All I want for Christmas is not Mariah Carey. The marketing people at The Hudson’s Bay Company should have their Canadian citizenship revoked. My sense of national pride has been replaced by outrage over their recent selection of American “superstar” Mariah Carey to unveil the new Christmas (yes, I said Christmas, not holiday) windows in their downtown stores at Queen and Yonge Streets in Toronto. Founded more than three hundred years ago as a fur trading institution, The Hudson’s Bay Company (the Canadian equivalent of Macy’s) is one Canada’s oldest national icons, ranking right up there with much younger Tim Horton’s.
Mariah f#$%#ng Carey? What’s wrong with hiring a genuine Canadian such as our own beloved Jann Arden, Drake or even Justin Bieber? And on the subject of cost, apparently they gave Carey one million dollars to lip-sync (that’s the rumour) two songs. Even Céline Dion might agree to lip-sync a couple of tunes for a million dollars. This marketing faux pas only exacerbates my ongoing beef with Hudson’s Bay Company about their serious and persistent lack of sales staff to help customers and the invisibility of checkout counters in their mall stores. Trying to find a sales associate or a checkout counter at a Hudson’s Bay store in any suburban mall is like searching for a healthy food choice at Timmie’s.
Just imagine how many Canadians could have been employed to assist customers in their stores for one million dollars, not to mention the increase in sales resulting from said assistance. Hell, I would have put on a Canada Goose parka or striped Hudson’s Bay point blanket wool coat (depending on the weather) and my trusty Sorel’s (click here for great Canadian boot companies) and turned up to sing at the event for nothing. I guarantee that would have driven customers into the store faster than any blast from Mariah Carey.
Do I sound a little angry? Apoplectic is a more appropriate word. I’ve written numerous letters and emails to various Hudson’s Bay managers over the years encouraging them improve their approach to customer service but this one really takes the cake. I just wish they would consult me first on major marketing issues. You’ll get more than your fill of Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas” in every retailer’s P.A. systems before December 24th, to the point you’ll want to throttle her. Am I right or am I wrong in being angry?
Click below for links to previous related Boomerbroadcast posts about retail service:
How to improve sales at The Hudson’s Bay Company
The solution for Canadian retailers is as easy as 1, 2, 3
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Like the idea of putting Christ back into Christmas and using this holiday name……a faith that built our country and should not offend anyone who is not of that faith…..it is what it is so stop dancing around this religious celebration by trying to give it “new” names so no one is offended…….own it, appreciate it and respect it! As far as Mariah……never liked her and I don’t know how she represents any part of The Bay or Canada!
Gail from Oakville
We’re in agreement.
Sent from my iPad Lynda Davis Follow me at: boomerbroadcast.net
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I like the idea of Christmas but the reality never quite lives up to it. I love the traditional carols, but they aren’t very realistic for Australians, since Christmas happens in the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere. It feels silly to have all those snow and ice images and memes thrown at us when it’s over 30 degrees Celsius and most people want to be at the beach or the pool. And poor old Santa, dressing up in that hot full-coverage gear, an invitation to heat stroke. Most stores don’t do themselves any favours with idiotic promotions and… Read more »
Agree 100%.
Shame on The Bay.
Yeah! One person on my side. Thanks.  Lynda Davis Follow my blog at: http://www.boomerbroadcast.net Social commentary on life from a Boomer Broad’s perspective e-mail: lyndadavis1@yahoo.ca For further insights into the Boomer perspective on business, fashion, mind and body, order my new book, BOOMERBROADcast. It makes a great hostess, birthday or Christmas gift. Click on this link: http://www.lulu.com or http://www.amazon.com