Jas. A. Ogilvy's, Ltd.
1325 Rue Ste.-Catherine Ouest
Montreal, P.Q.
VIctoria 2-7711
VIctoria 2-7711
STORE DIRECTORY
Lower FloorToy Shop • Sporting Goods • Wheel Goods • Prams • Garden Shop • Patio Shop • Summer Furniture • Hardware • Paints
Main Floor
Jewellery • Clocks and Watches • Cosmetics • Toiletries • Notions • Stationery • Cameras • Books • Hostess Counter • Handbags • Fashion Accessories • Hosiery • Handbags • Small Leather Goods • Wig Bar • Neckwear • Gloves • La Bagatelle • Men’s Shop • Men’s Shoes
Mezzanine
Gift Wrapping
Second Floor
Dresses • Sportswear • Blouse Bar • Beach Boutique • Coats and Suits • Fur Salon • Le Salon • Little Salon • Bridal Salon • Town and Country Shop • Jaeger Boutique • Aquascutum Boutique • Shoe Salon • Millinery Salon • Wig Salon • Hat Bar • Corset Salon • Lingerie • Loungerie
Third Floor
Fashion Bazaar • Children’s Bazaar • Les Girls • Boy’ Wear • Bambino • Linens • Blankets • Closet Shop • Bedding Centre • Fashion Fabrics • Singer Sewing Centre • Beauty Salon
Fourth Floor
Silverware • China Shop • Glass Shop • Gift Shop • Flower and Flame Shop • Housewares Bazaar • Small Electrical Appliances • Vacuum Cleaners • TV Centre • Stereo Centre • Record Bar • Credit Office • Customer Service • Trim-the-Tree Shop • The Tartan Room Restaurant • The Tartan Lounge
Fifth Floor
Furniture • Antique Gallery • Lamps • Pictures ands Mirrors • Rugs • Carpets • Draperies • Decorative Fabrics • Fifth Floor Galleries • Tudor Hall
Fairview Pointe-Claire (1965)
Les Galeries d’Anjou (1968)
7,000 sq. ft.
The downtown store is still going strong (the only Ogilvy store). Much of the store now is divided into elegant designer boutiques.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Randy. I am glad Montreal still has "Og's."
ReplyDeleteMy post focuses on the days when it was more of a traditional store - I personally visited as a youth in 1976 and it had a very ancient atmosphere. Now that I look at the advertising from the past, the store had a distinctive style and carried a very wide range of merchandise.
Ogilvy's once had several small, in-line braches, which it referred to as "bijoux."
Just a few months ago, Ogilvy was just acquired by Holt Renfrew's parent company, which also owns Selfridges (UK), Brown Thomas (Ireland), and de Bijenkorf (Netherlands). Let's keep our fingers crossed in hopes that Ogilvy will stay!
ReplyDeleteMy dad worked there until his death in 1981. It was a special place with a niche clientelle. Fond memories.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this store. My one constant destination whenever I am in Montreal. Better than Holt.
ReplyDeleteI am the former security and operations manager during the time of Equidev. Those were the best years of my life. Thanks Dan, Bill, Luc
ReplyDeleteI am interested in any information about Ogilvy's store. As the great-grandson of the founder (and carrying his name, as did my father), I have been gathering any information I can about both the store and the family. I came across this "Museum" site just today - many thanks! James A. Ogilvy (Ottawa ON)
ReplyDeleteThe Ogilvy's in Ottawa was a different store from the one in Montreal - and I assume you are related to the Montreal Ogilvy's. Most of my research, i did through newspapers.com. They have the Ottawa and Montreal papers available online. It is a great resource.
ReplyDeleteI shopped in Ogilvy's of Montreal in 1976; it was a much different store then and wore your family's Scots heritage very proudly.
Thanks for your kind comments.
The former Ogilvy store was rebranded last year as 'Holt Renfrew Ogilvy'. Construction was ongoing for a couple of years, expanding the retail building to about 250,000 square feet. When the store reopens (it is closed because of COVID-19) it will be one of the most spectacular luxury department stores in the Western Hemisphere, if not the world. Included will be about 100 luxury brand boutique concessions across six levels.
