ALISON COVILLE STEPS DOWN AS PRESIDENT OF HUDSON’S BAY

Canadian retailer Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) has announced Alison Coville will step down as president of Hudson’s Bay and Home Outfitters, effective March 1.

“We are grateful to Alison for her dedication and contributions to Hudson’s Bay,” said Helena Foulkes, CEO of HBC. “Over her long tenure with the company she served in a number of roles with increasing responsibility while successfully maintaining a constant focus on serving the Canadian consumer. We wish her well in her future endeavors.”

Foulkes continued, “With a proud Canadian heritage and national footprint, Hudson’s Bay has a right to win in the marketplace and there is a tremendous opportunity to build on our strength as the country’s preeminent multi-category retailer. The leadership team and I are confident in our go-forward plan to drive better performance by improving our service model, digital experience, and merchandise assortment, while capitalizing on our biggest opportunities.”

The company has retained an executive search firm to recruit a new president of Hudson’s Bay to further enhance the business’s strategies and drive its next phase of growth. Hudson’s Bay will be led by key executives from the HBC team, under the direction of Foulkes, until a permanent successor is found.

This news comes only a few days after the company announced that it would close its Home Outfitters business in Canada as well as perform a fleet review of Saks Off 5th’s 133 stores, with an estimate of closing up to 20 locations in the U.S. These actions are part of the company’s strategic plan to reduce costs, simplify the business, and improve overall profitability.