Canadian Retail Thread

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by esquire

At least that's something. The DT Winnipeg store still has the old "The Bay" signage which makes it look even more pathetic and forlorn than it already was.

As for the Amsterdam store, it would be a weird feeling to see The Bay in Europe. But hey, between Tim Hortons and now The Bay, it's nice to see us actually exporting retail products. Something has to fill the gap now that Blackberry is pretty well dead.

It would sure be nice if Halifax had one. We don't have a single department store downtown yet they're going to build one on the other side of the fucking Atlantic.

[ue]

There's only 2 Bay stores in the whole of the Maritimes, which I found kinda odd... I guess HBC's focus was more on Central and Western Canada.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by ue

There's only 2 Bay stores in the whole of the Maritimes, which I found kinda odd... I guess HBC's focus was more on Central and Western Canada.

Even though they have a uber-Canadian image, The Bay was historically a western-focused company... they didn't open their first Toronto store until 1974.

[BretttheRiderFan]

Maybe it makes sense, I mean, their trading posts were all in Rupert's Land after all?

That's pretty surprising to hear there are two HBCs in the Maritimes. There are three within a fifteen minute drive of my apartment.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by BretttheRiderFan

Maybe it makes sense, I mean, their trading posts were all in Rupert's Land after all?

All over Rupert's Land, exporting directly to Europe. Central/Eastern Canada didn't become the focus until the fur trading operations died off and HBC transformed itself into a retail chain.

[ue]

Originally Posted by esquire

Even though they have a uber-Canadian image, The Bay was historically a western-focused company... they didn't open their first Toronto store until 1974.

Yes, it wasn't until they bought out Simpsons that they became more nationally-focused. And yet, they've penetrated the Windsor-Quebec corridor pretty well and have made their brand known there. I actually did see a fair number of the iconic HBC blankets in the Maritimes, and yet there's only one store in Halifax, and one in Sydney. I think there used to be one in Moncton, but otherwise nothing in NB or PEI. Also none in Newfoundland. The focus of HBC seems to be ON/QC/AB/BC, while throwing a bone to SK and MB for old time's sake.

[casper]

Originally Posted by ue

Yes, it wasn't until they bought out Simpsons that they became more nationally-focused. And yet, they've penetrated the Windsor-Quebec corridor pretty well and have made their brand known there. I actually did see a fair number of the iconic HBC blankets in the Maritimes, and yet there's only one store in Halifax, and one in Sydney. I think there used to be one in Moncton, but otherwise nothing in NB or PEI. Also none in Newfoundland. The focus of HBC seems to be ON/QC/AB/BC, while throwing a bone to SK and MB for old time's sake.

At one point HBC merged with the NorthWest Company. That brought together all the historical northern and rural outposts. In the mid 1980s there was a buyout of the rural and northern operation by the management team and they split and the new company adopted the old NorthWest company name.

The HBC spin-offs are still around. In additional the NorthWest company Field's is now an independent company again.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by ue

Yes, it wasn't until they bought out Simpsons that they became more nationally-focused. And yet, they've penetrated the Windsor-Quebec corridor pretty well and have made their brand known there. I actually did see a fair number of the iconic HBC blankets in the Maritimes, and yet there's only one store in Halifax, and one in Sydney. I think there used to be one in Moncton, but otherwise nothing in NB or PEI. Also none in Newfoundland. The focus of HBC seems to be ON/QC/AB/BC, while throwing a bone to SK and MB for old time's sake.

It was only up until a few years ago that there were two in Halifax.

[ue]

Hmmm. So it's declining. Is the Bay just not popular out there?

[BretttheRiderFan]

It's been a bit of a rough go for all the major department stores the past few years, hasn't it? I mean, The Bay has been one of the more resilient ones, but still.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Acajack

They still have a long way to go renovating their Canadian stores. I don't believe the renos of the downtown Ottawa store on Rideau are even close to being done. (Will stand corrected if I am mistaken.)

