Home Outfitters expands

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 3/26/2001 12:00:00 AM

TORONTO -Hudson's Bay Company's Home Outfitters format, a kitchen, bed and bath superstore that debuted in 1998, will roll out to 19 new Canadian locations this year.

Home Outfitters, which debuted as Bed Bath and More but changed its name in late 1999, currently has six stores clustered in the Greater Toronto area. The new locations will take the format across Canada, and include nine more locations in southern Ontario, four in Alberta, two in Manitoba, and four in Quebec, which will be under the brand name Déco Découverte. When the new locations will open is still undetermined, though the first are expected to open in late spring or early summer.

"The performance of the current six Home Outfitters stores has proven that this format is successful," said Marc Chouinard, president of The Bay. "This national expansion marks the next phase in the development of this concept. Over the next two years, we plan to continue to leverage locations around major metropolitan cities, and we are currently negotiating for further locations. Our goal is to provide our customers with the selection and convenience they require when shopping for home décor."

The expansion of this new format is a core component of Hudson's Bay's strategic plan.

The Home Outfitters format is a single-level store, averaging 40,000 square feet and located around major cities. The new locations in Ontario include, Pickering; Mississauga; Barrie; Brampton; Vaughan; Gloucester; and Ottawa. In Montreal, the format will be in Pointe Claire, D'Anjou, Mascouche and Marche Central. The Alberta province will have two locations in Calgary and two in Edmonton, and Manitoba will have two in Winnipeg.