Simons, the oldest private, family-run business in Canada, announced Thursday its highly anticipated Yorkdale Shopping Centre store will officially open its doors to the public August 14 at 10 a.m. EST. The store will occupy two levels of the mall’s former Nordstrom store.
The first of two new urban Toronto locations opening this year, the Yorkdale store will span more than 118,000 square feet across two floors and feature labels exclusive to Simons, international designers, as well as local brands and artists to be revealed at the opening. True to Simons’ uniquely Canadian approach and inspired by natural elements, the structure will leverage architecture by Lemay-Michaud Architecture, and interior design by Toronto-based Gensler Design, said the retailer.
“At Simons, serving our customers is our greatest privilege,” said Bernard Leblanc, President and CEO of Simons. “On August 14, we’re proud to open our doors at Yorkdale Shopping Centre and invite Torontonians to discover the distinctive blend of fashion, art, and design that defines Simons. Our history and success have always been rooted in exceptional service — a commitment to our customers, our employees, and our partners — and we can’t wait to share it with Toronto firsthand.”
As Simons’ 18th coast-to-coast location, the opening marks a major milestone in the brand’s continued national expansion and reaffirms its investment in the Greater Toronto Area and the future of Canadian retail, said the company.
The retailer was founded in 1840 by John Simons in Quebec City. Originally a dry goods store, the family company is known today for accessible and inspired fashion. It is committed to cultivating creativity and building meaningful relationships with its staff, partners, and clientele. The company cares about the environment and about the communities in which it does business, it said.
“Simons is recognized as a fashion authority with an original shopping concept. The company offers an extensive array of avant-garde fashions and exclusive private collections for men and women, complemented by a selection of nationally recognized brands and top designer names. Simons also carries home fashions for the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.”
There are 17 Simons stores – 10 in Quebec, including the company’s head office in Quebec City; three in Alberta; one in British Columbia; one in Nova Scotia; and soon four in Ontario.
The second Toronto Simons store will open in September at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. The 110,000 square foot multi-level store will also occupy space in the mall’s former Nordstrom, alongside Eataly and Nike. Simons also has a store in the GTA at Square One in Mississauga, which opened in 2016.
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Sherway next, square one is too busy.
Simons should be looking at the former Hudson’s Bay at Polo Park in Winnipeg as well as an additional location in the Lower Mainland, probably at Guildford Town Centre in Surrey or Coquitlam Centre. There may also be an opportunity for a second Calgary store at Chinook or Southcentre.
I’ve longed enjoyed shopping at Simon’s but not the drive to Square One, a good distance from my home. Yorkdale is a short 35 drive, and we shop there frequently. This is fabulous news!! So many marvelous products in many different catagories. Cannot wait. Is there a grand opening date set yet?
Is there a cafe or restaurant
Next up: take over the HBC boxes at Granville Street, Metrotown, Chinook, Southgate, Polo Park, Hillcrest, and Scarborough Centre.
Metro Vancouver could really use 1-2 more locations as their Park Royal store is even more out of the way for most area residents than Square One for the GTA. The Chinook Bay is in a very high traffic area that would do well, but if that ends up going to Ruby Liu, there’s still the Nordstrom box. I understand West Edmonton Mall has an exclusivity zone agreement with Simons, hence the Londonderry store, but I am wondering if that could be re-negotiated or if it expires at some point, because Southgate feels like such a no-brainer for Simons. If I recall correctly, there was also talks of getting Simons to Polo Park that fell through, but this would be a tremendous opportunity to get into the Winnipeg market and Polo Park could use a destination retailer like Simons with the loss of Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie. I’d also love to see Simons get into more areas of Southern Ontario, like Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, London, and maybe Kingston. But I think focusing on Western Canada would be great after recent Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia openings this decade.