S
samsonyuen
Guest
Re: Winners on Bloor
Crazy to think that Winners is almost 25 years old. I wonder when TJX Cos. bought it.
Crazy to think that Winners is almost 25 years old. I wonder when TJX Cos. bought it.
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S
samsonyuen
Guest
Re: Winners in Yorkville
^Yay!
I find Best Buy to have more expensive products, and they don't sell as many entry level items or as diverse a range (ie washers and dryers). Plus, their staff aren't commission-based like Future Shop, which is a plus.
Here's something totally different:
________________________________
November 17, 2005
Winners moves in on Bloor St. W.
By TED FLETT, TORONTO SUN
Discount clothing may seem an odd pairing with the mix of posh boutiques and department stores on Bloor St. W., but the two will come together today when Winners opens its doors and joins the neighbourhood.
"Bloor St. is a fashion destination and we're a fashion destination"," said Shannon Johnson, Winners' manager of public relations, of the new location at 110 Bloor St. W.
"Our customers are looking for brand names and designer labels so we feel it's a good fit."
But not without some tweaking.
The store, which employs 140 associates, has forgone the trademark raspberry and royal blue sign, opting for a sleeker black and white logo to blend with the street.
Inventory will include men's and women's apparel, footwear and jewelry, omitting children's wear and home decor.
"The timing is great to offer our fashion-savvy customers gift-giving ideas and holiday dressing," Johnson said.
"An additional business means additional traffic," said Briar Delange, general manager of the Bloor Yorkville Business Improvement Area, who isn't concerned that Winners might stick out like a sore thumb.
"I was shocked at first but I'll probably check it out," said Katy Kingsley, 19, of North York.
"I work on Bloor St. but I can't afford to shop on Bloor St. Maybe now I'll start."
"It will probably make Gucci and Prada shoppers annoyed because there will be more traffic but I don't have an issue with it," said Helen Heaps, who lives in the neighbourhood.
^Yay!
I find Best Buy to have more expensive products, and they don't sell as many entry level items or as diverse a range (ie washers and dryers). Plus, their staff aren't commission-based like Future Shop, which is a plus.
Here's something totally different:
________________________________
November 17, 2005
Winners moves in on Bloor St. W.
By TED FLETT, TORONTO SUN
Discount clothing may seem an odd pairing with the mix of posh boutiques and department stores on Bloor St. W., but the two will come together today when Winners opens its doors and joins the neighbourhood.
"Bloor St. is a fashion destination and we're a fashion destination"," said Shannon Johnson, Winners' manager of public relations, of the new location at 110 Bloor St. W.
"Our customers are looking for brand names and designer labels so we feel it's a good fit."
But not without some tweaking.
The store, which employs 140 associates, has forgone the trademark raspberry and royal blue sign, opting for a sleeker black and white logo to blend with the street.
Inventory will include men's and women's apparel, footwear and jewelry, omitting children's wear and home decor.
"The timing is great to offer our fashion-savvy customers gift-giving ideas and holiday dressing," Johnson said.
"An additional business means additional traffic," said Briar Delange, general manager of the Bloor Yorkville Business Improvement Area, who isn't concerned that Winners might stick out like a sore thumb.
"I was shocked at first but I'll probably check it out," said Katy Kingsley, 19, of North York.
"I work on Bloor St. but I can't afford to shop on Bloor St. Maybe now I'll start."
"It will probably make Gucci and Prada shoppers annoyed because there will be more traffic but I don't have an issue with it," said Helen Heaps, who lives in the neighbourhood.
G
ganjavih
Guest
Re: Winners in Yorkville
And thankfully so. The sign is very tasteful and sleek.
The store, which employs 140 associates, has forgone the trademark raspberry and royal blue sign, opting for a sleeker black and white logo to blend with the street.
And thankfully so. The sign is very tasteful and sleek.
3
3Dementia
Guest
Re: Winners in Yorkville
This is Toronto issues or its own portfolio/dept/section.
Popular? yes. In da right place? No.
**** I hate shoppin'....
This is Toronto issues or its own portfolio/dept/section.
Popular? yes. In da right place? No.
**** I hate shoppin'....
D
Darkstar416
Guest
Re: Winners in Yorkville
Out & About seems as good of a place for this as any.
Out & About seems as good of a place for this as any.
