I am a bit excited to hear that Marshalls will be opening a new store in Mississauga (& Ajax) on April 28th.
I’ve shopped at the Marshalls, cross the border, and it’s more or less the same as Winners, but with cheaper prices! Will these lower, US prices be reflected at their Canadian locations?
So if Marshalls and Winners are essentially the same, why do we need 2 separate stores? They’re both owned by the same company, TJX, so the similarities are inevitable.
(TJX also owns T.J. Maxx, HomeSense, StyleSense, and a few others that I have never heard of.)
There are already 3 locations in the GTA. So for readers who have already gone, what do you think?
Click here to see all the Marshalls locations in the GTA.
I love Tj Maxx and Marshalls in the Usa. Its like a Winners but way cheaper and way better brands, newer stock etc. I would be interested to see what kind of prices they are upcharging Canadians. I can get Ralph Lauren Polos for my Boys at Tj’s and Marshalls for under $10, $8 for Ecko tee’s
One thing I noticed with Tj’s if you HAVE to watch for 2nds. I’ve come across things with holes, misstitched etc. Marshalls is pretty close to Tj’s in the USA just some different brands etc. 🙂
Went to the store in Scarborough after having spent a lot of time at Marshall’s in the US (love the big sizes and low prices there).
I was utterly disappointed, the store opened in an old Winners location, and to me I could see no difference, they should have left the old sign up, even the price tags are the same as Winner’s.
I wont be back
I loooooove Marshall’s in the States, I hope the one in Mississauga will be just as good. 😀 I’m so excited!
im excited for the one in mississauga as well! (:
I’ve been to the scarborough one and the one in Leaside. The shoe selection is good – great brands, way cheaper than anywhere else.They had tons of Coach, puma, jessica simpson, nine west, even gucci and prada. Comparable to the states for sure in that respect. There aren’t any household items though – just clothes, shoes, accessories really. The clothes are “ok” but personally, I hate rummaging through stuff. I’ll go for the shoes any day of the week. I must say though – the Leaside location has better stuff and is way cleaner. The Scarborough one is ransacked all the time!
the prices in marshalls in Canada are way too high.
I went to the one in Woodbridge. It was a zoo. I didn’t see many designer labels, but considering the area, it didn’t surprise me that they may have already been snapped up early in the morning. Exactly the same prices as Winners for my usual items…children’s toys, girly dresses and flavoured coffee. I saw so many similarities in products and I found that the Winners in Vaughan Mills had a better selection. I was however impressed with the amount of shoes. So many brands and sizes I haven’t seen at the regular Winner’s location. IMO, it’s the same thing for what I need, and the Winner’s is closer and has better markdowns.
I was excited to see Marshall’s coming to Canada – managed to get to the one in Mississauga (Ajax isn’t open yet). Have to say, I’m disappointed. The prices are no different than Winner’s – yes, there’s more shoes but overall compared to the USA stores, what a disappointment.
http://www.marshallscanada.ca/en/index.asp
In a Press Release it says they are opening a total of 6 in Ontario
And the downtown location is rumoured to be in the of the former mega-nightclub Circa on John Street, and will launch later this year.
Good to hear for those who live in the Downtown Toronto area:)
even if it is exactly like winners, i don’t see the problem … more selection for consumers! works for me!
The same argument can be made for any store then. Loblaws, Sobeys all own different chains that they market to different types of conusumers. The winner is the conusumer who gets a broader choice. Nothing bad with a little competition even if you’re fighting with yourself.
@Sally it’s not just TJ’s, Winners also has seconds and I think some times 3rds lol. As always keep your eyes peeled.
Went to Leaside location when they opened up a few weeks ago and all I can say is it’s just a cleaner and more organized version of Winners. Perhaps wider selection but prices are basically the same range of Winners (note: there’s a Winners outlet 5 minutes away from this Marshalls store!) Still worth checking out 🙂
i went to marshals in Scarborough a couple of days ago only to see it was a winners all over again!!! the prices, the lay out and as mentioned before it had taken the location of the old winners!! So to my excitement, i had experienced a winners all over again (but then again i really like winners!) The only difference was the names they hold. Marshal’s seems to hold more higher brand names than winners.
