The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that with Hudson's Bay teetering on the edge of collapse, a former Bay marketing executive ponders how the chain might have fared had it invested in e-commerce earlier. Jessica Johnson writes that while more nimble retailers partnered early with Amazon, HBC stuck to proprietary software through the 2010s. The platform, with a notoriously clunky search function, also developed a reputation for customer service problems. Some people placed orders, even received delivery notices, for patio sets and bridesmaid dresses that never arrived. When HBC finally did upgrade the on-line shopping experience through a new platform in 2021, it was probably too late. The customer had moved on, possibly to shopping directly from brands, or from a better option: Simons. Quebec-based Simons offers on its website much of what the Bay could have hoped to at one time: a good customer service experience as well as chic but affordable household linens, sustainable cotton basics under its Vision private label and everything from tableware to designer dresses from London. Despite some effort to change things, the Bay had uncool merchandise and customers only willing to spend on a good deal.