Asian supermarket T&T to open at Polo Park

Shoppers in Manitoba will soon gain access to Canada’s largest Asian grocery retailer, with T&T Supermarket announcing plans to establish its first provincial outpost at CF Polo Park in Winnipeg.

T&T Supermarket announced Thursday it will move into the Winnipeg mall. The new 48,000‑square‑foot store will be located on the lower level of the mall at 1485 Portage Avenue and is expected to open in spring 2028.

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“We’ve finally figured it out,” said Tina Lee, CEO of T&T Supermarkets. “Winnipeg is more than a thousand kilometres away from the nearest T&T, but we’ve found a way to bring T&T’s immersive Asian food experience to the community.”

Tina Lee, CEO of T&T Supermarkets, via Newswire

Customers will enter the store from outside the mall. The chain has inked a deal for 48,000 sq. Ft. In the southwest corner, near EQ3. Carts will be available at ground level, with shoppers then going downstairs to browse grocery aisles, according to general manager Peter Havens.

CF Polo Park marks T&T’s third project together with Cadillac Fairview, following the successful opening at CF Fairview Mall and the recently announced store at CF Sherway Gardens in Ontario.

“We are thrilled to build on our successful and growing partnership with T&T Supermarket to bring their unique retail experience to Winnipeg at CF Polo Park,” said Sal Iacono, President & CEO, Cadillac Fairview. “This opening represents a significant milestone in our commitment to evolving our properties into vibrant, multifaceted destinations, and we look forward to the energy and excitement this new store will undoubtedly bring to our guests in Manitoba.”

Sal Iacono, President & CEO, Cadillac Fairview, via Newswire

It’s “interesting to see how larger malls are reinventing themselves with the loss of key anchors like the Bay and Sears,” said John Graham, the Retail Council of Canada’s director of government relations for the Prairies. “Grocers, entertainment and medical services are filling gaps in shopping centres,” Graham added.

The store will feature live seafood, more than 150 varieties of baked bread and rows of Asian produce. A self‑serve hot food bar will offer options such as Peking duck and sushi, and the bakery will sell at least 50 styles of desserts and pastries.

Manitobans can start shopping online now through the T&T app and website. The current selection includes dried goods, trendy snacks and Asian beauty products. The company says it will adjust its Winnipeg store before opening based on information it collects through online customers’ data.

“Once you start purchasing from a certain app or a certain store, you start getting used to the interface, you start getting used to the products, the prices,” said Divya Ramachandran, a University of Manitoba marketing professor. “And you keep going back to that.” She added, “Having a big brand like T&T choosing to come here to Winnipeg, I think, is a very positive sign, especially when we hear about the fact that old stores are closing around the city.”

Giant Tiger has said it’ll shutter its Donald Street shop in November, and several 7‑Eleven locations have closed in the city in recent years.

• Spring 2028 – the anticipated physical opening of the 48,000‑square‑foot CF Polo Park store.
• Ongoing – online sales through the T&T app and website to gather data and build a customer base ahead of the store’s opening.
• Future – T&T plans to open a second Canadian store in North York, Ontario, and a third in Burnaby, British Columbia, later in 2026.

For more updates on regional developments and commercial shifts across the Business coverage sector, continue following local reporting.