The Bay and Other Retailers in Peril

Dee

The Hudson Bay Department Store has been an iconic feature of Canadian retail for decades, but it looks as though their time may finally be up. The Hudson Bay Company began as a fur trading company over 350 years ago and was the oldest department store operating in Canada, but unfortunately, it hasn't been able to keep up with the times.

It will be sad to see such a historic store disappear. I have many fond memories of shopping and eating at their restaurants over the decades. I was a fairly loyal customer for many, many years. However, in recent times, especially after covid, you could see that the Bay was really struggling to find their footing with all the competition. The department store style of shopping isn't where it's at anymore. It's going to be very strange that the Bay may no longer exist.

Unfortunately, there's even more bad news in retail as the Gap and Banana Republic have closed up their b&m locations at a large mall in my area. Also, the main Gap store on St Catherine St here in Montreal is permanently closed as well.

The retail landscape is definitely changing, but where it's all going to end up, I'm not so sure about.

1 week ago

Shopping

43 replies

Latest reply was from Carol

Irina

Veteran

Very sad. The Bay is an institution in Canada, older than our country.

I felt it was doomed when they opened Saks Fifth Avenue. Who needed another luxury department store?

1 week ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Very sad

They closed the Macy's in Seattle just before the pandemic and it was very sad. GORGEOUS building! Most brick 'n mortar stores downtown are gone too.

1 week ago

Roberta

Veteran

I was at a loss when Marshall Field disappeared. Such a Chicago institution. I used to do a little shopping and then have a little something at their cafe, feeling very much like a Lady Who Lunches. Macy's took over most of their locations, but it was an obvious downgrade. I had a friend who mailed back her Marshall Field's credit card in protest.

1 week ago

Dee

Veteran

Irina- I too, never understood the Saks Fifth Ave addition to the Bay’s holdings.
Angie- I do wonder what’s going to happen to all the big, beautiful buildings that these stores occupy.
Roberta- I agree, these big department store restaurants always felt kind of fun and special to have lunch at.

1 week ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Even I feel sad about that as a New Zealander! I have only had the 3 trips to Canada ever (when I was 28, 48, and 62) but my Canadian SIL would so often talk about The Bay and on two trips we had a great time shopping there. The other store she always talked about was Eatons.
It’s such a shame after 350 years, wow what a long time.

1 week ago

Helena

Veteran

I'm a little sad about the Bay but I have to admit, their stores, with a few exceptions, we're all pretty terrible in my opinion. I think they were too "ish-y" at the end ... Boutique-ish, big-ish, canadian-ish, quality-ish ... They kind of were trying to be everything and lost the plot a little. that said ...those iconic stripes are so historic and it's a tough time to lose them!

1 week ago

Dee

Veteran

Jenni NZ- Thanks for the sympathy, glad to hear you were able to visit the Bay on your previous visits.
Helena- I agree that the Bay definitely lost its way over the years. Some of their mall locations in particular are messy and haven’t been updated in years.
I will certainly miss the iconic stripes, and remember those cute red “Canada” maple leaf mittens the Bay had for the Olympic team one year. They turned out to be a hot seller.

1 week ago

LJP

Veteran

Even though the Bay here in Winnipeg has been on a long decline , I actually lay awake the other night wondering where I would now buy my underwear and swimsuits. It was so easy to get both of these things there! Ordering bras on line is such a time consuming and inefficient process. Our GAP stores closed last year and I really miss it. I think 90 % of my jeans and shorts came from Gap and again, ordering online just isn't the same .

1 week ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

If I'm not mistaken, The Bay has been under American ownership for a number of years, which explains the Saks stores (plus the Lord & Taylor products sold there in earlier years.) So while I am sad, because it really does spell the end of a retail era (and some of those old buildings are gorgeous!!) I'm not as heartbroken as I might be.

I hear you, though, Lisa. We had a small independent department store in Kingston called S&R -- it was a crazy store, but I bought all my hose there and lots of other things and I am still sad, more than a decade later, that they are not there.

Downtowns are going to be more and more like ghost towns. It's so sad.

1 week ago

Lisa

Veteran

I've seen brick and mortar stores close more and more in shopping malls over the past few years leaving less stores to visit when at the mall. Those retailers still in the malls have less and less stock too, which makes shopping in person less and less fun because there's not much to pick from. Shopping in person has definitely been on the decline for a while.

