What the closure of Hudson Bay mean for the downtown core

What happened: With the Hudson Bay in downtown Vancouver set to close soon as due to the company filing for creditor protection, the business leaves a massive building-sized hole in the downtown core and is emblematic of the changing nature of downtown areas, both in Vancouver and around Canada.

Background: The downtown Hudson Bay, located at 674 Granville St. is a heritage building, over 100 years old, and impossible to ignore when you’re downtown. The building has operated as The Bay since the building was rebuilt in 1926, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

A big trend: The end of Hudson Bay should not be surprising, the large central shopping mall-like buildings have been on the decline for decades, as consumers shift shopping habits, especially online. Eaton’s and Sears are two such examples, as stores that focused on window displays with many ttypes of items failed, while smaller stores specializing in certain types of items succeeded, according to CBC. People don’t spend hours browsing clothing in stores anymore. 

• Downtown stores have increasingly been supplanted by larger shopping malls outside the downtown core, with lots of parking spaces. One only needs to look at Tsawwassen Mills to see how shopping patterns have shifted.

What it means: In Vancouver, the closing of such a huge building will hurt the downtown core, and nearby businesses, especially as the building may need to be boarded up while not used. It could also take a long time to find a new tenant, because the space may not work for many retailers due to the interior low ceilings, according to Business in Vancouver.

Zoom out: The city itself has struggled in terms of how to change the downtown core. Granville is currently undergoing a long-term revitalization process to increase density, better public space and making it an entertainment destination, according to CBC. Rather than just a place for shopping and industry, cities are re-imagining their downtown cores as vibrant places to live and play, which is needed as larger commercial businesses like The Bay are no longer viable.