The North West Company

Corporate brand

A Canadian multinational grocery, general-merchandise retail and distribution company serving remote and northern communities.

Last updated August 31, 2026

AI crawler reads

No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.

Overview

The North West Company Inc. is a Canadian retail and distribution enterprise headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its principal business is the operation of grocery, general-merchandise and convenience stores in communities that are often geographically remote, including northern Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. The company also operates wholesale, financial-services, transportation and related businesses that support its store network. The modern company is principally descended from the Northern Stores Division of the Hudson's Bay Company. That division represented the continuation of the commercial infrastructure associated with the historic North West Company, a fur-trading enterprise headquartered in Montreal in British North America from 1779 until its merger with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821. After the merger, the business survived within Hudson's Bay Company structures, first as the Fur Trade Department and later as the Northern Stores Division. In 1987, a group of investors acquired the division, creating the basis for the modern independent company. During the 1990s, the business was relaunched under the North West Company name. The company operates Canadian banners including Northern, NorthMart, Quickstop, Valu Lots and Solo Market, as well as franchised Giant Tiger stores in western Canada. Its Canadian activities also include Crescent Multi Foods, a wholesale distributor; North West Company Fur Marketing; Inuit Art Marketing Service; and North Star Air, a cargo and passenger airline based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Northern and NorthMart stores are particularly important in communities where transportation costs, seasonal access and limited local competition make retail supply more complex than in southern urban markets. Outside Canada, the company operates Alaska Commercial Company stores under the AC Value Center and Quickstop banners, along with Pacific Alaska Wholesale. Its Cost-U-Less business serves markets in Hawaii, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. The company also owns a majority interest in Roadtown Wholesale Trading Ltd., which operates in the British Virgin Islands. These international operations extend the company's model of grocery, general merchandise and wholesale supply into island and remote markets. The North West Company also runs We Financial, a financial-services division offering automated teller machines, the We Credit Card and We Prepaid Visa in conjunction with Peoples Card Services. The division has also provided cheque-cashing and tax services and operated Canada Post outlets in selected stores. This combination of retail, distribution, transportation and basic financial services reflects the company's positioning as community infrastructure as much as a conventional supermarket operator. The company has maintained a strong connection with Indigenous and northern communities. Its store network serves many predominantly Indigenous locations, and the company has described itself as a major private-sector employer of Indigenous people. Its operations are shaped by the logistical and social conditions of the regions in which it operates, including high freight costs, limited road access, seasonal transport and the need to tailor product assortments to local demand. The company remains active under the North West Company name, although specific current store counts, executive details and financial data require confirmation from current corporate filings or official company materials.

History

The historical roots associated with The North West Company reach back to the North West Company, a fur-trading partnership established in the late eighteenth century and headquartered in Montreal. Scottish immigrants and other merchants expanded the trade westward through the interior of British North America after the British conquest of New France. The company developed a network of trading posts, transported goods through difficult terrain and competed intensely with the Hudson's Bay Company. Fur trading contributed to exploration, mapping and the growth of commercial links across the interior, while also producing conflict involving rival European trading interests and Indigenous peoples and placing pressure on beaver populations. In 1821, the historic North West Company merged with the Hudson's Bay Company. Its activities continued within the larger organization, eventually becoming associated with the Fur Trade Department and later with the Northern Stores Division. The northern retail operation adapted the old trading-post model to changing economic conditions: instead of focusing primarily on furs, stores supplied food, clothing, household goods, tools and other necessities to isolated communities. Over time, the division became a significant retail and distribution network across northern and western Canada. A major corporate transition occurred in 1987, when a group of investors acquired the Hudson's Bay Company Northern Stores Division. This transaction separated the operation from Hudson's Bay Company ownership and provided the foundation for the present enterprise. During the 1990s, the business was relaunched under The North West Company name, using a corporate identity that evoked its historic predecessor while operating as a modern retail company. The company subsequently expanded beyond its Canadian base. Its Alaskan operations are associated with the Alaska Commercial Company, whose own history traces back to the Russian-American Company. The North West Company acquired Cost-U-Less in 2007, adding warehouse-style retail operations in Hawaii, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. In 2017, it acquired a 76 percent interest in Roadtown Wholesale Trading Ltd., which operates wholesale and retail stores in the British Virgin Islands. The modern organization combines retail banners with distribution, transportation and financial services. In Canada, Northern and NorthMart stores serve communities across the western provinces, northern territories and selected northern areas of Ontario, Quebec and Labrador. Quickstop, Valu Lots, Solo Market and franchised Giant Tiger stores broaden the format mix. Crescent Multi Foods and Pacific Alaska Wholesale provide distribution capabilities, while North Star Air supports cargo and passenger transportation in northern Ontario. Inuit Art Marketing Service and North West Company Fur Marketing reflect additional links to local economic activity. The company's Winnipeg head office stands partly on the site of Upper Fort Garry and is connected to the history of the Hudson's Bay Company in the region. Additional offices support its United States operations in Anchorage, Alaska, and Boca Raton, Florida. Through its stores and associated services, the company has developed a business model centered on supplying geographically dispersed communities where logistics, transportation and affordability are central operating concerns.

