Big changes at Polo Park London Drugs moving in, other shops moving, closing By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 1:21 PM CDT Friday, Aug. 16, 2024

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A new anchor tenant is landing in CF Polo Park — and as a result, the mall is undergoing significant change.

London Drugs is slated to open in a wing formerly housing Zellers and then expand to sites currently occupied by Build-A-Bear Workshop and Urban Outfitters.

Shops are already shifting their wares to other spaces within the mall or letting staff members know about layoffs. Construction spanning upwards of 25,000 square feet is set to begin Oct. 15, mall general manager Peter Havens said.

London Drugs should take possession of the second-floor footprint in March and aims to open sometime in fall 2025.

“They’re really a quite diverse retailer, almost like a mini… big box, so we’re excited to have them on board,” Havens said. “They’re an excellent operator.”

Urban Outfitters closing: manager

The transition comes amid a round of lease renewals. The changes aren’t a result of lower sales — CF Polo Park is seeing some of its best sales over the past year, Havens said.

He said the timing was “really right” to do something “transformational for the shopping centre.”

Build-A-Bear, Famous Footwear and Pandora are among the stores relocating. Havens wouldn’t comment on whether popular clothing retailers Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie are closing. He would only discuss stores in the process of moving, saying he didn’t want to surprise any employees.

An Urban Outfitters manager posted on LinkedIn, saying the store will permanently close Oct. 6. The company’s corporate headquarters didn’t immediately respond to questions.

Online, the manager promoted their soon-to-be-unemployed staff members, calling them the world’s best retail team.

“There may or may not be a layoff in one area, but those people could potentially go to a new retailer,” Havens said, not specifying Urban Outfitters.

London Drugs expects to hire 60 to 70 staff members, including technology experts.

New store model for London Drugs

It’s unrolling a new store model in Winnipeg. A space near the pharmacy will be dedicated for teaching customers to use health-monitoring devices at home.

The nascent program has been piloted at a store in British Columbia and another in Alberta. On its website, London Drugs highlights devices tracking blood pressure, blood glucose and temperature. People who download apps linked to the devices can more easily share their results with pharmacists and physicians, London Drugs said.

“The technology of health (has) become very, very important to our clientele,” Kevin Sorby, London Drugs’ general manager of retail operations, said.

The B.C.-based chain plans to renovate its St. Vital Centre site as its CF Polo Park location opens. The St. Vital store has operated for 20 years. Renovation details are still being “scoped out,” Sorby said.

“We’re serious about the Winnipeg market,” he added.

London Drugs had been waiting for the “right location” to open another location in Winnipeg. The brand leapt at CF Polo Park because it’s a highly rated mall full of desirable retailers, Sorby said.

The company, which has at least 80 stores, will seek new locations across Western Canada. Aside from CF Polo Park, there are no concrete plans for more Manitoba stores, Sorby said.

Pharmacists Manitoba doesn’t track whether local pharmacies devote space to technology tutorials. Darren Murphy, the association’s president, said he isn’t aware of pharmacies doing but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

A second London Drugs location was embraced by some CF Polo Park visitors.

“Probably help a lot of people,” Will Heinrichs, who grabbed a quick bite at the food court, said.

Fred Demare’s family uses the Shoppers Drug Mart in CF Polo Park when they visit Winnipeg from Thompson. Variety is a “good idea,” he said, “as long as they have accessible time frames.”

Some Winnipeggers took to social media to express sadness over the apparent loss of businesses such as Urban Outfitters.

Among other changes, Gap has permanently left CF Polo Park. It happened during a lease renewal in June; a new tenant, which Havens would not divulge, is scheduled to open next summer.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com