I hate Winners. Everybody tells me to go there, but when i do I don’t even make it to the dressing room. I find it difficult to find something because of the layouts and the “search” shopping style. When i do find something its kind of overpriced.
Is Marshals the same?
Winners is starting to carry more high end designer clothing and purses (eg Betsy Johnson, Michael Kors), especially at their downtown Toronto stores. I suspect we’ll see more of that. I find selection and quality depend on location and whether there is a Stylesense or Homesense nearby. I rarely find things I like at Marshalls in the US. Mississauga store should be interesting since all 4 stores will be there. Its no surprise that prices are the same. Its just like Homesense carrying the same stuff at the same prices.
I went to the one in Vaughan as well. I was very unimpressed. I agree it was just winners with a different sign, but i must also say the clothes were of cheaper quality, and quite pricey considering the quality. It was just meh.
I have been disapointed time after time when US stores come to Canada. When I was in high school we used to drive to the US to go to Payless shoes and come out with 3-4 pairs at a time. When they came to Canada they increased their prices and carried less interesting styles. I will keep going stateside every couple of months for shopping trips…
Seems like whenever the USA chains we love in the states come to Canada we get all excited but then are disappointed when they get here. The prices are never as good as in the USA. (Hate to be a pessimist but I’m sure Target will be the same). I also found restaurants to be this way too…like Macaroni Grill. Guess I’ll still be doing my stateside shopping in the states for now…especially with our great exchange rate we do even better now!
Wonder why these stores are all similar in nature?
In case no one was aware… Winners, HomeSense, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and HomeGoods are ALL owned by the same company… TJX Companies Inc.
http://www.tjx.com/
Might be why Marshalls is starting in Mississauga… the Winners home-offices in Canada are there.
So, it’s like Best Buy coming to Canada… if you have a FutureShop already, I wouldn’t expect them to much different.
see that info now in the OP, disregard
We need Marshalls/Winners for the same reason we need Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic….same stuff, different price points, all going to same head honcho
Yes, I was also one of them too excited for Marshalls to open in Woodbridge as I have been to US ones and they have pretty good collection and prices are far too cheaer. But the one in Woodbridge, gave me a big dissapointment where prices are considered. Same as Winners here in Canada. No difference. Not worth making a special visit to Marshalls here..
I went to the Leaside location shortly after it opened and it was a madhouse. Scary to hear it’s cleaner and better organized than the Scarb store, but it could’ve just been because it was brand new.
Exact same prices and merchandise as Winners. Better range of shoes offered, but it’s still hard to find larger sizes. I won’t bother to go back – I’ll just go to a local Winners.
Price tags and even merchandise are exactly the same as at Winners. However, Winners still has better selection of stuff. SO disappointed.
I don’t like TJ. Marshalls is cleaner than TJ, and they carry better products. However, the best store I would say is Nordstrom Rack.
But the more stores open will mean more competition and lower price. So I welcome all of them. 😛
I don’t need another Marshalls or Winners. Give me a Loehmanns or Nordstrom Rack. Thank you very much! 🙂
I never find anything at Winners anymore, so I don’t bother unless they have their runway events.
I once saw a TV commercial mixup where it advertised Marshalls, but days later I saw the exact same commercial except the name was changed to Winners. So I just assume they were the exact same thing in a different region.
As usual, the hype has failed to bring us the same bargain prices our American neighbours enjoy. I had high hopes for Marshalls but after a recent visit to the Woodbridge store I won’t be going back.
The prices were in fact higher than Winners. I ended up shopping at Winners instead. I found the exact same ROOTS leather wristlet for ~$10 less than what Marshalls was asking.
Marshalls = fail.
Makes me wonder why these US chains keep opening up here if they’re not going to give us a bigger bang for our Canadian bucks.
I love shopping at Marshalls when I visit my parents in Florida every year. I always find great clothes, accessories, household items at bargain prices. I’ve always thought that it was like a Winners but with better merchandise, selection, and good deals. I’m not surprised to find out the Canadian Marshalls are not that great. It’s been the same forever, Canada gets the leftovers the U.S. customers don’t want, and not only that: at higher prices! What an insult. They must think we’re all suckers up here. I purchase 90% of my stuff in the States and will continue to do so until we get the same deals the American customers get (I won’t hold my breath on that one). This year I got every single one of my Christmas gifts from U.S. retailers. I refuse to get ripped off.
