Some Canadians may still be a bit emotional about the closure of Hudson’s Bay last year, and while it may not be possible to replace the store in their hearts, there is a new department store moving into downtown Vancouver — and this one is also Canadian.
Simons, a family-owned chain headquartered in Quebec, will be helping fill the gap, but not actually in the same physical space.
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This one will take over part of the real estate that formerly housed Eatons, Sears, and – most recently – Nordstrom, in CF Pacific Centre.
The store will take over 92,000 square feet — just part of the 230,000 square feet left vacant when Nordstrom pulled out in 2023 — and will span three floors. Vancouver-based Aritzia will also be taking over part of the square footage, with the company announcing last year that it would be building a 40,000 sq ft, four-storey store in the space.
Simons plans to open the new store in Fall 2027. This will be its second Lower Mainland location, with its first located at Park Royal Mall in West Vancouver.
The new store will be the chain’s 20th location in Canada.
The company was founded in 1840 in Quebec and has 10 locations in that province, four in Ontario, three in Alberta, and one in Nova Scotia, along with the Park Royal location.
It says the new store is expected to create 150 new jobs.
