“Cash only” was more than just a policy at Eaton’s. It was a revolution. Eaton’s, once Canada’s largest department store chain, began in 1869. Timothy Eaton, an immigrant, founded it in Toronto.
Eaton’s became a retail and social hub. Stores popped up across Canada. Buying offices opened around the world. The Eaton’s mail-order catalog reached almost every Canadian home.
Let’s step back to Eaton’s early days. Timothy Eaton sold his stake in a small dry-goods store. He then purchased a business at 178 Yonge Street in Toronto. The store was small at only 24 by 60 feet. Expectations were low. Who would want to shop at a store with no credit and no haggling?
But Eaton’s prospered. In 1883, Eaton’s moved to a larger location at 190 Yonge Street. This new Eaton’s boasted large plate-glass windows. It featured the first electric lights in a Canadian store. Three floors of retail space displayed 35 departments.
The first telephone in a Toronto retail store was installed here. Its number was simply 370. In 1886, Eaton’s installed Toronto’s first retail elevator. Only customers going up could use it. This forced shoppers to pass all the displays on the way down. Smart marketing.
Eaton’s also leased the empty store at 178 Yonge Street to thwart competitors. Robert Simpson wanted to expand there. The rivalry between Simpson’s and Eaton’s grew intense. Their stores faced each other across Queen Street West. The crosswalk became one of Canada’s busiest. Shoppers comparison-shopped between Eaton’s and Simpson’s.
By 1896, Eaton’s called itself “Canada’s Greatest Store.” It expanded further. New buildings housed the mail-order division. Eaton’s factories also grew. In 1911, Eaton’s employed 17,500 people. By 1919, Eaton’s Toronto buildings covered over 60 acres. They occupied several city blocks.
Eaton’s success revolutionized retail. American retailers visited the Yonge Street store. They wanted to copy Timothy Eaton’s methods. Until the 1950s, Eaton’s claimed to be the “largest retail organization in the British Empire.”
Timothy Eaton died in 1907. John Craig Eaton succeeded him. The company continued to thrive.
Eaton’s sold private label appliances. These were sold under the “Viking” label. Many products used the brand “TECO.” This stood for Timothy Eaton Company.
The first Eaton’s catalog appeared in 1884. It was a small 34-page booklet. As Eaton’s expanded, so did the catalog. By 1920, Eaton’s had mail-order warehouses. These were in Winnipeg, Toronto, and Moncton.
For rural Canadians, the Eaton’s catalog was essential. It offered goods unavailable elsewhere. It broke local monopolies. It gave access to prices and selection found in larger cities. The catalog offered everything from clothing to homes. Many Eaton’s catalog homes still exist today.
The catalog became a Canadian icon. It appeared in Canadian literature. In Roch Carrier’s “The Hockey Sweater,” a boy orders a Canadiens jersey. He receives a Maple Leafs jersey instead.
Eaton’s sponsored the Toronto Santa Claus Parade. The first parade was held on December 2, 1905. The Toronto parade grew to be the largest in North America. It was broadcast on radio and television.
Mismanagement and a changing economy led to Eaton’s bankruptcy in 1999. Sears Canada purchased Eaton’s assets.
Today, the Toronto Eaton Centre remains. It is a tourist attraction. It sees over a million visitors each week. Though Eaton’s is gone, its impact remains. The store transformed Canadian retail. Many still remember Eaton’s fondly. It was more than a store. It was a Canadian institution.