Lowe’s Cos. is revamping its MVPs Pro Rewards & Partnership Program as MyLowe’s Pro Rewards. The new branding aligns with the retailer’s MyLowe’s Rewards plan for DIY customers. Benefits include free standard shipping in the continental United States, a 20 percent discount on paint, and a volume discount on eligible quotes of at least US$1,500.

AD has announced that member sales for increased by 6.0 percent in 2024 to US$83.3 billion. On a same-store basis, sales in Canada rose by 3.0 percent. More than 100 new members joined AD during the year, bringing the total count to 932. “Our record-breaking results are a testament to the strength of our forward-thinking, growth-oriented independent distributor community and our suppliers’ commitment to independents,” CEO and chair Bill Weisberg said in a release.

Sales of existing Canadian homes declined by 3.3 percent on a month-over-month basis in January, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. The drop was largely due to sales trailing off in the last week of the month. The number of new listings jumped by 11 percent compared to December 2024.

The annualized rate of housing starts increased by 3.0 percent in January to 239,739 units, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. Actual urban starts were up 7.0 percent year-over-year, with 15,930 units recorded in January 2025, compared to 14,883 in January 2024.

The latest edition of Hardlines HR Advisor hits inboxes tomorrow. In this issue, we look at two new business leadership programs, what makes employees stay, and coping with winter commutes. HR Advisor is monthly and it’s free: click here to sign up today!

Despite a giant snow storm that disrupted travel, TIMBER MART dealers from across the country managed, for the most part, to get to Toronto this week for the buying group’s National Buying Show. The mood on the show floor was positive, and TIMBER MART president Bernie Owens told Hardlines that, despite headwinds, “I actually think 2025 will be a good year.”

The hybrid format includes an in-person event at the Toronto Congress Centre and a cloud-based virtual tradeshow platform. The show ends at noon today.

JRTech Solutions has integrated the “Well Made Here” logo into its electronic shelf labels (ESL) system. Now retailers stocking products that are accredited by the non-profit organization can have that designation automatically included in their shelf tags. JRTech, a distributor of Pricer electronic labels since 2008, has installations in over 700 hardware stores and home improvement centres across the country.

Canadian Tire Corp. reported Q4 sales of $4.5 billion, up by 1.5 percent from a year earlier but short of analyst expectations of $4.58 billion. Net income surged to $411.5 million from $172.5 million in the comparable period of 2023. In the Canadian Tire Retail division, sales rose by 1.1 percent to $5.38 billion, with comp sales also up by 1.1 percent.

TIMBER MART is holding its National Buying Show for 2025 today and tomorrow. The hybrid format includes an in-person event at the Toronto Congress Centre and a cloud-based virtual tradeshow platform. More than 1,100 dealer and vendor participants are expected at the show. Hardlines will also be on the scene, so watch this space for more coverage!

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. reported fourth-quarter 2024 results that included a loss of $62 million on sales of $1.405 billion. The company reports that its engineered wood products business in North America enjoyed some resilience, while the lumber segment also realized modest improvement. Full-year sales were $6.17 billion, down from $6.45 billion in 2023. West Fraser’s loss shrank to $5 million from a loss of $167 million in 2023.