When Canadian shoppers emerge from their post-holiday hibernation this spring, they’ll find that a number of familiar retailers have disappeared from the landscape.
All 38 Town Shoes footwear stores will close by the end of the month.
By the end of February, Jean Machine’s 24 stores will have vanished including the one inside the Pen Centre in St. Catharines.
Hardware giant Lowe's announced last fall that it would close 27 stores, including 25 operating under the Rona banner by the end of this month.
Analysts say the convenience of online shopping and delivery is to blame.
Amazon has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of this change, as reflected by its recent announcements of new Canadian facilities, including a 600-job distribution centre near Edmonton.
Most large Canadian retailers are trying to keep up, by adding online shopping and delivery options of their own.
Even Canadian Tire, a longtime holdout in this area, quietly launched home delivery last fall.