Quebec City-based large format fashion retailer La Maison Simons has secured a former Target location, with plans to build a new store. It will replace a Simons location in the same mall about half the size. The new store’s opening date has yet to be revealed. 

Located at Galeries de la Capitale in Quebec City, the new 80,000 square foot Simons will replace the mall’s current 45,000 square foot store which opened in 1981. At the time, Simons stores operated in smaller footprints and over the past few years, new stores have opened in the 80,000 to 100,000 square foot range. 

Target opened in the mall’s former Zellers location in November of 2013, as part of the Minneapolis-based retailer’s expansion into Canada. Target closed its Canadian stores in April of 2015 after declaring bankruptcy. 

Oxford Properties-operated Galeries de la Capitale, the largest mall in the province at 1.496 million square feet, will also soon see a $40 million renovation to its common areas, corridors and mall entrances. This follows last year’s $50 million investment that included a relocation of its food court, Espace Gourmet, the relocation/expansion of book retailer Renaud-Bray, the expansion of H&M, and the opening of Forever 21. 

This spring, Old Navy, BCBG and Dollarama will open in the mall. Galeries de la Capitale features 280 stores and restaurants, and is anchored by Hudson’s Bay, Sears, Simons, Toys R Us, IMAX, Best Buy and Sports Experts. It also features an indoor amusement park called Méga-Parc, with 20 attractions including a Ferris wheel, roller coasters, and a skating rink. 

Simons’ next location will open in mid-March of this year at Mississauga’s Square One. The company plans to eventually operate as many as 30 Canadian stores coast-to-coast, according to CEO Peter Simons.

Calgary: Calgary’s largest retail transformation is underway as Deerfoot Mall and adjacent vacant lands are redeveloped into Destination: Deerfoot City. The master-planned super regional centre will feature shops, restaurants and entertainment in an outdoor-indoor setting that will include social zones designed to bring people together all year long. The redevelopment will be the first of its kind in the region, meeting the growing demand for vibrant, experience driven retail experiences and an urban feel that differs from traditional malls. Deerfoot City landlord Shape Properties is well underway in the leasing of Phase 2 in what is considered to be one of the most strategic locations in Calgary.

At its core, Destination: Deerfoot City is a pedestrian-friendly network of outdoor streets and plazas interspersed with indoor comforts, providing a central destination for community residents, commuters and tourists alike. The 80-acre property is strategically located along Alberta’s busiest stretch of highway, Deerfoot Trail (Highway 2) at the 64 Avenue NE interchange, with more than 160,000 vehicles passing by daily. Nearby Calgary International Airport boasts 24,000 employees and more than 35,000 passengers daily, and about 930,000 people living within a 20 minute drive of Destination: Deerfoot City.  

“The retail offering has been slow to evolve in Canada,” says Executive Vice President of Shape Properties Darren Kwiatkowski, referring to the many enclosed malls and strip centres that pepper the country. “Destination: Deerfoot City will provide a unique and desired experience to Calgarians. The transformation of the centre is in response to how consumerism has evolved, people don’t live compartmentalized lifestyles anymore.”

The transformation is taking place over several phases. On January 31, the majority of the existing 623,000 square foot enclosed mall will close to make way for the next phase of redevelopment. Retailers like GoodLife Fitness and Winners with new locations in the enclosed centre will remain open during construction and incorporated into the massive, 1.1 million square foot open-air destination when complete. 

Sporting retailer Cabela’s recently opened their first southern Alberta location at Deerfoot City, and two more anchors are set to open in the fourth quarter of this year. The Rec Room, a brand new dining, amusement gaming and entertainment concept from Cineplex Entertainment will open in a 50,000 square foot, two-level location in Q4 of 2016. Canadian Tire will also open a 93,000 square foot store in a new building near Cabela’s. 

Deerfoot City will feature four architecturally unique ‘social zones’ that will bring higher brand exposure and drive deeper engagement with consumers: The ‘Restaurant Campus’, ‘Style District’, ‘Central Plaza’, and ‘Food Lodge’. Each is described below. 

Restaurant Campus: Opening in the fourth quarter of 2017, The Restaurant Campus will feature a variety of options from fine dining to quick casual bites. Vibrant patios will spill onto sidewalks, surrounding the event-filled Central Plaza and its massive water feature.

Style District: Opening in the fourth quarter of 2017, The Style District will feature an eclectic collection of shops and services, with everything from emerging upstart designers and homegrown labels to popular international fashion brands.

Central Plaza: The social heart of Deerfoot City will feature stunning architecture, vibrant patios and lush landscapes surrounding a dramatic water feature, creating an ideal setting for lively events and entertainment.

Food Lodge: The lodge-like experience will provide shoppers a place to warm up by the fireplace — a terrific amenity for a chilly winter day. The Food Lodge will offer shoppers a central place to eat, meet, and rest their feet.

Landlord Shape Properties continues to seek retail tenants for the redevelopment of Destination Deerfoot City. For more information, contact: Brian Nosko, nosko@shapeproperties.com or 604-694-7457, and Graham Horton, ghorton@shapeproperties.com or 604-694-7452.

American retailer Eddie Bauer will open a street-front location on Vancouver’s Robson Street in the spring. The store replaces French Connection, which closed over the weekend. 

The new Eddie Bauer store will feature French Connection’s address of 1150 Robson Street, and will measure about 3,150 square feet. The deal was negotiated by Mario Negris and Martin Moriarty of Vancouver’s CBRE Urban Retail Team. 

Mr. Moriarty noted that the 1100 block of Robson Street is becoming something of an “athletic/outdoor apparel destination” with Eddie Bauer joining New Balance, Sketchers, and Nike on the same block. CBRE also coordinated the Nike deal, which will soon replace the former 4,000 square foot Mexx location at 1119 Robson Street. 

Robson Street will be one of two Canadian street-front locations for Eddie Bauer, with the other being on Government Street in Victoria. A street-front Toronto Bloor Street flagship closed in 2006 to make way for an expansion of neighbouring Holt Renfrew. 

French Connection has struggled in recent years and has closed most of its North American locations. Only three French Connection locations now remain in Canada — Montreal’s Sainte Catherine Street West houses one French Connection store, and the company’s two Toronto-area stores are at CF Sherway Gardens and Vaughan Mills. French Connection has closed most of its Canadian stores over the past several years, including its Canadian flagship on Toronto’s Bloor Street West in 2013.