I've seen some shopping malls become apartment buildings. Others have tried to bring in activities to do versus shopping (escape rooms, etc).

With all the variety and sizes available with online shopping and the speed that items are delivered, brick and mortar shopping just can't compete anymore.

1 week ago

Dee

Veteran

LJP- Funny enough, I too, have always bought my bras, underwear and most of my swimsuits from the Bay. Not so sure where I’ll be sourcing these items now.
Suz- Yes, you’re right, there have been several different US owners over the last few years and it still didn’t work out, although I did love the Lord & Taylor cashmere sweaters that they used to have. Ha, I’ve also been to that quirky S&R store in Kingston many, many years ago when my brother was attending RMC.

1 week ago

Dee

Veteran

Lisa- I really hope that we don’t end up with all shopping being done online but with malls converting into apartments, gyms and other various uses, it could just happen. Amazon in particular, has really changed the way society now functions, and not always for the better in my opinion.

1 week ago

JAileen

Veteran

Hearing about this made me sad, and I’ve never even been to a Hudson Bay Co. store. I started thinking about the department stores I frequented over the years. I used to work across the street from the Galleria Mall in Houston. It was a wonderful place back in the day. We walked across the street every day, because of the many restaurants in the mall, and actually entered the mall via Lord & Taylor. I think all of the department stores except for Macy’s are out of business, and it’s on its last leg.

1 week ago

Irina

Veteran

What I will miss is The Bay’s tradition of Christmas window displays in the downtown store on Queen Street. Every year they put elaborate, often mechanical displays in the windows. Those were wonderful! One year, many years ago, they had real cats in the special enclosure in one of the windows. All were adopted in a week.

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1 week ago

Joy

Veteran

Malls are also leaving. First the SAs ordering for you,. I can do that myself, thank you. Then they disappear from the mall. So sad. The Nordstroms are often the first to leave. I Oder my hose now through Amazon.

1 week ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I loved the Christmas windows. Years ago I worked at the old Simpson's (before it was bought out by Sears and then The Bay) and they had the best windows! But they and Eaton's used to be in competition -- you could see the holiday windows at both stores. Those were the days!

Dee, that's so cool you visited the S&R.

I keep looking for a very old article by Anthony Lane in the New Yorker about the demise of the big flagship department stores on 5th Avenue in Manhattan - way back in the 90s or early 2000s! If I find it, I will link to it. It was a terrific piece. I think it was him and not Adam Gopnick but I might be mistaken.

1 week ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I checked Wikipedia. US interests bought it out in 2008, so it is quite a long time. Over 16 years.
Our heritage department store in Auckland, which has been going since maybe the 1880s, is majorly downsizing and I think stopping its Christmas windows as well. It’s in a beautiful heritage building and I took BJ1111 there when I met her in 2019

1 week ago

Bijou

Veteran

This is definitely an issue for Australian retailers. Increasingly I am buying from local shops that I don't want to see go out of business and am a very rare online purchaser. It's so disheartening to see favourite brands and stores disappear. I appreciate the benefit of being able to see the quality (or lack thereof), fabrication, and fit of an item before I purchase it and like that these stores are providing jobs to their staff.

1 week ago

Dee

Veteran

Jaileen- Yep, Macy’s also seems to be on a downward trend as well.
Irina- Those downtown Christmas window displays were incredible and will truly be missed.
Joy- Yes, Nordstrom closed up here in Canada several years ago.
Jenni NZ- Rather sad to hear that these old heritage departments stores are struggling almost everywhere.
Suz - hopefully you can link that article.
Bijou- I too, love seeing and feeling the quality of all the merchandise in person, that’s one of the major drawbacks with online shopping.

I also feel there's a sense of community when you're out shopping in person too.

1 week ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

So sad. I believe this situation is similar to that of Joann Fabrics in the States, which has been slowly destroyed ever since being absorbed by a private equity firm years ago? Do any of our Canadian friends here have more insight?

Retail is really changing, and not for the good. I’ve stopped all our Amazon purchases and subscriptions (dog food, health and beauty supplies, etc) and am sourcing things as locally and as directly as I can. Nordstrom and Athleta are still getting some business from me, but that’s about it these days, unless it’s a small local boutique (I fear they are not thriving these days either).