S
samsonyuen
Guest
You're right, it's open on the 19th.
__________________________________________
Retail: Let Them Shop Chic
by Jeff Sanford, Canadian Business Magazine
When discount retailer Winners set up shop on Toronto's upscale Bloor Street West, some eyebrows were raised. But the buyers have spoken: cross-shopping is hot.
2005-12-26
When a Chapters bookstore gave up its lease at 110 Bloor St. W.--a prime bit of property along the upscale shopping district between Yonge Street and Avenue Road in Toronto--few guessed the new tenant would be popular mass-retailer Winners.
But it was. And the arrival of the "off-price" retailer on this exclusive stretch of real estate (Tiffany's is across the street) provoked an amusingly mixed reaction from local proprietors. "I can see them bringing in more traffic," the manager of a nearby Prada boutique, Kin Wong, was quoted as saying at the time. "[But] obviously, they're not our clients."
He's partly right. Many of Winners' clients are middle-class Canadians who appreciate the retailer's modestly appointed stores, where prices are generally 20% to 60% lower than anywhere else. But there is another Winners shopper, says Shannon Johnson, a spokesperson for the chain. She points out that it is often the same person who shops both at designer boutiques and at Winners. "The Winners shopper is someone who loves designer labels," says Johnson.
Welcome to retailing 2006, where the middle ground is giving way to a mixture of up- and downscale shopping. Consumers will pick up designer items along with discount lower-price goods, mixing a little cachet in with a lot of affordability. And Winners on Bloor is just one example of this. Consider groceries: a one-stop trip to Loblaws no longer cuts it. Instead, people head to organic food stores for a few quality items, and Costco for the low-cost bulk stuff.
"Twenty years ago peo-ple went down or up market. Now they cross-shop," says John Williams, a senior partner at J. C. Williams Group, a retailing consultancy. "We're seeing the popularization of high-end fashion districts. H&M and Gap are on 5th Avenue in Manhattan; [Winners] is on Bloor Street."
Perhaps this helps explain the ongoing struggles at Hudson's Bay Co., and Sears Canada Inc., two traditional department stores that represent the classic middle point of Canadian retailing. Neither are doing so hot in the revenue department; the trend to cross-shopping might be part of the reason why. After all, a trip to Sears won't guarantee cachet, but will pack a substantial bill for the everyday stuff (as compared to Winners' deep discounts).
Torontonians have caught on to the new trend. A recent visit to Bloor Street's Winners revealed packed aisles, and a 20-minute wait for the change room. The people have spoken: they want their chic--for cheap.
__________________________________________
Retail: Let Them Shop Chic
by Jeff Sanford, Canadian Business Magazine
When discount retailer Winners set up shop on Toronto's upscale Bloor Street West, some eyebrows were raised. But the buyers have spoken: cross-shopping is hot.
2005-12-26
When a Chapters bookstore gave up its lease at 110 Bloor St. W.--a prime bit of property along the upscale shopping district between Yonge Street and Avenue Road in Toronto--few guessed the new tenant would be popular mass-retailer Winners.
But it was. And the arrival of the "off-price" retailer on this exclusive stretch of real estate (Tiffany's is across the street) provoked an amusingly mixed reaction from local proprietors. "I can see them bringing in more traffic," the manager of a nearby Prada boutique, Kin Wong, was quoted as saying at the time. "[But] obviously, they're not our clients."
He's partly right. Many of Winners' clients are middle-class Canadians who appreciate the retailer's modestly appointed stores, where prices are generally 20% to 60% lower than anywhere else. But there is another Winners shopper, says Shannon Johnson, a spokesperson for the chain. She points out that it is often the same person who shops both at designer boutiques and at Winners. "The Winners shopper is someone who loves designer labels," says Johnson.
Welcome to retailing 2006, where the middle ground is giving way to a mixture of up- and downscale shopping. Consumers will pick up designer items along with discount lower-price goods, mixing a little cachet in with a lot of affordability. And Winners on Bloor is just one example of this. Consider groceries: a one-stop trip to Loblaws no longer cuts it. Instead, people head to organic food stores for a few quality items, and Costco for the low-cost bulk stuff.
"Twenty years ago peo-ple went down or up market. Now they cross-shop," says John Williams, a senior partner at J. C. Williams Group, a retailing consultancy. "We're seeing the popularization of high-end fashion districts. H&M and Gap are on 5th Avenue in Manhattan; [Winners] is on Bloor Street."
