A look back at the history of Zellers

In the almost 100 years since Zellers was founded, the discount department store has died and been revived several times. 

Its current owners are less than a year into their relaunch but say they have national expansion plans. 

Here’s a look at the history of Zellers:

1928: Waterloo, Ont., entrepreneur Walter Philip Zeller opens the first Zellers department store, but it is bought by American firm Schulte-United Ltd. within months.

1931: Schulte-United files for bankruptcy and Zeller repurchases the stores.

1954: Zeller sells a 50 per cent stake in his company to American retailer W.T. Grant Co.

1957: Zeller dies.

1976: W.T. Grant files for bankruptcy and Fields Stores Ltd. buys a controlling stake in Zellers.

1978: Hudson’s Bay Co. buys a majority stake in Zellers.

1981: HBC buys the remaining stake in Zellers.

1990: Zellers buys discount brand Towers, which operates as Bonimart in Quebec.

1998: HBC buys Kmart and plans to convert Kmart stores to Zellers locations.

2008: HBC is bought by U.S. businessman Richard Baker’s company, National Realty and Development Corp.

2011: Seeing a chance to cash in on its real estate holdings, HBC says it will sell the majority of its Zellers leases to Target Corp. as part of the latter’s Canadian expansion plan. The U.S. rival opens its first Canadian store in 2013 but closes all of its locations in the country in 2015. 

2013: Most remaining Zellers stores close, except for a few liquidation outlets.

2020: The final Zellers outlets shutter.

2021: HBC sues the Moniz family of Quebec for trademark infringement after they apply for the rights to Zellers Inc., Zellers Convenience Store Inc. and Zellers Restaurant Inc.

2023: HBC reboots the Zellers brand with pop-ups in many of its stores.

March 2025: HBC files for creditor protection.

August 2025: HBC sells Zellers trademarks to Les Ailes de la Mode, a company owned by the retailing Benitah family.

October 2025: Les Ailes de la Mode opens its first Zellers at Londonderry Mall in Edmonton.

June 18, 2026: Les Ailes de la Mode to open its second Zellers at Orfus Road in Toronto.

July 2026: Les Ailes de la Mode to open third store at Tecumseh Mall in Windsor.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2026.