T&T Supermarkets to Open in Polo Park

When EQ3 and 24/7 In Touch moved to the former Sears building after a few years of it sitting empty, there were a few spaces left within not filled. One of those spaces was eventually filled by the popular store Zara. However, one very large space was unoccupied. It was Sears basement which had at times hosted furnishing, discounted items and storage. Pick-ups came via a down ramp and you could load up your Sears Kenmore. At 265,000 square feet, the old Simpson-Sears was a monster. The total basement space was 48,000 square feet. 

I was always curious why EQ3, the Winnipeg-based store didn't take all the space of the first floor. A huge section facing towards Portage remained unfilled even as Zara opened next door. Nothing was ever announced and the focus recently has been on filling space in the mall and the disposition of The Bay. There had been rumours of a grocery store as Polo Park once sported two groceries across the hall from one another with Dominion and Loblaw's. Since Save On Foods is across the street from the mall and the biggest Safeway in the province was at Madison Square, the list of options was small.

One of the rumours was T&T Supermarkets, the B.C.-based Asian grocer, was the grocer to come to Polo Park. Certainly over 15 years of lobbying for the store to come have Tina Lee an idea that the province might be a good place to a store. Lee, daughter of the founders and one of if the Ts in T&T says that former Lieutenant Governor Philip Lee (no relation) advocated for years for a store. The T in T&T is Tiffany, Tina's sister. As Tina reveals, it was logistics and supply chain issues that made it so long in coming.

Seafood will have to be flown in and other supplies required a much bigger Ontario warehouse which the company has just built. Given the size of the Winnipeg store it will require a lot of stock. Target died in Canada because of their inventory system and stretched supply lines. It looks like T&T is getting their ducks in a row.

The store will have a hot take out area, live seafood as well as bbq section. Grocery will be include vegetables, fruit, full bakery and items for the Asian market. Non grocery items will include skincare products from Korea, China and Japan. The large Filipino will feature prominently. Nearly 70% of the products coming into Winnipeg are presently not sold here, according to the company.

The main level at the southwest corner close to Joeys will be the main entrance. It will have escalators and elevators capable of transporting carts, much like the old Polo Park Target. It is unclear how carts will be handled. The old Safeway frequently had to corral their wayward carts in mall parking. The grocery will be in the basement which has been empty since 2019.

The new grocery, like a lot of new Winnipeg investment, opens in 2028.