Hudson's Bay Company

[alklay]

HBC has now confirmed the closing of at least two stores in Alberta.

One at Londonderry Mall in Edmonton.......which, in fairness, might the best served HBC market in the country on a stores per capita basis...........

Though, that store was under-invested in, as so many are, for at least a generation...............

But now, they've also confirmed exiting Banff with had a mini-store (20,000ft2) which it has had for generations.

I feel like this merits close watching, as I've been hearing rumours of large-scale closures for more than a year, and all the signs have been there, but it just hasn't come to pass, but now we have 2 announcements in as many weeks.

Hudson’s Bay to Shut Londonderry Mall Store in Edmonton

The retailer will close one of its oldest locations in Alberta this summer as the retailer strategizes the future of its physical stores.

retail-insider.com

Hudson’s Bay to Shut Historic Standalone Store in Banff Alberta

The smallest department store in the chain caters to tourists and locals in the town and has been an important retailer in Banff for over 80 years.

retail-insider.com

HBC stores across the country, including in flagship malls are running contracted hours that make no sense whatsoever.

You can't generate sale per ft2 with a closed store.

****

I am hearing that at least 2 stores in the GTA ( I suspect more) are up for closure in the near-term, but HBC does a pretty good job of keeping the actual dates quiet.

Rebrand The Bay at Centrepoint (Steeles and Yonge) as a Zellers, keep the same merchandise, and call it a day. No one will notice. Or care.

 

[innsertnamehere]

low hanging fruit for the Bay in the GTA:

- Eglinton Square
- Centrepoint
- Burlington Mall

Burlington Mall always blew me away as it's literally less than a 5 minute drive from their Mapleview store. It neve made any sense to me.

 

[Northern Light]

The Globe and Mail has a preview of the Zellers re-launch.

A sneak peek inside the relaunch of Zellers, and what the resurrected discount chain means for Hudson’s Bay

HBC is trying to capitalize on nostalgia for the Zellers brand while also setting expectations that things will be different this time around

www.theglobeandmail.com

Credit: Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail - Image above is the prototype store in Erin Mills Town Centre

There's a few images in the article, along with some descriptions of a few products.

The overwhelming focus, apparently will be store-brand products; though there will be some name brands, including Mattel and Disney (toys, I would imagine)

***

From the article:

Not too many other details, some web presence and delivery charge stuff and few other bits n'bobs.

 

[Towered]

The Globe and Mail has a preview of the Zellers re-launch.

A sneak peek inside the relaunch of Zellers, and what the resurrected discount chain means for Hudson’s Bay

HBC is trying to capitalize on nostalgia for the Zellers brand while also setting expectations that things will be different this time around

www.theglobeandmail.com

View attachment 460253
Credit: Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail - Image above is the prototype store in Erin Mills Town Centre

There's a few images in the article, along with some descriptions of a few products.

The overwhelming focus, apparently will be store-brand products; though there will be some name brands, including Mattel and Disney (toys, I would imagine)

***

From the article:

View attachment 460254

Not too many other details, some web presence and delivery charge stuff and few other bits n'bobs.

Can't say this re-launch particularly excites me, so I don't understand the social media hype. I even thought the stores were lame as a kid in the 80's - they never had the toys I wanted!!

 

[alklay]

Can't say this re-launch particularly excites me, so I don't understand the social media hype. I even thought the stores were lame as a kid in the 80's - they never had the toys I wanted!!

They never had anything anyone wanted. That is why they are gone. That is why Walmart took their market share after only a few years. lol

(the most consistent thing about Zellers was that they would not have what they were advertising in their flyer that week.)

 

[Northern Light]

They never had anything anyone wanted. That is why they are gone.

Actually, they weren't losing money; though they made very little, in most years, prior to their liquidation.

That, however is not why they went the way of the Dodo.

It's that Target offered to buy all their leases for more than Richard Baker paid for the entirety of HBC only a few years earlier, and a sum, that would have been equal, to at least a decade's worth of profit, I would think.