They haven't touched their Gatineau store at all except to change the outdoor sign from "La Baie" to "LA BAIE D'HUDSON". I actually think they are wondering whether or not we're worth it. There is a brand-new Simons in the same mall and it's stealing most of the department store-level fashion business from The Bay in Gatineau at the moment.

Their Toronto stores were quite likely what was tackled first so Torontonians will have a more favourable view of Hudson Bay than elsewhere in Canada. As they've gone higher end, they're less of a mass marketer and more niche than they used to be. Ottawa and Winnipeg are surely large enough for them to want a presence but smaller cities might not be big enough to support a Hudson Bay.

They have 90 stores in Canada. That number will surely go down.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by esquire

As for the Amsterdam store, it would be a weird feeling to see The Bay in Europe. But hey, between Tim Hortons and now The Bay, it's nice to see us actually exporting retail products. Something has to fill the gap now that Blackberry is pretty well dead.

Other Canadian retail names one might be surprised to see outside Canada: Aldo, La Senza, Second Cup, Lululemon, TD Bank, Freshii, Scotiabank, and Couche Tard (everything outside Quebec will be rebranded Circle K), Smoke's Poutinerie, Four Seasons, Fairmont. There are quite a few more.

I was surprised to learn that Second Cup is in 23 countries. Circle K will be, by far, Canada's most prolific retail brand outside the country with 14,000+ stores in the US, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland, China, Indonesia, and Japan.

[BretttheRiderFan]

Where in Canada did Freshii originate? Because they're absolutely incredible.

[esquire]

Not sure I'd call circle K a Canadian brand, even if it is Canadian owned... Fairmont is more a product of mergers and acquisitions than something truly homegrown. lululemon on the other hand is probably one of the most prominent examples of a solid Canadian brand now.

[isaidso]

^^ Circle K and Fairmont were both US companies that were bought by Couche Tard and CP Hotels respectively. Companies often re-brand the whole firm when they grow. They could just have easily have gone with the Couche Tard and CP Hotels names globally. That they did the reverse doesn't negate that these are Canadian companies that are expanding globally.

Couche Tard (now Circle K) and Fairmont are very much companies that grew out of Canada.

Originally Posted by BretttheRiderFan

Where in Canada did Freshii originate? Because they're absolutely incredible.

It was founded in Toronto in 2005.

[Taeolas]

Yeah the Bay never really expanded much in the Maritimes, at least not as The Bay.

Zellers on the other hand, used to be all over the place up here. 2 (ages ago there were 3 even) in Freddy, locations up North and all over. So that's probably partly how the HBC brand spread so far out here; beyond what you would expect for a 3-store basis.

Now, they are only in Sydney and Halifax. They were in Moncton up to 5 years or so ago; but moved out when Highfield Square closed (It's where the new Downtown Events Centre is being built now). The feeling is, they want back into Moncton, but are waiting for a good location to open up. (Either somewhere downtown again, or out in Champlain Place when Sears shuts down and/or if Walmart decamps).

I do wonder, if Sears Canada's woes continue, if HBC might put them out of their misery to claim the locations.

[Loco101]

Would you agree that Home Hardware is maybe the most common or visible retailer across Canada? You will see stores in large urban centres, suburban areas, towns and even rural villages.

I've seen locations in rural Newfoundland, many in traditionally pro-sovereignty areas of Quebec, isolated communities in Northern Ontario, etc.. And they have locations in the territories including Nunavut. It's hard to find a market in Canada that they haven't penetrated. You'll even find locations in the most densely populated parts of Toronto.

It's amazing that they have survived with competitors such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Canadian Tire and Rona.

[ue]

You actually don't see Home Hardware in the big cities out west. I was surprised the first time I was in Toronto to see them in such an urban location (but very useful) as they're generally associated with small towns out here.

[TownGuy]

The small town Home Hardware's really are a throw back to a different era with their funky little downtown locations. Like this one in Colborne, ON, population of 2000.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZCfC8tna4Cw

Looks like they're even expanding in that view.

[Nouvellecosse]

Hone Hardware isn't really in Metro Hfx either. I think there may be one small location in an out of the way location but I've never seen or gone to it.