London shoppers rush to stock up and say goodbye at Hudson's Bay liquidation sales

When employees at the White Oaks Mall Hudson's Bay opened their doors at 11 a.m. Friday, Londoner Mary Demelo made a beeline for the discounted children's clothing racks. 

She sifted through, grabbing kids' swimsuits tagged as low as $9.96, which received an extra 20 per cent off at the register.

"That is very reasonable – that's like an $8 bathing suit, so you can't go wrong with that price," Demelo said. 

She's one of several London shoppers rushing to the locations at White Oaks and CF Masonville Place for their liquidation sales, with the hope of snagging deals before the stores are expected to close permanently in June.

"They're not that enticing to be honest with you," said shopper Susan Bawden about the sales. "I was here about a week ago and it was 15 per cent off, so they've dropped five per cent but it's still not enough for me to jump up and down."

Bawden said she is interested in purchasing throw blankets, but will wait to see if the store offers better discounts before buying them.

On Friday, large signs outside the White Oaks Mall store promised 20 to 40 per cent off items, with the highest discounts on jewelry, luggage and furniture. Liquidation sales at all but six Hudson's Bay stores in Canada began on March 24, after the company was granted creditor protection earlier in the month as it tries to restructure. 

"I'm disappointed they're closing all the [London] Bay stores because I was hoping that maybe some of the sales could have helped them," said Pat Sampson, who was browsing the luggage section on Friday. 

She's one of the longtime Bay shoppers who say they will miss the store's brick and mortar locations, big sales and points program.

"The Bay was one of my staples stores that I used to go to for just about everything, whether it was for a special event, clothes for my kids, whatever it was, this was the place to go," said Demelo, who shops at the store once a month. 

"Unfortunately, over the years I saw a decline in the Bay in that the availability wasn't there and the prices also weren't as good as they used to be," she said. "Sometimes it felt like they got leftovers from other stores and it began to feel like an outlet store more than the Bay that had everything."

Losing an 'icon'

Other shoppers said they are sad to see such a well-known Canadian store go.

"It's such an icon," said Kathy Lewis, who was shopping for discounted pillows on Friday. "I can recall shopping here as a child, and it's just been here forever. It's hard to imagine Canada without the Bay."

Lewis was one of several shoppers who mentioned they will miss the HBC-branded striped blankets, while others reminisced on the Bay's merchandise during the 2010 Olympics. 

"When the Olympics were in Vancouver, I remember coming here and we all got matching mittens – the ones that make the Canada flag," shopper Molly Richmond said. 

Richmond, who grew up in London's Westmount neighbourhood, said she wonders how the closure of the Bay's two locations will affect White Oaks and Masonville.

PHOTOS: Liquidation begins at the Bay at White Oaks Mall

"Westmount Mall used to be really big and now it's crashing," Richmond said. "Hopefully [closing the Bay] doesn't have too big of an impact, but I fear it will."

Demelo said she doesn't think its closures will harm the retail landscape. 

"I don't think the Bay was really attracting a lot of people, so I don't think they're going to suffer that way," she said.

Demelo said the reason she keeps coming back to the Bay, despite its changes, is a hope that the store will improve its product and prices. She said she plans to keep up with her frequent trips to the Bay until the store shutters its doors for good.