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Grocery Stores
(12-05-2018, 09:56 AM)KevinL Wrote: December 5th indeed - that's today! T&T is open!

At 10 AM there were several hundred people queued up outside. And the cars trying to get into the parking lot backed up traffic on Westmount Rd past Erb St.
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(12-05-2018, 01:33 PM)tomh009 Wrote:
(12-05-2018, 09:56 AM)KevinL Wrote: December 5th indeed - that's today! T&T is open!

At 10 AM there were several hundred people queued up outside. And the cars trying to get into the parking lot backed up traffic on Westmount Rd past Erb St.

I honestly don't know what they are going to do about parking.  You could drive by that plaza on a weekday even before T&T opened and the lot was pretty full.  Did they plan on everybody walking / using transit?  Do they think people are going to park south of Sunlife and walk the entire length of the strip mall?
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(12-05-2018, 10:56 AM)Watdot Wrote: https://www.therecord.com/news-story/906...-waterloo/

Surprised by the comment, "And, even though the Waterloo store will be the smallest of the chain's 26 locations, Lee acknowledged that the resident population probably isn't large enough to support it."
Have to say I disagree, but think they definitely picked the right location.

I find this comment somewhat surprising, and I'm not sure I totally buy it.  What business owner in their right mind would open a business if the target market/population isn't big enough to support it?
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(12-05-2018, 10:29 PM)Spokes Wrote:
(12-05-2018, 10:56 AM)Watdot Wrote: https://www.therecord.com/news-story/906...-waterloo/

Surprised by the comment, "And, even though the Waterloo store will be the smallest of the chain's 26 locations, Lee acknowledged that the resident population probably isn't large enough to support it."
Have to say I disagree, but think they definitely picked the right location.

I find this comment somewhat surprising, and I'm not sure I totally buy it.  What business owner in their right mind would open a business if the target market/population isn't big enough to support it?

They're saying that the non-student population wouldn't be enough to support it.
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ohhh I misread that. My bad
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T&T certainly seemed to be a hit today. I went at 6:30pm and had to wait in line for almost half an hour, and it was completely packed once I got inside. There was a shorter but still significant line when I left at 7:30.

Selection was good. I picked up a few things that I've previously had a hard time finding locally at a reasonable price. Got some bakery things that were quite good, and at better prices than the Chinese bakery on Philip.

Definitely recommend checking it out once it's not as busy.
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There is a (less known) walkthrough from the north side of the building, so you could likely get parking there more easily and still be much closer than half the Westmount-side parking lot.
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I think that much of parking right beside the T&T was formerly used by Sunlife employees. I noticed today when I was there around noon that the south end of the parking lot was relatively empty. It should be pretty straightforward to direct employees to park in designated lots (eg all around Micheals). Paid security was at each parking lot entrance to direct traffic. I'm sure that it will take some adjustment on all sides. Once the novelty has worn off, parking demand might subside.

I'm trying to figure out how the parking fared when the space was anchored by the Mr. Grocer and the Eaton's. Yes, it was almost thirty years ago, but surely the anticipated traffic patterns would have been similar.
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(12-07-2018, 03:52 PM)nms Wrote: I think that much of parking right beside the T&T was formerly used by Sunlife employees.  I noticed today when I was there around noon that the south end of the parking lot was relatively empty.  It should be pretty straightforward to direct employees to park in designated lots (eg all around Micheals).  Paid security was at each parking lot entrance to direct traffic.  I'm sure that it will take some adjustment on all sides.  Once the novelty has worn off, parking demand might subside.

I'm trying to figure out how the parking fared when the space was anchored by the Mr. Grocer and the Eaton's.  Yes, it was almost thirty years ago, but surely the anticipated traffic patterns would have been similar.

Traffic in general is much higher-volume than 30 years ago...
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From the CBC:8 places where you can buy groceries in downtown Kitchener

At first, I was pretty pleased with this article. There are lots of food places downtown, many more than is implied when people whinge that there is "no grocery store."

Really, though, all of these places listed are either speciality, a narrow range of goods, expensive, or a combination of all three. They are great places, but it would be challenging to manage on a modest grocery budget using them.
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(05-13-2019, 07:19 AM)MidTowner Wrote: From the CBC:8 places where you can buy groceries in downtown Kitchener

At first, I was pretty pleased with this article. There are lots of food places downtown, many more than is implied when people whinge that there is "no grocery store."

Really, though, all of these places listed are either speciality, a narrow range of goods, expensive, or a combination of all three. They are great places, but it would be challenging to manage on a modest grocery budget using them.

I agree their selection of choices is not ideal--shoppers, central fresh, the market, new city and other groceries might have been worth highlighting more than some listed, or perhaps just list all, there are no limits on paper. 

I do think you are hard pressed to shop in downtown for say the prices of food basics or something.  You may be able to do it but not at the shops mentioned.  But I think it is far too easy to believe you will save 10 bucks on your weekly groceries by shopping at food basics and then spend 10 dollars on a car share/taxi/Uber/even transit (not to mention your time) just to get there.
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I don't live downtown, but I am car-free and successfully do 95% of my shopping on foot or transit. A sturdy bundle buggy (bag cart), along with reusable bags (including thermal ones for cold items), is typically enough to bring home items from all over town.

That said, I'm physically fit and have no children or other considerations. But it works for me.
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(05-13-2019, 09:07 AM)KevinL Wrote: I don't live downtown, but I am car-free and successfully do 95% of my shopping on foot or transit. A sturdy bundle buggy (bag cart), along with reusable bags (including thermal ones for cold items), is typically enough to bring home items from all over town.

That said, I'm physically fit and have no children or other considerations. But it works for me.

Can I ask where you live?

I generally feel that DTK and Uptown are two places that it is easy to live car free in the city, I believe there are probably other places, with good transit and walkable areas, but I haven't personally experienced them, so I'm curious.  I had thought near Belmont Village might be a good option as well, but I cannot say for sure--transit is perhaps weak there.
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Quote:Can I ask where you live?


Strasburg between Ottawa and Block Line. Waling distance to Zehrs Laurentian and Forest Glen; good bus connections elsewhere.
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(05-13-2019, 07:40 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(05-13-2019, 07:19 AM)MidTowner Wrote: From the CBC:8 places where you can buy groceries in downtown Kitchener

At first, I was pretty pleased with this article. There are lots of food places downtown, many more than is implied when people whinge that there is "no grocery store."

Really, though, all of these places listed are either speciality, a narrow range of goods, expensive, or a combination of all three. They are great places, but it would be challenging to manage on a modest grocery budget using them.

I agree their selection of choices is not ideal--shoppers, central fresh, the market, new city and other groceries might have been worth highlighting more than some listed, or perhaps just list all, there are no limits on paper. 

I do think you are hard pressed to shop in downtown for say the prices of food basics or something.  You may be able to do it but not at the shops mentioned.  But I think it is far too easy to believe you will save 10 bucks on your weekly groceries by shopping at food basics and then spend 10 dollars on a car share/taxi/Uber/even transit (not to mention your time) just to get there.

Staples like Milk and eggs are very reasonably priced at SDM, and if you watch the sales (reebee!) you can find lots of things at low cost. I was originally hoping for much more from J&P, but in the end I have mostly bought just bread there -- and even for that, I'll go to Golden Hearth if they are open that day. SDM has turned out to be a far more frequent destination for us. And New City/market especially for vegetables.

Sobey's is about a 20-minute walk for me, I'll go there from time to time when the weather is good.
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