Winnipeg | Retail

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I heard Weston foods will be returning to the site after a 40+ year absence. I think they may have kept ownership over it when they relocate north on McPhillips in the 80s.

Strange how Westfair/Loblaw is returning to that location when they literally have a Superstore a couple blocks away... the very store that replaced what was previously there, which I think was a Dominion or something... I don't know. I was born the same year when they opened the McPhillips Superstore.

I mean, sure, grocery stores are in demand I guess, but it would be nice to HAVE A GROCERY STORE OF SIMILAR CALIBER DOWNTOWN!!!

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

Strange how Westfair/Loblaw is returning to that location when they literally have a Superstore a couple blocks away... the very store that replaced what was previously there, which I think was a Dominion or something... I don't know. I was born the same year when they opened the McPhillips Superstore.

I mean, sure, grocery stores are in demand I guess, but it would be nice to HAVE A GROCERY STORE OF SIMILAR CALIBER DOWNTOWN!!!

before my time but I know the original store was a Loblaws.McPhillips near Lansdowne. . Then the first ever Supervalu..which was very successful & expanded a few times then became Superstore and moved farther on McPhillips where they are now. Seems they want to try to cut into Savon Foods sales...Just a few blocks east exists a No Frills on main & Inkster. There has been lots of new development in the area noth and more to come, especially once Costco builds on Man & Perimeter. Likely Safeway might return near the W K/ G City area where Costco and a large Retail strip are planned.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

Strange how Westfair/Loblaw is returning to that location when they literally have a Superstore a couple blocks away... the very store that replaced what was previously there, which I think was a Dominion or something... I don't know. I was born the same year when they opened the McPhillips Superstore.

Best I can recall the building behind Domo on McPhillips near Inkster was always Weston owned and functioned as a grocery store under their lead banner until it relocated to the current site. I do not really recall it as a Loblaws but know something was there and it seemed fairly boring at the time. I also don't recall a big change to Supervalu so Loblaws seems likely and possibly a newer one v the one on Henderson which eventually reopened as Penner Foods.

For perspective, around the time the Gateway Superstore opened it was very similar in size to the McPhillips store. The Gateway store was expanded at least twice, removing both of the parking lots on either side of the store. The McPhillips location though was tightly bound by property lines and could not be expanded in the same way.

Superstore took over the Red River Coop site when they shut down their retail operations in the early 80s. Again I do not recall the Coop grocery store but recall the Superstore was a substantially different building if not a whole new building when it opened.

As for the McPhillips St Dominion, it effectively does not exist anymore as it was mostly or fully removed and replaced by the food court at Garden City Shopping Center. I want to say the food court is a bit shifted from where the Dominion was.

With the changes to the Domion Shopping Center and the building at Confussion Corner behind the Burger King the last real remaining evidence of the chain is the Main St IGA. Before that the old, now demolished movie theater at KP still had the old parcel pickup doors on the outside. KP was for a long time the one local location that was spared from the widespread closure of the chain in Winnipeg.

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

I mean, sure, grocery stores are in demand I guess, but it would be nice to HAVE A GROCERY STORE OF SIMILAR CALIBER DOWNTOWN!!!

As I have covered many times, the cost of real estate in downtown Winnipeg, the narrow margins in grocery retailing, the high theft rates in the area, and the reach of home delivery the big five players have to cover legitimate customers is going to keep them all out of downtown. There are only two ways a grocery store downtown happens, a private independent with deep pockets is willing to open one for returns that are worse than a GIC, or a government operated/funded one is opened.

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

Seems they want to try to cut into Savon Foods sales...Just a few blocks east exists a No Frills on main & Inkster.

It is more the other way around. Weston has long had a presence at Main and Inkster also under their value banner. First Economart, then Extra Foods and now No Thrills. Save on Foods is very much the new kid.

[laumag]

Interesting .... https://retail-insider.com/retail-inside...ain-to-open-1st-canadian-stores-in-2026/

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by laumag

Interesting .... https://retail-insider.com/retail-inside...ain-to-open-1st-canadian-stores-in-2026/

I heard on the news that Toys R Us will be selling off some things to 3 buyers, one of which will be a store somewhere in Ontario that will become an Israeli-owned discount store. They didn't mention a name, but I imagine it will be one of those Jumbo stores.

