TJX Canada is continuing to deepen its presence in major Canadian downtowns, with a new Marshalls store planned for Montreal Eaton Centre as part of the company’s broader urban growth strategy. The off-price retail giant, which operates the Winners, Marshalls, and HomeSense banners in Canada, has increasingly secured high-profile real estate in city centre shopping districts, positioning its stores in dense areas where foot traffic, transit access, and residential populations can support multiple locations.
The latest move will see Marshalls open in downtown Montreal, adding another TJX banner to the city’s central shopping corridor. The project reinforces a pattern already visible in Toronto and Vancouver, where the company has recently expanded or repositioned stores in some of the country’s most prominent urban retail environments.
According to information tied to the project, the Marshalls store will occupy approximately 32,500 square feet on the Metro level of Montreal Eaton Centre with access to the city’s subway system. The location has already appeared on the Marshalls website, indicating that the store is being integrated into the brand’s expanding urban footprint. The store is expected to open September 2026.
The addition places Marshalls inside one of Montreal’s busiest retail nodes. Montreal Eaton Centre sits along Sainte-Catherine Street, the city’s primary shopping corridor, and connects directly to the RÉSO underground pedestrian network. The complex benefits from significant daily traffic generated by office workers, university students, tourists, and commuters moving through the downtown core.
New Marshalls Strengthens Downtown Montreal Presence
The Montreal Eaton Centre store will complement TJX’s existing network of locations across the downtown area. A Winners operates across the street at Place Montréal Trust, a shopping complex connected through the underground city and situated within the same retail district.
Elsewhere downtown, Winners operates a store at 150 Sainte-Catherine West within Complexe Desjardins, providing the brand with another foothold along the city’s main commercial corridor. Further west, the Alexis Nihon Complex houses both Winners and Marshalls, illustrating how TJX has already been comfortable operating the two banners in close proximity when market conditions support it.
In addition to these locations, a Winners store also serves the nearby Griffintown neighbourhood south of the downtown core.
Together, these stores illustrate how the company often develops clusters of locations within dense urban markets. Rather than relying on a single flagship store, TJX frequently builds a network of stores across a downtown district in order to capture different streams of foot traffic and shopping trips.
Notably, while TJX is strengthening its downtown Montreal presence with Winners and Marshalls, there is currently no HomeSense store in the city’s downtown core. The home décor banner operates at several locations across the Montreal region, though those stores remain outside the immediate downtown district.
Why Winners and Marshalls Often Operate Nearby
While it may appear unusual for two banners owned by the same company to operate close to one another, the arrangement aligns closely with TJX’s off-price retail model.
Both Winners and Marshalls sell discounted merchandise sourced from brand overstock, cancelled orders, and opportunistic buying opportunities. Because inventory changes frequently and selections vary from store to store, shoppers often visit multiple locations when searching for specific items.
This dynamic forms the basis of the “treasure hunt” experience that TJX promotes. If a shopper does not find what they are looking for at one location, the proximity of another store encourages them to continue browsing nearby rather than leaving the area entirely.
The two banners also maintain slightly different merchandising identities. Winners is widely recognized as the company’s legacy Canadian brand and often emphasizes fashion apparel across women’s, men’s, and children’s categories. Marshalls typically features a larger footwear department and often highlights contemporary fashion and youth-oriented brands.
These distinctions allow the two concepts to complement each other while appealing to overlapping segments of the urban consumer market.
Prime Downtown Real Estate Increasingly Attractive
The Montreal Eaton Centre project also highlights how TJX has increasingly secured prominent downtown real estate across Canada.
In Toronto, Winners opened a major new store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in late 2024, taking over a former Old Navy location inside one of the country’s busiest shopping centres. The store provides TJX with a highly visible flagship presence in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Toronto remains an important market for the company. Winners was founded in Toronto in 1982, and the retailer now operates numerous stores across the downtown core, reflecting the city’s dense population and strong pedestrian traffic.
Vancouver offers another clear example of TJX’s evolving urban strategy. In October 2024, Winners relocated from its long-time home at 798 Granville Street to a larger location at 660 Granville Street, taking over the former Steve Nash Fitness World space.
Rather than vacating the previous location entirely, TJX later opened a Marshalls store in the former Winners space at Robson and Granville in March 2025. The move allowed the company to strengthen its presence along one of Vancouver’s most recognizable retail corridors while maintaining control of both locations within the same neighbourhood.
Why HomeSense Is Less Common in Downtown Cores
While Winners and Marshalls have become increasingly visible in downtown markets, the HomeSense banner has been slower to establish stores in dense city centres.
Part of the reason relates to the types of merchandise carried by the brand. HomeSense focuses heavily on home décor, furniture, and larger household goods that often require easier vehicle access and more generous loading facilities. Many downtown buildings, particularly older retail properties, can present logistical challenges for transporting large items.
Urban shopping behaviour also plays a role. Downtown shoppers frequently travel on foot or by public transit, making it easier to carry apparel or small household items than larger pieces of furniture or décor.
As a result, HomeSense stores are more commonly found in locations that provide convenient parking and easier vehicle access, including suburban power centres and regional shopping districts.
Toronto and Vancouver have seen a handful of downtown HomeSense locations, but in Montreal the concept has so far remained outside the central core.
Montreal Store Reflects Broader TJX Downtown Expansion
The new Marshalls at Montreal Eaton Centre represents another example of TJX downtown expansion, a strategy that continues to reshape the company’s presence in Canada’s largest urban markets.
By positioning Winners and Marshalls stores in dense city centres, TJX is creating clusters of locations that serve commuters, residents, office workers, and visitors alike. Each store contributes to a wider network that captures multiple shopping trips across the same downtown district.
The Montreal Eaton Centre location adds another key piece to this network while reinforcing the company’s growing commitment to prime urban retail space.
If the pattern seen in Toronto and Vancouver continues, the addition of Marshalls in Montreal may represent another step in TJX’s long-term effort to strengthen its presence in Canada’s busiest downtown shopping corridors.
