Place du Royaume

Place du Royaume is a regional shopping mall located in the Chicoutimi district of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. It is positioned as a broad-based retail and services destination for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region and is described as the largest mall in that market, with approximately 160 stores and service outlets. Its tenant mix combines national and international retailers, department-style and discount businesses, sporting-goods specialists, apparel chains, home-furnishing stores, pharmacy retail, entertainment, and food-service operators. The mall opened in August 1973 with 75 stores. Its original anchor lineup included Woolco and Steinberg's, reflecting the department-store and supermarket-oriented format common to large Canadian shopping centres of that period. Within four years, the property had approximately doubled in size and added a Hudson's Bay store, increasing its role as a regional destination rather than a purely local retail strip. The mall's anchor history subsequently changed as Canadian retail brands consolidated, rebranded, or left the market. Woolco was converted to Walmart in 1994. The supermarket space associated with Steinberg's went through several successive identities, including Parade in 1985 and Super Marché Avantage in 1987. In the early 1990s, Héritage occupied the former supermarket area; part of that space was later divided for other tenants, and Héritage made way for Provigo in 1996. The Provigo premises were later associated with Future Shop before the electronics retailer also ceased operating under that name. The Hudson's Bay store remained at Place du Royaume until May 2007. After its closure, the former department-store area was subdivided among a range of specialty and apparel retailers, including Tommy Hilfiger, Dynamite, Winners, Bouclair, L'Équipeur, Urban Planet, Histoires de Filles, Joshua Perets, and Amnesia. This redevelopment illustrates the mall's transition from a traditional department-store anchor model toward a more diversified multi-tenant format. The current or recently documented tenant mix includes Canadian Tire, Walmart, Winners, Best Buy, Cinéma Odyssée, Sports Experts, Hockey Expert, Atmosphère, Pharmaprix, L'Équipeur, Urban Planet, Bouclair, H&M, and Yellow. Other listed retailers include Reitmans, Tommy Hilfiger, Jack & Jones, Laura, and La Senza. A food court near the cinema provides quick-service and casual dining options such as Tim Hortons, McDonald's, Sushi Shop, KFC, Au vieux Duluth Express, and Sukiyaki. Place du Royaume is located directly opposite Place du Saguenay, another shopping centre with anchors including l'Aubainerie, Clément, and an IGA Extra store in a former Zellers location. Together, the two centres form a significant retail cluster in the Saguenay area. Publicly available reference material does not identify the mall's owner, operator, founder, current executives, financial performance, or a precise corporate group affiliation.

Place du Royaume was established in August 1973 in the Chicoutimi district of what is now Saguenay, Quebec. The mall opened with 75 stores and was anchored by Woolco and Steinberg's. Its initial format reflected the established Canadian regional-shopping-centre model, bringing department-store merchandise, supermarket retail, and smaller specialty shops together under one roof for customers from Chicoutimi and surrounding communities. The property expanded substantially during its first years. By 1977, it had approximately doubled in size and added a Hudson's Bay store, strengthening its position as a regional destination. The centre's subsequent history was shaped by changes in Canadian department-store, supermarket, and specialty retailing. Steinberg's was successively represented by the Parade banner in 1985 and Super Marché Avantage in 1987. In the early 1990s, Héritage occupied the former Steinberg's space. A portion of that area was sold or divided for other uses, and Héritage was replaced by Provigo in 1996. The former Provigo area later became associated with Future Shop. Another major transition occurred in 1994, when the original Woolco anchor became Walmart. This change connected the mall to one of Canada's most important mass-retail networks while preserving a large-format anchor presence. The Hudson's Bay store continued operating for several more years but closed in May 2007. Rather than leaving the former department-store area as a single vacant block, the space was subdivided for a variety of tenants. The resulting occupants included Tommy Hilfiger, Dynamite, Winners, Bouclair, L'Équipeur, Urban Planet, Histoires de Filles, Joshua Perets, and Amnesia. The reconfiguration marked a shift away from reliance on traditional department stores and toward a more diversified specialty-retail mix. The mall's documented tenant base has included major national and international chains such as Canadian Tire, Walmart, Winners, Best Buy, Pharmaprix, H&M, Yellow, and L'Équipeur. Sports retail is represented by the Sports Experts, Hockey Expert, and Atmosphère concepts. Other apparel and lifestyle tenants have included Reitmans, Tommy Hilfiger, Jack & Jones, Laura, and La Senza. Its entertainment component includes Cinéma Odyssée, located near a food court with quick-service and casual restaurant operators including Tim Hortons, McDonald's, Sushi Shop, KFC, Au vieux Duluth Express, and Sukiyaki. Place du Royaume is situated opposite Place du Saguenay, a separate shopping centre whose listed anchors include l'Aubainerie, Clément, and IGA Extra in a former Zellers location. The two properties together create a major commercial concentration in the Saguenay area. Public reference material also records the closure of a number of former tenants, including Toys "R" Us, Consumers Distributing, Athlete's World, Stéréo Plus, Cohoes, Scotiabank, Greiche & Scaff, Historia, Action Sport, Pegabo, Transit, A&W, Le Rouet, and Aéropostale. Available sources establish the mall's opening, expansion, anchor changes, tenant evolution, and regional role, but do not establish its owner, operating company, financial results, executive leadership, or detailed architectural history. Those fields therefore remain unspecified.

