ZELLERS SPONSORS ATHLETES
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Zellers Inc. is helping athletes go for the gold at the XVI Commonwealth Games being held in Malaysia from Sept. 11 to 21 as an official sponsor of the 1998 Canadian team. The retailer has launched an in-store draw where customers will have a chance to win a trip for two to see the Commonwealth Games. The prize includes tickets to the opening ceremonies and selected events, airfare, hotel accommodations, a sightseeing tour and $1,500 spending money. In addition, from July 8 to Aug. 2, Zellers customers can donate their Club Z points, which will be converted to cash for the Canadian team. For the month of July, Zellers will publish athlete profiles in its weekly flyer. The initiatives are being promoted in Zellers flyers' which are created in-house.
Separately, Zellers opened 24 new locations across Canada earlier this month. The outlets feature bright, open foyers with service desks situated right up front, wider aisles, lower shelving and new in-store signs. The new locations are being promoted using flyers created in-house. Zellers acquired the 24 stores after its parent company, Hudson's Bay Co., bought Kmart Canada of Brampton, Ont. and merged Kmart with Zellers. The Kmart locations are either being closed or reopened as Zellers stores. Twenty-one former Kmart outlets were reopened as Zellers in early June and 12 more will reopen as Zellers at the end of July. Thirty-six Kmart locations have closed or will close by the end of July.