# Hudson's Bay Company -- Canada's last great department store -- is in trouble **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 8, 2025, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295 "2025-03-08T12:37:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295/21 "2025-05-19T19:34:24Z")
I have a vintage Hudsons Bay blanket. My Granny had it. I’m not sure how she got it. I grabbed it when we were clearing her house. It’s beautiful. Still whole. No cuts or moth holes. But its not very comfortable to sleep under. Itchy. My girls call it the first weighted blanket. It’s half point size. With the iconic stripes. The body of the blanket is a pleasing mellow yellow. (I assume was white at one time, or beige) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295/22 "2025-05-19T19:55:29Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > CTC also operates Mark’s Work Wearhouse (L’Équipeur), Sports Experts / Atmosphere / Sportchek, and apparently they also own the Helly Hansen clothing company. I didn’t know about the other ones, but yeah, I knew about Mark’s and they’re often side by side with Canadian Tire. It’s where I get my jeans. I’m curious what they have in mind with this move. This may be prescient: > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I suspect they hope than can create something akin to the US Kohl’s / Target / Sears (in the old days): A mass-market discount retailer of middle-class housewares and clothing trading on a familiar name with cachet. Tagline: “Now there’s an HBC for the rest of us!” But one needs to keep in mind that Sears and many other mid-market department stores like it failed. I’m not sure about the US but Sears closed down in Canada some years ago, and in the US I think it’s on life support if it still exists at all. And Target’s move into Canada was an unmitigated disaster for other reasons. The one general retailer that’s doing really well here, besides Canadian Tire and Home Depot and the like which are kind of specialty stores, is Walmart. But that’s definitely targeting a lower-grade discount market. I lament the loss of HBC, a place that was such a pleasure to visit, with its soft lighting, marble floors, and outstanding merchandise. I hate this world! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295/23 "2025-05-19T20:08:54Z")
I would enjoy a store like that. Sounds so nice. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295/24 "2025-05-19T20:27:27Z")
If they want to take their chance at doing yet another Wal-Mart lookalike, I’m pretty sure the brand portfolio still includes… Zellers. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295/25 "2025-05-19T20:32:03Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > But one needs to keep in mind that Sears and many other mid-market department stores like it failed. I’m not sure about the US but Sears closed down in Canada some years ago, and in the US I think it’s on life support if it still exists at all. Essentially dead now as a department store, torn apart by its CEO, Eddie Lampert, in pursuit of short-term profits by selling off the chain’s real estate and other assets. There are apparently still a handful of Sears stores still open, somehow. Kohl’s had actually been doing well as a mid-market department store, though their focus is narrower than Sears was (primarily clothing and housewares). But, even they, in recent years, have hit some harder times. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295/26 "2025-05-19T20:34:00Z")
Although Kohls and Target still exist, unlike Sears, Kmart and others. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295/27 "2025-05-19T20:57:53Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > apparently they also own the Helly Hansen clothing company. CTC sold it earlier this year: [https://www2.canadiantire.ca/English/media/news-releases/press-release-details/2025/Canadian-Tire-Corporation-announces-sale-of-Helly-Hansen-to-Kontoor-Brands-simplifying-CTC-portfolio-to-focus-on-Canadian-retail-growth/default.aspx](https://www2.canadiantire.ca/English/media/news-releases/press-release-details/2025/Canadian-Tire-Corporation-announces-sale-of-Helly-Hansen-to-Kontoor-Brands-simplifying-CTC-portfolio-to-focus-on-Canadian-retail-growth/default.aspx) The HBC brands tie into this focus on Canadian retail where they can offer things like Gluckstein at Home for home goods. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hudsons-bay-company-canadas-last-great-department-store-is-in-trouble/1015295.md?page=1)