Hudson's Bay cuts guidance

TY · ‎03-10-2010

It looks like another department store chain isn't doing that well either. HBC, parent company of Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor, and Saks 5th Avenue has cut revenue forcasts after a disappointing holiday season.

From the Retail Dive website:

http://www.retaildive.com/news/hudsons-bay-cuts-guidance-again-after-holiday-season-struggles/433704...

My own experience with Hudson's Bay stores in Canada and their website has been a mediocre one. What is sold in stores isn't necessarily the same price as their online website and the inventory online isn't necessarily in the stores. Their website crashed when trying to shop pre Boxing Day and Boxing Day. It's hit and miss and more often it's a miss for me. They no longer sell the nice Nygard sharkbite hem ITY jersey tops that I like so I'm buying them directly off the Nygard website. Hudson's Bay is now selling fast fashion junk that I have no intension of buying.

Hudson's Bay women's shoe selection is abyssimal in store too, they no longer carry any wide width in stores so I am shopping for shoes mostly elsewhere. I haven't bought shoes there since September and one of the pair I bought then was a pair of Clarks sandals in a 7.5W that was obviously an online shoe purchase returned in store. HBC doesn't have the ability to buy online and have it shipped free for pickup in store either.

Oh and HBC paid a million dollars to have Mariah Carey sing 2 Christmas songs in Toronto back in November when they were opening a Saks 5th Avenue store. Geez, maybe that million dollars should have gone to repainting and cleaning the dressing rooms!

Lilysmom · ‎03-09-2010

@TY, I shopped quite a bit online at Hudson's Bay as I had limited mobility during the Christmas period with a broken foot. I found it to be a pretty good experience online with more choice than is available at the store. They have to do something about their packaging though. OMG, they sent me two pairs of trouser socks in a huge box at least 16 x 20". Crazy! This happened more than once.

For retail shipping and return, you can't beat Amazon. LM

TY · ‎03-10-2010

@Lilysmom wrote:
@TY, I shopped quite a bit online at Hudson's Bay as I had limited mobility during the Christmas period with a broken foot. I found it to be a pretty good experience online with more choice than is available at the store. They have to do something about their packaging though. OMG, they sent me two pairs of trouser socks in a huge box at least 16 x 20". Crazy! This happened more than once.

For retail shipping and return, you can't beat Amazon. LM

I'm glad you have had good experiences shopping online with HBC. I have had good and average experiences shopping online with them and my pet peeve is that the online price can be a lot different than in store. I bought a cute INC top that was about $35 on sale in store only to look online to see it was $10 less online. They don't price match themselves either. I did have a good experience buying 2 polar fleece vests for my MIL, those shipped out the day after I ordered them. I hear you about the overpackaging too. I bought a Lise Watier hair and body mist that was a summer edition online as it wasn't in any stores in the fall and the small bottle came in a big cardboard box just like yours did.