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

On March 27, 2014, almost ten years ago, we reported on the trends survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

In top place, 94.2 percent of the landscape architects surveyed in 2014 rated gardens and landscaped spaces as somewhat or very popular. Kitchens and entertainment spaces were second most popular at 92.0 percent. Outdoor recreation came in third at 75.8 percent.

Across all categories, 98.3 percent of respondents rated lighting as somewhat or very in-demand, followed by seating/dining areas (97.7 percent), fire pits and fireplaces (95.4 percent), grills (94.3 percent) and installed seating (89.6 percent), which included benches, seatwalls, ledges, steps, and boulders. In the realm of landscape, garden structures, terraces, patios, and decks were high on people’s lists (97.7 percent), as were fencing (88.5 percent), pergolas (82.8 percent), and decks (82.3 percent).

RONA inc. announced yesterday that it had been named, for the fourth consecutive year, one of Montreal’s Top Employers. The annual list is published by Mediacorp, which also publishes Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

“For 2024, companies were chosen according to their commitment to improving employees’ quality of life by providing experiences that enrich their daily lives,” RONA said in a release. “These organizations are also recognized for creating a working environment that fosters a work-life balance, so that everyone can pursue their passions and commitments.”

The Atlantic Building Supply Dealers Association (ABSDA) held its annual Expo trade show last week in Halifax.

At the awards gala, 720 attendees saw Yvon Godin TIMBER MART, Neguac, N.B., win the ABSDA Retailer of the Year award. Ryan Buck of Buck’s Home Building Centre, Bridgewater, N.S., won the Young Leader of the Year award.

“Expo 2024 will go on record as one of our best shows in the past decades,” said Denis Melanson, ABSDA president.

We will have full coverage of the ABSDA Expo in next Monday’s Hardlines Weekly Report. This publication is sent exclusively to Hardlines Premium Members. Not getting the inside track on essential industry information that affects your own business? Sign up here!

A 30-year-old Chatham-Kent, Ont., man has been charged with theft of $120 in merchandise from a Home Hardware store. Police say the store manager and employees confronted the man as he was leaving, and that he then assaulted them. He was arrested shortly after.

BMR Group has announced that BMR BraeCon Building Supplies has acquired a new store in Wasaga Beach, Ont. The location joins owner George Begley’s existing outlet in neighbouring Elmvale. In a release, Begley said BMR’s “expertise in serving contractors helps us enhance the service to our customers.”

The 13,500-square-foot Wasaga Beach store has been in operation for nearly 40 years. It converted to the BMR banner on March 8.

The latest edition of Hardlines Dealer News hits inboxes tomorrow. In this issue, we look at how independents fared compared to big boxes during the pandemic (the statistics will surprise you!) and Orgill’s insights on the state of the industry.

Hardlines Dealer News is monthly and it’s free: click here to subscribe now!

American trade magazine Chain Store Age reports this morning that Lowe’s has partnered with consulting firm Accenture and tech firm Relex to bring artificial intelligence (AI) into its seasonal inventory planning. The article says that Relex provides the AI, while Accenture is providing its delivery and industry experience to advise Lowe’s on the initiative.

Check-ins with staff are important, says management expert Pierre Battah. Be sure to acknowledge your team on a regular basis. This can be difficult for a store manager or owner who’s already multi-tasking and working on the fly. Regardless of whether it’s weekly or even daily, make time do it, and do it in a mindful manner. You don’t have to go deep, just pay attention at the time. But, Battah adds, in the event of a problem or performance issue, don’t be afraid to have, what he calls “the tough conversations.”

(Pierre Battah, management consultant, HR guru, radio personality, and author, is our guest on the latest episode of our Podcast Series, What’s in Store. You can listen free and get notifications of upcoming podcasts by clicking here! Scroll down to see our complete library of episodes.)

Canadians can expect to see measures in the upcoming federal budget aimed at boosting housing affordability, CIBC economist Benjamin Tal told the Financial Post. “The government realizes that housing is a major issue and the next elections will be all about housing,” he said.

The federal government says some 5.8 million new homes must be built within the decade, necessitating a doubling of housing starts, according to Kevin Lee, CEO of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. His organization is calling on the government to aid first-time buyers by bringing back 30-year amortization on insured mortgages.

Doman Building Materials Group Ltd., the owner of CanWel, yesterday announced its fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial results. Consolidated revenues for the year were $2.5 billion, compared to $3.0 billion in 2022. Gross margin for the year was at 16.2 percent and net earnings amounted to $75.8 million. “The decrease was largely due to the impact of lower construction materials pricing, which resulted in lower average pricing for lumber, plywood, and OSB,” the Vancouver-based company said in a release. For the final quarter, revenues were $527.4 million, gross margin was 15.3 percent, and net earnings were $10.5 million.