123 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

I hope Reliance will repurpose the CI buildings in a respectful and appropriate manner in any future development.

[UDeMan]

I wonder how much they paid in rent for that store. It's a huge store and they must also have to pay for their parking lot too.

They must also have to deal with lots of shoplifting.

Maybe a good location for the Maritime museum. Right on the water and lots of space for big displays.

[spanky123]

I hope Reliance will repurpose the CI buildings in a respectful and appropriate manner in any future development.

 

I am sure that they will build whatever makes them the most money - like any developer.

 

This isn't a surprise to anyone in the know really. The acquisition of land in the area by several groups has been based on the belief that the City would underwrite (through tax holidays and various grants) a massive redevelopment in the area. With Helps gone it will be interesting to see how many of those plans continue. 

[Nparker]

...Maybe a good location for the Maritime museum. Right on the water and lots of space for big displays.

Indeed it would.

[Victoria Watcher]

I wonder how much they paid in rent for that store. It's a huge store and they must also have to pay for their parking lot too.

They must also have to deal with lots of shoplifting.

Maybe a good location for the Maritime museum. Right on the water and lots of space for big displays.

The Greene family owned all the land and buildings and some more too west of the parking lot.

Unclear how the “tenancy” worked, but his own daughter and son-in-law have owned the store since 1997.

The Greene & Black families will be fine.

They had some good employees, they will find good new jobs. They also had some poor ones.

Lots of fond memories of the place though, as I’m sure most long-time Victorians do.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 October 2022 - 08:58 AM.

[spanky123]

^ I think the question was more along the lines of how much rent would have been paid to Reliance since the property had been sold. When you own your own land it is easy to optimize the rent vs retail profit but presumably Reliance would have wanted market rents.

[jstovell]

CA paid the rents they were paying when we purchased the property. The rent did not go up or change in any way as a result of the Purchase. 

[Victoria Watcher]

^ Thanks, John.

[dasmo]

Sad. It symbolizes and end to an era. I saw a lot of old school shops closed today. 

[dasmo]

We will lose Cherry Bomb Toys soon. I hope they find a spot.

[Mike K.]

I think we knew this was coming when the land sold. It was just a matter of when.

My question is, will the Langford Buckerfield’s also close? It is operated by the same group, no?

[max.bravo]

Yeah, I see this as one of several stores in the same class that have no chance of surviving the next century.

I was in Windsor Plywood the other day and I had to wonder how long a place like that can survive. Excellent selection of general/niche hobby stuff, but 80% of its retail offerings available cheaper at Home Depot or Amazon, and the rest (hardwoods) cheaper and better quality at a true specialty store. Places like this (and capital iron) serve a market that doesn’t exist anymore imo.

[dasmo]

There’s truth to that. But sometimes if you survive long enough you are golden. Like the book stores and the record shops!

[phx]

Yeah, I see this as one of several stores in the same class that have no chance of surviving the next century.
 

 

A century is a long time. Did you mean decade?

[max.bravo]

I meant the century we entered just over 2 decades ago 🥸

[Victoria Watcher]

My question is, will the Langford Buckerfield’s also close? It is operated by the same group, no?

 

I don't think so.

 

 

 

 

 

In 2022, Buckerfield's joined the Stonemark group of companies, a BC-based family business with deep roots in the BC agriculture community. With this, Buckerfield's enduring legacy as BC's original country store is secured for future generations to come - the place where folks come together to find what they need to nourish their animals and nurture the land they love.

 

https://www.buckerfields.ca/about

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 October 2022 - 06:06 PM.

[Mike K.]

Thank you!

[grantpalin]

I remember when Capital Iron opened an outlet store in Gordon head, at the plaza near Shelbourne and Feltham next to the paint store. Don't think it was there all that long. Unfortunate that the business is closing down, it's been a local fixture for so long. At the same time, that part of downtown is long due a serious revitalization, which has already been happening via recent nearby developments.

[Redd42]

We will lose Cherry Bomb Toys soon. I hope they find a spot.

 

Absolutely no sympathy for a "business" that has a Go Fund Me. You are either a business or you are not. They seem to operate as a public institution. 

[Redd42]

The Greene family owned all the land and buildings and some more too west of the parking lot.

Unclear how the “tenancy” worked, but his own daughter and son-in-law have owned the store since 1997.

The Greene & Black families will be fine.

They had some good employees, they will find good new jobs. They also had some poor ones.

Lots of fond memories of the place though, as I’m sure most long-time Victorians do.

 

I've never been fond of the place. They never had any evening hours so those of us with our own businesses could never shop there. Ok, you don't have to copy the big guys (Canadian Tire etc) who are open every night but be open til 9 pm on Thurs or Friday. Nope.

 

I always wondered how their store in Langford did since they kept the same hours there. I realize lots of folks who live in Langford these days also work there. But many do not. They work in Victoria, live in Langford. Their only time to shop is in the evening. But CI had NO evening hours.

 

I have 2 stories about their mean spiritedness but will only tell one. Years ago, before the current staffing shortage and I was perusing the "help wanted" ads, they specifically said in their ads don't bother applying if you applied before and we didn't hire you. Why the need to say that?