I’ll just jump in here to say that I often go to the U.S. and love Marshalls, find it so much better than Winners. Not only in the variety of brand names available but also in the more upscale labels at deeper discounts. If only because of that it’s a better value, not to mention the deals are much better than at Winners, the items are more deeply discounted. Of course, if they start charging more for products because they are “importing” them into Canada and all that nonsense and their prices end up not much better than Winners then aside from the variety there really won’t be that much of an advantage.
When I saw that there would be a Marshall’s in Woodbridge, I was so excited that I couldn’t wait until it opened. But when I went there and saw all the HIGH prices, I was really disappointed. I find it is like Winners but way higher in prices.
That is just so not right. The Marshalls in the US has good quality clothing for VERY LOW prices and I was looking forward to that fact. Now it just seems to be another high priced pseydo outlet store.
I guess we will keep on going south for good deals!
I was so excited when I heard Marshall’s was coming to Canada but when I walked in, it was exactly like Winners. Identical merchandise with identical price tags. Everything is more expensive here than in the US. And since it’s still new there aren’t any markdowns, so really we still have to go to the US to get the really good Marshall’s deals.
Marshalls in Canada has been an absolute BUST! I was extremely disappointed when I visited the store at both leaside and in Scarborough shortly after they opened. I agree the price tags are Winners price tags, and yes it is the same company the way that TJ Max and Marshalls are in the US. It seems however, that people are quite content to visit both stores in the US and don’t complain about the same things we do here. The bottom line is, Canadians don’t demand the same level of customer service and prices they do in the US or other parts of the world. We are quite content OVERPAYING for everyting as well as getting taxed to no end. Ontarians are the worst in Canada IMO since we haven’t even put up the kind of fight those in BC did for the HST (who will be facing a referendum btw to see if the tax will be retracted) Canadians are content paying $299+ for jeans that are $150 in the US at REGULAR PRICE. We have no one to blame but ourselves for not being able to get US pricing. If someone thinks a Coach bag is a ‘deal’ at $300-$500 why would any retailer choose to offer a lower price. THEY ARE MAKING MONEY OFF OF PEOPLE’S STUPIDITIY!!! Coach bags are made in China at the same factory where the $30 non designer bag is made that you choose scough at since its ‘low quality’ The price gouging will forever happen in Canada as long as people PAY for the goods that merchants sell. If you stop buying it and it ends up hurting the companies bottom line (since they can only stay in business if they have revenue), then prices will have to come down – its all quite simple economics of supply & demand… High demand and limited supply = higher prices. High supply & low demand = surplus of goods means lost revenue, means no money, means a need to reduce prices… WAKE UP CANADA!!!
@Christina – Do you have any suggestions as to how we can protest price gauging?
I’m certainly not one of those people who thinks any of those examples are “good deals”. On the other hand, I drive, so I don’t really have a choice by pay whatever the price is at the pumps as there is no competitive pricing there.
I protest by not buying those overpriced items. And YES, I complain about it, but if there’s something proactive I can do to stop it, I definitely will!
I went to the Marshals near Weston Rd. Hwy 7. The place is dreary and nothing special to look at. The merch was a mix of “seen it before at Winners” and “WTF?” (I found a $199.99 Gucci coin purse). The shoes are arranged in an interesting way so it’s easier to find your size than at Winners. Overall I was disappointed and not surprised. Anything from the US that opens in Canada is never as good as in the USA. I expect when Target gets here, it will be a disappointment too. It’s not “worth the drive to Acton” just to go to Marshalls.
BTW I protest price gauging by making a list of all the things I want over a few months and drive to Buffalo to get it. I don’t care about the cost of gas, I’m sending a message that I would rather give my money to the good folks in Buffalo than spend it in my own country.
I WAS ACTUALLY PLANNING TO GO TO ONE OF THE MARSHALS STORES BUT IF ITS JUST LIKE WINNERS, THEN WHY SHOULD I BOTHER. AM DISAPPOINTED.
