The retail sector is continuously innovating and evolving in terms of structure of retail form. In the twentieth century alone, three new forms of retail have evolved: the downtown department store, the enclosed shopping centre and power retail. As each new format is developed, the result of the new innovation is a more competitive landscape of combinations of retail offerings that meets more effectively the needs of its market. In the process, development of the new form displaces the old in some cases destroying what already exists. This research is set within the context of the creative destruction model and uses retail development in Canada and more specifically the Greater Toronto Area to illustrate the pattern of development and destruction of retail structure.