Special to Ontario Construction News
Discount retailer Zellers says it is accelerating its Canadian comeback with an initial Ontario rollout of two new stores, one in Toronto and another at the Tecumseh Mall in Windsor.
The Toronto location on Orfus Road, a 25,000 sq. ft. standalone store currently under construction, will open on June 18 and the Windsor store will follow in July on a date to be announced. The 98-year-old retailer in a press release said the expansion builds on strong momentum following its first Canadian store opening at Londonderry Mall in Edmonton last October.
“Following the incredible response we saw in Edmonton, we’re excited to bring Zellers back to Ontario in a meaningful way,” said Joey Benitah, Zellers’ chief operating officer.
The new Ontario stores will offer apparel, accessories, home, and seasonal goods – while introducing new lines including toys, snacks and specialty grocery.
Zellers has had several rebirths after being founded in 1928 in Waterloo before American firm Schulte-United Ltd.’s acquisition — until it filed for bankruptcy in 1931, allowing Zellers to repurchase the stores.
It became an anchor tenant in malls across Canasa until then-owner Hudson’s Bay Company Inc. sold most Zellers’ leases to Minneapolis headquartered discount department store chain Target Corp.
Target closed all of its locations in Canada in 2015, and the last Zellers outlet closed five years later.
Zellers was reborn as an e-commerce website while expanding its bricks-and-mortar presence within select Hudson’s Bay stores until HBC shuttered all of its Bay and Zellers stores in 2025.
Quebec-based retailer Les Ailes de la Mode Inc. acquired the Zellers trademarks from HBC last August, reimagining the department store model through a smaller-format of 20,000 to 50,000 sq. ft. outlets that blend “heritage with contemporary design.”
For each new store opening, Zellers said it will introduce a series of nostalgic in-store moments to celebrate the brand’s legacy.
Zellers also said it is in discussions with multiple landlords across the country and expects to announce additional locations in Ontario and beyond over the coming year.
