There has been a bit of an upset recently because ‘The Bay’ is now under American ownership. While I too am sorry that this old Canadian institution is no longer truly Canadian I cannot say that I am surprised. Both the Bay and Sears are a shoppers nightmare. Their websites aren’t much better; antiquated in design and limited in selection.

I was in a Sears store on Sunday using up a gift card that I got for Christmas.
The store was messy and badly stocked. Finding sales staff impossible and when I did she was curt and unhelpful.

American department stores on the whole do it well. Bright decor, a wide range of goods and available sales staff. Their websites have embraced the 21st century in terms of selection and being user friendly.

It is just a shame that when those business were struggling the powers that be didn’t get out of their boardroom and really work to upgrade and develop proud Canadian companies. Maybe they should have started by visiting some of the stores. Here is a unique concept, observe how the store looks and runs and then try actually talking to your customers.