First they gave us those awful clothes for the 2008 games in Beijing.
Now, The Bay is offering U.S. Olympic team apparel in their stores:
Clearly The Bay has either given up on this country or, worse, is purposefully trying to undermine it. Perhaps they are being influenced by an evil foreign power, or they’ve become distracted by pretty American things, or maybe we just did something to piss them off.
Either way, as Canadians, we must rise up and perform our duty, assert our national identity and show the world we are Canadian.
I will be the first.
Hey U.S.A., sorry aboot all that, eh?
Who cares everthing is made in China anyway. I am shopping for a pair of winter boots. I already have a great pair that were made in Canada, but the Bay no longer carries the brand. I did find a pair with a tiny Canadian flag embedded into the boot, just above the heel. What a dirty dirty trick for Pajar to play on unsuspecting shoppers. Take a look inside they are made in China. I noticed an older gentlemen next to me who also threw down the boots in disgust and also left the store. Buy Canadian. It is more difficult, but possible.
The quality of things made in China also seem to be going down the drain. The last “branded” shoes and boots I bought that were made in China fell apart in less than a year. It’s like if they aren’t even trying anymore.
It is a tough fight that no one seems to want to fight. Buying Canadian or even North American made products will help us all. It is great to shop at the big BoxMart store, everything in one place cheap merchandise, more money left over to buy even bigger box houses in the ‘burbs. Then your friend is out of a job because his factory job is outsourced, so your local BoxMart could sell things even cheaper. Your friend now can’t keep his mortgage going and can’t keep his house. Fire sale on the house, the value of your house drops, you feel poorer and now look for even more deals, because you need, need , need the “quality of life” neighbourhood you drive to from work for about an hour a day in traffic, so you cheap out, with the me first mind set, and fill up the cart at the BoxMart. Now the other stores decide hey we need to get in on this and order more crap from China. The vicious cycle is on and you wonder why you feel poorer than you did ten years ago. You are running around but the ends never meet. Your friends and neighbours are haggard and worried about the next paycheque. No one is producing anything and how many people could really sit by a phone all day playing customer service? So now you have screwed up your life and your kids have no hope of finding decent jobs until the baby boomers decide to retire or die off. Buy Canadian, Buy U.S we care about our fellow citizens, we have healthcare and decent infrastructure (it is all relative) we have vacations, sick days, public schools, libraries, parks, pools to swim in, clean water, electricity that works everyday. All this is based on people working. Pay the extra few pennies, because if you look at the difference in price and quality something for $200.00 made in China is really probably worth $50.00 shipping included, while the same priced item of a made in Canada item most of the money goes back into our society.
I’d be happy to buy locally made clothes: I just can’t find any. Mountain Equipment Coop, as I recall, used to stock Canadian made clothes only but that was in an earlier era and business model.
I agree! Same thing with automobiles! If people bought more domestic cars, the North American economy as a whole would be a whole lot better off right now! GM or Chrysler would not have needed bailouts if people bought North American instead of imports.
Apple and oranges, here.
American-brand cars are substandard, compared to Japanese or European cars, while Chinese products are always shittier than what is manufactured in developed countries.
Substandard? That’s a fairly broad generalization. http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?id=2009043
Vahan, I have the most beautiful pair of Canadian-made winter walking boots (sheepskin-lined, great gum sole) but they are finally wearing out after at least 8 years or so of walking – they were that good. I can’t find anything similar and indeed Pajars etc are now made in China. La Canadienne is an option for women but they are very expensive. My boots for more clement weather are a German brand, but now made in Hungary, though the quality seems undiminished. Unfortunately one cannot say the same for Clarks, now also Chinese and of rather crappy quality.
Even MEC is making far more items in low-wage countries than at their inception.
Those Ralph Lauren items really are offensive though. I’m very much of the “No Logo” persuasion, but it is true that one likes to buy locally-branded garments as presents for friends and relatives overseas.
I have to admit I kind of find that offensive.
It’s just business. If the Bay can sell the US Olympic merchandise to US tourists – or Canadians, for that matter – then more power to them. The US merchandise is only in the big city downtown stores, and is greatly outnumbered by the volume of Canadian merchandise.
But it doesn’t even make sense. USians can buy it in the US for far cheaper.
I tried to find my brother an Olympic sweatshirt that said CANADA across the front for Christmas, but there were none to be had — just crappy ones that have the Conservative party logo on the chest and a teeny-weeny vancouver 2010 icon on the sleeve.
But they did have lots and lots of American gear right by the door. What the hell are they thinking?
I was lucky enough to get one of those Olympic/Canadian branded HBC scarfs for Christmas. Decent quality and it looks pretty sick.
Cheers,
Michael
regarding the Bay;s canuck cred, I draws your atention to the downtown Bay store 5th floor which has a “hudsons bay company Gallery” that is actually quite interesting in a canadian history museum kind of way.
The Bay is American owned; why is this such a stretch for everyone to comprehend? American owned, they will stock American “brand” clothing.
Unbelievable! What a surprise now that the big cheese is an American. Why don’t they just take all of the HBC and rename them JC Penny while they are at it. What a flaming kick in the teeth! Typical Americans having the usual disrespect for any other country in the world. You know what? I don’t care that it is run by an American, you are in Canada, where the customer is Canadian, not American!