Once again Walmart has made the list of the top 10 most influential brands in Canada along with PC Optimum.  Walmart jumped up 4 spots to number 6 with PC Optimum moving up 1 spot and coming in at number 8.

The study, conducted by Ipsos in partnership with The Globe Media Group, Publicis and the Canadian Marketing Association, polled over 6,700 Canadians including Generation Z, X, Millennials and Baby Boomers. The categories measured include Trustworthiness, Corporate Citizenship and Presence, Leading Edge, Engagement, Empathy and Utility.

PC Optimum ranked in the top 10 in 3 out of the 4 generations measured. Walmart’s popularity might be attributed to a shift towards more budget conscious purchases during times of high inflation across all demographics.

Another retailer that hopes to reignite it’s brand is Zellers which will open up 25 pop up shops within Hudsons Bay stores this year. Initially there will be 4 in BC, 3 in Alberta, 1 each in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, 9 in Ontario, 5 in Quebec and 2 in Nova Scotia with plans for more to follow. The store within the store concept will be 8,000 to 10,000 square feet depending on location and will support the new Zellers ecommerce initiative.

Zellers used to be a household name in Canada with wide brand recognition but it largely disappeared when Target took over 220 of it’s locations in 2011.  They hope to tap into consumer nostalgia and appeal to those looking for an alternative discount chain.  While there won’t be enough room to open Zellers Family Restaurants they will have food trucks serving some of their most popular dishes.