TORONTO — When the pre-lunch rush hit Wednesday at the flagship Hudson’s Bay store in Toronto, Brian Bursten was considering himself one of the lucky ones.
As he walked out the storied retailer’s Queen Street West location, he gripped a shopping bag containing a little treasure inside: a Hudson’s Bay striped pillow.
The purchase had been requested by his nephew who wanted a reminder of the retailer, which could be headed for liquidation as it grapples with financial troubles.
Bursten was amazed he succeeded.
“Everything was pretty well cleared out, but I was stopped by a woman who obviously knew I was looking," he said. "To make a long story short, she had a bunch of stuff and one of them she didn't want, and that's how I ended up buying this particular one."
The rush to pick up merchandise from Canada's oldest retailer comes as the brand dating back to 1670 and the fur trade era has filed for creditor protection and says it will need to liquidate all 80 of its stores unless it can find a lender to provide substantial financing.
As Bursten spoke, shoppers at the store hunted for any product left bearing the brand's distinctive markings. Though there appeared to be plenty of ball caps and socks, none of the coveted blankets — Hudson's Bay's most iconic product — remained on shelves.
The point blankets bearing only gold stripes were originally traded by settlers in the 1600s, but the current Hudson's Bay version with its distinct green, red, yellow and indigo colours originated in 1779.
Many shoppers wound up empty-handed after asking staff for any remaining product, rifling through store drawers and even searching under beds in store. A line of 14 people formed at the cash, many holding striped socks.
The surge in demand didn't surprise Grant Packard, an associate professor of marketing at York University's Schulich School of Business, who previously held top marketing jobs at Indigo Books & Music.
The affinity Canadians have for Hudson's Bay is only on par with Tim Hortons and is infinitely stronger than what they feel for brands since shuttered, he reasoned.
"It feels way bigger than Eaton's or Zellers," he said. (Hudson's Bay has revived the latter brand in its store.)
"The Bay is the oldest Canadian company. It's in almost every town and it was the hugest brand in many small towns. It's just larger than life in the beautiful old buildings."
When he heard the company was having financial difficulties, he logged onto the Bay's website looking to see if he could get a blanket. When his odds weren't looking good, he headed for his basement, where he thought he might have an old one.
He was in luck.
"I had a sigh of relief that I still have this piece of Canadian history," he recalled.
Some who have Hudson's Bay merchandise on hand are posting them online. Wool point blankets are going for upwards of $3,500 on eBay and less ritzy, striped products are listed for hundreds of dollars.
Packard hoped shoppers wouldn't shell out too much to add the items to their homes because he thinks the chain will likely find a buyer for the stripes brand.
"I don't think it's going to disappear entirely," he said.
Aris Zakinthinos wasn't taking any chances.
He went to the Toronto store Wednesday because he "wanted a memento" of the retailer, should it fold.
He managed to grab a black, white and grey striped blanket on Tuesday and was back Wednesday, when he managed to find a striped comforter.
As he made his way to the cash with the comforter, he kept getting stopped by other shoppers hoping he'd change his mind about purchasing it so they could buy it instead.
"All the employees I talked to say there is no more, like they're clearing out warehouses there," Zakinthinos said. "If something shows up, you just have to get lucky."
A few steps away, Doug English sat beside a pile of at least three Hudson's Bay blankets and a comforter as a family member scurried around the store seeking other products.
The Chatham, Ont., man was in town for a hockey game but made a stop at the store to buy souvenirs for loved ones.
"It's a shame that all the big stores are dying because everybody's buying online now," he said. "Sadly, it's a sign of the times."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
