Despite a name that sounds like a secondhand shop, Thriftys by Bluenotes in Edmonton sells brand new denim and casual wear, and the name itself carries real Canadian retail history rather than being a marketing accident. Thriftys was the original identity of what is now the national Bluenotes chain, tracing back to a single Toronto store that opened in 1942 at the corner of Queen and Church streets. That first shop built its reputation on denim fits, washes, and styles, and more than eight decades later the Thriftys name has been revived as a denim focused banner within the modern Bluenotes retail family, now operated under the corporate name Thrifty’s Inc, with Bluenotes running more than 120 stores across Canada.
For Edmonton shoppers, that history plays out as a store stocked with the latest denim cuts and washes alongside joggers, hoodies, casual tops, and accessories, aimed at customers who want current styles at accessible mall pricing rather than premium designer denim. The Thriftys banner lets Bluenotes lean into its denim roots for shoppers who specifically want a jeans focused selection, while the broader Bluenotes assortment fills in the rest of a casual wardrobe. That combination gives an Edmonton location under this banner a slightly different feel from a generic mall clothing store, since the denim expertise built into the brand’s original identity is still part of how the store positions itself today.
Edmonton itself supports a large enough retail market that a store format like this makes sense alongside the city’s other Bluenotes and mall based clothing options, giving local shoppers a nearby option for updating denim and casual basics without a special trip to a different city. Shoppers looking for a specific fit or wash, or wanting to confirm what is currently in stock, can call the Edmonton location directly at 587 458 7109, or check the Bluenotes store locator online for current hours and exact address, since store details across the chain’s many Canadian locations are managed centrally through that locator rather than through individual store websites.
What makes the Thriftys name worth knowing, beyond the denim itself, is the story behind it: a nearly century old Canadian retail identity that started as a single downtown Toronto storefront has been folded back into the present day Bluenotes chain as a specialty denim banner, giving contemporary shoppers a direct link to a brand history that predates almost every other clothing retailer currently operating in Canadian malls. Few shoppers browsing a rack of new jeans realize the name over the door is older than almost any other apparel brand still doing business in the country, which gives an ordinary denim run a little more context than a typical mall stop.
For denim shoppers in Edmonton, Thriftys by Bluenotes is best understood as Bluenotes’ own denim specialist storefront, carrying the original name of the company that eventually became one of Canada’s most recognizable mall clothing chains, and offering current season fits and washes under a banner that has quietly been part of Canadian retail since the early 1940s.
