picard102
Senior Member
Half of that was office/residential, which they could probably still proceed with. Even the mall expansion I doubt they'd struggle to find tenants, it was packed when I was there on Friday.
|
|
|
‘Frustrating’: Old Navy customers say packages not delivered, missing amid COVID-19 - National | Globalnews.ca
Global News reached out to Old Navy for comment, but did not hear back by time of publication.globalnews.ca
The Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic are still openly taking online orders in Canada, billing customers immediately, but are evidently shipping out nothing. I saw a deep discounted pair of jeans on The Gap Canada website and ordered it on June 15. On June 16th my credit card was charged and I received an email which said "your order has shipped" with a UPS tracking number which indicated it should arrive by July 2.
It's now July 4 and UPS tracking shows they have yet to pick up the order. The problem is clearly not on the UPS side. They are refusing to pick up orders there specifically. There are rumours The Gap is so far behind on paying invoices to UPS that they were cut off totally, yet they are still taking new orders on their website like nothing is happening.
As a card carrying cynic, I see that as getting in front of the PR problem on social media by suddenly making it look like everything is fineThey must have gotten their act together for newer orders. I bought some pants on sale from Old Navy online on July 2nd, and they arrived yesterday which was way earlier than the original "arrive by July 23rd" window given.
Comprehensive article on confirmed and pending store closures throughout Canada:
Wave of Store Closures to Hit Canada in the Summer of 2020
Many stores will be closing in Canada over the summer as brands are hit hard in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it’s challenging to quantify the number of permanent closures at this time, it appears hundreds of individual store locations in Canada will be vacated before the fall.www.retail-insider.com
Retail in The Beaches has already been famously in question for years. Perhaps some landlord bankruptcies might actually shake things up and reverse the trend by finally making available some retail stores with cheap rent deals for a year to at least get the business up and running before rent increases to a full market rate.If the trend continues, the future of some commercial areas could be in question, even popular areas such as Toronto’s Danforth and Beach areas for example.
An interesting statement in there.
Retail in The Beaches has already been famously in question for years. Perhaps some landlord bankruptcies might actually shake things up and reverse the trend by finally making available some retail stores with cheap rent deals for a year to at least get the business up and running before rent increases to a full market rate.
They mentioned ALDO too. I saw they have slashed everything by 50% online and bought two pairs of shoes I (used to) wear to work. I assume some day soon I will need those again, and the fact they were available at the same size and style, but with a price cut from $120 down to $60 with free shipping made them kind of irresistable to buy, even if it felt like I was picking at the bones of their carcass.
Queen West is another retail district that looks poised to take a heavy hit. Ben Sherman have announced they're closing their location, and altogether there's somewhere around half a dozen or more eateries on Queen between Spadina and Gladstone that have already closed throughout the pandemic. While last time I checked, Ossington and Dundas West have been holding things down so far for the most part.
In the long run, I hope to see a new equilibrium established for retail leases. Within the past decade or so, rents have skyrocketed to a point where margins and profitability have become extremely difficult to achieve.
On the topic of Aldo, the Quebec government is looking towards providing them with a capital injection amid their restructuring:
BNN Bloomberg – Canada Business News, TSX Today and Interest Rates
Get the latest Canadian business news, TSX updates, interest rates and Bank of Canada coverage. Explore stock market investing and get expert financial insights on investment portfolio strategies.www.bnnbloomberg.ca