JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

Before reading this post, check out the related installment of Historicist . The first full-page ad to announce the arrival of Sayvette at Thorncliffe Market Place (now East York Town Centre), from the August 30, 1961 edition of the Toronto Star . When the store was built, it was determined that all of the space in the basement would not be required by Sayvette. The unnecessary space was converted to a bowling alley, which still operates underneath the present-day Zellers store (and has been seen a few times on this site...). A typical example of the chain's advertising from the mid-70s ( Toronto Star , April 9, 1974), after a new logo and slogan were introduced. Loblaws introduced its current logo and font in 1973, with its divisions following suit over the next year. The Windsor location had a short run, operating from the opening of Tecumseh Mall in 1973 until it was included in the chain's second round of closures in 1975. The location was a Zellers during my ch...

Satanic slacks? Some of those bends look highly uncomfortable, given how unnaturally skinny the legs are drawn. The wide bell bottoms may have been the devil's subtle form of mischief, if the wearer tripped while wearing them. Towers was one of Canada's early discount department stores, operated by the Oshawa Group, who also ran the Food City grocery chain. Based on scant info I've read about Towers, it appears that locations included or were built next to Oshawa's grocery stores. This may explain why the Galleria now contains a Zellers (Hudson's Bay Company bought Towers in 1990 and converted many of the remaining locations) and a Price Chopper (one of the last chains launched by Oshawa Group before they were bought by Sobeys). I don't think Towers ever set up shop in Windsor, with London being the closest location I recall. The local competition to K-Mart, Woolco and Zellers in the late 1970s/early 1980s was Sentry, a store I know very little about other...