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Ottawa's ByWard Market sees spike in visitors in May and June
Ottawa's ByWard Market sees spike in visitors in May and June

CTV News

time17-07-2025

  • Business
  • CTV News

Ottawa's ByWard Market sees spike in visitors in May and June

The ByWard Market saw a spike in visitors this spring, with the highest number of recorded visits to the Ottawa tourist area in more than two years. Statistics available on the City of Ottawa's website show there were 2.81 million visits to the ByWard Market in May and 2.58 million visits in June, up from 1.59 million visits in May 2024 and 1.84 million visits in June of last year. The 2.58 million visits in June and 2.81 million visits in May were the highest monthly visits to the market area since the city began posting statistics in January 2023. The ByWard Market saw 2.04 million visits in April, up from 1.5 million visits in April 2024. According to the city of Ottawa, the data is foot traffic recorded in the ByWard Market using cellphone data. 'Footfall is useful to measure visitation to the area and can help guide downtown revitalization efforts,' the city said on its website. 'Foot traffic in the ByWard Market is an important indicator of the health of Ottawa's downtown economy.' The increase in visitors to the ByWard Market comes as the City of Ottawa looks to revitalize the destination, including the redesign of William Street and ByWard Market Square. The plan includes redesigning William Street as a promenade with space for street activations, extended outdoor commercial areas and infrastructure to support events. New Night Ambassadors have also been deployed on Fridays and Saturdays from 9:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. to 'provide additional eyes on the street' and work with late night vendors. The City of Ottawa is also introducing paid on-street evening parking until 7:30 p.m. on weeknights and on Saturdays to a bid to encourage vehicle turnover in the ByWard Market area. The ByWard Market will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2027.

Downtown foot traffic is still far below prepandemic levels, despite push to boost in-office hours
Downtown foot traffic is still far below prepandemic levels, despite push to boost in-office hours

Globe and Mail

time08-07-2025

  • Business
  • Globe and Mail

Downtown foot traffic is still far below prepandemic levels, despite push to boost in-office hours

Foot traffic in the downtown cores of major cities across Canada is still approximately half of what it was before the pandemic, despite a growing push from employers for more in-office work days. New data from the Toronto-based analytics company Environics Analytics – provided exclusively to The Globe and Mail – show that since much of the country ended pandemic lockdown restrictions in the spring of 2022, there was a gradual increase in the number of working people populating the central business districts of urban centres. But that growth tapered off in early 2024, and has held steady into the spring of 2025. While foot traffic has been slow to rebound, major employers are now pushing to bring their white-collar work force into the office more frequently. Royal Bank of Canada RY-T, Bank of Montreal BMO-T and Bank of Nova Scotia BNS-T recently announced new rules that ramp up in-office days: All three banks will require staff to work from the office four days a week come September. Tech giants Amazon Inc. AMZN-Q and Dell Technologies Inc. DELL-N began a five-day in-office policy earlier this year, marking a significant change in both companies' years-long hybrid work arrangements. Last month, the Toronto-based investment firm Canaccord Genuity Inc. introduced a full-time in-office policy, after similar moves from other investment banks such as J.P. Morgan and the boutique New York firm Moelis & Co. But whether these more demanding return-to-office mandates spread widely in white-collar industries remains to be seen. And ultimately, those corporate decisions will determine whether downtowns see a full rebound in their 9-to-5 activity. As of April, 2025, foot traffic in Toronto's downtown core is about 43 per cent less than what it was in January, 2020, according to Environics data. That number hovers at approximately 50 per cent for both Montreal and Vancouver. The data from Environics measures movement based on cellphones (stripped of personally identifying information) and estimates the number of office workers entering the central business districts of cities. It does not include residential and retail foot traffic. Foot traffic data often fluctuate by month. Downtown cores tend to be emptier in December and the summer months, when more workers are on vacation. Across Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa, the data appear to point to a gradual increase in the number of office workers in