3 ms·
I live in a healthy and safe small neighborhood in Montreal. We walk to local stores some of which are thriving, while others are dying. Quality of life is very
by martin_drapeau 8y ago
I live in a healthy and safe small neighborhood in Montreal. We walk to local stores some of which are thriving, while others are dying. Quality of life is very high, and the price of homes keep on rising.
Thriving local commerces are service oriented: restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores, hardware stores and dollar stores. Dying stores are product oriented mostly because of online shopping and big retail.
I do long for small local retail stores with good prices and products. The only way this could work is for specific verticals. I.e. men’s clothing. I imagine the store would need to be online first with a global recognized brand. The brick and mortor stores in local communities would become presence (a marketing cost, not a profit center). Frank ‘n Oak is an example of that. I would like to see more across more neighborhoods and verticals.
- mooreds 8y agoI found it interesting that the author of the post didn't mention online purchases once. In my mind we are going through a shift in purchasing habits just like mail order retailers provided in the early 20th century. Set aside the subsidies to malls. People actually prefer to purchase products online. Selection is better, pricing is better, it is easier to comparison shop, and it is delivered to your home. What's not to like (for many types of products)? If you are in retail, selling the experience and other aspects of an in person interaction that can't be provided by an online retailer is the way to win. Some aspects include: Community involvement Interaction with experts Immediacy Hands on education Cross selling consumables Don't fight the battles of the past, and recognize that this is just one more evolution that the customer wants.
- PebblesRox 8y agoIf you’re interested, here are some of Chuck’s thoughts on Amazon: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/4/24/okay-lets-talk-about-amazon-then?rq=Amazon https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/4/24/okay-lets-talk...
- parrellel 8y agoWe probably are going to head further back toward the old catalog mode that is online purchasing. But. It's a drop in the bucket compared to the debt load killing box stores from all the leveraged buyouts, and that has nothing to do with consumer demands. It might have something more to do with corporate raiders running out of factories to raze.
- JKCalhoun 8y ago> I found it interesting that the author of the post didn't mention online purchases once. The author also focused on clothing stores though — something I at least am very unlikely to purchase online (pants being the exception — and only after having purchased a brand/size I like from brick and mortar). Add restaurants to that and you have a good deal of retail that can coexist with online. But yes, book stores are perhaps dead.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- elchief 8y agoThe price of real estate in Montreal is rising because of Chinese money laundering. Just like happened in Vancouver and Toronto
- martin_drapeau 8y agoLow interest rates, growing economy and young families wanting to stay in the city are the biggest drivers. Chinese money in Montreal may affect condos however I am not exposed to that. Definitely not affecting house prices.
- mistermann 8y agoHow does one know to what degree foreign investment does or does not affect property prices?
- Animats 8y agoI do long for small local retail stores with good prices Not going to happen. Typical markup at a small retail store: 50-100%. Markup at Costco: 15%.