Hudson’s Bay Company

What Hudson’s Bay Company does

Hudson's Bay Company, founded in 1670 via royal charter from King Charles II, was Canada's oldest continuously operating company and one of the longest-surviving commercial enterprises in the world. Originally a fur trading operation with extraordinary historical land and trading rights, HBC evolved into a diversified retail conglomerate that, at its peak, operated 80 Hudson's Bay department stores and 15-16 Saks Fifth Avenue banners across Canada, serving broad consumer demand for apparel, home goods, accessories, and luxury merchandise. The company had also built a warehouse automation capability through a partnership with Bastian Solutions, deploying OPEX Perfect Pick technology in a 750,000-square-foot fulfillment center.

By early 2025, HBC was majority-owned by US-based private equity investors (acquired in 2008) and had aggressively expanded through acquisitions including Saks Fifth Avenue (2013, $2.9 billion), Galeria Kaufhof (2015), Gilt Groupe (2016), and the 2024 creation of Saks Global via a $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group — financed by Amazon's $475 million equity contribution, Apollo's $1.15 billion in debt, and $2.2 billion in Senior Secured Notes. The company also owned a majority stake in Convene, a flexible workspace business acquired in April 2022 at a $500 million valuation.

Hudson's Bay Company filed for creditor protection on March 7, 2025, with $1.1 billion in debt, triggering mass closure of all 80 Hudson's Bay stores and 15 Saks outlets by June 2025 with over 9,000 job losses. Saks Global filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2026. The estate has been systematically dismantled through asset sales: the iconic HBC stripes intellectual property was sold to Canadian Tire Corporation for CA$30 million, Zellers trademarks were sold to Les Ailes de la Mode, the 1670 Royal Charter was auctioned for $18 million to the Weston and Thomson families, and the 4,400-piece art and artifacts collection is being auctioned through Heffel Fine Art Auction House. The retail operating company has ceased to exist as a going concern, with the Hudson's Bay brand now continuing as licensed product lines through Canadian Tire's retail network.

Name

Hudson’s Bay Company

Legal name

Hudson's Bay Company

Website

https://hbc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Hudson's Bay Company, founded in 1670, was Canada's oldest retailer operating department stores and Saks Fifth Avenue banners. The company collapsed in March 2025 with $1.1 billion in debt, ceased retail operations by June 2025, and its brand IP was fragmented across Canadian Tire, Les Ailes de la Mode, and other buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Department Store Retail

NAICS

General Merchandise Retailers (455)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Off-Price Department Store Chains (National) (CRAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Department store retail
• Heritage brand licensing
• Apparel and home goods
• Luxury department stores
• Canadian retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Brampton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Department Store Retail Sales: Traditional department store retail revenue from selling general merchandise including apparel, home goods, accessories, and luxury items through Hudson's Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue branded stores across Canada
2. Asset Liquidation: Revenue generated from auctioning HBC's collection of 4,400 art pieces and artifacts, including a Winston Churchill painting valued at $400,000-$600,000, vintage Hudson's Bay blankets, and other historical items to repay creditors
3. Intellectual Property Licensing: Revenue from licensing HBC's iconic multi-coloured stripes brand and trademarks to Canadian Tire Corporation for CA$30 million

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hudson's Bay Company historically operated a chain of 80 department stores and 15 Saks Fifth Avenue banners across Canada, selling general merchandise including apparel, home goods, accessories, and luxury items directly to Canadian consumers. Following its 2025 collapse and creditor protection filing, the company's residual offerings consist of its iconic HBC Stripes intellectual property, which is now licensed to Canadian Tire Corporation for the production and distribution of Point Blankets, outdoor furniture, and seasonal lifestyle products through Canadian Tire's retail network.

Product overview

Hudson's Bay Company (founded 1670), Canada's oldest company, underwent complete liquidation in 2025 after 354 years of operation. The company's intellectual property, particularly the iconic Hudson's Bay Stripes brand, was acquired by Canadian Tire Corporation for CA$30 million in early 2026. Canadian Tire now manufactures and sells Hudson's Bay Stripes branded products including Point Blankets, outdoor furniture, home goods, and seasonal lifestyle items through Canadian Tire retail stores. Separately, the Zellers brand was revived by Les Ailes de la Mode and is being relaunched as a separate retail chain. The original HBC retail department store operations and Saks Fifth Avenue Canada operations have ceased.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hudson's Bay Stripes: The iconic multi-coloured stripe pattern trademark, originally associated with Hudson's Bay Point Blankets, now owned by Canadian Tire Corporation and used on various lifestyle products including outdoor furniture, beach essentials, home goods, and accessories.

