

 

Yes, it was.  Strange operation.  Per square foot, that store had more "no touching!" signs than any other in the western world.

[Jill]

I've heard so many horror stories about Christmas Village, but I have to say that the two times I went in -- and with my young children, no less -- the owner was absolutely fine and gave us candy canes.