BOB 2017PROJECT NAME

PROJECT LOCATION:

TEAM:

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ID#:

CHALLENGE:

The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) challenged CallisonRTKL to help them open 10 full line department stores in The Netherlands within 19 months which is typically about the time it takes to complete one. At first, HBC did not decide which banner would fly above these stores (Galleria Kaufhof, Galleria Inno, Saks, Lord & Taylor, or Hudson’s Bay). In addition, a regionally specific design had to be developed from scratch and coordinated within a wide range of existing architectural shells. To further complicate things, design commenced well before store merchants, buyers, and visual team were established.

STRATEGY:

Define: the team, the site locations, the scope of work, the customer, the Brand, and the design.

Given the large scale of this effort, the strategy was to capitalize on expertise from multiple CallisonRTKL offices (Dallas, London, New York, and the GEC).

In order to determine locations, the team evaluated and produced feasibility studies for 28 of the original 67 bankrupt V&D department stores, effectively helping The HBC cherry-pick the top 15 locations and outlining the scope of work.

In terms of design, HBC and CallisonRTKL defined the Dutch customers as “Individual, Real, Eclectic, Sophisticated, and Curated”. These descriptors guided the adaptation of the Hudson’s Bay brand in a meaningful way for Netherlands. The machined and polished white aesthetic of the Canadian stores was transformed into a warmer, more natural, palette with matte finishes and hand-finished, quality, wood tones. Ultimately the design had to fit somewhere between the two local competitors, de bijnkorf and HEMA. Both at opposite ends of the department store spectrum. It could neither be so high-end that it would alienate the savvy Dutch customer nor too promotional to be special. HBC then determined the stores would be “Hudson’s Bay” citing the strong historical relationship between Canada and the Netherlands.

Being Hudson’s Bay’s first foray into the Netherlands, flexibility was a high priority. The flooring choice was monolithic with loose area rugs. The track lighting was integrated, and sales floor fixtures were modular with interchangeable hardware.156

Dallas

Multiple Netherlands Locations

Loyda WhitneyMac AllenMichael LobelJulie LefeuvreZuriel ZamboninoBrian FoxRory VillanuevaAndrea RomeroNick Nguyen

Elizabeth CanzoneriJeffrey ClarkHong WangAimee GrimesMengdie ZhouVictor GarciaMona LoRandi LawrenceAshlee Bartlett

David CassidyRobert WeberKyle JefferyJin JeongPen-Hsing Liu

Hudson’s Bay Natherlands

Hudson’s Bay Natherlands

RESULTS/IMPACT:

September 19, 2017 marked the first time in its history that Hudson’s Bay stepped outside Canada’s borders with its flagship name. The occasion was celebrated with a grand opening in Amsterdam. Nine more locations (Almere, Rotterdam, Den Bosch, Den Haag, Breda, Leiden, Maastricht, Tilburg, and Zwolle) across the region opened before the end of the month—Realizing 145,257 SM of retail space. Five additional locations (Amersfoort, Haarlem, Enschede, Amstelveen, and Utrecht) are set to open in 2018.

CallisonRTKL became a true extension of the HBC Canada’s in-house team, not just by producing initial feasibility studies, planning & designing, producing construction documents, and providing construction administration, but also by meeting with brands like Chanel, L’Oréal, Estee lauder etc… to help sell the idea to the vendor community. The team then coordinated all vendor shops, facilitated procurement and on-site coordination of store fixtures.

HUDSON’S BAY NETHERLANDS | COMPLETED LOCATIONS

Amsterdam Flagship

Leiden

Almere

Den Bosch Zwolle TilburgRotterdam Flagship

Maastricht

Den Haag

Breda

HUDSON’S BAY NETHERLANDS | COSMETICS

HUDSON’S BAY NETHERLANDS | WOMEN’S SHOES / WOMEN’S ATHLETIC SHOES

HUDSON’S BAY NETHERLANDS | MEN’S SHOES / MEN’S ATHLETIC SHOES

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