Products and services

• Hudson's Bay Stripes Heritage Canadian brand featuring the iconic multi-stripe pattern trademark, now owned and distributed by Canadian Tire Corporation. Products include Point Blankets, outdoor furniture, home goods, and seasonal lifestyle items sold through Canadian Tire retail stores, canadiantire.ca, and select Mark's locations across Canada.
• Hudson's Bay Point Blanket The iconic striped wool blanket, a signature product of the Hudson's Bay brand heritage, available in multiple sizes (Twin, Double, Queen, King) and featuring the distinctive multi-stripe pattern. Distributed through Canadian Tire retail stores and online at canadiantire.ca.
• Hudson's Bay Stripes Summer '26 Collection Seasonal outdoor living assortment featuring the iconic Hudson's Bay Stripes pattern, including Muskoka chairs, patio umbrellas, beach chairs, beach towels, pool floats, and outdoor blankets. Sold through Canadian Tire's retail and e-commerce channels.
• Zellers Canadian discount retail brand revived by Les Ailes de la Mode after acquiring the Zellers trademarks from HBC, relaunching with smaller-format stores focusing on apparel, home, and lifestyle categories. Plans include expansion into multiple Canadian locations, including some in former Hudson's Bay spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9,000 job losses in one of Canada's largest mass terminations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Canadian Tire CorporationflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 5 March 2026Canadian Tire Corporation acquired HBC's intellectual property including the iconic multi-coloured stripes and key in-house labels for CA$30 million. This strategic acquisition allows Canadian Tire to leverage the heritage HBC brand, with plans to create smaller-format Bay-branded stores and expand the brand into seasonal lifestyle categories. The first Hudson's Bay Stripes collection launched December 5, 2025, with Summer '26 Collection launching May 1, 2026.
• Bastian SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 14 December 2025HBC partnered with Bastian Solutions to develop a 750,000-square-foot automated order fulfillment center in Canada featuring 16 aisles of Perfect Pick technology capable of processing orders in as little as 15 minutes. The facility was designed to give HBC competitive advantage against online retail giants such as Amazon.
• Les Ailes de la ModecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2025Quebec-based Les Ailes de la Mode acquired the Zellers trademarks from Hudson's Bay in 2025, leading to Zellers' revival with new standalone stores. Zellers reopened in Toronto in June 2026 with nostalgic attractions and diner-themed food, with a second Ontario location expected in Windsor later in summer 2026.
• ConveneminorOthers · 1 April 2022HBC acquired a majority stake in Convene, a flexible workspace company founded in 2009, at a $500 million valuation in April 2022. Convene subsequently acquired etc.venues in February 2023, expanding its presence in the U.S. and UK meeting and event venue market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• La Maison Simons: Canadian family-owned department store chain founded in 1840, selling apparel, home goods, and lifestyle products across Canadian locations. Comparable as a Canadian department-store operator with similar heritage-brand positioning and product mix.
• Holt Renfrew: Canada's leading luxury department store chain, operating high-end retail stores in major Canadian cities. Comparable as a Canadian department-store operator in the same geography, though differentiated by luxury positioning versus HBC's mass-market focus.

Direct peers

• Macy's: Iconic US department store chain operating Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bloomingdale's Outlet. Directly comparable as a traditional multi-banner department store operator facing similar structural headwinds to those that contributed to HBC's collapse.
• Kohl's: Mid-tier US department store chain selling apparel, home goods, and accessories across 1,100+ stores. Comparable to HBC as a mass-market department store operator struggling with category-specific competitive pressure.
• Saks Global (Saks Fifth Avenue / Neiman Marcus): Saks Global was created through HBC's $2.7B acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group and now operates Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks OFF 5TH. It is the direct continuation of HBC's luxury retail strategy and filed Chapter 11 in January 2026.
• JCPenney: US department store chain that filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and emerged under new ownership. Highly comparable to HBC given the parallel trajectory of legacy department-store operators navigating structural decline and creditor-protection proceedings.
• Nordstrom: Traditional North American department store chain selling apparel, accessories, and home goods through full-line stores and Nordstrom Rack off-price banners. Directly comparable to HBC's traditional department store + Saks Off 5th (off-price) dual-format strategy.
• Sears Canada (now defunct): Sears Canada, another historic Canadian department store chain, collapsed into creditor protection and liquidation in 2017-2018. Closest precedent to HBC's 2025 collapse in terms of country, retail format, creditor-protection process, and mass-termination outcome.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Tire Corporation: Canadian Tire Corporation acquired HBC's intellectual property for CA$30M and now distributes Hudson's Bay Stripes products across its retail network. As the acquirer and current commercial steward of HBC's brand assets, it is the most directly relevant comparator for evaluating HBC's residual value.

Emerging players

• Les Ailes de la Mode: Quebec-based discount retailer that acquired the Zellers trademarks from HBC and is reviving the brand with new standalone stores. Directly comparable as a new entrant leveraging distressed HBC IP to enter the Canadian department-store market.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hudsonsbay
• Facebookfacebook.com/hudsonsbay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A5 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hudson’s Bay Company