Hudson Bay Sell Off: It's Uncanadian

What shoppers need to know

Ten years ago, I was down on my luck, and decided to take a part-time job at Home Outfitters, which was having a bankruptcy sale. Home Outfitters was owned by the Hudson Bay Company, and employees were given several months to liquidate.

It was my favorite store, and I was hoping to get some great deals in addition to making a small sum every week working on the “soft side” which referred to bedding and bath stuff as well as mattresses and a few sticks of furniture.

The experience was truly eye-opening for somebody who had never worked retail before. It had its advantages: I could get in my 10,000 steps and I got to work with really great people (some pictured above).

I thought I would share some insights for people who are eager to pick over the bones of one of Canada’s most iconic stores. I want to say that I have no problem doing so, given that The Bay is now owned by American bandits who just bought the chain to sell off valuable real estate.

First, a warning.

There are already fake Bay sites on the Internet, thanks to the fact that Mark Zuckerberg has fired most of his staff at Meta who were in charge of detecting fraud. Here’s an example I saw today on Instagram — totally bogus.

Clearly, people who shop this site are going to get fleeced. The Bay would never, ever sell stuff for that amount, even in its closing days. So buyer beware. I suggest you go to the stores in person, just to be safe.

Now, regarding your shopping strategy.

Don’t go to the store in the first few weeks. You are going to get robbed.

We spent the first days of the sale marking up goods by up to 70 percent. So if you’re buying you are helping the American bandits pad their sales substantially.

Second, most of the really good stuff will no doubt go back to the wholesaler. Don’t expect to get that sweet Nespresso machine, for example, because the only stuff you will be able to buy is the same stuff you would get going to the Amazon after-sale store (where companies dump goods when it’s not worth re-shipping).

There will be great buys but not for at least a month because the company simply reduces its prices by about 10 percent a week. So unless you want to pay nearly full prices for an item, stay out of the store!

And I have one request: please be nice to the staff.

I cannot tell you how many people come in, especially rich people, and brow beat the hard working staff who are doing their best. Don’t ask them to find you a size. Find it yourself. Don’t ask them to rummage through the stock looking for a different color — that is not their job — besides, they are about to lose their jobs.

I can’t tell you the number of creeps that came into our store and decide to swing their dicks around, their mouths full of demands. I saw one departmental manager in tears because somebody said this: “I’m glad you’re losing your job!”

Just because she pushed back against their unreasonable demands.

Meanwhile, the owners and high level managers are expected to rake in a wind fall in this closure while The Bay staff will get no severance.

Maybe re-think going to this fire sale.

It’s un-Canadian.

But, of course, who can resist a deal?