Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
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A Quick Look at Dartmouth ReTales
A quick checkup on Mic Mac Mall following up on earlier Mic Mac post
Construction continues on Target who is targeting an October Opening
While inside ToysRUs its empty but no activity yet so XXI Forever (Forever 21) earliest opening would likely be December
Crescent is getting a new store on the main floor
and Justice has opened and is very bright and sparkly
also on the 1st floor there is a Target training suite for their new employee brain washing
Behind the bus terminal in Portland Hills the complex there is filling up Que Tal Mexican is open and Finnbars and Sameday Dry Cleaning are prepping to open
While down in Woodlawn things are looking bleak
The Simmons Mattress Gallery is still empty (originally built as a Kenny Rogers)
The Harveys is still a shell and Quiznos has gone away and Penningtons moved over to Tacoma
and yesterday Hamachi Grill on Portland closed
but not far away Roccos is adding a patio which I am hoping has a good view of the DMV Motorcycle test circle
and down the highway the new plaza at Pleasant & The Circ is coming along Starbucks Drive Thru has signage in place but I wonder what the takeout window on the other side is for as I understood Mary Browns and Pizzatown were going in but neither of those are take out window places.
and at Kings Wharf , Just Us is getting ready for their new home
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what’s new at Mic Mac
Well of course the Target is well under construction for a late summer opening, looks like the Toys R Us space is getting redied for redevelopment, (XXI Forever) worst kept secret in NS retail.
As well I see the space where Showcase and Perks used to be is now a Wireless Wave and a Rogers, with Eastlink, Bell, Telus, Virgin, Black’s, the Source and T Booth all in Mic Mac now I’d sya it’s the place to go when you want a new phone.
The Bench store is opened
As is Costa Blanca which looks way different than the last time they had a store in Mic Mac
and tween retailer Justice is building their new store
I peaked in the former East Side Marios, and the tables are still set in there
as well TAG is closing out and liquidating their stock
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Is New Bedford Cannibalizing Old Bedford?
I took a look around Bedford today, Larry Uteck is booming Son Vida & Hamachi Vida, Ontario chains Pizza Pizza and Coffee Culture. A new Shoppers, Sobeys, Good Life, Fast Fuel and lots more popping up. Over at Bedford Commons from the WalMart that opened a couple years ago, now there is a new Canadian Tire, Wicker Emporium, FuturesShop, SportsBox a specialty sports themed barber for guys and Sharky’s a specialty hair cutting place for kids, A PetSmart is to open this fall and of course in both areas there is a shiny new Tim Hortons.
Down on Bedford Highway it’s a slightly different story there are still plenty of businesses but there are also lots of available spaces and inside Sunnyside Mall there is a slew of open retail space the mall is at least 1/3 open, same over at Bedford Place Mall but there are renovation plans over there to herald in the arrival of Target next year. There was a bright spot I really like the redevelopment of 1248 Bedford Hwy and the new Bicycles Plus location really great job. The abandoned Wendys really leaves a bad mark on the look of the neighbourhood.
That’s the problem for every new store that is opening in Larry Uteck and Bedford Commons there seems to be an equal amount of square footage in traditional Bedford.
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A Trip to Costco of :facepalm:
I had to grab something at Costco I go in and I see this
and I’m like Hell No!
Halloween already it’s only August 2nd Halloween is nearly 3 months away
and then I go by the next aisle and I am like No F’in way you can’t be serious this is ludicrous!
Christmas!Wreaths! Wrapping Paper!
and then on the way out the Store!
They may still have the cheapest lunch in town with the $1.50 Coke and Dog
but the Chicken Fingers and Fries have been replaced by a Turkey and Provolone Sandwich
Edit> oh it’s the Hamburger that’s gone Chicken Fingers still there
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UK to be different
On a recent trip to the UK (London & Aberdeen) I was looking for things that were different from an everyday life and of course from a consumer look. Here are some of my observations and comments
- Tax inclusive pricing – if it says £1 on the shelf it’s £1 at the till, the NSLC does this and we love it based on the outcry when they tried to change, why not have it that way everyday.
- 3 for 2 deal – instead of the BOGO or BOGO1/2 we have it’s 3 for 2 and tends to be on a range of products instead of an individual item
- small grocery stores – neighbourhoods have their own full range grocery store complete with prepared food and fresh meat and produce and Supermarkets are much more rare
- Bookies all over the place, fills up empty retail space
- The food in the grocers are sold in smaller packs, especially meats produce etc designed for 1 or 2 instead of out mega packs, also the food is displayed much more condensed and stacked higher, the newer Sobeys have integrated this into some of the newer produce departments
- they have luggage racks on Airport transfers
- Scatter crosswalks – one direction of traffic goes then the other then the pedestrians can go on a diagonal, as a result retailers tend to have entrances right on the store corner
- packaging of product in general is more minimalist
- Buy British is very prominent and they are very proud to support their own food supply chain
- many public buildings that have doors that swing both directions but look they are PULL based on the handles
- rarely see people walking the streets with a coffee in hand or eating something as they walk
- They do not stop for pedestrians, vehicles are king and people are always expected to yield
- I did like this idea at Waterstones, they had shelves dedicated to books that appeared in recent online and print media and cited where the article was
Recent Posts
- Tako – its not a Mexican Dish
- A Quick Look at Dartmouth ReTales
- The 101 Best Things Put In your Mouth in HRM
- Open City Returns, Yay!
- what’s new at Mic Mac
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