• 2007

  Hudson's Bay closes

  [1]Place du Royaumeen.wikipedia.org

  The Hudson's Bay store closed in May, and its large premises were subsequently subdivided among multiple retailers.

• 1996

  Provigo occupies the former Héritage space

  [1]Place du Royaumeen.wikipedia.org

  Provigo replaced Héritage in the former supermarket area.

• 1994

  Woolco becomes Walmart

  [1]Place du Royaumeen.wikipedia.org

  The original Woolco anchor was converted to Walmart.

• 1987

  Parade becomes Super Marché Avantage

  [1]Place du Royaumeen.wikipedia.org

  The supermarket space changed again to the Super Marché Avantage banner.

• 1985

  Steinberg's space adopts the Parade banner

  [1]Place du Royaumeen.wikipedia.org

  The Steinberg's supermarket operation was rebranded as Parade.

• 1977

  Early expansion and Hudson's Bay arrival

  [1]Place du Royaumeen.wikipedia.org

  The property had approximately doubled in size and added a Hudson's Bay store four years after opening.

• 1973

  Opening of Place du Royaume

  [1]Place du Royaumeen.wikipedia.org

  The mall opened in August with 75 stores and Woolco and Steinberg's as its principal anchors.

A broad regional retail and entertainment destination serving Saguenay and the wider Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean market, combining large-format anchors with fashion, sporting goods, home, pharmacy, dining, and cinema tenants.

• Retail property · 1973

  Regional shopping centre

  Place du Royaume's core offering is a multi-tenant shopping-centre environment serving the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. It brings together large-format anchors, specialty stores, food service, and entertainment in one regional destination.

• Entertainment

  Cinéma Odyssée

  Cinéma Odyssée is the mall's documented cinema and entertainment component. Its location near the food court supports a combined leisure, dining, and shopping visit.

• Shopping and services · 1973

  Retail tenant portfolio

  The tenant portfolio spans apparel, footwear, sporting goods, outdoor equipment, home furnishings, electronics, pharmacy, general merchandise, and grocery-related retail. Documented names include Walmart, Canadian Tire, Winners, Best Buy, H&M, Pharmaprix, Sports Experts, Atmosphère, Bouclair, and L'Équipeur.

• Food service

  Food court

  The food court near Cinéma Odyssée has been documented with a mixture of Canadian and international quick-service and casual dining operators, including Tim Hortons, McDonald's, Sushi Shop, KFC, Au vieux Duluth Express, and Sukiyaki.

• 2007

  Redevelopment of the former Hudson's Bay premisesStrategy

  Background

  Hudson's Bay closed its Place du Royaume store in May 2007.

  Action taken

  The former department-store area was divided among a group of specialty, apparel, home, and discount retailers.

  Aftermath

  The mall replaced a single traditional department-store anchor with a more diversified tenant configuration.

  Source

• 1994

  Conversion of Woolco to WalmartStrategy

  Background

  The mall's original Woolco anchor was affected by the transition of Woolco operations to Walmart in Canada.

  Action taken

  The Place du Royaume Woolco location became a Walmart store.

  Aftermath

  Walmart became one of the mall's documented large-format anchor tenants.

  Source

1. 1Place du Royaumeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Place du Royaume official websiteplaceduroyaume.com