The Bay logo returns to its historic roots

TORONTO — The Bay is changing its logo for the first time in close to 50 years to reflect the department store’s banner shift to Hudson’s Bay, a nod to its historical roots and more upscale product offering.

The new Hudson’s Bay logo went live on the veteran retailer’s website last Friday and will now be used on all social media, print flyers, and other marketing materials. The logo will be on all store shopping bags, in addition to the corporate crest.

Richard Baker, chief executive at parent company Hudson’s Bay Co., (HBC), told investors about the change on the parent company’s third-quarter conference call in December, but the new logo did not make its debut until the beginning of March.

The department store chain has been using ‘The Bay’ logo and store name since 1965, a move that was intended to modernize and put some distance between the banner and its rich historical roots as the country’s oldest company, said Wendy Evans, a Toronto-based retailing consultant and president of Evans and Company Consultants Inc.

“HBC lost some of its history in the first place when they changed the name to The Bay — the logo did not reflect the company and its remarkable history, and this reclaims it a bit,” she said.

As the company repositioned itself with a higher-end assortment of fashionable brands under the stewardship of former Holt Renfrew executive Bonnie Brooks, new management has been promoting the company’s heritage in earnest, including a line of goods emblazoned with the classic multicoloured stripes of its point blanket.

“It was a very good move for them to change the name,” Evans said, noting the company has made numerous moves to reposition itself as a more refined retailer since Baker bought HBC in 2008.