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Ian White named president and CEO of Home Hardware

Ian White has been appointed president and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Ltd. He steps into his new role on Nov. 18.

White joins Home from Parkland Corp., where he spent 10 years in a variety of senior executive roles for the global fuel, convenience, and food retailer. Most recently, he was president of Parkland Canada, the company’s largest operating division.

White replaces Kevin Macnab, who is retiring after helming Home Hardware for the past six years.

BMR’s top merchant shares insights at Hardlines Conference

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.”

Higher wages, losses due to menopause tackled in latest HR newsletter

The latest edition of our sister publication, Hardlines HR Advisor, went out this week! This issue has some good news (one major retailer is increasing sales staff’s wages) and tackles some tough issues (women face a total of $3.3 billion in lost income due to work hours lost to menopause).

(Hardlines HR Advisor is monthly—and it’s free! Filled with stories about taking care of your people, with case studies right from the retail home improvement industry. Click here to subscribe now!)

 

RONA’s Connexia dates released for next year

RONA has released the timing for its affiliated dealer gathering in the fall of next year. In 2025, RONA Connexia will be held the week of Oct. 14 at the Centre des congrès de Québec (Quebec Convention Centre) in Quebec City. Independent RONA dealers will come together for a few days of presentations and workshops. There will also be another vendor trade show. The event will close with an awards gala.

TIMBER MART adds Cape Breton dealer-member

Seaboard Industrial Supply Co. Ltd. in Sydney, N.S., is the latest dealer to join TIMBER MART. It’s been serving communities on Cape Breton Island since 1958. Today, the business serves the contractors and commercial builders of the region.

“We decided to become a member of TIMBER MART because the group understands and respects independent dealers and our unique business needs,” says Parker Rudderham, owner of Seaboard TIMBER MART. “We look forward to leveraging the group’s national buying power.”

Home Hardware launches house packages for small homes

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. has announced the launch of the Beaver Homes & Cottages Secondary Suite Collection. The homes will, the company said, help homeowners “to create affordable living spaces, responding to the ongoing housing shortages and affordability challenges facing Canadians.”

(We’ll have the full story on this initiative from Home Hardware Stores in the next edition of our flagship newsletter, Hardlines Weekly Report, which comes out this Monday. Not getting the full story? Click here now to try out HWR with our compliments for one month!)

Throwback Thursday: Ten years ago, we reported on Canadian Tire’s (then) largest store

Throwback Thursday is a regular weekly feature in which we dip into the archives of the Hardlines Weekly Report.

In our Oct. 27, 2014, Hardlines Weekly Report, we updated our subscribers on the construction progress of what would be Canadian Tire’s biggest store yet.

Part of the “Remarkable Retail” class of stores it was being built in south Edmonton.and would measure 137,000 square feet. It actually came in a 133,000 sq.ft. when it opened in 2015. (We hate to mislead our Faithful Readers, but that’s the size we were told at the time—your grovelling Editor.) 

Castle VP of finance to retire

Castle Building Centres Group has announced the upcoming retirement of Sarina Kaluzny, VP of finance, at the end of 2024. “The Castle head office staff, along with our business development team and board of directors, honour Sarina and her incredible accomplishments throughout her illustrious career with Castle,” the company said in a release. Kaluzny has had a long career in finance and accounting, including her 17 years at Castle, since she joined Deloitte in 1979.

 

New owners for RONA store in Manitoba

RONA has announced new owners for its bannered store in Portage la Prairie, Man. They are Joel and Josh McPhail. RONA describes them in a release as “two accomplished sales management and business development executives, [who] are joining forces to carry out their retail project. Their experience spans a wide range of industries, including new housing construction, development, and property management.” The McPhails plan to open a new garden centre at the 49,000-square-foot store in spring 2025.

 

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