Digital marketplaces are seeing a surge in listings for the Bay’s iconic HBC striped items, as sellers capitalize on the rising demand sparked by the company’s nationwide store closures.
Retail analyst Bruce Winder says the uptick in interest has been a surprise.
“Sometimes you hit something in society where it strikes a nerve and the demand for that product, you know, just goes through the roof, and there’s limited supply and prices go up and it creates a bit of a fever,” said Winder.
One item in particular, Hudson’s Bay’s multi-stripe point wool blanket, first made for the company in the 1700s, is being resold on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and eBay for a premium price.
Kent Chapman has about 150 pieces in his HBC striped collection, is always on the hunt for more, and says the cost of various items have gone up.
“I’m noticing that items that you would buy for X (amount) has now doubled in terms of price because people see this more as a rare item,” said Chapman.
It’s the silver lining to the demise of a company that has been around for 355 years and a staple for many Canadians.
Brittney Tough, a Calgary artist, has been painting Hudson’s Bay blankets for a decade. Her work was chosen to be part of King Charles III’s Royal Collection, through the Canadian Society of Painters and Watercolour, which helped elevate her work. But with the closure of the Bay stores, more people want her original pieces.
“On my website you can sign up for my email list and then join the waitlist,” said Tough.
“It’s like a dream come true. Like that’s a real passion of mine, is being able to take something that is missed, something that’s really nostalgic, and then breathe new life into it, and almost in a way commemorate it or preserve that memory.”
Even those who aren’t avid collectors of the iconic green, red, yellow, and indigo striped pieces are eager to own a piece of Canadiana.
“I’m hoping to pick some up today,” said Kara Bowman.
“The blankets are really cool blankets. And I’ve seen mittens that are really nice.”
For passionate fans of the HBC striped collection or those jumping on the bandwagon, the classic pattern will be available in abundance again.
Canadian Tire announced on Thursday it will pay $30 million to buy the beleaguered retailer, including its multi-coloured stripes motif, its coat of arms and other brand trademarks.
The announcement is good news for Chapman, who says he hopes the new owner will “build on what the historical stripes brand has been”, while he and his family continue to grow their collection.
“The goal is to continue to preserve what we have and keep the mark and have some fun with it,” said Chapman.
