Quebec-based retailer Simons to set up shop in Vancouver
CBC News | Posted: October 2, 2013 6:26 PM | Last Updated: October 3, 2013
Department store chain will open a new location in West Vancouver's Park Royal Mall
Popular Quebec lifestyle store Simons is the newest major retailer from outside B.C. to announce a new location in Metro Vancouver.
The department store chain, which has 10 locations throughout Quebec and another in Edmonton, will be setting up shop in West Vancouver's Park Royal mall in the fall of 2015.
The announcement comes shortly after American retailers Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue revealed they will be opening in Vancouver in coming years and lingerie giant Victoria's Secret opened on Burrard Street.
Retail experts, however, are divided on whether there is enough room in the local marketplace for another major department store in Metro Vancouver.
Sherman Scott, vice president of retail at Colliers International, says that the stores meet a growing demand for "fast-fashion" in the area.
"Part of it is the ever-changing landscape of retail," he says.
"The Zara's, the Forever 21's, I hate to use the term disposable fashions, but that's definitely a trend in the marketplace and certainly in Vancouver."
While industry experts agree the arrival of Simons will be good for consumers, David Ian Gray, a local retail strategist, says it's likely an unwelcome addition in the eyes of competitors.
"It just means these guys are just going to fight amongst themselves to keep the consumer happy," he says.