The Bay
Encyclopedia
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s that operate across parts of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the main brand of Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
("HBC"), North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
's oldest company. It has its headquarters in the Simpson Tower
Simpson Tower
The Simpson Tower is the 26th-tallest building in Toronto. Completed in 1968 by architect John B. Parkin, as the headquarters of the Simpsons department store company, it has 33 floors and is 144 metres high. In 1978, as part of a corporate takeover, the Simpson Tower became the property of the...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, the chain is known as la Baie, short for "Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson". The chain uses both the English and French versions of the name in some parts of the country.
The stores are full-line department stores, with a focus on fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
apparel, accessories, and home goods. Most price points are mid- to upper-mid, with some high price points in the flagship store on Queen Street
Queen Street
Queen Street is a popular street name in English-speaking countries . Examples include:-Asia:* Queen Street, Hong Kong in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong* Queen Street, Singapore in Singapore...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
; however, there is an assortment of everyday low-price merchandise. The Bay can be compared to U.S. retailers Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
and Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
. The average store is 135,000 square feet (12,500 m2).
Flagship downtown stores exist in Canada's largest cities, including Toronto, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, and Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. These larger stores span many stories high and carry a much broader range and selection of goods than The Bay stores in shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s. The largest of the flagship stores is the Toronto store on Queen Street, at about 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²). Toronto has another smaller flagship store on Bloor Street East.
History
The origin of the Hudson's Bay Company's department store format can be traced to 1881, when the company opened its first department store in WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, under its proper name Hudson's Bay Company. From 1881 up until 1960, all "Hudson's Bay Company" stores were located in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
.
In 1960, the HBC acquired Morgan's
Morgan's
Morgan's was a Montreal-based Canadian department store chain. At its peak, the company had stores in Quebec and Ontario...
, a Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
department chain with stores in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and the island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
. That same year, all the Morgan's stores in Ontario were converted to the "Hudson's Bay Company" brand; the ones in Quebec kept the name Morgan's.
In 1964, all "Hudson's Bay Company" stores were rebranded as the Bay. The Quebec stores continued under the Morgan name until 1972, when the HBC converted them to la Baie.
The Bay further expanded its presence between 1989 and 1991 in Eastern Canada by absorbing the Simpsons department store chain, and 1993 in Western Canada by taking over many former Woodward's
Woodward's
Woodward's was the name of a department store chain which operated in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada for one hundred years, before its sale to the Hudson's Bay Company .-History:...
outlets. The Toronto Queen Street flagship store was previously a Simpsons department store.
In 1991, Hudson's Bay Company stopped selling fur
Fur clothing
Fur clothing is clothing made of the fur of animals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing; thought to have been widely used as hominids first expanded outside of Africa. Some view fur as luxurious and warm; others reject it due to moral beliefs...
. In 1997 the company reopened their fur salons, including a wider assortment of high-end designer furs. Many exclusive fur designers, including Louis Féraud
Louis Feraud
Louis Féraud was a French fashion designer and artist.In 1950, Louis Féraud created his first "Maison de Couture" in Cannes and by 1955 had established a couture house in Paris on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré....
, Givenchy
Givenchy
Givenchy is a French brand of clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics with Parfums Givenchy.The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy and is a member of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Pret-a-Porter...
, Black Diamond Mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, and Grosvenor, are included in the highly successful Hudson's Bay Company Fur Salons.
Pharmamart is a shop-in-store concept that includes basic grocery and household items and, among other amenities, a pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
. It is located in several larger downtown locations. The Winnipeg Pharmamart is larger than that in other downtown stores and carries a wide selection of fresh produce and meat, dry goods, dairy products, housewares, and specialty foods such as gluten-free and diabetic items.
In Downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the Queen Street store, formerly Simpsons, includes the department 'The Room' on the third floor. It is 21500 square feet (1,997.4 m²) upscale women's salon carrying some of the most prestigious and expensive women's designer labels in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Designers include Emmanuel Ungaro, Halston
Halston
Roy Halston Frowick, also known as Halston was a clothing designer of the 1970s. His long dresses or copies of his style were popular fashion wear in mid-1970s discotheques.-Early life and career:...
, Balmain
Balmain
Balmain can refer to:Places:* Balmain, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia* Electoral district of Balmain, an electoral division in New South Wales, Australia* Balmain East, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia...
