The Simpsons Regis Room in Toronto
The glamour of department store glory years is gone with Hudson’s Bay - most of its stores are in terrible shape, and a shocking lack of investment has led to a situation where Bay stores , even in downtown cores, have non-functioning escalators, evelators, and no centralized music. 22 | Retail Insider the magazine | Volume three Issue two
core. It’s a story being played out across Canada as department stores shuttered in years past, and now the future of Hudson’s Bay’s remaining downtown stores in Canada are in question. The glamour of department store glory years is gone with Hudson’s Bay — most of its stores are in terrible shape, and a shocking lack of investment (as well as various periods of not paying vendors) has led to a situation where Bay stores, even in downtown cores, have non-functioning escalators, elevators, and no centralized music. In the spring and summer of 2024, many Hudson’s Bay stores were forced to close due to hot temperatures. Sources said it’s because HVAC supplier bills were not being paid. That means that the magic and the experience of the downtown department store is for the most part a thing of the past in Canada — Hudson’s Bay’s downtown Toronto store on Queen Street, once the grand flagship of Simpsons, might install moving window displays for Christmas. But the overall retail experience at the store lacks