REGAL Closing after 76 Years...

[Skyguy]

To anyone here who knows of, or has a friend or relative who shops at a retailer called, Regal Greetings & Gifts... Some sad news...

The retailer went into receivership yesterday (1:30 PM, Wednesday Aug. 3rd.)

I work(ed) at head office actually but was away yesterday for a doctor's appointment. So when I came in for my usual afternoon shift, I was (somewhat) surprised to see a rather empty employee parking lot.

One of the staff allowed me in to pick up a few personal items... I attempted to email myself some personal files from my office PC (but it looks like the email server has been disconnected)... and I took a few pictures of my cubicle & the handful of people hanging around.

A real shame...


A manager did call to let me know yesterday, but I didn't check my phone messages until I came back from my rather short trip to work today...

[Lee Anne]

I forgot they even existed to be honest with you, haven't seen or heard anything about them in a lot of years

[debbie]

I agree - a real shame. :( And what a way for you to find out.

A lot of retired and stay at home folk are now out of work/business as well.

You guys had really cut back on catalogue distribution over the years and that may not have helped even though I understand why it was done.

[Big Ben]

In 1950, before they bought a four colour press, they farmed out the printing all over.
A lot of cards and wrapping paper were printed at London Print and Litho from '48 to '60.

[Miss Maggie]

I was just at the salon today and picked a few items from the catalogue she had there. My hairdresser said she would pick it up for me on Monday...guess not...

[Bogie]

A victim of the changing demographic in retailing and online purchasing. I remember the Omemee location closing a while back, and we have a location here in Barrie.

My wife used to sell Regal about 25 years ago.

Their website notice states about looking for a buyer, but I wouldn't hold my breath. You never know though, but it could be simply sold piecemeal to the discounters.

[Skyguy]

A victim of the changing demographic in retailing and online purchasing. I remember the Omemee location closing a while back, and we have a location here in Barrie.

My wife used to sell Regal about 25 years ago.

Their website notice states about looking for a buyer, but I wouldn't hold my breath. You never know though, but it could be simply sold piecemeal to the discounters.What I did mostly was oversee Regal's online shopping activities. i.e. Making sure the site was always up & running, updating the item lists of the site, resolving online customer issues, coordinating with the site's host, Webmaster, et cetera...

But as someone who was literally there from Day #1 when Regal decided to go online... Management never took online shopping very seriously.
Their focus was:
#1. The stores (Excuse me... Sales Centres.)
#2. Mail & telephone ordering
And lastly, #3., The few of us who worked online.

We on the online side were always starving for resources. I could give you a tonne of stories...
But it's a moot point unless the company can find a buyer.

[Bogie]

Stuck to their old ways ... too bad. Couldn't see what was happening to them and how to resolve by keeping up-to-date. Now you are out of work!

[Skyguy]

Stuck to their old ways ... too bad. Couldn't see what was happening to them and how to resolve by keeping up-to-date. Now you are out of work!
Excluding a few things here & there, the look of the site hadn't been updated from pretty much the day it went online... Some 'bugs' were never fixed... Myself & 3 of my colleagues had to come up with solutions on-the-fly because nobody bothered to keep us in "the loop" about one thing or the other...

But as I said before, it's a moot point now.

[Yogi]

But it's a moot point unless the company can find a buyer.
If the price is right (i.e. pennies on the dollar)...a buyer will come forward. There are a lot of vulture companies out there who's specialty is to pounce on the carcass of dead businesses.

[Skyguy]

I agree - a real shame. :( And what a way for you to find out.

A lot of retired and stay at home folk are now out of work/business as well.

You guys had really cut back on catalogue distribution over the years and that may not have helped even though I understand why it was done.The expense I guess...
I was with the company for ~10 years (Good Lord!) and remember a time where they mailed tonnes of the things. We even were given boxes & boxes of catalogues, order forms & other critical stuff that we could mail out to clients if they called & requested one. As of my last day on the job - Tuesday - Regal had been using an external mailing company. i.e. We would key in a request into our system & it was supposed to go out to a mailing house for distribution. But for some people, it never seemed to work...
I can understand why a lot of potential customers simply said, "Forget this crap!", when they couldn't get a simple catalogue after 2 or 3 requests.

On the other hand... I like the idea of never again having to deal with someone sending me vicious emails demanding a cheque for 3 cents because they were accidentally overcharged.

[justabitcrazee]

*cries* :wwh:

[Walter]

I am going to miss going through the catalogue looking for those "I wish I had thought about that" items.....the snake that stops drafts at the bottom of the door; the weighted cat for keeping the door open, etc. etc.

[andyman]

sorry to hear about your job Skyguy
so much for 2 weeks notice.
don't forget to get letters of recommendations

[tweakthis]

I am going to miss going through the catalogue looking for those "I wish I had thought about that" items.....the snake that stops drafts at the bottom of the door; the weighted cat for keeping the door open, etc. etc.
Regal had some really cool stuff. I've bought a few items over the years, but I'm more of a touchy-feely kind of shopper. I buy most of my stuff in person. That helps eliminate return hassles, not to mention non-refunded shipping and handling.

Best of luck on finding a new job, skyguy. :)

[Ken_ver_1_5]

so sorry you had to find out that way. I know I would be truly saddened
to get the news that way. from time to time I ordered things from the
catalog. times have changed. the one thing I remember about them
is the unique items you couldn't get in stores and they were at a
reasonable price as well. I guess things changed.
I do hope you can get a good job in the future

[Skyguy]

I am going to miss going through the catalogue looking for those "I wish I had thought about that" items.....the snake that stops drafts at the bottom of the door; the weighted cat for keeping the door open, etc. etc.
I suspected Regal would fold sooner rather than later... But I still expected them to last at least into October. The busy season would have begun next Friday when our Fall edition was officially opened.
We could usually tell how profitable the year was going to be from that edition alone.

[Frogy]

Sorry to hear the news Skyguy and hope that you find another job quickly. Good Luck! :)

[Paul Stanway Jr]

I can under stand how you feel and you have my sympathy. I used to work for Eatons. sigh! :(