Sources: Apple to Expand Crowded Eaton Centre Store in Toronto, More Evidence of Yonge-Bloor Flagship Emerges [Updated]

Apple's efforts to modernize its chain of over 500 retail stores around the world may extend to Canada soon.

Apple plans to relocate its oft-crowded store at the Eaton Centre shopping mall in Downtown Toronto to a much larger space in the mall that is currently occupied by apparel chain Abercrombie & Fitch, which will also be relocating within the mall as part of the shuffle, according to people familiar with the matter.

apple abercrombie

A view of the existing Apple and Abercrombie & Fitch stores at the Eaton Centre

It is certainly possible that Apple could also take over a few additional units surrounding Abercrombie & Fitch for an even larger store.

Just this week, Abercrombie & Fitch erected a temporary barricade for its new store, slated to open in spring 2019. This suggests Apple could take over Abercrombie & Fitch's current space within three to five months from now and begin constructing its new store for a potential grand opening by 2020.

abercrombie spring 2019
Apple is currently located on the third floor of the Eaton Centre, while the existing Abercrombie & Fitch is situated almost directly beneath Apple on the second floor near the Queen Street entrance to the mall. Apple's mall-based stores are frequently in prime locations near entrances and escalators.

The biggest reason for Apple's planned move would be additional space. Abercrombie & Fitch has a 10,680-square-foot unit, more than twice the size of Apple's current 4,977-square-foot unit, according to an Eaton Centre floor plan.

Eaton Centre is North America's busiest shopping mall, with more than 50 million people passing through its atrium in 2017 according to one study. It is also home to Apple's only store in Downtown Toronto. An expansion would surely be a sigh of relief for not only customers but the team staffing the busy store.

apple store toronto eaton centre

Apple's current store at the Eaton Centre

Apple has greatly expanded both its product lineup and retail initiatives since the store first opened in 2006, one year prior to the iPhone. The additional space would better accomodate customers in many ways, ranging from Apple Watch try-ons to Today at Apple sessions to Genius Bar appointments.

The new store would also have an updated aesthetic. Apple's latest retail design typically includes large glass doors, large video screens for Today at Apple sessions and product marketing, and wall-mounted sequoia wood shelves called Avenues that display Beats headphones, iPhone cases, and other accessories.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment. Eaton Centre owner and management company Cadillac Fairview declined to comment.

Taller Ambitions

Another move that could help with the traffic at Apple Eaton Centre is Apple's rumored flagship store at the ground level of The One, a super-tall 85-floor condominium under construction at the corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street, one of the busiest intersections in Toronto and bordering the downtown core.

The One Condo

A render of The One upon completion

Early last year, Toronto-based photographer, writer, and urban planning aficionado Pedro Marques uncovered a reference to Apple in a planning document for the condominium. The architecture firm behind the project is Foster + Partners, which has partnered with Apple on many retail stores and its Apple Park headquarters.

Marques has now tipped MacRumors to another reference to Apple in a brochure for an adjacent condominium project at 19 Bloor Street West.

apple the one yonge bloor
The brochure claims that The One will be "the future home of Apple," with the longest side of the store opening to Bloor Street's upscale shopping area Mink Mile. Excavation is underway for construction of the condominium, expected to be completed by late 2022, but its retail space may open as early as 2020.

The southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor is the former site of men's clothing store Stollery's, which closed in early 2015 after 114 years in business.

Apple has four existing stores in Toronto at Yorkdale, Sherway Gardens, Fairview, and the aforementioned Eaton Centre, but all of them are within shopping malls. The One would finally provide Toronto with a long-desired street-facing Apple Store.

Updated: These plans have now been confirmed by a City of Toronto building permit application.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...

Top Rated Comments

ipedro Avatar
85 months ago
Cadillac Fairview is embarking on a massive shuffle at Eaton Centre, assembling a large number of stores around and below the current Apple Store.

Apple is moving to the Abercrombie space which will be expanded to include the corner where Scotch & Soda and Baby Gap are moving out of.

Directly above is the existing Apple Store. With Lulu Lemon moving out, that sits on the edge of Abercrombie below. Just Ann Taylor stands in the way of a potential 2 story Apple Store.

I have more info. Continuing to investigate.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
85 months ago
Well, if Samsung wants to relocate their store, I guess there's going to be space available. ;)



Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nordique Avatar
85 months ago
Didn’t know the busiest mall in North America was in Canada. That’s pretty cool!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
85 months ago
Wow, about freakin time. The Eaton Center store is a freakin sardine can.

I still wish they would open one in Scarborough Town Centre. Though an Apple Reseller has opened up there, Jump+.

But their return policy blows. Final sale on all Apple products that are opened. I'm not sure if that's even legal in Canada.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lunarworks Avatar
85 months ago
I think New York does this, too. They setup a temporary rink during the winter in front of Radio City Music Hall or whatever they call it.
That's Rockefeller Center. It's a beautiful and absolutely iconic rink, I've been there and seen it.

We've got a similar rink in front of City Hall, right by the Eaton Centre. It even caught the eye of Japanese animators.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
85 months ago
Existing Apple Store is too small, so expansion would be great.

Makes sense to keep the Eaton Centre store, rather than move it to Yonge / Bloor since Eaton Centre is #1 visited location in GTA ( aside from transportation hubs - Pearson etc )
They’re getting both. Eaton Centre was never going to move. It was always about adding a store in the upscale Yorkville shopping neighbourhood.

Apple can easily support even a third Apple Store. There are rumours of one being negotiated for The Well development near King West.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)