Retail
The most popular sodas in the world are tweaking their recipe to avoid a damaging cancer label in the U.S. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are cutthroat rivals in the beverage biz, but for once the two companies are facing the same caramel-coloured problem. The soda companies were in danger of being slapped with a cancer label on their drinks because their beverages contain a chemical called 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) in the colouring formula. The Center for Science in the Public Interest asserts 4-MI is...
Steve Burgess deals with the inevitable heartache that comes from relying on faraway strangers to feed you. Capitalism can be cruel. We don’t need mobs of protesters pitching tents in public parks to figure that out. Bright young entrepreneurs bring their exciting new enterprises to market, only to be stabbed repeatedly by the Invisible Hand and left to bleed out in the ditch. Too late the would-be tycoon realizes that there is simply no demand for a better moose trap. Such...
A produce section piled high with vibrant greens, yellows and reds greets shoppers stepping through the automatic sliding doors of the Kootenay Co-op Country Store in Nelson, B.C. Local organic apples are prominently displayed across the aisle from a mound...
Sears Canada is signallng how deeply the retailer is troubled as it announces it will shut the doors of three major locations, including Vancouver’s Pacific Centre store. One my first trip to Vancouver, I exited the City Centre SkyTrain and was bombarded by the sights and sounds of downtown. I looked up to see the TD skyscraper, London Drugs and the most massive Sears I’d ever seen. But soon that Sears location will shut its doors for good. ...
As the very Canadian coffee chain looks to expand its holdings south of the border, the company is clashing with animal activists over its choice of pork and egg producers. I’ve often complained that the U.S. doesn’t have enough Tim Hortons or Tim equivalents. But Canada’s most beloved coffee chain is in the middle of a brewing battle as it plots further expansion south of the border.
Retail heavy hitter Wal-Mart Canada will expand its holdings as its biggest U.S. competitor hits the Canadian market in 2013. Canada’s retail scene is heating up despite the winter chill. On Tuesday, Wal-Mart Canada announced it will pump $750 million into a massive expansion effort this year to build, remodel or relocate its stores across the country.
Spiritual insight, tranquility and me-first capitalism. So where’s the problem? Yoga can seem strange to the uninitiated. One must master poses like downward dog, crane, and revolved cobra while concentrating on chakras and purging the mind of all thought except the need for free markets unburdened by confiscatory taxation and government regulation.
As these local companies prove, chocolate is a growth industry in B.C. – and we don’t just mean for your waistline. (Top) For nearly three decades, Vancouver-based, Belgian-born chocolatier Daniel Poncelet has been tempting chocolate lovers across Canada with the creations of Daniel Le Chocolat Belge. danielchocolates.com
How Vancouver sewing supercentre Dressew built a retail empire, one button at a time. In the 21st century, selling sewing notions in the heart of Vancouver without credit cards, social media, or even a website defies all business logic, but that’s exactly what Roger McKie and his family have been doing for 51 years, and business is booming.
As Lunar New Year celebrations ramp up around Vancouver, many retailers are celebrating the accompanying ring of cash registers. Last week, I accompanied a friend on my first trip to Aberdeen Centre. Since I’m still new to Vancouver, I was curious to see the Asian-themed mall.