Canada’s most iconic institution, the Hudson Bay Company, followed through with a decision made a few years ago, and will no longer sell products made from animal fur..The company can trace its origins to 1665, when Pierre-Esprit Radisson and his brother-in-law, Médard Chouart Groseilliers, journeyed to London, UK, seeking royal backing for their fur-trading business in North America. .The pair managed to get an audience with King Charles II, who liked the idea of a fur-trading enterprise bringing in money to help his decimated city, which was being ravaged by the Bubonic plague..Five years later, Charles granted the charter that started the Hudson’s Bay Company, and giving away ownership of a considerable amount of land..Radisson and Groseilliers initially traded primarily beaver pelts and elk skins with indigenous peoples across the breadth of the "new world," setting the stage for the Hudson’s Bay Company becoming "The Bay — Canada’s department store.".In making the announcement to cease fur sales on March 25, Fashion Week says it “touches Hudson’s Bay Company’s entire portfolio of brands including Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off 5th. The company first made the decision to go fur-free in 2021 and officially stopped selling the merchandise this month.” .The magazine reports other top retailers that have also stopped selling animal fur include Macy’s, Nordstrom, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg, Hugo Boss, Jil Sander, Karl Lagerfeld, and Tommy Hilfiger..People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called The Bay’s decision a "victory" in a press release..“Fur belongs on the animals who grew it, not on collars and coats,” said PETA Executive Vice-President Tracy Reiman. “Hudson’s Bay has come a long way from its fur-trading origins, and compassionate consumers and PETA are celebrating the company’s decision to join the vast majority of the fashion world in saying goodbye to the cruel fur industry.”."In thanks for the decision, which follows emails from over 100,000 PETA supporters to Hudson’s Bay Company’s businesses and protests at its stores, Hudson’s Bay will receive a box of bunny-shaped vegan chocolates from PETA.”
