Zellers Inc. was a major Canadian chain discount department retailer based in Brampton, Ontario. It was founded in 1931, and was acquired by Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in 1978. A series of acquisitions and expansions allowed Zellers to reach its peak in the 1990s, with 350 stores across the country at one point. However, fierce competition by Walmart Canada and an inability to adjust to the increasingly volatile retailing industry resulted in Zellers losing significant ground in the 2000s with the subsequent acquisition of most of its stores by Target Canada in 2011. The history of Zellers, as a discount store, came to an end on March 31, 2013, when its remaining stores closed.