Bretton's
Encyclopedia
Bretton's was a high-end department store
in Canada
from 1985 to 1996.
The first two Bretton's stores were opened in Ottawa
in 1985 by the parent company, Comark. Comark, owned by the Brenninkmeijer family of the Netherlands
, had owned many retail chains including Ricky's Bootlegger, Clark Shoes, Collacut luggage and D'Aillards. The family also owns the C&A
chain of department stores in Europe.
Brettons sold clothing and cosmetics, in order to focus on high-margin, high-turn merchandise. Their stores were typically 60,000 square feet (6,000 m²), smaller than a typical department store.
Comark aimed to establish 40 to 50 branches of Bretton's, but was blocked by existing department stores who generally had clauses in their shopping centre leases allowing them to approve or reject leases to other stores
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from 1985 to 1996.
The first two Bretton's stores were opened in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in 1985 by the parent company, Comark. Comark, owned by the Brenninkmeijer family of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, had owned many retail chains including Ricky's Bootlegger, Clark Shoes, Collacut luggage and D'Aillards. The family also owns the C&A
C&A
C&A is an international chain of fashion retail clothing stores, with its European head offices in Vilvoorde , Belgium and Düsseldorf, Germany...
chain of department stores in Europe.
Brettons sold clothing and cosmetics, in order to focus on high-margin, high-turn merchandise. Their stores were typically 60,000 square feet (6,000 m²), smaller than a typical department store.
Comark aimed to establish 40 to 50 branches of Bretton's, but was blocked by existing department stores who generally had clauses in their shopping centre leases allowing them to approve or reject leases to other stores
Locations
- OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
: Rideau CentreRideau CentreRideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street , the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street.... - OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
: St. Laurent Shopping CentreSt. Laurent Shopping CentreSt. Laurent Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada owned and operated by Morguard REIT. The shopping mall is located just north of Highway 417 at the corner of St. Laurent Boulevard and Coventry Road. It opened its doors in 1967.St... - TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: Manulife CentreManulife CentreThe Manulife Centre is located on the southeast corner of Bay and Bloor streets, adjacent to the southern edge of the Yorkville district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada... - TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: Sherway GardensSherway GardensSherway Garden is a large shopping mall located in Etobicoke with over 200 stores. It is located on the south-east intersection of The Queensway and The West Mall in the west end of the city on the Mississauga border... - VaughanVaughanVaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
: The PromenadeThe Promenade Shopping CentreThe Promenade Shopping Centre is a shopping mall, located on Bathurst Street and Centre Street in the area of Thornhill in Vaughan, Ontario. It opened on August 4, 1986... - WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
: Polo ParkPolo ParkPolo Park is Winnipeg's largest retail and entertainment district. It is the largest mall out of the eight malls in the city. Situated on the former Polo Park Racetrack, the Polo Park Mall was built in 1959. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in Winnipeg when a roof was added in 1963...
Shopping Centre - CalgaryCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
: Chinook CentreChinook CentreChinook Centre is the largest enclosed shopping centre in Calgary, Alberta containing over 250 stores, a professional building, and a major theatre complex... - CalgaryCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
: Market MallMarket MallMarket Mall is one of the largest malls in Calgary, Alberta . It is located in Varsity, a suburban neighborhood in the City's northwest quadrant on Shaganappi Trail... - EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
: West Edmonton MallWest Edmonton MallWest Edmonton Mall , located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is the largest shopping mall in North America and the fifth largest in the world. The mall was founded by the Ghermezian brothers, who emigrated from Iran in 1959. It was the world's largest mall until 2004.West Edmonton Mall covers a gross... - Burnaby, B.C.: Eaton Centre MetrotownMetrotownMetropolis at Metrotown is a shopping mall complex in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. With over 450 shops and services, it is the largest mall in British Columbia, and the 2nd largest in Canada...
- Mississauga: Square One Shopping CentreSquare One Shopping CentreSquare One Shopping Centre is a shopping mall located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest shopping malls in Canada, with over 1.6 million square feet of retail space and more than 360 stores and services...