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Since Yorkdale recently announced its expansion, speculation as to which stores are coming have been all over the web. These speculated stores range from J.Crew to Top Shop to Intermix and more. What IS known is that many of the stores will be first-to-market locations, meaning that they will be opening their first Canadian locations at Yorkdale (Intermix is scheduled to open its first store on Bloor, so if Yorkdale gets one, it wouldn’t be the first in Canada). The expansion is expected to start in the next few months and will be completed by the holiday season in 2012.
Yorkdale Mall
What stores would DelectablyChic! like to see? J.Crew, for one, but that’s already confirmed (and apparently opening in Yorkdale). Other stores? Ann Taylor and LOFT, for sure. Canadians have been begging for them to come up for years, after all. Japanese-based Uniqlo wouldn’t be bad either. And maybe Kate Spade or Tory Burch would open their first Canadian stores there too (rather than say, Bloor Street). And maybe a boutique which carries only Canadian designers. And in the perfect world, it would be great to have a US, European or Asian department store at the mall (rumours about Saks expanding north have been going on for YEARS). Something smart and sophisticated to compete with Holt Renfrew. Brooks Brothers would be good too. I hear that their Bay Street location is doing quite well. Yorkdale is supposed to have a more upscale image, so as much as people want to see Marshall’s or Target, opening there would NOT BE A GOOD THING (remember all the uproar when Winners opened on Bloor?).
One thing Yorkdale is missing is a food store, which they had some 20 years ago. Of course, a big supermarket like Whole Foods wouldn’t be possible, but it would be great to see a Pusateri’s or McEwan (I don’t think too many bloggers or mainstream publishers have thought of that!). As for restaurants, that’s difficult. Yorkdale already has four chain restaurants, and I’m not too sure I’d like to see any more, whether they’re first-to-market or not. In other words, I wouldn’t be happy if Spring Rolls, Oliver and Bonacini or any of those places decide to start a new location. I also don’t want some international chain to open its first location at Yorkdale. Instead, I’d like to see something different. Maybe an upscale Chinese (either traditional or semi-fusionesque like Lai Toh Heen), REAL sushi place or Indian restaurant. The market is there, so why not?
Image By: Oxford Properties (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
Would love to see something that would promote Canadian designers!
@K: Considering that Yorkdale is SUPPOSED to be a higher end mall, then yes, Target probably doesn't belong there. Just a thought…
Cynthia
Target could go there. Look, they have low end stores like Sears there. Cheesecake Factory or TGIF or even a Chilis would be good there.
Sears isn't as "low end" (reputably, anyway) as Target though. I'd personally rather see a Marshall's or another Winners. As for restaurants, maybe something ethnic-y but not overly fake/fusiony ethnic-y.
They do have a sirens, stitches, costa blanca, and urban behavior…..those aren't high end at all…
Target wouldn't be a good thing? Shopping isn't only for rich people!
Then go to Target, and don't go to Yorkdale. It'd be like putting an affordable-housing townhouse inside a gated community.
Does anyone know if Starbucks will open inside the mall even though it's in Chapters already???
i think they should open a forever21 .. it would be the best thing ever
I won't be surprised if they added a forever21.
agreed!!
In the food court they should put a Jerk corner or some other type of caribbean restaurant!! yuuummmm!!
Wouldn't be surprised to see Forever 21, Hollister and Abercrombie as they're obvious stores that are missing. Would love to see a Cheesecake Factory though Pickle Barrel would likely object. P F Chang's has been rumoured to be Canada bound. Store-wise, also expect Limited, Express and possibly some of th more teen-oriented US stores that haven't crossed the border yet. A Nordstrom would blow me away but I don't think that will happen.
Would P.F. Chang's do well up here? It's kinda fake Chinese food, no? Chinese food in the GTA seems to either be of the "real" old world variety of semi-fusiony (e.g. Spring Rolls), not outright "Americanized" stuff…
PF Changs would be great. Forget Pickle Barrel. It is underground so I won't go there. Too dark and dismal like that other one, not Milestone (which is good) but the other one. Cheesecake Factory is perfect there.
I want them to add forever 21! that would be great! also top shop. Ive heard rumours about top shop opening in yorkdale. If this is true then im SUPR EXCITED!
I'd totally won't be surprised of TopShop opens there. If it does, it may very well be in the mall, rather than part of The Bay (I'm hearing that the Queen Street Bay store will likely have a TopShop).
TOP SHOP, ANTHROPOLOGY AND LORD AND TAYLOR WOULD BE AWESOME!!
Lord and Taylor is good but much like Holts. Anthropology is way overpriced and has cheap clothes.
There is one at Shopps at Don Mills (which should fall through).
Anthro is also in Yorkville. It's pretty busy whenever I go there. Not sure about Shops at Don Mills. I think Lord and Taylor or Nordstroms could work. Yorkdale is supposed to be a higher end mall. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the "lower end" stores are eventually going to be pushed out. Intermix is opening on Bloor next week so I wouldn't be surprised if Toronto's second location would be at Yorkdale.
Considering that Topshop is coming to the bay and that it has been highly advertised, I doublt it would open a store there. Anthropologie, I would loooove, but would there be a place large enough? And they DID just open a store in buffallo…
TopShop is technically opening in Yorkdale (in fact, it'll be the first TopShop in Canada). It's going to be at the Bay, of course. I won't be surprised if Anthropologie opens there, either, especially with the expansion happening!
& URBAN PLANET !!!!!
They already had an urban planet and just recently closed it down
FOREVER 21 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marks and Spencers please
I think they should put a Hollister,
Abercrombie, Forever 21 and a Rue 21
I think they should put a Hot Topic.. alot of teens love that store it’s a unique type of store which allows teens to have their own unique stuff. Eaton Center finally opened one .. but i think there should be one closer to our area.
I would love to see all saints, scotch and soda and or diesel store
Cheesecake Factory Must consider this location. They would be stupid to miss out.
i would LOVE to see a hot topic at yorkdale, most of the good ones are in the us (thats where the franchise started). there is one in the eaton centre but its insane down there ( by insane i mean the crazy people). so im forsed to drive to square one, they have a very small selection because its a small location in the mall. i really hope that when they are finished there will be one.
would be nice to see lego store there
Ann Taylor, PLEASE.
Definitely would love to see the Cheesecake Factory. They really would wipe out Pickle Barrel which has gone down hill. They have taken many items off their menus that really should still be there. A restaurant CANNOT only cater to the younger set and not the rest of us. Hopefully Cheesecake Factory will be there.