Canadian department store Simons has officially confirmed its plans to open a new store in downtown Vancouver at CF Pacific Centre, taking over a portion of the former Nordstrom space. The 92,000-square-foot location will be the company's third-largest in Canada, following its stores at Toronto's Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
Long-Awaited Downtown Expansion
Simons president and CEO Bernard Leblanc said the company had been eyeing a downtown Vancouver location for some time. 'We want the news to come from us rather than from the rumour mill or from people discovering it by walking by the construction site,' Leblanc said, explaining the timing of the announcement.
The retailer initially entered the Vancouver market in 2015 with a store at Park Royal in West Vancouver. Leblanc noted that the typical strategy would have been to open downtown first, but the right space wasn't available at the time. 'It doesn't always happen exactly the way anyone anticipates. So, we're very happy to have entered the market in Vancouver through Park Royal. It's been a very successful project for us and, now, good things come to those who wait.'
Store Details and Design
The new Simons store will occupy three levels and is expected to open in fall 2027. The design will feature 'a nod to Vancouver's brutalist architecture' with a mix of 1960s influences, according to Leblanc. The company is investing $55 million in the redesign, which will bring an estimated 150 new jobs to the downtown retail scene, raising Simons' total Canadian employment to 4,000.
Simons will be one of four retailers moving into the 230,000-square-foot space vacated by Nordstrom when it exited Canada in 2023. So far, Vancouver-based fashion brand Aritzia is the only other confirmed tenant, planning a 40,000-square-foot flagship store at the southwest corner of the building facing Robson and Howe streets.
Strategic Partnership with Cadillac Fairview
Leblanc emphasized that the desire to open in downtown Vancouver and a continuing relationship with Cadillac Fairview made Pacific Centre a top choice. The retailer never considered the expansive new Oakridge Park development in South Vancouver as part of its expansion plans. 'There's an actual vibrancy to the heart of the city,' Leblanc said. 'So it just felt natural for us to go into that location.'
The new Vancouver outpost will be the 20th Simons store across Canada. Construction is expected to begin soon, and the store will be located at the busy intersection of Georgia and Granville streets, offering a prime retail destination for shoppers.
