Zeller began his career with the F. W. Woolworth Company, where he started as a delivery boy in 1912.
In 1928, he returned to Canada and started his own chain of stores, with locations in London, Guelph, St. Catharines and Fort William (Thunder Bay).
Zellers was originally concentrated in southern Ontario but gradually expanded across the country.
Zeller married Nettie Lewis in 1912 and had two sons, C. Edward and Warren Robert.
Warren died in 1944 as a flying officer with the RCAF and Edward served with the Royal Canadian Artillery as a lieutenant.