So Much For Canadian Pride: 5 Companies That Just Couldn't Keep It Together

In case you hadn't already realized, majority of Canadian stores, content and resources either rebrand or pack it up and move down south. Future Shop was no exception. Why are we so surprised?

If we're going to be real, most of us will choose the shiny, new penny versus the old, weathered bronze one. This was the case with Best Buy Canada and Future Shop. In case you hadn't already heard, Best Buy announced earlier this morning that they will be shutting down 66 Future shop stores across Canada and converting another 65 to Best Buys, leaving a staggering 192 Future Shops across Canada.

Yikes.

It probably shouldn't come as a huge surprise by now, but Future Shop is only the most recent after a long string of major Canadian stores abruptly leaving:

1. Target

Via sellmeaboutit.com

One of the not-so-big surprises was the shut down of Target earlier this year.

While not originally Canadian, it kinda sucked to have a store that did so well down south announce they were breaking up with us for good with no chance for reconcile. Target abandoned us, leaving behind roughly 17, 000 of its employees and officially closes out this April.

2. Tim Hortons

Via en.wikipedia.org

What the eagle is to Americans, Tim Hortons is to the heart and soul of Canada. I'm serious. It's our literal pride and joy. So imagine the dismay when it was sold over to Burger King last year for a whopping $12 billion USD.

Yep.

No further comment.

3. Hudson's Bay Company

Via en.wikipedia.org

There was a significant decline in Canadian pride when HBC was bought over by NRDC - the same company that owns the Lord & Taylor chain. Originally taken over by American businessman Jerry Zucker in 2006, the future of HBC went into freefall when Zucker's health began to fail. Thus began the bid. While I'd like to complain about the bidding of all things Canadian, I can't lie. I'm a huge fan of the fashion influences on the Bay's clothing lines.

4. Molson (Canadian)

James Kachan / MOLSON COORS BREWING COMPANY / Via newswire.ca

We should probably be warmed up to this but...we're not. First brewed by English immigrant John Molson in the 1700s, Molson remained a part of Canada's heritage up until 1993 when it formed an alliance with the American beer powerhouse, Miller Brewing Company. But it was until 2005 when Molson decided to officially merge with US-based Coors, thus creating the weird but still tasteful Molson Coors Brewing Company.

5. Canada Goose

Via chrisjameskingston.com

Canada Goose was probably the most disheartening simply because, well, it's EVERYWHERE. Think Canadian fashion cult...so much that you'd think that the letters "C-A-N-A-D-A" embedded in our sleeves wouls change when it was bought over, right? Wrong. The US' private equity company, Bain Capital, bought its major shares back in 2013. Though technically, our beloved CG jackets are still "Made in Canada" they deal did allow the company to expand its market to good ol' Murica.

Fun fact: Bain Capital was co-founded by none other than former US presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Bloop.