By Dr. Tony Hernandez, Tansel Erguden and Magnus Svindal

The evolution of power retailing has been the focus of numerous CSCA reports over the last decade. The development and clustering of large format or 'big box' retailers into a variety of functional forms continues to account for a significant proportion of retail change in Canada. This 'Americanisation" of the retail landscape has provided Canadian consumers with an increased selection of retail venues at which to shop and spend their valuable leisure time. The purpose of this research letter is to provide an update on the development of big boxes, power centres and power nodes in Canada, with particular focus on the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and provides a snap-shot of power retailing across Canada as at the end of 2008.