The Bay Downtown Vancouver’s $40 million renovation

note the many chic gates over vulnerable windows and entrances .. riot insurance no doubt.

These renderings unfortunately don’t say much. The Bay building is definitely a gem amongst downtown buildings. If they clean the building up and bring back some of its old features it will be a beautiful sight.

I am surprised, however, that The Bay is bringing in all of these expensive stores. Over the last few years we have had many debates in the media about how expensive Vancouver real estate is. It is suggested that young people and those with ‘normal’ jobs have to move to other cities because they can not afford Vancouver anymore. The Bay’s selection of brands tells me that it will become hard for most people to shop for reasonable clothing and accessories as well. What is the point? Who can afford Burberry?

To the writer of the article; please explain how you think that these brands, with extremely high price tags, fit the 18-35 demographic. It would seem to me that they are the ones that can not afford this at all.

Hi John,

It may surprise you but Vancouver’s high end store routinely outperform (on a per sq ft basis) other Canadian and North American cities. There is money in this city and if you ever visit Holts, LV, Burberry it is always has the 18-35 year old crowd in it and quite a few of them. Where they get there money is not my concern, they have it and they spend it. 

I myself make a decent income and find myself shopping at these places at 5 to 6 times of the year. I’m by no means wealthy but I’m fiscally prudent and have learned how to save money and make my money work for me. 

and people like you enable the inflation of market value. People who resist and complain about over-priced items help keep the market in check. Since when is being practical considered whining? In a country (and in Vancouver, particularly) where we’re seeing the middle class being eroded, it is critical that people take a stand. That said, I’m not contending the Bay is threatening anyone’s way of life here. Just addressing your “woe is me” comment. 

It’s important to note that the Bay is bringing these changes to their flagship locations across the country, it’s not just Vancouver that’s changing.

Same goes with Eatons taking a few steps back, enabling Nordstrom to be a major player in the retail industry.

The Bay is aiming to make itself more competitive. For instance, a lot of the brands it already sells can be purchased elsewhere in the Vancouver region – there’s no need to go all the way to the Downtown Vancouver HBC for them, you can go to a regional mall for these brands, and even the price differences are minimal. The Bay has been going downhill largely to this fact. In its hey day, you couldn’t buy these brands anywhere but the HBC (or Eatons). 

It’s the same reason why Robson Street is going downhill, because the same brands can be found at Richmond Centre, Metrotown, Oakridge, etc.  The thing that made Robson Street special in the first place was you couldn’t find those brands elsewhere, but with new retailers like Forever 21and Camper moving in that’s going to change.