dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
How is Loblaws Queen's Quay a fail? The only problem I can think of is location, it's not very accessible unless you have a car.
Toronto Ryerson's Mattamy Athletics Centre + Loblaws at the Gardens | ?m | ?s | Ryerson University | Turner Fleischer
How is Loblaws Queen's Quay a fail? The only problem I can think of is location, it's not very accessible unless you have a car.
prettyflamingo
New Member
LNahid2000
Senior Member
It's exactly like a suburban Loblaws.
But why is that a fail at Jarvis and Queens Quay? And what's wrong with suburban Loblaws?
42
42
whatever
Senior Member
Actually, I thought the Jarvis and Queen's Quay's sides of that Loblaws are two of the more urban streetfronts in the area. It's a bit ugly along Lake Shore, but really, is it worth holding that against them?
Bruvyman
Active Member
I lived in London, ON for a long time, so I've been to plenty of suburban Loblaws and have never seen one anything like the one on Queen's Quay. What suburbs have you been grocery shopping in to come up with that comparison?
Northern Light
Superstar
In reality it 'is' a suburban loblaws, in that Queen's Quay followed one of the two standard templates for store design that Loblaw used for a number of years.
Nearly identical stores (with slight variations) can be found on St. Clair West (Forest Hill) and at Bayview Village Mall (Bayview and Sheppard) and in a few other locations.
Just like the 'Victoria Park Market' store is also the Cedarbrae store (now No Frills) and the Burnamthorpe store.
*****
Beyond the generic-ness of the design (which is fine'ish) it should be said the interior layout and product assortment of Queen's Quay more or less followed the company standard for stores through the years, with the exception (originally) of having a Movenpick in store. Though that was late eliminated.
***
In recent years, Queen's Quay has been added to what I sometimes call the downtown store group ' Loblaw: Great Food' which does result it in having access to some additional products you would not find at a 'typical' suburban Loblaws. However, if one was comparing the scale of the difference between a typical Sobeys vs an Urban Fresh Sobeys, and then the Loblaws vs Loblaw:Great Food, I would argue the variation is greater for Sobeys.
However, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Sobeys largely purpose built its 'Urban Fresh' stores; where as up to now, most Loblaw Great Food stores have simply been product assortment improvement, sometimes accompanied by minor store upgrades/renos.
****
Loblaw: MLG (Great Food) will be a purpose-built downtown store with far greater emphasis on prepared foods; on serving singles and couples doing multiple shopping trips each week on foot, as opposed to larger families who do weekly or bi-weekly shopping via car.
You'll see more gourmet, more organic, more HMR (retail schtick: Home-Meal-Replacement), less club pack, less 10 'facings' of the same product.
As such it is welcome as a nice change of pace.
Nearly identical stores (with slight variations) can be found on St. Clair West (Forest Hill) and at Bayview Village Mall (Bayview and Sheppard) and in a few other locations.
Just like the 'Victoria Park Market' store is also the Cedarbrae store (now No Frills) and the Burnamthorpe store.
*****
Beyond the generic-ness of the design (which is fine'ish) it should be said the interior layout and product assortment of Queen's Quay more or less followed the company standard for stores through the years, with the exception (originally) of having a Movenpick in store. Though that was late eliminated.
***
In recent years, Queen's Quay has been added to what I sometimes call the downtown store group ' Loblaw: Great Food' which does result it in having access to some additional products you would not find at a 'typical' suburban Loblaws. However, if one was comparing the scale of the difference between a typical Sobeys vs an Urban Fresh Sobeys, and then the Loblaws vs Loblaw:Great Food, I would argue the variation is greater for Sobeys.
However, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Sobeys largely purpose built its 'Urban Fresh' stores; where as up to now, most Loblaw Great Food stores have simply been product assortment improvement, sometimes accompanied by minor store upgrades/renos.
****
Loblaw: MLG (Great Food) will be a purpose-built downtown store with far greater emphasis on prepared foods; on serving singles and couples doing multiple shopping trips each week on foot, as opposed to larger families who do weekly or bi-weekly shopping via car.
You'll see more gourmet, more organic, more HMR (retail schtick: Home-Meal-Replacement), less club pack, less 10 'facings' of the same product.
As such it is welcome as a nice change of pace.
Jonny5
Senior Member
The lower level of the parking lot at the QQ store floods after just 3 minutes of rain. It's like it has no drainage at all.
adma
Superstar
Well, nothing'll beat the cheese room at Cheese Boutique, that's for sure. (If it were any bigger, they should set up some cots there and turn it into a sanatorium.)
junctionist
Senior Member
Loblaws would be among the last mainstream big-box grocery store I'd criticize because they have often been the best in terms of design, though far from perfect. Canadian Architect has an interesting article from September 2001 here detailing their efforts at the time. Loblaws has showed a willingness to build stores which meet the street decently and to minimize surface parking lots or avoid them completely. Two brick Loblaws come to mind: Humbercrest Market and the Dupont and Christie location. Both occupy large blocks but have multiple entrances to facilitate pedestrian traffic. The two stores have a traditional two-storey brick warehouse aesthetic with many windows, which gives them a pleasant presence in their respective streetscapes. Flower departments open up onto the sidewalk in the warmer months. Why are other big-box retailers so hesitant to have lots of windows and multiple entrances to facilitate pedestrian access when Loblaws has done it so seamlessly?