The exact numbers were never disclosed publicly, that I can recall.

But the Wikipedia entry suggests the chain was profitable in 2011: (Foote means Mark Foote was the turnaround CEO brought in to rehab Zellers)

Foote focused on raising profits, even if that meant losing market share and reducing store traffic, by ramping up inventory levels of higher margin goods over loss leaders such as apparel over deeply discounted paper towels and detergent, and slashing costs. Foote also replaced the expensive fall television ad campaign with a social media blitz on Facebook. Reportedly, the strategy was paying off as Zellers operating profit was "well ahead of expectations and the retailer had performed very well in 2011.[24]

That is why Walmart took their market share after only a few years. lol

That probably didn't help. But there were other issues. Zellers had unions, Wal-Mart did not, Zellers had all sorts of legacy stores that were small and low-traffic, but had longer-term leases they couldn't cheaply exit.

Wal-Mart scratch built the majority of their Canadian stores, it was well capitalized and aggressive.

(the most consistent thing about Zellers was that they would not have what they were advertising in their flyer that week.)

I was never a regular Zellers shopper so I can't say I noted that.

The last thing I remember buying from them, though I'm sure there were others was sheets. Because they sold Black Sheets in a year that no-one else had them; in that case, being off-trend matched my decor! LOL

 

[Richard White]

The last thing I remember buying from them, though I'm sure there were others was sheets. Because they sold Black Sheets in a year that no-one else had them; in that case, being off-trend matched my decor! LOL

Going goth are we?

 

[Northern Light]

Going goth are we?

LOL, I would not equate black sheets with goth.

Though I am naturally a bit on the pale side (or pink the summer).

 

[officedweller]

Didn't Wal-Mart take over a bunch of Woolco stores (but did so successfully).

 

[gabe]

Didn't Wal-Mart take over a bunch of Woolco stores (but did so successfully).

Yes they did. They took over the Woolco store at Fairview Mall in Kitchener. It's still going.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Didn't Wal-Mart take over a bunch of Woolco stores (but did so successfully).

Yes - it took over a Woolco in the now dead Honeydale Mall - they stayed there until they built a standalone near Sherway. Did the same to the store at Square One as well.

AoD

 

[Richard White]

and in Morningside Mall!

I still have my Woolco bookshelf that we bought when it closed.

 

[Dan416]

Yes - it took over a Woolco in the now dead Honeydale Mall - they stayed there until they built a standalone near Sherway. Did the same to the store at Square One as well.

AoD

I think the former Woolco at Square One was one of Walmart's only 2-level stores for a long time. I guess the Erin Mills store (former Target, former Zellers, former Eatons) would be another 2-level store.

 

[Towered]

I think the former Woolco at Square One was one of Walmart's only 2-level stores for a long time. I guess the Erin Mills store (former Target, former Zellers, former Eatons) would be another 2-level store.

So is the Dufferin mall Walfart, which I believe was previously a Zellers.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I think the former Woolco at Square One was one of Walmart's only 2-level stores for a long time. I guess the Erin Mills store (former Target, former Zellers, former Eatons) would be another 2-level store.

What I can't remember for the love of me is what the current Walmart at Square One used to be.

The Globe and Mail has a preview of the Zellers re-launch.

A sneak peek inside the relaunch of Zellers, and what the resurrected discount chain means for Hudson’s Bay

HBC is trying to capitalize on nostalgia for the Zellers brand while also setting expectations that things will be different this time around

www.theglobeandmail.com

View attachment 460253
Credit: Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail - Image above is the prototype store in Erin Mills Town Centre

There's a few images in the article, along with some descriptions of a few products.

The overwhelming focus, apparently will be store-brand products; though there will be some name brands, including Mattel and Disney (toys, I would imagine)

***

From the article:

View attachment 460254

Not too many other details, some web presence and delivery charge stuff and few other bits n'bobs.

Looks like they have picked up some Target aesthetics there - but I doubt they'd bother with the effort of running the store like one. ETA to entropy = overdue.

AoD