Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship (Queen & Yonge)

[Filip]

IF you live anywhere near that subway line.

Unfortunately that's not the case for 80% of people in the city. I have very little respect for companies that move to the suburbs to save money. You're angering your workforce, raising their cost to work (driving vs public transit) and contributing to an ugly paysage of squat, sprawling office buildings surrounded by fields of parking.

I understand moving call centres and IT support - but central HQ staff? No thanks.

 

[TOareaFan]

IF you live anywhere near that subway line.

Unfortunately that's not the case for 80% of people in the city. I have very little respect for companies that move to the suburbs to save money. You're angering your workforce, raising their cost to work (driving vs public transit) and contributing to an ugly paysage of squat, sprawling office buildings surrounded by fields of parking.

I understand moving call centres and IT support - but central HQ staff? No thanks.

Not every commute can/will be easy from all points to all points. If, however, subways are the spine of our transit system, then being a short and comfortable bus ride from a subway can't be a horrible commute (in the large...but for some it will be and it sounds like you fall into that category).

EDIT: I will add if 80% of the people in the city don't live anywhere near the YUS...we may have a different problem.

 

[Filip]

Not every commute can/will be easy from all points to all points. If, however, subways are the spine of our transit system, then being a short and comfortable bus ride from a subway can't be a horrible commute (in the large...but for some it will be and it sounds like you fall into that category).

EDIT: I will add if 80% of the people in the city don't live anywhere near the YUS...we may have a different problem.

Let's say for someone living near downtown... An hour on the subway to get to ZUM and another 15-20 minutes? That's without delays.. You could easily look at a daily 4h commute.

No thanks! I think my 20-30 minute commute each way is close to my limit...

 

[AndreaPalladio]

On a side note....does anyone remember the stand alone Dunhill shop in the Simpsons Bay street frontage?

No! But I remeber the stand alone Polo/Ralph Lauren shop that was where Bannock is now.

 

[TOareaFan]

Let's say for someone living near downtown... An hour on the subway to get to ZUM and another 15-20 minutes? That's without delays.. You could easily look at a daily 4h commute.

No thanks! I think my 20-30 minute commute each way is close to my limit...

Fair enough....but the reverse of the argument that you seem to be making is that all jobs should be downtown and the suburbs should revert back to being bedroom communities where everyone has that same sort of commute.

What you described is a fairly typical commute from those suburbs to downtown. I happen to be one of the proponents of the theory that we should have a mix of housing and employment in all of the municipalities and that would be a very strong contributor to easing our traffic and transit congestion.

We have strayed a bit of topic but your original suggestion that no one can commute Torbram and Queen without a car is akin to say that no one could commute from Brampton to DT without one....neither is true. The Toronto to Brampton commute is doable now....and all I was pointing out was that it will be better in the not too distant future.....but, again, no location is perfect for all.

 

[thecharioteer]

Gee...where shall I buy my LV bag today...shall I buy it in the stand-alone store on Bloor, or at the shop-in-shop at Holts, or the shop-in-shop at Saks, or the shop-in-shop at Nordstroms?

You will buy it where you get the best service, with the widest selection in the most attractive environment (and in a location that is convenient for you). The high-end stores are based on service (particularly Nordstrom's) with knowledgeable and sufficient sales staff. Good housekeeping is a minimum. Notwithstanding HBC's pedigree (and recent improvements under Bonnie Brooks), their stores have never been close to reaching the standards of a Saks, Neiman-Marcus or Nordstrom's (even in The Room).

 

[Filip]

Fair enough....but the reverse of the argument that you seem to be making is that all jobs should be downtown and the suburbs should revert back to being bedroom communities where everyone has that same sort of commute.

What you described is a fairly typical commute from those suburbs to downtown. I happen to be one of the proponents of the theory that we should have a mix of housing and employment in all of the municipalities and that would be a very strong contributor to easing our traffic and transit congestion.

We have strayed a bit of topic but your original suggestion that no one can commute Torbram and Queen without a car is akin to say that no one could commute from Brampton to DT without one....neither is true. The Toronto to Brampton commute is doable now....and all I was pointing out was that it will be better in the not too distant future.....but, again, no location is perfect for all.

Primarily it's the convenient access for most suburbanites to the GO Network that gets you downtown and back in a reasonable amount of time. It's the only place in Toronto that is convenient to get to no matter where you live in the GTA.

 

[TOareaFan]

Primarily it's the convenient access for most suburbanites to the GO Network that gets you downtown and back in a reasonable amount of time. It's the only place in Toronto that is convenient to get to no matter where you live in the GTA.

It is the same convenience you described above in your 1 hour subway ride and 15 - 20 minute bus ride from DT to the Bay at Torbram. By the time someone finds their way (by car or public transit) to the GO station, DT is about 1:20 from Brampton.

