EDMONTON – After more than 170 years, Quebec-based retailer Simons officially opened its first store outside that province in West Edmonton Mall on Wednesday.
The historic moment came three months later than originally expected. But the wait only seemed to heighten the anticipation when the doors finally opened to a waiting crowd of eager shoppers, ready to take in all that the new department store has to offer. Aside from the wide selection of fashion, there are futuristic change rooms which descend from the ceiling and men’s change rooms that look like porta-potties.
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There’s even a photo booth that lets you take and send pictures of yourself in the purchases you’re contemplating.
“I think all (retailers) are looking for new and different ways to connect with the consumer,” explains U of A retailing professor Paul McElhone, “and I think they want to create as many touch-points as possible. And so if it’s a photo booth that lets you know what your clothing is going to look like, if it allows you to connect to social media…whatever it may be, it just gives the consumer more options.”
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And the consumers seem to be appreciating the options being put in front of them.
Mandy Laan admits to skipping school just to check out the store, and being overwhelmed by all the new styles and brands.
“It’s really clean, super big. I feel I don’t have enough time to see everything,” she says.
Another shopper, Yanna Lorence, was also impressed by the store’s selection.
“There’s a lot of things that would suit a lot of different people.”
For Dan O’Connell, who’s shopped at Simons before on trips to Quebec, being able to support a Canadian store is a big draw.
“It’s sort of a higher-end store,” he says. “They carry a lot of Canadian brands and it’s kind of nice to have different options in terms of if you want to support Canadian industry and support Canadian stores. It’s kind of nice to have this store to give us this option to do so.”
Even though Canadian-owned department stores appear to be somewhat of a dying breed, Simons – which is described by the company’s CEO as a fusion between Holt Renfrew and H&M – seems to be thriving.
The decision to bring it to Edmonton came half a decade ago, at a time when Peter Simons felt that Edmonton was an “under-appreciated market.”
Retailing expert McElhone says that now, when you look at international retail chains, one of their most profitable areas in Canada is Alberta.
But company head claims choosing Edmonton was about more than just hoping to cash in on the next boom.
“We don’t really run our business on economic cycles,” Peter Simons explains. “I’m not worried about the next quarter…My brother and I are worried about building a quality company.”
WEM president, David Ghermezian calls the company a true Canadian success story when it comes to retail. “They’ve revolutionized retail in Quebec and I think they’re going to give Edmonton customers a unique experience, it’s going to be something special.”
Ghermezian even hints that Simons may even draw other big-name retailers to the mall.
“We’ve seen a lot of interest from eastern-based retailers and even American retailers now that are interested to come to West Edmonton Mall because Simons is here as well.”
He says to expect a big announcement regarding that in the near future.
For now, you can now enjoy the $30-million Simons in all its 115,000-square-foot glory. There’s still a separate entrance in the works with a glass atrium on the store’s north side. That will be finished in December.
With files from Shane Jones, Global News and Postmedia News
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