Walmart cancels big deal project
Walmart has cancelled plans to build a big warehouse in Vaudreuil‑Dorion thus nixing the 225 jobs that had been promised.
(I note with amusement that the building is on Henry‑Ford Street, the suburb clearly having decided to honour someone who made its existence possible.)
Anyone know whether Quebec sank any public money into this plan?
jeather 11:33 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
Curious if this is a result of the bridge issues.
Ephraim 11:34 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
Original press release: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/walmart-canada-to-build-its-first-ever-fulfillment-centre-in-quebec-as-part-of-1-billion-major-infrastructure-investments-this-year-859147967.html and no mention of government money. But it is bad news of a sort, they were building to compete with Amazon’s delivery
Kate 12:28 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
jeather, the bridge! I hadn’t thought of that, but it seems likely.
Blork 12:33 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
It was supposed to be a distribution center for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, so it seems odd that Vaudreuil‑Dorion was chosen in the first place. That basically means that 99% of your non-Montreal distribution has to go through or around Montreal. It would make far better sense to establish it EAST of the city, not west. The Île aux Tourtes bridge situation likely clinched it.
I’ll bet they launch a new plan soon to set it up in Varennes or Repentigny, or even Trois-Rivières.
Ephraim 13:41 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
@Blork – It would make more sense to do it on the South Shore, like the Industrial park for A30, near where IKEA has it’s distribution centre. So it skips Montreal entirely. Goods can come in from Ontario without going into the city and out to the Atlantic without going into the city.
steph 15:32 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
Are we talking IKEA Distribution Services – Beauharnois or Brossard? Both on the 30, both on the south shore. (I don’t understand why both exist)
Kate 15:43 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
You have to keep the Billy bookcases segregated from the other furniture. They get too jealous.
Kevin 15:54 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
Whenever I try to look at something through Walmart’s site I end up shopping somewhere else. I’ve never found anything that’s actually sold *by* Walmart — just a bunch of vendors who are too low-rent for eBay.
In comparison with say, Canadian Tire, where I can get inventory levels and find out which aisle an item is in — or order and have it delivered or ready for pickup when I get there.
dhomas 17:13 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
It’s a bit of a hassle, but there are toggles on Walmart.ca’s search results to filter for items sold by Walmart directly as well as for items that can be found in-store. That said, the site often will not mention which stores the item is stocked in nor will it tell you which aisle to look in (like CanTire will).
Joey 19:08 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
@Kevin presumably most CT shoppers aren’t interested in going often and browsing. Walmart’s typical shoppers are probably there 3+ times a month.
Ephraim 23:01 on 2024-01-04 Permalink
@steph – Brossard, near the Dix30. It’s just a very convenient location for moving goods in and out of province without ever going through the city
@Kevin – CT doesn’t deliver and Walmart does, sometimes if you pay them, same day. Otherwise, they use CanPar. And I have to admit that the CanPar guy was NOT happy with my last delivery… it was a lot of very heavy refill bottles of hand soap. I bought a year’s supply. I prefer clear liquid hand soap with no triclosan (it’s useless and causes PCBs). I didn’t have to go to stores to look for it. It was delivered free and I don’t have to worry about running out, so quickly. And no one else carries an equivalent. We all have our personal craziness and mine is… clear soap.
Kevin 00:37 on 2024-01-05 Permalink
Ephraim
CT has started delivering certain items, and I agree with you on soap.
Joey
Some of us prise efficiency 😉