Despite last month’s decision by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) to close down 141 stores under the Fields banner, the Fields in Grand Forks will remain open.
According to Grand Forks’ Fields Manager Holly Morgan, another company has purchased several Fields operations, including the location in Grand Forks.
Information in regards to whether or not the Christina Lake Fields store will remain open was not available as of press time.
Christina Lake’s Fields said they could not make a comment.
Tiffany Bourre, HBC’s external communications officer, stated the decision was made so that HBC could focus on growing its other banners, including The Bay, Lord & Taylor, and Home Outfitters.
“It’s a strategic decision by the Hudson’s Bay Company to focus on growing our other banners,” she said. “Fields has entered into a tentative agreement with FHC Enterprises Ltd. to acquire 37 Fields store location leases.”
FHC Enterprises Ltd. is headed by Jason McDougall, a businessman in metro Vancouver who has been in the retail, wholesale and discount business for over 20 years.
“HBC is still done with Fields by the fall of this year and we were purchased by another company,” said Morgan.
Bourre noted that while it is still a tentative agreement, the Fields name is also a part of the agreement.
“I don’t have a timeline for the agreement to be complete, but we expect sometime by the end of this month,” Bourre said.
Morgan pointed out that if Fields were to close, the impact on the community would have been huge.
“There are so many basic essential needs that we have that you can’t get anywhere else,” she stated. “Everybody’s happy that we’re staying and I hear that everyday now.”