Southern Ontario Retail Blog

Update April 5th, 2026: This post has been update with new information in italics as some of these locations are no longer abandoned and have been repurposed. Today’s post will be covering a few well preserved Target stores that are still abandoned 5 years after the company left Canada. Some of these locations are still listed on Google Maps as closed if you look up Target. Many of those abandoned stores are located in dead malls or smaller community malls, which make them harder to re-tenant. Target: Cloverdale Mall-Toronto ON Credit: Google Maps You’re not fooling anyone. They only painted the store green in the last 2 years or so and the store never got a new tenant after Target left. This Target won’t get a new tenant anytime soon because there are plans to redevelop the mall and plus the former Target wing of the mall is dead. This location has been partially re-tenanted by a pickleball club. Target: Sheridan Centre- Mississauga ON Credit: Google Maps This Target hasn’t been touch...

Here are 5 fun facts about retail that you didn't know about. 1 . Sobeys' parent company , Empire Company, owned a movie theatre chain called Empire Theatres, which closed in June 2013. 2. Loblaws still operates a Dominion chain in Newfoundland and Labrador long after the brand officially went defunct.  This is due to them acquiring some Dominion stores when A&P divest most locations outside of Ontario when they acquired the chain. 3. The Hudson's Bay Company name is over 300 years old! It dates back to 1670. 4.Bi-Way is planned to make a comeback this month! Until the next one, DZ

Here’s a list of the different classes of malls. Some malls may not exactly fit theses descriptions, but for the most part cover the different types of indoor malls out there.

Here's a few of my recent retail models I've made. I may upload more in the future if I have time to make more. Model of a Modern Esso station (This model was done in 2019). Model of a Made up convenience store called "The C" Model of a self checkout system.

GNC has filed for chapter 11 today  in the US and is currently closing up to 1290 stores worldwide. GNC has been struggling for a long time now and this announcement came as no surprise. A list of closings can be found here . Around 29 Canadian stores are expected to close so far.

Ever wondered what each of the store numbers that are on the top of Walmart receipts mean? These store numbers identify each Walmart store internally and seem to have a common pattern based on when each store was planned/opened. Here’s a list of the store numbers Walmart currently uses in Canada and what they mean. Note that they may be anomalies to this rule and stores may not follow these “rules”.  Last updated June 20 th , 2020. Store number Meaning 3xxx 1990s built store. Also used on former Woolcos. 10xx Usually used for 2000s stores. 11xx Early 2010s stores. 12xx Mid 2010s stores. If you have anything to add to this list, please let me know in the comments. Side note: I'll be switching to my summer posting schedule of 2 posts a month from July 1st till September 1st. Until the next one: DZ

Today, I got a weird Walmart store to show you. It's the rare Walget, a Target turned Walmart and it has two floors 🤯. Walmart #1211 opened at Erin Mills Town Centre around 2016 after buying this and some other Target stores after that company ceased Canadian operations. Walmart did absolutely nothing on the outside to hide the fact that the store was an old Target. You can clearly tell by the street views that nothing on the outside changed. Inside, Walmart did change some things around, but some Target remains are still present in the store such as the upper level washrooms being in the same area, and the lighting and escalators. Street view back when the store was abandoned as a Target in 2015 (Credit: Google Street view) Street View of the same store as a Walmart (Credit: Google Street view) Highlights Former Zellers turned Target They use grey plastic carts Has no vision centre, photocentre, fast food outlet nor a portrait studio 2 story Supercentre Yellow & Blue decor v...