ReplyDeleteIn the spring of 2019, a 40,000 square foot 4th floor men's floor was unveiled with about 25 luxury brand concessions for brands such as Balenciaga, Brioni, Burberry, Brunello Cucinelli, Dior Homme, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Moncler, Prada, Saint Laurent, The Row, Tom Ford and Valentino. Other well-known designer brands include Thom Browne, Balmain, Givenchy, Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garcons, Acne and others.
A 25,000 basement level beauty hall also opened in the spring of 2019 with many of the world's biggest beauty brands.
Whenever the store is actually able to reopen after COVID-19, it will include the following:
-A main floor/street level "luxury hall" housing boutiques for Tiffany & Co., David Yurman, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, Dior, Saint Laurent and Fendi. Hermes will be about 3,000 sq ft. A split-level Chanel boutique opened on the main floor in the fall of 2019 spanning 3,300 square feet next to the entrance of the new Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences.
-The second floor will house a vast footwear boutique, a leather goods/bags area (because the main floor is all leased to brands) and women's contemporary fashions. Christian Louboutin and other brands are expected to have footwear boutiques on the floor.
-The third floor will house women's designers including a collection of boutiques. So far we know that Prada, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Balenciaga and others will have boutiques and I'll be heading to the store opening and can report on the rest of them.
-The 5th floor will feature a renovated 'Tudor Hall' (a 300-seat music facility built in 1928) as well as luxury personal shopping suites, including a lavish 'The Apartment' for VIP shoppers. Holt Renfrew Ogilvy is catering to the wealthy with the gorgeous new store.
At the same time, some in Montreal are sad about the "loss" of the former Ogilvy which included a bagpipe player and lavish Christmas windows. The old Ogilvy was upscale but nothing close to how expensive it will become as a Holt Renfrew Ogilvy store which targets wealthy Chinese and other demographics living and visiting the city (whenever tourism comes back post-coronavirus).
Great website here by the way, I'm a huge fan and I'm reading your book on Jacobson's!! I bought it a couple of months ago and am digesting it, what a wonderful store it was.
I am of Scottish ancestry, and when I lived in Montreal in the 1970s I remember Ogilvy's having quite a "tartan" theme, and it also had a bagpiper who walked around serenading the shoppers.
ReplyDeletehttps://montreal.ctvnews.ca/ogilvy-s-piper-tradition-ends-after-72-years-1.3608745
DeleteThat was my dad! :)
DeleteTo Unknown...above. I have a small change purse from Oglivys prob fron maybe the 50's. it says inside made in Itlay expressly for Jas A Ogilvy's ltd. Bit of memorabilia from your familys store way back when. Has a pic of a rose on the front and is made of material. quite good shape. Let me know if you are interested in having it. Meg You can look for me on facebood and pm me if you want!! Chances of me looking this site up again are slim to none!!
ReplyDeleteI have a bag I would like to know something about if you can help. It is cloth (cotton I believe), olive green in colour, 7 x 12 inches, a zipper closing on the short end and three lines (screen printed?) of text: 1st line - "X"; 2nd line - Jas. A. Ogilvy's Limited; 3rd line - "109". No other markings anywhere on the bag. What would it have been used for and during what era? Thanks. Lloyd in Nova Scotia
ReplyDeleteThank you for all this great information! My grandmother was an artist who painted catalogues and advertisements for Ogilvy's in Montreal in the 1920s. She also painted the nursery rhyme motif on the children's service at the restaurant. Do you happen to know when the restaurant closed?
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather worked at Ogilvy's until the 1970's. I remember going there for lunch as a child with the spinning doors, girls in kilts and white gloves in the elevators, the drums stuck in the walls and the great round candy counter. I still have a tartan box and a commemorative penny from there
ReplyDeleteJust found an antique product with the original bill.Bought in the middle 1900"s a Reactometer
ReplyDelete