Simpson's
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For the London restaurant called Simpson's, see Simpson's-in-the-Strand.
Simpsons_in_Toronto.jpg
The Robert Simpson Company, or Simpson's, was a Canadian department store retailer, founded by Robert Simpson in 1872.
The Simpson's store in downtown Toronto included one of Toronto's most famous and exclusive restaurants, the Arcadian Court, which opened in 1929. The store was acquired by The Bay in 1978, and the Arcadian Court is still in operation today.
In 1952, Simpson's partnered with Sears, Roebuck & Co., a U.S. department store chain, to create Simpsons-Sears Limited, a Canadian catalogue and department store chain separate from the Simpson's chain. The terms of the partnership agreement stipulated that no Simpsons-Sears store could be built with in a 25-mile radius of existing Simpson's stores in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Regina and London, Ontario. Simpson's agreed not to build any new stores outside of those cities.
In 1972, Simpson's and Simpsons-Sears Limited agreed to end the 25-mile restriction, and permit Simpson's and Simpsons-Sears Limited stores anywhere. In 1973, when Simpsons-Sears opened a store in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Ontario, the company decided to use only the "Sears" name in order to prevent confustion with Simpson's stores operating in Toronto. Through 1973 and 1974, the remaining Simpsons-Sears stores and the catalogue operation were converted to the "Sears" name, although the legal partnership continued under the Simpsons-Sears name.
In 1978, Simpson's was acquired by the Hudson's Bay Company. Under federal competition law, the partnership had to be ended, and Simpsons's and Simpsons-Sears Limited could not longer share facilities. Simpsons-Sears Limited became Sears Canada, although some Sears stores continued to carry the Simpsons-Sears name informally well into the 1980s.
The Bay attempted to run Simpson's as a more upscale chain that its main Bay stores, but was unsuccessful. In 1991, the Simpson's operations were merged with the Bay. Since then all of the stores have been converted to the Bay, and the Simpson's name no longer exists in Canada today.
Source: Sears Canada website (http:/www.sears.ca)
Locations
- Toronto: Yonge St., Cedarbrae Plaza, Fairview Mall, Sherway Gardens, Shopper's World Danforth, Bramalea City Centre, Scarborough Town Centre, Hillcrest Mall, Yorkdale Shopping Centre
- Montreal: rue Sainte-Catherine, Fairview Pointe-Claire, Galeries d'Anjou, Carrefour Laval
- Ottawa: Sparks St.
- Halifax: Mic Mac Mall
- Windsor: Devonshire Mall
- Kitchener: Fairview Park
Simpsons distribution centre in Toronto was found at the corner of Allen Road and Lawrence Avenue West (now site of Lawrence Square Mall).