467 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

(double post)

[cakeman]

Hah, sat down with my breakfast, fired up the news and this one was the first article I saw..

Wow.. I guess they decided to stop throwing good money after bad.. So much cash and new buildings down the tubes.. Did NOT expect a total pullout like this.

cakes..

[VicHockeyFan]

I think the bankruptcy protection is a surprise.  Oh well, a whole bunch of work was created renovating the stores, I suppose a whole bunch more work will happen when then become the next thing.

[Nparker]

...I suppose a whole bunch more work will happen when they become the next thing.

Does anyone have a guess as to what that might be? Who is in a position to pick up all or even any of the 133 stores?

[VicHockeyFan]

Does anyone have a guess as to what that might be? Who is in a position to pick up all or even any of the 133 stores?

 

Walmart has the cash.

 

But maybe every major retailer will just say, "you know what, we can get by in this country with 133 less locations".

[sdwright.vic]

I can see Hillside possible becoming a Walmart. Telicum is going to be hard unless they soli it into two stores one level. Walmart has already expressed interest in some of their storestuff. Paint all the red blue.

Edited by sdwright.vic, 15 January 2015 - 07:25 AM.

[sdwright.vic]

I think the bankruptcy protection is a surprise. Oh well, a whole bunch of work was created renovating the stores, I suppose a whole bunch more work will happen when then become the next thing.

They have lost 1 billion dollars.

[Rob Randall]

I would prefer a Costco over a Walmart, solely for Costco's better ethical practices. I don't think it would happen because Costco needs a lot of cheap suburban real estate for their parking lots, auto centres and such. But I guess it could happen. I'm really disappointed, I thought this would be a cheap, hipper alternative to the same old box stores.

 

Seems the empty shelves were the main complaint. Maybe from the start they should have thrown up a false wall and made the stores more compact.

[VicHockeyFan]

Are there still some communities that have resisted allowing Walmart in, at least allowing them to build new stores?

 

This can be a bit of a back way in for them.

[Bingo]

Does anyone have a guess as to what that might be? Who is in a position to pick up all or even any of the 133 stores?

 

Thrifty Foods could knock out a wall and expand into the Hillside Target, creating the largest supermarket in the solar system.

[dasmo]

It's a changing retail landscape these days.... I hope it's not like those empty video stores that are difficult to lease... The old Rogers on Tilicum is now a dollar store....great....

[aastra]

I was just starting to appreciate the Hillside Target, too. I'm not keen on the idea of a Wal-Mart there. It'll probably end up being an expanded Thrifty Foods or maybe a London Drugs or something. Or I suppose the mall could expand into the ground floor and they could move the escalator to where the Starbucks is and do a Marshall's sort of thing on the upper floor.

Edited by aastra, 15 January 2015 - 08:00 AM.

[lanforod]

When do the clearance sales start?

[lanforod]

Both the Shelbourne and Douglas Canadian Tire stores are too small and ancient. I wonder if they would be interested in at least the Hillside Target for a new Canadian Tire.

[sebberry]

I can see Hillside possible becoming a Walmart. Telicum is going to be hard unless they soli it into two stores one level. Walmart has already expressed interest in some of their storestuff. Paint all the red blue.

 

Rumor has it Ikea is looking at converting the Starbucks at Tillicum Target into a meatball outlet.  No word on converting the rest of the store into an Ikea though.

 

I was just thinking about Hillside turning into a Canadian Tire, but Douglas and Shelbourne stores are individually owned, are they not?  I don't see them merging and I think the Shelbourne store does a better job of servicing Gordon Head where they are.  Besides, I don't see where the auto center would go. 

 

On another note, who is going to snag one of the giant red balls in front of the store for their living room?  

Lots of speculation at this point, but one thing is certain: At least one will be a Halloween store at least once.

[lanforod]

I don't see the Canadian Tire stores merging, but I don't think moving from Shelbourne/McKenzie to Shelbourne/Hillside is so far. Not sure about the auto centre though. Could they work that into the back of the mall?

[jonny]

Both the Shelbourne and Douglas Canadian Tire stores are too small and ancient. I wonder if they would be interested in at least the Hillside Target for a new Canadian Tire.

 

Yeah, that would be decent. Is there space for an auto shop though?

 

The whole Target expedition was just chock full of surprises. Why did they buy all of those leases, when some of them were in pretty crummy locations (i.e. Tillicum)? Why did they decide to go Canada-wide, right off the bat? Why did they decide to open 100 stores more or less simultaneously? Why didn't they start off in Ontario, test the market, figure out the supply chain side and expand more methodically? Why couldn't they keep the shelves stocked? Why did they open two in a small market like Victoria?

 

I liked the Hillside Target and shopped there almost weekly. It is clean, has decent prices, parking is good and the location is convenient. It was not Wal Mart, so that was a big plus in my books. Business seemed to have picked up over the past two months. BUT, if you were a Costco or Wal Mart regular, Target probably didn't offer you much.

 

Clearly things were not going well across the country. I'm a bit surprised they are totally shutting down. My money was on a massive pullback, but not on a complete exit.

 

I bet we see a lot of empty Targets across the country. Wal Mart is not going to expand that much. The stores and locations don't seem all that suited to become Costcos or Canadian Tires. Staples and other office stores are going the way of the dodo. The spaces are way too big to become London Drugs or the like.

[jonny]

I don't see the Canadian Tire stores merging, but I don't think moving from Shelbourne/McKenzie to Shelbourne/Hillside is so far. Not sure about the auto centre though. Could they work that into the back of the mall?

 

My entire perspective on Canadian Tire has bee muddied by just how bad (dark, dingy, cramped) the stores are in Victoria (the GH and Douglas locations, anyway). I went to pretty new one in Alberta last summer, and shoot, it was a legitimately nice store.

[sebberry]

My entire perspective on Canadian Tire has bee muddied by just how bad (dark, dingy, cramped) the stores are in Victoria (the GH and Douglas locations, anyway). I went to pretty new one in Alberta last summer, and shoot, it was a legitimately nice store.

 

Sometimes I'll just bypass the local stores and drive to the one in Langford.  It's big, bright and almost nothing is locked up requiring a manager to escort you to the front counter with it. 

[jonny]

Sometimes I'll just bypass the local stores and drive to the one in Langford.  It's big, bright and almost nothing is locked up requiring a manager to escort you to the front counter with it. 

It's weird. They must be independently owned and operated, then? I couldn't see corporate stores being that bad.

 

I go to the Douglas location every once in a while because it's close to my place. The whole experience generally sucks and I am usually in a big hurry to get in and out of there.