3 stores to open in former Hudson’s Bay in Ontario

Three stores will occupy a former Hudson’s Bay store in Ontario.

Most Hudson’s Bay units remain vacant after the company’s 96 stores closed in May 2025.

But this month, Georgian Mall in Barrie announced it had secured three tenants to occupy the former Hudson’s Bay unit in the mall.

The space is being renovated to welcome a Longo’s supermarket, a GYMVMT (GoodLife gym concept) and clothing store Mark’s, the mall announced.

Georgian Mall said the three retailers are expected to open in mid to late 2027.

A recent Retail Insider story noted the lack of retailers big enough to fill the large spaces and suggested most units would likely be repurposed and subdivided for three to five tenants.

One year after the closures, no department store operator has emerged to take Hudson’s Bay’s place, Retail Insider noted. A plan from B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu, to replace dozens of shuttered Hudson’s Bay stores across Canada with new department stores was quashed in court.

In the short term, some locations have been occupied by pop-up stores such as Spirit Halloween.

Georgian Mall is one of the first to announce renovations for new tenants.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Georgian Mall (@georgianmall)

Lead photo of the Barrie Hudson’s Bay: Google Maps