General Suburban Updates and Rumours

[jamincan]

What I meant was, how do they allocate parts of the store between the two levels? I’ve used the shopping cart movators at Stanley Park, but one only needs to use them once when arriving and once when leaving. Taking the main floor of a Zehr’s and splitting it between two floors seems like it would introduce more friction into the shopping experience than having parking on a lower level.

Maybe the service centre would be on a different level from the main store?

[neonjoe]

What I meant was, how do they allocate parts of the store between the two levels? I’ve used the shopping cart movators at Stanley Park, but one only needs to use them once when arriving and once when leaving. Taking the main floor of a Zehr’s and splitting it between two floors seems like it would introduce more friction into the shopping experience than having parking on a lower level.

Canadian tires are usually a disaster, they could separate the levels based on departments, but my suspicion is that everything will be everywhere like the rest of the stores.

[timio]

The Target at Masonville Place had a shopping cart escalator beside the normal escalators.
Also for a throwback, the Canadian tire on King and Borden was a two floor store.

Target at Centerpoint Mall in Toronto (Yonge/Steeles) had this too. If I recall correctly, they moved at slightly different paces so you could get to the top and be ready to get your cart by the time it made it up.

In the same area, Canadian tire by North York Ikea has two floors, with auto being on the lower level and everything else being at the top, I believe with a similar setup as Stanley Park Zehrs.

[danbrotherston]

Magnetic?

These are very common where I live now, assuming they are the same thing, they are not a magnetic interface, but a mechanical one. The escalator (not steps, but a ramp) has a grooved surface and the cart wheels are narrow rubber disks, which slot into the grooves and stick with friction. It is pretty cool, albeit kinda annoying because you can't roll the cart, so everyone is stuck moving at the slow speed of the escalator. The teeth at the bottom of the escalator pop the wheels out when you get to the bottom.

It's electronic - the same system they use to disable carts leaving the property. I'd think the locking mechanism is passive and powered entirely from RF, but I'm not actually sure on that.

I'm not sure how they're powered, I wouldn't expect them to be passively powered, AFAIK they use an electric motor.

Which really brings to the main point...it would be incredibly stupid to use a system like that, using multiple active mechanical devices leaves tons of opportunity for failure...

And given there is a passive system that works perfectly, it would be a pretty big error to use something else.

[tomh009]

I don't know about the Stanley Park location, but the enormous new Canadian Tire at Carlingwood in Ottawa is two storeys, as is the Carling Ave store that it is replacing.

How do they use the multiple floors? It seems to me that grocery carts would have an uneasy relationship with multi-level stores. The only place in town I’m aware of that has multiple levels and grocery carts is Stanley Park Zehr’s, but there the actual store is one level the same as any Zehr’s; only the parking access is unusual.

Two-level grocery stores are not unusual in Europe -- the most common setup is a shallow moving ramp/walkway between the floors.

[panamaniac]

What I meant was, how do they allocate parts of the store between the two levels? I’ve used the shopping cart movators at Stanley Park, but one only needs to use them once when arriving and once when leaving. Taking the main floor of a Zehr’s and splitting it between two floors seems like it would introduce more friction into the shopping experience than having parking on a lower level.

Maybe the service centre would be on a different level from the main store?

I was at the new one at Carlingwood today (it is HUGE!).  The service centre, a PartyTime store, childrens toys, appliances and a number of other departments were on the main floor, everything else (including to my surprise the seasonal stuff) was on the upper floor.   I wouldn't describe it as "upscale", but it's certainly nice for a CT.  By the way, the escalators are only for pedestrians - if you want to go up with your shopping cart you need to use the elevators.

[ijmorlan]

Maybe the service centre would be on a different level from the main store?

I was at the new one at Carlingwood today (it is HUGE!).  The service centre, a PartyTime store, childrens toys, appliances and a number of other departments were on the main floor, everything else (including to my surprise the seasonal stuff) was on the upper floor.   I wouldn't describe it as "upscale", but it's certainly nice for a CT.  By the way, the escalators are only for pedestrians - if you want to go up with your shopping cart you need to use the elevators.

Thanks for the report. I’ll have to take a look whenever I’m out that way.

[jamincan]

It's electronic - the same system they use to disable carts leaving the property. I'd think the locking mechanism is passive and powered entirely from RF, but I'm not actually sure on that.

I'm not sure how they're powered, I wouldn't expect them to be passively powered, AFAIK they use an electric motor.

Which really brings to the main point...it would be incredibly stupid to use a system like that, using multiple active mechanical devices leaves tons of opportunity for failure...

And given there is a passive system that works perfectly, it would be a pretty big error to use something else.

Regardless if you think it's stupid, that's how they work at the Stanley Park Zehrs.

[danbrotherston]

I'm not sure how they're powered, I wouldn't expect them to be passively powered, AFAIK they use an electric motor.

Which really brings to the main point...it would be incredibly stupid to use a system like that, using multiple active mechanical devices leaves tons of opportunity for failure...

And given there is a passive system that works perfectly, it would be a pretty big error to use something else.

Regardless if you think it's stupid, that's how they work at the Stanley Park Zehrs.

I mean, fair enough.

[ac3r]

Not everything mechanical is complicated and prone to failure.

Anyway, I had no idea they were mechanical. That's neat. Always thought they used a magnetic feature and if you search online for magnetism and carts you get a lot of discussion, but I guess it's more a misconception (likely due to the fact magnets would work too).

[danbrotherston]

Not everything mechanical is complicated and prone to failure.

Anyway, I had no idea they were mechanical. That's neat. Always thought they used a magnetic feature and if you search online for magnetism and carts you get a lot of discussion, but I guess it's more a misconception (likely due to the fact magnets would work too).

I didn't say it was prone to failure--I have no idea what the absolute failure rate is, but compared with a passive system performing the same function, a mechanical system will obviously be inherently more likely to fail.

I'm curious to see the cart mechanism and I'll be back in the region in December, but I'm not certain if I can justify a trip to a grocery store or not especially as I will be sans automobile.

[GtwoK]

Something being built at Victoria / Lackner, and based on the all-wood framing I've got to assume residential, like townhouses? But this would have to be one of the worst corners in the city ofr residential, and you'd only get a few townhouses in there. Anyone know what's up?

[KevinL]

The tanks for a gas station went in earlier, I presume it's commercial attached to that.

[neonjoe]

There’s a few permits for the site, but they are all f similar.. Permit Description: Permit is for a new car wash at Circle K convenience store.

[ac3r]

A developer is proposing a small townhouse project for 1257 Ottawa Street South. 3 floors, 20 units (1 and 2 bedroom), 23 parking spaces, amenity areas. Not much to say about this one so I'm just sticking it in the general thread.