Zellers teases its 2023 return to Canada
Posted January 9, 2023 11:51 am.
With Canadian bank accounts increasingly being deflated by inflation, the Zellers motto “Where the lowest price is the law” has a nice ring to it.
Shoppers will soon find out if that slogan stands the test of time.
The iconic Canadian discount retail chain is prepping its long-awaited return after a more than decade-long absence from the retail landscape.
Hudson’s Bay Co., the parent company of Zellers, first announced the comeback last summer in a press release that promised online shopping and a nationwide network of brick-and-mortar Zellers stores at Hudson Bay locations.
RELATED: HBC to resurrect Zellers, outlets to open inside Bay stores next year
No specific location details have been revealed yet. In its peak in the late 90s, there were about 350 Zellers stores across the country.
The release said it would “tap 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.”
This week, Zellers began teasing its looming early 2023 return with a series of social media posts that left vague hints like “Coming Soon” and “We’re Stocking Up.”
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Nostalgic Canadians reacted to the hype on Twitter.
Breaking news: Zellers is coming back to Canada! Time to dust off my old ‘I’d rather be shopping at Zellers’ t-shirt and relive my childhood. #Zellers #Nostalgia #Canada
— Justy_DC (@Justy_DC) January 9, 2023
I’m ready for #Zellers return. pic.twitter.com/jqmdGXPHJY
— ScarfyTV (@ScarfyTV) January 4, 2023
Meanwhile in Canada:#Zellers https://t.co/pL8xUCnYYv pic.twitter.com/DI4inrPduE
— That GF FAN (@ThatGFFAN) January 9, 2023
Some, however, questioned if it can recapture its past glory, concerned that the Big Z will be relegated to a small kiosk at Hudson Bay stores, without the old charms like its beloved lunch counter.
If Zellers returns, a so called “kiosk” in a HBC store corner wont cut-it. To make it work, it must be indepentantly run from mother earth HBC, its own building, merch, restaurant, and Zellers staff, and 3 or 4 test “market” stores. None of this Target stuff. That was a joke.
— Steve (@earthcurve89) January 7, 2023
Bring back the lunch counter with grilled cheese and fries…then we can talk.
— Céline (@cdtellier) January 7, 2023
