Hardlines’ own Michael McLarney moderated a panel discussion on the Buy Canadian movement yesterday. It was part of a morning seminar hosted by the Canadian Home Products Trade Association (CHPTA) in Toronto.
Five retail leaders were on the panel, including Shawn Ettinger, senior national procurement manager at TIMBER MART; Chris Parsons, formerly senior director of omnichannel marketing at Home Hardware Stores; and Tracy Platt, associate vice-president for product development at Canadian Tire.
Ettinger (second from left in the photo) said that the Buy Canadian movement which has sprung up from the Canada-U.S. trade war “is a very sensitive topic, and a very easy campaign to jump on.” But he pointed out that he works for shareholder dealer-owners across Canada. “We can educate the dealers on where things are coming from, but if you’re in procurement, your role is to provide options. The last thing I’m going to do is to tell dealers where they should be buying.”
(A full report on this incredible panel discussion appears in next Monday’s edition of our sister publication, Hardlines Weekly Report. HWR is reserved for Premium Members only. Click here to learn more about becoming a Premium Member of Hardlines!)
