soundmuseum
Active Member
A quick photo of the inside construction going on for the upcoming T&T at Panda Condos. Sorry for the reflections!
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Northern Light
Superstar
It's not downtown, but Summerhill market will be opening another location on Dundas near Scarlett, just a block to the east of the big Loblaws. Do they purposely seek out sites near railways?
This location opens in February.
JasonParis
Moderator
Is T&T still not slated to open until Spring 2025?
torontowest91
Active Member
Is there a date for summerhill dundas?
Northern Light
Superstar
Target was mid-February, the shelves are mostly stocked, and crew is on-site training. Should be very, very soon.
gregv
Active Member
rdaner
Senior Member
Pusateri’s in Yorkville is closing. I wonder if Farmboy wants a location somewhere around here? Maybe somewhere along Davenport or Bay?
retail-insider.com
Upscale Pusateri’s Fine Foods to Close Yorkville Grocery Store in Toronto After 20 Years
The 5,500 square foot store opened to much fanfare in 2003, with valet parking, private chefs and pricey goods.
retail-insider.com
Richard White
Senior Member
Pusateri’s in Yorkville is closing. I wonder if Farmboy wants a location somewhere around here? Maybe somewhere along Davenport or Bay?
Upscale Pusateri’s Fine Foods to Close Yorkville Grocery Store in Toronto After 20 Years
The 5,500 square foot store opened to much fanfare in 2003, with valet parking, private chefs and pricey goods.
With Whole Foods and Eataly nearby I am not sure if there is a market for them
AlbertC
Superstar
I've worked at the Pusateri's Yorkville over so decade ago during my younger days, and also at the flagship store during my high school days. I'd say the being close to Eataly is what did them in. They were able to co-exist with Whole Foods for the longest time, and the offerings were slightly different. Albeit WF being more extensive if you wanted every day type groceries. Eataly is more in the wheelhouse of what Pusateri's wanted to be like in an urban location.
Northern Light
Superstar
Pusateri's has not set a foot right in years...
They've outright closed the Sherway location (and guess whose there now, Eataly)........
They've left the Sak's location at Queen/Yonge to rot, more than 1/2 closed, it was really close to a great idea previously, but needed some tweaks to move more product; but its barely a shell of itself now. Like so many retailer's that fail, its tried to cut its way to success reducing service, product, and innovation, rather than reinvesting in same. They also entered and failed in Oakville a long time ago.
With Yorkville gone, they're down to the flagship, Bayview Village and Little Italy.
Their senior management should walk the plank for all the money flushed down the toilet.
Pusateri's at its best could have done well in Forest Hill with a full service store; or in Leaside, or near Bloor West Village or Bloor/Kingsway.
But they've persisted in going into the wrong locations, and 1/2 assing it as if they owned the market.
The result has been that Eataly in particular is owning them, but at a smaller scale, Summerhill Market is taking it to them as well.
Whole Foods has been a complete laggard in the Ontario market the last decade plus, that's probably been Pusateri's only saving grace.
At their current rate, the flagship will be gone in 5 years.
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rdaner
Senior Member
I wonder if the Loblaws at Jarvis and QQE is up for redevelopment now?
www.thestar.com
Loblaw spending more than $2B to build more than 40 new stores, renovate hundreds
The company also plans to renovate more than 700 other locations.
www.thestar.com
Richard White
Senior Member
Honestly, Pusateris in Yorkville always felt like a deli to me more than anything. It struck me as a small neighborhood deli that sells groceries on the side. I never saw the draw of the store.
Pusateris was great in the 1990s when the market for luxury grocery items was served by 1 or 2 players. Now with Whole Foods, Eataly and even Farm Boy you are getting competition leaving them behind.
Unfortunately, they have failed to adapt to a changing market and thought they could rely on existing clientele. Honestly, those clientele are moving on and going elsewhere. As the clientele gets younger they want modern convenience not overpriced olives and groceries.
Northern Light
Superstar
LOL Equating them with a deli is going at least one step too far.
They sold a relatively full grocery line, they had a cafe, a great dessert/pastry counter, a selection of Olive Oils that was outstanding, and many other fine features.
They were always weak on crowding/narrow aisles, produce (lack of depth, lack of high end, like wild mushrooms), not enough high-end in the meat counter (Kobe); not enough flash/service for the price point. (though they were well intended on this one, the sheer crowding made it very challenging to achieve).
If they simply had 50% more front-of-house space, I think they could make Yorkville work brilliantly. They couldn't do that in their current spot; but why they didn't move to relocate during a period of abnormally low retail rents in the area..... is beyond me.
I think they could absolutely have flagshipped Yorkville, though that would have meant tripling the space, which would be a bit harder to find, and they would frankly have to have poached marketshare from from both Whole Foods and Eataly to make those numbers work.
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christiesplits
Senior Member
I had a friend who worked at the Bayview Village location who said they would regularly get the Maple Leaf meat, take off the wrapping, and mark it up. For many customers, they were just in the store for the fancy Pusateri's bag.
Northern Light
Superstar
Pustateri's had real Parma Ham and decent Prosciutto which you don't get from Maple Leaf; but sure, if you're going to Pusateri's and buying Baloney you get what you deserve. LOL