Perhaps this helps explain the ongoing struggles at Hudson's Bay Co., and Sears Canada Inc., two traditional department stores that represent the classic middle point of Canadian retailing. Neither are doing so hot in the revenue department; the trend to cross-shopping might be part of the reason why. After all, a trip to Sears won't guarantee cachet, but will pack a substantial bill for the everyday stuff (as compared to Winners' deep discounts).
Torontonians have caught on to the new trend. A recent visit to Bloor Street's Winners revealed packed aisles, and a 20-minute wait for the change room. The people have spoken: they want their chic--for cheap.
A
andreapalladio
Guest
Winners has leased the old Harry Rosen Space in Scotia Plaza and will open later this year. Yay!! Lunchtime discount shopping!
B
building babel
Guest
The Winners, in Poverty Square, opens April 6th.
B
billonlogan
Guest
Gerrard Square welcomes new retailer articleThe Winners, in Poverty Square, opens April 6th.
LISA QUEEN
lqueen@insidetoronto.com
Apr. 6, 2006
Sure, shoppers are thrilled a much-anticipated new Winners store threw open its doors at Gerrard Square yesterday.
But the move is seen as something more significant than a spot to buy clothes and housewares.
"I think it will be welcomed. People are excited already. They're talking already," said resident Donna Sparks as she sat at the mall's food court with a friend earlier this week.
The opening of the national chain store on the heels of the November 2004 launch of Home Depot, Toronto's first urban outlet, signals a face-lift for the area and the shopping centre.
"I think it's a good thing for the community. I know a lot of people do like going to Winners and it's a distance (to other locations) now," said Sparks, a resident of the neighbourhood for 31 years.
"A lot of young people have homes in the community. I think Home Depot is a wonderful store to have in the community."
Walking through the mall with a friend who was surprised to see the Home Depot, resident Frank Taylor said chain stores like Winners, Stitches, Staples and Payless Shoes indicate big business wants to invest in the area. However, he's still upset Sears left the space Home Depot now occupies.
But not everybody is impressed with Gerrard Square's lower-end retailers being replaced with costlier stores.
Karen, who would not give her last name, said the new stores' prices are out of range for the neighbourhood's lower-income residents.
"It's not an affluent area. They talk about south Riverdale but they forget there's a housing project right here," she said.
"They're trying to cater to the affluent. But they forget the people who live here. These aren't people renovating their homes."
That sentiment doesn't sit well with Sparks, a private day-care provider and part-time school lunch room supervisor who lives in low-income rental housing around the corner from the mall.
She's happy companies see the community as a worthwhile area in which to invest.
"I love it here. They call me the Mall Queen," she added.
Shannon Johnson, Winners' manager of public relations, said the retailer made a sound business decision to locate in the community.
"It's certainly a burgeoning neighbourhood, Riverdale and the Beach," she said as workers down the hall installed new floor tiles and gave the bannister near the escalator a new coat of paint as part of a $15-million overhaul taking place at the shopping centre.
"It's about bringing our retail chain close to our customers, where they live and work, in their neighbourhood."
The Gerrard Square site is part of a campaign to introduce Winners to urban neighbourhoods, Johnson said.
While the company has been catering to suburban shoppers in the past, a Winners opened at College Park in April 2002, while a store on Bloor Street's ritzy shopping district opened last year.
"This (Gerrard Square) was the right point at the right time," said Johnson, pointing out the 20,000-square-foot store will create 40 to 50 part-time and full-time jobs in the area.
Realtor Diane Speer, who has been selling homes in the community for almost 20 years, said national retailers are setting up shop at Gerrard Square because the community has been undergoing a revitalization the last couple of years.
It's now routine to have bidding wars push house prices tens of thousands of dollars beyond asking prices.
"It's just wild. It (the neighbourhood) is changing, very much so. People who are buying have to have a healthy income," said Speer, adding the location's proximity to downtown makes it a prime area for revitalization.
"You have to have some bucks in your pockets, which wasn't the case 10 years ago."
Speer remembers the area's darker days.
The mall had been known as "Scary Square" due to its low-end retailers and shoddy neighbourhood, she said.
