The Decibel
Why a B.C. billionaire’s bid for Hudson’s Bay stores failed artwork

Why a B.C. billionaire’s bid for Hudson’s Bay stores failed

The Decibel
24:40
Play episode

Show notes

In May, a B.C. billionaire named Weihong (Ruby) Liu made a $69.1-million deal to acquire 28 leases of former Hudson’s Bay stores. Her company, Central Walk, owned malls where three of those stores were located, so those leases went unopposed; however, landlords of the other 25 stores were skeptical of her ability to operate her proposed stores. She had cash, real estate experience, and a vision — but no experience running a major retailer. Susan Krashinsky Robertson is the Globe’s retailing reporter. She’s been covering the fallout from the demise of Canada’s oldest retailer. Today, she’s on the show to talk about what she learned about Ruby Liu over the course of the hearings, and why her bid to take over 25 more stores ultimately failed. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More from this show

More
  1. Why people are taking vacations to pick up new skills

    The demands of modern life seem to grow every day, leaving little time for people to pursue hobbies. Many Canadians are leaving vacation time unused. In light of this, a growing nu…

    18:40
  2. Navigating Canada’s fertility industry

    A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at more than $2…

    30:12
  3. At its core, the Canada-U.S. trade dispute is about autos

    The auto sector is at the heart of trade discussions between Canada and the U.S. Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard over the past year with tariffs from U.S. President Donald…

    24:09
  4. Canada hits U.S. with retaliatory tariffs

    The Canada-U.S. trade war is in full effect. On Tuesday, the federal government announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States. U.S. steel, seafood, dishwashers, forks, a…

    25:57
  5. Canadian businesses prepare for long-haul trade war

    After trade talks broke down between Ottawa and Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 50-per-cent tariffs on $28-billion dollars worth of Canadian goods. Over the wee…

    27:48
  6. Why Canada’s biggest paid plasma collector has paused operations

    Plasma is the golden fluid part of the blood and it’s used to make life-saving medications for people with immune deficiencies. In Canada, plasma donors were historically volunteer…

    24:37
Now Playing
Why a B.C. billionaire’s bid for Hudson’s Bay stores failed — The Decibel | Josplay Music