INTRODUCTIONThe Hudson's Bay Company is the oldest incorporated merchandising company in the world. The Bay remained in operation in North America after its incorporation on May 2, 1670, by Royal Charter. The official title of the company is "The Governor and Adventurers' Company of England trading in Hudson's Bay." This title is generally abbreviated to "Hudson's Bay Company" or simply "the Bay". I was attracted to the Hudson's Bay Company because, firstly, I often shop at the Bay. Accordingly, I would like to show the pride and respect I have for this successful company and its great history. Second, I have ready access to the information needed to complete this independent study. Finally, since I am not an expert on company operations, this independent study will allow me to gain a deeper understanding of management and how it affects me. I used a number of resources to create this report. . These resources include: Hudson's Bay Company Annual Reports 1996, 1997 and 1998, employee training manual, Internet and magazines. I have combined these resources to produce a very informative report on the Hudson's Bayu Company. In addition to this, the resources I used gave me the opportunity to cover many aspects and areas of this company. The topics covered in this report are: company profile, human resources, customer services, organization and community involvement. I have included these types of information to give you, the reader, an in-depth interpretation of the Hudson's Bay Company. To understand how the Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) became the company it is today. A brief history is necessary to gain some basic knowledge. During the Bay's first century, it established forts on Hudson Bay and traded furs with indigenous peoples. In the second century of the Bay, competition from the North West Company was recognized and taken into account. This total period of 200 years contributed to the discovery of Canada. In 1821, the two competitors merged under the name Hudson's Bay. In the 20th century, HBC began to focus on retailing, which is now its main business. Between 1913 and 1968, HBC opened department stores in the downtown cores of major cities in Western Canada. Over time, the Bay moved to eastern Canada and the suburbs of major Canadian cities..