Following its successful return to the Canadian market, Zellers is expanding its footprint.
Starting this summer, a series of pop-up Zellers boutiques will open in Hudson's Bay stores across the country. The first Zellers pop-up will launch at the Bay's flagship Queen Street Toronto store in June, with up to 20 additional boutiques expected to open in August.
The locations of the subsequent pop-ups have yet to be announced, but depending on customers' response, Zellers will open larger footprint stores in some or all of the same Hudson's Bay locations.
"We have always said that we will listen to Canadians, and they will tell us where to grow," said Sophia Hwang-Judiesch, President of Hudson's Bay. "With these pop-ups, our expansion strategy will be fueled by the interest and feedback from our customers across the country."
In March, Hudson's Bay opened Zellers shop-in-shops in 25 of its stores across Canada. Spanning between 8,000 and 10,000 sq. ft, the Zellers stores offer a range of products, including kitchen items, home decor, kid’s toys, and men’s and women’s clothing.
The store openings coincided with the launch of the Zellers.ca e-commerce platform.
READ: Here’s Where Zellers’ 25 New Canadian Locations Will Be
The news of Zellers' physical expansion comes as HBC -- the holding company that owns both Zellers and Hudson's Bay -- revealed it has raised $240M of additional liquidity to further invest in and grow its operating business.
The capital will allow the company, which also owns Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off Fifth, to "take advantage of the opportunities being created as other retailers exit the Canadian market."