"When I went anywhere south of Gerrard (in the past), it was 'Oh, God.' But the area has completely changed," Speer said.
"It's such a thrill to everybody that stores are changing from dollar stores to Winners and Home Depot. It means we're getting there. You can't believe how excited my kids are. They want to go to the (Winners) opening."
Community beautification activist Dan Blair also remembers difficult times for the neighbourhood.
"Gerrard Square wasn't a terrible place when it first opened. But over the years, the neighbourhood or the management or just the area itself (declined). Stores moved out or stores closed," he said.
"When I moved here, there were cars abandoned on the streets. The cars have been towed away. Now, if there was a car abandoned, it would be towed in a minute."
Retailers and residents are feeding off each other's success, said Blair, who last year won a Clean and Beautiful City Appreciation Award along with fellow resident Linda Freedman for turning a scrap piece of land across from the shopping centre into a beautiful garden.
While he's pleased with Gerrard Square's transformation, he stressed many of the community improvement initiatives are grassroots-driven.
Those include restoring the tree canopy and launching an upcoming street art project at Gerrard and Carlaw.
As more people want to move downtown to avoid the financial and environmental costs of pollution, Blair believes the area will continue to improve. "I moved here in '99. It was a neighbourhood in transition. This neighbourhood has changed in six or seven years," he said.
"It's one small neighbourhood in a large city. We know if 30 or 40 other (grassroots) groups got going, the city would transform dramatically."
B
building babel
Guest
Yesterday, as I rolled like tumbleweed through the bleak and deserted streets of the underground city, I noticed a sign in Scotia Plaza about the new Winners. I think it said it opens on the 19th.
B
building babel
Guest
Passed by the new Scotia Plaza Winners just before noon but didn't dare go in. What a zoo, crowds, rent-a-cops ...
A
andreapalladio
Guest
In more downmarket news, Winners has opened a temporary location in the old Toys'r'us space on Yonge north of Queen. Lots of reduced price holiday trims and trinkets.
D
Darkstar416
Guest
That's unfortunate about the return of the Esso.
Cool about the Yonge St Winners though!
Cool about the Yonge St Winners though!
S
samsonyuen
Guest
From: www.theglobeandmail.com/s...iness/home
___________
Winners eyes good fit in shoe market
The new footwear chain would turn up the heat on smaller shops, analysts say
MARINA STRAUSS
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Winners, the merchant that helped define discount fashion retailing in Canada, is preparing to launch a specialty footwear chain in a move that industry observers say would put added pressure on smaller shoe shops.
The new Winners chain, expected to open its first stores later this year, will be another step in the transformation of the estimated $7.2-billion-a-year Canadian shoe retail sector. Once known for boutiques on main street, the industry is now dominated by low-price giants such as Payless ShoeSource Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., both U.S.-based.
Winners is looking to change the market even more. "There's an opportunity for them to become a major force in the Canadian footwear market," said John Williams of retail consultancy J.C. Williams Group.
TJX Cos., the U.S.-based parent of Winners, would not comment on its plans. But Fred Waks, chief operating officer of mall owner RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, told a conference call yesterday that Winners is "establishing" a new shoe concept and "trying to roll that out this year."
Other industry sources said they heard that the first Winners shoe outlets would open for business within the next nine to 12 months.
"We're always testing new growth opportunities," TJX spokeswoman Annmarie Farretta said. "For competitive reasons, we don't share details about our concepts."
TJX has been the focus of attention for other reasons recently.
It was the victim of a massive security breach in mid-December, although it didn't reveal the problem until last month -- well after the Christmas shopping rush. The credit card information of Winners and sister chain HomeSense customers had been stolen from the TJX computer network.
Winners is different from many other discounters because it doesn't rely solely on low-priced products. It also carries clear-outs or excess merchandise from established high-profile companies, such as Ralph Lauren and Prada, at markdowns of up to 60 per cent.
It's often called "treasure hunt" shopping because consumers can't be sure what they might find in the stores.
"There's a gap in the marketplace for a big player" in the so called off-price footwear field, Mr. Williams said.
Winners already has a toehold in the Canadian shoe industry. Its 184 Winners outlets have a shoe department, and the latest plans for separate stores would expand on those offerings. "It's a company that does things very well," Mr. Williams said. "They have wide appeal."
The move comes as the retail footwear industry has experienced tremendous change over the past decade.
