The Bay’s White Space Gala held in Vancouver on October 5th was a fashion flop. If the occasion was meant to revive the Bay’s image, industry insiders concur, it’s a long road ahead. In a nutshell, the night was uneventful, uninteresting and unsuccessful according to sources. The looming question stands, can Bonnie Brooks save the company?

Event planners along with the CEO’s need to take a crash course on how to plan and execute @Successful Store Launch! No publicity, no polish, no people or pizzazz, translates into no party. Where was the promotional advertising for the event? Where were the expected shoppers? The buzz from bloggers in attendance… they didn’t get the word out!

The talk was about the lack of good food and entertainment, not fashion’s night out at the Bay. Why weren’t more customers thrilled or interested in the store’s updated look and designer duds? At one point, I was expecting to see fashion road kill on the catwalk…from the awkward looking models skittishly making their way down the runway.

The Bay’s credibility continues to be under a microscope. They’re banking on the new upscale look and new vendors to throw them a life preserver. Over the years, their image has been typecast into an unforgettable category I refer to as the three TTT’s! Tacky, tarnished, definitely not trendy!

Let’s face the facts, the staff they hire are hopeless and offer appallingly bad service. Incompetence seems to run rampant in the store from the employers, right down to the employees. Even the company's face-lift and higher-end priced merchandise cannot lure customers back.

This was a crucial night for the Bay to shine, their golden ticket out of old-fashion oblivion. The company failed miserably. Are they forever destined to follow in the fashion shadow of Holt Renfrew? One thing remains certain; the Bay is still cheap plus affordable. I can still shop there for my socks…maybe!