亿万富姐刘伟宏真能让The Bay 再次伟大吗？（观点，中英对照）

近期，中国知名企业家刘伟红在竞标中脱颖而出，成功拿下曾由目前正处于清算程序中的加拿大老牌零售商哈德逊湾公司（Hudson’s Bay）经营的多达28家门店物业。雄心勃勃的刘伟红计划通过其Ruby Liu商业投资公司（Ruby Liu Commercial Investment Corp.）在加拿大打造全新的连锁“现代百货”，并公开表示要“让The Bay再次伟大”（make the Bay great again）。刘的这一大胆构想并不令人意外。她曾在深圳白手起家，将名下的一批购物中心资产出售，交易总额超过10亿美元。来到加拿大后，刘继续扩展版图，通过旗下Central Walk公司收购并改造了温哥华岛及大温地区多家人流密集的购物中心，目前已将位于三角洲的Tsawwassen Mills、维多利亚的Mayfair Shopping Centre，以及纳奈莫的Woodgrove Centre的三大商场收入囊中。

Liu Weihong, a prominent Chinese entrepreneur, has made headlines after winning the bidding war for up to 28 store locations once occupied by Hudson’s Bay, the iconic Canadian retailer now in liquidation. Through her company Ruby Liu Commercial Investment Corp., she plans to launch a new chain of “modern department stores” in Canada and has openly expressed her ambition to “make the Bay great again.” Her bold vision is no surprise—she is a self-made success from Shenzhen who sold her a portfolio of shopping centres there for over US$1 billion. Since arriving in Canada, she has continued her upward trajectory by acquiring and transforming high-traffic malls across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, owning three major centres—Tsawwassen Mills, Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria, and Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo—through her firm Central Walk.

在雄心勃勃拓展加拿大零售市场的道路上，刘伟宏并非独树一帜。近年来，一批资金雄厚的中国企业家，凭借在中国蓬勃发展的零售地产业所积累的经验与资本实力，纷纷试图在加拿大重塑零售格局。然而，许多人很快发现，在加拿大，仅有资金远远不够，文化的传承、品牌忠诚、严密的法律框架以及消费者的信任度等方面的差异，使商业运作方式截然不同。刘伟宏试图将其新业务命名为“New Bay”，并在中国社交媒体上以印有其红宝石标志的Logo对这一店名大肆推广。但刘的举动却已引发法律专家的质疑，他们不客气第指出该名称与如今业已归属加拿大轮胎公司（Canadian Tire）的Hudson’s Bay之店名太过相似。

Liu is not alone in her ambition. In recent years, a wave of well-capitalized Chinese entrepreneurs has sought to reshape Canada’s retail sector using the experience and financial clout they gained in China’s booming retail and property sector. But many quickly discover that success in Canada requires more than capital. Cultural expectations, brand loyalty, legal frameworks, and consumer trust all operate differently here. Liu’s attempt to brand her new venture as “New Bay” — promoted on Chinese social media with a ruby-stamped logo — has already drawn criticism from legal experts who say the name too closely resembles Hudson’s Bay, a brand now owned by Canadian Tire.

试图沿用其并不拥有的历史品牌名称的刘伟宏正步入一片法律雷区。专家警告称，“New Bay”可能违反了禁止使用会引发公众混淆或损害既有品牌商誉的名称的加拿大《商标法》。商标律师Sanjukta Tole指出，“其中存在重大法律问题。”。另一位专家Ashlee Froese补充道，加拿大消费者与Hudson’s Bay品牌之间存在深厚的情感联结，因而赋予其强大的法律保护力。知识产权律师David Durand在谈到加拿大轮胎公司以3000万加元收购Hudson’s Bay相关商标时表示：“他们买下的是355年的历史……没有一个加拿大人不知道Hudson’s Bay。”本质上来说， 在未获得对“Bay”名称或品牌合法使用权的情况下，刘伟宏仅仅买下了28个空置商铺。

By pursuing a name that trades directly on a legacy she does not own, Liu is stepping into a legal minefield. Experts warn that “New Bay” could violate Canada’s Trademarks Act, which prohibits names likely to confuse the public or depreciate existing brand goodwill. “There would be significant issues,” said trademark lawyer Sanjukta Tole. Another expert, Ashlee Froese, noted that the emotional connection Canadians have with the Hudson’s Bay brand gives it powerful protection. Referring to Canadian Tire’s $30-million acquisition of Hudson’s Bay trademarks, intellectual property lawyer David Durand remarked, “What they’re buying is 355 years of history… I don’t think there’s one Canadian that doesn’t know what Hudson’s Bay is.” Without legal entitlement to the Bay name or brand legacy, Liu’s purchase essentially amounts to 28 empty spaces.

这场商标纠纷也凸显出中国企业家在将激进扩张的商业策略引入加拿大这个更为谨慎的消费市场时所广泛面临的更挑战。在不断创新，节奏明快的深圳，新品牌层出不穷，而传统品牌往往很容易被取代。而在加拿大，具有文化蕴意的品牌传承则被深深地尊崇，不但消费者对延续和熟悉的品牌传情有独钟，法律体系也致力于维护其完整性。因此对于像刘伟宏这样的企业家而言，当涉及国家级标志性品牌时，他们未必能将以往在深圳行之有效的经商模式移植到加拿大。

The trademark dispute highlights a broader challenge facing Chinese entrepreneurs who bring aggressive strategies to Canada’s more cautious market. In cities like Shenzhen, fast retail innovation is often rewarded, and legacy brands are easily displaced. But in Canada, heritage carries cultural weight. Consumers value continuity and familiarity, while the legal system is designed to protect those bonds. For entrepreneurs like Liu, what works back home may not transfer easily — especially when it involves national icons.

作为新一代投资海外的中国女性企业家代表，刘伟宏既承载众望，也饱含争议。她的创业经历颇具传奇色彩：一名出身工厂流水线的打工妹，最终成长为身家数十亿的投资者。然而，这一次她重塑加拿大零售业磐石的大胆尝试，不仅是对其商业能力的考验，更是在一个将品牌文化与公众认知视为与资本实力同等重要的市场中，对她能否游刃有余，灵活应对的严峻挑战。加国人士一向对所谓“外国资本接管本国传统品牌”持谨慎态度，尤其当商业行为涉及品牌混淆或涉嫌房地产投机时。刘的海外扩张究竟能否成就一段零售业革新的佳话，还是终将被视为一次鲁莽之举，恐怕不仅取决于她的投资规模，而更取决于她对加国市场的适应能力。

As one of a rising class of Chinese female entrepreneurs investing abroad, Liu represents both promise and tension. Her story is inspiring: a former factory worker who became a billionaire investor. Yet her attempt to reinvent a cornerstone of Canadian retail will test not only her business skills, but her ability to navigate a market where cultural sensitivity and public perception are as important as capital. Canadians are wary of what feels like a “foreign takeover” of heritage brands — especially when it involves brand confusion or appears to be driven by real estate speculation. Whether Liu becomes a pioneer of retail transformation or an example of cross-border overreach may hinge on how she adapts, not just how she invests.