Hudson's Bay Resurrects Canadian Discount Chain

Zellers, Hudson's Bay Company’s once dormant Canadian discount chain, is continuing its comeback with plans to open more pop-up shops and permanent store experiences inside Hudson's Bay department stores.

The company revealed in July that the next 21 Zellers pop-up shops will open by Aug. 11, spanning five provinces and almost all in new markets. In addition, Zellers will open its next larger store-within-a-store experience at Hudson's Bay in Bramalea City Centre in Brampton, Ontario, in September.

In addition to launching a new e-commerce website (zellers.ca) earlier this year, the first Zellers pop-up shop opened inside the Hudson's Bay flagship Queen Street store in downtown Toronto  in June. Initially, the pop-up shops were designed as smaller boutiques, but Zellers has since looked to open larger store-within-a-store experiences in some of those same initial locations, according to a May media release.

The forthcoming pop-up shops will vary from store to store, ranging from 1,000-2,800 square feet (except for the Queen Street flagship in Toronto) depending on the location, according to a July media release. Zellers’ larger store experiences within Hudson's Bay will range from 8,000-10,00 square feet. The company says the pop-ups serve as strategic market tests to determine future Zellers store locations, per the release.

"Pop-ups are a key ingredient in our expansion strategy, allowing us to explore and test in new markets, gather valuable customer insights, and fine-tune our offering before establishing larger format store locations," Sophia Hwang-Judiesch, president of Hudson's Bay, said in the release. "Our customers are very much part of our growth process, and together we will shape the future of Zellers, building a shopping experience that truly connects with communities across Canada."

Showcasing a curated assortment of Zellers merchandise, the pop-ups aim to offer a “bite-sized taste” of Zellers, per the release, including home goods. The company says the pop-up model provides “a unique opportunity for Canadians to actively demonstrate where they would like to see the next Zellers store open.”

Zellers pop-ups are coming to the following Hudson’s Bay locations in August:

British Columbia:

• Langley Willowbrook Mall
• Nanaimo Woodgrove Centre
• Penticton Cherry Lane Shopping Centre
• Prince George Parkwood Place
• Victoria Bay Centre

Alberta:

• Lethbridge Melcor Centre 
• Red Deer Bower Place
• St. Albert Centre

Saskatchewan:

• Regina Cornwall Centre

Ontario:

• Windsor Devonshire Mall
• Kitchener Fairview Park
• Barrie Georgian Mall
• Burlington Mapleview Centre
• Oshawa Centre
• Pickering Town Centre
• Place D'Orléans
• Newmarket Upper Canada Mall

Quebec:

• Brossard Champlain Mall
• La Salle Carrefour Angrignon
• Rockland Centre
• St- Bruno Les Promenades

In 2011, Target Corp. acquired most of the Zellers chain in an effort to expand its reach in Canada. Target rebranded Zellers stores to the Target name. But four years later, Target pulled out of Canada and closed all its doors there.

In 2020, Hudson’s Bay closed all the Zellers locations it had left.