Ontario is about to get eight new Zellers locations

A whopping eight new Zellers pop-ups will be open across Ontario by August 11, part of an expansion of the revived brand bringing a total of 21 new locations nationwide this summer.

Zellers made its highly-anticipated return to the Canadian retail scene in March, opening an initial 25 locations within existing Hudson's Bay stores across the country, and is gearing up to deliver even more nostalgia to shoppers through additional locations.

These new standalone pop-ups will vary in size depending on the host store, ranging from 1,000 to 2,800 square feet, while Zellers stores within existing Hudson's Bay locations range from 8,000 to 10,000 square feet.

"Pop-ups are a key ingredient in our expansion strategy, allowing us to explore and test in new markets, gather valuable customer insights, and fine-tune our offering before establishing larger format store locations," says Sophia Hwang-Judiesch, President of Hudson's Bay.

"Our customers are very much part of our growth process, and together we will shape the future of Zellers, building a shopping experience that truly connects with communities across Canada," added Hwang-Judiesch.

The new Ontario pop-ups will open in the coming weeks at:

• Windsor Devonshire Mall
• Kitchener Fairview Park
• Barrie Georgian Mall
• Burlington Mapleview Centre
• Oshawa Centre
• Pickering Town Centre
• Place D'Orléans
• Newmarket Upper Canada Mall

In addition to these pop-ups, Zellers plans to open its next store experience within the Bramalea City Centre Hudson's Bay location this coming September.

The return of Zellers was met with much hype, and long lines queued for a dose of shopping nostalgia when the first store opened in March.

However, reactions were mixed and many shoppers left disappointed, taking to social media to vent their frustrations over the products and shopping experience.