Hudson's Bay closes several stores across Canada during heat wave

Hudson's Bay temporarily closed several of its stores across the country this week, citing difficulties with its air-conditioning systems.

On Wednesday, a sign at the company's Coquitlam Centre location read, "Store closed due to system issues."

The company closed several locations in Western Canada, including in Vancouver, West Vancouver, downtown Victoria and Prince George, as well as two locations in Winnipeg and one in Windsor, Ont. 

"The current heat wave has caused strain on HVAC systems in certain Hudson's Bay locations," Hudson's Bay spokesperson Tiffany Bourré said Tuesday in a statement. "The comfort and well-being of customers and associates remains our top priority.

"We are working to reopen as quickly as possible," she said in an email Wednesday, adding the situation is "fluid," and closures will end on a store-by-store basis.

Temperatures are soaring across the country this week, reaching past 40 C in some parts of B.C.  

Extreme heat events are expected to become more intense and frequent with human-caused climate change. Environment Canada said a heat wave that blanketed central and eastern Canada last month was made at least two times more likely because of climate change.

WATCH | Several B.C. Hudson's Bay stores closed for 'system issues':

What temporary closures of The Bay could tell us about the future of department stores

5 months ago

Duration 9:45

Some B.C. locations of The Bay department store were closed this week, even as the store's parent company completed a multibillion-dollar acquisition of U.S.-based Neiman Marcus. Retail strategist David Ian Gray shares his thoughts about the future of Canada's retail scene.

Bruce Winder, a retail analyst, said because the company is private, it's difficult to say for sure what's going on behind the scenes. 

He says the closures could signify a company struggling to reduce spending.

"This is often the case with companies that have a hard time bringing people in, have a hard time selling things — They're in a bit of a downward spiral," he said. "You start to see things fray at the edges a little."

David Ian Gray, a retail strategist at DIG360 Consulting in Vancouver, said department stores aren't a great business model anymore. 

Earlier this year, the company announced it would close a store in Banff, Alta., and one in Edmonton. 

Last week, Hudson's Bay announced a multi-billion dollar acquisition of  American luxury department store Neiman Marcus. It plans to group it with other international assets like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman in a new entity called Saks Global.