Sorry! We’re closed: Metro Vancouver businesses that shut down in 2023
It’s been a tough year for a lot of businesses in Metro Vancouver. With many complaining of broken windows, theft, inflation, and economic struggles stemming from the pandemic, it might be no surprise that many of them decided to close up shop.
But they leave behind more than empty storefronts and out-of-work employees.
For many of us, those businesses were emotional fixtures in our lives.
We rounded up a list of the big and small businesses that closed this year, and we have to admit we are still processing some of these.
Nordstrom
The six Canadian locations for mega stylish retailer Nordstrom shuttered in June 2023.
Despite sources telling Daily Hive that its Vancouver Pacific Centre location was the company’s best performing and had “gangbuster sales,” it closed its doors after eight years and laid off more than 500 employees for that location alone in the process.
Lester Balajadia/Shutterstock
People went on a smashing spree at the Pacific Centre store on the final day, taking hammers to the remaining items that hadn’t been sold off by the last day.
Among the seven locations nationwide, the Nordstrom Rack at Willowbrook Shopping Centre in Langley also closed despite long lines and loyal shoppers since its 2020 opening.
Canadian Tire in Surrey
Canadian Tire in Whalley is closed for good and won’t be relocating
byu/brophy87 inSurreyBC
The Whalley location, on 102nd Avenue and 136th Street near Surrey Central Station, closed down this spring. The reason? The area is undergoing a massive redevelopment. Anthem Properties’ Georgetown One is building a 30-storey residential building in its place, one of five towers the developer has been approved to tackle in that spot in the coming years.
“I’m going to miss that location, part of my childhood,” one Surrey resident wrote on the Reddit thread.
Bed Bath and Beyond
The checkout till and sales at Bed Bath & Beyond | Daily Hive
Bankruptcy claimed another major retailer this year. In April, 54 Bed Bath Beyond locations across the country closed, disappointing customers nationwide and those who loved Metro Vancouver’s locations and its discounts.
Before they closed up shop, the company’s Vancouver West Broadway location had huge liquidation sales where products were discounted at 40% to 60% off.
Appliances for sale at Bed Bath and Beyond in Vancouver. (Daily Hive)
The store was replaced by another home brand store, Rooms and Spaces, which seems to be suffering a similar fate, as the store in Vancouver recently shut down due to late rent payments.
Railway Club
ArghMonkey/Flickr
One of Vancouver’s most iconic music venues closed earlier this year.
The historic venue at 579 Dunsmuir was back in operation for a while following a brief reopening at the end of 2022 and again in early 2023.
Operating continuously for 85 years, between 1931 and 2016, the bar and live music venue was famed for showcasing artists like Radiohead and the Tragically Hip.
The store shut down due to financial hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union Market
Union Market/Facebook
On October 31, it was announced that the family-owned independent grocery store in Strathcona called Union Market shut its doors.
The grocery store was known for its Portuguese products and other goods.
The store posted a letter addressed to customers on the store’s website stating that the decision to close Union Market was made with reluctance as it was a beloved family business.
Nimbus School of Record Art
Yet another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the only schools in Vancouver where postgraduates could receive hands-on training and mentorship from music recording professionals filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
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The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, complications with student visas, and rising property taxes created an insurmountable challenge that led to the school’s closure.
The private school had a distinctive feature of having two campuses in Vancouver equipped with studios where experienced music producers and engineers taught the classes.
La Bicicletta Bicycles
Google Maps
La Bicicletta Bicycles had been a fixture at 233 West Broadway for three decades, but it suffered some major financial setbacks in 2023, forcing the company to declare bankruptcy. However, CSL Sports acquired all of Bicicletta’s assets, keeping the legacy of the popular Vancouver bike shop alive.
“We are proud to say that all of Bicicletta’s team members prior to the transactions have been rehired, meaning many of the faces and names you’ve become familiar with will still be around,” new management said in a statement earlier this year as they looked to secure a new space.
In 2024, the company will reopen its store to customers in a new location.
What other business that closed in 2023 are you going to miss?
Let us know in the comments.
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