Zellers, once a dominant player in Canada’s discount retail sector, is set to make a return with the opening of a new store in Edmonton.
The 60,000-square-foot location at Londonderry Mall will opens Friday, marking the first full-line Zellers store in more than a decade.
The announcement was confirmed by Leyad, the Montreal-based landlord that owns the shopping centre. The space was previously occupied by Hudson’s Bay, which closed in June following the department store chain’s collapse earlier this year.
Leyad CEO Henry Zavriyev described the Edmonton opening as a “milestone” in Canadian retail, adding that the company considered several backfill options before selecting Zellers.
“We specifically chose to go with this tenant because we thought that it was the right brand for the market,” Zavriyev said.
The redevelopment of the former Bay location was completed in less than two months, a comparatively quick turnaround for the retail sector.
Uncertainty remains over who is operating the revived Zellers chain. The Hudson’s Bay Company previously owned the brand before selling most store leases to Target in 2011. Canadian Tire acquired HBC’s intellectual property portfolio during bankruptcy proceedings earlier this year, but not the Zellers name.
Federal trademark filings reviewed by CBC News indicate that Hudson’s Bay transferred rights to the Zellers name and logo to Les Ailes de la Mode, a former Quebec-based department store now connected to INC Group, which operates Fairweather and International Clothiers.
Neither INC Group nor its president Isaac Benitah has publicly commented on long-term plans for the brand.
The new Zellers will launch in phases, beginning with a soft opening Friday followed by a grand opening later this year. According to Leyad, the store will carry apparel for women, men and youth, along with home décor. It is not yet known whether features such as in-store diners or the Club Z loyalty program will return.
Founded in 1931, Zellers grew to operate about 350 stores across Canada at its peak in the 1990s, known for its “lowest price is the law” slogan, Club Z program and mascot Zeddy. Competition from Walmart and the failed Target Canada expansion contributed to its decline, and most locations closed by 2013. Smaller revival efforts by Hudson’s Bay in 2023 through pop-ups and e-commerce had limited success.
