TORONTO — Hudson’s Bay Co. is shuttering the last two Zellers stores, in Toronto and Ottawa, by the end of this month. The closure of the Toronto location on January 26 means Etobicoke’s Kipling-Queensway Mall will lose its anchor store. The store has already been largely emptied by customers lining up to take advantage of the deep discounts, with all items reduced by at least 80%.
“If I’d known about this Zellers store before, I would have come more often,” one shopper told a Torstar reporter. An employee at the Ottawa outlet, located in Bells Corners, told CBC News that it was regularly reaching capacity shortly after opening, with customers being turned away after waiting in line. A spokesperson for HBC said the company would look at transferring employees where feasible, while eligible workers will receive severance packages.
