Windsor Ontario News / Food & Retail

Wal-Mart Photo lawsuit? You may be eligible

Were you the victim of a data breach using Wal-Mart Photocentre and, for example, incurred fraudulent charges on your credit card? You’re eligible to apply for compensation under a court settlement to victims of the “data security incident”, says the Canadian Merchant Law Group. You would have to have used the Wal-Mart Photocentre website between June 1 2014 and July 10 2015. Out-of-pocket expenses would be compensated at the rate of $15/hour for five hours “spent remedying the losses,” Merchant Law says. You’d have to present documents to back your claim. If no documents, you may receive $15/hour for up to two hours. There’s $400,000 in the overall pot with money dispersed on a first-come basis. The agreement also provides funds for free credit monitoring services. Claims and more information can be obtained at www.walmartphotosettlement.com. – 27/6/17

A bistro in a grocery

A bistro in a supermarket? It seems all the rage though not, alas, in Windsor. Never fear. If you want that continental touch after buying the tomatoes and paper towels (a green product of course) you can go to the new Whole Foods Market opening at 2100 East Maple in Birmingham, Mi. in August. Cafes are popping up in other groceries elsewhere and the bistro concept has proved a hit. “This is without a doubt the most popular type of venue we put in our new stores,” Whole Foods’ Scott Salsbury told the Detroit Free Press. – 4/5/17

Two local festivals make the grade

Two local festivals have made Festivals & Events Ontario’s Top 12 list of provincial “food and food-themed” events. The LaSalle Strawberry Festival, entering its 30th year, runs June 8 – 11 and features a carnival, parade, live entertainment and vendors. And the 42nd annual Tecumseh Corn Festival runs Aug 24 – 27, and hosts a “spectacular variety of family entertainment, contests,” says the non-profit Kitchener-based organization that promotes festivals. There are some 100 provincial festivals with food themes, the organization, which also markets and provides education, says. – 8/4/17

Air Miles quite contrite

Air Miles got into a lot of hot water when it decided not to honor customers’ points beyond five years. But just two days after it appeared before an Ontario legislative committee examining cancellation policies for loyalty programs, the company’s parent LoyaltyOne, switched gears and decided to allow the points after all. In an email to customers, Air Miles’ head Blair Cameron was quite contrite. He said Canada’s “favourite loyalty program” did not “live up” to that standard. “2016 was a challenging year, and we learned very difficult, public and humbling lessons,” he said. Cameron said Air Miles going forward in fact will be improving services for wait times and the “online experience.” – 15/3/17

Upcoming Metro stores announcement

Metro stores is planning a major announcement for the Windsor area. Next Friday company officials will be in Windsor alongside Mayor Drew Dilkens to make “a special announcement about our planned investment in the Windsor market,” a news release says. “Over the coming months, Metro and Food Basics will invest a significant amount of capital in renovations, new store openings and our employees.” Officials will discuss plans for Metro and its discount chain Food Basics “as well as how they’re planning on giving back through our community investment programs.” No word on whether this goes beyond what the public has already been told about Metro’s local investments. This includes a future Metro at the former Target store space at Devonshire Mall, and about the recent conversion of a Metro to a Food Basics at University Plaza. – 17/2/16

HMV mall store closing

Just when you may have thought one local mall store was impervious to online shopping, it’s closure has now been announced. HMV Canada’s large Devonshire Mall store will be closing in the coming weeks as part of a general closure of all HMV outlets in Canada. A sales associate at the store said no date has been set for the closure. “It could be tomorrow, it could be next week or month, it depends on how sales are going.” Indeed, the British-based retail giant (whose UK business remains unaffected), says the closure is directly related to the decline in people purchasing physical CDs and DVDs. “The market for CDs & DVDs in Canada has experienced more significant declines in each of the last two years than has been seen in most other major markets,” a Jan. 27 release said. HMV has 102 Canadian outlets. – 2/2/17

Ontario doesn't end at London, LCBO says

Hockey is big. And rivalries - especially between Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs fans – are no more intense than in southwestern Ontario. So when a customer recently was told he couldn’t buy the Crown Royal Special Edition Maple Leafs bottle with accompany glasses (price: $34.45) – he was a little miffed and thought “Here we go again, Ontario ends at London.” Not true, says LCBO spokeswoman Christine Bujold. The bottle is available throughout the LCBO network and isn’t restricted simply because Windsor might be considered more of a Red Wings market. If it’s not in the store, she said, simply tell a clerk to order it through LCBO’s inter-store shipping system. – 12/12/16

Millennials - who else? - drive wine in a can

Millennials may be too busy – or lazy - to eat cereal out of a bowl, as recent news reports suggest. But it’s the same reason they’re also behind a new product now on LCBO shelves – wine in cans. “This time-strapped segment of the consuming public demands convenience, accessibility and approachability when purchasing wine (and almost anything else), and a can provides just that,” the government alcohol agency says. This spring and summer Big House Pinot Grigio and Zinfandel wines from California have been making an appearance in cans. The 250 mL cans price at $3.95 and are sold as singles. That’s to “encourage customers to give the wine – and packaging – a try,” LCBO says. If you like “local” wines Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Between the Lines winery is also coming out with a sparkling VQA in a tin. A three-pack sells for $17.85. – 2/8/16

