Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo is preparing to enter the Manitoba market with a new store at St. Vital Centre in Winnipeg, as the brand approaches the ten year anniversary of its Canadian debut. The move forms part of the broader Uniqlo Canada expansion that began in 2016, a strategy that has seen the retailer build a coast-to-coast network while steadily entering new provinces at a measured pace.
The City of Winnipeg recently issued a building permit confirming the arrival. The document outlines a substantial interior renovation project, with multiple units inside the mall being combined into a large-format space suitable for Uniqlo’s full LifeWear assortment. The permit describes the demolition of existing partition walls, new construction work, corridor adjustments and mechanical and electrical updates. The project merges Units 9 to 14 into a single retail footprint and includes a renovation to Unit 8. According to the mall landlord’s filings, this consolidated space is being prepared specifically for Uniqlo.
The Winnipeg opening continues a long-term trajectory that has taken Uniqlo from its initial Toronto flagships to more than two dozen locations across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Entering Manitoba signals a deepening of the brand’s national footprint and reinforces its commitment to bringing LifeWear to communities across the country.
St. Vital Centre Selected for Uniqlo’s First Winnipeg Store
St. Vital, located at 1225 St. Mary’s Road, is the city’s second largest enclosed mall after CF Polo Park. The centre is a dominant retail destination for Winnipeg’s southeast region, with more than 900,000 square feet of leasable area and a tenant mix that serves mature residential communities as well as fast-growing suburban neighbourhoods.
St. Vital Centre opened in 1979 and has gone through multiple ownership and management shifts. Today the property is owned by the Ontario Pension Board and managed by BentallGreenOak. Its scale, parking capacity, stable visitor traffic and regional draw have long positioned it as a strong option for national and international retailers entering the Winnipeg market.
Until June 2025, St. Vital Centre relied on Hudson’s Bay as a major anchor. After the department store chain shuttered all locations following its bankruptcy, the mall began recalibrating its large-format leasing strategy. The introduction of Uniqlo fills a critical gap in the tenant mix and signals renewed investment in the property’s next chapter. For Uniqlo, the location offers a highly visible space that aligns with its broader destination-mall approach in Canada.
Industry observers may be surprised that Uniqlo’s first Winnipeg location is not at CF Polo Park. Polo Park has been the city’s highest productivity enclosed shopping centre for decades, drawing more traffic and sales per square foot than any other retail destination in Manitoba. Its tenant mix, market reach and two-level enclosed format align closely with Uniqlo’s brand preferences for high-volume regional malls.
If the community responds enthusiastically, CF Polo Park remains a logical contender for a second Winnipeg location. Uniqlo has used this pattern in other metropolitan regions by clustering stores to build awareness and serve multi-directional trade areas.
Nearly a Decade of Steady Growth in Canada
The Uniqlo Canada expansion formally began in 2016, when Fast Retailing opened two Toronto flagship locations. CF Toronto Eaton Centre debuted on September 30, 2016 and Yorkdale Shopping Centre followed shortly after on October 20. The retailer framed these openings as beachheads for a national rollout, signalling long-term commitment to the Canadian market.
After establishing itself in Toronto, Uniqlo executed a well-calibrated plan. Vancouver was the next major priority, with stores added in Metropolis at Metrotown, Guildford Town Centre and CF Richmond Centre. Additional locations in Coquitlam strengthened the Metro Vancouver network. In the Greater Toronto Area, the brand expanded outward into major suburban centres including Vaughan Mills, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, CF Markville, Bramalea City Centre and a power-oriented format in Heartland Town Centre.
By the late 2010s, Uniqlo had successfully built clusters in both Toronto and Vancouver and began moving into additional provinces. Stores in Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa introduced the brand to Western Canada beyond British Columbia and to the national capital region. Montreal was included as well, supported by additional Québec City locations. This steady progression marked the second stage of the Uniqlo Canada expansion, emphasising high-performing malls, measured regional clustering and strong omnichannel integration.
A Pipeline of New Stores Across the Country
The past two years have been among the strongest periods of physical expansion since the brand entered the country. By 2024 Uniqlo was operating close to 30 locations nationwide. The 2025 pipeline added more stores across Ontario and Quebec, including Mapleview Centre in Burlington, Union Station in Toronto, Place Ste-Foy and Galeries d’Anjou. The fall 2025 season saw new shops open in Victoria at Mayfair Shopping Centre, in Calgary at CrossIron Mills, in Edmonton at South Edmonton Common and in Québec City at Galeries de la Capitale.
These expansions have been reinforced by strong consumer interest. At Uniqlo’s November 2025 launch at Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria, retail executive Linda Qin, who worked with Central Walk at the time as CEO, told Retail Insider then that the opening drew significant lineups. The enthusiastic response echoed earlier openings across the country, suggesting brand resonance and demand in new regional markets.
Behind the Dealmaking: Aurora Retail Group and Uniqlo’s Lease Strategy
A consistent player in Uniqlo’s Canadian expansion has been Aurora Retail Group. Jeff Berkowitz, President of the firm, has represented Uniqlo in Canada since the retailer entered the country in 2016. Berkowitz has overseen all of the brand’s lease negotiations nationwide and has been a key advisor in its market entry strategy. His work in identifying opportunity nodes and securing prime mall placements has helped align the company with dominant shopping centres across multiple provinces.
The Winnipeg announcement is the latest step in this long-term partnership. Berkowitz’s role in facilitating the brand’s entrance into Manitoba reflects the methodical approach that has defined Uniqlo’s rollout in Canada. This includes careful evaluation of mall productivity, trade area demographics, tourism potential and alignment with Uniqlo’s operational model.
No polo park??? Seems very bizzare.
They’re coming to Polo Park for sure! Upstairs on the second floor where Sears used to be.