Canadian Retail Thread - Page 423

Taeolas · #**8441** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 10:28 AM**

I could probably see Canadian Tire looking to buy the HBC brand and make it a style line in Marks or something like that; keep the name alive without the real estate baggage and such.

Or some of the other clothing chains might try to snag it (like the Reitmans group or the Northern Reflection group; I've lost track of who's running what now in the mall stores).

Biff · #**8442** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 1:44 PM**

To me Roots seems like the natural successor to keep the Bay branded stripe blankets and clothing. I have no idea how that sort of thing works though - just buying the rights to a certain aspect of a company.

Innsertnamehere · #**8443** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 1:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

To me Roots seems like the natural successor to keep the Bay branded stripe blankets and clothing. I have no idea how that sort of thing works though - just buying the rights to a certain aspect of a company.

Everything of value will be put up for sale during the proceedings, including things like brand rights.

Those rights will be sold to the highest bidder, whoever that is.

There is enough value in the Hudsons Bay brand that I imagine someone will pick it up.

samne · #**8444** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 2:58 PM**

Lulu Lemon, Canada Goose, Roots as potential suitors. HBC join as a quality Canadian clothing and Lifestyle brand.

Wigs · #**8445** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 3:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hecate

Honestly heartbroken by the HBC news. What do you think the chances are of the bay surviving this, can the government intervene?

I love shopping at the bay, just bought some stripe stuff this morning and it’s slim pickings. This really sucks.

What do you want the government to do? Bail them out?

Canada has at least a few Billionaire families that make a huge chunk of their wealth from retail. Maybe one of them sees value in it.

J.OT13 · #**8446** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 3:12 PM**

Let's hope a Canadian Company steps up and saves the flagships at least. The whole company need major investment to bring it up to modern standards.

Hecate · #**8447** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 3:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wigs

What do you want the government to do? Bail them out?

Canada has at least a few Billionaire families that make a huge chunk of their wealth from retail. Maybe one of them sees value in it.

We bail out bankers and car manufacturers.

Why wouldn’t we bail Canadas oldest company that is basically the reason for the country’s existence.

Airboy · #**8448** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 3:17 PM**

By the HBC Name, Let the retail close and then build on the heritage.

MonctonRad · #**8449** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 3:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Let's hope a Canadian Company steps up and saves the flagships at least. The whole company need major investment to bring it up to modern standards.

Only the Westons come to mind. Canada has a distinct shortage of white knight billionaires.........

Wigs · #**8450** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 3:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Let's hope a Canadian Company steps up and saves the flagships at least. The whole company need major investment to bring it up to modern standards.

I heard on CBC radio that even the downtown Toronto flagship has a broken escalator.
A supplier of paper rolls for debit machines from Thunder Bay is owed $80,000 as just one example of the chain not paying its bills.

What a disgrace. Decades of lack of maintenance, failure of reinvestment, poor management and then stripped and sold for parts by an American equity firm.
Good grief

Ozabald · #**8451** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hecate

We bail out bankers and car manufacturers.

Why wouldn’t we bail Canadas oldest company that is basically the reason for the country’s existence.

The government should not be bailing out retail firms. Give government money to The Bay so they can compete against Canadian retailers such as Simons which has been around since 1840). How is that fair to Simons?

Marshsparrow · #**8452** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 4:30 PM**

Everyone lamenting about how this could happen then receive their weekly Amazon purchases, run off to Walmart or Costco with pure joy... that's how.

softee · #**8453** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 4:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wigs

I heard on CBC radio that even the downtown Toronto flagship has a broken escalator.

More than one! I took a walk through the Toronto flagship after the news broke about them applying for creditor protection.

• Video Link

Ozabald · #**8454** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by samne

Lulu Lemon, Canada Goose, Roots as potential suitors. HBC join as a quality Canadian clothing and Lifestyle brand.

Roots is not Canadian owned. A majority stake was sold by the original founders to an American investment firm in 2015. Canada Goose is not Canadian owned as well. A Boston based private equity firm acquired a 70% share in 2013. Though headquartered in Vancouver, Lululemon is incorporated in Delaware; so legally it's an American company.

samne · #**8455** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 6:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Roots is not Canadian owned. A majority stake was sold by the original founders to an American investment firm in 2015. Canada Goose is not Canadian owned as well. A Boston based private equity firm acquired a 70% share in 2013. Though headquartered in Vancouver, Lululemon is incorporated in Delaware; so legally it's an American company.

The Bay is currently owned by a US Private Equity firm. I’m suggesting what the HBC could look like and continue as a brand without its department stores.

YYCguys · #**8456** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 6:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Let's hope a Canadian Company steps up and saves the flagships at least. The whole company need major investment to bring it up to modern standards.

Which locations are considered to be their flagship stores?

theman23 · #**8457** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 6:51 PM**

The downtown locations, although I don't expect all of them to survive. The Montreal location was doing poorly even prior to COVID. Hopefully at least the Toronto and Vancouver locations manage to stay open.

TorontoDrew · #**8458** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 7:03 PM**

I could see them saving the Montreal location as well. It's the oldest location ( I think). I wonder if these large department stores could be repurposed into buildings that can house several different local retailers. My obvious fear for the Toronto location would be a 75 storey condo tower using the original building as it's podium.

Doady · #**8459** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 7:10 PM**

Flagship stores are for advertising, they never profitable. So the only way to save the flagship stores is to save all the non-flagship stores.

J.OT13 · #**8460** Posted **Mar 18, 2025, 7:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wigs

I heard on CBC radio that even the downtown Toronto flagship has a broken escalator.
A supplier of paper rolls for debit machines from Thunder Bay is owed $80,000 as just one example of the chain not paying its bills.

What a disgrace. Decades of lack of maintenance, failure of reinvestment, poor management and then stripped and sold for parts by an American equity firm.
Good grief

But hey, the share holders had a great month that time HBC sold most of its real estate! That makes it all worth it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I could see them saving the Montreal location as well. It's the oldest location ( I think). I wonder if these large department stores could be repurposed into buildings that can house several different local retailers. My obvious fear for the Toronto location would be a 75 storey condo tower using the original building as it's podium.

The Montreal location was a Morgan's before. HBC opened in the building in 1972. Similarly, the Ottawa location was local Freiman's until 1972, and rebranded HBC in 1973.