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Summary

Nordstrom Closing At Eaton Centre Is Already Sparking Replacement Ideas & Some Are Genius

"A gigantic Mandarin buffet!"

Nordstrom on Yonge Street Toronto.

Nordstrom on Yonge Street Toronto.

Associate Editor

As soon as the news spread that Nordstrom was closing its locations in Canada, including its store at Toronto's Eaton Centre, shoppers and retailers alike were left wondering what would replace the massive three-floor department store.

But, the ideas for its potential replacement have already begun. A Reddit thread blew up on Thursday, with several Toronto shoppers debating if stores like Zellers, Simons and even Dollarama could take the cake as successors.

One suggestion that emerged as a leading winner on both Reddit and Twitter was a Spirit Halloween store.

You heard that right. Many shoppers are ready to trade in their designer handbags and shoes for spooky costumes and fake spider webs.

"A gigantic Mandarin buffet. (The) second floor only crab legs," one shopper wrote, and honestly, this could take the prize for one of the best suggestions out there.

Other suggestions are all about the extravagance of shopping.

Such as an enormous Dollarama, where you can buy everything under the sun; Giant Tiger, where you can get your cat-themed apparel fix; Simons, the Canadian store that's like a French lover — très chic; Arby's outpost, for when you need a roast beef sandwich in between shopping sprees; or even Zellers, the store that never left the 90s.

Zellers could be plausible as it is currently in the middle of a comeback in Canada, with announcements about everything from its new locations to the Zellers restaurant. All 25 new stores will be located within different Hudson Bay locations.

Toronto currently has five Nordstrom properties. There are two "off-price" Nordstrom Racks (one at One Bloor, one at Vaughan Mills) and three proper, multi-floor department stores.

But, the Nordstrom at the Eaton centre might be one of the city's most iconic, with its very own bar, coffee shop and even its own special entrance through which people can enter the bustling mall in Toronto's downtown.

Reaction to the fancy department store closing all its doors in Toronto has been bittersweet; and while some are recalling their memories of shopping there, many say they aren't surprised by the news.

One shopper waxed lyrical about Nordstrom's bathrooms at Eaton Centre and how much she'll miss them.

Nordstrom has been in Canada for nearly a decade and announced on March 2 that it will be closing down all of its 13 Canadian locations and its e-commerce business.

The retail giant's departure also means that 2,500 people will soon be out of work.

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    • Associate Editor

      Rhythm Sachdeva (she/her) was a Toronto-based Associate Editor at Narcity Media. She has previously reported for CTV News, The Canadian Press, the Toronto Star and the Times of India, where she published several A1 features and breaking news stories for national audiences. Rhythm graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours bachelor of arts degree in journalism and also holds a graduate certificate in contemporary journalism from Centennial College. At university, she was the managing editor of her campus magazine, The Underground. She's passionate about writing about the diverse immigrant community in Toronto and is always on the hunt for unique human interest stories.

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