AD Canada has been recognized as a Great Place to Work for the second year in a row, according to the Top Workplace rankings by Energage LLC, an HR technology company. In addition, AD Canada has been recognized in the ranks of 2024 Best Workplaces in Canada among firms with fewer than 100 Canadian employees, ranking 10th nationally for its size category. The survey assesses 15 key factors for fostering engaged organizational cultures.

“Greatness doesn’t happen in isolation—it thrives in the collective brilliance of a unified team, where each member’s contributions weave the fabric of our success,” said Rob Dewar, president of AD Canada, in a release.

AQMAT, the Quebec Hardware and Building Supply Association, held its annual general meeting yesterday at Laval’s Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. Before kicking off the gathering, members heard a presentation from AQMAT president Richard Darveau on the latest edition of the organization’s annual “Family Portrait” of the industry.

The document includes a snapshot of the main retail banners for the year, including banner changes and store closures, as well as data on the activities of the small number of true independents. It also covers the relationship between those retailers and their vendors. “We live in an ecosystem where everyone interacts together,” Darveau said, adding that home improvement is “the only retail sector with a vertical structure.”

The evening concluded with an all-you-can-eat supper of crab and roast beef, which AQMAT communications noted had sold out within three days after tickets went on sale.

A Stratford, Ont., Giant Tiger store is among the latest retailers to get rid of its self-checkout stations. Owner Scott Savage told CBC News that the decision was motivated not by loss prevention concerns, but feedback from his clientele, many of whom are seniors. “The biggest complaint you have from everybody is, ‘You don’t pay me to work here,’ ” he said.

Walmart began testing out cashierless stores in the U.S. in 2020 before expanding the pilot to Canada the following year. Today, only one such location remains in the whole country, in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que.

If there’s a slowdown in retailing, Amazon, the third largest public company in the world, is definitely not feeling it. Amazon announced its first quarter results yesterday. Net sales increased 13 percent to $143.3 billion, compared with $127.4 billion in the first quarter of 2023. Amazon is global, but North American sales kept up, posting an annual increase in the quarter of 12 percent. The company’s operating income increased to $15.3 billion in the first quarter, more than three times the profits of $4.8 billion in the first quarter of 2023.

Peavey Industries last weekend celebrated the grand opening of a new Peavey Mart store in Steinbach, Man. The new location clocks in at 28,800 square feet, not including an additional 1,440-square-feet greenhouse. A seasonal section will cater to homeowners’ lawn, yard, and garden needs before converting into a Christmas and toy department later in the year.

Ontario employers have new legislation affecting how they hire. Bill 149 amends the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, to include a new section pertaining to job postings. The update, which has received Royal Assent, contains new pay transparency provisions, prohibits the posting of requirements relating to Canadian experience, and requires disclosure of the use of artificial intelligence in the recruitment process.

Yantzi Home Building Centre and Tavistock Home Hardware in southwestern Ontario have a new official shareholder of both businesses. Steffan Yantzi, 27, grew up watching his father, Jim Yantzi, operate Yantzi Building Supplies. “I grew up studying my father in the store,” said Steffan. “I watched what he did and how he did it, absorbing as much as I possibly could. This made taking on more responsibilities over the years easier.”

Jim Yantzi passed away in 2021. Staffan officially became the dealer-owner on Jan. 1. Yantzi Building Supplies is in its 73rd year of operation and joined the Home Hardware banner in 2016. The Yantzi family purchased Tavistock Home Hardware in 2018.

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RONA inc. has welcomed six new dealers as independent affiliates. They are RONA Quincaillerie Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Quebec (pictured), RONA Manotick and RONA Timmins in Ontario, RONA Lac La Biche and RONA Olds in Alberta, and RONA Agassiz in British Columbia. “Since we announced our new business positioning, along with a series of new programs last December at Connexia, our annual dealers’ event, 11 stores have chosen to join the network of RONA affiliated dealers,” Alain Ménard, senior vice-president for affiliate dealers, said in a release.

King Marketing’s team of full-time sales representatives gathered for their national sales meeting in Niagara Falls last week. About 50 people attended, along with vendors that included A.O. Smith, Blanco, Schlage, Lixil (American Standard) and Signify (Philips lighting). The event culminated with King’s awards night that celebrated the achievements of the sales agency’s reps across the country. Jeremy Ross won the Peddler of the Year Award “for his exemplary work on behalf of his represented vendors,” the company said in a release.