Towers Marts began as a New York-based chain. The first Canadian store was opened on November 15, 1960 in Scarborough, Ontario (at the corner of Lawrence Ave. East and Midland Ave).[2] In March 1962, a group of Towers concessionaires incorporated as Allied Towers Merchants Ltd.[3] After Towers Marts went bankrupt in 1963, Allied Towers Merchants Ltd., purchased the 13 Canadian stores, initially acquiring only 43% of the outstanding shares and eventually getting full control of these Towers stores.[3]
Logo of Bonimart stores in Quebec
In Quebec, the chain traded as Towers in the 1960s but the name was changed to Bonimart in April 1971, starting with the stores in the Greater Montreal, as part of a program by owner Oshawa Group to promote the French character among its subsidiaries in the province.[4]
Each selling department within a Towers store was operated as a licensed concession. Some Towers/Bonimart stores offered services such as restaurants, photo labs, and pharmacies within the store. Some stores were also paired with an IGA or Food City grocery store.
In October 1990, Towers/Bonimart's 51 stores were purchased by Hudson's Bay Company which intended to merge them with its Zellers subsidiary.[5] One store was transferred to The Bay and four others were going to be sold or closed.[6] The transaction was met with strong opposition from the New York-based F. W. Woolworth Company (owner of the Woolco stores in Canada) which also wanted to purchase the chain.[5]
In April 1991, 47 of the Towers/Bonimart stores were rebranded into the Zellers banner.[7][8] The remaining stores held closeout sales under their original name, some of them lasting until the fall of 1991. While ownership to the Towers name is unclear, the Bonimart trademark is the property of Sobeys, the successor of the Oshawa Group.[9]
Slogansedit
"At Towers everything connects - the last day of one sale is the first of the next".
"Extra Special For Your Family--Towers."
"You made us part of your family at Towers."
"Towers. Your family's extra special store."
"At Towers, we've got the right idea!"
Mascotedit
Towers' mascot was an animated squirrel named Sparky. At the time of the Zellers buyout, print ads featured Sparky arm-in-arm with Zellers' bear mascot, Zeddy.
Locationsedit
Ontario: other than GTAedit
Barrie (450 Bayfield Street, moved to the Bayfield Mall, closed 1990/1991)
Belleville
Bracebridge (505 Muskoka Rd #118W)
Brantford
Burlington (Plains Rd W)
Hamilton (640 Queenston Rd)
Collingwood (Mountain View Mall)
Kitchener (700 Strasburg Road at Block Line Road in Forest Glen Shopping Centre)
Riverdale Plaza (Towers store 30) 449 Carlaw Ave, Toronto, Ontario (Carlaw Ave. & Gerrard St. E. area)
The Galleria Mall (Towers store 47) 1245 Dupont St., Toronto, Ontario (Dufferin St. & Dupont St. area)
Westside Mall (Towers store 34) 2400 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto (York) Ontario (Eglinton Ave. W. & Keele St. area)
Westwood Mall (Towers store 60) 7205 Goreway Dr., Mississauga (Malton) Ontario (Goreway Dr. & Morning Star Dr. area)
Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotiaedit
Charlottetown (Charlottetown Mall)
Summerside (Waterfront Mall)
Bedford (Bedford Place Mall) This store was transferred to The Bay as Zellers was located across the street. The Bay closed late 1995 Store was converted to Zellers Summer 1996
^"Tower's to Open 1st Of 4 Toronto Units". Women's Wear Daily. New York. November 14, 1960. p. 9.
^ ab"ANNUAL MEETINGS: May Give Control To Allied Towers". Globe & Mail. Toronto. May 27, 1963. p. 37.
^"French name back in Oshawa". Montreal Star. Montreal. March 31, 1971. p. 67.
^ ab"Zellers clinches deal to take over Towers: Hudson's Bay beats out Woolworth". Globe & Mail. Toronto. 23 October 1990. p. B13.
