Some Joe Fresh stores still open in Toronto despite lockdown

Non-essential retail stores in Toronto have been forced to close under the lockdown, but a number of Joe Fresh stores are still open to customers. 

Five standalone locations of the Loblaw-owned fashion brand closed Monday for the first day of the lockdown in Toronto.

But, as of Tuesday, more than a handful of different Joe Fresh stores located inside of Loblaws or Real Canadian Superstore locations remain open for in-store shopping.

That includes Loblaws stores on Bathurst, Musgrave, and Leslie Streets, Redway Road, and the East Mall. The Real Canadian Superstores at Weston Road and Don Mills are also still operating their Joe Fresh locations. 

Both big box retailers, which sell groceries and alcohol, are exempt from new lockdown closures. And by association, so are their Joe Fresh departments. 

Shopping for clothes, shoes? The Bay on Queen Street is open. Joe Fresh in Loblaws and Superstore is open. Small independent clothing stores in Toronto/Peel - closed! Not only is this deeply unfair but is bad COVID health policy too.

— Dan Kelly (@CFIB) November 23, 2020

Despite the clothing retailer's clear categorization as a non-essential store, Amended Stage 1 rules indicate that all grocery stores and the departments within them can remain open. 

"Our standalone Joe Fresh locations in Toronto have closed to in-store shopping per the lockdown measures, although several of these stores will offer curbside pick-up options," said Loblaw Public Relations. 

"Our grocery stores and all departments within remain open (with the stores subject to 50% capacity per the lockdown requirements)." 

Neither Ontario Public Health or the City of Toronto had provided comment at the time of publishing.

In a similar situation, the Hudson's Bay Company came under fire Monday for keeping its flagship location open, citing the presence of a Pusateri's in the basement of its Queen Street store as grounds for classifying as essential retail. 

It closed temporarily Tuesday after government and health officials publicly stated that only big box retailers with full grocery stores are allowed to remain open.