Hudson's Bay (department store)
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HBC is a holding company of investments and businesses that operate at the intersection of technology, retail operations and real estate. It owns iconic ecommerce companies Saks and Saks OFF 5TH, as well as The Bay, Hudson’s Bay and SFA stores in Canada and the US.
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; French: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, it became the largest and oldest corporation in Canada, and now owns and operates retail stores across the country.
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- Beginnings: 17th Century
- Indigenous Peoples
- Struggle For Control of The Fur Trade: 18th Century
- New Organizational Structure: 19th Century
- Relinquishing Colonial Responsibilities
- Natural-Resource Development
- Retail Expansion
- 21st Century
- Branding and Logos
- Olympic Outfitter
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In the 17th century, the fur trade emerged as a major commercial enterprise in North America due to European demand for felt hats made from beaver fur. French traders Médard Chouart des Groseilliers and Pierre-Esprit Radisson were the first to propose a trading company to reach the interior of the continent via Hudson Bay and gain easier access to ...
After trapping during the fall and winter when beaver pelts were of the highest quality, in the summer months, Indigenous peoples travelled to these trading posts to barter furs for manufactured goods such as metal tools, guns, textiles and foodstuffs. The now-iconic point blanket was one such item bartered for furs. Often, Indigenous traders were ...
Until 1763, the HBC struggled with the French for control of the fur trade in southern Rupert’s Land. In the early years, a series of naval and land battles took place on Hudson and James bays. In 1713, by the Treaty of Utrecht, France acknowledged England’s claim to Hudson Bay. For the next 60 years, the HBC erected posts only at the mouths of maj...
Bringing together the different business traditions of the North West Company and HBC required changes in the administrative structure of the new company. British North America was divided into trading departments, which were then subdivided into districts. District managers met annually in departmental council meetings presided over by the governo...
Although the company’s primary concern remained the fur trade, it became increasingly involved in providing government for settlers in the Red River Valley and on Vancouver Island. Between 1812 and 1834, the governors of Assiniboia were agents of the Selkirk estate, although they were overshadowed by the HBC. In 1834, the company resumed jurisdicti...
Involvement in natural-resource development stemmed naturally out of the HBC’s fur trade and real estate activities. In 1926, it co-founded Hudson’s Bay Oil and Gas (HBOG); in 1973, it acquired 35 per cent of Siebens Oil and Gas. In 1979, it disposed of the latter and in 1980 bought controlling interest in Roxy Petroleum. In 1982, the HBOG investme...
As economic development in the Prairie West accelerated after 1870, the company did an increasing amount of business with settlers. Initially, most of this activity was carried on at its trading posts. Since it differed in many respects from the trade with Indigenous groups, separate sales shop accounts were kept. From this modest beginning, the HB...
While the company built its brand around the department store setting and selling over the counter, the 2000s brought a change in the retail landscape. Traditional ways of selling goods were challenged by online retailers. The company first offered an online shopping experience in 2000, a direct response to this evolving retail landscape. Declining...
Beginning in 1965, the department store embraced the short form of its name, “The Bay,” and its logo featured a prominent B. In 2013, HBC’s logo underwent a significant overhaul, using a wordmark from the HBC red ensign. The new logo and the department store’s return to the fuller mantle of “Hudson’s Bay” was an effort to acknowledge the company’s ...
In 2005, the company began its partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and was named the Official Department Store and General Merchandise Store Operator in Canada. HBC, taking over from Roots Canada, outfitted the Canadian Olympic team with iconic toques and mittens. The most popular iteration of these products was produced for the 2...
Learn about the history and evolution of the Hudson's Bay Company, the oldest incorporated joint-stock merchandising company in the English-speaking world. Explore its role in the fur trade, colonization, Indigenous relations and modern business.
Jun 4, 2024 · Hudson’s Bay Company, corporation that occupies a prominent place in both the economic and the political history of Canada. It was incorporated in England on May 2, 1670, to seek a northwest passage to the Pacific, to occupy the lands adjacent to Hudson Bay, and to carry on commerce with those lands.
As of August 2021, Hudson's Bay operates 86 locations in seven Canadian provinces. Its full-line department stores focus on high-end fashion apparel, accessories, and home goods; flagship stores carry a bigger range and selection of goods than typical locations.
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HBC is the majority owner of Saks, The Bay and Saks OFF 5TH, and operates Hudson’s Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue stores. Founded in 1670, HBC is North America’s longest continually operating company and has assets spanning top markets and prime locations.