2017
Majority interest in Roadtown Wholesale Trading acquired
[1]The North West Companyen.wikipedia.org
The company acquired a 76 percent interest in Roadtown Wholesale Trading Ltd., which operates in the British Virgin Islands.
2007
Cost-U-Less acquired
[1]The North West Companyen.wikipedia.org
The company acquired Cost-U-Less, expanding its presence into Hawaii, the South Pacific and Caribbean markets.
1990
Business relaunched under The North West Company name
[1]The North West Companyen.wikipedia.org
During the 1990s, the former Northern Stores operation was relaunched under The North West Company identity.
1987
Northern Stores Division acquired from Hudson's Bay Company
[1]The North West Companyen.wikipedia.org
A group of investors acquired the Hudson's Bay Company Northern Stores Division, creating the corporate basis for the modern independent company.
1821
Merger with Hudson's Bay Company
[1]The North West Companyen.wikipedia.org
The historic fur-trading North West Company merged with the Hudson's Bay Company, after which its commercial activities continued within Hudson's Bay Company structures.
1779
Historic North West Company established
[1]The North West Companyen.wikipedia.org
The historic North West Company emerged as a Montreal-based fur-trading enterprise operating across the interior of British North America.

Products and positioning

Community-focused grocery, general-merchandise retail and wholesale distribution for northern, remote, island and underserved markets.

Grocery and general-merchandise stores
Northern
Northern is the company's principal Canadian retail banner and serves communities across western Canada, northern Ontario, Quebec, Labrador and the territories. Stores generally combine grocery products with general merchandise, household supplies, clothing, seasonal goods and other everyday necessities. The format is designed for markets where transportation constraints and small populations make a broad, locally accessible assortment important.
Northern supermarket and general-merchandise stores
NorthMart
NorthMart stores provide a larger-format version of the company's northern retail offer in selected communities, including locations in Manitoba, Nunavut, Labrador and the Northwest Territories. The stores combine food retail with general merchandise and are intended to function as comprehensive local shopping destinations in places with limited access to southern distribution networks.
Warehouse-style retail · 2007
Cost-U-Less
Cost-U-Less is an international warehouse-style retail business acquired by The North West Company in 2007. Its stores operate in Hawaii, the South Pacific, the Caribbean and associated United States territories, offering food, household goods and other consumer products in markets where imported supply and island logistics are important considerations.
Alaskan grocery and general-merchandise stores
AC Value Center
AC Value Center is an Alaska-focused store banner associated with the Alaska Commercial Company operations. It provides groceries, household necessities and general merchandise to Alaskan communities, complementing the company's Quickstop convenience format and wholesale activities in the state.
Retail financial services
We Financial
We Financial provides services through the company's retail network, including automated teller machines, the We Credit Card and We Prepaid Visa in conjunction with Peoples Card Services. It has also offered cheque-cashing and tax services and operated Canada Post outlets in selected stores, extending the role of company locations beyond conventional retail.

Brand decisions

2017
Acquire a majority interest in Roadtown Wholesale TradingM&A
Background
Roadtown Wholesale Trading Ltd. operated wholesale and retail businesses in the British Virgin Islands.
Action taken
The North West Company acquired a 76 percent interest in Roadtown Wholesale Trading Ltd.
Aftermath
The transaction added British Virgin Islands operations to the company's Caribbean and international network.
Source
2007
Acquire Cost-U-LessM&A
Background
Cost-U-Less operated warehouse-style stores in island and remote markets outside Canada.
Action taken
The North West Company acquired Cost-U-Less and added its operations to the international business.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded the company's presence in Hawaii, the South Pacific and the Caribbean.
Source
1987
Acquire the Northern Stores DivisionM&A
Background
The Northern Stores Division was part of Hudson's Bay Company before being separated from that corporate structure.
Action taken
A group of investors acquired the division and established the foundation for the independent modern company.
Aftermath
The business was later relaunched under The North West Company name and developed into a publicly traded multinational retailer and distributor.
Source

Sources4 sources

Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/the-northwest-company · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled