The Hudson's Bay Company Secures Exclusive Canadian Franchise Rights for UK's Topshop and Topman

TORONTO, March 9 /PRNewswire/ - After months of speculation, The Hudson's Bay Company announced it has earned the Canadian franchise rights for Topshop and Topman, the UK-based retail fashion phenomena, including the rights for both shops within stores and stand alone stores. Operating in 37 countries around the world, the franchisee agreement will see Topshop and Topman launch stores within The Bay in the Fall of 2011.

"We couldn't be more excited about adding Topshop and Topman to The Bay's growing roster of fashion-forward finds," says Bonnie Brooks, President and CEO, The Bay. "Those in the know have been anxiously waiting for Topshop and Topman to come to Canada on a large scale, and The Bay is thrilled to deliver. It's a material step towards cementing The Bay as a world-class department store that delivers the ultimate fashion experience for our savvy clientele." 

Sir Philip Green, of the Arcadia Group which owns Topshop and Topman, comments "I am delighted to be launching the Topshop and Topman brands in Canada, and know that having chosen Bonnie and her team to be our partners, we have exciting times ahead. This represents another step in our continued international growth, and I am confident that The Bay's customers will enjoy the retail experience and fantastic product offer that both our brands will deliver for them."

"We're thrilled to announce a store opening in Canada this year, further increasing our presence in the Americas which includes an existing flagship in New York, and forthcoming openings in Brazil and Chicago," says Mary Homer, Managing Director for Topshop. "We've wanted to open a stand-alone store in Canada for some time, and the large site within The Bay allows us to bring the full Topshop experience to the customer in an undiluted way. The concept will stay true to Topshop's stores in other major cities, offering up-to-the-minute affordable style with fashion authority."

"We are very excited to have secured our first introduction in the Canadian market with the partnership of The Bay and look forward to the opening of the first store in Toronto with great anticipation," says David Shepherd, Managing Director for Topman. 

Topshop's individuality has earned it worldwide respect, cementing its place on the international style map.  Its collaborations with both young designers and some of history's most iconic fashion names such as Celia Birtwell and Kate Moss, have further advanced the brand's reputation as a fashion leader.

"Both Topshop and Topman have a brave and irreverent approach to style that has captured the imagination of the fashion conscious shoppers and industry insiders alike," adds Ms. Brooks.

About The Bay
Hudson's Bay Company was incorporated in 1670 by a British royal charter under King Charles II. With an unrivalled 341-year history in Canada, Hudson's Bay Company is renowned for its historical role in the development of the nation. Today, The Bay is Canada's leading department store and has established a reputation for quality, service, and more than ever, for style. A world-class department store, The Bay offers well edited assortments of exclusive and popular fashion, beauty, home and accessory designers and brands. The stores are continually evolving to provide customers with new and exclusive merchandise, as well as customized services to set The Bay apart from any other retailer in Canada. The Bay operates 92 stores in 8 provinces across Canada as well as www.thebay.com, the company's online store. 

About Topshop
Since it launched in 1964, Topshop has become a major style authority and one of fashion's biggest success stories. Topshop began as Peter Robinson's Top Shop, a young fashion brand in the basement of the former department chain, Peter Robinson Ltd. The first standalone Topshop store was opened in 1974.

In 1994, the Topshop flagship store was born, as the brand took over a 90,000 sq ft space at London Oxford Circus. It remains there today, and is considered the world's largest fashion store on the high street, attracting over 200,000 shoppers each week. In April 2009, the first American Topshop store opened its doors in New York.

In 2005, Topshop showed its own in-house designed collection, Unique, as part of the official London Fashion Week schedule. The only high-street brand to show on schedule, Unique's witty approach to style has made it a first choice for those who like to stay ahead. 2012 will see the tenth anniversary of Topshop's sponsorship of New Generation, which has nurtured an impressive roster of British talent over many seasons of London Fashion Week.

About Topman
Topman has earned its sartorial stripes with an unswerving, energetic approach to producing truly exciting high-street men's fashion. Driving trends forward while shifting the way men approach shopping, the Brand's attitude to creating brilliant, affordable and authoritative menswear is second to none.

Born in 1978, Topman is the male equivalent of successful stable-mate Topshop. With over 210 stores in its native Britain, almost every high street in the country boasts its very own slice of Topman. London's mega Oxford Circus flagship - one of several chief stores in the major cities throughout the UK - sees over 75,000 pairs of feet storm its two floors every week. The rest of the globe is catching up too. Here's the math: there are Topman stores in over 70 cities worldwide, stretching across 20 countries while boutiques in America, China, Germany, Belgium and Japan stock the Brand.

As one might suspect, its fashion forwardness continues into cyberspace with transactional website topman.com seeing over 450,000 unique visits per week and current shipping to over 100 countries across the globe.

About Arcadia Group Limited
Owned by Sir Philip Green and his family and with eight of the United Kingdom's best-known fashion and high street brands, each with its own distinctive identity and market segment, Arcadia Group is the UK's largest privately owned clothing retailer with more than 2,500 outlets, and an international business that trades in 37 countries and delivers on line to more than 100 countries worldwide. In January 2011 Sir Philip was honoured with the International Retailer Award at the National Retail Federation's annual convention in New York. 

SOURCE HBC