Correction
This story originally said that Hudson’s Bay had 26 pop-up Zellers stores in Canada based on information on the Zellers website. Hudson's Bay spokesperson Tiffany Bourré has since clarified that there is actually just one pop-up in operation in Toronto, with the other 25 being permanent “store-in-stores” much bigger than the pop-ups opening this August. The Gazette apologizes for the confusion.
The lowest price will be the law once more in St. Albert next month as the Zellers department store returns to town.
Hudson’s Bay announced July 18 that it will open a pop-up Zellers store in St. Albert Centre this Aug. 11. (Zellers Inc. is a subsidiary of Hudson’s Bay, which is itself part of the Hudson's Bay Company.)
Zellers is a popular Canadian department store chain that for decades had an outlet in St. Albert Centre located roughly where the London Drugs/Mark’s outlets are today. It is known for its red-and-white colour scheme and “Where the lowest price is the law” slogan.
The American retail giant Target bought around a hundred Zellers stores in 2013, including the St. Albert location, and converted them into Target stores. St. Albert’s Target closed in 2015. The last few Canadian Zellers closed in around 2020.
Hudson’s Bay Corp. started opening up pop-up Zellers stores in 2021. The company now has one flagship pop-up in Toronto plus 25 bigger, permanent “store-in-stores” in Canada, including one in Edmonton’s Kingsway Mall.
The St. Albert Zellers is one of 21 pop-ups opening this August in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec and one of the three new ones in Alberta, Hudson’s Bay announced. The stores, which will operate inside Hudson’s Bay outlets and range from 1,000 to 2,800 square feet, are meant to test the waters for future full-scale Zellers locations.
“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 the announcement.
“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.”
The Gazette has reached out to St. Albert Centre and Hudson’s Bay spokespersons for comment on this development.
