Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto is undergoing another substantial reshuffling of its retail mix, with Indigo preparing to move into a smaller store while Zara plans a major expansion across the corridor in space formerly occupied by Old Navy.
Luxury retailers are also relocating and opening new stores, a large new Rolex boutique is planned according to sources, Gucci is preparing to open in Yorkdale’s newest luxury corridor, and Holt Renfrew has been shifting departments and brands following the opening of a large two-level Chanel boutique.
The biggest piece of the puzzle remains the former Hudson’s Bay. The approximately 300,000-square-foot department store is ultimately expected to be repurposed for other retail uses, although plans for the space have not been announced.
Together, the moves represent one of the more extensive periods of tenant change at Yorkdale in recent years, ranging from the downsizing of a major bookstore to the expansion of Zara and further growth in luxury retail.
Indigo to Relocate at Yorkdale
One of the most notable changes involves Indigo Books & Music, which is preparing to leave its longtime two-level store for another location within the shopping centre.
Oxford Properties’ lease plan lists Indigo’s existing Unit 27 at 26,155 square feet, comprising 9,053 square feet on the ground floor and 17,102 square feet on the second level.
Retail Insider has learned that Indigo will relocate to Unit 243 and an upper-level space identified as Unit 248-2. Unit 243 spans 6,144 square feet, while the second-level space is approximately 11,985 square feet. That would give the new two-level Indigo approximately 18,129 square feet, about 8,000 square feet less than its existing store. The move represents a reduction in footprint of approximately 31 per cent.
Indigo’s relocation will also put its existing 26,155-square-foot store back into play. A replacement tenant has not been confirmed, amid rumours of Eataly taking the space, or even a TJX label.
Indigo opened at the shopping centre in 1999 as part of an earlier expansion and subsequently overhauled the location, including the addition of an American Girl shop-in-store in 2015.
Zara Taking Over Former Old Navy Space
Across the corridor, Zara is moving in the opposite direction. The Zara is expanding with a targeted opening for fall 2027. The additional premises comprise 8,680 square feet on the ground floor, 8,050 square feet on the second level and 6,760 square feet on the third level, totalling 23,490 square feet.
The space was formerly occupied by Old Navy. Zara’s existing Yorkdale store is listed at 27,339 square feet across several levels. While the lease plan identifies the former Old Navy premises specifically as an expansion, the final configuration and total selling area of the completed Zara store have not been confirmed.
The contrasting moves by Indigo and Zara are notable. One established Yorkdale tenant is reducing its footprint by nearly a third while another is taking on a substantial amount of additional space almost directly across from it.
They are also unfolding in a part of Yorkdale that has already been dramatically transformed.
Former Eaton’s Space Reinvented Again
The area containing Zara, Old Navy and several other large retailers was once occupied by an Eaton’s department store, one of Yorkdale’s original anchors when the shopping centre opened in 1964.
Following Eaton’s closure, the former department store was divided into multiple retail spaces as part of a major redevelopment. A glass-covered shopping street was created through the area, changing what had previously been a traditional department-store box.
The structural glass roof stretches approximately 328 feet and rises roughly 60 feet above the mall floor, incorporating more than 18,000 square feet of glass. Much of its structural support was positioned above the glazing, creating a comparatively unobstructed interior. The contractor involved in the project described it as the first skylight of its kind in Canada.
Zara and Old Navy were among the major retailers that occupied the redeveloped area. Roughly two decades later, that tenant mix is changing again: Old Navy has left and Zara, one of the retailers that helped establish the redeveloped wing, is preparing to expand into its former space.
Another Round of Luxury Changes
Elsewhere at Yorkdale, movement is accelerating among luxury fashion, jewellery and watch retailers.
Van Cleef & Arpels is preparing to relocate from its existing boutique to Unit 247, which the Oxford plan lists at 1,905 square feet. Its current Unit 72 is shown at 1,621 square feet, meaning the new location would be approximately 18 per cent larger based on the lease-plan areas. The French jewellery house opened its first standalone Toronto boutique at Yorkdale in 2017 and has since become part of a growing concentration of international jewellery and watch brands at the mall.
A larger change is taking shape nearby. Retailers occupying the stretch between Kate Spade and David Yurman have vacated, clearing a sizeable block of space for a new group of tenants.
Sources tell Retail Insider that a large Rolex store is expected to be among the incoming boutiques. Its exact size and configuration have not been confirmed.
Rolex already has a dedicated Yorkdale presence through authorized retailer Raffi Jewellers, which is said to be behind the new flagship.
Gucci to Complete New Luxury Corridor
Gucci is also preparing a standalone Yorkdale boutique. Oxford Properties said earlier this year that the forthcoming Gucci store will complete Yorkdale’s new luxury corridor, with the boutique expected to open in the winter of 2026. The new store will give Gucci a more prominent standalone presence at the shopping centre, where the brand has also operated a concession inside Holt Renfrew.
Gucci will join a luxury lineup in the new corridor that includes Brunello Cucinelli, Dior, Loewe, Loro Piana, Jimmy Choo, Maison Margiela, Moncler, RIMOWA, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford and Versace.
