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Tariff-induced economic uncertainty is affecting Canadians’ purchasing decisions

Published: 27 March 2025

Even as the venerable Hudson’s Bay Company liquidates its iconic department stores, some Canadian retailers are experiencing a renaissance. Quebec department store has been expanding, even as others struggle to stay in the black. But Trump’s tariffs are clouding the future for Canadian retailers. “There’s absolutely no doubt that the impending tariff war, which I think Trump is going to use for the next two years at least, is really freaking everybody out,” said Charles de Brabant, executive director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management. “People are starting to watch out and are probably a little bit more reticent to spend than they might have been.”

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