Zellers Expands in Ontario
Zellers Continues National Comeback with Two New Ontario Store Openings
Discount retailer Zellers is continuing its national comeback with two new Ontario openings—its first in the province in several years—after launching a brick-and-mortar store at Londonderry Mall in Edmonton in October 2025. A standalone 25,000-square-foot store at 80 Orfus Rd. in Toronto’s North York area is set to open June 18, followed by a Windsor location at Tecumseh Mall opening in July. Executives say the smaller-format revival is designed to blend brand nostalgia with a more modern shopping mix, including apparel, home goods, luggage, and seasonal items, plus “Zellers 3.0” touches like the return of the mascot Zeddy. Unlike earlier expectations, Zellers will also add new categories such as grab-and-go-style snacks (popcorn, chips, candy) and a broader toy lineup, expanding from higher-performing selections seen at Edmonton based on customer feedback. Company leadership characterizes the rollout as a slow plan to expand into major markets nationwide, with ongoing lease discussions beyond Ontario. The Toronto opening arrives nearly a century after the brand’s founding, marking another milestone in the retailer’s effort to rebuild its presence on Canada’s high street.
Key Points
Zellers COO Joey Benitah said the company’s goal is a slow push to be “in every major market from coast to coast,” adding that it is negotiating new leases in specific locations including Brampton, Scarborough, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa.
Benitah said he initially wanted to leave toys out because he felt Zellers couldn’t compete with Walmart and Amazon, but reversed course after customer feedback—following the Edmonton store’s experience where toys “were among our highest sellers.” He also listed toy subcategories planned for the Ontario stores, including plushies, puzzles, outdoor games and beach buckets.
For the home-and-lifestyle push, Zellers is banking on home décor as a standout category—citing strong performance from brands like Maxwell & Williams—and plans to expand with Casa Domani, featuring “Mediterranean-inspired tabletop collections.”
Europro’s Windsor Properties GM Katarina Taylor said the Tecumseh Mall reopening is “a great new chapter” for both the mall and the Windsor community, emphasizing that local shoppers “have always remembered the brand fondly.”
Zellers said each new location will include “a series of nostalgic in-store moments and surprises designed to celebrate the brand’s legacy,” with the return of mascot Zeddy presented as part of that broader approach.
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