The Japanese retailer Uniqlo is marking its 10th anniversary in Canada by announcing its first flagship store in downtown Vancouver. The store is set to open in spring 2027 in the former Nordstrom space at CF Pacific Centre. Uniqlo will later be joined by Aritzia, Simons and a fourth retailer that has yet to be announced in the 230,000-square-foot, three-storey redevelopment. “Vancouver is a global city with a distinct way of living: active, practical and design driven. This closely resonates with our LifeWear philosophy, which ensures our clothing improves everyday life for everyone,” Yuya Tanahashi, Chief Operating Officer of Uniqlo Canada, said in a statement Monday. “UNIQLO CF Pacific Centre puts us at the center of it all, and we’re excited to serve the people who live, work and visit this beautiful city.” The brand opened its first B.C. location at Metrotown in 2017—33 years after launching in Hiroshima. “British Columbians have embraced LifeWear ever since,” reads the statement from Uniqlo. To date, Uniqlo has seven locations in the province, including one in Victoria and six in Metro Vancouver. Uniqlo has not said what portion of the former Nordstrom space it will be taking over. The site has sat empty since June 13, 2023, when the Seattle-based retailer’s Canadian operations were completely liquidated and its physical stores were emptied. In November 2025, Aritzia became the first new tenant to be announced, followed by Simons the following April. Both stores are set to open in the fall of 2027. Retail analyst Bruce Winder says the redevelopment is part of a growing trend across Canada, as malls split up large former department store spaces for multiple retailers. “The space is too big for any one retailer, so we’re starting to see some of these downtown marquee malls being filled up by multiple tenants,” Winder told CTV News Monday. He adds that the addition of Uniqlo to the CF Pacific Centre is a sign of downtown Vancouver’s post-pandemic recovery. “It’s a nice vote of confidence that continues some of that momentum to kind of fix up the Pacific Centre and really make it a marquee mall again,” said Winder. “I think it says a lot about the strength of the Vancouver downtown and how it’s slowly but surely starting to gain some momentum, post pandemic.” Uniqlo says it has begun recruiting store staff and managers, with more information available on its careers page.