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

I mean, sure, grocery stores are in demand I guess, but it would be nice to HAVE A GROCERY STORE OF SIMILAR CALIBER DOWNTOWN!!!

Well, with today's announcement, I guess my frustrations have been finally addressed!!!

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Biff

After this McPhillips store they will be starting the No Frills on St Mary's and Dakota in the old Family Foods store later this summer.

The No Frills must have been canceled?

[Wpg_Guy]

Forever 21 at CF Polo Park is closing...again.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

The No Frills must have been canceled?

Unless No Frills does not need all of the 19000 sq ft available. I don't think the police will need all that space.

The community police office they had in St. Vital was across the street at 1086 St. Mary's road until the city decided to get rid of all the community offices around 2017

[trebor204]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Forever 21 at CF Polo Park is closing...again.

Months ago there were rumors that T&T Supermarket might be moving into that space.

[WinCitySparky]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Forever 21 at CF Polo Park is closing...again.

More like “Never 21” amirite

[wags_in_the_peg]

not Winnipeg specific, but "Flying Tiger Copenhagen" a Scandinavian home goods brand open 1st canada store in toronto. what a horrible name, sounds Asian plus the confusing w Giant Tiger sounds discount.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/article/...ng-into-canada-where-competition-awaits/

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by trebor204

Months ago there were rumors that T&T Supermarket might be moving into that space.

Ah ok, i assumed T&T would take up in the vacant Hudson Bay space.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

The No Frills must have been canceled?

That is interesting. In my last conversations they were still planning for summer start, but there were some lease issues. I guess they manifested themselves and they will not be opening.

[Wpg_Guy]

Forever 21, Bluenotes exit CF Polo Park; Thrifty’s steps in
Aaron Epp
Thursday, Jul. 2, 2026

Toronto-based retail conglomerate YM Inc. is closing its Forever 21 and Bluenotes stores in CF Polo Park to make way for Thriftys.

It will mark the second time in seven years Forever 21 has exited Winnipeg’s largest shopping centre.

In 2019, when Forever 21 was headquartered in Los Angeles, the low-price “instant fashion” chain closed all 44 of its Canadian stores — including two in Winnipeg — as it restructured under U.S. and Canadian bankruptcy protection.

YM Inc. revived Forever 21 in Canada two years later, opening standalone branded stores and selling Forever 21 merchandise through its other retail chains, such as Urban Planet.

Now, massive red-and-yellow signs in the window of Forever 21’s 37,000-square-foot location near CF Polo Park’s Empress Street entrance advertise “Every item must go” amidst a “Total inventory blowout.” The store’s last day will be July 12.

Forever 21 has not been as popular in recent years as other YM Inc. brands, said Lucy D’Elia, district sales manager.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s closing,” she said. “Even up until recently, people didn’t even know that (Forever 21) was back … I think that contributed to the downfall.”

The Thriftys Family of Brands — an 84-year-old Canadian company that operates the Aéropostale, Bluenotes, Thriftys and West49 banners — will take over Forever 21’s space, opening a Thriftys location on July 22.

The Bluenotes store on CF Polo Park’s second floor will close on July 27 as part of the transition.

The store’s 20 employees will join Thriftys, said Darian Ruddock, a district manager with the brand. Many of the roughly 35 people who worked at Forever 21 have been offered jobs at Thriftys or reassigned to other YM Inc. stores in Winnipeg, she added.

It will mark the return of Thriftys to Manitoba’s capital after it closed its store near Outlet Collection Winnipeg four years ago.

The new store will carry Aéropostale and West49 merchandise alongside Bluenotes products. A grand opening event is in the works. “We’re excited to welcome the customers in,” Ruddock said.

Meanwhile, Montreal-based luxury outerwear chain Moose Knuckles reopened last month in CF Polo Park after renovating its store. Victoria’s Secret is currently renovating its 12,700-sq.-ft. space, which is scheduled to reopen in the next few days, said Peter Havens, general manager of CF Polo Park.

