TORONTO - Simons is making a major expansion beyond Quebec.
The specialty retailer will open stores in five new cities across Canada beginning next year.
The family-owned company will launch in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa and will also open stores in Mississauga, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec.
Simons currently has one location in West Edmonton Mall but its other existing stores are in Quebec.
C-E-O Peter Simons says the company has a vision of what they want to achieve in retail design and innovation.
And he says felt the time was right to grow the business.
Simons has been operating for 175 years and was founded by John Simons in 1840 as a dry goods store.
Simons now has more than two-thousand employees and offers an extensive range of apparel, accessories and home decor.
The expansion is slated to begin next summer and continue through 2017.
