Towers Department Stores
Encyclopedia
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.
The first store was opened in 1960 in Toronto
(at the corner of Lawrence Ave. East and Midland Ave.)
In Quebec, the chain originally traded as Towers in the 1960s but was changed to Bonimart in 1970, with the exception of a store at Place Laurier
in Sainte-Foy, Quebec
which retained the Towers name.
Each selling department within a Towers store was operated as a licensed concession. Some Towers/Bonimart stores offered services such as restaurants (Red Grille), photo labs, and pharmacies within the store. Some stores were also paired with an IGA
or Food City
grocery store.
In 1990, Towers/Bonimart's 51 stores were purchased by Zellers
for $181.5 million and converted to the Zellers name or closed. The flagship store in Toronto is now a Zellers store. The demise of the Towers and Bonimart didn't affect all the stores of the chain at the same time. Some stores were closed/converted immediately after the acquisition by Zellers, while many others folded throughout the year 1991 with the last stores disappearing in the fall of 1991.
Towers' jingle: "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."
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.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, was a Canadian
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...
discount department store
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...
chain owned by the Oshawa Group
Oshawa Group
Oshawa Group was once a leading owner of supermarkets in Ontario, but it was sold to Sobeys in 1998.Stores under Oshawa Group included:* IGA* Tradition Market Fresh Food* Knechtel* Pharma Plus Drug Stores...
, a now-defunct grocery retailer and distributor.
History
Toronto
Toronto 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...
(at the corner of Lawrence Ave. East and Midland Ave.)
In Quebec, the chain originally traded as Towers in the 1960s but was changed to Bonimart in 1970, with the exception of a store at Place Laurier
Place Laurier
Laurier Québec is one of Canada's largest shopping malls. It is located in Quebec City . Laurier Québec has approximately 300 stores, is built on three levels, has an underground parking, a multilevel parking, and an outdoor parking. Major tenants include La Baie, Future Shop, Zellers, Sears and...
in Sainte-Foy, Quebec
Sainte-Foy, Quebec
Sainte-Foy is a former city in central Quebec, Canada on the Saint Lawrence River. It was amalgamated into Quebec City on January 1, 2002. Most of Sainte-Foy is in the Borough of Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge....
which retained the Towers name.
Each selling department within a Towers store was operated as a licensed concession. Some Towers/Bonimart stores offered services such as restaurants (Red Grille), photo labs, and pharmacies within the store. Some stores were also paired with an IGA
IGA
Iga or IGA may stand for:-Given name:* a female given name of Polish origin. The name originates from the female given name Jadwiga and stands for gia,or gina in the USA....
or Food City
Food City (Canada)
Food City or Food Town were Canadian supermarkets operated by the Toronto-based Oshawa Group. The stores were often paired with department store chain Towers.A typical Food City store had:* Meats/Deli* Produce* Frozen goods* Canned goods...
grocery store.
In 1990, Towers/Bonimart's 51 stores were purchased by Zellers
Zellers
Zellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores, with locations in communities across Canada. A subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company , it has 273 locations across the country....
for $181.5 million and converted to the Zellers name or closed. The flagship store in Toronto is now a Zellers store. The demise of the Towers and Bonimart didn't affect all the stores of the chain at the same time. Some stores were closed/converted immediately after the acquisition by Zellers, while many others folded throughout the year 1991 with the last stores disappearing in the fall of 1991.
Towers' jingle: "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."
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.