“They’re bringing (their) latest concept to Winnipeg,” he said. “It’s going to be a nice refresh of that space, which, surprisingly, was 10 years old.”

Additionally, the Body Shop is preparing to move from the mall’s main level to a second-floor location between Aldo and Coach. The move allows the brand to bring its latest global store design to Winnipeg, a spokesperson for the 50-year-old company said in an email.

“Every element of the new space has been designed to create a more welcoming, interactive and inspiring experience for both new and loyal customers.”

According to Havens, other stores in the shopping centre will undergo renovations later this year. Many brands are now getting around to doing the remodelling that they deferred during the COVID-19 pandemic and the years that followed, he said.

“It’s great to see that they’re doubling down on in-person retail and really enhancing the customer experience,” Havens said.

Elsewhere in the mall, Abercrombie & Fitch quietly opened its first Manitoba store last month. The Ohio-based lifestyle retailer did not respond to multiple interview requests.

Havens said the store is “a wonderful addition” to Polo Park. “The reception (has) been very strong.”

Now that Abercrombie & Fitch is open, Camryn Kangas finds herself visiting CF Polo Park more than usual. The 25-year-old was eagerly anticipating the store’s arrival, and has visited twice in the past week alone.

“It’s great. I could have (used) even a bigger store, honestly,” she said. “There’s a great selection so far, but I’m excited to see how it progresses.”

CF Polo Park receives 11.5 million visitors annually. Last year, it was one of the 10 highest-performing shopping centres in Canada, according to a report by the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Winnipeg Free Press

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

More like “Never 21” amirite

Something is not forever.

Nothing is forever.

[cheswick]

Toys r us regent is closing according to the signs in the door. Polo park said they were closing then didn’t.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

not Winnipeg specific, but "Flying Tiger Copenhagen" a Scandinavian home goods brand open 1st canada store in toronto. what a horrible name, sounds Asian plus the confusing w Giant Tiger sounds discount.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/article/...ng-into-canada-where-competition-awaits/

it is a discount kinda store, it's basically a dollar store with cheap stuff you don't really need but it's only $5 so you buy it. A lot of the stuff is basically a nicely packaged and displayed Dollarama stuff.

They are all over Asia, i have been to them in Japan and Indonesia. I have the useless pens to prove it lol.

[wani]

someone on r/winnipeg had said a nespresso store would be opening where the current makers store is in polo park. seems to be true as makers is moving over to where the old unique bunny store was up by miniso.

[Wpg_Guy]

‘We want to create an experience’
St. Vital Centre owner says vacant Bay store on road to redevelopment
By: Gabrielle Piche
Friday, Jul. 24, 2026


MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

St. Vital Centre, one of Leyad’s recent property acquisitions.


MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Henry Zavriyev, president and CEO of Leyad, at St. Vital Centre (one of their recent property acquisitions) on Thursday.

Entertainment attractions are coming to fill the former Hudson’s Bay space in St. Vital Centre.

Montreal-based real estate firm Leyad, the south Winnipeg mall’s owner, says it is finalizing an agreement for the vacant property. Further details should appear in the next couple months, said president Henry Zavriyev.

“We’re looking at what other types of experiences we can bring to the mall that aren’t just typical retail,” he said during a visit to Winnipeg this week.

“We want to create an experience where you can just come to the mall, hang out here for hours, no matter if you’re a kid, an adult, a retiree.”

Leyad bought St. Vital Centre in February. It’s among the company’s latest acquisitions in a string of shopping centre purchases.

Recently, Leyad opened a bowling alley in Niagara Pen Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. It also inked deals with a pickleball operator and Funvilla, an indoor playground.

It turned a former Hudson’s Bay store into a Zellers at its Londonderry Mall in Edmonton. It’s also adding an indoor playground and laser tag to the centre.

St. Vital’s Bay store shuttered in May 2025 amid the country-wide shutdown of the former retail giant. Redevelopment of the old department store could take two years, Zavriyev said.

When the Bay — an entryway into the shopping hub — closed, mall retailers nearby felt a drop in traffic.

“If something does go up (in its place), I hope it would drum up more business for the stores that are on this end,” said Ashley Kiemeney, an employee at Daring Diva Purses.

