More than a decade after Zellers closed its last stores on the Island, pop-up versions of the popular retailer will return this summer.
Parent company HBC announced the pop-ups will open inside Hudson’s Bay Co. stores at the Bay Centre in downtown Victoria and Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo by Aug. 11.
HBC said the stores-within-stores will test the market to determine future plans for the brand, which dates back to 1931 in Canada.
HBC acquired Zellers in 1978, but gave up on the brand after intense competition from U.S. retailers such as Walmart. Target briefly took over most of the locations in Canada, but made a hasty exit in 2015.
“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 a statement on Tuesday.
“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.”
HBC announced 21 locations for Zellers’ reappearance, including five in B.C. and others in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec.
The stores will feature an assortment of household merchandise. The size of the pop-ups will vary depending on the size of the HBC store, the company said.