The expansion of luxury retail comes as Yorkdale remains Canada’s highest-performing shopping centre by sales per square foot. Oxford Properties said the mall generated $2,368 per square foot in 2025, up 34 per cent from 2021 and more than $700 per square foot above any other Canadian shopping centre in the ICSC data cited by the landlord.
Ferragamo, ba&sh and MCM Among Other Moves
Several other relocations have already altered Yorkdale’s tenant mix.
Ferragamo relocated several months ago to Unit 319, taking a 4,322-square-foot space formerly occupied by Ted Baker. The former Ted Baker premises had been vacant following the British fashion brand’s departure from the Canadian market.
French fashion brand ba&sh is also relocating, taking over the Yorkdale space recently vacated by German luxury brand MCM. MCM’s departure from Yorkdale may coincide with a return to Toronto’s Bloor Street luxury corridor.
The brand previously operated a flagship at 93 Bloor Street West before closing the location and directing customers to its Yorkdale boutique. More recently, Retail Insider was able to look through an opening in the paper covering the former Bloor store’s windows and observed MCM merchandise inside.
The presence of merchandise indicates activity inside the space, although MCM has not announced that the Bloor Street store will reopen.
Leah Alexandra Coming to Yorkdale
Another addition is Vancouver-based jewellery brand Leah Alexandra, which is preparing to open in Unit 513, formerly occupied by Wolford.
The company’s website now lists “Yorkdale Centre — Coming Soon” among its locations. The Yorkdale store will join existing Leah Alexandra locations in Vancouver, at Oakridge Park, and in Toronto at the Shangri-La Hotel.
Founded in 2006 by Leah Belford, the brand designs and assembles its jewellery in Vancouver. Belford grew up in Toronto before moving west and establishing the company, giving the Yorkdale opening a connection to her home city.
Existing Retailers Also Updating Stores
The changes are not limited to new leases and relocations. Diesel recently renovated its Yorkdale boutique, refreshing an existing store rather than moving elsewhere in the property. Diesel currently identifies the location as Store 240.
FOX has also changed concepts at the mall. A FOX fashion store has replaced FOX HOME following the home furnishings banner’s exit from its Canadian stores several months ago. The fashion concept offers casual apparel for women, men and children.
VinFast, meanwhile, has exited Yorkdale. The Vietnamese electric vehicle company closed its showroom as it reduced its Canadian retail network. Its former Unit 301 is listed at 3,158 square feet on Oxford’s lease plan.
The smaller moves add another layer to the changes underway across the property, with existing spaces being renovated, reused and shifted between retail categories.
Holt Renfrew Shifts Brands Following Chanel Opening
Yorkdale’s Holt Renfrew flagship is undergoing changes of its own, with brands and departments being shifted as portions of the store are updated.
A major recent addition was an expansive Chanel boutique that opened in November 2025. The two-level space spans approximately 10,635 square feet, and is Canada’s second-largest Chanel fashion boutique. It also includes Toronto’s first Chanel Watches & Fine Jewelry boutique.
The scale of the Chanel space resulted in changes to surrounding departments, with further adjustments continuing inside Holt Renfrew.
The department store has long been central to Yorkdale’s luxury positioning. Its presence has expanded and changed considerably as the mall’s luxury offering grew from a relatively small collection of upscale retailers into one of Canada’s largest concentrations of global luxury brands.
Former Hudson’s Bay Remains the Biggest Question
None of the current changes approaches the scale of the opportunity created by the closure of Hudson’s Bay.
The former department store spans approximately 300,000 square feet over three levels and was one of Yorkdale’s largest retail spaces. Hudson’s Bay closed the location in 2025 during the liquidation of its Canadian department-store operations.
The space subsequently became the subject of a high-profile court dispute after a proposed transaction would have seen Fairweather-controlled Les Ailes de la Mode take over the premises. Oxford Properties opposed the proposal, and an Ontario court ultimately declined to approve the arrangement.
The ruling left one of the country’s most prominent vacant department-store boxes without a replacement tenant.
The former Hudson’s Bay premises are eventually expected to be repurposed for other retail uses. Oxford has not announced a redevelopment plan or tenants for the space.
At approximately 300,000 square feet, the former Bay represents a fundamentally different opportunity from the smaller relocations and expansions happening elsewhere at Yorkdale. Even Indigo’s entire existing two-level store would fit inside it more than 11 times.
What ultimately replaces Hudson’s Bay therefore has the potential to reshape a substantial portion of the shopping centre.
Yorkdale’s Tenant Mix Keeps Moving
The volume of change is particularly notable given Yorkdale’s scale and performance. The shopping centre spans approximately two million square feet, contains more than 270 stores and attracts about 18 million visits annually, according to Oxford Properties.
The current wave of changes also shows how differently retailers are using space within the same property. Indigo is reducing its footprint by approximately 31 per cent while Zara is taking over a substantial former Old Navy space. Luxury houses are moving into larger or purpose-built boutiques, Holt Renfrew is reallocating space internally, and established brands are renovating existing stores.
Above all of those projects sits the former Hudson’s Bay. How Oxford ultimately brings those approximately 300,000 square feet back into productive use could determine the next major chapter in Yorkdale’s evolution — much as the redevelopment of the former Eaton’s department store did two decades ago.
