Zellers is expanding its Canadian retail network with three new Ontario locations, including a store opening at Cambridge Centre on November 12 and two additional stores planned for 2027 in Brampton and Scarborough. The announcement marks another stage in the retailer’s comeback under Quebec-based Les Ailes de la Mode, which acquired the Zellers trademarks from Hudson’s Bay Company in August 2025.
The Cambridge store will span approximately 25,000 square feet and occupy part of the former Hudson’s Bay department store at the shopping centre. The planned locations at Shoppers World Brampton and Malvern Town Centre in Scarborough will each be approximately the same size, while a previously announced store at Tecumseh Mall in Windsor remains in development.
The expansion follows the opening of Zellers at Edmonton’s Londonderry Mall in October 2025 and a standalone location at 80 Orfus Road in Toronto in June 2026. The retailer says sales at its existing stores continue to exceed expectations.
Cambridge Centre Zellers Store Opens November 12
The new Cambridge Centre location will carry apparel, home merchandise, toys, gifts, seasonal products, snacks and lifestyle essentials. Zellers says it will continue introducing brands and adjusting its merchandise selection based on customer feedback.
The store will occupy part of the former Hudson’s Bay anchor space at Cambridge Centre, which is owned by Morguard. The opening brings a new retailer into premises left vacant following Hudson’s Bay’s closure, while adding another example of a former department-store property being repurposed for the revived Zellers chain.
Morguard confirmed during its October 29, 2026, earnings call that Zellers had taken occupancy of the former Hudson’s Bay lower level. The landlord indicated that the upper level remained vacant while options for its future use were being evaluated.
Cambridge Centre also previously housed a Zellers store before the original chain’s withdrawal from the market. That earlier location was converted to Target during the American retailer’s Canadian expansion.
The Cambridge Zellers store will feature a bright red sports-car kiddie ride, similar to one introduced at the Toronto location earlier this year. Zellers says its rides are permitted by Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority and electrically certified to meet provincial requirements.
“We’ve been incredibly encouraged by the response to Zellers’ return, and the momentum we’re seeing reinforces that Canadians are excited to have the brand back,” said Joey Benitah, Chief Operating Officer of Zellers. “We’re continuing to listen to our customers, introduce new offerings and bring Zellers to more communities.”
The opening will include four days of family-oriented activities from November 12 to 15, including balloon animals, face painting and popcorn with purchase. The first 100 customers will receive a collectible Zeddy keychain, while Joey and Isaac Benitah are expected to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring the Zeddy mascot.
Brampton and Scarborough Stores Planned for 2027
Zellers has confirmed two additional Ontario locations scheduled for 2027, with specific opening dates still to be announced. Both will follow the approximately 25,000-square-foot format being introduced at Cambridge Centre.
The Brampton location will open at Shoppers World, where the original Zellers chain previously operated. The Scarborough store will be located at Malvern Town Centre in northeastern Toronto, adding another established shopping-centre property to the revived retailer’s network.
Zellers says discussions are continuing with landlords across Canada, with additional stores expected to be added to its 2027 pipeline.
Smaller Department Store Format Takes Shape
The approximately 25,000-square-foot footprint of the three newly announced stores provides a clearer picture of the department-store format Zellers is pursuing as it expands.
In an October 2025 interview with Retail Insider, Benitah discussed a phased national rollout and a store concept generally ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 square feet. He emphasized refining merchandise assortments, working with landlords and establishing a financially sustainable retail business.
The company subsequently described a broader range of 20,000 to 50,000 square feet in its June 2026 expansion announcement. Its Toronto store opened at approximately 25,000 square feet, a footprint now being repeated at Cambridge, Brampton and Scarborough.
Retail Insider visited the Toronto store for its June opening, documenting a redesigned retail environment with apparel departments, home merchandise, toys, collectibles and seasonal products. The building, owned by the Benitah family, previously housed Designer Depot and underwent extensive renovations for the Zellers concept.
The consistency in the latest announcements suggests that approximately 25,000 square feet is becoming a recurring size within the company’s Ontario expansion plans. Zellers has not indicated that all future locations will follow this footprint.
The format also creates opportunities within existing shopping centres, where traditional department-store anchors historically occupied considerably larger premises. Smaller stores can potentially fit into a wider range of available retail spaces, although Zellers has not disclosed the economics or site-selection criteria for its individual locations.
In his October 2025 interview, Benitah discussed opportunities to occupy portions of former Hudson’s Bay stores as landlords considered the future of those properties. Zellers’ Edmonton location occupies part of the former Hudson’s Bay department store at Londonderry Mall, where the company worked with landlord Leyad to establish its first revived store.
Zellers Builds on Edmonton and Toronto Openings
The current Zellers business operates under different ownership from the former Hudson’s Bay-controlled chain. Les Ailes de la Mode acquired the trademarks in August 2025, following Hudson’s Bay’s creditor protection proceedings and the closure of its department stores.
The Benitah family has longstanding experience in Canadian retail through businesses including Fairweather and International Clothiers. Joey Benitah and his sister Rachel also launched home merchandise retailer Wyrth in 2019.
Zellers’ first revived store opened at Londonderry Mall in Edmonton on October 30, 2025, followed by the Toronto location on June 18, 2026. Management has described its expansion as a phased rollout, using customer response and merchandise performance to inform decisions about subsequent locations.
One previously announced project has taken longer than originally anticipated. In June 2026, Zellers announced plans for a Windsor store at Tecumseh Mall, with an expected July opening.
That timetable has passed without the store opening. Zellers now says the Windsor project is progressing and that an updated opening date will be announced soon, although it has not provided a reason for the change.
Zeddy Bear Returns as Merchandise Selection Expands
Zellers is bringing back Zeddy Bear plush merchandise on November 12, coinciding with the Cambridge opening. The products will be available across its stores in two formats: a classic plush bear and a smaller keychain.
The company is also developing Zeddy’s World, a proposed family-oriented concept where customers would be able to purchase bears and customize them with clothing and accessories. No launch date has been announced.
The retailer has expanded its merchandise assortment with brands including Von Dutch, Dickies, Bass Creek and NFL products. These additions complement the apparel, home, toys and seasonal categories that form the foundation of its department-store offering.
Familiar elements of the original Zellers brand remain part of the company’s approach. Retail Insider previously reported on the return of kiddie rides and the Zellers Diner on Wheels ahead of the Toronto opening, where both were incorporated into the launch celebrations.
The company continues to combine nostalgic branding with an evolving assortment of contemporary merchandise. Benitah has previously emphasized the need to preserve recognizable elements of Zellers while developing a sustainable retail business.
Zellers says discussions are continuing with landlords in additional Canadian markets, with further store announcements anticipated in 2027. The company has not identified all prospective locations or provided a target for the eventual size of its network.
