While historic Canadian department stores such as Eaton’s, Sears, and Hudson’s Bay have closed or downsized, La Maison Simons and Holt Renfrew continue to operate and expand. They both represent the last large-format department-style clothes retailers in the country.[1][2]
Founding to 1950s
Simons & Foulds store in 1895 on côte de la Fabrique, Quebec City.
Peter Simons, born in Scotland in 1785, arrived in Lower Canada in 1812 and settled on a small farm in Beauport, near Quebec City. He raised a family of five, including a son – John Simons – who went on to open a small dry goods shop in Quebec City in 1840 at the age of 17. Placing an emphasis on quality products, John Simons made more than 70 crossings of the Atlantic Ocean in order to seek out quality English and Scottish goods to stock as merchandise.[3]
In 1870, John Simons moved his shop to 20 Côte de la Fabrique, where it remains today. Business increased following the move, and in 1952, the post-World War II boom brought new market opportunities. This is when Gordon Donald Simons entered the company and led the business into a new era, transforming it into a department store. It became a leader in popular fashion with the introduction of youth-centred and fashion-forward brands such as Twik, which was based on Twiggy, a cultural icon of the time.[3]
1960s to 2008
1961 marked a turning point for La Maison Simons as it entered a growth phase with its new store in Place Sainte-Foy, where home decor was introduced, as well as new brands for men and women in their thirties and forties. In 1981, a new store opened in Galeries de la Capitale, also in Quebec City. La Maison Simons opened new Quebec locations in Sherbrooke and Montreal in 1999. Two years later, in 2001, a store was opened at Promenades Saint-Bruno. The final new location in the burst of expansion was in 2002, when La Maison Simons opened a new store in Laval, Quebec.[4]
Celebrating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City in 2008, La Maison Simons gifted a restored fountain, the Fontaine de Tourny[fr], imported from France. The fountain was originally positioned in Bordeaux's Allées de Tourny, named after Aubert Tourny, a French intendant remembered for his contribution to the beautification of Bordeaux, Quebec City's sister city. It was built in the mid-19th century and won a gold medal at the Paris world exposition of 1855. The Fontaine de Tourny was installed in front of the National Assembly of Quebec in April 2007.[5]
In August 2008, the retailer chose to withdraw its fall catalogue after complaints its models were too thin.[6]
2012 to present
Simons store in 2014 on côte de la Fabrique, Quebec City.
In 2012, Simons expanded to its seventh and largest location at West Edmonton Mall, its first outside of Quebec.[7] It spent nearly $50 million on the store alone.[8] The success of the location led other shopping malls to seek out La Maison Simons as an anchor tenant.[9] On March 27, 2013, Simons announced it would open a new location in Ottawa, Ontario's Rideau Centre in 2015 (although the store did not actually open until August 2016).[4][10] This was followed by an announcement on December 6, 2013, stating that a flagship store was to open at Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, in spring 2016. The new store, which opened in March 2016, occupies a large portion of the former Sears Canada store.[11]
Simons store locations are each uniquely designed. Former CEO, Peter Simons, said in an interview in 2015 with Canadian Business "We’re trying to hold on to this belief in creativity and architecture and art. We’re working with Doug Coupland, for instance, on an art piece in Vancouver, and we try to do that with all the stores we build."[12] All stores incorporate art installations and unique architectural elements.
A new store in Gatineau, Quebec, opened on August 13, 2015, investing $21 million in the location.[13] Furthermore, in 2015, a location opened at Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver, British Columbia.[9] A store in Calgary, Alberta, opened on March 16, 2017, in the Lancaster Building as part of The Core shopping mall. In August 2017, La Maison Simons opened a new store in Edmonton, Alberta, at Londonderry Mall.[14] In May 2018, La Maison Simons received outside investment for the first time in its history as part of efforts to open a new distribution centre in Quebec City.[15]
In February 2020, Canada Goose ended its wholesale agreement with La Maison Simons, which accounted for millions in sales for the company. At the same time and through the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Simons was having troubles with credit insurance on deliveries and all stock from designers, such as Balmain, had been moved to Simons' website. In August 2020, La Maison Simons claims to have regained profitability and sent letters to vendors in July assuring payment in full and fall deliveries will be delayed to preserve cash.[16]
In March 2022, Bernard Leblanc succeeded Peter Simons as chief executive officer, becoming the first person outside the Simons family to lead the company.[17]
On August 14, 2025, La Maison Simons opened its first Toronto store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, occupying a 118,000-square-foot, two-storey space formerly held by Nordstrom.[18] Unique to the location is Ciel, a geometric ceiling mural by French artist Nelio, along with a "walk of frames" displaying works from 24 artists.[18] A second Toronto store at the Eaton Centre is scheduled to open in fall 2025, with both locations representing a $75 million investment.[18] Simons projects the expansion will increase annual sales by 15 percent to $650 million, noting that recent U.S. tariffs have encouraged more Canadian consumers to purchase its house brands, which account for about 70 percent of merchandise.[18]
Locations
The chain includes 19 stores throughout Canada. It also has business offices in London, Paris, Florence and Hong Kong.
↑ Babin, Barry J.; Harris, Eric G. & Murray, Kyle B. (2017) [2014]. CB (Consumer Behaviour) (Second Canadianed.). Toronto: Nelson Education. p.68. ISBN0-17-657038-1.
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