7 Iconic Stores From Your Canadian Childhood That Won't Be Around For Your Own Kids To See

It's been a bumpy decade or so for physical retailers in Canada and many of the most iconic stores from millennials' childhoods have closed down permanently.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns, even more big-name brands have announced plans to either scale back their operations or say goodbye to Canada for good.

While some retailers do have ambitious plans for expansion, here are just a few examples of stores that you may have spent a lot of time in as a kid or teen, but that probably won't be around for your own kids to see:

Zellers

When Zellers announced that it would be closing its two remaining stores in 2019, nostalgia-loving Canadians went as far as to call on Justin Trudeau to step in and bring the store back to its "former glory."

Sadly, however, the last locations closed in January 2020 and it's fair to say a lot of people were pretty heartbroken.

In fact, Zellers continues to trend on Twitter in Canada fairly regularly, as Canadians from up and down the country share memories of their childhoods in the iconic store.

The Disney Store

Ok, this one hurt.

Many Canadian millennials will have happy memories of hanging out beside the giant plushie wall in Disney Stores across the country.

However, the global retailer confirmed earlier this year that it would be closing all remaining physical stores in Canada. Most are slated to be closed before the summer is over.

It's even harder to take for magic-lovers as there is no Canadian website for the Disney Store. However, there are still a few ways to pick up Mickey merch in Canada.

DavidsTea

If you have fond memories of hanging out at DavidsTea as a teen, you were probably pretty devastated when the company announced it would be closing a total of 166 physical locations in Canada and all U.S. shops.

While it has since been confirmed that 18 Canadian stores will reopen, there are definitely a lot fewer tea-sipping spots than there once was.

Victoria's Secret

Back in 2020, underwear icon Victoria's Secret announced that it would be permanently closing hundreds of stores across Canada and the States.

While there are several surviving stores this side of the border, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the in-store locations pretty hard.

After a tough few years, it remains to be seen whether this bra-haven will stick around in Canada long-term.

Sears

Physical Sears stores haven't been seen in Canada for a number of years, but that doesn't mean we don't miss them.

You could buy pretty much anything here and it's pretty heartbreaking that the next generation won't be able to experience it.

More recently though, the company did begin to offer refunds for eligible customers who incurred costs from products purchased before June 22, 2017.

Topshop

Blockbuster

Ok, so it's been a while since Blockbuster officially said goodbye to Canada back in 2011. We still miss it, though!

Before it was pushed aside by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, this retro business was the place to be on a Friday night.

Blockbuster and chill, anyone?