January 8, 2020 update: Walmart to open third Victoria store at Hillside Centre by 2021

 

Exclusive: Walmart Canada will be taking over the former Sears location at Victoria’s Hillside Centre to open the Capital Region’s third Walmart Supercentre, according to sources familiar with the retailer’s plans.

 

The department store and grocery conglomerate is reportedly readying to pursue tenant improvements throughout the nearly 149,000 square foot, two-storey space vacated by Sears in January of last year as part of the corporation’s exodus from Canada’s retail landscape.

 

Although no specific opening date is currently available, Walmart is expected to welcome customers by 2021 as it joins the region’s existing Supercentres situated at Uptown Shopping Centre in Saanich and along Phipps Road in Langford’s southern big-box shopping district.

 

In terms of size, the 149,000 square foot Hillside store will rank between Uptown’s 216,000 square foot and Langford’s roughly 115,000 square foot Supercentres.

 

Hillside Centre, situated along Hillside Avenue at Shelbourne Street, is currently anchored by a 147,000 square foot Canadian Tire, a 32,000 square foot Thrifty Foods and a nearly 30,000 square foot Marshalls clothing store.

 

First opened in 1962, the shopping centre completed its most recent improvement and modernization project in 2013 that yielded an expanded footprint and a modernized food court. The shopping centre is comprised of just over 100 commercial tenants.

 

Hillside was also the location of one of two Target Canada department stores that opened in 2013 as part of a nation-wide entry into Canada by the American retail giant. Two years on, however, Target nixed its Canadian presence following what was described as supply chain complications. Canadian Tire now occupies the former Target space. C

 

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