In sixth months time, Columbia Square will loose yet another major business;The Marketplace IGA. This follows on the heels of Loonie Plus, Rogers Video, The Flower Shop and other sources of services to the Quay residents. What are your thoughts on this? Has the City allowed too many food chains and dollar stores to the point of market saturation? Is this simply market forces playing out and the weak link looses? What are your thoughts?
Actually I do think that the rush to develop the City has seen a lack of due diligence on the City's part to ensure that the new businesses do not negatively impact those quality businesses that have been servicing New West (especially the Quay) for years - if not decades. I am sad to see such a great corporate neighbour leave. It will be interesting to see if the new Food Chains step up to the 'sponsorship plate' like Marketplace IGA did over the years. I will miss them and all the great people who worked there!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the commenter above; it is too bad to lose a great neighbor. Although the redevelopment of New Westminster skytrain station is welcome, due to its increased lighting, cleanliness and overall safety, the impact of the Safeway on the IGA cannot be underestimated. Can the city not offer some type of concession to IGA so that they might change their minds and remain?
ReplyDeleteI will miss the staff of IGA and definitely feel for the employees. The problem is that they cannot compete pricewise and Safeway is not much better, although they have a larger selection of products and is strategically placed. Unless another lower priced grocery store replaces IGA the situation will be the same. My preference is Safeway over Donald's Market which is also high priced and too specialized.
ReplyDeleteI really like the IGA. It has a great meat department and deli and a good produce section. The bakery is good too. If they leave I'm really going to miss them and I'll keep shopping there just to let them know I care right up until the last day.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the last poster about the competiton and some of the other stuff. I don't think the city should decide what I can buy and where I can buy it. It's kind of a wierd thing to ask. Sounds more like it should be posted by one of us bloggers than by an offical board of smart people but, like they say, it takes a lot of different nuts to make a good trail mix.
I don't think the city has or should get involved in trying to limit competition. I don't mind it looking at how massage parlours, reptile farms, propane fill stations and things like that fit into the culture or safety planning here though.
ReplyDeleteOf the three stores close to us, on this side of the tracks, on the overpass and on the other side of the tracks, I prefer IGA and probably won't take much of my business to the other two if it closes. If the IGA butchers opened a smaller private shop there, or even in River Market although it's less convenient, I'd definitely make a point of supporting it if they kept the quality up. I'd probably do the same for a good produce operation if it was next door to it.
Simply market forces? I don't think so. The market has changed. Fifteen years ago you would see most people shop by the cart full, now it's mostly the basket full. Food prices are increasing rapidly. IGA is a union shop. You get what you pay for. The people are good and probably why a lot of us shop there. It does limit the stores ability to be agile and adjust to the changing market though.
I don't think the City has anything to do with it or could do anything about it. In the last ten years this same scene has played out for many mid-sized grocers in many cities about our size.
/Reliance Court on the Quay
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ReplyDeleteIGA is closing because the parent company wants to reopen it as a non-union store. Can't remember what the chain name is, but wait and see. . . it will reopen as a cheaper grocery store. Unfortunately the level of service will go down, and the current employees are being pushed out.
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