I worked for HBC about 9 years ago and it was rough then. Ancient DOS based systems they didn't want to update, buyers with no clue, bunch of people just riding out the clock. My district manager...
Exemplary
I worked for HBC about 9 years ago and it was rough then. Ancient DOS based systems they didn't want to update, buyers with no clue, bunch of people just riding out the clock. My district manager ended up loving me and flying me around to other stores all because I know how to use DOS from my childhood. It blew her mind. There wasn't a single person in all of our stores that knew how to use it so it fell to me to train people. I was just a department manager at the time. I made the mistake of asking for a raise for all of the extra work I was doing. Got a better job and got out of there. I kept getting people reaching out for help after I left and I would just reply with my district manager's cell phone number.
I joined to launch Saks into Canada. Our buyers were obsessed with these ugly jelly heel things. They were convinced they were the next hotness. Bought a shit ton. We couldn't give the things away. Still had boxes full of them in our backroom when I left a year and a half later.
The only surprising thing was that it took them this long to go bankrupt.
As long as people receive a tiny bit of training on them, those old DOS systems are great for that kind of thing. The company I work for uses DOS for ...a portion of... the business. My particular...
As long as people receive a tiny bit of training on them, those old DOS systems are great for that kind of thing.
The company I work for uses DOS for ...a portion of... the business. My particular job mainly just uses it for timeslips (we use it for more but I'll leave it at that). It was a great system until they removed all the desktop computers and started having us do timeslips on company issued phablets THAT STILL ACCESS THE SAME DOS SYSTEM through some app that has f-keys buttons.
It can always be worse than DOS. It could be a slow laggy GUI or it could be DOS on a touch screen.
Agreed. The main problem is that Saks got saddled with the DOS system and didn't have anyone who really knew how to use it. What we actually used it for was super basic and it worked reliably....
Agreed. The main problem is that Saks got saddled with the DOS system and didn't have anyone who really knew how to use it. What we actually used it for was super basic and it worked reliably. Basically all you could ask for.
HBC still using DOS based systems 9 years ago is hilarious and crazy, but also not entirely surprising either given how everything about all their stores, from the decor to the inventory, seemed...
HBC still using DOS based systems 9 years ago is hilarious and crazy, but also not entirely surprising either given how everything about all their stores, from the decor to the inventory, seemed perpetually stuck in the 90s too.
p.s. Thanks for sharing your experiences/anecdotes from working there (and at Saks). Funny/interesting stuff!
Yeah after Richard Baker took over there was no appetite to update or modernize. Saks got saddled with HBC's ancient tech stack. I wouldn't be surprised if they were still using the same backend...
Yeah after Richard Baker took over there was no appetite to update or modernize. Saks got saddled with HBC's ancient tech stack. I wouldn't be surprised if they were still using the same backend today, as I can't imagine they actually spent money to update it in those 9 years while things got worse.
Glad you found my random musings interesting. I guess AMA if you want to know more.
Same reason as always, it was cheaper. We "borrowed" a bunch of HBC systems when they launched in Canada because it was cheaper but it also made sense since we used HBC's logistics as well, so the...
Same reason as always, it was cheaper. We "borrowed" a bunch of HBC systems when they launched in Canada because it was cheaper but it also made sense since we used HBC's logistics as well, so the DOS backend was the same across HBC and Saks. Saks and Off 5th in Canada were basically just licensed but otherwise might as well have been HBC. Our POS system was slightly more modern than HBC (we used Windows 7 instead of DOS).
Ah, well. When they mentioned "private equity", I knew the end was near. I won't get into the whole "what's legal vs. ethical/moral" thing, but private equity has to be on the generally evil side...
Ah, well. When they mentioned "private equity", I knew the end was near.
I won't get into the whole "what's legal vs. ethical/moral" thing, but private equity has to be on the generally evil side of things, no matter its legality. The rich play their little games and the rest of us suffer for it.
Pretty cool to see a Bright Sun Films video about such a historic retailer here in Canada, even though it's mostly about the depressing final chapter in that company's 355 years of existence. :(...
Pretty cool to see a Bright Sun Films video about such a historic retailer here in Canada, even though it's mostly about the depressing final chapter in that company's 355 years of existence. :(
I worked for HBC about 9 years ago and it was rough then. Ancient DOS based systems they didn't want to update, buyers with no clue, bunch of people just riding out the clock. My district manager ended up loving me and flying me around to other stores all because I know how to use DOS from my childhood. It blew her mind. There wasn't a single person in all of our stores that knew how to use it so it fell to me to train people. I was just a department manager at the time. I made the mistake of asking for a raise for all of the extra work I was doing. Got a better job and got out of there. I kept getting people reaching out for help after I left and I would just reply with my district manager's cell phone number.
I joined to launch Saks into Canada. Our buyers were obsessed with these ugly jelly heel things. They were convinced they were the next hotness. Bought a shit ton. We couldn't give the things away. Still had boxes full of them in our backroom when I left a year and a half later.
The only surprising thing was that it took them this long to go bankrupt.
As long as people receive a tiny bit of training on them, those old DOS systems are great for that kind of thing.
The company I work for uses DOS for ...a portion of... the business. My particular job mainly just uses it for timeslips (we use it for more but I'll leave it at that). It was a great system until they removed all the desktop computers and started having us do timeslips on company issued phablets THAT STILL ACCESS THE SAME DOS SYSTEM through some app that has f-keys buttons.
It can always be worse than DOS. It could be a slow laggy GUI or it could be DOS on a touch screen.
Agreed. The main problem is that Saks got saddled with the DOS system and didn't have anyone who really knew how to use it. What we actually used it for was super basic and it worked reliably. Basically all you could ask for.
HBC still using DOS based systems 9 years ago is hilarious and crazy, but also not entirely surprising either given how everything about all their stores, from the decor to the inventory, seemed perpetually stuck in the 90s too.
p.s. Thanks for sharing your experiences/anecdotes from working there (and at Saks). Funny/interesting stuff!
Yeah after Richard Baker took over there was no appetite to update or modernize. Saks got saddled with HBC's ancient tech stack. I wouldn't be surprised if they were still using the same backend today, as I can't imagine they actually spent money to update it in those 9 years while things got worse.
Glad you found my random musings interesting. I guess AMA if you want to know more.
Any idea why they didn't bring Saks' UK systems to Canada?
Same reason as always, it was cheaper. We "borrowed" a bunch of HBC systems when they launched in Canada because it was cheaper but it also made sense since we used HBC's logistics as well, so the DOS backend was the same across HBC and Saks. Saks and Off 5th in Canada were basically just licensed but otherwise might as well have been HBC. Our POS system was slightly more modern than HBC (we used Windows 7 instead of DOS).
Me after reading all your comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs5UORabImQ
It's crazy how long legacy systems sometimes stick around for.
Hah, perfect. Old retail run by private equity firms have got to be the worst for keeping their systems current.
Ah, well. When they mentioned "private equity", I knew the end was near.
I won't get into the whole "what's legal vs. ethical/moral" thing, but private equity has to be on the generally evil side of things, no matter its legality. The rich play their little games and the rest of us suffer for it.
Pretty cool to see a Bright Sun Films video about such a historic retailer here in Canada, even though it's mostly about the depressing final chapter in that company's 355 years of existence. :(
p.s. I loved BSF Jake and Doug Stephens' take on private equity companies near the end since it closely matches my own feelings about them. Even if you're not interested in the story of HBC or its bankruptcy, that portion of the video is worth watching on its own, IMO.