1 week ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

At our nearby mall, there is a bunch of construction happening where Nordstrom used to be. Dick’s Sporting Goods “House of Sport” and Dave & Buster’s is moving in. JC Penney is closing. The same mall lost Sears many years ago, Lord & Taylor about 8 years ago, and Nordstrom during the pandemic. I read that the Forever 21 on the mall is closing too, and it’s a big store. After L&T moved out, sadly that space was the evacuation ground when the Capitol Gazette shooting happened (their offices were across the street, in the building where my dentist will soon relocate, and since I lost a friend in that shooting, it will be a little tough to go there). Eventually it was refashioned into a Container Store and adjacent spaces became a public library branch and a local SPCA adoption center and store.

Now all that’s left of department stores will be Macy’s. And that Macy’s is lame — overstuffed with merchandise that is either too juvenile and cheap or too conservative. The mall was so vibrant 15 years ago. No longer.

1 week ago

cat2

Veteran

I think the combination of online shopping and WFH really changed consumption patterns. We have some thriving suburban malls but the two City downtowns have really struggled. We did our usual trip out to see holiday lights and there was hardly anyone on the street. I think the suburban malls have added more non-shopping amenities to drive traffic: more food, a small grocery, exercise facilities, etc. It’s harder to do that in the city, where those things are available everywhere. The city has been adding street fairs and other live events, and some employers have been encouraging RTO, so it’s been getting a bit less grim.

1 week ago

Dee

Veteran

Janet- So sorry to hear of the loss of your friend, and yes, it seems the retail malls as we’ve come to known them might be morphing into something quite different from what they were in the past.
Cat2- I fear the loss of these big downtown flagship stores and what it may mean to the overall downtown core. Covid and WFH seems to have been the final nail in the coffin for many of these traditional retailers.

1 week ago

cat2

Veteran

Dee; I agree and it’s real sad because they have great old buildings, restaurants, and the staff could be really helpful. I am personally indebted to a bra fitter, a person who found me a bathing suit brand I never would have tried, the great teams at Bobbi Brown makeup counters, a personal shopper who helped with gifts when I was swamped, etc. I got to Chicago once without my luggage and the Marshall Field sales person got in early to pull things for me so I could suit up for a presentation.

6 days ago

slim cat

Veteran

The Bon Marche was original store in downtown Seattle before Macy's bought it, renamed it and eventually destroyed it closing that beautiful location. I used to shop there in 90s and had a great time showing it to my mom when she was visiting us ( we enjoyed shopping there together and even got matching tops ). The collections were superior to Macy's - at least from what I remember. Sigh.

6 days ago

Ket

Veteran

Janet, it is so sad Joann Fabrics is gone! They officially closed their website to online orders as of March 5th. Stores are all 50% or more off--maybe until everything is liquidated...I think?? I'm not sure. They filed bankruptcy a second time sometime last year and were acquired by a new firm. There was a very engaging, thoughtful Reddit discussion about why Joann couldn't pull through. I can't remember all the points, but it was interesting to read. The demise is hard on everyone who sews apparel and cosplay costumes. There are a lot of quilt shops but very few brick-and-mortar apparel fabric shops. (And even fewer affordable B&M apparel fabric shops.) It's a huge bummer for me. Despite living near a large metro area, Joann was the only apparel fabric store in the area. I don't mind ordering online but it's not the same as being able to touch and feel the fabrics.

6 days ago

Ket

Veteran

Roberta, we had a Miller & Paine department store in our town. It was gone before I was old enough to know about it. It was similar to a Marshall Field's. Many older local townspeople spoke about its closure. So many ladies loved the lunch cafeteria they offered. So much so, that a local restaurant chain in my home state purchased the recipe for their cinnamon rolls! They still sell them.

6 days ago

Ket

Veteran

Not quite the same, however a small farm town we adore lost their JC Penny store 5-6 years ago. The store had just celebrated their 100th anniversary to boot when the closure was announced by corporate. We were visiting town that day when they had their closing sale. I bought a lovely bra, gorgeous pleated wide leg Tencel pants, and a pair of yoga leggings. Still sad they closed.

Very sad to hear about Hudson Bay Co. It's heartbreaking seeing so many historic brick and mortar stores close. <3

6 days ago

Dee

Veteran

Thanks all for sharing, it looks like the end of an era for many of these beloved retailers.

6 days ago

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