…….ALISA, I DONT BLAME U. I WILL DO THE SAME.
Sooooo disappointed! Went to the grand opening in Ajax (which was a complete zoo) and was shocked to see it was IDENTICAL to Winners with less selection. What a major bummer. There is already a Winners in the same plaza. I just don’t understand the logic. I love the idea of shopping in Buffalo, but it makes me nervous. Do you stay overnight or do day trips? What do you tell customs?
I usually don’t stay overnight ’cause it’s not really worth it to me. I tell them that I spent approx. $20-50, if you say “nothing”, then it’s too suspicious.
Better to go with family or a group of friends, not alone!
Went to the new one in Mississauga last night. Exactly like Winners and no sizes in shoes for kids.
It was not worth the drive to Heartland centre.
I was with a friend and we both won’t be back.
Thanks, Stephania! 🙂
My only comment is that I never buy shoes in Canada. They are always at least 2, but usually 3, times the price they are in the US. I bought a really nice pair of Enzo Angiolini stilettos in Portland, Oregon at Marshalls for US$39. A week later I saw them at Winners in Toronto and they were CDN$99…PLUS HST! I think Marshalls here will be priced exactly the same as Winners. So, to me, there’s no point in going. I’ll stick to Marshalls in the US!
Don’t bother. Cast offs from Winners. No comparison to US stores. Prices are higher and quality poorer.
i agree with u Alisa.
The best way of protesting is to continue our shopping trips accross the border….oil companies, retail stores, groceries stores and other businesses have taken Canadians and Ontarian in particular for granted. Business as usual, squeezing the life out of the ordinary man by the rich and greedy.
I love shopping at Marshall’s in the U.S. and their prices are better than what we see here, but I prefer Marshall’s to Winners. they are owned by the same company but offer different items – you can get home accessories at winners, but not at Marshall’s… @Steph… I drive down to Buffalo at least once a month to shop, including groceries… my advise is to never lie at customs – they can bar you from entering the U.S. for life at worst, or enter your information into their system and make your life miserable every time you cross the border at best…. Technically for a day trip, you are not allowed to bring anything back duty free, but if you spend around $100, they will not make a fuss about it…. what they are looking for is alcohol (much much cheaper by the way) and tobacco….
Ok, so I am from Alberta and dont even have a Marshalls here yet. But i love the store in the US! I figured it would be a total let down even before I see it! Its always like that, all the stores that come here from the states dont even carry the same brands and certainly not the same selection! And of course the prices are double what they are there! And yes I think the Target will be the same way! Sorry to say. They will be just like they are now an old rundown Zellers! So sad that we always have to spend our money in the states and not in our home country. When are people going to wake up! We need more selection and better prices!!
The prices of Marshalls in Canada is nothing like the prices in the USA. The USA sells affordablee really well priced items, but in Canada, the prices are exactly the same as Winners and also they sell the EXACT SAME stuff. Only advantage of Marshalls is, they have WAY MORE SIZES TO CHOOSE FROM!!!! kinda dissapointed though, thought it would be cheaper 🙁
we are also getting a marshalls here in vancouver opening in the fall [there abouts]so I don’t think I will go there any time soon,I thought that marshalls was a DEPARTMENT store, but then again if I wanted to buy a screw driver ,I can always go next door where there is a new canadian tire,which is opening the SAME time
Can we all not come together, sign a petition and send it to TJX and let them know that us Canadians will not be shopping the garbage they are bringing over from US at double the prices of our neighbours?
I went to Marshall’s in Woodbridge. Pure waist of time exactly as Winners. The same mess and confusion. Never again. I don’t know how they can advertise “thousands of new arrivals every day”
I’ve driven by a Marshalls in Calgary, but after reading some of these comments I think I’ll give it a miss. Sounds like another Target flop. People rave about the US stores and expect them to be the same variety and the lower prices in Canada. Not so.
Just went to the new Marshalls in Ottawa east end. My impression, before I knew there was any association with Winners (which I don’t particularly like) was “similar to Winners but with slightly more upscale products and great prices”. I really enjoyed shopping there and will go back again soon.