The iconic discount retailer Zellers will open its first Ontario store in North York on Thursday, expanding a national comeback that began last fall in Edmonton.
Anchored by a giant inflatable ‘Zeddy Bear,’ the 25,000-square-foot store at 80 Orfus Rd. near Yorkdale Shopping Centre, will offer apparel, footwear and lifestyle brands including Adidas and Dickies, as well as home goods, seasonal merchandise, snacks and a toy department.
The Star spoke with shoppers of both the old and new Zellers, who expressed mixed feelings about the retailer’s relaunch.
“There’s a market for nostalgia,” said Josanne Buchanan, a 27-year-old student in Toronto who grew up visiting a Zellers store at her local mall in Pickering, where she remembers riding a small ferris wheel and browsing the toy department. “A lot of people are looking for opportunities to reconnect with the Canadian store, Canadian experience they grew up with.”
The Benitah family, which also owns Fairweather, International Clothiers and Les Ailes de la Mode, acquired Zellers from the defunct Hudson’s Bay Company last year. Before that, the Zellers brand, which dates back to 1928, had already experienced several revivals and setbacks, including the mass closure of its stores in 2013 and a brief, unsuccessful revival inside Hudson’s Bay locations in 2023.
To capitalize on shoppers’ nostalgia, the Toronto store will serve Zellers diner favourites such as the Big Z Burger during its four-day opening event, and will bring back Zellers kiddie rides to stores.
A second Ontario location will open in Windsor next month.
“We wanted to create an atmosphere that brings back great memories for longtime fans while giving a new generation the opportunity to experience the Zellers brand for themselves,” said Joey Benitah, the retailer’s chief operating officer in a statement to the Star.
It remains to be seen whether this second store relaunch in Canada — with ambitions for national expansion — can withstand competition from Walmart and e-commerce giants.
Zellers said it expects to announce additional locations in Ontario and beyond over the coming year.
The first Zellers relaunch was in Edmonton’s Londonderry Mall last October, which has attracted strong foot traffic and delivered “sustained sales performance,” according to the retailer.
John Machinski, a 35-year-old small-business owner, said he was “impressed” by the selection, styles and low prices of the men’s clothing when he shopped at Zellers around Black Friday last year.
“It just felt more like walking into the Bay or Sears,” said Machinski. “It didn’t feel like walking into a discount retailer. It’s very clean, very organized.”
However, Cassia Budinski, who was drawn to the renewed Zellers by fond memories of the original chain, was disappointed after visiting the Edmonton store shortly after it opened and again a few months later.
Budinski, 48, said she frequently shopped at Zellers when her children were young, buying mostly household essentials and children’s clothing. She recalled appreciating the retailer’s affordable prices and wide selection.
“The new one doesn’t have the selection or the styles. The prices are more expensive,” she said, adding that the clothes feel cheap. “It’s nothing like I remember Zellers.”
Retail analyst Bruce Winder told the Star it is too early to get excited about Zellers’ prospects. With only three stores, he said, the retailer may lack the scale needed to secure the purchasing power enjoyed by giants such as Walmart and compete on price.
The days of Zellers’ slogan, ‘The lowest price is the law,’ are long gone, Winder said.
Competing in the discount retail sector while offering compelling value to customers will be an “uphill battle” and Zellers has to find its target customers, he added.
“If it’s just nostalgia, it’s not going to work,” said Winder. “It has to be more than that.”