Walmart's bag charge

Walmart Canada, one of the last hold outs for providing shoppers free plastic bags, no longer does so. In fact the retailer started charging for bags – five cents – in February. Walmart said it is being a good steward of the environment. “A reduction of single-use shopping bags represents a tremendous opportunity to minimize the amount of waste being sent to landfills,” the store said. The chain says it’s also working with suppliers “to develop innovative packaging that reduces the need for bags.” Unlike grocery stores, though, Walmart had offered plastic bags in different sizes given the large variety of products it sells. Retail analyst Doug Stephens told CBC Walmart was “late to the table” in charging for bags. Walmart did not return a request for comment. – 7/7/16

Credit union leaving DT for Roundhouse

The province's largest credit union is moving its sole local branch from the city core for the EC Row Expressway/Howard Avenue, Devonshire Mall/Roundhouse Centre commercial axis. Meridian credit union, with HQ in St. Catharines and which has more than 250,000 members and $13 billion under management, will be moving into a higher profile but slightly smaller branch in a new pad at the Roundhouse Centre July 25. The current branch is at 545 Ouellette between Wyandotte St. and Maiden Lane. Windsor branch manager Rolanda Taib said there were “a number” of reasons for the move. Roundhouse “is going to afford us a lot of visibility and awareness, vehicle traffic is so high, lots of residential areas around there.” The Meridian branch is the former Desjardins Credit Union, which merged with what was the original Niagara region-focussed Meridian in 2011 and converted its branches by 2012. Meanwhile, the Windsor Family Credit Union, which opened its rather high profile branch in the former CHWI TV studio at the corner of Ouellette and University two years ago, says it's downtown for the long term. WFCU president Eddie Francis wished Meridian well. Francis also said: “Most people probably lose sight of the fact that there are a lot of residential units in the downtown core.” – 22/6/16

LCBO targetting Yanks

You might be forgiven for thinking an LCBO billboard is targeted to Canadian cross-border shoppers. In fact, it’s targeted at Americans looking for booze bargains in Canada. One of the billboards, on Sandwich St., announces "Cross-border shopping? Your favorites at the LCBO." At first it seems puzzling. Is the LCBO indirectly suggesting Canadians are shopping stateside, especially when Canucks can’t bring back liquor without duty until after 48 hours, and even then only a couple of bottles. Unless of course they’re smuggling (perish the thought). But, says LCBO spokeswoman Keeley Rogers, the campaign is designed to have Americans buy in LCBO stores. The campaign follows stats which show more Americans buying booze in Canada, despite generally higher prices. “LCBOs near border crossings (Windsor, Niagara) have recently observed an uptick in out-of-country customers,” she said. For example, the downtown University Avenue W. store has seen an up to 34 per cent sales increase from people outside of Canada. That’s a 10 per cent increase over last year. Rogers said it’s believe the exchange rate is playing a major part. “The ads are intended to generate awareness for the LCBO brand” and that many products can only be purchased in Ontario, she said. – 20/5/16

Chatham's Le Chateau store on the cusp?

Le Chateau has not announced the closure of any stores in Windsor and Chatham, at least for now. But the Montreal-based retailer has said it plans to close as many as 40 underperforming stores over the next three years. Calls to Devonshire and Tecumseh Mall stores indicate staff believe the stores will stay open although it looks like the Chatham store (pictured above) will close. Le Chateau closed 11 stores last year and plans to close 14 this year. Spokesman Pierre Boucher said the chain doesn’t disclose which stores are closing until about a month beforehand, for obvious competitive reasons. “Our employees are going to be made aware maybe a month in advance,” he said. As well, it’s possible some stores on the cusp might not close at all if their sales improve. – 19/4/16

Photo: Downtown Chatham Centre

Lower loonie has little impact at these malls

The plunging Canadian dollar doesn’t seem to have made that great a difference – at least for now - for Canucks shopping north of the border. Steve Berlow of Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills, says his mall probably doesn’t see the drop off in shoppers like other malls do. “We’re less impacted,” he says, noting “we have a number of stores that are unique to the market which makes us a little bit different from other types of venues.” The mall advertises extensively in Windsor through billboards, radio and print as well as a banner at the tunnel. Berlow says the mall “actively searches out the motor coach industry” and even has a tourist marketer who makes inroads into Canada, as far as London. He hasn’t heard of any shops selling at Canadian par, however. Meanwhile in Windsor Devonshire Mall manager Chris Savard says it’s “hard to quantify” whether the low loonie has translated into increased American shoppers. “That said, we have heard from a number of retailers who tell us that they are in fact seeing an increase,” he said. – 8/1/16