Hardlines’ 28th Annual Conference concluded recently, and we’re all still reeling from the information high! A range of speakers, including retail experts and industry leaders, took to the podium at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, Que.
One of those retail leaders was Charles Grégoire-Beliveau, vice-president of merchandising at BMR Group. Speaking to the audience of some 175 people, Grégoire-Beliveau reviewed the industry’s challenges. “There’s a shortage of skilled labour. People with boom truck operator licences are rare. Consumers are more demanding. They have their phones, they’ve done their research; sometimes they have more knowledge of the product than the employer.”
Nevertheless, he said, BMR is “very optimistic about growth opportunities in the market.”
