One of Canada's most iconic stores is making a comeback this year, and now we know the exact locations where the beloved bargain retailer will launch its reboot - including a trio of outposts in and around Vancouver.
Word surfaced in the summer of 2022 that the discount department store - under the umbrella of the Hudson's Bay - was set to return the following year, albeit in a slightly different, and diminished, format. Rather than sprawling mall anchor locations, Zellers will function as a store-within-a-store model, tucked inside existing Bay stores.
The Zellers department store was founded in 1931 and acquired by HBC in 1978.
The relaunched discount retailer will offer "a digital-first shopping journey that taps into the nostalgia of the brand," the company said last year.
The brand is hopeful that the consumer's current appetite for bargain shopping will also drive interest and sales in the resurrected retailer.
What will the new Zellers stores feature?
What can shoppers expect? "Customers will be greeted with a thoughtful selection of design-led products across home decor, toys, baby, apparel and pets, housed within Zellers’ signature red and white that will guide customers along in their retail journey," notes a Zellers media release issued Jan. 18.
So far, no mention of the restaurant, which locals have been clamouring for.
In the 1990s, there were over 300 Zellers locations across Canada, two of which were in Vancouver with another eight spread out across the Lower Mainland. Select locations contained a stylized 1950s diner, initially called The Skillet but later rebranded to Zellers Family Restaurant.
The menu was typical diner fare, such as grilled cheese with tomato soup, BLTs, burgers with the famous crinkle cut fries, milkshakes, and classic breakfasts - all at low prices.
At launch, the Zellers experience within Hudson’s Bay will be between 8,000 and 10,000 sq ft., depending on location. The Zellers in-store experience and its online counterpart, Zellers.ca, are planned to launch simultaneously,
An exact launch date has not been set, however, the brand announced all of its first 25 locations nationwide.
A total of four British Columbia HBC Zellers locations are set, including one in Downtown Vancouver at Pacific Centre Mall and one in Guildford Town Centre in Surrey. Just a little further out, there will be one in Abbotsford as well.
Zellers launch communities in B.C.
● Pacific Centre, Downtown Vancouver
● Aberdeen Mall, Kamloops
● Guildford Town Centre, Surrey
● 7 Oaks Shopping Centre, Abbotsford
With files from the Canadian Press and Allie Turner/V.I.A.
