5 things about Calgary's retail offerings

Canadian Tire's decision to open a new location in the Beltline marks the latest in a series of announcements where major retailers are refocusing on the Calgary market. And while past once confined to the suburbs, this new round of retailer interest is bringing their offerings to new and once unconventional neighbourhoods.

CREB®Now takes a look at five of the latest announcements.

Canadian Tire:
Formerly accessible only to those willing to hop in the car, Canadian Tire will be bringing its wide range of automotive, sports and leisure and home products to the newly redeveloped 90,000-square-foot, three-storey Mount Royal Village building at 8th Street and 16th Avenue S.W. Scheduled to open in "about" two years, the Canadian Tire Express store will be similar to one in midtown Toronto, which offers about a quarter of the goods available in the retailer's largest stores.

Saks Fifth Avenue:
Adding to the impressive list of retailers already on site at CrossIron Mills, Western Canada's first Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH store is slated to open at the mall in September 2016. Now part of the Hudson's Bay brand, the 30,000-square-foot store will ne the fourth of up to 25 locations that Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH plans to open nationwide. Since opening in 2009, CrossIron Mills has welcomed nine million visitors annually.

Whole Foods:
American grocer giant Whole Foods is slated to open a store Northland Village Mall in summer 2017. It's also expected to open stores in Edmonton and Victoria in 2016. Overall, the stores are expected to provide 150 jobs each in their respective communities. Located in the South Park Centre (3803 Calgary Tr. S.), the Edmonton store will be 42,000 square feet.

Urban Fare:
Upscale Vancouver-based grocery retailer Urban Fare is also slated to open a store in Mount Royal Village in downtown. This will be Urban Fare's only existing store outside of British Columbia. The retailer will be another anchor in the 200-unit 34-storey condo tower, which will eventually include a Good Life Fitness and a West Elm furniture store.

Cabela:
Hunting, fishing and outdoor giant Cabela's Inc. is to open its Deerfoot Mall location in the coming weeks. The 70,000-square-foot store will be Cabela's third location in Alberta, joining the 70,000- and 50,000-square-foot Edmonton locations that opened in 2011 and May of this year. The store is designed to surround customers in an outdoor-like experience with museum-quality wildlife displays and a large mountain replica along with an indoor archery range.