TORONTO -- Hudson's Bay Co. plans to almost double the size of its Home Outfitters chain this year, adding 16 locations and raising the number of outlets across Canada to 38.

Home Outfitters, launched in 1999 with three stores in the Toronto area, already bills itself as Canada's largest kitchen, bed, bath and home decor superstore. "Home Outfitters is a significant strategic growth initiative for Hudson's Bay Co.," Marc Chouinard, executive vice-president of HBC, stated Tuesday, citing "overwhelmingly positive" customer response.

"Home Outfitters also provides the company with a proven big-box format, designed to compete in power centres across the country -- the only area of new retail development in Canada."

The new Home Outfitters stores - planned for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario, and averaging 34,000 square feet - are expected to produce about 900 jobs.

The planned new locations:

In British Columbia: Lansdowne Centre in Richmond, 64th Avenue and 203rd Street in Langley, Gateway Shopping Centre in Langford, Sumas Way in Abbotsford, Lougheed Highway and Mary Hill Bypass in Port Coquitlam.

In Alberta: West Point in North Edmonton.

In Saskatchewan: Preston Avenue and Circle Drive in Saskatoon, and Prince of Wales Drive and Trans-Canada Highway in Regina.

In Ontario: Eglinton Town Centre and Highway 401 at Weston Road in Toronto, Bramalea City Centre in Brampton, Heartland Centre and 3155 Argentia Road in Mississauga, Kanata Power Centre in Kanata, Highway 400 and Highway 7 in Vaughan, and Ottawa at Strasbourg in Kitchener.