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Hudson's Bay Company

I think the former Woolco at Square One was one of Walmart's only 2-level stores for a long time. I guess the Erin Mills store (former Target, former Zellers, former Eatons) would be another 2-level store.

The Woolco at Morningside Mall was also 2 levels before being taken over by Walmart. It became a 2 story Wal-Mart when taken over.
 
What I can't remember for the love of me is what the current Walmart at Square One used to be.



Looks like they have picked up some Target aesthetics there - but I doubt they'd bother with the effort of running the store like one. ETA to entropy = overdue.

AoD
As far as I remember, the Square One Walmart has always been in the same place in Woolco's old spot. Although it was a long time so I could certainly be wrong.
 
The Woolco at Morningside Mall was also 2 levels before being taken over by Walmart. It became a 2 story Wal-Mart when taken over.
Any pictures? Just out of curiosity. I'd imagine it would have been similar to current 2 story Walmart's within malls. (STC, Square One)
 
Any pictures? Just out of curiosity. I'd imagine it would have been similar to current 2 story Walmart's within malls. (STC, Square One)

None unfortunately as I was only 6 when it closed.

It was a fair sized store with a conveyor belt style escalator down the middle of the store.

2 levels with top and bottom level access as well as mall access.

Customer service desk was near the parking lot entrance on the upper level by the escalator.

Housewares was by the mall entrance. It was denoted by the towels and pillows stacked up.
 
None unfortunately as I was only 6 when it closed.

Were you really ever 6? I always pictured you hatching as a teenager? LOL

It was a fair sized store with a conveyor belt style escalator down the middle of the store.

I know what you're talking about, the flat-ramp style, I used to call it an esca-ramp as a child.

The only 'proper' name I could find for them was: travelators

2 levels with top and bottom level access as well as mall access.

This was a popular Woolco-design. Similar to Thorncliffe Marketplace (now East York Town Centre)

***

Not the Woolco, but that mall (Morningside) was an intriguing design for the times....

1678506496113.png

taken from:
 
Not the Woolco, but that mall (Morningside) was an intriguing design for the times....

I can smell that picture haha.

In its hay day Morningside Mall had a fish and chip place in the Food Court that put out a strong salt and vinger smell.

At the top of the escalator in that image on the right you had Dairy Queen and a Sbarro/Cafeteria style restaurant.

The fish and chip place was in the far left corner from the escalator.

2nd floor, to the right when you got off the escalator was a coffee shop and exit staircase.

2nd floor on the South side was a pet shop and hair salon called Images.

Images Salon still exists at Rylander and Kingston Road and one of the original stylists is still there. I get my haircut there now.

3rd floor at the top right of the image was the local Scarborough Public Library branch.

2nd floor on the North side midway down was a fuji film location

Midway down also on the second floor was an asian florist.

Baskin Robins was on the ground floor across from Dominion in the centre court.

Speaking of Dominion, this particular Dominion had a delivery ramp for your groceries. You could package up your groceries and have them delivered to your car via conveyer belt.

I know a few people who had their groceries stolen from there. People would go to the pickup area and claim the groceries were theirs. The rightful owner would get there to find their groceries stolen!

Cadet cleaners was on the ground floor by the main entrance. CIBC was just beside it also on the ground floor.

Unfortunately as the mall aged, it became very ethnic. All the longstanding stores closed and were replaced by indian and sri-lankan stores.

That change plus Wal-Mart closing up left the mall in a death knell. It closed a few years later.

It is worth noting that even in 2007 it retained its 1970s decor (opened in 1980 but designed in the 70s). The Mall never updated and it didn't help.

Oddly enough the mall featured in an episode of the TV show Ready or Not in the 1990s. Episode 3 Season 1 entitled "model perfect".

Thank you for the walk down Memory Lane NL!
 
The 'Zellers' re-opening, such as it is, will occur 9 days from today, on March 23rd.

Burlington, Erin Mills and STC are in the first batch of openings.
 
I walked around the Bay and Saks on Queen today, and I couldn't believe how empty it was on a Friday afternoon during March Break. I think there were more salespeople than customers. Complete opposition to how packed the Eaton Centre was.
On a side-note, the way finding on the escalators is terrible. What floor am I on?!
 
* Cross-Post to Eaton Centre thread *

A Zellers pop-up is coming to HBC's Queen Street flagship (part of the Eaton Centre) according to this news release:


From the above:


1684855455770.png
 
The Bay are selling off their historical store in Banff, Alberta. They originally opened there in 1935 and have been at its current location since 1947:

 

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