One of Canada’s largest chains will be closing its doors for the last time in Thunder Bay.
The Zellers stores in County Fair Plaza and Arthur Street will close their doors permanently on Wednesday, while the Intercity Shopping Centre location will remain open until January.
Two of the stores were bought by the multinational retailing giant Wal-Mart and the other by U.S retail giant Target.
The two stores closing Wednesday are expected to open late 2012.
Nick Boyko and Meagan Jonassen were shopping at Zellers at County Fair on the store’s last day, and agreed that having a Wal-Mart at County Fair was a good move.
The two shoppers remembered a time when big named chain stores like Radio Shack were in the mall, but over time that store and many others closed and went elsewhere.
Jonassen said she used to work in the small mall and thought it was sad that so many stores closed down.
Boyko agreed and hoped Wal-Mart could turn the mall around.
“County Fair used to be a happening and hopping place,” Boyko said. “It’s so quiet now. I think Wal-Mart will reinvigorate the place.”
But not everyone is excited about the change.
Andrew Seaton frequently shopped at the Arthur Street Zellers and wasn’t happy that Wal-Mart was taking its place.
“That sucks,” Seaton said when hearing the news. “Wal-Mart is taking over the world.”
Veronika, who didn’t want to give her last name, was also unhappy with the fact that the Zellers would be replaced. She said the giant store is too big for her and her mother to navigate through, but the main reason is that she believed the quality of the merchandise offered at Wal-Mart was a step down.
“I don’t like Wal-Mart as my only shopping option,” Veronika said. “I like Zellers. I used their point card and it was a good store.”