^"HBC Annual Report 1990" (PDF). McGill Digital Archives. p. 12. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
^(PDF). McGill Digital Archives. August 25, 2021. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
^"Bucking The Trend; The Bay flies in face of recession, opening four new stores". The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa. 20 February 1991. p. E6. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
^"Canadian Trademarks Details: Bonimart & Design — 0612812 - Canadian Trademarks Database - Intellectual property and copyright - Canadian Intellectual Property Office - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada". Government of Canada.
External linksedit
Towers Department Stores website
April 15, 2024
towers, department, stores, towers, operating, bonimart, quebec, canadian, discount, department, store, chain, owned, oshawa, group, defunct, grocery, retailer, distributor, towersindustrydiscount, department, storefounded1960defunct1991fateconverted, zellers,. Towers operating as Bonimart in Quebec was a Canadian discount department store chain owned by the Oshawa Group a now defunct grocery retailer and distributor 1 TowersIndustryDiscount department storeFounded1960Defunct1991FateConverted to the Zellers nameParentTowers Mart 1960 1963 Allied Towers Merchants Limited 1963 1967 Oshawa Group 1967 1991 Contents 1 History 2 Slogans 3 Mascot 4 Locations 4 1 Ontario other than GTA 4 2 Greater Toronto Area 4 3 Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia 4 4 Quebec 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory editTowers Marts began as a New York based chain The first Canadian store was opened on November 15 1960 in Scarborough Ontario at the corner of Lawrence Ave East and Midland Ave 2 In March 1962 a group of Towers concessionaires incorporated as Allied Towers Merchants Ltd 3 After Towers Marts went bankrupt in 1963 Allied Towers Merchants Ltd purchased the 13 Canadian stores initially acquiring only 43 of the outstanding shares and eventually getting full control of these Towers stores 3 nbsp Logo of Bonimart stores in QuebecIn Quebec the chain traded as Towers in the 1960s but the name was changed to Bonimart in April 1971 starting with the stores in the Greater Montreal as part of a program by owner Oshawa Group to promote the French character among its subsidiaries in the province 4 Each selling department within a Towers store was operated as a licensed concession Some Towers Bonimart stores offered services such as restaurants photo labs and pharmacies within the store Some stores were also paired with an IGA or Food City grocery store In October 1990 Towers Bonimart s 51 stores were purchased by Hudson s Bay Company which intended to merge them with its Zellers subsidiary 5 One store was transferred to The Bay and four others were going to be sold or closed 6 The transaction was met with strong opposition from the New York based F W Woolworth Company owner of the Woolco stores in Canada which also wanted to purchase the chain 5 In April 1991 47 of the Towers Bonimart stores were rebranded into the Zellers banner 7 8 The remaining stores held closeout sales under their original name some of them lasting until the fall of 1991 While ownership to the Towers name is unclear the Bonimart trademark is the property of Sobeys the successor of the Oshawa Group 9 Slogans edit At Towers everything connects the last day of one sale is the first of the next Extra Special For Your Family Towers You made us part of your family at Towers Towers Your family s extra special store At Towers we ve got the right idea Mascot editTowers mascot was an animated squirrel named Sparky At the time of the Zellers buyout print ads featured Sparky arm in arm with Zellers bear mascot Zeddy Locations editOntario other than GTA edit Barrie 450 Bayfield Street moved to the Bayfield Mall closed 1990 1991 Belleville Bracebridge 505 Muskoka Rd 118W Brantford Burlington Plains Rd W Hamilton 640 Queenston Rd Collingwood Mountain View Mall