, Gianfranco Ferre
Gianfranco Ferrè
Gianfranco Ferré was a fashion designer also known as "the architect of fashion" for his background and his original attitude toward creating fashion design....
, Moschino
Moschino
Moschino is an Italian fashion design house and manufacturer of women's, men's and children's fashion.-History:The brand was originally created in 1983 by the late Franco Moschino...
, Armani Collezioni, Akris Punto, Lida Baday, Andrew Gn, Bellville Sassoon, David Hayes, and others.
Men's designer department West End Shop includes prestigious menswear designers such as Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
, Armani, Strellson
Strellson
Strellson AG, based in Kreuzlingen, is Switzerland's largest menswear manufacturer. It is owned by the Holy Fashion Group and produces mid-range products aimed at men between 25 and 40.-History:...
, and will include an expanded designer assortment in early 2011. West End Shops are currently located in Toronto (Queen Street and Bloor Street stores), Downtown Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
Rideau Centre
Rideau Centre
Rideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street , the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street....
, Downtown Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
Southgate Shopping Centre
Southgate Shopping Centre
Southgate Shopping Centre is a large shopping centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Mondeor and is one of the ten largest shopping centres in South Africa, with over 160 commercial tenants. The centre has long served the nearby township of Soweto. Opened in late 1990 as Apartheid...
, and Downtown Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
On 16 July 2008, it was announced that Hudson's Bay Company (the parent company of the Bay) had been purchased by the US firm NRDC Equity Partners
NRDC Equity Partners
NRDC Equity Partners is an entrepreneurial-based private investment firm investing in retail, real estate and consumer branded businesses.-History:...
, which owns Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
. The new combined multinational corporation
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
is called Hudson's Bay Trading Company
Hudson's Bay Trading Company
Hudson's Bay Trading Company, L.P. is an American portfolio company for NRDC Equity Partners, a private equity company. Hudson's Bay Trading Company was founded in 2008....
.
In August 2008 it was announced that Bonnie Brooks was hired as president and chief executive officer of the Hudson's Bay Company. A significant transformation of the chain has followed.
Flagship store remodelling
The Room
The Room is Harold Pinter's first play, written and first produced in 1957. Considered by critics the earliest example of Pinter's "comedy of menace", this play has strong similarities to Pinter's second play, The Birthday Party, including features considered hallmarks of Pinter's early work and...
and West End Shop designer concepts.
The Bay will significantly renovate and upscale its downtown flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
locations, beginning with its Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Queen Street
Queen Street
Queen Street is a popular street name in English-speaking countries . Examples include:-Asia:* Queen Street, Hong Kong in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong* Queen Street, Singapore in Singapore...
store.
Hudson's Bay Company Shop
The Bay now offers products from the Hudson's Bay Company Collection a dedicated store, including items such as the iconic Point Blanket, coats, bed sheets, bags, t-shirts, lotions, scents, and candles. HBC has also partnered with Canadian companies like Virginia Johnson, Pink Tartan, and Klaxon Howl to create exclusive, limited edition merchandise. Customized canoes and oars are also available. HBC has also teamed up with international companies for limited edition products, such as Steiff (heritage teddy bear, limited run of 2 500), and Best Made Axe Co.While the Hudson's Bay Company shops appear mainly in flagship stores and its Banff
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
location, products from the Hudson's Bay Company Collection (not including limited edition items) are also available at other locations, most notably the Point Blanket.
The four-point stripes have also been trademarked worldwide, and are planned to be sold through international retailers which started with Lord & Taylor in the US, and then Colette in France, in an attempt to market HBC as a brand.
The Room
Located on the third floor of the Queen Street Store, has been expanded to 21500 square feet (1,997.4 m²) and was re-designed by design firm Yabu Pushelburg. New upscale designers, many exclusive in Canada, include AlaiaAlaia
An Alaia is a thin, round-nosed, square-tailed surfboard ridden in pre-20th century Hawaii. The boards were between long, weighed up to , and were generally made from the wood of Acacia koa...
, Jason Wu
Jason Wu
Jason Wu is a Manhattan-based Taiwanese American fashion designer.-Biography:Born in Taiwan, Wu moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at age nine and attended Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts and Loomis Chaffee, in Windsor ,Connecticut. He learned how to sew by designing and...
, Proenza Schouler
Proenza Schouler
Proenza Schouler is a New York based womenswear and accessories brand founded in 2002 by designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The duo met while studying at Parsons School of Design, collaborating on their senior thesis, which would eventually become their first collection as Proenza...
