Photos: Tiffany Shum
Hudson’s Bay unveiled its highly anticipated 2019 holiday windows to Toronto on November 14th with Mayor of Toronto, John Tory and country music duo, The Reklaws.
Five brand new Hudson’s Bay animated and interactive windows take passersby on an imaginative journey behind the scenes of Santa’s undiscovered workshops with each display providing a glimpse into different departments at the North Pole. With bright reds and greens, the windows combine technology, romance, nostalgia and animation to create holiday magic. For the first time, this year’s installation will also incorporate interactive audience elements perfect for photo opportunities.
“Year after year, Hudson’s Bay brings Torontonians and visitors from around the world together to delight in the magic of the holiday season,” said Denis Frenette, SVP, Merchandise Presentation, Hudson’s Bay. “This year’s windows were inspired by our vision of Santa’s Secret Workshop and feature the animated characters we’ve become known for. The joy of discovery and wonder continues inside our Queen Street store with a new FAO pop up shop and luxe gift shop. From outside to in, it’s a full experience that’s sure to delight.”
Five brand new windows, themed “Santa’s Secret Workshop” will showcase the following displays:
Snow-Making Department: Ever wonder how snow is actually made? A bounty of magical frozen flakes come to life in this winter wonderland. Passersby can snap photos in adult and kid-sized cutouts on the exterior of our windows and join in with our snow angels.
Candy Cane Department: A look at how the magical treats are made and gently packaged with a robotic arm before being dropped into queue to be sent in Santa’s sleigh and delivered to the children of the globe.
Gifting Department: A glimpse into all of the parcels being wrapped, sorted and packed by robots working in sync to keep up with the flow of presents coming down the conveyor belt. Plus, new technology allows onlookers to press a button on the glass and one very friendly robot will want to give you a high-five and take a selfie.
Ornament-Making Department: A snapshot of how some signature ornaments are painted and detailed with precision and care. A giant mechanical hand carefully selects each colour to be applied before the finished crafts are sent out for people to decorate their homes.
Mail-Room Department: The inner workings of the technology used to scan, sort and process all of Santa’s letters. A giant computer spits out a list of names while a map of the globe gives Santa directions to find all the boys and girls around the world.
