…and honestly, I’m not surprised. At least not with the Ottawa closing (I have never been to the Quebec City store and am unfamiliar with the city, so I can’t really comment on population and demographics). I have only been in the store once, and was very disappointed when I visited. Not only was it difficult to find and located in an area that has relatively low foot traffic on weekends, but it was really dated-looking. The store reminded me of Holts Yorkdale in the mid 1990s – when it was located in an entirely different part of the mall (I think it’s either where Banana Republic or Crate and Barrel is now). To be quite honest, I wanted to leave as soon as I walked in. It did not provide a good shopping experience. It was as if the company didn’t care much about the location and didn’t really bother to upgrade. Meanwhile, the Bloor Street flagship in Toronto is slated for more expansion, Yorkdale just had one and another store is set to open in Mississauga’s Square One Shopping Centre in a few years. The Montreal store will be moving to a new location.
Holt Renfrew in Ottawa
Another issue is, of course, population. Ottawa has just under a million people, compared to the nearly 3 million in Toronto proper and nearly 5 million in the Greater Toronto Area. The city also doesn’t get the kind of tourism from Asia (usually people seeking high-end goods) that both Toronto and Vancouver get AND the fact that Nordstrom is opening at the Rideau Centre in 2015. Holt Renfrew just won’t be able to compete.
Personally, I think cities like Ottawa and Quebec City would be better-served with an HR2, Holt Renfrew’s “discount” store. In fact, it’s a good model for smaller cities and I’m surprised that Holt Renfrew hasn’t opened more. Currently, there are two HR2 locations, one in Vaughan, Ontario and the other in Brossard, Quebec. It’s really not that bad and I’ve found several amazing items there, including a pair of Donald J. Pliner tall boots. I just wished that it felt less…warehouse-like.
What are your thoughts on the Ottawa and Quebec City closings? Are you surprised? Have you been to those stores? How do you think they fare compared to the larger stores? Do you think it was smart for them to close the stores to concentrate on the more profitable stores?
Image via Retail Insider/Google Streetview
