christiesplits
Senior Member
In this economy? Let me guess: The Well?
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In this economy? Let me guess: The Well?
Richard White
Senior Member
I wonder though.. how many is too many.
At some point brand saturation takes hold and it becomes just another restaurant/grocery store. Eventually, the Eataly brand will get watered down to something akin to Marche or Richtree.
At some point brand saturation takes hold and it becomes just another restaurant/grocery store. Eventually, the Eataly brand will get watered down to something akin to Marche or Richtree.
Northern Light
Superstar
1) Eataly is doing very good trade. The numbers justify optimism. Locations are also planned for Montreal and Vancouver.
2) These stores serve a mixture of markets, locals, tourists and High Net Worth households. Toronto has lots of the latter two.
3) As I noted before, the collapse of Pusateri's has left a lot of white space on the high end grocery side of things.
4) Remember that stores take awhile to deliver, sometimes months.........sometimes years.
Nope. And don't try and start one of those @Richard White games where you see if I'll eliminate enough possibilities for you to guess it, LOL
Northern Light
Superstar
In what context? Rome has only 1 location, but its 170,000ft2, which is larger than all the Toronto stores combined; and Toronto is larger than Rome!
Is there a limit? Of course; are we there yet? I don't think so. But no triggers are likely to be pulled until the numbers for the TEC store are in, and their impact on Bloor has been evaluated.
I don't think there's any risk of Eataly becoming quite that ubiquitous as a grocer; or a resto; and I don't think you'll ever confuse them with Richtree.
Richard White
Senior Member
Richard White
Senior Member
My thinking was that if you have several locations across the city, eventually some will siphon business from the others. At some point, the numbers for each location will suffer.
If you have 5 locations, it's less of a novelty than it is if you have one flagship store. Once that novelty and destination feel wears off, it becomes another Pusateris.
Think of it a bit like Holts. With 3 stores in the GTA spaced far enough apart they can survive as a destination. If you have one in every mall, it becomes just another store and traffic suffers.
Fair enough.
The last time I was in there, the shelves were packed with take home items like cheeses, pastas, etc. It struck me as more of a Pustaeris style grocer.
rdaner
Senior Member
Northern Light
Superstar
Marche Leo's Waterfront location - 80 Merchant's Wharf has begun its soft opening. Grand Opening is early December.
Not sure if they're doing full daily hours yet. Their website does not have it posted as open.
Not sure if they're doing full daily hours yet. Their website does not have it posted as open.
Northern Light
Superstar
Additional pics of the new March Leo from the Waterfront BIA's Facebook:
Source: https://www.facebook.com/waterfront...4iDmSC9SBgxeJBZZzK-JUk_BU7IARA&__tn__=-UC,P-R
Source: https://www.facebook.com/waterfront...4iDmSC9SBgxeJBZZzK-JUk_BU7IARA&__tn__=-UC,P-R
Towered
Superstar
The Lambton Marche Leo's looks deserted whenever I pass by, which is usually twice daily.
torontowest91
Active Member
the Hugo boss seems out of place
Northern Light
Superstar
Popped in to the new Marche Leos today; more staff than customers......dead quiet. I don't want to think about how many perishibles will be binned this week.
****
On the store itself, its not quite done. The pharmacy section is still under construction, and Prepared Foods is not fully shelved. Produce and Bakery might be done, but both feel like afterthoughts,
so maybe there is more to come.
There's a cafe/pastry/dessert showcase as you enter, didn't try anything, decently looking selection, ok'ish on price.
The store carries wine and beer, the assortment needs work.
Relative strength appears to be fish/meat with a decent selection and quality. I made note of some Flat Iron Steaks that were pretty decent looking and fairly priced.
As well, the prepared foods kitchen is large enough to put out a full hot table, and cold table and prepare burgers and sandwiches and wings to order.
In center store (shelf-stable stuff) Cookies seem a relative strength in term of novel European brands with limited Toronto presence. Chocolate bars are also a strong suit with full sized Lindt bars on for $4.99 this week.
****
Weaknesses included excessive non-food inventory that feels like shelf filler, produce is currently tiny, and in a out-of-the way corner....... bakery outside of the cafe offerings feels underwhelming Prices are above average, but not way above, for identical brands.....between Loblaws and Whole Foods.
