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Ryerson: Business Building (Zeidler)

What I find most interesting is that Best Buy and Future Shop have set up shop in such close quarters
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As mentioned above, they often locate near one another. I read recently (I wish I could find the article) that the "joint-locations" are some of the highest revenue locations in Canada. Each banner is targeted at different market segments, with sales staff paid differently (FS staff work on commission, and are, in theory, supposedly more hands-on/attentive/helpful), and they supposedly don't carry all the same brands.
 
^ Very interesting... especially because the Best Buy features prominent ads inside proclaiming that their staff are NOT on commission. (And maybe it was just post-opening buzz, but they seemed a great deal more helpful, engaged, and much less cloying that the usual bunch of FS warranty-pushers.)
 
The only staff worse than FS warranty pushers are Radio Shack, er, "Source" warranty pushers.
 
think they missed an opportunity to do something interesting along the eastern side of the building with the walkway to Trinity Square. Maybe a student hangout with a patio. maybe small student-geared or student-run (hands on business experience!) shops. instead it's just a blank wall and now it will remain a dead zone.
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indense, I've always thought the same thing. There were niches along the old parking garage that were perfect for street vendors - arts and crafts that sort of thing. Our version perhaps of the street art galleries in Quebec City. Why do developers only see obstacles instead of opportunities?
 
Best Buy and Future Shop carry different stock / models of merchandise - so they don;t compete head to head on the big ticket items - but they would on CDs and smaller stuff.
 
My "made in China" laptop optical mouse reached the end of its usable life, so after work today I headed over to Yonge-Dundas to compare prices between Best Buy and Future Shop, plus to check out the new Best Buy.

Future Shop won on both counts (the mouse and the atmosphere). Their Microsoft mouse was on sale. Best Buy didn't have a mouse on sale. Their new store looks even worse than the big box locations in the suburbs... it was kind of like walking into a gray cave.
 
I'm surprised too. The Yonge and Gould FS has about the same atmosphere as a BiWay store.
 
Worse than the Future Shop on Yonge Street? I seriously hope you're joking, because that Future Shop is disgusting. It reminds me of Sam's!
 
"Best Buy didn't have a mouse on sale. Their new store looks even worse than the big box locations in the suburbs... it was kind of like walking into a gray cave."

I'm assuming it's the same as Canadian Tire next door...I called it "soul crushing" but a "cave" is a better description. But I thought Best Buy wasn't open yet? On Friday afternoon it wasn't.

I also agree with ganjavih, s.n.f., etc., on the point about Dundas' street life...this is very auspicious. It seems like there's pedestrians on Dundas who are actually walking along Dundas - they're not just crossing it to get somewhere else. Now, let's see if the Bay to University stretch comes to life next. When the AGO reno is done, Dundas may no longer be an embarrassment...at least between Chinatown and Ryerson.
 
On that note, I wouldn't mind seeing a review of Dundas from Victoria to Jarvis, at the very least. That's one inauspicious stretch of jumbly drabness. Perhaps we could deliver some architectural refinement all the way to the door of The Filmore....
 
Why are they covering those large new planters with pavers? I thought they were for plants. I'm confused.
 
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Marks Work Wearhouse's dont have too much traffic, so seeing this one empty is normal. It should survive. I think the Canadian Tire looks great. I found out why it took so long for my store to order sliders. (which the Bay & Dundas store uses in most of their aisles to have multiple faces of stock) Bay & Dundas must have cleared the warehouse of them.

All in all, im impressed with the entire building except the little park/garden in the middle. Its a waste of space. Something much better could have been done with that space.
 
Ugliness at the Eaton Centre

I was in Best Buy, expecting it to be a little different then the suburban, big box uglies but to my surprise, it was exactly the same. Why are they bringing that ugly look to it's flagship store in the Eaton Centre? I was really disappointed. It is a big store in a great location, they could have done much better. We deserve better! How come future shop builds a nice store in downtown Montreal but we get crap?
 
Re: Ugliness at the Eaton Centre

Let's wait and see what Metropolis' Future Shop looks like. I'm guessing Montreal's will be no better.
 
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