Woodward's was the name of a department store which operated in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada for one hundred years, before its sale to the Hudson's Bay Company.
Charles Woodward established the first Woodward store at the corner of Main and Georgia Streets in Vancouver in 1892. On September 12, 1902 Woodward Department Stores Ltd. was incorporated, and a new store was built in Vancouver on the corner of Hastings and Abbott Streets. In 1926, a store was opened in Edmonton, and by the late 1940s, the company began to open numerous stores in both provinces. Facing financial difficulties, Woodward's was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1993. Woodward's was a central feature of the retail scene especially in southwestern British Columbia for much of the twentieth century. The chain was distinctive in that several outlets included a large supermarket (the "food floor") as an adjunct to the department store. Many food floors were sold to Safeway Inc.. Many older western Canadians remember fondly Woodward's famous "Dollar Forty-nine Days" sales. Most Woodward's locations were converted to The Bay or Zellers stores, some were closed and other major retailers took over those locations and/or were divided into mall retail space.
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Locations
British Columbia
The flagship Woodward's building on the corner of Hastings and Abbott Streets in Vancouver June 2005. Much of the building was demolished on September 30, 2006.
- Vancouver (Downtown 101 W.Hastings St) & (Oakridge Centre)-currently The Bay & Zellers (3 floor store -was very large and divided into two mid-size anchors)
- West Vancouver (Park Royal Centre) -- currently The Bay (which moved from location in South Mall)
- Burnaby (Metrotown Centre) -- currently Zellers & a T&T Supermarket on the lower main floor (store was 3 floors)
- Nanaimo (Woodgrove Centre) -- converted to The Bay, The Bay moved in 2000 to larger former Eaton's location in mall, original Bay store demolished and a Wal-Mart store built on the site
- Port Alberni (3rd Ave) -- currently Zellers (freestanding store), adjacent former Woodward's Food Floor which Zellers expanded into.
- Victoria (Mayfair Centre) -- currently The Bay
- Penticton (Cherry Lane Mall) -- currently The Bay
- New Westminster (Royal City Centre) replaced the original 1954 freestanding store in 1991 when a new store was built on the adjacent parking area, the original store was then demolished and replaced with a new shoppnig mall, office and residential buildings. The store was converted to Zellers after HBC takeover in 1993 and then closed in 2006, Dollarama and Labels to take main floor, 2nd floor is vacant and will converted to office space in 2008.
- Richmond (Lansdowne Mall) -- converted to Zellers originally, Zellers moved in 2000 to larger, former Eaton's space in the mall, now currently a Future Shop, Home Outfitters & JYSK.
- Surrey (Guildford Town Centre) -- currently The Bay
- Prince George (Parkwood Mall) -- currently The Bay
- Coquitlam (Coquitlam Centre) -- currently Sears (as The Bay & Zellers have existing locations in the mall)
- Abbotsford (Sevenoaks Centre) -- currently The Bay
- Kamloops (Aberdeen Mall) -- converted to Zellers, Zellers recently moved to new larger location nearby, currently a new Sears store (Woodward's store - replaced original Kamloops downtown store in 1981 now B.C lottery headquarters)
Alberta
- Calgary
- (Chinook Centre) -- currently The Bay
- (Market Mall) -- currently Zellers & additional mall retail space
- (Sunridge Mall) -- currently Zellers & additional mall retial space
- Edmonton
- (Southgate Centre) -- originally converted to Eaton's, now currently a Sears store
- (Edmonton Centre) -- originally replaced by The Bay. The Bay since moved into former Eaton's store when mall underwent major renovations in 2001, now replaced by Winners, Home Outfitters. Sport Chek, CBC Edmonton's Studios, mall retail & office space.
- (Westmount Shopping Centre) -- currently Zellers and office space
- (Northgate Mall) -- originally converted to Kmart on lower floor, now currently Zellers, the upper floor remains vacant and is used for storage.
- (Mill Woods Town Centre) -- originally converted to Eaton's, now currently Zellers
- (West Edmonton Mall) -- originally converted to The Bay (2nd store in mall), now has been divided into mall retail space & cinemas
- Lethbridge (Lethbridge Centre) -- currently The Bay
- Red Deer (Bower Place Mall) -- currently The Bay
