Following Zucker's death in 2008, Hudson's Bay Company and its subsidiaries including Zellers came under the ownership of a New York based company, NRDC Equity Partners, which was headed by Richard Baker. NRDC owns the Lord & Taylor upscale specialty retail department store chain in the United States. Subsequently, NRDC invested heavily in The Bay and managed a turnaround by repositioning it as an upscale, fashion forward retailer. However the Zellers chain was still struggling and was seen as a drag on the parent company and its American owner.