[IanO]

Anyone have any insight to why the 7-11's downtown are closing? The one in the Jaffer building, on 109st, and now the one in the Ultima has closed in the last year or so.

Having worked directly with their management in the past, there are two key factors:

1. A lack of overall traffic

But the real driver

2. Disorder, theft, loss. It's a pretty sad statement when a global company that successful operates these stores in major cities across the globe pulls out of their multiple investments. They were working with EPS, COE partners and non-profits to try to address thing, to no avail.

 

[kcantor]

^
agreed. disorder, theft, disorder, loss, disorder, lack of overall traffic, disorder…

the other thing to keep in mind is that a 7-11 can be an attractor for these things and they also impact other tenancies around them and the rents that are negatively impacted as a result.

as rents drop, so do assessed values and as assessed values drop so do the property taxes being paid to the city.

that means the rest of us have to make up those shortfalls as i’m not expecting the total property taxes being spent by the city every year to fall in my lifetime.

 

[IanO]

^
agreed. disorder, theft, disorder, loss, disorder, lack of overall traffic, disorder…

the other thing to keep in mind is that a 7-11 can be an attractor for these things and they also impact other tenancies around them and the rents that are negatively impacted as a result.

as rents drop, so do assessed values and as assessed values drop so do the property taxes being paid to the city.

that means the rest of us have to make up those shortfalls as i’m not expecting the total property taxes being spent by the city every year to fall in my lifetime.

And yet in many other cities, 7-11s indicate a busy, vibrant area with desirability.

 

[kcantor]

^
you’re missing the point (or perhaps i wasn’t very clear). 7-11 isn’t responsible for the disorder, they are leaving as a consequence of the disorder.

if the area was busy and vibrant with desirability - which is what they thrive on just like the rest of us - they would still be there.

their not being there any longer is our failure, not theirs.

 

[Gronk!]

And yet in many other cities, 7-11s indicate a busy, vibrant area with desirability.

Do the downtown 7-11s in these other cities experience the same level of theft and disorder as the ones in downtown Edmonton?

 

[IanO]

They can be a bit of a magnet for crime/disorder, but I can tell you firsthand that the Jasper 100st and 104st had some of the highest losses and number of incidents they have ever seen.

 

[archited]

And yet in many other cities, 7-11s indicate a busy, vibrant area with desirability.

Not in L.A.

 

[Seandroid]

I think this is all a bit presumptuous. The 7/11 in Camrose also closed and I’ve seen them closed other places though I can’t recall exactly where at this moment. What I have noticed is a huge marketing push with 7/11 and Uber Eats. You can even tack 7/11 purchases onto a different delivery for no charge. The entire business model of convenience stores was “its slightly more expensive but it’s close and easy to get to” and we now have the option of “it’s slightly more expensive and you literally do not have to leave the sofa.”

If you’re doing things this way it makes way more sense to centralize distribution from a few locations.

I’m willing to bet this is at least a big contributing factor, especially because prior to embracing them, delivery services probably hurt their bottom line. Why would you go walk to get an expensive shitty taquito when you can pay slightly more and get like… banh mi from Nhon Hoa?

If you look on Uber Eats, there is much more of a focus on 7/11 private brands as well as things like medications & household goods.

If there is one thing you can always - without fail - count on humans to do, it is to pick the convenient option. Even if it ruins their cities. This means that the people left actually going to 7/11 are the people that have no choice. I think in very urban cities that have more successfully built walkable environments, the math still works out better for the brick & mortar. The walk isn’t as treacherous and there are simply more people of all sorts out and about. Eyes on the street.

Here we have this horrible negative feedback loop I see everywhere. 7/11 is sketchy and the walk is unpleasant, so fewer people walk there, so it gets sketchier, cycle ad Infinitum. Transit is sketchy, so fewer people take it, so it gets sketchier… you get the picture.

I really genuinely don’t know of any easy answers to these problems. I think the only thing we can do is use planning tools that incentivize high density development and… wait.

 

[MacLac]

Not in L.A.

3 years ago….Vegas….corner of.Paradise and Harmon…..got hustled 4 times for cash entering and coming out + 3 times whilst inside….including by the cashier!!!!!!

 

[David A]

Do the downtown 7-11s in these other cities experience the same level of theft and disorder as the ones in downtown Edmonton?

Oh yes, it not just an Edmonton problem - other places too. While googling 7-11 closings, I came upon this and there were other locations too.

A 7-Eleven in SF has permanently closed

A number of residents are keen on seeing a new business take its place.

www.sfgate.com

Its too bad, but frankly I avoided the 7-11 on 104 St because the people always hanging out in front of it. Part of it is up to the stores to try deal with effectively and it seemed to diminish towards the end, but it is also larger social problems.

I do think if our city government continues to mostly leave it to downtown businesses to deal with these problems, they will get a nasty financial shock in terms of declining property tax revenue from downtown. All those suburban councilors who don't focus on this enough will then have to make up for the shortfall by having homeowners in their areas pay more. At this point in time they will realize how short sighted their approach is, but I hope they are smarter than that and wise up sooner.

 

[Dubas]

View attachment 441791View attachment 441791On Whyte. Permanently closed.

 

[Avenuer]

View attachment 441791View attachment 441791On Whyte. Permanently closed.

Your photos didn't upload - were they of a closed 7-Eleven on Whyte?

 

[Dubas]

Your photos didn't upload - were they of a closed 7-Eleven on Whyte?

Oh, weird. the MINISO store closed.

 

[northlands]

Oh, weird. Neither, the MINISO store closed.

That’s a bummer but I can’t really say surprising.

 

[BASE]

We just need 1 central area that can support some decent stores without the fear of closures all the time. There are great pockets of density in some of our central areas on both sides of the river but I don't know where the ideal spot would be.