News

Retail Reaching New Heights in Edmonton

The coronavirus pandemic has left its mark on many businesses around the world, however, the city of  Edmonton seems to be rising to the challenge.

Alberta’s capital seems completely unphased, and even thriving amidst the crisis – its success continues to be driven by strong retail and increasing interest from foreign and domestic CRE investors.

So, if you were looking for the right Canadian city that can bring a great return on investment, Edmonton might just be it.

 

It’s Not Only Downtown Edmonton That’s Thriving

While traditionally, most retailers have been focusing on downtown for their new locations, this isn’t the case in Edmonton. The entire city is undergoing a retail revolution, and new shopping centers and locations are being opened all around.

In South Edmonton Common, there’s now a new Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off 5th, a new Canadian Tire, and even a large Ikea. The Southgate Centre has some of the highest sales per square foot in all of Canada, and over $130 million was just recently invested in Londonderry Mall.

 

The City of Edmonton Blossoming

There are major construction plans in various locations in Edmonton, thanks to the Valley Line transit. The Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre is set to be transformed into a huge mix-use district with plenty of public spaces, new senior housing locations, more retail space, and more residential units, which will draw in better foot traffic.

A new shopping centre is also being planned at Millwoods Town Centre with thousands of new housing units and retail and restaurant spaces.

 

Read more about it here!
https://www.redevgroup.com/news-article/retail-in-edmonton-reaching-new-heights

Media, News

Manulife Place Store in Downtown Edmonton is Getting Redeveloped

The iconic Manulife Place store sitting on the corner between 101st Street and 102nd Avenue in downtown Edmonton has been at the same spot since 1983. It’s a famous brand in Canada, and people were used to seeing their store in Edmonton.

After almost 40 years, the company has decided to redevelop its store and revamp it completely. This comes at a time when most of Edmonton is blossoming once again. As Manulife head of asset management, Ted Willcocks says, “The City of Edmonton is undergoing a renaissance that will breathe life into its downtown service and amenity offerings.”

 

Primary Goals of the Redevelopment 

The whole redevelopment project has four primary goals that need to be achieved after 18 months:

-Reconstruction of the exterior façade with a modern look.

-Retail storefronts will be placed at the exterior to improve the shopping experience and a better view of the store.

-The interior will get new communal areas, LED lighting, and new flooring.

-The Manulife Place employees will also get new amenities, including a rooftop terrace with gardens stretching across 45,000 square feet.

 

Downtown Edmonton Retail is Attractive to Investors 

In the last few years, both downtown Edmonton and the ICE District have been under reconstruction. Various towers and buildings have been reconstructed for retail stores, business spaces, offices, hotels, and residential purposes.

The reconstruction of the Manulife Place store is just another project in line. It shows that the city as a whole is doing well and that companies are able to invest back into their infrastructure.

 

Read more now:
https://www.redevgroup.com/news-article/downtown-edmonton-manulife-place-store-getting-redeveloped

Media, News

Fast-Food Joints Eyeing The Canadian Market and All It’s Growth

What’s one thing that tourists and locals alike look for when they are out and about in the city? Food. Whether you are looking for something quick to eat or looking for an aesthetically pleasing meal, you will end up settling on a place to do so. Since food is such a popular medium for so many, major food chains have taken notice. Larger Canadian provinces such as Alberta and Ontario have become home or will become home to a plethora of major food chains that have seen success outside of the country. 

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A is a well knowing fast-food joint across the United States, third-largest to be exact. The company plans to expand that success further by opening up 100 new locations across Canada. Toronto, Ontario saw the opening of the first Canadian Chick-Fil-A. Despite the controversy surrounding the fast-food joint, many waited in line for hours to get their hands on the menu items. 

Jollibee

Jollibee is an extremely popular fast-food joint originating from the Philippines. The food simultaneously acts as a comfort to those accustomed to the cuisine and a new experience for those looking to try something beyond what is typically offered. The success in the Philippino market has allowed Jollibee to extend well beyond the country. Today, Jollibee has more than a thousand restaurants across the globe. 

Currently, there are six Jollibee locations in Canada, with talks of a new one opening up in Alberta in the near future. The success generated from this fast-food joint could be grounds for even more locations across the country. 

In-N-Out Burger

Yet another popular food joint from the United States. In-N-Out is known for its burgers and animal style fries. While the other fast-food joints mentioned are making Canada their home, In-N-Out isn’t doing so just yet. In-N-Out is testing the market via a one-day pop-up shop in Aldergrove. 

While the chain isn’t settling down in Canada right now, the move to test the Canadian market could mean plans for expansion are in the making. 

Eataly

Eataly might not be as well-known outside of the American market, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a massive competitor. Eataly is an Italian-style food chain that mixes both in-house, restaurant-style dining as well as a grocery store that allows patrons to purchase the food and have it prepared in the dining area. The concept has been doing exponentially well in the U.S. and is expanding beyond the borders to Ontario.

There are many fast-food chains eyeing the Canadian market as it continues to grow both in size and popularity. Beyond these, we could see quite a few new food joints opening up in Canada.

Learn more here: https://www.redevgroup.com/news-article/major-food-chains-coming-to-alberta-and-ontario

News

Richard Crenian Talks About Retail strategies to survive, and thrive, in 2018

As I’ve written earlier, covered malls are at risk unless they entice shoppers through their doors to spend money rather than shopping online. That means major retailers have to be willing to change their business models to survive.  There is no holy grail waiting to be discovered but being innovative is a starting point. Don’t be surprised if we see more consolidation in the Amazon–Whole Foods mould.

For those of us involved in community plazas, it is paramount to focus on retailers and services that cannot be offered online and require walk-up traffic. Until recent years, that included banks as a key anchor tenant but that may be changing. As lease renewals come up, banks are now considering smaller premises or stand-alone pads as they become less about bank tellers and more about online services. It is likely the traditional 15-year tenancy agreement will be shortened as the banks try to figure out their future in each community landscape.

As the banks try to reposition themselves, we are seeing new companies emerge as principal players in local communities – the most notable has been those offering child care services.  The key to success is becoming more than a single-service outlet. Instead, they are facilitating evening and weekend courses, such as English as a Second Language and cultural awareness nights.

These outlets are operating more like old-fashioned community centres. As a result, they increase foot traffic in the plaza, which in turn boosts potential sales opportunities for other outlets.  Some say we will look back on 2018 as a year of slow-and-steady growth as we deal with interest rates inching higher.

For some tenants, this could be the best time to lock in a lease as it will provide cost certainty. For landlords, having plazas near to capacity, or full, is the best advertisement to attract new tenants.

This year will be great for those who pay attention to details and are prepared for the next upturn. What we are experiencing is a “New Normal” that remains cyclical, but with fewer extremes.

As always, the best measure of your decisions and hunches will be hindsight. On that, some things never change.