Shoppers flock to N.S. Hudson’s Bay stores as liquidation begins

Hudson's Bay stores in Halifax and Sydney are selling off their inventory.

It’s the beginning of the end for the Hudson’s Bay company in Nova Scotia.

The retailer’s stores in Sydney and Dartmouth, like dozens of others nationwide, are selling off their inventory.

“It’s a sad day. Sad day for Canada. Sad day for business in Canada. The company has been around since 1670, it’s the oldest corporation in the history of Canada,” said business professor Ed McHugh.

Despite efforts to save the business, experts say the company ran into sustainability issues.

“We saw the end of Eaton’s back in 2002, we saw the fall of Sears around 2018. Nordstrom had a couple of stores in Canada, they’ve since pulled out. The big department store concept doesn’t seem to work well with consumers anymore,” says McHugh.

The liquidation sales don’t start until Tuesday, but many shoppers at the Hudson’s Bay inside Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth came to get a first look at deals on Monday.

McHugh says consumers can expect better deals closer to the company’s June 15 liquation deadline.

One shopper, Anne Cairns, says as a long-time fan of the Bay, she’s sad to see it go.

“(I) really look forward to going there to shop for sheets, and towels and summer clothes. It’s going to be missed,” says Cairns.

But with thousands of jobs impacted, Cairns hopes for a last-minute turnaround.

“It would be really nice if they were able to save it, but the competition is fierce with online shopping…so there would have to be a big change,” she says.

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