IKEA in Winnipeg

I believe its pronounced "Yisk"

Miz point wrote:JYSK (always sounded like a porn spooge reference) and Linens n' Things - TACKY overpriced and craptacular.

isn;t that IKEAs copyrighted moto?

Which, "Tacky overpriced and craptacular", or "JYSK sounds like a porn spooge reference"?

Ewww....

use the spoiler tag! that dress is spoiled!

FlyingRat wrote:

Spoiler:

That's pretty funny.

Big chains have an eye on free-spending Winnipeg
By: Murray McNeill
Winnipeg Free Press


MANITOBANS were on a retail spending bender for the first 10 months of
this year, and that has some of the world's biggest retailers sniffing
around Winnipeg for expansion opportunities.

Only days after international home furnishings giant IKEA unveiled plans to build a new 350,000-square-foot store in southwest Winnipeg, a spokeswoman for one of the world's
largest clothing and fashion retailers-- Sweden-based H&M -- said
it's also got its eye on Winnipeg for expansion.

"We are expanding throughout Canada and we're always looking for new
and great cities to expand into," Emily Scarlett said Thursday. "And
being a major city, Winnipeg is definitely on our radar screen."

It may be Manitobans' free-spending ways that is starting to attract
the attention of big-league players, according to retail analyst John
Winter and developer Sandy Shindleman.

Not only did the province chalk up the country's second-biggest
increase in retail sales in 2007 (9.4 per cent), but new Statistics figures Thursday show it's also been one of the leaders this year, with
the second biggest September-to-October gain (0.7 per cent), the
third-biggest October-over-October increase (7.0 per cent), and the
third-biggest year-to-date increase (8.7 per cent).

"That's going to impress people and get them coming here," Shindleman said.

He and the local developer who helped bring IKEA to Winnipeg -- Michael
Nozick of Fairweather Properties -- both predicted there'll be plenty
more big retailers coming to Winnipeg over the next four or five years.

Nozick said he's negotiating with two big international outfits -- he
wouldn't say which -- that are interested in being part of the same
1.5-million-square-foot retail development that Fairweather and IKEA
are planning for Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway.

"There are many others (large international chains) who aren't here,
but they will be here," he said. "And the fact IKEA is already here
will bring them much, much sooner."

While Nozick wouldn't name names, Shindleman rattled off half a dozen
U.S. retailing giants that are either looking to enter Canada, or are
already here and looking to expand across the country.

They include building and home supplies giant Lowes, outdoor sporting
goods retailer Bass Pro Sports, auto parts suppliers Pep Boys and
AutoZone, and tire retailers Tire One and Discount One.

Shindleman said if they come to Canada, they'll eventually land in
Winnipeg. That's because the city offers many of the things destination
retailers are looking for, including free-spending consumers, large
tracts of land with good transportation, and retail-friendly
governments.

"They need a fertile welcome from government... and we have a kind of
unprecedented harmony within the last year or two, with the province
and the city being on the same page (when it comes to accommodating new
retail development)," he said.

Winter said a large and growing population is also a must. With a
population of close to 700,000 people -- 712,000 if you include the 10
surrounding bedroom communities in the Winnipeg Census Metropolitan
Area -- Winnipeg has what it takes, he said.

"Seven hundred thousand people is one hell of a large market and most retailers should be in a market of 700,000 people."

H&M is rumoured to be looking at the former Canada Safeway space in
Polo Park Shopping Centre, but Scarlett and Polo Park general manager
Deborah Green would neither confirm nor deny that.

A spokesman for Bass Pro Sports was also noncommittal about whether
it's interested in opening one of its superstores, which can be 150,000
square feet in size, in Winnipeg. He said he wasn't aware of any such
plans, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

Positive story. Nice to see eh? What goes around comes around. Maybe the next generation will be Winnipeg's generation.

Too bad Sputnik is not here. He'd find a way to diminish it and then tell us about a superior Calgary story.

grumpy old man wrote:Positive story. Nice to see eh? What goes around comes around. Maybe the next generation will be Winnipeg's generation.

Too bad Sputnik is not here. He'd find a way to diminish it and then tell us about a superior Calgary story.

Manitoba is supposed to be business-unfriendly. What's going on?

What's your point? Yet another brilliant post by the esteemed concert reviewer. Becoming a little flamer of late eh?

Winnipeg the city of the strip mall it is nice, but some more high employment jobs would be better. Just saying

So maybe do something about it. Start an aerospace company. An auto manufacturer. Invent a new widget and make it the worlds biggest success story in the history of man.

Just sayin'.

I have it on good inside knowledge that London Drugs is looking to go into the space vacated last week by Safeway at Polo Park so that should be very interesting give Polo Park has a small Shoppers Drug Mart. Aren't most Shoppers Drug Marts opting out of the lease to become free standing stores (like what happened at Garden City Shopping Centre a few years back). Makes sense to bring another London Drugs to this city.

grumpy old man wrote:What's your point? Yet another brilliant post by the esteemed concert reviewer. Becoming a little flamer of late eh?

I believe the point is... "Everyone" says Manitoba is business unfriendly.. so how is it that we keep hearing all these businesses wanting to come here?

ie SARCASM FONT

We seem to be spenders of money....that always attracts business.

I understood his point "absent" a quote from me. With a reference to something I said? Not sure what his point was/is.

But JTF has hit the nail on the head. Manitoba has a stable economy. It sorta sticks out like a sore thumb now when all around us Rome is burning. That attracts retailers.

But if you Deank or the concert reviewer believe Manitoba is attracting "all these businesses" then you're not as clever as I thought. I think Ikea coming to Winnipeg is great for the unique retail concept it offers. Not the several hundred minimum wage jobs.

No, the flowery concert reviewer is flaming but he does not have the nads to say what's on his mind.

Once they (IKEA) leave Winnipeg, we'll be able to make a 100,000 seat stadium out of their building.

GOM.Dude...what with your hard-on for 'the concert reviewer'?

I think his observation was interesting myself...as we, indeed are known for being a place that businesses generally overlook.

And I agree with you that we our stable economy sticks out like a sore thumb in this economy.

grumpy old man wrote:

No, the flowery concert reviewer is flaming but he does not have the nads to say what's on his mind.

I say what is on my mind so much that GOM actually asks that I give it up.

I think I made a fair comment about this place being known as "business unfriendly." Yet, I am genuinely surprised that IKEA is coming here, what with our deplorable tax system. In the long run, Doer's management of the economy will be more large retailers locate here and then transfer profits away from here. Personally, I'd rather see money spent on MB-owned businesses so that the profits stay here. But Doer does whatever is needed to fool the people. He knows most of us have short attention spans and don't think long-term.