A person posing under a Zellers store sign, Right: The interior of Zellers Montreal.
This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
If you grew up in Canada before 2013, then odds are you shopped at Zellers. Well, a decade after the department store closed its doors across the country, Zellers announced that they would officially make a comeback across Canada in 2023 — including five new stores launching in Quebec.
The hype was real, and as the nostalgic feels set in, I couldn't wait to set my sights on the new store. Well, that feeling didn't last too long. The more Zellers talked about the rollout, the more this sounded to me like something that should have never come to fruition. No permanent restaurant? No Zeddy bear ride? No good!
Despite one disappointing bit of news after the other, I had to see whether Zellers was worth it or not, and, well… it's not.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
Zellers opened its doors on April 4 but it feels like the retailer left its charm behind, because the vibes were totally off. While I was not expecting a full-on Zellers department store, considering this is an "experience" contained within a Hudson's Bay, my first impressions were less than stellar.
Firstly, the Zellers at Galeries D'Anjou is located in the basement of The Bay, so after two escalator rides down to the lowest level, I was greeted with a lacklustre Zellers t-shirt display in a space that felt drab and dingy.
The red and white Zellers colours were apparent throughout the store. But apart from two Zellers signs and a Zeddy bear art wall, you would not be able to tell whether this was Zellers or simply a part of The Bay that just really loved candy cane-coloured signage.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
The store was divided by section, including homeware, decor, kids, clothing and even a section for your pets. So, given that Zellers only had a set amount of space to work with, I will say that the retailer did a pretty good job at fitting in everything they could.
I ventured over to homeware and decor first, and the product range was rather limited with simple pieces that you could easily snag at Winners HomeSense or Canadian Tire for much less. The store did have a few "Under $15" and "Under $25" displays offering discounted items, which could definitely be a bang for your buck if you're looking for candles and glass vases.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
I gave the clothing section a look and lasted all of two minutes before ditching the sad selection of outdated items. Oh, not to mention the sizing options were laughable. If you're anything other than a medium or small, you might find it tough to snag something that fits. Then again, you'll likely want to stay clear of clothes shopping at Zellers unless movie and TV-themed shirts, socks and underwear are at the top of your shopping list.
The iconic restaurant and Zeddy bear ride were nowhere to be found, which was no surprise considering Zellers made it clear they wouldn't be bringing either back. However, Zellers promises a temporary food truck at all Quebec locations soon, which won't do much to spice up your shopping experience. Poutine in a parking lot? I'll just stick to the Orange Julep, thanks.
All in all, I would not recommend venturing all the way to the eastern end of the Island of Montreal to shop at Zellers, because chances are you'll be leaving empty-handed, hungry and disappointed.