cities since mid-2022, but little change over the past year. Earlier: In a hybrid work world, Toronto's downtown core faces an existential crisis 'It's a long-term process for the downtown cores of cities to diversify away from office traffic. But my hunch is that the recent return-to-office mandates will push cities to get back to how they used to be before,' said Karen Chapple, director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto. Prof. Chapple runs the Downtown Recovery Project at the University of Toronto, a research initiative that measures the vitality of various downtown cores after lockdowns were lifted across the country. Her own data, which captures all foot traffic, including retail and residential, show an increase in the number of visits to cities over the past year. Compared with February, 2024, downtown Toronto has seen a 10-per-cent increase in the amount of foot traffic. That percentage change is similar for Vancouver. Montreal saw a 15-per-cent increase in foot traffic and Ottawa saw a 19-per-cent increase. The jump in Ottawa is presumably related to the federal government's three-day-in-office mandate for civil servants that took effect in September, 2024. The downtown cores of major cities have yet to return to the bustle of prepandemic times, primarily because a broad swath of the white-collar work force still works in a hybrid fashion, with two to three days in the office, and the rest at home. A March survey from the financial-services company Mercer shows that out of 286 major white-collar employers in Canada, 65 per cent had their staff in office two or three times a week, while just 7 per cent had them on site four days a week. In the same survey, 33 per cent of employers said they had issued a firm return-to-office mandate and expected employees to comply. The rest had no definitive mandate but a broad expectation that employees should come into the office at least a few days a week. But that could quickly change. Beyond the move from three of the Big Five banks to increase in-office days, there are signs that the macroeconomic landscape is shifting in favour of employers. While job vacancies rose dramatically during the pandemic, peaking at almost one million jobs in the second quarter of 2022, they have fallen substantially since. In the first quarter of 2025, there were 524,300 vacancies, a number comparable with the prepandemic average between 2017 and 2019. 'If employees wanted to leave their jobs during the pandemic, they simply had more choice,' said Catherine Connelly, professor of human resources and management at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business. 'Part of this recent pushback to this office has been driven by the job market. The balance of power has shifted back in favour of the employer because unemployment rates in cities have been trending upwards. Companies can demand that employees come back into the office, and employees will comply,' she added. Allison Griffiths, a partner at Mercer's human-resources consulting division, said that her research suggests employers are still concerned about employee engagement. 'They find that the most engaged employees are the ones in the office 100 per cent and that could be why some employers are moving away from a hybrid policy.' Opinion: If time is money, remote work makes parents rich. It's why I won't be going back into the office According to the job-search website Indeed, the share of job postings that explicitly mention terms related to hybrid, flexible and remote work in Canada started declining in January, 2025, after reaching a peak in January, 2022. Still, Canada's transition away from remote and hybrid work is much slower compared with that of the United States and many countries in Asia and Europe. A February study from Stanford University's Institute of Economic Policy Research found that Canadians worked an average of 1.9 days a week from home, the highest level of 40 countries. Americans worked 1.6 days a week from home. Indeed, some major Canadian employers have doubled down in their approach to flexible work. At Sun Life Financial, which employs 12,000 people across Canada, there is no required number of days that all employees need to come into the office. 'From the perspective of poaching talent, we actually see these return-to-office announcements as a bonus to us,' said Helena Pagano, the chief people and culture officer at Sun Life. The insurance company has a concept called 'common days,' in which some departments mandate that their employees come in a certain day of the week, but the company's approach to work is premised upon the flexibility to 'work where it makes sense.' Ms. Pagano says that Sun Life intends to stick to its current workplace strategy because it has led to greater employee retention. 'We are certainly not losing people to the companies who have the four- or five-day in-office mandate.'

