This year was rough for Canadian retail. Our dollar dropped significantly, forcing many retailers to raise their prices, and many Canadian bred brands had no choice but to close locations after struggling sales. Luckily, the latter resulted in many mergers & acquisitions including Bikini Village and La Vie En Rose, Comark Inc. (Ricki’s, Cleo & Bootlegger) and Pacific West Commercial Co., and a few others, saving some of Canada’s longest standing retailers. Unfortunately, not all retail stories were followed by happy endings. Some retailers had to pack up their bags and leave Canada for good. Here are all the retailers who left Canada in 2015:
1. Target
There was tons of excitement around the launch of Target Canada in 2013 however, Canadian shoppers were quickly disappointed. Complaints about the lack of products in-store, poor customer service and high prices led Target to their demise in early 2015. All Canadian locations were closed by April 2015.
2. Future Shop
Future Shop abruptly shut down all of their locations in the Spring of 2015, taking employees and shoppers by huge surprise. There were 131 locations in total: 66 of them were closed permanently and 65 have since been converted into Best Buy locations.
3. Sony
The Japanese-based electronics retailer announced they would be closing all 14 of their Canadian locations at the beginning of 2015. The closures came after poor television and mobile sales. Sony will continue to sell electronics online and through their Canadian retail partners.
4. Mexx
The Dutch retailer declared bankruptcy at the end of 2014. Issues with steep promotional pricing in Canada was cited as one of the reasons for Mexx’s demise. They closed 315 stores worldwide – 95 of them in Canada.
5. Parasuco
The Montreal-based retailer, whose denim line gained major popularity in the 90s, closed all seven of their locations and laid off 80 of their employees in February 2015. The brand is still available to shop online.
6. Smart Set
At the end of 2014, Reitmans Canada Limited announced they would be shutting down the Smart Set chain which included 107 stores. In 2015, the stores began to shutter and were converted into other Reitmans Canada Limited operated stores including the newly added activewear line, HYBA.
7. Blacks
In June 2015, Telus announced they would be closing down all 59 Blacks Photography locations. The photography and photo supply store was unable to keep up with the digital age. All stores closed in August 2015.
Did we miss any retailers who left Canada in 2015? Add them in the comment section below.
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