The closure of all but six Hudson's Bay locations has Canadian brands looking for a new home for inventory once slated for the stores.
Montreal-based bedding company SmartSilk says it will have to put its Bay-bound inventory in storage and sell much of it through different retailers it already has relationships with.
Owner Yair Altman says finding alternatives for the Bay won't be easy because many department stores have faltered long ago and alternative retailers like Walmart demand more discounted pricing.
Mike Purkis, president of Joe Boxer-maker Caulfeild Apparel Group Ltd., says the task will also be difficult because brands will need a quick solution.
He has already heard from an agency asking for help for a client with nine containers of product at sea needing a home.
He didn't name the company who sought his help, but suspects other Bay merchants are facing similar struggles, especially if they didn't already sell through multiple outlets.