Torontonians bummed about the Bay closing won’t have to wait long for a new in-person shopping option. Popular Quebec department store Simons is here to help. Armed with a $75-million investment, the chain is set to open its newest locations at Yorkdale on August 14 and at the Eaton Centre sometime this September. Both sites are former Nordstrom spaces, each occupying well over 100,000 square feet.

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CBRE agent Arlin Markowitz says that Simons at Yorkdale will be a welcome addition because it meets a need, serving both higher-end and middle-class customers in a mall that has veered toward luxury in recent years. Add in the recent departure of HBC and the movement to buy Canadian, and he says the store has a great opportunity to be successful in Toronto. In other words, it’s a win-win for both Simons and landlord Oxford Properties.

Simons is a bit of a throwback to department stores of old: bedding and bikinis sharing shelves with dishes and designer dresses

“It was really easy for Simons to walk in and bring their goods. It was plug and play,” Markowitz says, noting that Oxford likely didn’t need to invest much capital to upgrade the space, a frequent requirement in commercial real estate deals such as these. “They were able to fill the hole and bring in a different category of retail that was lacking.”

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