Hudson’s Bay Seeks Cool Factor After Ditching 300 Brands

(Bloomberg) -- Hudson’s Bay Co. is doing a large-scale dust off in Canada.

The owner of Saks Fifth Avenue has booted out 300 “unproductive” brands from its Canadian department store chain, known locally as “The Bay.” It’s brought 100 new brands to “reset” the assortment this season, ranging from fast fashion staple Mango to high-end, sustainability-focused designs of New Zealander Maggie Marilyn, whose plaid pants sell for C$570 ($432).

Other additions include Anthropologie’s home goods, outdoors-focused L.L. Bean, as well as edgier designers such as Copenhagen-based Birger Christensen’s Rotate.

The upscale shift, which is part of the company’s attempt to lure customers back to the oldest company in North America, isn’t completed, Chief Executive Officer Helena Foulkes said.

“In some of the more traditional, classic brands, we have work to do to reposition those,” she told analysts Thursday after releasing the third consecutive drop in same-some sales at the Bay. “The changes will be gradual and may take time to resonate in the market.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Sandrine Rastello in Montreal at srastello@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Crayton Harrison at tharrison5@bloomberg.net, David Scanlan

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