The Globe's ROB reports that La Maison Simons department stores will open a store in the West Edmonton Mall in 2012, the first of about a dozen planned for the rest of Canada, including Toronto. The Québec City-based retailer is betting that its mix of cheap-chic styles and pricey designer lines will resonate outside Québec. Simons is an institution in Québec City and it has obviously done very well in Montréal if it's expanding in the RoC.
If it succeeds, it won't be the first apparel retailer to go west from Québec City. Holt Renfrew did the same many years ago. Simons was founded in 1840 and Holts was founded in 1837. Holts’ first store was on rue Buade and Simons’ was, and still is, on côte de la Fabrique.
According to the same article in the Globe, Mr. Simons and his team have done their research and will adjust their assortment for Edmontonians' taste, and their waist size - people in that city are on average two sizes bigger than Quebeckers. See this previous post about Quebeckers BMI (Body Mass Index).
Talking about waist size, St-Hubert BBQ, with its rotisserie chicken and decadent desserts, is also heading west. Actually, it is returning to Toronto since it appears it has nowhere else to go in Québec. St-Hubert had a few restaurants in Toronto, one on The Queensway and one on Avenue Road at Lawrence. If you have grown up with St-Hubert in Québec, let's just say it's hard to crave Swiss Chalet's chicken. Both locations were shut down although the Queensway location still looks like a St-Hubert from a distance.
According to various articles in La Presse and Le Journal de Montréal, St-Hubert plans to open three “Express” locations in Toronto’s suburbs in 2012.
The battle against Swiss Chalet will be a tough one but Ontarians might just find St-Hubert’s chicken irresistible judging by the reviews on Chowdown.
Here’s what one fan wrote
I'm sorry but I am one of those non-Quebecois that love the occasional pilgrimmage to the chicken church, fault me for that if you must, but there you have it.I will admit that the Avenue Rd. location was a bit depressing looking, but the Queenway saint has kept up with the corporate image and is (imo) more inviting and warm than Swiss Chalet. I also prefer St.Hubert's chicken, as the chalet chicken always tends to be a tad too pink for comfort. And DAMMIT!! you get all you can eat coleslaw, and it's good! They also have pudding chomeur, which I admit I have had better elsewhere, but it will do in a pinch. I just hope that the Queensway location doesn't close.
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