Rocket Talk: Can Sunday Subway Service Start Sooner?
Newsstand: November 19, 2009
Gender Studies Coming to a High School Near You
Please Insert Station and Try Again
The Art of Not Knowing
According to the Canadian Press, Home Depot (whose slogan, we know, is not "help is close to home") is "paying an unspecified amount in cash" to back out of their lease to part of RioCan's controversial development at Queen West and Portland. RioCan has stated that it's "reviewing the possibility of repositioning the retail portion of the development to reflect a new retail footprint," which is just a fancy way of saying that they're gonna find someone or several someones else to pay for and use the space; RioCan's CEO told the CP that "We are optimistic that we will re-lease this part of the retail component and do not expect construction of the project to be delayed." The condos that are part of the project are already under construction now, and are, again according to the CP, sixty percent sold.
There's been no word yet as to why Home Depot is backing out (calls and e-mails to them weren't quickly returned), but it's hard not to think that the East East West Queen West community's sustained outrage—which most recently manifested itself in the totally stupid rumours that Home Depot was somehow responsible for the all-consuming fire just up the street from the development—had some role. Too bad that this latest bit of news means that the only victory for the locals is a hollow one: instead of ma and pa hardware stores getting pushed out of the community, some other ma and pa stores will instead; and instead of having a cheap and expansive hardware shop around the corner to buy lumber and paint from, they'll continue to have to mold things they find in the trash into other things with their bare hands, because that is what everyone on Queen West does when they need to make stuff.
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I did just hear back from Tiziana Baccega, who is Home Depot's Manager of Public Relations and External Affairs. She said that given the economic climate, Home Depot had to "re-evaluate the site" and ultimately determined that "it's not the right time for [them] to be there." But she told me that they "want to be part of the community"—and that Home Depot has for some time wanted (and still very much plans to have) a store in downtown Toronto. Baccega said that Home Depot did actually have support for the Queen West project, and that "it was tailored to the community" and wouldn't have been some suburban mess.
In related issues...
ATTN: Loblaw Companies Ltd.
FROM: Citizens of downtown Toronto
RE: Maple Leaf Gardens
MESSAGE: You've let the place fester empty since 1994. Let it go.
And by 1994, I mean 2004.
I design and build things for a living so one part of me welcomes a Home Depot. But I'm also a driver and navigating a pick-up truck (times 20) down on Queen and Portland is a recipe for disaster.
Why don't they put this fucker down on Lakeshore or something?
Why do people always pretend like there is nowhere to get lumber in the neighbourhood. There is a store up on Dundas, just west of Bathurst that sells that sort of stuff.
ML Lumber on Dundas is pretty good, as Ben mentioned. It's skewed more towards contractors than Home Depot, but at least there's space up there to maneuver.
I live right by this site and if there has to be a fairly large retailer in there I'd love to see a Loblaws. But perhaps now they will repurpose the ground floor for several smaller retailers, the kind that would be a better fit for the area.
Why do people pretend that a store like Home Depot will put "ma and pa" hardware or lumber stores out of business? Contrary to typical Torontoist misinformation, stores like Home Hardware do well against Home Depot.
Why? Because they have staff that are knowledgeable and available. I have yet to walk into a Home Hardware and not be able to find someone to help me. Also, Home Hardware has an amazing inventory back end, that until recently they owned jointly with Rona. If they don't have in the store they can order it and have it in a few days.
Personally, I love Weiners.
I think that people pretend that Home Depot will put the other hardware stores out of business because it is already happening. There used to be a Pro Hardware near Queen and Augusta that closed because Home Depot was going to move in. Also, pretending is fun.
I'll ignore the fact that a store that closes before the competition even gets a shovel in the ground means that the store was already in trouble.
I'll ignore the fact that Pro Hardware is a crappy chain. A friend of mine changed from Pro Hardware to Rona and saw an increase in sales. Ordering was more efficient, the profit margin better and the selection broader.
I'll also ignore the fact that Home Hardware - a 100% Canadian company owned by the store owners - is doing quite well against the Home Depots and Lowes.
But like you say, pretending is fun.
Ben: People don't think of the local merchants because Home Depot is open late enough for people to get to the store. Most Toronto stores are open till 10pm weeknights, with the stockyard store on St. Clair W open till midnight 7 days a week.
The Home Hardwares and other local vendors close up early, open late, and don't have the variety that HD does. Their prices are generally worse as well.
Mom & Pop stores need very high markups since they have no economies of scale. Having them forced out of business is a good thing for society, since we get more service, selection, and lower prices.
At least convenience stores trade off convenience and hours for their horrible prices, but so many "local" stores are universally worse than larger retailers. It makes for a good sob story, but they deserve to go out of business for the horrible way that they treat their customers and run their business.
HD backing out of Queen & Portland is horrible, though understandable in current economic climate. Most of that section of Queen needs to go - sadly enough some of the best businesses on the street got hit by the fire. Duke's is a great cycle store that serves its niche well and preloved was a unique offering. Too many stores in the area don't care about the street or aren't innovative.
Help is close to home is actually the former slogan for Home Hardware, the polar opposite of Home Depot in the world of hardware.
Sorry to ruin your catchy headline.
oops my bad. delete that comment. apparently I can't read.
The Home Depot squeezed into Gerrard Square probably doesn't do as well as the ones just a few miles further. Lots of easy parking is fundamental for them since they don't offer cheap delivery.