Zero samples out, no real effort to connect with or welcome customers.
****
On the store itself, its not quite done. The pharmacy section is still under construction, and Prepared Foods is not fully shelved. Produce and Bakery might be done, but both feel like afterthoughts,
so maybe there is more to come.
There's a cafe/pastry/dessert showcase as you enter, didn't try anything, decently looking selection, ok'ish on price.
The store carries wine and beer, the assortment needs work.
Relative strength appears to be fish/meat with a decent selection and quality. I made note of some Flat Iron Steaks that were pretty decent looking and fairly priced.
As well, the prepared foods kitchen is large enough to put out a full hot table, and cold table and prepare burgers and sandwiches and wings to order.
In center store (shelf-stable stuff) Cookies seem a relative strength in term of novel European brands with limited Toronto presence. Chocolate bars are also a strong suit with full sized Lindt bars on for $4.99 this week.
****
Weaknesses included excessive non-food inventory that feels like shelf filler, produce is currently tiny, and in a out-of-the way corner....... bakery outside of the cafe offerings feels underwhelming Prices are above average, but not way above, for identical brands.....between Loblaws and Whole Foods.
Zero samples out, no real effort to connect with or welcome customers.
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Northern Light
Superstar
In the course of my Lakeside walk ....where I did not encounter @GameOnBrad even once.......
I also checked out the Farm Boy in Sugar Wharf again.......
Based on the traffic I observed on a Saturday afternoon this store must be awash in red ink. They're part of Empire who can underwrite this.....but I can't believe they aren't mulling an early exit here.
In the entire store, myself included, I counted 9 customers. Yikes!
They really haven't addressed the issue of being nearly invisible; nor do they do anything much to make the store experience engaging. They had one staff sampling table w/their pan-chocolate cake and ice cream. (meh); and
one self-serve in bakery with their apple strudel (filling is passable , pastry is not up to snuff)
But hey, at least the Fennel was only $1.67.
I also checked out the Farm Boy in Sugar Wharf again.......
Based on the traffic I observed on a Saturday afternoon this store must be awash in red ink. They're part of Empire who can underwrite this.....but I can't believe they aren't mulling an early exit here.
In the entire store, myself included, I counted 9 customers. Yikes!
They really haven't addressed the issue of being nearly invisible; nor do they do anything much to make the store experience engaging. They had one staff sampling table w/their pan-chocolate cake and ice cream. (meh); and
one self-serve in bakery with their apple strudel (filling is passable , pastry is not up to snuff)
But hey, at least the Fennel was only $1.67.
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gabe
Senior Member
Yeah, if i want a $300 or $400 dollar shirt. i don't think of going to a grocery store to buy one.
GameOnBrad
Active Member
You're more likely to see me very early mornings. Saturdays and Sundays, I'm usually up and out the door at 7-7:30am.
Early bird gets the photo...worm... err.As someone who has walked by this location hundreds of times in the past year alone, the entire area is largely a dead zone for shopping foot traffic. People I always see going to this location are typically going into the LCBO. I don't shop at Farm Boy myself. The one and only time I walked into one of them years ago, I took a look at the prices and walked out. I've never gone back.
Maybe they are not overpriced and I'm just cheap but either way, I only discovered this location by random chance. I think I saw a small sign for it as I walked by a few months ago. That's how invisible this location is and that's a huge problem, imo.
This location for Farm Boy has two things going against it.1.) A Loblaws Megastore nearby in a prime, very visible, location that has visible and very accessible parking, while the Farm Boy has no visible presence at all. 2.) The area is not heavily populated with any sort of dense community (yet). I genuinely believe that people will travel to go to a Loblaws, I don't think they will travel to go to a Farm Boy.
If they could hold out for a decade or more, I think the Pinnacle, Pinnacle Lakeside, and Quayside communities will help densify the immediate area. From a marketing perspective though, if they have the money and time, I would be hitting all the condos in a 3km radius with flyers showcasing their store, especially where it is, any sort of fresh food options they have there, and emphasizing any sort of positive "experience" a shopper would get there.
All that said, I believe the Loblaws there sucks up the grocery economy in that area, obviously.
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