364 replies to this topic

[sdwright.vic]

Only Island Safeways closed. All the mainland ones (mostly) stayed open. Ours had to be sold because Sobeys had av strangle hold on the island already with Thrifty's

Edited by sdwright.vic, 15 August 2014 - 06:39 AM.

[HB]

Thanks SV

[VicHockeyFan]

Whole Foods in expansion mode, but no Victoria announcement

 

 

 

http://www.timescolo...ement-1.1616655

 

What may be fueling the rumours is a development-permit-amendment application that has been submitted to the municipality of Saanich for a 45,000-square-foot grocery tenant at Uptown.

 

Uptown general manager Roberta Ferguson would not say which company has taken out the permit, only that it would be a new build along Blanshard Street in what will be Uptown’s third phase of development.

 

According to the application, the firm hired to design the building is Wensley Architecture, which submitted the development permit. Wensley would not comment on who the tenant would be.

 

[concorde]

^I've heard rumors of the third phase moving ahead, but it never made sense to me as there is still a lot of empty space in the existing mall.  I guess this confirms it

[VicHockeyFan]

Seems odd that Walmart does not have a no-compete clause to prevent another grocer (?)

[Rob Randall]

^Questions:

 

• Isn't Saanich obligated to divulge an applicant's name on an active application?
• Where exactly is this site? Isn't the vacant lot reserved for residential towers? This concerns me.
• Why wouldn't they go in that giant space under the clock tower on the main street corner opposite H&M? That seems tailor-made for a grocery.

[VicHockeyFan]

 

• Isn't Saanich obligated to divulge an applicant's name on an active application?

 

According to the application, the firm hired to design the building is Wensley Architecture, which submitted the development permit.

 

Wensley is linked with Thrifty Foods at least here:

 

http://www.comoxvall...html?print=true

 

... and here:   http://www.cnv.org/a... 26 item 17.pdf

[Rob Randall]

^Nice catch. If it were Thrifty, it could be one of Sobey's higher-end stores. I was thinking sort of like Robson Street's MarketPlace IGA but it's confusing, apparently the MarketPlace IGAs are not affiliated with the Sobeys IGAs. 

 

Likewise, if Save-On/Overwaitea is the applicant, it could be an Urban Fare. By going higher-end it wouldn't compete with Wal-Mart's grocery business that much.

[VicHockeyFan]

A little googling by that reporter would have made a much better article.

[sdwright.vic]

There are two lots. One at the end of Uptown Blvd. That is supposed to be phase 3 the the area by the parking structure by Blanshard that is supposed to be the tower.

Edited by sdwright.vic, 22 November 2014 - 02:53 PM.

[spanky123]

Seems strange to me that with a SOF across the street and a Walmart in the same complex there is a need for another grocery store. You could argue that there is no upscale store in the area but then again the current traffic at Uptown and the neighbourhood is hardly upscale.

Perhaps the Cactus Club and the new grocery store are planning something together!

[spanky123]

^I've heard rumors of the third phase moving ahead, but it never made sense to me as there is still a lot of empty space in the existing mall.  I guess this confirms it

Some Uptown stats for you

Number of tenants (not including Morguard) in Nov 2012 45, Nov 2013 57, Nov 2014 63. Phase 2 of Uptown was completed in late 2012. Of the original 45 tenants, 7 are no longer there.

New tenants added in past year

Smile Esthetics
Little Gold
Dynamite Garage
Decade/Flavour
Steve Nash Fitness World Express Pre Sales Kiosk
Nygard Slims
Nature's First Beauty Bar
Elephant Flowers
Flush Bathroom Essentials
Charming Charlie
Classic Designs
The Amazing Traveling Dinosaur Show
Sheer Essentials

[sebberry]

  but then again the current traffic at Uptown and the neighbourhood is hardly upscale.

 

 

I don't know about that.  There's a ton of traffic passing through that area.  A more upscale grocery store would probably do fine.  I'd like to see something new and not another Thrifty/Save On, etc... 

[sdwright.vic]

Shaw is moving their Call Centre there as well as Michaels Crafts relocating.

[Rob Randall]

A little googling by that reporter would have made a much better article.

 

I was walking by the office of Wensley Architects today and their neighbour in the strip mall is the Goldstream Gazette.

[LocalMom]

please for goodness sake not ANOTHER friggin' Thrifty Foods in the area. We already have Cloverdale @ Cook, and the ridiculous small one at Saanich Centre.

 

Whole Foods, Urban Fare - heck, even the SuperStore that was to go where Mayfair Lanes used to be. Something NEW to the area - not more of the same.

[Mike K.]

We've learned that Save On Foods has quietly begun cutting prices throughout the store to better compete with Wal-Mart. This is also a direct response to customer feedback indicating the store was becoming far too expensive, and no doubt impacting sales.

With so many Save Ons throughout the region this is good news for consumers.

[sdwright.vic]

As I stated in the Uptown Thread, I have hears sales are down 40% alone at the Tillicum Store. I can totally see them shuttering the older format stores here in Vic and keeping the Safeway bigger box formats. the two stores (Vic West and Saanich) leased by one of the smaller chains (Country Grocer, QF).

[Mike K.]

Vic West does great business. There's no way they'd close that store down, especially with the growth in population in all directions from West Side.

[Mike K.]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, Save Ons is also introducing price matching. That's huge.