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^^^A buffet? Really? That seems strange, but I'll have to check it out next time I'm in TO.

Can't believe there's no Armani or Versace in Toronto anymore!

^^What's Benelman's?
 
Bemelmans was the sleekest, trendiest Bloor Street watering hole in the excessive eighties. Versace set up shop there when it closed in the mid nineties.
 
Can't believe there's no Armani or Versace in Toronto anymore!

There's never been an Armani in Toronto, at least, not in the 13 years I've lived here. There was an Emporio Armani years ago, but that's not the same thing darlings.
 
Simons is ready to jump. It has developed a strong following in its home province, offering mid- to high-priced fashions that tend to suit customers' tastes by tracking sales patterns through technology. In this way it is quick to reorder the hits and dump the weak sellers.
Sounds good, I'd welcome Simons to these parts (as long as we call it "Sea-Mons" not "Seye-Mons).

Perhaps if Sears does indeed leave the downtown and The Bay moves into the Sears store, Simons will take the first few floors of the old Bay store. Just one possibility. Also, perhaps an opportunity for the HBC Centre to be re-done up on Bloor in the Simons banner.
 
More than making over any Eaton Centre components or the Bay Downtown (don't get me wrong - I'd love to see them spiffed up too) I really want to see the Hudson's Bay Centre made over. If Simons were interested in that store, or more likely parts of it, then we could cut holes into the concrete, atrium-ize that low ceilinged mall area on the way to the subway station, add other new stores in there...

That's where I'd really like to see Simons go. Tear up the HBC!

42
 
Couldn't agree more Interchange! I've always felt the TTC's busiest station has a ridiculous (and somewhat confusing) entrance from Bloor Street. Perhaps this could be an opportunity to rectify that. Moreover, we all know how bad the HBC Centre ruins this important intersection in general and any changes that could be made to open-up the wall of concrete could only be welcomed.
 
That's a really good idea, interchange, and the Yorkville location would seem to be quite perfect. I'm amazed that HBC has never really taken advantage of being in Yorkville to move a little upscale in that location. In fact, it seems more downscale than most of their stores.
 
The way they took half of the Simpsons store (vertically, the other half goin to cinemas) is great. The atriumizing(?) of HBC Centre would be great!
 
Yes, Montreal's old Simpson's store on Sainte-Catherine was nicely carved into Simons and the Paramount Theare. Simons had a much nicer store to start with than what they would get were they to take on the Hudson's Bay Centre here, but Simons has also done some great work with modern architecture - check out their exisiting stores by visiting simons website. Click on 'Magasins' when you get there.

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I was just thinking that would be a great expense for a fledgling department store to handle, unless HBC (they're the owners, right?) would carry on these renovations, and profit off it when it rented the extra space to smaller stores. I'm skeptical though, as HBC isn't rolling in cash right now, and Simons is as indpendent family-run chain.
 
The problem with Quebec based retail ventures is the problem with Quebec in general, culturally speaking: namely, its insularity. May I be struck down with lightening for actually questioning Quebec's cultural prowess or purity, but very little in Quebec has much branding value outside of the province, Cirque and Celine notwithstanding of course. A large, well known, upscale American department store would have better sustainability and would fare better in the long run.
 
The gays here in Toronto (a demographic with some experience with shopping and trend spotting) have being wishing and hoping for a Simons in Toronto for some time.
 

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