It's back, baby! Hudson's Bay has confirmed that Zellers has made an unofficial comeback in Canada via a pop-up shop in Burlington Mall, Ontario.
While the revamped version of the retro retail store is selling things like Canada-themed apparel, classic toys and more, some nostalgic features are unlikely to be returning any time soon.
For example, Retail Insider reports that mascot Zeddy will not be found at the pop-up store. For now, it looks like the iconic restaurants won't be reappearing either.
Although the new location might just fill the Zellers-shaped hole in your heart, here's a look at what else is unlikely to be found at Ontario's brand new pop up:
The restaurant
If the Zellers pop-up in Toronto doesn't have one of these, they're doing it wrong https://t.co/KkVR1LYI6m
— Phil Marfisi (@philmarfisi) 1632533942.0
For now, it's unlikely that the classic Zellers restaurant is going to make a comeback alongside the pop-up shop.
The retro resto is nowhere to be found at the Burlington Mall location and — although a Hudson's Bay spokesperson has revealed that more pop-up locations could be coming — there has been no mention of reviving the fan-favourite restaurant.
The Zeddy Wheel
Everyone is talking about the return of Zellers, but are they bringing back the most fun mall ride of all time ?… https://t.co/dqSeltHRK5
— Justin Geurtsen (@thejgeurts1) 1632540686.0
Arguably one of the most nostalgic and iconic features of Zellers, the Zeddy Wheel is a firm favourite among fans of the retailer.
It seemed a lot bigger and more exciting when you were five, eh?
Sadly, there has been no sighting of this ride at the new pop-up and it's probably not a very convenient addition to the store, either.
The old merch
What is the point of a Zellers Pop-Up with no actual Zellers merch?! I can get a Cuisinart Blender on Amazon!
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) 1632665613.0
Upon hearing the news that Zellers was making a mini comeback, some fans took to Twitter to talk about the best merch from the store's glory days.
"What is the point of a Zellers Pop-Up with no actual Zellers merch?! I can get a Cuisinart Blender on Amazon!" one person wrote.
Another added, "Zellers hasn't come back until they're once more selling Commodore 64s, BUM Equipment sweatshirts, and transparent touchtone phones. 1985-1992 Zellers or nothing!"
The diner
Bring back #Zellers Family Diner and you’ll have my heart forever! https://t.co/zo5Rh5XBwo
— Roberto Sarjoo (@robsarj) 1632524383.0
As the Zellers pop-up store is located inside Hudson's Bay, it seems improbable that a model of the original diner will be available for dine-in any time soon.
This will be disappointing news for some Zellers-lovers, though.
"Look, if they're not bring back the Zellers diner, I want no part of this nonsense," wrote one Twitter user.
The food
Zellers hot chicken sandwich is Canada's signature dish, and I will not be taking further questions at this time. https://t.co/bC51O3WlmB
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) 1632502599.0
Without the diner or the restaurant, sadly it seems like the food is unlikely to be returning at pop-up locations in the near future.
This one might be for the best though, right?
Discussing the intangible taste of the Zellers hot chicken sandwich, one Twitter user said, "You can get something similar at Swiss Chalet, but just doesn't taste the same as the Zellers diner. I don't know if it's the ingredients or the haze wafting over from the restaurant's smoking section…"
Club Z
I'm ready. 😊 #Zellers https://t.co/hTmlW4WfgR
— Brian Lumsden (@BrianLumsden1) 1632515593.0
Diehard shoppers will remember (and possibly still have!) their Club Z plastic card.
The Zellers Club Z points program, which rewarded regular shoppers for spending, is unsurprisingly no longer active. The classic cards aren't available any more, either.
The mascot
did no one else have a mascot in their zellers or is quebec just wack https://t.co/aA1TekqxUz
— 🍓jen⁷ ♡ :( (@sansunkoo) 1602887582.0
There's more bad news for anybody who has a special place in their heart for Zeddy Teddy.
The mascot, who was a symbol of the store for years, was adopted by Camp Trillium after Zellers' final facebook campaign "EVERYTHING MUST GO!"
This was the end of nearly thirty years with his Zellers family and Zeddy hasn't made any sort of reappearance just yet.
The intercom
I was the weekend “Thank you for shopping at #Zellers and have a pleasant day/night” voice over the intercom…. Thro… https://t.co/SvOja4xNko
— Tereca Carr (@carrtereca_carr) 1632666988.0
Sadly for nostalgia-lovers, the original intercom that welcomed shoppers to each store is not likely to be making a return for now, either.
As the pop-up is located inside a Hudson's Bay store, this could make things pretty confusing!
The classic Zellers ambiance
They can try to bring back #Zellers but it won’t be the same unless the carpet floor is stained and has random toys… https://t.co/u03LLHljrz
— Mattie P (@FeathersRuffld) 1632500717.0
Ah, that je ne sais quoi!
"They can try to bring back #Zellers but it won't be the same unless the carpet floor is stained and has random toys and clothes thrown across the isles," wrote one fan online.
As awesome as Burlington Mall's new pop-up store is, it's almost definitely lacking that nostalgic, classic, old-school, inexplicable Zellers vibe.
We can still reminisce though, eh?
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