Canadians shoppers are seeking out domestic products amid the ongoing trade war with the U.S. Will this momentum lead to a long-term change in consumer behaviour? It depends, says retail expert David Ian Gray (seen here addressing the 2023 Hardlines Conference).
He told CBC Radio’s Sunday Magazine that with “values-based” choices like shopping local or choosing eco-friendly products, “the behaviour often falls short” of the intention, “and that’s usually because of the trade-off. If doing the virtuous thing costs too much or the quality isn’t as good, those things become inhibitors.”
Still, Gray adds, “we see a very motivated consumer base in Canada right now to ignore any of the friction and really they are making changes.”
Retail sales decreased 0.6 percent to $69.4 billion in January, StatCan reports. Sales were down in three of nine subsectors and were led by decreases at motor vehicle and parts dealers. Sales in LBM and garden categories were 1.5 percent below the previous month and 0.5 below January 2024. Core retail sales—which exclude fuel and automotive categories—were down 0.2 percent in January.
Mission Building Supplies is seeking an experienced Contractor Lumber Salesperson to join its team. Key responsibilities include building and maintaining strong relationships with contractors and industry professionals and providing expert advice on lumber products and their applications. Check out our Classifieds page for more details!
RONA inc. has announced the acquisition of the RONA Forget store in Mont-Tremblant, Que., by Carlos Munoz. The affiliated dealer already owns three stores under the banner on Montreal’s South Shore. The transaction closes today. The Forget family will stay involved in the business to ensure a smooth transition for the 120-year-old business. Some family members will retain their position at the store for the long term as it continues to operate under the same name.
Home Hardware has announced that Home Hardware dealer-owners Christine Hand (pictured) and Thomas Hand have acquired a long-standing building materials location in Conception Bay South, N.L. The store will now operate as Kelligrews Home Hardware Building Centre. It joins the Hands’ existing Handyman Home Hardware in Conception Bay South.
National pride was one of the key themes of this years National Hardware Show, happening at the Las Vegas Convention Center until March 20. The event brings together home improvement retailers, wholesalers and distributors from around the world. This year saw many companies making extra strides to showcase their regional place in the supply chain as many industries within the hardware sector grapple with the effects of tariffs set forth by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Many booths had signs indicating that their company was not affected by tariffs at this time or that they offered alternative product sourcing and distribution to mitigate the impact. For the small Canadian contingent present at the show, it was an opportunity to network and build new business partnerships.
Home Depot has added Kilz primer products to its lineup of exclusive brands, making the retailer the only big box retailer carrying the Kilz line in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Home Depot is also the preferred big box retailer of Behr Paints, and both brands are part of Masco Corp.
Throwback Thursday is a regular weekly feature in which we dip into the archives of the Hardlines Weekly Report.
Twenty-five years ago, the industry was upended by changes in hardware distribution. In 1999, Home Hardware had announced that it was buying Beaver Lumber’s 138 stores from Molson Cos. for $68 million. Ace Canada had acquired the contract to supply Beaver Lumber with hardware back in 1994. After the acquisition of Beaver, Home Hardware obviously wanted to supply hardware to its new prize on its own. We reported, in our March 20, 2000, issue that “Ace Hardware Canada’s deal to supply hardware to Beaver Lumber will terminate before its scheduled deadline of June 1, 2001.”
The tariffs on Canadian products to the U.S. and counter-tariffs for goods landing here is bad news enough. But the full impact of these measures remains to be seen. The Canadian retail industry has long been in a post-Covid funk.
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At TIMBER MART, Doug Smith has been named regional director of Member Services for British Columbia. Smith will be responsible for managing relationships with TIMBER MART members in that province and will act as a liaison between the national buying group and its regional membership.
Based out of TIMBER MART’s distribution centre in Langley, B.C., Smith will report directly to Phil Temple, director of Member Services. “Doug has over 35 years of experience in sales, recruiting and operations within the building material industry, which he’s gained by working for a variety of retailers,” says Temple. “Throughout his time in our industry, Doug has built many strong relationships with TIMBER MART members and vendors and will surely be an asset to our members in B.C. with his deep knowledge of building material retail.”
Canadians shoppers are seeking out domestic products amid the ongoing trade war with the U.S. Will this momentum lead to a long-term change in consumer behaviour? It depends, says retail expert David Ian Gray (seen here addressing the 2023 Hardlines Conference).
