RIP Hudson’s Bay

[mommasita]

Thanks. I guess some marginally performing stores will close but hopefully the chain will survive.

Are there still small Bay stores (not mall sized) in less populated smaller cities?

I live in a smaller city if you will. 400,000 roughly. There is a small The Bay, it is attached to the mall, but you can get in by their own doors as well. It is very new. It was a Zellers, it’s quite small.
I am not a fan of this Bay store at all. It’s very modernized, and you don’t feel like you are even in a Bay store.

 

[Lesverts]

There is Simons. 3 are opening in and around Toronto (Mississauga, Vaughan and in part of the space that was the last flagship Eaton's in Toronto).

I miss Eaton's. I was young when they closed but I remember going to Eaton's was always the special experience. And it features prominently in The Hockey Sweater.

 

[bcla]

Nordstrom actually shut down all their Canadian stores in 2023. If The Bay closes forever, then the only non-Walmart way to shop for anything really is online.

You’ll be going through a lot more hassle returning clothing since you can’t try clothes online. You gotta go IRL for that.

Canadian Tire? I haven't been inside one, but I have passed by a few in BC and saw how big it was from the outside. I was told it was way more than an auto parts retailer despite the name.

 

[White Cat]

Canadian Tire? I haven't been inside one, but I have passed by a few in BC and saw how big it was from the outside. I was told it was way more than an auto parts retailer despite the name.

They sell about everything.

 

[RedAngie]

I was pretty amazed the first time I walked into a Canadian Tire store. DH and I were in the Toronto suburbs when he needed something for the car. I expected mostly auto supplies but was impressed by the selection of merchandise.

Mostly hardlines, but there was also athletic clothing.

 

[mistysue]

Am I the only one who read the title and thought we had another "Golf of America" style incident going on?
I'm sad a store you care about isn't doing well, that is always stressful.

 

[irlandaise]

Am I the only one who read the title and thought we had another "Golf of America" style incident going on?
I'm sad a store you care about isn't doing well, that is always stressful.

The Bay isn't just a store; it's a crucial part of Canadian history. (Not all good, of course.) Even here in the States, I read about the Hudson's Bay Company in history class when I was little, so it was quite a feeling to walk into one of their stores for the first time years later. And yes, I own a Bay blanket.

I hope that a Canadian museum or the federal government itself gets the HBC charter, which I understand is to be auctioned off. The charter was granted by King Charles II in 1670. (Yes, it's been that long since Great Britain had another king named Charles!)

 

[maddiel]

Canadian Tire is in the process of buying HBC's intellectual property, including the right to sell the iconic stripe merchandise. Canadian Tire owns Mark's Work Wearhouse and Sport Chek, so they do already have experience in the clothing/accessory market. One of our Canadian Tire stores has a Mark's inside it - I imagine you may see that sort of thing with mini- Bay outlets.

 

[bcla]

The Bay isn't just a store; it's a crucial part of Canadian history. (Not all good, of course.) Even here in the States, I read about the Hudson's Bay Company in history class when I was little, so it was quite a feeling to walk into one of their stores for the first time years later. And yes, I own a Bay blanket.

I hope that a Canadian museum or the federal government itself gets the HBC charter, which I understand is to be auctioned off. The charter was granted by King Charles II in 1670. (Yes, it's been that long since Great Britain had another king named Charles!)

The first time I'd ever heard of them was about the clothing supplier for the Canadian Olympic Team. I think they were supplied by Roots previously, to the point where other countries' teams (like the US) went with Roots. But then one year they went with Hudson's Bay Company, which I heard was a big deal.

I think it's lululemon now. So still very Canadian.

 

[mistysue]

The Bay isn't just a store; it's a crucial part of Canadian history. (Not all good, of course.) Even here in the States, I read about the Hudson's Bay Company in history class when I was little, so it was quite a feeling to walk into one of their stores for the first time years later. And yes, I own a Bay blanket.

I hope that a Canadian museum or the federal government itself gets the HBC charter, which I understand is to be auctioned off. The charter was granted by King Charles II in 1670. (Yes, it's been that long since Great Britain had another king named Charles!)

Oh wow - I know about the historical one, I figured it was a new, unrelated, venture.

 

[bcla]

Oh wow - I know about the historical one, I figured it was a new, unrelated, venture.

Yeah - more or less an unbroken chain, but obviously shifting industries. Like how Wells Fargo and American Express started off as "express delivery" companies.

But apparently private equity seriously messed up Hudson's Bay Company.

 

[irlandaise]

Canadian Tire is in the process of buying HBC's intellectual property, including the right to sell the iconic stripe merchandise.

I hope that happens. At least it would keep the HBC name going in some form.

 

[irlandaise]

The first time I'd ever heard of them was about the clothing supplier for the Canadian Olympic Team.

I don't know when the switch happened, but I was in Canada during part of the 2008 Olympics (which were held in Beijing) and came home with a workout outfit from The Bay that was based on that year's team clothing. I still have it.