L ifestyles EDITOR TRICIA LO THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 5 Big spenders hit Oakridge Mall rakes in more cash per square foot than most in North America By ASH KELLY hoppers have dropped enough dough to make Oakridge the eighth most productive malls in North America, according to re- tail-insider.com. Ryerson retail management student Hilary Taylor compiled the list, which ranks North American shopping cen- tres by sales per square foot. This year Oakridge ranked the fourth most productive of the five Ca- nadian malls that made the cut. Pacific Centre was the only other B.C. shop- ping centre on the list. Oakridge marketing director Barba- ra Longland attributed the mall’s suc- cess to constantly adapting marketing strategies and a changing demograph- ic. “Oakridge has traditionally cap- tured the Vancouver West Side since it opened in 1959. “Our retail mix has evolved as our shopper has changed, and we continue to provide an upscale shopping experi- ence for our customers,” Longland said in an email. As part of this strategy Oakridge hosts a series of unique events. Shop- pers can expect to encounter a grand piano show, live performances by the Vancouver Bach Choir at Christmas and kung fu demonstrations during Chinese New Year. Currently Oakridge is displaying the popular brown-paper dresses designed by Langara design formation students. Langara retail marketing instructor Kevin James said the Oakridge neigh- bourhood demographic has changed from middle class to upper-middle class, and shoppers’ tastes are now more geared toward the luxury items Oakridge offers. “A lot of the stores in that particular mall are kind of higher end,” James said. “You've got stores like Harry Rosen malls by sales 1 Bal Harbour Shops in Bal Harbour, Florida: $2,793 per square foot 2 The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada: $1,750 per square foot 3 The Grove in Los Angeles, California: $1,400 per square foot 4 Pacific Centre, Vancouver: $1,335 per square foot 5 Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto: $1,300 per square foot 6 Toronto Eaton Cen- tre, Toronto: $1,275 per square foot 7 Mall at Millennia in Orlando, Florida: $1,250 per square foot 8 Oakridge Shopping Centre, Vancouver: $1,132 per square foot ASH KELLY photo 9 The Mall at Short Oakridge’s marketing strategy to boost foot traffic in the mall features brown-paper dresses made by Langara’s design formation students. in that particular mall, and so when you combine a high-end retailer like that with a relatively high volume... it’s kind of the perfect mix.” Doug Snow, president of the British Columbia Shopping Centre Associa- tion, said he was surprised to see Oakridge so high on the list because he was under the impression that Ameri- can malls were ringing in more sales. But he said it’s Oakridge’s luxury brands and the affluent locals that make it possible for such a small shop- ping centre to compete with bigger players. “They’re all very high-end stores,” Snow said. “People have got a lot of dis- posable cash in that area.” Hills in Short Hills, New Jersey: $1,110 per square foot Derincox Centre, Calgary: $1,108 per square foot Source: www.retail-insider.com Tiny 1st turnout at Hangouts’ event Three students played a futuristic version of the board game Risk at Langara Hangout’s first event March 12. Board game night draws crowd of three, but organizers still optimistic By BEN ZUTTER new friendships were formed March 12 at Langara Hangouts’ in- augural event. An epic battle of Risk kicked off the group’s board game night, but the con- versation quickly turned to how to get more Langara students involved. Just three people turned out to the Face- book community’s first gathering. Langara Hango uts was created for students to meet new people and have fun, according to club creator Patrick Tam. Unfortunately, posting messages via social media is often as far as many young people are willing to go. “T think that’s how it is now. People are shy,” said board game night partici- pant Himme Nguyen. “It’s very hard for them to reach out, just because of the way I guess they were raised. [Technol- ogy] brings us together, but it also sep- arates us.” Tam hopes to get students to break out of that mold by encouraging them to meet up outside of the classroom. So far, sign-ups for current and fu- ture events have been dominated by Tees were conquered and males, which is something that Tam and group administrator Mahalia Nah- anee aim to change. “There’s usually a pretty huge dif- ference in [partici- pation by] males and females. I’m not really sure why,” Nahanee said. The group has two female admin- istrators, and Tam hopes their input 66 will encourage more women to get Teehnol- involved. Tam said he ex- 99Y brings pects a range of ws togeth- future indoor and outdoor activities er, but it for the group, in- also sepa- cluding paintball, water and pillow rates us fights and pranks. The group is still in its infancy, and Tam said where it goes from here is really up to those who choose to get involved. “If people have any new ideas for what kind of events they want to do, just come to the [Facebook] page,” Tam said. “Anything goes.” HIMME NGUYEN Recreation studies student Who pays? Tenants vs. landlords Know your rights: tips on renting in Vancouver By ASHLEY LEGASSIC more to deal with than just notori- ously high rental prices. Evictions, repairs and maintenance issues can be sources of conflict in any lease agreement. That’s why it’s impor- tant for tenants to know the responsi- bilities of the landlord before they move in, said Tom Durning, a spokes- person for the Tenant Resource & Ad- visory Centre in Vancouver. For example, landlords are responsi- ble for maintenance and for doing an inspection report before tenants move in, Durning said. “If they don’t do [an inspection re- port] they’ve lost the right to [take] se- curity deposits,” Durning said. Securi- ty deposits work like collateral. Typically, a tenant pays an advance sum to the landlord in case of any dam- age beyond the normal wear and tear. If everything is in good condition when the tenant’s lease expires, the landlord is supposed to return the security de- posit plus interest. But some landlords ask for deposits without upholding their end of the bar- gain. Other times, tenants have diffi- culty recovering their deposits once they move out. “TTenants] need to protect them- selves because a lot of landlords will say, ‘Hey, they’re only a student, they’re not going to spend a lot of time coming after their security deposit,” Durning said. The Langara Students’ Union held a workshop March 11 to help students navigate landlord-tenant relationships. General arts student Liam Switzer found his basement suite through Craigslist and has had problems with repairs. “There was a bit of tension be- cause the sink was broken and they couldn’t find a handyman,” Switzer said. “The handyman they had fixed it, but he fixed it while he was drunk and it broke again.” But Studio 58 students and room- mates Michael Chiem and Nathan Kay said their landlords are excellent. Chiem and Kay have shared a Commer- cial Street basement since August and haven’t had any landlord problems. Another tip Durning had for student renters is to know their roommate and share equal responsibility. “Sit down with your roommate and say, ‘Here’s the deal, we all signed a lease. We’re all financially responsi- ble.” You can’t take off because you don’t get along or somebody’s boy- friend steals the beers. “It’s the landlord’s house, but it’s the tenant’s home. You’re not just some- body to shuffle in and out.” Tee in Vancouver have a lot gaseMENTSUITE, 2 BEDROOM (wAsHER IS INCLUDED), LocaTe ASHLEY LEGASSIC photo Renters can protect themselves by knowing their responsibilities and rights before signing a lease.