A.J. Freiman Limited (doing business as Freimans) was a Canadian department store founded in 1918 by Archibald Jacob Freiman.
History
Archibald Jacob Freiman was born in Lithuania in 1880, and emigrated to Hamilton, Ontario. Freimans rose to become the most successful department store in Ottawa because of its prominent location at Mosgrove and Rideau Streets, its aggressive marketing and its low prices. The company also operated stores in Westgate and St. Laurent Shopping Centres, as well as discount stores called Freimart in Shoppers City West and Shoppers City East.[1]
Then owned by A.J. Freiman's son, Lawrence (who wrote a book about the store), Hudson's Bay Company acquired the company in 1972 and rebranded it to The Bay in 1973. The former Freimans store continued to operate as a retail store of The Bay until the chain's closure in 2025, and an adjoining arcade linking Rideau Street to the Byward Market is named the Freiman Mall