Hundreds of people in Toronto lined up this weekend just to shop at Walmart
A temporary Walmart location in Toronto drew major lineups over the weekend, despite the fact that the budget retailer operates 10 other permanent locations in the city.
The willingness of Toronto residents to wait in a line for virtually anything — be it pasta or the chance to make eye contact with a social media star — is well-documented, but scarcely have I seen the city endure an hour-long lineup for something as mundane as Walmart.
The weekend of Nov. 6 to 8 changed that for me, though, as scores of shoppers stormed the northeast corner of Yonge and Queen East to visit Walmart's ultra-temporary holiday pop-up, which occupied the pop-up space at 2 Queen St. E.
It's never too early to get in the holiday spirit, it seems, as social media posts showed a lineup stretching around the corner and north on Yonge Street, reaching as far as roughly Shuter.
The festive pop-up featured a series of Christmas-themed photo-ops, including holiday windows that'll stay in place through November, a curated retail lineup featuring 2026's top toys, clothing and decor and, importantly, photos with Santa.
While the pop-up may have been a flash in the pan, already closed for the season, Walmart will continue to assert its presence at the Eaton Centre with its holiday windows at 2 Queen St. E. until Nov. 27.
Could this be a sign that a downtown Walmart location is on the way? Make sure you include it in your list to Santa this holiday season.
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