The Disney store as we know it may be all but extinct in Canada soon. According to Retail Insider, Disney has been weighing options as customer shopping trends have shifted over the past year. If true, over a dozen stores will be gone before August.

Canada has only 18 Disney stores; many of them take up between 3k to 5k square feet. That’s a huge space for landlords to fill. Considering in-person shopping has taken a hit since the pandemic, who would come in to occupy that much retail area?

In case you’re from the Great White North and want to head in before the stores shut their doors, Disney locations can be found in the following areas:

Eight of Disney’s stores in Canada are located in Ontario. That includes stores in the Toronto area (at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Scarborough Town Centre, Vaughan Mils, Upper Canada Mall), Hamilton (CF Lime Ridge), Ottawa (CF Rideau Centre), and London (CF Masonville Place). A ninth Ontario location at Square One in Mississauga shut last month.

In Alberta, Disney currently operates four stores, two of which are located in Edmonton at West Edmonton Mall and Kingsway Mall as well as two stores in Calgary at CF Market Mall and Southcentre. A location at CrossIron Mills near Calgary shut last month. In British Columbia, Disney’s three storefronts include CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby and Guildford Town Centre in Surrey. Disney also operates its smallest Canadian location at CF Polo Park in Winnipeg.

Here in the States, Disney recently opened a strategic location in Times Square while shutting down others. The three locations that had been open for decades have all shut down over the years in my area. A smaller version opened up in an outlet mall, but it lacks all the flair of the shopping mall versions.

What are your thoughts on Disney closing stores dedicated to selling the Mouse’s merchandise? Any fond memories from your youth when these places first started popping up?

[Source: Retail Insider]