Ashcroft’s Fields is one of the 165 across Canada that will be closed by this fall.
“After careful consideration, Hudson’s Bay Company has announced we will wind down our Fields store operations,” explained Tiffany Bourre, communications manager for the Hudson’s Bay Company. “In December we announced the closure of 26 Ontario Fields store locations, which will close in February 2012. We will wind down the remaining 141 store locations across the country in phases, with closures complete by Fall 2012.
“This is a strategic decision by Hudson’s Bay Company to focus on growing our other banners: The Bay, Lord & Taylor and Home Outfitters.”
HBC just announced its acquisition of Lord & Taylor last month.
The local landlords of the building where Fields is housed have vowed to find another department store business to replace the departing Fields (see p. 5 advertisement: “Fields store closing”.
Small towns throughout BC and the west are bracing for the loss of the department store chain which was started in Vancouver in 1950.
The chain expanded east to Ontario, purchasing Zellers and in turn being purchased by Hudson Bay Company. In 2008 the HBC was bought by U.S.-owned NRDC Equity Partners LLC.