Timothy Eaton

Timothy Eaton, merchant (born March 1834 near Ballymena, Ireland; died 31 January 1907 in Toronto, ON). Timothy Eaton is recognized as the founder of the retail chain Eaton’s.

Early Career

After apprenticing in a general store in Ireland, Timothy Eaton followed two older brothers to Canada 1854 and worked for a time at a store in Upper Canada. (See also Irish Canadians; Immigration to Canada.) In 1856 with his brother James Eaton, he opened a small store in the Huron Tract at Kirkton, which they moved in 1860 to St. Mary's, near Stratford.

Eaton’s

Convinced that change was in the air, Timothy Eaton in 1869 opened his own store at 178 Yonge Street in Toronto and introduced Canadians to the idea of cash sales and one fixed price, in contrast to the older credit, bargain and barter method. He displayed a sympathetic attitude towards his employees, having by the late 1880s instituted evening closing at 6 p.m. and the summer Saturday afternoon holiday. He also vastly improved their working environment by creating light, airy workplaces.

The introduction of the Eaton’s catalogue in 1884 gave Canadians, particularly those in pioneer farming communities, access to a variety of merchandise.

At his death in 1907 at age 72, Eaton employed over 9,000 people in his Toronto and Winnipeg stores, in factories in Toronto and Oshawa, and in offices in London, England, and Paris.