Stacked shelving units and grouped racks of heavily discounted clothing is nearly all that remains in the now-cavernous interior of the Hudson’s Bay store in Aberdeen Mall — the final chapter of the company’s 200-year history in Kamloops. Bright red, yellow and blue signs around the store proclaim in bold letters that everything is for sale, from glass display cases and mannequins to pallet racking and office furniture. After the final few days of liquidation sales, all Hudson’s Bay stores, including the Aberdeen Mall anchor, are due to close by Sunday. “We’re very sorry to see the close of these department stores that have served us so well,” said shopper Leslie Nolin, who was taking a photo outside the store with her husband, Leslie. Nolin said she’s been stopping by the store for the last few weeks to get some deals. She just came away with her final few purchases — a golf shirt and a sweater. She said Hudson’s Bay has been part of her family heritage for several generations. “My grandpa actually worked in the Hudson’s Bay food floor. And then after he retired, he worked in the parkade in The Bay in Vancouver,” she said. “We love The Bay.” Canada’s oldest company filed for creditor protection in March, with its 80 stores beginning liquidation shortly afterward. More than 8,300 workers across Canada, including more than two dozen unionized staff at the Kamloops store, will lose their jobs. The company’s website now only shows a farewell message to its customers. “After 355 years, it’s time to say goodbye,” the website reads. “As we prepare to close our doors and shut down thebay.com, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support and loyalty over the years.” The end of an era Hudson’s Bay Company, then a fur-trading giant, set up shop in Kamloops in 1821. The company built a retail store on Victoria Street in 1880 and made a couple of moves to different storefronts downtown, including a building at Seymour Street and Fourth Avenue that later housed the Kamloops Daily News. In 1979, The Bay announced it would be moving out of downtown Kamloops, joining Woodward’s as anchor tenants in the yet-to-be-constructed Aberdeen Mall. Its doors opened in 1981 — where it remained ever since. The company said last week it planned to sell 28 of its store leases to a B.C. mall owner who wants to launch a modern department store, but the specific locations have not been named. Canadian Tire is also awaiting court approval to receive the rights to trademarks and domain names belonging to Hudson’s Bay. The $30 million deal includes rights to the iconic Bay stripes, its coat of arms, and some apparel lines. — with files from the Canadian Press