TORONTO – Hudson’s Bay’s signature blankets and other striped merchandise are flying off the shelves as Canadians scramble to pick up a piece of the storied retailer seeking permission to liquidate.
Shoppers at the company’s Toronto flagship store Wednesday before the lunch rush, hunted for any product bearing the brand’s distinctive markings that were left on the Queen Street West location’s floor.
Many wound up empty-handed after asking staff for any remaining product, rifling through store drawers and even searching under beds.
Shopper Brian Bursten was among the lucky ones. The Toronto man headed to the store after his nephew requested he scoop up anything with stripes. He snagged a striped pillow another woman had decided not to take home.
Aris Zakinthinos managed to grab a comforter but as he made his way to the cash, he kept getting stopped by other people hoping he’d change his mind about purchasing it so they could buy it instead.
The rush to pick up merchandise from Canada’s oldest retailer comes as the brand has filed for creditor protection and says it will need to liquidate all 80 of its stores unless it gets substantial financing soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.
