News on retail chains (was: New Mall Retail)

[Richard White]

A few weeks ago, I walked right past Pusateri on Bay on my way to Olliffe and Harvest Wagon and didn't even think of stopping there. It's too small to be useful. I used to purchase mostly non-perishable stuff at their Saks location, but when a business is closed by Public Health as their main store was in 2011, I tend to be turned off permanently. (I have been unlucky enough to notice cockroaches in the dining room at three well-known restaurants in this city.)

Fun fact: In the mid 2000s I worked at Pustateris on Avenue Road for around a day. They had me do a "working interview" as they called it. Basically I worked a shift but did not get paid for it. I was in their basement and honestly it was a disgusting mess. It was a myriad of narrow corridors with food boxes and garbage piled floor to ceiling. When they burned down and when they were nailed for health violations I was not the least bit surprised.

If the public saw what I saw, they would not have shopped there. It made Pustateris look like No Frills behind the scenes, front of house public spaces were gussied up for the customers.

The last time I was in the Bay Street location it was tiny and cramped, I could not find what I was looking for.

 

[AlbertC]

Coco bubble tea shop have opened a new location at the northeast corner of Dufferin & Bloor, just above the subway station entrance/exit:

CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice on Instagram: "🥳We have a NEW STORE soft-opening in Dufferin station! See you all there! - 📍: 1011 Dufferin St, Toronto ON M6H 4B5 🕛: 12PM-9PM everyday, starting on today! ☎️: 416-531-8800 . . . . #BubbleTea #BoBaLife #boba #mi

611 Likes, 7 Comments - CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice (@cocoteaontario) on Instagram: "🥳We have a NEW STORE soft-opening in Dufferin station! See you all there! - 📍: 1011 Dufferin St, Toronto ON M6H 4B5 🕛: 12PM-9PM everyday, starting on today! ☎️: 416-531-8800 . . . . #BubbleTea #BoBaLife #boba...

www.instagram.com

 

[AlbertC]

Egg Club are looking to expand and open up to 300 locations nationwide:

Egg Sandwich Foodservice Concept 'Egg Club' Looks to Open Up to 300 Canadian Locations After 2020 Launch

The "Affordable Happiness" chain uses a special Japanese milk bread in its creations and is wildly popular with fans since its launch during the pandemic.

retail-insider.com

 

[afransen]

Egg Club are looking to expand and open up to 300 locations nationwide:

Egg Sandwich Foodservice Concept 'Egg Club' Looks to Open Up to 300 Canadian Locations After 2020 Launch

The "Affordable Happiness" chain uses a special Japanese milk bread in its creations and is wildly popular with fans since its launch during the pandemic.

retail-insider.com

I'd never heard of it. Sounds like an interesting niche. More upmarket than fast food egg sandwiches, but a step up in quality and likely more reasonably priced compared to many breakfast/lunch meal options.

 

[AlbertC]

American chain, Insomnia Cookies, are planning to open different locations across the city as they expand into Canada. Exact locations have not been confirmed yet:

Insomnia Cookies to finally expand into Canada | TasteToronto

Insomnia Cookies to finally expand into Canada.

www.tastetoronto.com

 

[Northern Light]

Ok, gotta give @Amare and @Towered lots of notice that the next PC product rollout is coming soon.

I need to know from them which 80% of the products disappoint or otherwise not worth the $$, LOL

First up, Filipino Spring Rolls (Lumpia)

Continuing the theme:

Chicken-Garlic-Soy-Heat, supposedly

(think lemon-lime-orange)

There are more items, of course; a lot of non-food stuff (coolers, travel mugs etc.); and a lot of rather pedestrian stuff, these are among the more interesting looking things, I think.

 

[Amare]

Ok, gotta give @Amare and @Towered lots of notice that the next PC product rollout is coming soon.

I need to know from them which 80% of the products disappoint or otherwise not worth the $$, LOL

First up, Filipino Spring Rolls (Lumpia)

View attachment 460420
Continuing the theme:

View attachment 460421
Chicken-Garlic-Soy-Heat, supposedly

View attachment 460422
(think lemon-lime-orange)

View attachment 460423View attachment 460424


There are more items, of course; a lot of non-food stuff (coolers, travel mugs etc.); and a lot of rather pedestrian stuff, these are among the more interesting looking things, I think.

Ugh I hate it when you give me this kind of homework

 

[torontowest91]

I saw the cookie dough bites last night at shoppers. They are quite good. Similar to a Mochi but a cookie dough flavour outside. Texture is similar to dough. I liked them.

 

[soundmuseum]

I usually enjoy PC products, so I'm intrigued to taste their takes on Filipino flavours. Though I have to say, Chicken Adobo is not what you usually use as a filling for fried Lumpia Shanghai.

 

[Towered]

I don't do cookie dough, but those chips are a must!

Will those be widely available, or are they another experimental release for only a few select locations, like those bizarre chocolate bar flavours they had?

 

[Northern Light]

I don't do cookie dough, but those chips are a must!

Will those be widely available, or are they another experimental release for only a few select locations, like those bizarre chocolate bar flavours they had?

The chocolate bars were wide released, LOL

I gave you the heads up on the first store they would be found in; others got it a few weeks later.

Small stores/No Frills never get the full product line.

 

[Jonny5]

Closest applicable thread I could find: BMO has bought the beleaguered Air Miles loyalty program. Could be a savvy move for a brand that has tanked, if they can revive it.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1634171341707288576

 

[Amare]

LoyaltyOne has to be one of the dumbest companies on the block. I have no idea how they managed to screw up Air Miles to the point that everyone is fleeing from them...well actually I do, congrats to the execs who decided to keep devaluing the points to the point it would literally take forever to redeem them for anything worthwhile.

Unkess BMO plans on fixing that issue, there's no hope for that sinking ship of a rewards program.

 

[Towered]

LoyaltyOne has to be one of the dumbest companies on the block. I have no idea how they managed to screw up Air Miles to the point that everyone is fleeing from them...well actually I do, congrats to the execs who decided to keep devaluing the points to the point it would literally take forever to redeem them for anything worthwhile.

Unkess BMO plans on fixing that issue, there's no hope for that sinking ship of a rewards program.

Isn't pretty much every corporate points program useless? After years and years of shopping at various Loblaws owned stores, the reward for my efforts is a forgettable, meagre accumulation of 50 bucks worth of points. What's the...point?

 

[Amare]

Isn't pretty much every corporate points program useless? After years and years of shopping at various Loblaws owned stores, the reward for my efforts is a forgettable, meagre accumulation of 50 bucks worth of points. What's the...point?

PC Optimum is pretty much the ideal/ "gold standard" loyalty program out there. It's actually very useful as there are tons of ways you can earn bonus points or redeem them for more value.

Scene at a time was pretty good too, until they started devaluing and making it difficult to accumulate at a rate which is actually beneficial. Their partnership with Empire might change this so it actually improves though so we'll see how that plays out. I never bothered entering the Scene+ program once Empire joined the agreement, mainly because I was irritated with the points devaluing.

Air Miles however is the dumpster fire of them all. Aeroplan is not far behind.