The iconic Zellers department store, which had most of its Canadian stores shut down by 2013, is set to make a comeback.
“Opening in communities across the country, the brick-and-mortar locations will complement the first-ever Zellers.ca ecommerce site, ultimately bringing Zellers to nearly every community in Canada,” said Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), which owns Zellers.
The Bay first announced in August 2022 that the discount department store would return to Canada sometime in 2023 at a variety of locations, including four stores in British Columbia, four stores in Alberta, one in Winnipeg, one in Saskatoon, nine in Ontario, five in Quebec, and two in Nova Scotia.
“Zellers and Zellers.ca will deliver a digital-first shopping journey that taps into the nostalgia of the brand Canadians know and love, while introducing a refreshed identity and a unique and exciting product assortment for families at everyday value,” said the company last summer.
The Zellers section within Hudson’s Bay’s existing stores will be between 8,000 to 10,000 sq ft., depending on location. The Zellers in-store experience and Zellers.ca are planned to launch simultaneously, the company said.
New Look
HBC has said Zellers is returning with a “refreshed identity” as well as a new in-house private label, that it called a “design-led, value driven private brand.”Zellers was first conceived in 1931 and HBC bought the discount department store in 1978, operating with the slogan, “Where the lowest price is the law.”