'We're relying on regulars': Leisure Park Kallang tenants worried as footfall drops with Cold Storage exit
'We're relying on regulars': Leisure Park Kallang tenants worried as footfall drops with Cold Storage exit

CNA

time03-07-2025

  • Business
  • CNA

'We're relying on regulars': Leisure Park Kallang tenants worried as footfall drops with Cold Storage exit

SINGAPORE: Businesses at Leisure Park Kallang are grappling with declining foot traffic and dwindling sales following the March closure of Cold Storage, a long-time anchor tenant. Already facing a gradual drop in visitors over the years, the mall has grown noticeably quieter. March also saw the departure of Filmgarde Cineplexes and Coca Hotpot – exits that have further exacerbated the downturn. While the weekends bring an uptick in business, many tenants said it is not enough. Hockhua Tonic, located beside the now-shuttered Cold Storage, saw an 80 per cent fall in customers in the month following the supermarket's closure. Although events at the nearby National Stadium or Indoor Stadium draw more customers who mostly purchase bottled herbal teas, sales of dry goods have been 'so, so affected', said branch manager Liu Zheng Rong. 'We just renewed our rental for the next two years, but it has been really quiet. We're really worried,' he said. Other tenants echoed his concerns. Coffee chain Joe and Dough has seen sales decline since October 2024, and store-in-charge Shureen Sulaiman said she is uncertain whether this downward trend can be reversed. Even before Cold Storage's closure, sales in the first three months of the year were 'stagnant", she added. DOMINO EFFECT The simultaneous loss of two major anchors – the cinema and supermarket – has had a ripple effect, retail experts said. 'Mass marketers like supermarkets and cinemas often lead to destination retailing – where shoppers make that outlet the reason for visiting the mall, and the other smaller tenants then benefit from the foot traffic that is created,' said Dr Seshan Ramaswami, associate professor of marketing education at Singapore Management University (SMU). When those anchors leave, it is "difficult to recover", he added. Dr Samer Elhajjar, a senior lecturer in marketing at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) business school, said that this can lead to a "domino effect, where one exit leads to another". "The evolving retail landscape means consumers now demand more than just a place to shop," he added. "They're looking for immersive experiences, convenience and value. If a mall doesn't evolve to meet those expectations especially when competitors nearby do, it becomes very difficult for tenants to remain viable." Jack Investments, which owns Leisure Park Kallang, declined to comment on the impact of the closures. REGULARS AS "LIFE SUPPORT" At Eye Theory, an eyewear business that has been at Leisure Park for 16 years, optometrist Giles Wang hopes customers will return despite losing the convenience of combining their visit with grocery runs. "Cold Storage was here longer than us and we're not sure what our business will be like without them. We're relying on our regulars to keep coming back." The shop has sentimental value, he added. "We were here before Stadium MRT was up. Those days, the bigger malls wouldn't accept us because we didn't have deep pockets, but this mall did." A staff member at BedOrigin, which sells bedding products, said the store has been 'much quieter' since Cold Storage's closure, and now mainly depends on regular customers. When CNA visited on a weekday evening in May, the staff member, who only wanted to be known as Ms Goh, said only nine people had entered the store that day – with fewer than five making a purchase. 'We're not F&B. Some days, it's zero (customers),' she said. 'We're just waiting and seeing. The economy has slowed down and buying power is not like before.' NUS' Dr Elhajjar said that depending solely on regular customers is an unsustainable strategy. 'The nature of retail and F&B today is such that customer churn is high, you constantly need new customers to offset those who naturally drop off due to changing habits, relocation or simply boredom. "The real challenge is that without anchor tenants like Cold Storage to drive new footfall, the opportunity to attract new customers narrows dramatically," he said. "So while regulars are keeping some businesses afloat, they are essentially functioning as life support. If nothing changes structurally in the mall to reattract footfall or reinvigorate the space, this approach will eventually run out of steam." ATTRACTING THE YOUNGER CROWD Despite the slump, not every tenant is floundering. Businesses catering to children and youth, like indoor playground Wan To Play Capybara Creek, report steady weekend crowds and regular birthday party bookings. While weekday traffic dipped after Cold Storage's closure, the playground has managed to retain most of its visitors, said a staff member who wanted to be known as Ms Teo. The bowling alley and ice skating rink also continue to draw teenagers and families. When CNA visited on four separate weekday evenings, both venues consistently had over 10 visitors – a noticeable contrast to other outlets in the mall. Front desk staff at the bowling alley, Kallang Bowl, confirmed that business has remained steady despite Cold Storage's closure. These are "fairly unique" offerings in Singapore, said SMU's Dr Ramaswami. He said the mall could make up for the loss of anchor tenants by attracting other leisure and hobby businesses, and reinforcing its position as a leisure destination. 'Hosting more events focused on the youth and young family segments on a regular basis could also help draw in traffic. And of course, when there are major events in the stadium area, the mall could offer promotions that are tied to these events,' he said. QUIET, BUT CONVENIENT FOR SOME Some customers appreciate the mall's calmer atmosphere. Mr Firdaus Noah, a weekly visitor who takes his daughter to ballet classes at the mall, said he enjoys getting a coffee and relaxing at the eateries after a long day. The mall has always been quiet and he did not see much difference after Cold Storage closed, he added. Another weekly visitor, Mr Jeremy Sim, prefers to head to Leisure Park after his nearby tennis sessions instead of the more crowded Kallang Wave Mall. At Leisure Park, he is "guaranteed" to be able to find a seat at eateries. But other visitors said they prefer Kallang Wave Mall for its convenience and accessibility. 'Some of my friends don't even know there is another mall in Kallang. It just always seemed more convenient to visit (Kallang Wave Mall) instead since it's next to the MRT and we can have a quick dinner before heading for concerts,' said university student Ms Tay. Brandon Chan, senior lecturer of hospitality and tourism management at the Singapore Institute of Technology, echoed this, saying that without easy access and convenience, customers would not be motivated to visit Leisure Park Kallang and a 'unique selling proposition' needs to be created to increase visitor frequency. 'Kallang Wave Mall's direct access to the MRT unlevelled the playing field for both retail malls,' he said. 'Getting to Leisure Park Kallang would entail additional effort from customers unless there was a compelling reason for them to go out of their way to get there. 'At the moment, there are none." CAN THE MALL BE REVITALISED? Experts said that unless Leisure Park reinvents itself, it risks being left behind. Kallang Wave Mall has significant advantages, said Dr David Ocon, assistant professor of arts and cultural management at SMU. 'It is newer, seamlessly integrated with the Sports Hub, National Stadium and MRT, and features sports facilities such as an onsite rock-climbing wall, along with lifestyle and F&B options that align closely with the area's leisure identity,' he said. To stay competitive, Leisure Park could reposition itself with a 'clear niche' and introduce 'experiential concepts' that align with Kallang's leisure and sports identity, Dr Ocon said. He suggested having pop-up markets, holding community and sports events, and even partnering with small businesses or fitness operators to boost footfall beyond retail. 'Outreach efforts might be much needed to raise awareness among younger generations, many of whom have grown up with Kallang Wave Mall and may not even realise that another mall with unique offerings exists just around the corner.'

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