Canadian Tire to Revive Hudson's Bay Trademarks in Q4 2024

Canadian Tire plans to revive Hudson's Bay trademarks starting in Q4 2023 with "updates and fun initiatives." The launch of a more "meaningful product presence" is set for the back half of 2026. The company acquired HBC's intellectual property, including the iconic stripes motif, for $30 million in May. Hicks expressed excitement about continuing the HBC story and acknowledged the weight of stewarding the 355-year-old retailer's legacy.

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. is set to unveil the first updates and initiatives related to the Hudson's Bay brand under its ownership later this year. The company, which acquired the intellectual property of the fallen department store for $30 million in May, plans to launch a more meaningful product presence by the back half of 2026 [1].

Canadian Tire CEO Greg Hicks expressed excitement about continuing the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) story and acknowledged the responsibility of stewarding the 355-year-old retailer's legacy. Hicks indicated that while the company has yet to reveal the exact plans for the trademarks, it is feeling the weight of keeping the legacy alive. "We remind ourselves daily of both the opportunities and the expectations of stewardship that are on our shoulders," Hicks said [1].

The company reported a decrease in net income attributable to shareholders for the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Despite this, revenue increased by about five percent, reaching $4.2 billion. Hicks attributed the drop in net income to higher expenses and the completion of the Helly Hansen sale, which was sold for almost $1.3 billion to Kontoor Brands [2].

Canadian Tire's plans to revive the Hudson's Bay brand come amidst a period of restructuring and modernization. The company is investing $2 billion over four years in a program called True North to transform its business for growth. This includes modernizing the retail experience, enhancing customer data usage, developing agile technologies, and boosting the impact of its Triangle Rewards loyalty program [2].

The company's second-quarter revenue totaled $4.2 billion, up from $4 billion in the same period last year. Sales at the company's flagship Canadian Tire banner increased by 6.4 percent, while SportChek and Mark's saw increases of 3.3 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively [2].

Hicks noted that the company has seen an outpouring of support from Canadians, indicating that the response to their plans has been overwhelmingly positive. "It was more than support for our strategy; it felt personal, a reminder of the place Canadian companies hold in Canadians' hearts," Hicks said [1].

References:
[1] https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canadian-tire-sees-q2-profit-120723656.html
[2] https://www.coastreporter.net/the-mix/canadian-tire-preparing-revival-of-hudsons-bay-trademarks-for-later-this-year-ceo-11044071