Simpsons (store)

Simpsons was a chain of Canadian department stores . It was rested by Robert Simpson under the name of The Robert Simpson Company in 1872 and took thereafter the name of Simpson' S until the Années 1960. With died of the founder in 1897, the trade was sold with a whole of investors because it did not have a male heir. The chain was sold in 1978 with the Compagnie of Hudson Bay and finally integrated in its own chain the Bay between 1989 and 1991.

History

Foundation

Robert Simpson, Scot of origin, arrived at Canada in 1855 at the 21 years age. Having worked in the field of the grocer, he works initially in drapery then opens his own store with Newmarket (Ontario), close to Toronto, with a associate. One sells to with it products of grocer, boots, ouliers and articles of drapery. In 1861, it changes partner and the store becomes a store the large one. The October 29th 1870, a fire devastates the store, and in spite of a test to leave again it for Christmas, one must declare bankruptcy at the beginning of 1871.

Robert Simpson must set out again to zero and the fact in Toronto in 1872 with R. Simpson, Dry Goods on the main street of the city, the Rue Yonge. In order to dissociate strong competition (of which the T. Eaton Company which will become Eaton), it starts to distribute leaflets color to the residents of the city. As the city is in growth, the prosperous store of Simpson, moves higher in the street and increased several times. In 1890, one does not count there less than 200 employees. The December 4th 1894, the store moves in a very new brick building of six floors to the angle of Queen and of Yonge but it will burn in 1895 to be rebuilds.

Progression

Robert Simpson will not live enough old to see his company thriving very a long time and dies in 1897. Not having male heir, the succession is approached by an american company for the repurchase of the trade but an small group of investors directed by Harris Henry Fudger, Joseph Wesley Flavelle and Alfred Ernest Ames buys stocks and the movable property of the company for 135.000 Can in order to keep it Canadian. The three men and members for the Toronto-native company take again in hand the company and increase soon the store several times to accommodate the customers increasingly more.

In 1905, Simpson' S acquires John Murphy Co. of Montreal and begins a service from mail-order sellings. In 1916, the service of mail-order selling of Simpson' S opens a large warehouse with Regina, and three years later, it extends its activities to Halifax. The popularity of the system of mail-order selling leads to the opening of counters of wind to Halifax and Regina Canada in 1924, in its warehouses.

During the Great Depression of 1929, Simpson' S innovates as regards promotion to remain in businesses: celebrities constantly survey the alleys of the store to hold of the talks or to dedicate books, fashion shows take place almost the every day and an immense animalery is open. After the crisis, the businesses begin again but at the time of the Second world war, 1703 employees of Simpson called up for the military service what makes work difficult. Eighty-five of those perish and only 583 turn over to Simpson' S after the war.

Alliance with Sears

Little before the end war, Simpson acquires of Smallman and Ingram , London (Ontario) and in 1946, of R.H. Department Store , the department store of Regina. The service of mail-order selling of Simpson becomes extensive and Simpson' S starts to negotiate with Sears a possible association. In 1952, both conclude an agreement which will see the service of mail-order selling of Simpson' S passing to Sears whereas the two companies join to exploit a store chain of retail sale under the banner Simpsons-Sears outside the five Canadian big cities where Simpson has its own stores: Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, London and Regina.

During Years 1950 and 1960, the suburbs develops and the stores move there. Simpson' S opens stores with Scarborough and North York in Ontario, with Point-Claire in Quebec, like elsewhere in suburbs of both plus Canadian big cities. New stores Simpsons-Sears are open in the towns of average importance, or their suburbs, through Canada and of the sales outlets to the detail are created in the small towns. During this same period, Simpson launch out in the real estate and builds inter alia the Simpson Tower , inaugurated in 1969, where cabin the head office of the company. This building shelters today the head office of the Company of Hudson Bay.

During the Years 1970, the nationalist feeling in Quebec leads to the election of the Parti Québécois. This one passes the Charte of the French language which imposes the use of the French commercial billposting display in the province. The companies must francize their name and Simpson' S becomes Simpsons , losing the English apostrophe. During the Years 1980 the " s" final will disappear finally.

Sale with HBC

In 1978, Simpsons and Zellers pass to the hands of the Company of Hudson Bay (HBC), which inherits thus a greater presence on the market. Simpsons brings to him an experiment as regards stores of prestige. HBC combines the administrative activities with his, but the chain remains about independent during the first years. Only some Simpsons counters become stores the Bay and an installation of the Bay becomes a store Simpson . HBC tried to give to the Simpson stores a vocation of high-end but did not reach that point and at the end of the Années 1980, all the Simpson stores outside Toronto are converted into stores the Bay . In 1991, the last store Simpson, the district-general of Toronto, joined them finally. It will become the store-headlight of HBC and the name Simpson disappears completely from the Canadian commercial landscape.

St Governed Room and West End Shop The two most "exclusive" clothing departments in to form Simpsons downtown Toronto hiring, the St Governed Room for women and the West End Shop for men, are still in operation At The Bay' S downtown Toronto Queen Street blind. Designers in the St Governed Room include Givenchy, Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Armani Collezioni, Louis Feraud, Karl Lagerfeld, Balmain, Andrew Gn, Lida Baday, Belville Sasoon, David Hayes, and others. The West End shop designers include Hugo Boss, Strellson, and others.

While operated by Simpsons, the St Governed Room, offered exclusive nap off the most fashion collections in Canada. Dior, Oscar of Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Claude Montana, Courreges, and many others were featured in this luxury department.

Simpsons in popular culture

From 1981 to 1987, children across the United States and Canada saw Simpsons ace the setting for the television show Today' S Special , which used the Yonge Street hiring for unquestionable scenes. The blind was never explicitly mentioned by name except in the closing appropriations, though the store' S name was visible in unquestionable scenes.

Simpsons is seen and mentioned in the 1988 movie Shorts Circuit 2 (although the blind that was referred to ace Simpsons was actually the Eaton' S blind). -->

Sites

The stores Simpsons through Canada, generally maintaining under the banner the Bay , are found with:

The distribution center of Simpsons to Toronto (Allen Road and Lawrence Avenue) is now a center of purchase.

See too

Related articles

External bonds

  • Simpsons - The Blind
  • Simpsons with the Canadian Museum of civilization

Source

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