Kitchener 700 Strasburg Road at Block Line Road in Forest Glen Shopping Centre London 4465 Wellington Road Niagara Falls 6777 Morrison St North Bay Hwy 11 north McKeown Oakville Towers store 41 Trafalgar Rd Oakville Ontario Trafalgar Rd amp Leighland Ave area Ottawa Hazeldean Mall Ottawa Shoppers City West Ottawa Cyrville Rd store 42 Owen Sound Peterborough 950 Lansdowne St W St Catharines 366 Bunting Rd Carlton St Stratford now at site of Festival Marketplace Mall 1067 Ontario Street Sudbury 40 Elm St inside City Centre Mall Waterloo 70 Bridgeport E at Erb Street in Towers Plaza became Zellers in 1991 and later Walmart Welland 1000 East Main Street Currently Canadian Tire Financial Services Limited Woodstock currently Goodlife location Greater Toronto Area edit Brampton Towers store 46 400 Queen St W Brampton Ontario later moved to Kingsport Plaza Main St N Main St N amp Williams Pkwy area Bridlewood Mall Towers store 59 2900 Warden Ave Toronto Scarborough Ontario Warden Ave amp Finch Ave E area Dixie Plaza Towers store 26 3100 Dixie Rd Toronto Mississauga Ontario Dixie Rd amp Dundas St E area High Park Towers store 22 2290 Dundas St W Toronto Ontario Dundas St W amp Bloor St W area Jane amp Finch Mall Towers store 38 3929 Jane St Toronto North York Ontario Jane St amp Finch Ave W area Kipling amp The Queensway Towers store 53 1255 The Queensway Toronto Etobicoke Ontario Kipling Ave amp The Queensway area Midland Lawrence Plaza Towers store 21 2650 Lawrence Ave E Toronto Scarborough Ontario Lawrence Ave E amp Midland Ave area Rexdale Mall Towers store 43 2267 Islington Ave Toronto Etobicoke Ontario Islington Ave amp Rexdale Blvd area Riverdale Plaza Towers store 30 449 Carlaw Ave Toronto Ontario Carlaw Ave amp Gerrard St E area The Galleria Mall Towers store 47 1245 Dupont St Toronto Ontario Dufferin St amp Dupont St area Westside Mall Towers store 34 2400 Eglinton Ave W Toronto York Ontario Eglinton Ave W amp Keele St area Westwood Mall Towers store 60 7205 Goreway Dr Mississauga Malton Ontario Goreway Dr amp Morning Star Dr area Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia edit Charlottetown Charlottetown Mall Summerside Waterfront Mall Bedford Bedford Place Mall This store was transferred to The Bay as Zellers was located across the street The Bay closed late 1995 Store was converted to Zellers Summer 1996 Dartmouth Colby village Plaza New Minas Gardens Mall Quebec edit Chateauguay St Jean Baptiste Blvd Greenfield Park Taschereau Blvd Laval Centre 2000 Mall Laval Centre Duvernay Shopping Centre Longueuil Place Desormeaux Mall Montreal Decarie Square Mall Sorel Promenades de Sorel Mall Ste Foy Place Laurier Mall St Jean sur Richelieu Place Saint Jean Shopping Centre Saint Leonard 7600 Viau Blvd See also editList of Canadian department storesReferences edit THE OSHAWA GROUP LIMITED Company History Tower s to Open 1st Of 4 Toronto Units Women s Wear Daily New York November 14 1960 p 9 a b ANNUAL MEETINGS May Give Control To Allied Towers Globe amp Mail Toronto May 27 1963 p 37 French name back in Oshawa Montreal Star Montreal March 31 1971 p 67 a b Zellers clinches deal to take over Towers Hudson s Bay beats out Woolworth Globe amp Mail Toronto 23 October 1990 p B13 HBC Annual Report 1990 PDF McGill Digital Archives p 12 Retrieved August 25 2021 HBC Annual Report 1991 PDF McGill Digital Archives August 25 2021 p 12 Archived from the original PDF on August 25 2021 Retrieved August 25 2021 Bucking The Trend The Bay flies in face of recession opening four new stores The Ottawa Citizen Ottawa 20 February 1991 p E6 Retrieved August 25 2021 Canadian Trademarks Details Bonimart amp Design 0612812 Canadian Trademarks Database Intellectual property and copyright Canadian Intellectual Property Office Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada Government of Canada External links editTowers Department Stores website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Towers Department Stores amp oldid 1187013072, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
