Local malls wave final goodbye to Hudson’s Bay and turn to ‘urban’ fashion
Posted Dec 9, 2025 10:40:48 AM.
Last Updated Dec 9, 2025 11:41:16 AM.
Signs are officially being taken down at two local malls in Waterloo Region, waving the final goodbye to the Hudson’s Bay, and getting ready to welcome in new ‘Urban’ options in their stead.
Conestoga Mall and Fairview Park Mall have now removed the outdoor signage for Hudson’s Bay, with posters outside each location pointing to the two new fashion stores in its place.
Conestoga Mall in Waterloo has signs posted saying it will be welcoming Urban Behaviours to the location, while Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener will be seeing Urban Planet.
According to the signs posted outside both locations, the stores will open up before the holiday season comes to a close, currently slated for Friday, Dec. 19.
While there is signage posted, at this point, Fairview Park Mall has stated that it cannot confirm that leases have been signed.
“At this time, we are in discussions with various retailers regarding future opportunities at Fairview Park. However, we do not share details or provide confirmation on ongoing negotiations,” said Vladimir Blagovcanin, General Manager of Fairview Park Mall. “Should there be any updates to announce, we will be pleased to share them publicly at the appropriate time.”
The two fashion stores are owned by YM Inc., the same company that owns Bluenotes, Aéropostale, West 49 and Forever 21.
It all comes after Hudson’s Bay was at the centre of much of Canada’s business discussions throughout 2025.
The company fell into receivership in March, with all Hudson’s Bay locations in Canada closing doors in June, laying off approximately 8,000 employees across the country.
From there, Canadian Tire purchased the brand itself, along with the iconic Hudson’s Bay stripes. As for the leases tied to each location, a mall owner and billionaire based out of British Columbia, Ruby Liu, worked to purchase as many as 25 across Canada, including Ontario.
That sale ultimately fell through, with the company returning the $9.4 million deposit after the Ontario Superior Court ruled that retailers would not be forced to take Liu on as a tenant.
Instead, those leases were given back to respective tenants, like the owners of Conestoga Mall and Fairview Park Mall in Waterloo Region.
