Walter P. Zeller
Encyclopedia
Walter Philip Zeller was a Canadian
businessman and founder of discount retail chain Zellers
.
Zeller was born in Waterloo County
, near the city of Kitchener, Ontario
. His great-grandfather settled in Breslau, Ontario
after arriving from Germany
. Prior to founding the store, Zeller moved to the US to work for various American retailers (F.W. Woolworth, Kresge's and Metropolitan) in the United States
from 1912 to 1930, beginning as a stockboy. Zeller return to Canada
and founded a chain of 12 "stores for thrifty Canadians" (as he put it) in 1931, giving it the name "Zeller's". The store's name was eventually changed to "Zellers" to make it more bilingually appropriate. Zellers was originally concentrated in southern Ontario
but gradually expanded across the country. Zellers was headquartered in Montreal
.
In 1952, American retailer W.T. Grant Company
became the largest shareholder of the company, eventually owning a 51% controlling share. W.T. Grant Company sold its interest in Zellers in 1976 to Fields Stores Ltd., however Zellers reversed the acquisition by becoming the owner of Fields and its hardware subsidiary Marshall Wells Limited. In 1978, Hudson's Bay Company
purchased Zellers and maintains it as a wholly owned subsidiary.
Walter Zeller lived to see the W.T. Grant Company control the company carrying his name; he died in 1957 and is buried in Montreal
, at Mount Royal Cemetery
in the Lilac Knoll section.
Zellers married Nettie Lewis in 1912 and had 2 sons, C. Edward and Warren Robert. Warren died in 1944 as a Flying Officer with the RCAF.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
businessman and founder of discount retail chain Zellers
Zellers
Zellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores, with locations in communities across Canada. A subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company , it has 273 locations across the country....
.
Zeller was born in Waterloo County
Waterloo County, Ontario
Waterloo County, created in 1853 and dissolved in 1973, was the forerunner of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It consisted of five townships: Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot, Waterloo, and North Dumfries...
, near the city of Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
. His great-grandfather settled in Breslau, Ontario
Breslau, Ontario
Breslau is a community located within the township of Woolwich, part of the Waterloo Regional Municipality in Ontario Canada. Separated from the city of Kitchener by the Grand River, Breslau is named after the former German city of Breslau, now Wrocław, capital of Poland's Lower Silesia.It is...
after arriving from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Prior to founding the store, Zeller moved to the US to work for various American retailers (F.W. Woolworth, Kresge's and Metropolitan) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1912 to 1930, beginning as a stockboy. Zeller return to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and founded a chain of 12 "stores for thrifty Canadians" (as he put it) in 1931, giving it the name "Zeller's". The store's name was eventually changed to "Zellers" to make it more bilingually appropriate. Zellers was originally concentrated in southern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
but gradually expanded across the country. Zellers was headquartered in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
In 1952, American retailer W.T. Grant Company
W. T. Grant
W. T. Grant or Grants was a United States-based chain of mass-merchandise stores founded by William Thomas Grant that operated from 1906 until 1976. The stores were generally of the variety store format located in downtowns.-History:...
became the largest shareholder of the company, eventually owning a 51% controlling share. W.T. Grant Company sold its interest in Zellers in 1976 to Fields Stores Ltd., however Zellers reversed the acquisition by becoming the owner of Fields and its hardware subsidiary Marshall Wells Limited. In 1978, Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
purchased Zellers and maintains it as a wholly owned subsidiary.
Walter Zeller lived to see the W.T. Grant Company control the company carrying his name; he died in 1957 and is buried in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, at Mount Royal Cemetery
Mount Royal Cemetery
Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a 165-acre terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The burial ground shares the mountain with the much larger adjacent Roman Catholic cemetery -- Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges...
in the Lilac Knoll section.
Zellers married Nettie Lewis in 1912 and had 2 sons, C. Edward and Warren Robert. Warren died in 1944 as a Flying Officer with the RCAF.