Hudson's Bay lays off 41 staff while citing 'challenging headwinds'

Hudson’s Bay signage is pictured in the financial district in Toronto, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj

TORONTO — Hudson’s Bay says it has laid off 41 staff as it revamps the retailer’s structure.

Charla Parkinson, a spokesperson for the department store chain, confirmed the staffing cut in an email but did not answer questions about what roles or cities laid off staff were in.

She positioned the layoff as a result of “challenging headwinds” that have hit the retail industry.

While the layoff was a difficult decision, she says it was a necessary move for the Toronto-based company.

The retailer laid off about one per cent of its workforce last April and then carried out an unspecified number of cuts in the summer, when its parent company HBC prepared to spin out some of its brands into a new entity called Saks Global.

In November, it also said it was backing out of its plan to operate a store at the redeveloped Oakridge Park in Vancouver.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2025.