Hudson’s Bay Regina closure announcement draws mixed reactions

The news that Hudson’s Bay will be closing its Regina store next year didn’t exactly come as a shock to many shoppers.

On Monday the company announced it will close the doors of its store in the Cornwall Centre in April of 2025, after it decided to not renew its lease.

CJME spoke with people outside the mall on Tuesday to get their thoughts on the upcoming closure, and the reactions were pretty mixed.

Dylan Harker suggested there is a lot of nostalgia wrapped around the Bay, both in Regina and across the country.

“That is tragic … It is an ancient store. I didn’t really shop there myself, but I remember my mom taking me there,” he said.

“It is very bizarre, because they helped build this country,” Harker added, referring to the company’s long history in the fur trade.

The Bay moved into the Cornwall Centre in 2000 after operating for 30 years in a standalone store at the corner  of Hamilton and 12th.

Jessica Pegg said she wasn’t surprised by the decision.

“I don’t think people have been shopping there for quite some time, so it makes sense,” she said.

Pegg said it’s time for a change.

“Eatons, Sears, all those cornerstone locations have slowly been shutting down, and I think people have moved away from that department-style shopping,” she said.

“While it is unfortunate, I think it is time to change with the times and what  people are looking for when they are shopping.”

Kody Critchley told CJME he wasn’t surprised either.

“It’s not very busy ever, so I’m surprised it hasn’t happened a long time ago,” he said.

“I’ll be sad if nothing replaces it. I am not too tied to them. They have a long history, but things change.”

But for Kortney Shaw, the closure left her speechless.

“I go to the Bay a lot, especially for my skincare products, so I will be sad to see it go,” said Shaw.

“I was sad … I am a little overwhelmed because I am such a big Bay fan.”

Another shopper, Angie, said she was going to miss the Bay.

“I used to work for Sears for 30 years, and to have that company go down and another big chain at the mall … It is a big blow for us consumers,” she said.

Hudson’s Bay Company has closed three downtown stores in Canada since 2020. Regina’s location will be the fourth.