HBC to be bought by Target

[idealisttotheend]

Globe story

I have to admit that I always shop at either the Bay or Zellers. I never shop at Walmart (though I don't shop at Walmart due to their labour practices more than their nationality).

Does this make me a hopeless nationalist, pining for the days when we had a national economy?

Does the lack of a national economy mean even more trouble for the country?

Are we going to a system on two or three giants in every industry and no room for the little guy (though in this case, HBC is hardly little, but apparently too little to compare with Wal mart)? If this is the case ought we not put a stop to it? Can capitalism survive the lack of competition?

[maplesyrup]

I think some of our Canadian industries and businesses need Canadian government protection just as our cultural organizations sometimes do. Unfortunately the reality is that a lot of our business community would be too ashamed to admit they need government protection because they are unable to think outside the box.

[takeanumber]

If it gets taken over, it'll be yet another failure on the part of our wonderful Canadian MBA graduates.

Bravo!

[Bryan]

The Bay has no-one to blame but themselves, as did Eatons before them. They simply refused to cater to the customer's wants, and did things the way they wanted to. Moderate quality items at exhorbitant prices. Even before Walmart came here, The Bay was way overpriced for what they carried. I haven't shopped at The Bay for years, not even when I worked there, because even with my staff discount, the items were always cheaper elsewhere.

Zellers has the low price idea down, but their stores are always a mess, and the selection is poor. I go to Zellers over Walmart whenever I can, but I often end up going to Walmart anyway because it's tough to find what you need at Zellers.

[Big Blue Machine]

Very true.

[caesar]

Zellars has low prices but the stuff is inferior quality. The Bay is poor in service; hard to find any staff these days. I still like Sears. Walmart is pretty much the same a Zellars cheaper prices and inferior products to a large degree.

Brand name stuff should be okay but it does carry lots of it junk

[August1991]

Well said, Bryan.

I think some of our Canadian industries and businesses need Canadian government protection just as our cultural organizations sometimes do.

Thinking outside the box? On the contrary, we would still be saddled with Eaton's now if MS had his way. And the Eaton's brothers would be the beneficiaries of naive nationalism.

Thinking outside the box means considering the unthinkable.

[Big Blue Machine]

People don't shop at stores just because they're Canadian stores. They shop for the low prices and good quality. Sometimes those things are in American stores (Walmart). Its like saying I will fill up on gas at Petro-Canada because its Canada's national gas station. People go to the lowest price of gas. They might go to Suncor, Esso, Shell, etc.

[udawg]

*sigh* But sadly, some of us are still idealistic enough, or at least naively patriotic enough, that we (I) still do shop at the Canadian-owned store when given the opportunity. In the same way that I will watch an Oilers game, even though I hate the Oilers, over a Red Wings game, just out of blind patriotism.

Maybe I'm just living in the past in this new age of globalism, but I like to think that we Canadians can at least stick up for each other when we're shopping, even if our government can't protect us abroad.

[August1991]

I think Trudeau noted that Canadians cheer the Montreal Expos (all players American) and Americans cheer the New York Rangers (all players Canadian).

Conrad Black bought the Daily Telegraph. Sony bought Columbia Pictures.

Incidentally, this isn't a new world. We are returning to the globalization existing prior to World War I.

[Bryan]

Maybe I'm just living in the past in this new age of globalism, but I like to think that we Canadians can at least stick up for each other when we're shopping, even if our government can't protect us abroad.

I agree. I definitely try to shop Cnadian whenever possible. Unfortunately, lately Canadian retailers are doing everything in their power to chase their customers away.

Case in point:

I do not support Home Depot. I shop the local hardware stores first, then McDiarmid, then Rona.

That is until I was remodelling my bathroom. I had a lot of work to do, as there was a serious leak around the tub that had cause a lot of damage. I was replacing all the walls, fixtures, and the floor. Nobody had what I wanted in stock. 4-6 weeks to custom order at custom order prices. Home Depot has everything I needed, in stock, at less than half of what everyone else wanted. I literally had no choice but to shop at Home Depot. I didn't like it, but I had to do it.

[Big Blue Machine]

The NDP think they can protect all Canadian people from gloabliztion of the canadian economy. They can't.

[Big Blue Machine]

I do have patriotism. I like Petro-Canada all the way, I support all Canada sports teams. When I went to Washington D.C, we had to go to the clothing store becayse my friend didn't get her luggage. When we were buying the clothes, the cash-register lady asked us where we were from. We answered "Canada". She said "O, that's like a state". What a disgusting remark! But my friend's dad recovered brilliantly and shot back "Yah we're like a state, But we got it right".

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear Big Blue Machine,

The NDP think they can protect all Canadian people from gloabliztion of the canadian economy. They can't.

They could if they had the guts and the brains, but they have neither. Tax incentives, tarriffs, etc. heavily applied in the right areas would work wonders. The only problem is that the politicians fear repercussions from the US. Screw 'em, I say. Canada is a hugely resource rich nation.We sell our softwood lumber, oil, etc for dirt cheap and buy manufactured goods back from them at huge mark-ups. The same goes for Ikea.

Part of my paycheque goes to subsidize farmers who get ripped off by US owned meat packers, and part of it goes to subsidize re-runs of Seinfeld. Enough is enough.

[bibby]

You should have titled your thread "Canadian retail gets a customer service boost".

[Big Blue Machine]

How so?