, Sonia Rykiel
Sonia Rykiel
Sonia Rykiel née Flis is a French fashion designer.Ethnically a Polish-Romanian Jew, Sonia Rykiel was born in Neuilly a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, the eldest of five daughters of a Polish mother and a Romanian father. At the age of 17, she was employed to dress the window...
, Barbara Bui, Erdem
Erdem Moralioğlu
Erdem Moralioğlu, more commonly known as Erdem is a Canadian-British-Turkish fashion designer.-Biography:...
, Roland Mouret
Roland Mouret
Roland Mouret is a French fashion designer.-Training and early career:His fashion training consisted of three months in a Parisian fashion college in 1979. In the 1980s Mouret worked as creative director with Gai Pied Hebdo, a Paris-based gay publication, and was an Act Up activist...
, and others. 'The Room' concept will follow in Downtown Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
opening September 2011.
'The Room' women's department in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
will be located in the North-East section of the second floor of the Downtown Vancouver Bay store, and will be approximately 23000 square feet (2,136.8 m²). It will include many of the designers currently available in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Queen Street
Queen Street
Queen Street is a popular street name in English-speaking countries . Examples include:-Asia:* Queen Street, Hong Kong in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong* Queen Street, Singapore in Singapore...
Flagship, and some not available in the Flagship, including DSquared2 and Jeremy Liang.
West End Shop
After the revival of The Room, there is also a plan to revitalize the high-end menswear section of the Bay. The Toronto Queen Street location's West End Shop recently underwent a renovation, containing labels such as Hugo BossHugo Boss
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
, Armani, Ben Sherman
Ben Sherman
Ben Sherman is a British based clothing company, designing shirts, suits, shoes, accessories and other items that are, in common with many British brands, now made overseas, largely in the Far East. Their designs sometimes feature the Royal Air Force roundel which is often called the mod target...
, and Strellson
Strellson
Strellson AG, based in Kreuzlingen, is Switzerland's largest menswear manufacturer. It is owned by the Holy Fashion Group and produces mid-range products aimed at men between 25 and 40.-History:...
.
Polo Ralph Lauren boutiques
Boutiques for Polo Ralph Lauren were also added to select locations, including Queen Street, Yorkdale, Bayshore Ottawa, Carrefour Laval, Galeries d'Anjou, Vancouver Downtown, Victoria Downtown, Laurier Québec, and Montreal Downtown. Each boutique contains customized decor, and dedicated company specialists.During the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, the Bay was also the sole retailer for Polo Ralph Lauren US Olympic Team apparel in Canada.
Olympic apparel
Since its contract with the Canadian Olympic CommitteeCanadian Olympic Committee
The Canadian Olympic Committee - COC is the private, non-profit organization representing Canadian athletes in the International Olympic Committee and the Pan American Games. It was formally recognized by the IOC in 1907. The COC also represents the selection of Canadian cities in their bid for...
as the official merchandiser for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, HBC has continued selling Olympic apparel in a dedicated section of the Bay stores. They are also sold through Zellers.
HBC has also updated its famous red mittens with a new design, featuring an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show, where they were given to the audience.
Further expansion
The TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Queen Street
Queen Street
Queen Street is a popular street name in English-speaking countries . Examples include:-Asia:* Queen Street, Hong Kong in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong* Queen Street, Singapore in Singapore...
and Montreal Downtown store has opened ground floor boutiques for Coach Leathergoods, and See by Chloé. Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
ground-floor designer boutiques will follow.
The Bay's partnership with Browns Shoes is no longer intact, meaning all Browns location within the Bay are now closed. This has happened in order to allow the department store to offer a larger selection of shoes, and to partner with the Montreal based Aldo Group. The Bay is also offering higher-end brands, keeping inline with offerings from The Room and the West End Shop. The Bay's partnership with the Aldo Group will begin in spring 2011 when the revived Pegabo brand of footwear is going to be carried in The Bay as well as in Aldo's own FeetFirst and Locale locations.
The website also now includes online shopping for home fashions and beauty products, as well as gift registry.
See also
- List of Canadian department stores
- List of Hudson's Bay Company brands
- HBC RewardsHBC RewardsHBC Rewards is a loyalty program where customers earn points for purchases at Hudson's Bay Company's various chains of stores in Canada, including Zellers, The Bay, Home Outfitters, HBC Telecommunications, and hbc.com, their online store...
- Simpson's