Even if you’ve walked up their broken escalators, grumbled about their limited hours or complained about their lack of A/C like me, the situation with Hudson’s Bay is very sad.
When Hudson’s Bay filed for creditor protection, I sat down with retail expert Roslyn Griner. As a marketing executive, Roslyn has worked with major brands like Coty, Hanesbrands and Reitmans. She’s also a fashion and beauty content creator (@howrosdoesit) with over 100K followers.
Note: This interview was filmed on March 12 before Hudson’s Bay announced it will liquidate its entire business.
“It used to be about their Olympic collaborations, but they’ve lost their unique standing with the consumer.”
– Roslyn Griner
Roslyn emphasized that The Bay’s future depends on leadership, merchandising and marketing. The ultimate restructuring plan: recruiting Joe Mimran to rescue the store! We gushed over The Bay’s former president Bonnie Brooks who led the company and voiced radio ads during its heyday. It was also interesting to compare our experiences shopping in Montreal vs. Toronto.
Shortly before Zellers closed, I interviewed their director of marketing Jennifer Zedic in a Behind The Brand: Zellers Q&A. Roslyn and I applauded Jennifer’s new vision for Hudson’s Bay that she shared on LinkedIn as a former employee. Jennifer suggests creating a marketplace that features your favourite Canadian brands across categories to support local talent. It’s a great idea, especially if Gen Z recognizes new brands they love in a department store they’ve ignored.
Before the pandemic, The Bay hosted events with local style experts in Toronto. For example, I went to Hudson’s Bay on Queen St. to visit Iva Grbesic and Ruby Benson when they featured influencers. I didn’t meet Khloe Kardashian when she visited to promote Good American, but I think about it often. They haven’t announced similar events recently except for a one-off with Naomi Watts to promote her new brand, Stripes Beauty.
Canadians need more opportunities to connect in person with people who share common interests. For example, hosting book signings at The Bay would be a great opportunity for a company with lots of staff and space.
I’ve shopped at Hudson’s Bay my whole life. I visited almost every location in Toronto to look at prom dresses. I found a great Superdry polka dot dress for my university graduation at the Eaton Centre. And I recently picked up the Zeddy bear, which made me so happy!
Sears desperately tried to revive their department store, but they failed. All I have left are drinking glasses from the Sears media preview and my childhood portraits. It’s unfortunate how Hudson’s Bay is seriously struggling and I hope we’re left with more than a few collectible stripes.
Watch my full conversation about Hudson’s Bay with Roslyn Griner on YouTube and please subscribe!
Photo: WZMH Architects