Red Deer, Alta.-based Peavey Industries LP will end its relationship with Ace Hardware International on Dec. 31 of this year. Peavey has been the licensee of the Ace banner in Canada since 2020.

In a release, Peavey said that the decision “underscores the growth trajectory that Ace Canada has experienced, evolving from Peavey Industries LP’s acquisition of the Ace Canada master licence from Lowe’s in 2020. This period has been filled with shared aspirations for growth and a steadfast commitment to supporting local Canadian-owned retail.”

“Over the past few years, the retail landscape has faced numerous challenges, including the global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, inflation-induced consumer behaviour changes, and increased operational costs, particularly in smaller, remote markets. These factors have prompted a strategic reevaluation by Peavey Industries LP leading to the decision to end our relationship with Ace Hardware International.”

“Peavey Industries LP remains dedicated to fostering a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable retail landscape in Canada through our Peavey Mart & MainStreet Hardware brands.”

Peavey said its relationship with Ace dealers in Canada will be “business as usual” until the end of the year.

Retail sales increased 0.7 percent to $66.8 billion in April compared to the previous month. Sales were up in seven of nine subsectors and were led by increases at gasoline stations and fuel vendors as well as food and beverage retailers. Sales in LBM and garden categories declined by 1.4 percent.

Empire Co., whose grocery banners include Sobeys and Safeway, said this week it earned Q4 profits of $148.9 million, down from $182.9 million a year earlier. Sales were flat at $7.4 billion. Comp sales edged down by 0.3 percent but rose 0.2 percent when excluding fuel.

The annualized rate of housing starts in the U.S. fell 5.5 percent between April and May to 1.28 million units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Single-family starts were down by 5.2 percent to a rate of 982,000. Building permits were at a rate of 1.39 million units, down 3.8 percent from April. Single-family permits declined by 2.9 percent to a rate of 949,000.

RONA continues to invest in the growth of its independent, or affiliated, dealer network. Last week, the company officially launched its new visual identity for stores owned by RONA affiliated dealers. The goal of this initiative is to turn the spotlight on RONA independent dealers by showcasing their entrepreneurial side, while leveraging the strength of the RONA brand.

The new look was first unveiled to the dealers at last November’s RONA’s show for independents, called Connexia. One store has already got the new look in place; the second will be finished later this summer.

(We’ll have more details on the new image package for RONA affiliates in this coming Monday’s edition of our flagship publication, Hardlines Weekly Report. Check out the full story by signing up for a free trial subscription right here!)

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

On June 23, 2014, about ten years ago, we reported that TIMBER MART (then TIM-BR MART) had “announced to its members that it will no longer support the Ace banner program. According to letters sent out to its dealers on June 19 by TIM-BR MART president Bernie Owens, the move comes from dissatisfaction with Ace International, through which the partnership has long been structured.” Soon after this report, the Ace licence in Canada passed to RONA. Lowe’s inherited it when they purchased RONA in 2016. Then in 2020 the Ace licence was picked up by its current licensee, Peavey Industries.

Gypsum Management & Supply Inc. announced Q4 sales of US$1.41 billion, up 8.4 percent from a year earlier. Net income declined 25.4 percent to $56.4 million, compared to $75.6 million in the previous Q4. For its fiscal year 2024, which ended April 30, GMS saw sales grow by 3.2 percent to $5.5 billion. Annual net income came to $276.1 million, a 17.1 percent from $333.0 million in 2023.

The Home Depot has completed its acquisition of SRS Distribution, Inc., a building products distributor with more than 760 locations across 47 U.S. states. The deal, first announced March 28, is worth about US$18.25 billion. SRS serves professional roofers, landscapers, and pool contractors, with a sales force of 2,500 and a fleet of some 4,000 trucks. Home Depot expects the acquisition to accelerate its growth with the residential contractor and builder with bulk orders.

Canadian Tire Corp. is building a new store at the Stanley Park Mall in Kitchener. The new Canadian Tire store, which is forecast to open this fall, will replace the existing Canadian Tire store at Victoria and Frederick streets in Kitchener. The new store will occupy the location vacated by Walmart at the mall.

We love when a hardware store gets recognized by its local community. These stores are very often integral to the character of the town or neighbourhood they serve. So when our good friend Frances Sologuk, owner of Osoyoos Home Hardware in her town at the bottom of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, sent us a media story about her store, we were thrilled.

The article, in the Kelowna’s local news media site, Castanet.com, called the store “the Greatest little Home Hardware in Canada” and provided details of its double-role as both a hardware store and a “living museum” of artifacts from the area’s roots in mining and forestry.

(Sologuk’s inspiration and passion for her store and her community can be considered a master class in good retail. We had the honour and pleasure of speaking with Frances in an episode of our Hardlines Podcast Series, What’s in Store. Click here to find it on Apple Podcasts or here for Google Podcasts. Believe me, you will learn something new!—your ever inquisitive Editor)