EdmTrekker
Senior Member
When you say expanding from WEM - is this a relocation or another store?
|
|
|
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
Gronk!
Senior Member
JD Sports just opened today!
Across the aisle from JD Sports is yet another optical shop that is opening soon:
Across the aisle from JD Sports is yet another optical shop that is opening soon:
Gronk!
Senior Member
Next door to JD Sports
policyenthusiast
Active Member
|
Gronk!
Senior Member
Can't wait to see what will happen with the Hudson's Bay space
policyenthusiast
Active Member
More big-box retail would be prolonging the inevitable, this space needs to be subdivided into more stores with lower rent. There's just no business with the margins & scale to make this scale of commercial space succeed.
TAS
Senior Member
And as that space gets subdivided perhaps more bad news then on the downtown retail prospects.
Gronk!
Senior Member
How do you know if they'll be subdivided into smaller retail stores? For all we know, the Bay space could be subdivided into other uses. How about a food/pub hall, recreational activities including a pickleball court and a running track, a bowling alley and a greenhouse?
Then again, I can suggest the same things for the empty spaces at ECC.
Then again, I can suggest the same things for the empty spaces at ECC.
David A
Senior Member
They already have a food area, so I doubt that, but perhaps something else non retail. However, if non retail was lucrative I suspect that would have happened more already in both malls, but something entertainment or recreational would be nice.
I suspect they will try do something similar to what they did with the old Target space and divide it up into smaller retail stores. Maybe there are a few things that want a Kingwsay location that aren't already there, but it already seems to have most of the major retail chains. However, I suppose they could also try do what West Ed did with the old Sears space and put in a car dealership or something like that.
_urbanite
Senior Member
Some might groan at this idea, but given the proximity to the Royal Alex, Glenrose, and now the new Norwood continuing care centre, I could see this part of the mall be turned into a medical offices and services wing, similar to Meadowlark and the 2nd level of Northgate Mall. There's already a dentist and optometrist located right beside this space
Coprolite
Active Member
Because malls in general in North America are running on razor thin margins and deferring maintenance as is, and keeping the lights on is going to require that space to pay rent or directly pump revenue into the mall, and be comparatively low cost for the mall itself. The only one that really fits the bill is the "food hall", or as we've traditionally referred to them when they occur in malls, a food court. The rest are very low revenue relative to volume.
Bear in mind that over a decade and a half ago, this mall had to give up everything that made it distinct and even remotely pleasant because it was no longer economical to maintain foliage in its common areas, and the costs of heating and electricity in this province have climbed dramatically since then.
Last edited:
David A
Senior Member
I'm not sure having more medical offices and services will make it the mall more lively, but better to have the space filled with some good paying tenants than vacant.
It also does make sense here particularly given the proximity to several major health care facilities nearby.
policyenthusiast
Active Member
"boring" tenants still bring people into the retail space. Having people walking around malls for reasons other than discretionary spending is a great thing, especially with how people are tightening up their wallets.
David A
Senior Member
Maybe a few, but the problem is many people coming in for a medical appointment are not coming to buy clothes.
If you have a health issue, you may not even be up to walking around a lot and getting a big dental bill or anticipating it does not make a person want to spend.
So you tend to see the malls with lots of medical and related tenants usually the other retail tenants are not that thriving.
If you have a health issue, you may not even be up to walking around a lot and getting a big dental bill or anticipating it does not make a person want to spend.
So you tend to see the malls with lots of medical and related tenants usually the other retail tenants are not that thriving.
policyenthusiast
Active Member
There is a balance to be struck, for sure. Retail spaces providing inelastic goods and services tend to pay their rent on time even in a weakening economy, but it's not going to revitalize a mall by increasing the consumer base.
Sort of like eating oatmeal for 3 meals per day until your next paycheck comes in.