Zeddy the bear. Skillet dinner. These are just a few of the top memories Canadians have of shopping at what was once Canada’s iconic retailer, Zellers.
The Hudson’s Bay Company, owner of the Zellers brand, announced plans Wednesday to bring the department store back to select current HBC stores, as well as online, next year.
The announcement was enthusiastically received by former customers who are eager to relive the nostalgia of walking the aisles of Zellers again. The Canadians wrote to CTVNews.ca about their fondest memories of Zellers stores and what they’re looking forward to most when they return.
For many, Zellers played an important role in raising their childhood. Some recalled the quintessential Zellers shopping experience: dining out in-store. “The Skillet”, which was later renamed “Zellers family restaurant”, was a 50s-themed restaurant that offered shoppers a place to eat at select locations.
Dong Ngo of Halifax, Nova Scotia, recalled dining at the 50s-themed restaurant as a child and then browsing the clothing aisles.
“I have very vivid memories of being a young child and sitting in the big shopping cart while my mom showed me around the store. From food to the driver in the store, Zellers was the place childhood place to be,” Ngo wrote to CTVNews.ca in an email Wednesday.
One reader described the restaurant as a “special show”, recounting its neon lights with 50s crooners playing in the background.
“With all the chrome and neon lights; the signature ’50s theme always kept my eyes awake, and the mood was always perfected with appropriate music from that era, often Elvis Presley, Big Bopper, Buddy Holly’, Tyson Bastien from Gatineau, Que. wrote.
The department store also carried a variety of clothing brands from Canadian designers like Alfred Sung, some shoppers said.
“I miss Zellers stores, it was a Canadian company that was geared towards Canadians. It would be great to see them back,” wrote Alexandra Bickerton of Hamilton, Ont.
The Zellers mascot “Zeddy the Teddy Bear” was the friendly face most 80s and 90s kids remember in the toy department. Some stores also had a small mechanical Ferris wheel that children could ride.
“When I was younger, I used to go to Zellers with my mom and was excited to ride the Zeddys mini Ferris wheel when we got there,” said Whitney Echum of Thunder Bay, Ont.
Former employees also shared their enthusiasm for the department store revival.
“It was a great place to work with loyal customers. Large inventory at great prices. I loved working at Zellers,” wrote Colleen Williams of Mississauga, Ont., a former cashier.
A former restaurant manager has called working at the in-store restaurant one of the “highlights” of his life.
In 2013, most Zellers stores in Canada were closed and only a few stores remained open as liquidation outlets through 2020. However, last year Zellers experienced a resurgence after The Bay Company d’Hudson has set up pop-up stores in its department stores in Ontario and Quebec.