Anyway, all we have established is that the Bay is not a prospective employer for you at that location

 

[Tuscani01]

It's quite unfortunate. I wonder how they attract/retain talent if the offices are in Brampton. When downtown, all employees can get there semi-easily given GO Transit. I could never 'commute' to Brampton from where I live unless I drove.. And oh my.. That drive would be quite a drive... If my employer said my position is being shifted to Mississauga - I would leave, and so would most of the younger talent.

It's sad to have such myopic companies in this city.

Most of the talent comes from the burbs, so it only makes sense. Parking and ease of access makes the Brampton location superior. You should see the parking lot at 2180 Yonge for CT. Completely packed from all the 905'ers that commute in. It's the reason we wanted to move to Leslie-Sheppard. When Target moved in, we lost a ton of people from the 905. Target wasn't offering more in pay, it was just more convenient for most.

Not to mention vendors visiting usually are only in the city for a few hours before hopping on a plane to go back home. Being near the airport is a huge asset. A lot of vendors also have their home offices or distribution centres in the 905, so being close to those makes it much easier for everyone.

Edit: Oh, and home offices need a lot of storage space for product that gets reviewed. Its not just people that a retailers home office holds.

 

[canmark]

Globe: Saks Fifth Avenue plans to up luxury factor in Canada

Department-store retailer Saks Fifth Avenue will arrive in Canada with a format designed specifically for this country that’s even more upscale than its current U.S. stores.

Richard Baker, chief executive officer of Hudson’s Bay Co., which acquired U.S.-based Saks Inc. last year, said on Tuesday the Canadian stores – up to seven mainstream ones in all – will have some distinct domestic touches, possibly luxury “food halls,†when they arrive starting in 2016.

* * *

He said his team is considering ways to adapt the Saks stores to the Canadian consumer, including opening its first “food halls,†patterned on food offerings in the British luxury Harrods stores. Perhaps not coincidentally, he has hired a former Harrods executive, Marigay Mckee, to head up Saks. She was a key part of a makeover at Harrods.

Mr. Baker is looking at teaming up with another food purveyor to run the Saks food halls. The popular Italian-themed Eataly eatery and food retailer, which operates in New York and Chicago as well as Europe and Asia, is looking for space in Canada, sources have said. Mr. Baker had no comment about who he is considering.

Ms. Mckee has said she wants to introduce even higher end lines to Saks. Mr. Baker said on Tuesday he’d like to make them “uber luxurious stores with world class product and designers.â

 

[marsh]

Globe: Saks Fifth Avenue plans to up luxury factor in Canada

What 's luxury "foodhall" and why look to Harrods? He seems imply that Canadians are familiar with these foodhalls and that Canada is still a British colony - and while that may have been our roots- Canada is incrediby diverse and I would argue complex blend of cultures.

I also dont get why they want to go"uber" luxury. Canada is a small market with not nearly the wealth that there is in the US. Personally its frustrating that retailers are either chasing the low end or the very high end - its Walmart or Holts/Saks - there seems to be no middle market left.

 

[someMidTowner]

"Shrinkng middle-class" rationale maybe?

 

[Skeezix]

What 's luxury "foodhall" and why look to Harrods? He seems imply that Canadians are familiar with these foodhalls and that Canada is still a British colony - and while that may have been our roots- Canada is incrediby diverse and I would argue complex blend of cultures.

I also dont get why they want to go"uber" luxury. Canada is a small market with not nearly the wealth that there is in the US. Personally its frustrating that retailers are either chasing the low end or the very high end - its Walmart or Holts/Saks - there seems to be no middle market left.

I don't think he's implying that Canada is a colony. Harrod's food hall is famous, and a large number of Canadians are familiar with it (although I personally think Harrods is the ninth circle of hell). In any event, Baker was speaking to reporters at an annual meeting, and his audience there would have known to what he was referring. He was simply informing the press of one model after which they are patterning their food hall. It doesn't mean that it won't reflect the local market (in any event, London is pretty diverse itself, and the food halls at Harrods, Selfridges, etc. are hardly all crumpets and marmalade). He says that he is also looking at a number of food purveyors.

As for the disappearing middle market, I wouldn't blame HBC for that. It's been happening for a long time. Blame the Canadian consumer, who wants to pay as little as possible for clothing and other goods, unless it has a luxury label on it (in which case the dollar value does not need to have any relationship with the actual value of the product).

 

[Tulse]

As for the disappearing middle market, I wouldn't blame HBC for that. It's been happening for a long time. Blame the Canadian consumer, who wants to pay as little as possible for clothing and other goods, unless it has a luxury label on it (in which case the dollar value does not need to have any relationship with the actual value of the product).

Also blame increase income disparity -- fewer consumers fit in that middle market.

 

[LNahid2000]

What 's luxury "foodhall" and why look to Harrods? He seems imply that Canadians are familiar with these foodhalls and that Canada is still a British colony - and while that may have been our roots- Canada is incrediby diverse and I would argue complex blend of cultures.

Harrod's Food Hall is pretty famous...a foodie's dream. I'd love to have something like this in Canada, though I'm skeptical it would even come close to matching Harrod's Food Hall.