Uniqlo coming to St. Vital Centre

Uniqlo is planning to open its first Winnipeg store at St. Vital Centre.

Japanese retail giant Uniqlo is coming to St. Vital Centre.

The city recently issued a permit to merge multiple units in the mall into one large space, confirming the tenant will be Uniqlo.

This will be the first location for Winnipeg. Uniqlo currently has locations in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, according to its website. Its first Canadian store was opened in Toronto in 2016.

The Winnipeg location is the latest push in the apparel retailer’s planned expansion across the U.S. and Canada. It had previously announced plans to open 200 new stores a year to reach 200 in North America by 2027.

At the St. Vital Centre, the Uniqlo location will fill a void left by the liquidation of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The large two-floor location shuttered earlier this year in May and has sat vacant ever since.

Rumours and speculation started floating around social media, suggesting retailers like Zellers or Uniqlo could fill the space. The city’s permit approval this month is the first official confirmation of Uniqlo’s arrival in Winnipeg.

There is no word yet on when the Uniqlo location will open.

CTV News has reached out to St. Vital Centre for more details.

-with files from CTV’s Michael Woods