According to Kubas Consultants data, Payless and Wal-Mart are now the top two footwear stores in Canada; a decade ago, the most popular banners were the Bay (then a Canadian company) and Aldo (based in Montreal).
"There have been a lot of shoe retailers that went out of business in the last while," retail consultant Len Kubas said.
"We've been getting more of the big box players. It's quite a change."
Winners appears to want to accelerate the change. Still, Mr. Kubas said that the shoe business is a tough one, and not only because of the shifting, fickle tastes of consumers.
Footwear retailers need to stock a wide range of sizes -- a much wider array than in apparel stores. That makes it a challenge logistically to ensure that store shelves are filled. And revenues are depressed because shoe prices have been dropping with the influx of cheap imports.
Still, Mr. Kubas is a testament to Winners' solid record in footwear. He was wearing a pair of Rockport shoes that he bought recently at Winners for $65, while a comparable pair would cost as much as $100 at a conventional store.
___________
Winners eyes good fit in shoe market
The new footwear chain would turn up the heat on smaller shops, analysts say
MARINA STRAUSS
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Winners, the merchant that helped define discount fashion retailing in Canada, is preparing to launch a specialty footwear chain in a move that industry observers say would put added pressure on smaller shoe shops.
The new Winners chain, expected to open its first stores later this year, will be another step in the transformation of the estimated $7.2-billion-a-year Canadian shoe retail sector. Once known for boutiques on main street, the industry is now dominated by low-price giants such as Payless ShoeSource Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., both U.S.-based.
Winners is looking to change the market even more. "There's an opportunity for them to become a major force in the Canadian footwear market," said John Williams of retail consultancy J.C. Williams Group.
TJX Cos., the U.S.-based parent of Winners, would not comment on its plans. But Fred Waks, chief operating officer of mall owner RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, told a conference call yesterday that Winners is "establishing" a new shoe concept and "trying to roll that out this year."
Other industry sources said they heard that the first Winners shoe outlets would open for business within the next nine to 12 months.
"We're always testing new growth opportunities," TJX spokeswoman Annmarie Farretta said. "For competitive reasons, we don't share details about our concepts."
TJX has been the focus of attention for other reasons recently.
It was the victim of a massive security breach in mid-December, although it didn't reveal the problem until last month -- well after the Christmas shopping rush. The credit card information of Winners and sister chain HomeSense customers had been stolen from the TJX computer network.
Winners is different from many other discounters because it doesn't rely solely on low-priced products. It also carries clear-outs or excess merchandise from established high-profile companies, such as Ralph Lauren and Prada, at markdowns of up to 60 per cent.
It's often called "treasure hunt" shopping because consumers can't be sure what they might find in the stores.
"There's a gap in the marketplace for a big player" in the so called off-price footwear field, Mr. Williams said.
Winners already has a toehold in the Canadian shoe industry. Its 184 Winners outlets have a shoe department, and the latest plans for separate stores would expand on those offerings. "It's a company that does things very well," Mr. Williams said. "They have wide appeal."
The move comes as the retail footwear industry has experienced tremendous change over the past decade.
According to Kubas Consultants data, Payless and Wal-Mart are now the top two footwear stores in Canada; a decade ago, the most popular banners were the Bay (then a Canadian company) and Aldo (based in Montreal).
"There have been a lot of shoe retailers that went out of business in the last while," retail consultant Len Kubas said.
"We've been getting more of the big box players. It's quite a change."
Winners appears to want to accelerate the change. Still, Mr. Kubas said that the shoe business is a tough one, and not only because of the shifting, fickle tastes of consumers.
Footwear retailers need to stock a wide range of sizes -- a much wider array than in apparel stores. That makes it a challenge logistically to ensure that store shelves are filled. And revenues are depressed because shoe prices have been dropping with the influx of cheap imports.
Still, Mr. Kubas is a testament to Winners' solid record in footwear. He was wearing a pair of Rockport shoes that he bought recently at Winners for $65, while a comparable pair would cost as much as $100 at a conventional store.
E
Ed007Toronto
Guest
Winners is invading downtown in a big way. First Bloor St and College Park. Then Scotia Plaze and now St Lawrence Market. 41 Front St E is the new location. Formerly the Mobilia furniture store. It will also use some of Timbuktu's space.