An old Canadian department store is making a comeback with a pop-up location opening at the Bay Centre in Victoria.
A pop-up Zellers location has opened on the fifth floor of the Hudson’s Bay store at the Bay Centre.
It’s one of five other pop-up locations opening in B.C. this summer, with another location slated for Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo.
The other B.C. locations include Willowbrook Mall in Langley, Cherry Lane Shopping Centre in Penticton, and Parkwood Place in Prince George.
Earlier this year, the Hudson’s Bay Company – which is reviving the Zellers stores – said it was using the pop-up locations as tests to see what future stores may look like.
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The Zellers pop-up location is pictured at the Bay Centre in Victoria on Aug. 5, 2023. (CHEK News)
“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,” said Sophia Hwang-Judiesch, president of Hudson’s Bay, on July 18.
“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,” she said.
Zellers is a Canadian brand that first started in 1931, before being acquired by Hudson’s Bay in 1978.
The store hit its peak in the late 1990s with about 350 stores, but closed most stores by 2013.
The retailer kept a handful of Zellers locations open as liquidation outlets until 2020.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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