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Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone to urbanriot

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to urbanriot

Re: Futureshop/Bestbuy abruptly shut down a dozen stores

It was dead for a while a year or two ago but the more recent times I've been in there there's been a decent number of customers in the store. It could be deeper corporate restructuring at Staples that's causing the closure, who knows. The one in Port Colborne closed a while ago.

And yeah, I refuse to shop at Beatties for reasons beyond just price. I'll drive to Staples in Niagara Falls before I ever set foot in there.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

I'm thinking that the entire big box phenomenal is coming to an end.
You can't put a "big box store" at every street corner and expect it to be busy.

Local stores will continue to be closed down relying more on 'regional' stores instead. You already see the beginning with FS/BB and now Staples is showing it's cards.

urbanriot
Premium Member
join:2004-10-18
Canada

urbanriot

Premium Member

I'm not entirely sure I agree, I feel it's a management and structural issue. The big box stores can last, they just need to change.

Examples specifically for our area:

We have a Wintronics computer store here with computer parts and even though the enthusiast parts industry has been dead for years, that place is always packed with people since they've slimmed down to the appropriate number of workers, sell what people want and have it at a decent price. It might be a few bucks more than NCIX but you can walk in there and walk out with something that you want while getting a good service.

Future Shop, you walk in there and there's a bunch of fucktwats standing around shooting the shit, never in the areas that people need them... unless you want to blow a few grand on some equipment, then suddenly there's two guys fighting over you. Best Buy, I walk in there to buy a blu-ray player a few weeks back and couldn't find a soul to ask a question... because four of them were standing up front having a good old time.

Staples I can't comment concerning Fort Erie but here in St. Catharines, we have two Staples stores within a 5 minute drive! If you live somewhere around Niagara street, you have a Staples within two minutes of either direction! Yet somehow they're both busy...

Walmart we have the same, two Walmart stores within a 5 minute drive and the same situation if you live on Niagara St., within a 2 minute drive you have two Walmarts... both equally seem busy too.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to Gone

Premium Member

to Gone
said by Gone:

It was dead for a while a year or two ago but the more recent times I've been in there there's been a decent number of customers in the store. It could be deeper corporate restructuring at Staples that's causing the closure, who knows. The one in Port Colborne closed a while ago.

And yeah, I refuse to shop at Beatties for reasons beyond just price. I'll drive to Staples in Niagara Falls before I ever set foot in there.

Beatties is part of the Basics Office supplies buying group. There are independent dealers all over that all buy through Basics based in KW.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone

Premium Member

Beatties as a company goes back well over 50 years. I've got old black and white photos of Downtown St. Catharines with the "Beatties Bros." store

Either way, I still won't shop at any of their stores.

neko
All Hail Canada
Premium Member
join:2006-08-11
Canada

neko to urbanriot

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to urbanriot
said by urbanriot:

...Staples I can't comment concerning Fort Erie but here in St. Catharines, we have two Staples stores within a 5 minute drive! If you live somewhere around Niagara street, you have a Staples within two minutes of either direction! Yet somehow they're both busy...

Staples on Bunting is closing later this year.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone

Premium Member

Staples on Bunting Road was supposed to close when they took over the Office Depot on YMCA Drive and turned it into Staples. It was supposed to be a move rather than a brand new store. I'm surprised the one on Bunting stayed open as long as it did.

Last Parade
join:2002-10-07
Port Colborne, ON

Last Parade to Gone

Member

to Gone
said by Gone:

It was dead for a while a year or two ago but the more recent times I've been in there there's been a decent number of customers in the store. It could be deeper corporate restructuring at Staples that's causing the closure, who knows. The one in Port Colborne closed a while ago.

And yeah, I refuse to shop at Beatties for reasons beyond just price. I'll drive to Staples in Niagara Falls before I ever set foot in there.

In port Colborne it went from a Staples to a Staples Express to nothing.
Last Parade

Last Parade to Gone

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to Gone
said by Gone:

Staples on Bunting Road was supposed to close when they took over the Office Depot on YMCA Drive and turned it into Staples. It was supposed to be a move rather than a brand new store. I'm surprised the one on Bunting stayed open as long as it did.

It's moderately busy. Just has poor highway access and in a weird spot. The Office Depot that was assumed on YMCA Dr was always dead.

urbanriot
Premium Member
join:2004-10-18
Canada

urbanriot to neko

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to neko
said by neko:

Staples on Bunting is closing later this year.

That's too bad, I really like that Staples.

If I have to choose between the newer one or the older one, I always go the older one. I prefer the layout of the place and the staff too. The newer one seems bigger but there's just a lot of white space and I can never find shit.

It makes sense it would close since the newer, fancier one opened up a bit ago but it's still really busy every time I go there.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

1 edit

Gone

Premium Member

Since both stores are close together they probably figure it a no-brainer to close the one on Bunting Road since most of the customers will just go to YMCA Drive. I wouldn't be so sure of that myself, as traffic around the mall is simply terrible.

They had been talking about two stores for St. Catharines for years even back when I worked at the Bunting Road Staples in the early 2000s. Fourth Avenue was always the place that was floated around, and it would have made a bit more sense if you're going to keep two locations going.

Aw well, so long Store Number 13.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

Looks like Staples is downsizing.

Office supplies giant Staples Canada is looking to shrink almost 40 of its 330 stores, underscoring the pressure that big-box retailers feel from rival e-commerce and discount players.
Staples has circulated a list to landlords and real estate brokers of 39 stores that the chain plans to downsize, industry sources say. The retailer wants to sublet space to other merchants to reduce its costs and improve its bottom line. About a dozen of the stores’ leases expire within a year, which means Staples could close them at that time without penalties, they said.

»www.theglobeandmail.com/ ··· 0961629/

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone

Premium Member

The Staples on YMCA Drive already rented out a chunk of their space where the copy centre used to be to some home decor-related store (if my memory is right)

urbanriot
Premium Member
join:2004-10-18
Canada

urbanriot to Gone

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to Gone
said by Gone:

Since both stores are close together they probably figure it a no-brainer to close the one on Bunting Road since most of the customers will just go to YMCA Drive.

Hah, I always plan my incursion method when I visit a store in that area. We're only talking an added minute or two by going from the wrong direction at the wrong time of day, but it's still a funny spot. That area, including the Fairview Mall, on a warm sunny Saturday afternoon was a brutal mess of people and wall to wall traffic where it would take about 15 minutes (literal, not exaggerated) to leave the parking lot. I've never seen that mall so busy.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone

Premium Member

I sat in traffic on North Service Road for 58 minutes waiting to make a left turn onto YMCA Drive one year on Christmas Eve. No word of a lie - literally 58 minutes. Not even Fourth Avenue and Glendale are that bad.

Now that Walmart is in there they're going to need a traffic light at North Service Road and the other part of YMCA Drive sooner rather than later. And four lanes. Good luck fitting those in! They should really put traffic lights on YMCA Drive near Petsmart, too.

neko
All Hail Canada
Premium Member
join:2006-08-11
Canada

neko to urbanriot

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to urbanriot
said by urbanriot:

said by neko:

Staples on Bunting is closing later this year.

That's too bad, I really like that Staples. ..

Me, too. It's the one I use strictly because of the friendly staff. Real shame that one is closing. I hate having to go to the Fairview area for anything.