The Bay Queen St. Restoration?

[MetroMan1000]

I'm wondering with the acquisition of HBC by Jerry Zucker if there would be a revival of the downtown department store...

Wouldn't it be a great move to restore the downtown flagship store to its previous grandeur?

Department stores around north america like Neiman Marcus in San Francisco have become attractions in themselves.

The Bay Queen St. could do the same. Restore some of the historic features in the interior and make the store a tourist destination. Right now, I see tourists flocking to the Eaton Centre and ignoring The Bay entirely which is a pity.

With online shopping on the rise and discount retailers proliferating like wildfire, the only thing department stores have going for themselves is "experience shopping". Making an event out of going shopping is where The Bay needs to go and I'd love to see them start with The Bay Queen St.

Any suggestions?

 

[Oliver Tweed]

I think it's a great idea. I wonder if the store is big enough to really make an impact in the way you are thinking.

 

[building babel]

What "historic features in the interior" are there?

 

[tudararms]

I seem to recall a fairly big renovation several years ago. It was the main, street level floor at least.

The big 'downtown' department stores in the U.S. seem to be enjoying a bit of a resurgence in popularity, no doubt corresponding with the many downtown urban reclamation projects coming to fruition in some large urban centres there. Maybe also in reaction to Wal Mart-type big box stores. Department stores in Toronto just don't seem to be doing as well in comparison, especially given the size and density of our city. I scratch my head at this, and it's been discussed many times here before. I just can't undestand why Yonge Dundas isn't a hub for many big international flagship department stores. Maybe it will be when the area is finished?

 

[interchange42]

The store is easily big enough to have an tourism impact if it were to be spruced up. Besides a restoration, I'd also cut an atrium all the way up through it near the east end where there is just the double-height section now.

And since it's The Bay, I'd really leverage their heritage a lot more, and introduce crap like canoe-shaped push carts to stick your kids in while you shop. The kids would get a nerf paddle to play with. Of course, when shopping there I'd bring along a replica taser with sparking action to scare any kids that might try to nerf me: there's always give and take with these things.

42

 

[MetroMan1000]

Working as a promotional person for Calvin Klein some time ago, I had access to stock rooms. These stock room have no false ceilings and you can see what's hidden under all the drywall coverups. There are beautifully detailed pillars and ceilings.

I'm sure there's more to the store than what you see today. Alot has been covered up in the many renovations that happened. After all, this is an old building, the original interior is bound to have older "historical" features all over.

 

[building babel]

Maybe ramp the entire interior, like Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral at the New York Guggenheim, so shoppers can portage from the ground floor to the seventh, pushing canoe-shaped shopping carts?

 

[disparishun]

I love it! Portaging aside, though, is the U.S. movement a bit along the lines of the Printemps and Galeries Lafayette grands magasins on Haussman Boulevard in Paris? Because that would be an amazing thing for the Bay to imitate.

 

[alklay]

They are using the exact same Christmas windows as last year (Narnia, as sponsored by Disney). It clearly is a cost cutting measure. Such moves do not bode well for the hope of the new owners spending money on any 'renovation.'

 

[Darkstar416]

The store's a cluttered mess, especially at Christmas. They need to really figure out what they want to be and stop trying to be everything to everyone.

 

[thenay]

I agree Darkstar416, one of the reasons why I don't shop there. I hate cluttered stores!

 

[SD2]

This thread is right up miketoronto's alley.

Too bad he doesn't stop by anymore.

 

[simply Dan]

I hate cluttered stores!

Me too. The Apple Store is the opposite - a temple to minimalism, cluttered by irritating people as opposed to merchandise. I suppose that's a good thing for business!

 

[wyliepoon]

I don't think that any renovation to The Bay should necessarily involve historical restoration. Bringing in a top-quality interior designer/architect to redesign the place would have a good effect.

The Bay Queen Street is the location of the head office of HBC, which is one of the world's oldest existing commercial companies, and the flagship store for the largest city in the country. It's time that it should act like one.

Here are some suggestions that I think might make The Bay Queen Street better:

- Devote some space, maybe an entire floor, as a museum for HBC... something like Ottawa's Museum of Civilization, with nice models and scenes to tell the story of HBC.
- A rooftop patio for us skyscraper fans- you can see skyscrapers in every direction from that rooftop. It could be connected to the Cityview Cafe.
- One floor that only sells Canadian products, and I'm not just talking about souvenirs like T-shirts and maple syrup and plush bears... it should sell anything that is "Made in Canada".
- To celebrate the ethnic diversity of Toronto, there could be floors that simulate department stores from countries around the world. One floor could be designed to look like a major European department store, while another would look like an Asian department store, etc.
- To attract younger crowds, one floor should be entirely devoted to electronics- TVs, computers, video games, MP3 players, etc. When the PS4 comes out, people won't have to line up outside Best Buy... they can wait in the elegance of The Bay Queen Street store!

 

[Ed007Toronto]

Considering the company makes no money:
- giving up a floor of sales space to a museum? How do they make money from that?
- a patio for skyscraper fans? They are a retailer. Where's the money in this?
- Made In Canada? Is there enough stuff made in Canada to fill a floor? And is there demand for these items?
- how does a European department store differ from an Asian or Canadian one?
- a floor for electronics? They can't compete with Best Buy on prices because their volume is nowhere close to Best Buy/Future Shop. Especially if its one store only. Also wouldn't get the ad co-op dollars that Best Buy gets. Main reason Tower Records left Canada. Two stores put them at a big disadvantage to the chains.

They need a compelling business reason to try any of these things. I just don't see that in these ideas.