List of Grocery Stores to Open in Canada’s Urban Cores

As Canada’s urban cores continue to grow and add new residents, grocery stores continue to open new locations. In this article, we’ll list confirmed and anticipated new 10,000+ square foot grocery stores for inner-city Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. 

We’ve been working on an applied research study with the University of Alberta School of Retailing, where we mapped out current and proposed grocery store locations in Canadian urban cores. We then analyzed areas within these urban cores to determine what opportunities exist for new grocery stores, given current underserved populations and projected population growth.

Downtown Vancouver:

As Vancouver’s downtown continues to add thousands of new residents, we’ve identified two proposed grocery stores for the city’s downtown peninsula. These include: 

1) Tenant Unconfirmed: With an estimated size of 17,900 square feet, a grocery store will locate at the southeast corner of Granville Street and Pacific Boulevard, within the new ‘Vancouver House‘ condominium development.

2) Tenant Unconfirmed: Estimated to be between 20,000 and 35,000 square feet, a grocery store is proposed for 902 Davie Street at Hornby Street, located at the base of a residential tower. Despite the rendering at the top of this article, Whole Foods is not a confirmed tenant. 

Downtown Calgary: 

Calgary’s downtown continues to see impressive growth, and as a result several grocery stores are proposed in areas adjacent to its central business district. These include the following: 

1) Loblaws: Measuring about 100,000 square feet, Loblaws will locate on the second level of a multi-use development in Calgary’s ‘East Village’ at 428 6 Avenue S.E.

2) Urban Fare: The estimated 25,000 square foot store will anchor First Capital Realty’s Expanded Mount Royal Village at 880 16 Avenue S.W., and we’ll be discussing the project further in the coming weeks. 

3) Tenant Unconfirmed: A 60,000 square foot, two-level grocery store is anticipated to locate near the intersection of 9 Avenue S.W. and 9 Street S.W. in a new multi-use development.

4) Tenant Unconfirmed: At least one grocery store is said to be proposed for Calgary’s Eau Claire neighbourhood, which continues to see new construction of upscale condominium towers. Sources say that possibly two grocery stores could open, though this is unconfirmed. 

Downtown Edmonton: 

Edmonton’s downtown continues to add new residents in new residential towers, as well as a new downtown development, called Edmonton Arena District, which will include a sports facility as well as offices, hotel rooms, a casino, and residential units. Grocery stores proposed for Edmonton’s Central core include the following: 

1) Lowlaws City Market: Measuring 40,279 square feet, the store will be located in First Capital Realty-developed The Brewery District. The grocery store, itself, will be located near the corner of 104 Avenue and 121 Street.

2) Tenant Unconfirmed: With 18,898 square feet available at 10404 Jasper Avenue, a grocery store may replace this former Sobeys location. If so, it will locate across the street from a new Shoppers Drug Mart, which will also feature a grocery department measuring an estimated 3,000 square feet. 

3) Tenant Unconfirmed: The approximately 30,000 square foot grocery store, located at 12250 Jasper Avenue, is currently under construction as part of a mixed-use residential development. A tenant announcement is expected shortly. 

4) Tenant Unconfirmed: A grocery store is proposed within the new ‘Edmonton Arena District’, near the corner of 103 Street and 103 Avenue.

Downtown Winnipeg: 

As Winnipeg’s downtown continues to see growth, a new 25,000 square foot grocery store is proposed for the corner of Graham Avenue and Smith Street, at the base of a new condominium tower.

Downtown Toronto: 

Canada’s largest city also has its fastest growing downtown, with thousands of new residents being added every year. Four grocery stores are confirmed, and a further six are proposed. The following is a summary of confirmed and discussed grocery store locations within the city’s urban core: 

Grocery Store Locations Confirmed in Central Toronto: 

1) Loblaws: This 91,000 square foot store will include Joe Fresh’s headquarters upstairs, and will be located at 500 Lake Shore Boulevard (at Bathurst Street). 

2) Loblaws: Located at 111 Peter Street in the city’s Entertainment District, sources say that the the new store will 12,450 square feet.

3) Saks Fifth Avenue by Pusateri’s: The approximately 25,000 square foot store is under construction, set to open in the spring 2016 on the concourse level of the flagship Hudson’s Bay building at Toronto Eaton Centre. 

4) Loblaws: measuring about 20,000 square feet and located at 297 College Street, this store stirred controversy because of its proximity to popular Kensington Market.  

Proposed and Speculated Grocery Store Locations in Central Toronto: 

1) FreshCo (speculated): Estimated at 20,000 square feet, a grocery store is expected to locate  at the base of a new residential tower at 565 Sherborurne Street.

2) Tenant Unconfirmed: Measuring about 11,000 square feet, at 101 Charles Street East. This grocery store will be at the base of a new condominium tower fronting onto busy Jarvis Street.

3) Tenant Unconfirmed: (Whole Foods speculated) – Measuring 39,434 square feet, a grocery store is proposed for a new residential development at 25 Bathurst Street, at the corner of Front Street West. Minto Developments has taken over a cancelled condominium project and according to a submitted application to the City of Toronto, it plans to include a grocery store at its base.

4) Tenant Unconfirmed: (Whole Foods also speculated): At an estimated 40,000 square feet, a grocery store will tentatively locate on the second level of 8 Spadina Avenue at Front Street West. Located at the base of the first tower in The Well project, this grocery store will serve the rapidly growing area.

5) Tenant Unconfirmed: Estimated at 42,000 square feet, this second-level grocery store will locate on the southwest corner of Wellington Street and Blue Jays Way in a large residential project with a municipal address of 400 Front Street West. 

6) Tenant Unconfirmed: Located near the intersection of Queen Street West and University Avenue, we have few details on this rumoured grocery store proposal, given a recent study done by a prominent brokerage. Speculation persists that the grocery store in question may end up a couple of blocks away at the base of a new residential tower, east of the nearby Shangri-La Hotel.

Downtown Ottawa: 

Canada’s capital city continues to add residents to its core. One grocery store is confirmed and it will open this spring — a Sobeys, measuring about 30,000 square feet, will open at the base of a new residential building on Metcalfe Street.

Downtown Montreal: 

Montreal continues to add residents to its downtown core, which is already served with a number of grocery stores. Provigo will open a 25,000 square foot store in the heart of downtown, located at the corner of Rue de la Montagne and Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal.

Have we missed any, or have anything to add? Email: craig@retail-insider.com

Our University of Alberta School of Retailing study also maps existing grocery stores within Canadian urban cores, as well as identifies opportunities for grocery stores in underserved areas. As people continue to move into Canadian downtowns, large grocery chains will increasingly open new stores to serve locals.