British Columbians got a dose of nostalgia today as four Zellers locations opened their doors.

The iconic Canadian chain that opened in 1931 hasn’t been seen in a decade — it closed down in 2013.

But now it’s getting a revival, with several stores opening within Hudson’s Bay locations. There are two Zellers in Metro Vancouver — one downtown and another in Surrey — plus a store in Abbotsford and one in Kamloops.

Here’s what opening day looked like in Metro Vancouver:

Zellers Pacific Centre

Take the escalator down to the basement of the downtown Hudson’s Bay, and Zellers is immediately on your right. The 2023 rendition looks classier than the original — there’s not a white plastic hanger in sight.

The first thing shoppers see is shelves of chic home supplies. We don’t remember anything looking this cute pre-2013? But then again, we weren’t furnishing homes back then.

 

 

A DJ blasted tunes near the cash, and behind that, there was a kids’ clothing section and tons of toys.

Further back is where shoppers can find adult apparel and pet supplies. There are graphic tees that look straight out of the aughts, and walls decked out with Zellers’ mascot, Zeddy.

Zellers of years past was known for its affordable apparel, homeware, and its in-store restaurants, and it looks like it’s gone back to its roots — albeit smaller and without the restaurant.

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Surrey Guildford Town Centre

About two dozen people waited outside the doors at the 152nd Avenue entrance at Guildford Mall on Tuesday morning.

When doors opened at 10 am, guests were invited in and were hyped up by the staff who were giving away red Zellers T-shirts.

Shoppers seemed to be pretty excited to receive the giveaways as they took in the new section within the Bay as a DJ played.

The Zellers section takes up a corner of Hudson’s Bay on the lower floor.

Folks were immediately excited and gravitated toward the home, kitchen, and clothing offerings. Plus, those who were craving the nostalgic items were able to check out the Zellers merch, also available for purchase.

But, those who came for the food were left disappointed. While there’s been talk of having food trucks at the BC locations, that has not been put in place yet.

If you can’t wait to start your shopping, the e-commerce platform, Zellers.ca, also launched this month.