Hudson's Bay begins anniversary celebrations with reissued collection

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Jan 29, 2020

Hudson's Bay Company is ready to commemorate its 350th anniversary and is kicking off the celebrations with the launch of a series of limited-edition point blanket colourways, inspired by previous decades. 

The Hudson's Bay 'Point Blanket', which dates back to 1779, has been an iconic product in Canada and around the world. It gained popularity in the Canadian fur trade as fur traders, voyageurs, and indigenous peoples regularly styled blankets into custom wrap coats, called 'capotes' - nearly 200 years before the first commercial blanket coat was introduced.

While the multi-stripe design is the most iconic colourway, this year, Hudson's Bay has rereleased a series in a variety of historic colourways and patterns.

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Colours include 'Sky Blue', originally introduced as part of the pastel tones colourway series of 1929; 'Camel', first introduced to shoppers in the 1920s; and 'Ice Cream', first introduced by Hudson's Bay in 1957, among others. 

Meanwhile, the newest Point Blanket design - the '350 Commemorative Hudson's Bay Point Blanket' - features a single black bar on a cream field, and is reminiscent of the popular point blankets, the 'Oxford'. 

"The Hudson's Bay Company story is vast and interwoven with the history of this country", said Iain Nairn, president, Hudson's Bay, in a news statement. 

"Beginning this year with the launch of our blankets - which have been an indelible part of the company for nearly its entirety - is a fitting start to our celebrations. We look forward to marking this milestone year and celebrating with Canadians across the country."  

The company will continue the celebratory events throughout the year with a collaboration launch set to take place on the second day of each month beginning March 2020.

Hudson's Bay said it has collaborated with brands including B Yoga, Armor-Lux and Sesame Street, to name a few.

Despite the celebrations, HBC has seen turbulent times in recent years. 

The department store operator has been struggling due to the reality of online sales, which has hurt a number of its brick-and-mortar locations. 

It sold its Lord & Taylor banner to Le Tote for $75 million in August and shuttered its operations in the Netherlands. 

In Canada, the company also shuttered its Home Outfitters business. 

In the third quarter ended Nov. 2, the group reported a 2.3 percent fall in quarterly revenue, as total revenue fell to C$1.84 billion from C$1.89 billion.