Meantime, Uniqlo is set to open in the corridor on Aug. 21. It’s planning a grand opening with matcha, donuts and drumming.

The Japan-headquartered clothing chain is a “phenomenal retailer,” Zavriyev said, sitting at a St. Vital Centre food court table peppered with Uniqlo advertisements.

He’s led the acquisition of roughly eight Manitoba properties over the past two years. Leyad bought the building housing CDI College, at 280 Main St., in February 2024.

Johnston Terminal at The Forks, Garden City Square, and a few buildings housing Loblaw tenants and Canada Goose have followed.

“I’m … super bullish on Winnipeg,” Zavriyev said.

Leyad is a private company. It’s prioritized smaller Canadian cities and centres that will be “consistent” with one to three per cent revenue growth per year.

“Steady Eddie” and “not very volatile” are terms Zavriyev used.

Half of Leyad’s commercial revenue comes from “necessity-based” tenants, such as grocery stores. Walmart, Loblaw, Canadian Tire, Winners and Dollarama account for nearly 30 per cent of revenue, Zavriyev said.

“It allows us to take those kind of unconventional steps with those other types of retailers,” he added. “I’ve been very cognizant of, ‘We need to have that anchor.’”

Leyad ramped up purchases of malls following the COVID-19 pandemic, when many questioned the future of brick-and-mortar retail. Mall fundamentals — dollar shops, grocery stores — remained “great,” Zavriyev said.

Leyad has been on a shopping spree: in 2026 alone, it’s purchased shopping centres in Victoria, Thunder Bay, Ont., Lloydminster, Alta., and Winnipeg, plus 387,000 square feet of grocery stores that Loblaw stores occupy.

Zavriyev, 32, established Leyad in 2012.

The company began in Montreal with apartment management. Zavriyev said he was working as a janitor while studying at Concordia University; he asked the property manager if he could rent out the apartment’s vacant units. He did the grunt work — painting, plumbing — and rented spaces.

Eventually, he dropped out of school and focused on building a property management business. He went to family offices in Montreal for initial investment and has gathered all-Canadian investors, he said.

Duplexes and 12-unit places later became industrial properties, leading to retail strip centres and larger buildings.

Leyad still owns apartments. Among them, Quebecers have accused the company of ‘renovictions,’ where tenants are pushed out of housing due to renovations and price increases.

Tenants in one Montreal seniors residence took Zavriyev to court, after being told to move or pay more for fewer services, CBC reported in 2023. The building wasn’t converted into residential apartments, despite the owner’s initial intentions.

Zavriyev argued Leyad has “never renovicted anyone.”

“Buildings hadn’t been renovated in generations and getting to hazardous points,” he said. “We were going to all of them and trying to make deals where we would try to figure out solutions in which, ‘OK, what would make sense as far as compensatory amount.’”

Leyad may purchase Manitoba apartments in the future, Zavriyev said, adding the company has “more optionality now.”

It’s grown to around 500 employees and has offices in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.

Leyad isn’t the first out-of-province developer to acquire several properties in a “relatively short” time period, said Jeremy Davis, spokesman for the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board.

“Ambitious developers looking to expand into other markets can have many goals, but chief among them is making profitable investments,” Davis wrote in a statement. “In the end, outside investment is a direct vote of confidence into the market fundamentals of our region and increased competition is good for consumers.”

Retail spaces are generally “flourishing;” restaurants, entertainment and services such as barbers and nail salons continue to be popular in malls, said Paul Kornelsen, a CBRE vice-president.

“It’s a good-news story that there’s a … group that are outside of the province (seeing) Winnipeg as a viable investment,” Kornelsen said.

Colliers Canada clocked a vacancy rate of 5.1 per cent for Winnipeg retail centres in 2025, a jump from 3.3 per cent in 2024.


MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES

St. Vital’s Bay store closed in May 2025 when the former retail giant went through a shutdown of its country-wide operations.


Anne D’Innocenzio / The Associated Press

Japan-headquartered clothing chain Uniqlo is set to open a St. Vital Centre location on Aug. 21.

Winnipeg Free Press