Victoria’s Secret unveiled: Lingerie chain to set up in former HMV store in …

VANCOUVER — The long-awaited opening of an American lingerie chain was made not-so-secret Thursday.

Victoria’s Secret will set up a flagship store in a 35,000-square-foot space on two levels at Robson and Burrard, Bob Nicholson property manager with Morguard, confirmed. After nearly a year of negotiations, the company will take possession in September, and is expected to open for business in May 2013. Before vacating the building last fall, former tenant HMV paid $80 per square foot in annual rent, though Nicholson would not reveal how much the lingerie giant would pay.

“This is a huge investment on their part. It’s a flagship store, so they’re expecting big things from it. And I think it’s going to be a huge addition to the downtown area,” Nicholson said.

Numerous other American chains have expanded into Vancouver lately, bucking the downward trend for retail sales across Canada reported this week.

The same Statistics Canada numbers that showed national retail sales dropped 0.4 per cent from May to June, showed clothing sales are actually on the rise, up 4 per cent from last year after a particularly bad 2011.

The yearly growth rates paint a clearer picture than monthly rates, said Retail BC president Mark Startup. Month-to-month-fluctuations can reflect a number of factors, “not just whether the total retail sales climate is soft or strong,” Startup said.

Overall retail spending in B.C. was up 1.8 per cent to $5.1 billion from June 2011 to June 2012. Retail analyst David Ian Gray said the slight increase was “not spectacular,” and while clothing was rebounding, other sectors continued to struggle, like electronics and department stores.

“There’s winners and losers across the board, but it’s not a robust growth,” Gray said. “It’s modest growth and it doesn’t mean everyone’s doing equally well.”

Before the 2008 recession, growth rates of five to 10 per cent were considered normal in B.C., he said.

While downtown Vancouver real estate remains in high demand from foreign, mostly U.S. retailers, “sluggish” sales have pushed the number of empty storefronts to record highs in some areas, states a new report from commercial realtor CBRE.

Overall, the availability rate — property available for lease — for streetfront space in the core is a “relatively healthy” 4 per cent, but the rate on some parts of Robson Street have soared to nearly nine per cent, a rate not seen in more than a decade, the CBRE said.

Between Jervis and Denman streets, the availability rate is 8.9 per cent, and between Hornby and Jervis streets, 6.5 per cent of store fronts are available, according to the analysis done for CBRE’s Mid-Year Vancouver Urban Trends Special Report. The high availability was attributed to real estate-”cautious” companies, and the emergence of high-end shopping districts on Granville and Alberni streets, as well as a revamped Pacific Centre.

In comparison, Denman Street’s availability rate is 2.35 per cent, and Davie Street 1.96 per cent.

CBRE analyst Anthio Yuen said that although Robson Street has been troubled by a recent retailer exodus, vacancies have been “intermittent,” with new stores moving in, like J. Crew, Forever 21 and Camper Shoes.

“In terms of activity, demand for retailers hasn’t been that crazy,” Yuen said. But “we’ve seen certain groups, a few certain brands or certain retailers extremely active in the market,” he said, pointing to mid- to high-end clothing, fast food and financial services as growth sectors.

zmcknight@vancouversun.com

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Abbotsford’s lingerie football team hopes fans see beyond uniforms at Saturday …

Lingerie Football League president Mitch Mortaza met criticism head-on Thursday at a media day for B.C.’s newest pro sports team, the BC Angels, challenging naysayers to watch a game.

“You’ll walk away a fan,� he said as music blared over the speakers at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre and athletes clad in bikini-style uniforms posed for photos with footballs. Mortaza then went further, possibly hoping to stir up some controversy in the Bible Belt.

“I promise you, the same people who are in church Sunday will be here on Saturday night,� he said.

The Angels play their first game Saturday, only one of two home games before Abbotsford hosts the Lingerie Bowl between Canada’s two top teams Nov. 17.

Mortaza said he has high hopes for the LFL in Canada after three very successful years in the United States.

“I think initially what the women are wearing attracts some people, but once the game starts they literally forget it. If the football wasn’t good, we couldn’t sustain this league.�

Local business owners are also excited by the prospect of a new audience bringing in more revenue.

“Any time we can get community events taking place in Abbotsford to draw people in is a good thing,� said Paul Esposito, owner of Finnegan’s Pub, which sits adjacent to the venue where the Angels will play Saturday. He estimates the establishment will see a 25 per cent increase in business similar to what’s been experienced on Abbotsford Heat game nights.

Even so, Todd Martin, a pastor at Abbotsford’s Harvest Christian Fellowship and sociology professor at Trinity Western University, criticized the league’s portrayal of women.

“These are world class athletes and they don’t need to be pulling their shorts out of their butts to get attention,� he said. The pastor, however, clarified his opposition to the lingerie-clad league wasn’t just rooted in his personal beliefs but also from a sociological standpoint.

“If someone went to this and showed up (to church) on Sunday, it doesn’t mean they’re an evil, rotten person. I’m not against women, I’m not against lingerie and people who are interested in that,� he said. “What my concern is the way it’s packaged in that it’s demeaning to women, whether they acknowledge it or not.

“It buys into a system that women can be turned into sexual objects … and to me, that’s an issue that has to be addressed.â€�

The ever-controversial uniforms for the BC Angels include a sports bra with a laced bikini bottom and a garter. Shoulder pads are strapped over top, but don’t come much lower than the women’s collarbones.

Players interviewed by The Province Thursday had no problem with the uniform style.

“It’s bigger than I thought it would be,� said quarterback Mary Anne Hanson of Coquitlam.

An avid football fan and flag football player, pro football was “the next progression.�

The uniform is secondary to the competition and excitement of playing for a crowd, she said.

“Being in the best shape, you don’t worry so much about what’s on you or not on you.�

Mom of two Darnelle Bernemann said the uniform is “super comfy.�

“It’s nothing less than my bathing suit when I take my kids swimming,� said the Aldergrove guard.

Bernemann has always been athletic, but as a woman, never had an opportunity to play football.

“I just want to play football, and having all of this excitement is a bonus,� she said.

Coach Kevin Snell told the crowd of media he was impressed with the “drive� and talent his players have shown.

“I promised the girls that after their first game the fans will know that they are football players and athletes.�

A stadium employee watching Snell and the team running offensive plays from the sidelines commented to a friend: “I love my job today.�

gluymes@theprovince.com

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sip@theprovince.com

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