Uniqlo opening store in Ottawa's Rideau Centre
Uniqlo is opening a store in Ottawa this spring, its first foray into the nation's capital.
The Japanese retailer's 15,000-square-foot store in the Rideau Centre mall will open in June, the company announced Thursday. It will be on the mall's third floor.
It's Uniqlo's first new store in Canada this year, part of a planned five-year expansion across the U.S. and Canada. The company is planning to open 20 new stores a year to reach 200 in North America by 2027.
"We are proud of our strong connection to Canada," Daisuke Tsukagoshi, Uniqlo North America’s CEO, said in a news release. "Opening in the nation's capital marks an important milestone in UNIQLO's progress; it will allow us to strengthen our relationship with Canadian shoppers and introduce LifeWear to new guests – that clothing is made for everyone every day."
Uniqlo has seven Ontario stores, all in the Greater Toronto Area, and 16 across Canada. The company opened its first Canadian store in Toronto's Eaton Centre in 2016.
"I think it's actually a major coup for Ottawa and for the Rideau Centre," Bruce Winder, a retail analyst and author, told CTV News. "They're a phenomenal retailer. The reaction in Canada has been very positive."
The arrival comes as the Rideau Centre, Ottawa's largest mall, is losing an anchor tenant. High-end department store Nordstrom announced earlier this month it would shut down operations in Canada, closing 13 stores including its Rideau Centre location.
"At any given time in retail, you're going to have winners and losers," Winder said. "You're going to have companies that are falling out of favour and companies that are growing. And Uniqlo is one of those companies that's growing."
Winder also said he thinks Uniqlo products' quality and price point—"Think about if IKEA made clothing"—will be popular among Ottawa residents.
"You look at the Ottawa market, yeah there's a few rich people in Ottawa, but there's a lot of people who work for the government, and they're not making a million dollars a year," he said. "They need clothing that's durable, that looks great, that isn't going to break their pocketbook."
Uniqlo is encouraging potential Ottawa employees to apply for jobs on their career page.
They also will be hosting a series of career fairs in Ottawa for potential employees to learn about the different available roles.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6778341.1708561001!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'I got no remorse': Greg Fertuck, convicted of murdering missing spouse, sentenced to life in prison
Greg Fertuck will spend life behind bars with no chance of parole until he is 90 years old, a judge ruled on Thursday at Saskatoon's Court of King's Bench.
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
Britain's Labour on track for landslide victory, exit poll suggests, amid anger with Conservatives
Britain's Labour Party headed for a landslide victory Friday in a parliamentary election, an exit poll suggested, as voters punished the governing Conservatives after 14 years of economic and political upheaval.
Saskatchewan has the lowest hourly minimum wage. How does it stack up to the rest of Canada?
Hourly minimum wages increased in several Canadian provinces this spring with more on the horizon, which economists say will likely impact workers and businesses differently.
Trying to sell or buy a home this summer? What a realtor says you should know
In the first few weeks of summer, the real estate sector is experiencing an upturn marked by more housing inventory, a Canadian realtor says
No Frills grocery stores drop 'multi-buy' offer
As receipts tick ever higher for Canadians at the grocery store and shoppers continue to search for savings, one Canadian grocer has ended a perceived deal.
Hurricane Beryl churns toward Mexico after leaving destruction in Jamaica and eastern Caribbean
After leaving a trail of destruction across the eastern Caribbean and at least nine people dead, Hurricane Beryl weakened as it chugged over open water toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, going from the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic to Category 2 by the afternoon.
CSIS director David Vigneault stepping down after seven years on the job
David Vigneault says he is stepping down from his job at the head of Canada’s spy agency. The director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, who spent seven years at the helm, is leaving the public service altogether.
Biden tells Democratic governors he needs more sleep and plans to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m.
U.S. President Joe Biden told Democratic governors during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday that part of his plan going forward is to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m. so that he can get more sleep, according to three sources briefed on his comments.