All Apple Store photos are from ehmac.ca
CBC’s The National looks at the strength of Waterloo’s retail market
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with Ron Charles from CBC’s The National about the new Apple Store opening up in Waterloo’s Conestoga Mall, and why Apple was coming to a “non major urban centre.”
As I told Ron, major retailers are tripping over each other trying to get to Waterloo- Target (see Target is coming to Waterloo’s Conestoga Mall)
, Apple, Coach, Paderno, Spring Rolls, Oliver & Bonacini, Lee Valley, Sephora have all opened recently or are coming soon – because Waterloo Region has a great demographic – we skew younger, more educated, have more disposable income and are generally more tech savvy than many other regions in Canada. And the 70,000 students at WLU, UW and Conestoga College don’t hurt either !
To get a sense of how hot the Kitchener Waterloo commercial real estate market is for retailers, just drive down Ira Needles Blvd and take a look at The Boardwalk, 1 million square feet of premium retail space – and there are new retail developments on either side of it too.
Waterloo Region is now also one of the top 10 largest urban centers in Canada, and with the announcement of the Apple store coming to Burlington, Apple will have an official store in each centre.
Source: Ehmac.ca
I do not think the Apple Store in Waterloo is a response to RIM at all – I think that is a sensational perspective that some people are trying to see, but I don’t think it’s reflected in the reality.
The CBC clip also features Avvey Peters from Communitech discussing the health & vitality of Waterloo Region’s hi-tech sector, which is expanding every day.
And for the record, I’m a BlackBerry guy.
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