The St. Clair West and Queen's Quay East locations have restrained but pleasant modern design. They create an attractive streetwall unbroken by surface parking lots, and are relatively pedestrian-friendly in terms of entrances. However, the bunker of a parking garage on Lake Shore and on Jarvis near Lake Shore isn't pretty. The Queen's Quay location also has a clothing storefront and is a bit of a landmark with an attractive pitched roof that's copper green in colour. In general, Loblawses so much better than cheap looking Metros, including the egregious suburban design of the Metro on Bloor in The Annex with a blank wall of brownish beige precast along Bloor in one of our most celebrated neighbourhoods. Loblaws invests more and they look good doing it. That's why I was surprised that they would demolish their historic Art Deco warehouse on Lakeshore for a new store.
Unfortunately, the Loblaws Humbercrest Market had hand-painted murals in the parking garage and large murals on the walls in the store (which may or may not have been hand-painted), depicting traditional markets and architectural elements. It might not have the brightest idea for a modern big-box grocery store to depict traditional market scenes (ironic in a self-defeating way), but those murals beautified the store and parking garage. Now they've been painted over and removed for bland white walls. They also had a whimsical and elaborate fake mature tree by the fresh meal section, but I believe it was also removed in favour of nothing. I was quite surprised to see such pointless cheapening in a store that I really enjoyed visiting as a kid. So I'm not sure if they're as sophisticated and ambitious today as they were about 10 years ago, though the Maple Leaf Gardens project seems to continue in that spirit.
The St. Clair West and Queen's Quay East locations have restrained but pleasant modern design. They create an attractive streetwall unbroken by surface parking lots, and are relatively pedestrian-friendly in terms of entrances. However, the bunker of a parking garage on Lake Shore and on Jarvis near Lake Shore isn't pretty. The Queen's Quay location also has a clothing storefront and is a bit of a landmark with an attractive pitched roof that's copper green in colour. In general, Loblawses so much better than cheap looking Metros, including the egregious suburban design of the Metro on Bloor in The Annex with a blank wall of brownish beige precast along Bloor in one of our most celebrated neighbourhoods. Loblaws invests more and they look good doing it. That's why I was surprised that they would demolish their historic Art Deco warehouse on Lakeshore for a new store.
Unfortunately, the Loblaws Humbercrest Market had hand-painted murals in the parking garage and large murals on the walls in the store (which may or may not have been hand-painted), depicting traditional markets and architectural elements. It might not have the brightest idea for a modern big-box grocery store to depict traditional market scenes (ironic in a self-defeating way), but those murals beautified the store and parking garage. Now they've been painted over and removed for bland white walls. They also had a whimsical and elaborate fake mature tree by the fresh meal section, but I believe it was also removed in favour of nothing. I was quite surprised to see such pointless cheapening in a store that I really enjoyed visiting as a kid. So I'm not sure if they're as sophisticated and ambitious today as they were about 10 years ago, though the Maple Leaf Gardens project seems to continue in that spirit.
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kkgg7
Banned
Why a loblaws at Carleton and Church? There is a Metro at Yonge/College, a new Sobey's at Bay/College. Three fairly large grocery stores within that short distance.
I would prefer another department store there than a grocery store.
I would prefer another department store there than a grocery store.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Clearly no department store is interested in that space - it's been available for more or less a decade. As to why a Loblaws - well, they have done their business case and think it is worth their time and money. I will leave it at that.
AoD
AoD
Bayer
Senior Member
Population density has increased tremendously in the past few years in the area, and with Karma, the twin 58-storey towers on Yonge, 43 Gerrard W and more development planned nearby on Church, the Loblaws is essential. To think that when I moved to the Liberties in 1988, there was practically nowhere to go in the neighbourhood to buy food! Initially, if memory serves, all we had was the Hasty Market at 45 Carlton.
MBS
Active Member
I counted roughly 800 people in line this morning at 8am. Of course that was much too long of a wait for me so I got timmies instead 
But I'll check it out later on. I got a glimpse of the interior and it looks fantastic.
But I'll check it out later on. I got a glimpse of the interior and it looks fantastic.
canmark
Active Member
I was there around 8:45 am and there was still a lineup to get in--from the corner entrance to past the marquee on Carlton. City-TV and Global were there. I had to go to work, so I couldn't wait, but I'll go back after work to check it out.