City
Attention Parkdale Shoppers
I can't speak for all Parkdalians, but I've been wondering about the old Thrift Town lot for a while (located at 1473 Queen St. W., near Jameson). It's taken forever for the empty space to be transformed into something substantial. And now, with the appearance of cheery face photos in the store's windows, it's become pretty evident what the space is going to be: a brand new Shoppers Drug Mart.
Big, established drug stores aren't exactly easy to find on this strip of the city, so no surprise SDM is planting a stake. But the anti-gentrification crowd isn't pleased. Several people I spoke with fear rents will go up. Or local businesses will be forced out. Or the chain store will permanently alter the rough beauty of the 'hood.
Sure, all those things can (and probably will) happen. But does change always have to be such a bad thing?
When this argument comes up I always think about Roncesvalles. That strip has been gentrifying for years and while many of the older places have changed hands or closed up, many have not. And many of the new stores that have opened in the area are convenient, small, independent businesses themselves. No, Roncey is an eclectic mix of young families and traditional Polish cliques.
The same thing could happen to Parkdale. And I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. There goes the neighbourhood, or great for the neighbourhood? We'll just have to wait and see.
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take that hipsters
there's a pizza pizza, blockbuster, and a dollarama like a block east of there... out of those 4 companies i'd much rather have a shoppers, above the others.
One could argue that with the Guardian and a Rexall on the next block the area doesn't need another chain drugstore, but given that Shoppers was here years ago, I don't see how they could be concieved as ruining anything.
That was our way of weeding out the dirty hipsters from the Parkdale OG's. Hmnnn I wonder what that says about the author then...
LOL a "post" about a franchise coming into a neighbourhood to ruin it, when it really is making a comeback.
The issue is not in there being a Shoppers Drug Mart, but the issue is in 3 Drug stores in 3 blocks on Drug Queen Street.
Add to this the Shoppers Optimum program, which through strategic buying and maximizing redemptions has netted me a Nintendo Wii and two DS's for my kids in the past two years alone.
The prices are comparable to local grocery chains - in fact on some common items they beat them hands down (cases of soft drinks being a good example). In terms of Pharmacy, I've never had an issue with them, they always have efficient, respectful staff on hand who know what they're doing. I really hope this one gets a Post Office in it so I don't have to schlep up to Solarski's. This one will be five minutes from my house.
Handfed, why would you go to 7-11 OR SDM when there's a Metro right across the street that will beat both of them.
Oh wait, I haven't actually played that drinking game yet, just conceived it.
Hoolahoops need a place to buy their Manic Panic hair dye.
Down with Shopper's Drug Mart! NIMBY!
(It's not actually MBY, I'm addicted to Optimum Points and I'm always glad when I see a Shopper's Drug Mart.)
Geographic-wise, it's in a perfect spot. Just the right distance from the semi-descent Guardian on Roncees.
*One question, where did that Thrift town go? I liked their second-hand selection there.
Rexall and Guardian are part the same company, Drug Trading Company Ltd., which is not a chain or a franchise, but more of a co-op for independently owned pharmacies. It provides independently owned phramacies with the opportunity to offer better products and information that they wouldn't otherwise be able to offer at competitive rates. Without IDA, Guardian or Rexall (all part of DTCL), these businesses would be reduced to the level of old-school apothecary.
Parkdale is gentrifying. In five years it will be a completely different neighbourhood, one more geared towards artists and hipsters, with (hopefully) a cleaner sheen to it.
Rexall and Guardian are part the same company, Drug Trading Company Ltd., which is not a chain or a franchise, but more of a co-op for independently owned pharmacies. It provides independently owned phramacies with the opportunity to offer better products and information that they wouldn't otherwise be able to offer at competitive rates. Without IDA, Guardian or Rexall (all part of DTCL), these businesses would be reduced to the level of old-school apothecary.
Parkdale is gentrifying. In five years it will be a completely different neighbourhood, one more geared towards artists and hipsters, with (hopefully) a cleaner sheen to it.
I lived and work in the hood and this place is indeed a hood. Hookers turn tricks in alleyways, crack-heads are peddling rock like it was 1980, crack whore's are always asking for "smokes" or a "blow job" and fights always erupt on average once a week. Also there's the local drunks that use bus shelters as their day-time patios. God forbid an establishment comes in a "gentrifies" Parkdale. That would be the worst fucking thing imaginable.
(I guess you think the giant CAMH re-development site just down the street is a big waste of money and space?)
And it's been said before, THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN a Shoppers Drug Mart in the "'Hood" (did I hipster that correctly?).
Don't question it's come back. Shoppers Drug Mart's been here for years.
I will say that I find SDM to be the most expensive Canadian drug mart chain. Without getting into names I find most of my generic drug needs at costs of 20 - 30 percent less at other drug stores. If you really want to, check do it for yourself. SDM is a fine chain but costly.
People go west of Ossington?
It's like the video of the hipster who perceives a force field and can't bring himself to go north of Dundas.
If you want to live in a neighborhood where it's impossible to sleep because of police sirens and where your kids can't play in the local park for fear of falling on a hypodermic needle, then I'm quite sure Rexdale has some vacancies.
There are a lot of great small-time retail shops in Parkdale that have stood the test of time. However, there are many small businesses that I still walk into and wonder... why am I here?
In many of the small businesses along Queen St. West, you are 'greeted' with a strange smell. It's almost like they moved in and ignored any hygiene problem with the building and started setting up shop just to get a couple of extra weeks of business in. Secondly, I walk into those stores wondering if I'll actually be able to find what I'm looking for. 80% of the time I don't find it. However, the 20% of the time that I do find these items, I'm pleasantly surprised about the cheap price.
So, here is when I'll explain my understanding of BIG franchises. They DO snuff out the unique and eclectic atmosphere of Parkdale. However, the reason why BIG franchises exist is because they carry the products that people expect them to carry. They are consistent, reliable, and usually quite reasonable with pricing (except if they are selling other, successful company's products at outrageous prices... but people still by it!).
I think that most people have realized that time is an issue when needing to purchase something. At this point, I'm just wondering why I should go to 6 different family-owned businesses HOPING to find what I need when I can go to a commercialized franchise and get what I want right away?
I never thought I would say that... until I moved to Parkdale.
-Katie