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On eve of 350th anniversary, HBC's future in question

S Ho

The made-in-England Hudson’s Bay wool point blankets, which date back to 1779, haven’t changed much in 240 years - except for the cost. Once used as a pricing measure in its fur trading business, you can still buy one today for $325 to $550, depending on the size.

Like the blanket it sells, Hudson’s Bay’s origins are inextricably linked with Canada’s own, steeped in history and surviving centuries of change. But as the iconic retailer approaches its 350th anniversary this year, it is at a major crossroad, struggling in a complex and challenging retail environment that is changing faster than the company itself, and must take radical steps that may well determine its future.

Read the story here.

A mini Twitter thread on some additional thoughts: https://twitter.com/shtweet/status/1215738613973110791

I wrote a lot about this company’s modern day operations over the years, some of which can be found here: